present century, and which establishes the authenticity and credibility of the books of the New Testament. These several arguments consist of a variety of parts, which afford each other support. To the evidences of the New Testament must be added the proofs of the Old Testament; because the two books are so intimately connected, that they must stand or fall together; for the Christian religion is a system, which professes to begin at the creation, and to be continued down to the restitution of all things. A knowledge of so many particulars cannot be obtained without careful inquiry and diligent investigation. As the evidences of Christianity are thus complicated in their nature, so the objections, which are alleged against it, are also multifarious; for there is scarcely any part of it, which has not been attacked by infidels. A man, who doubts of its truth, has therefore much to do; but he cannot be said to possess a pure and upright mind, unless he gives to every question relating to it the attention, which is due to its importance.

To these observations it may be objected, that if they are just, Christianity must be a system, which is not designed for the world in general; because the majority of mankind, and in particular the common people, have neither leisure nor capacity for such minute attention. I answer: It is not required of them. Experience manifests, that the greatest part of men are intended, not for speculation, but action. If the Christian religion is true, its practical effects, to the man who believes it, must be the same, whether he is able to demonstrate its truth, or not; as the mathematical tables, by which the navigator finds his way across the ocean, are equally safe guides, whether he does, or does not, understand their theory.

1

He is a good Christian, who practises the duties, which the gospel commands; who educates his children in the principles of piety, temperance, and honesty ; who prays to God in his house, trusts in his mercy, and believes in Christ; who on the seventh day joins the public worship of the church; and during the rest of the week performs his part as a man, a citizen, a husband, and a father; he is a good Christian, though he never reads any book except the Bible, and never heard of a deist or an atheist. But if by any cause he is led to speculate and doubt, he ought not to stop. A little learning will intoxicate his brain: to restore the sobriety of his mind, he must drink copious draughts from the fountain of theological science. If he reads the works of deistical writers, he must also read the best answers, which have been made to them if he studies Hume, and Gibbon, and Paine, he must also study Campbell, and Watand Priestley.

son,

In concluding the subject, I know not, whether I ought to give another rule, that to our diligence, seriousness, candor, and impartiality, we should add prayer to God. I hesitate, I say, whether to offer this rule, or not; because the infidel may be unwilling to admit its propriety, as he must the justice of all the rest. But if he will not pray, he must at least wish, that the divine Being, who formed the human soul, and who is acquainted with all its motions, would enlighten his understanding, and guide it into the path of truth. If he has an honest and good heart, he must ardently desire to know, whether the gospel is a fiction, or the genuine word of God. You, my brethren, who already believe

the Christian religion, rejoice that you are perplexed with none of these doubts. You have a firm persuasion, that your heavenly Father hears your prayers; and that, as he bestows on you all necessary good things, so in particular he gives to you his holy spirit, when you ask for it with sincerity, humility, and devotion.

3d S. in Advent.

SERMON III.

CHARACTER OF A WISE AND AMIABLE WOMAN.

ISAIAH XXX. 26.

THE LIGHT OF THE MOON SHALL BE AS THE LIGHT OF THE SUN.

THE Contemplation of the various natural objects, which God has created, impresses this idea on the mind, that many of them are formed for beauty, as well as utility. Without regarding the advantages, which flow from them, they afford pleasure by their color, circular or undulating lines, or harmony of proportions. Of these natural objects, there are few which are more delightful, and there are none which excite more attention, than the gentle luminary, which extends its sway over the night: it charms both the eye and the fancy. Hence in all ages, the poet and the orator, who have written to the imaginations of men, have enriched their compositions with metaphors and comparisons derived from its reflected beams. The most elegant simile in the Iliad is one of this kind ; and I need not point out instances in modern writers of beautiful imagery, which, like the rays of the globe from which they are borrowed, shed a mild lustre over their language and sentiments.

The text presents us with an agreeable image, a light,

which is soft and gentle, like the moon; but which, at the same time, without being dazzling to the eye, is constant like the sun. It has suggested to me the design of describing a character, to which it bears a resemblance.

Of

Of human characters there is a great variety, both among women and among men. Of women, one has been compared to a flower, which is beautiful, but the bloom of which soon passes away. Another, says the great Cervantes, resembles a delicate vase of glass it is free from a speck; but wanting firmness, it is broken in pieces by the first stroke of temptation. One woman is like a temporary torrent, noisy and shallow; while another resembles a perennial and silent fountain. men, one may be compared to a volcano, which hurls fire and destruction around. Another man stands immovable, like a lofty mountain: eternal ice chills his head, and sharp-pointed rocks and horrid precipices encompass his heart; but he benefits the world by the mines of knowledge, which are contained in his bosom, or by the streams of science, which rush down from his summit. One man, like a meteor, with his intense flame, threatens to outshine all the stars in the sky, and to fill every soul with wonder; but he blazes for a moment only, and then sinks into profound darkness. Another man, like the sun, with his genius enlightens the universe; but so brilliant are his talents, and so powerful his rays, that he almost blinds the eye, which cannot follow him without pain, as he runs his rapid course from one end of the heavens to the other.

The character, which I undertake to describe, is of a different cast. It can be contemplated with ease and