and gave decifion. I found, by the decifion, that its character was more grand and perfect, as well as its agency ftronger, than that of the God of the Pharifees. As to its agency, it was able to raise from deeper mifery to higher bleffedness than the Pharifees thought of. As to its character, it appeared with unlimited fovereignty juft and merciful in perfection. Whereas the God of the Pharifees was fuch only partially, and by halves; incapable to execute the threatened curse against every fin, and yet fhew mercy and boundless favor to the tranfgreffors; not fo just as to maintain the honor, the fpirit, and extent of the perfect law, at all events; nor fo merciful, as to have any favor for the utterly worthless and wretched: but halving the matter, merciful to men of good repute, and juft in accepting those who are deficient in their righteousness; or, in another view, juft in exacting the debt of five hundred pence, and merciful in forgiving that of fifty; or fhewing justice only against the utterly infolvent, and mercy only to thofe who can make partial payments;-in fhort, (like all created potentates) incapable of appearing at once, without limitation of either attri bute, juft and merciful in perfection.

I found then that the power which operated in the refurrection of Jefus, excelled, not only in ftrength, but alfo in majefty and perfection of character, all that was called God among men. So I perceived no fmall propriety in the faying of Jefus, O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee. I concluded then that this power is of the only true God. Thus am I called off from every idol, however highly dignified, whether the work of men's hands, or of

their imaginations, to adore Him who is higher than the higheft.

I frankly acknowledge, then, that my religion, or my hope toward God, is not founded on argument, not on the wifdom of men, but on the power of God;-not any deductions from any principles I had hitherto known; but on authority interpofed in a manner quite unexpected, baffling, confounding, and repelling all my reafonings; and if I may be allowed the expreffion, forcing upon me a new set of principles, by the most convincing and fatisfactory, as well as irrefiftible evidence;-not on any reasonings à priori, but on plain matter of fact established by impregnable evidence ;-not on any effort exerted, or any motion felt in my breast, but on that motion. of divine power, which burft the bands of death when Jefus rofe;-not on any operation which men call myftical, to avoid faying unintelligible, but on the fimpleft and most striking operation of power that can affect the human mind, even the prefenting alive again a man who was dead; -not on feeling any change on my heart to the better, or the remoteft good inclination of my will, but on that fact, which, fore against my will, forced upon me the most fhocking view of my guilt, and proved me to be an enemy to heaven, in that refpect wherein I thought to have approved and valued myself to my last hour; not on any work of power affifting me to feel, will, or do any thing, in order to peace with God, but on a work of power, proving to demonftration, that every thing needful thereto is already completely finifhed;-to fay all in one word, not on any difference betwixt me and others, or any token for good about me whatsoever, but on the token or proof of divine good

will expreffed in the refurrection of Jesus, towards finners of all nations, without regard to any difference by which one man can distinguish himself from another.

This fact, firm as a rock, emboldens me, to pay an equal regard to philofophical gueffes and to enthusiastical fancies. If any one, then, should ask me a reafon of the hope that is in me, I have only one word to fay, The refurrection of Jefus. Take away this from me, and I am miferable indeed. Let this stand true, and nothing shall ever make me despair.

This fact and its import, or the character of God thence arifing, naturally confirm and ascertain each other. This character could never have been drawn to our view, but from fome divine work. No work but this could ever evince fuch a character; and if this work was done, of neceffity there must be fuch a character. This fact and its import then must stand or fall together. But more particularly,

As this divine character can no where be publifhed but along with the fact, I am affured, by hearing the grandeft character thence arifing, that、 the fact must be true. For to fuppofe, that the bare notion or idea of ought greater than God could ever be any where imagined, would be the wildeft of all abfurdities. And it is very evident, that that view of God, which, the lower it abafes the pride of man, raises his comfort and joy the higher; which reduces man to the moft unreferved or to extreme dependance, while it exalts him to the fummit of all happiness; could never be the contrivance of man, whose strongest impulfe is toward the gratifying of his pride, and whofe joy naturally rifes or finks according to the fuccefs thereof. Therefore, when

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the fact and its import are conveyed to my knowledge by the fame teftimony, I have no room to doubt, that God, who alone can defcribe his own character, is the testifier and declarer of both. And furely it would be extremely abfurd to fuppofe, that fuch a divine character could arife from a contrived lie.

Again, It is from this fact that the amiable character of the juft GoD and the SAVIOUR rifes to my view. I could never have known there was fuch a God, had I not known this fact. But I know, that this fact being true, there must be fuch a God; because it is impoffible to account for it otherwife. Yea, every attempt to account for it otherwife, not only extinguifhes all my former lights, but, without furnishing me with any new ones, lands me in atheism, in chaos and utter darknefs. Whereas the account of it given me by the Witneffes, while it proves all my former wifdom to be foolishness, opens to me a new, and more delightful fource of knowledge, throwing light upon a thoufand facts that I could never account for before; fhewing me a no lefs wonderful than fatisfactory propriety, in all the extraordinary circumstances attending the birth, life, death, and refurrection of Jefus, and the ministry of his Witneffes.It throws light upon all the ancient facred writings, and the extraordinary facts recorded in them from the creation downward. It fets my mind at reft, as to all the difficulties about the divine character, and the condition of man, which occafionally pinched me before. I am now reconciled to the entrance of fin and death into the world, and the whole of the dark fide of things, on account of the marvellous light that fhines forth from the greatest darkness.

I am now reconciled to the fhade, on account of the magnificent picture thence arifing to my view, and which could not otherwife have appeared, In a word, I thence perceive a no lefs amiable than grand uniformity of design, in all the works of God, from first to laft. Whereas, fhould I fhut my eyes against the light iffuing from thence, I am immediately loft in an unfathomable abyfs of abfurdities.

I KNOW then, affuredly, when I hear thefe illiterate men, attended by fupernatural power, bearing witness to the fact, declaring the import of it, and speaking the grand things of God, I hear God himself fpeaking; I hear the voice and teftimony of God. Divine wifdom and divine power, which are indeed infeparable, prefent themselves to my confcience at once; my pride is abashed; my reafonings are filenced, and hope arises to me from a new and unexpected fource.

I am fully fatisfied, then, in agreement with the Witneffes, to hold the meaning they have given of the refurrection of Jefus, for the gospel, the word, and the teftimony of God; and to call it, by way of eminence, THE TRUTH, in oppofition to every falfe reafoning about the light or law of nature, or about any of the works or ways of God. This Truth opens for me a plain path, and affords me firm ground for every step: fo that I have no occafion to grope among probabilities with the Academics, or no lefs uncertain feelings with the Devotees ;-no reason to envy the former the pleasure they propofe in their humble, candid, and fincere inquiries after-a phantom, which has hitherto eluded their grasp; or the latter, the more refined delight they propose in their pious wrestlings and waitings for

a. good