only the adverse and prosperous fortune of every person in this world in the most minute particulars, but also his faith or infidelity; his obedience or disobedience, and consequently his everlasting happiness after death: which fate or predestination it is not possible by any foresight or wisdom to avoid"."

This affords a remarkable contrast to the moderation and reserve of the Christian writings on this intricate subject. While Jesus gives us clearly to understand that faith in himself as Saviour of the world, and the life resulting from it, depend upon heavenly influence; he never allows us to suppose that this influence is arbitrarily bestowed: he distinctly affirms, that it is refused to none; that none are excluded from it; that every one who asks receives, and every one who seeks shall find.

How different is this from the language of the Koran: "As for unbelievers, it will be equal

́9 Sale's Prelim. Discourse, p. 101.

to them whether thou admonish them or do not admonish them; they will not believe; God has sealed up their hearts and their hearing; a dimness covereth their sight, and they shall suffer a grievous punishment "." Compare this with the command given to the apostles, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature;" or with the invitation which they were empowered to issue, "Come unto me, all ye that travel and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest;" and then decide, which carries internal evidence of its origin. Conceive, for a moment, the difference it would create in our feelings, and our sentiments, if such a sentence as this had fallen from the lips of Jesus: "the fate of every man is bound about his neck!" And yet why should it not have escaped him if he had been a mere adventurer in religion, why should he not have been bewildered in the labyrinth in which so many have most unprofitably strayed?

10 Chap. ii. p. 2.

Koran, ch. xvii. p. 229. "Like a collar which he cannot by any means get off."-Sale in loco.

3. Another mark of superiority in the Christian Scriptures, is the confidence with which Jesus affirms the facts which he undertook to reveal, such as the resurrection, an eternal state, the way of salvation, the divine counsels; without labouring to prove them. Mohammed is constantly employed in argument and discussion of which I do not recollect a single instance in the Gospels, except for the purpose of convincing the Jews out of their own Scriptures: which is very different from a formal endeavour to prove the possibility of a fact, or the reasonableness of a doctrine. St. Paul was concerned with some opponents, who denied the resurrection of the body; and he takes pains to confute them by an argument from analogy. Mohammed also is not contented with merely asserting the resurrection: he uses the same argument as St. Paul, and adds another to show, what is very true, that the second birth is no greater miracle than the first. This is all as might be expected, that men should argue with men. But Jesus merely declares the fact; "the hour is coming, in the which all that are

in the graves shall hear his voice (the voice of the Son of man), and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation "." And so with respect to whatever he affirms.

When we consider the original and unexpected doctrines which Jesus introduced; the novel idea of his sacrifice, which nevertheless is capable of so much illustration from the Hebrew Scriptures; the clearer view of the personality and office of the Holy Spirit, which also admits of so much confirmation from the books of Moses and the prophets; the novelty of some of his precepts, which might appear at first sight paradoxical or impracticable: it must strike us as singular, that he merely delivered his oracular message, and resisted all temptation to show its justice or its probability. He declared, that out of the heart of man proceed all the crimes which pollute the world3; but left it to his disciples

2 John, v. 28.

3 Matt. xv. 19.

to explain from whence the heart derived its depravity. He declared that he was come "to give his life a ransom for many;" but left it to his disciples to show why this was needful, and how it had made a part of the divine counsels from the beginning. He enjoined his followers not to resist evil, and promised that the meek should inherit the earth; but left it for experience to prove that such precepts are compatible with the daily concerns and intercourse of mankind. We see at once the propriety of this conduct, if Jesus were indeed a "teacher come from God5;" but can we believe that one who had assumed a title to which he had no just claim would have acted with such consistency? Especially when in that case the only reasonable chance of success must have been his proving the excellence

4 Matt. xx. 28.

5 "We may suppose that one sent from God to reform and instruct the world, will have recourse to some plain and satisfactory way of establishing his authority, which must be by working miracles, or by fulfilling ancient prophecies, or by foretelling future events; and that when he has thus prepared men to obey him and trust in him, he will command as a lawgiver, rather than reason as a philosopher.”—Jortin. Disc. p. 78.