3. Now, if this is acknowledged in all cases, how much more must it be applicable to the investigation of the Christian evidences; where the whole question is deeply moral and religious, where a revelation of the will of the Most High God is professed to be conveyed, where the soul of man, the rule of duty, the means of pardon and reconciliation, the sources of spiritual purity, are concerned-where reverence, and solemnity, and fear of mistake, and promptitude to rejoice in the will of God when known, should regulate every thought, and calm every interfering affection ?

This is the more important, because the inquirer perfectly well knows that if Christianity be once allowed to be true, a restraint must be put on all the passions, a submission of understanding and heart be unreservedly made, a rule of morals admitted to which every sin is contradictory, a silence imposed upon human pride and human reasonings before the revelation of the one eternal God, and a totally new course of life be entered upon and pursued.

Now what is the temper of mind in which the evidences of such a religion should be studied ? Must there not at least be something of docility, of seriousness, of a spirit of prayer, of a practical obedience to the rule of duty so far as it is known; that is, something of the very temper which we are enforcing? Can we wonder that men utterly devoid of every ingredient of this temper, should be incapable of understanding the subject, should frustrate the effect of all testimony whatever?

4. But, further, Christianity expressly requires this child-like simplicity of mind in those who would examine her claims. I am not arguing now from the truth of our religion. I am merely stating that, as every art and science has some previous truths in common, which she first lays down-Morals her data -History her maxims-Geometry her axioms

VOL. I.

D

Physics her rules of philosophising,—so Christianity has her first principles from which she sets out, and without the admission of which no real progress can be made. Christianity inscribes on the portal of her dominions, "Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall in no wise enter therein." Christianity does not profess to convince the perverse and headstrong, to bring irresistible evidences to the daring and profane, to vanquish the proud scorner, and afford evidences from which the careless and perverse cannot possibly escape. This. might go to destroy man's responsibility. All that Christianity professes, is to propose such evidences as may satisfy the meek, the tractable, the candid, the serious inquirer. The grace of God at times, indeed, overcomes others; but it is in order to bring them to this docile and humble temper, in which alone is there a recipiency, a capacity for admitting truth. As to the evidences of our religion, perhaps they are left so, says a profound observer, as that those who are desirous of evading moral obligation should not see them, whilst fair and candid persons should. 14

They constitute, in fact, a moral probation, a discipline to try the spirits of men, whether they have such a docility and love of truth, as to receive a religion on satisfactory, though not, in a strict sense, irresistible evidence; and then, having obeyed the gospel, they will be in a situation to receive those higher and purer sources of conviction which spring from the abundant spiritual blessings conveyed to the heart.

It is thus the Psalmist records the divine statute: "The meek will he guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach his way.' "15 It is thus the wise man divides the characters and success of students: "The scorner seeketh wisdom and findeth it not, but knowledge is easy to him that understandeth. 16 It was on

66

this footing our Saviour proposed the proof of his divine mission : If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God." 17 And in like manner the Apostles, after proving by all reasonable evidences their sacred authority, thus address the obdurate, "Beware lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the Prophets; Behold, ye despisers, and wonder and perish, for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.” 18

I am aware that it may be said, that by this course of reasoning I am undermining the very foundations of the unbeliever's fabric. I avow it; and I appeal to the reason and conscience of men, whether that edifice can be secure, which sinks before such an assault. I appeal to the common sense of mankind, whether that system with respect to religion is likely to be true, which cannot bear the trial of calm, unbiassed, inquiry. I appeal to the honest judgment of every hearer, whether what I have been requiring is in fact any concession whatever, except upon the supposition of Deism being opposed to the meekness, seriousness of mind, spirit of prayer, and purity of morals, which it professes to cultivate ?-Did I say, professes to cultivate? I retract that expression: for scepticism, after all its boasts of its admissions as to natural religion, knows little of meekness and lowliness of heart, proceeds on the assumption of the sufficiency of human reason, seldom even pretends to piety-aud betrays by these very defects its origin and the wrong temper by which it is actuated.

In fact, Unbelief condemns herself, if she can be once calmly considered. She may make some way; if her spirit and temper be overlooked, and her objections and cavils and loud claims to a higher exer

17 John vii. 17,

18 Acts xiii. 40, 41.

But view her in

cise of intellect, be first listened to. the temper which she breathes, and you see at once, before you enter upon her particular arguments, the brand of error upon her forehead; you see in the resistance to all evidence, and in the scorn and levity which mingle with her reasonings, in the impiety and even Atheism which disgrace her doctrines, and in the vice which is excused, defended, inculcated in her code of morals, the undeniable proofs and evidences of a bad cause.

And most unfavourable for the Christian argument has been the neglect of this capital point. A consideration of the spirit and temper in which unbelievers conduct their inquiry, should never have been separated from a consideration of their particular objections. We should have exhibited to the young the obvious want of a right temper of mind in those who doubt of revelation, as the key to their scepticism. We have received the statements of unbelievers with too much indulgence; we have paid too many compliments, and made too great concessions to the adversaries of the Christian faith. We have relied too much on the irrefragable historical evidences of our religion, and have forgotten to insist on the temper of mind in which they should be studied, and without which, the strongest external evidences fail to persuade, whilst the internal are incapable of being appre ciated. We have failed to urge, in the first place, and upon all persons, the docility and seriousness and practical desire to know the will of God, which alone can make any religious inquiry successful. Nor have

we sufficiently held up as a just warning to mankind, the fearful obduracy and want of moral principle, which too commonly animate the opponents of reve、 lation.

If there were, indeed, generally amongst the ranks of unbelievers a manifest spirit of piety and subjection to God, something like what natural religion professes

to enjoin-if there were a prevailing earnestness to know the will of God-if there were a pain and grief of heart under the unwilling pressure of molesting fears-if we saw these men, as Pascal remarks, "groaning sincerely under their doubts, regarding them as their greatest misfortune, sparing no pains in order to be freed from them, and making it their principal and most serious occupation to search for truth," ," 19 then, indeed, we should feel a sincere respect and concern for them.

But their negligence and indifference, their pride and levity, their disregard of the dictates of natural conscience and of the spirit of prayer, in the very outset of their inquiries, save us the trouble of further examination, and explain to us at once the chief phenomena of their state. There seems, in the divine providence, a beacon erected on the confines of scepticism, to warn the traveller of the dangers before him. But I must conclude,

I. Are there, then, any now in this sacred temple, in danger of being shaken in their faith? Are there any who are almost bewildered at times with the sophistry of the wicked? Are there those who are cast by circumstances into the society, and exposed to the arts, of the unbelieving? Are there any whose peculiar character of mind leads them to doubt and hesitate upon every great subject, and therefore on the subject of the Christian argument, and who in the moments of temptation are harassed by suspicions and fears? Let me entreat them to follow the main principle of this discourse, and calmly ask themselves, what is the temper of mind in which unbelievers treat the most momentous subject that can be brought before a dying and accountable creature? Let them not plunge into particular disputations; let them just

19 Pensées 2de Partie, Art. 2.