of what they declared. Their sufferings, therefore, furnished the incontrovertible evidence, not only of the sincerity of their faith, but of the truth and certainty of what they proclaimed.

The miracles which these witnesses performed, and by which they commended their message to the confidence of the multitude, stand forth as an imperishable monument of the divine authority of what they wrote and taught. These writings are bequeathed us as an invaluable legacy, containing a transcript of the will of God, the standard of evangelical faith, and a most ample and perfect directory in all the important duties which devolve upon us, in our relation to the Supreme Being, and to all the creatures of his forming hand. It is the glorious charter of immortality, the pledge of eternal life.

To reject the truth of what these writings contain, is to renounce the hope of all which can sustain our hearts under the severest conflicts of life, and which can support our courage amidst the sharpest trials which were ever allotted for the experience of human nature. But why do we talk of their rejection? Do they contain any thing offensive to reason, or to the purest morality, which ever refined and elevated the character of man? It cannot be pretended, with the least semblance of justice; for the opposite character has always been awarded to these writings, even by the most violent opposers of revealed religion.

The writings of the New Testament contain a clear and interesting description of the third and last dispensation of infinite wisdom and goodness, by which the glorious designs of Heaven are unfolded to man, and by whose instructions we are furnished with the rules of every moral and social duty, together with a most shining and forcible example of all those important virtues, in the life and character of the distinguished Founder of our religion. The great object of his life was that of improving the condition of man, and of elevating and

refining the sensibilities of our common nature. They teach us, in a clear and impressive manner, that the centre to which all his designs and actions tended, was that of releasing mankind from the bondage of ignorance, superstition and vice, and of conforming the manners and habits of the intelligent family of God to rules of the most exalted piety and virtue.

To this worthy end, and for the security of this ennobling design, he combined the purest precepts with the most perfect example. Never has a character been presented to the world so amiable and godlike, and at the same time, so equally distant from the phrenzy of enthusiasm, the craft of imposture, and the haughty indifference of stoical pride. His example was the most perfect exhibition of holiness; of devotion to the honor of God; of zeal for the glory of the great Creator; of ardent solicitude for the improvement and happiness of man; of charity and kindness; of sympathy and love; of condescension and forbearance; of meekness, humility and self-denial.

The religion which he taught, was totally unconnected with all the schemes of human policy: It is true that it forcibly inculcated the duty of submission to human laws, but it never sought to seat its votaries in the chair of civil and political authority: on the contrary, it openly proclaimed a kingdom which was not of this world! It directed all its energies to extinguish the flame of every unholy passion of the heart, and sought to elevate the human mind above the grovelling propensities which enslave the noble powers of the soul, check the spontaneous flow of charity, and obstruct the gentle currents of benignity, peace and universal kindness; so unspeakably auspicious to the welfare of man. The exalted views which the writings of the New Testament inculcate, of the character and government of God, are such as to commend themselves to our reason; as they are worthy of the most excellent of all possible beings, and such as to excite

our highest reverence, since they give birth to the most sincere affections of the soul, and call forth the liveliest emotions of gratitude, confidence and joy. They represent him as a Father, of universal benignity, whose mercy and grace, like the blessings of his providence, flow free and unconfined, to all the creatures of his hand, throughout the universe. They make us acquainted with our duty to him as the children of his love; point out the path of improvement and happiness, and furnish us with a knowledge of the wise and perfect design for which we were created. If they taught the unrestrained indulgence of the gross propensities of human nature; if they justified oppression and violence; if they encouraged fraud and injustice; if they allowed of persecution and intolerance; if they gave countenance to falsehood and deceit; if they sanctioned indifference to the practice of any moral and social virtue, or afforded a license to the indulgence of sin, in thought, word or deed; we might feel ourselves excusable in rejecting their instructions: But their morality is, on the contrary, so pure, simple, exalted and refined, as to leave us without excuse, provided we reject their wholesome admonitions, and heed not their holy and authoritative precepts. In a word; they are "a light to our feet and a lamp to our path," to direct us into all the counsels of wisdom and truth; and while they point out to us the dangers of our way, and solemnly admonish us to "shun every appearance of evil," they communicate to us the knowledge of God and his will, thoroughly furnish us unto every good word and work, and supply all the means which will enable us to become "wise unto salvation."

18*

LECTURE XIV.

ST. JOHN, X. 20, 21.

"And many of them said, He hath a devil and is mad; why hear ye him? Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?"

Among the Jews, various impressions were produced by the preaching and miracles of Jesus.— Some supposed him to be one of the ancient prophets, returned to the abode of mortals, for the purpose of instructing mankind in the perfect knowledge of divine truth, and to demonstrate its authority by the most wonderful deeds: Others, that he was John the Baptist, risen from the dead, to display the mighty power of God. A third class were jealous that he was an ambitious and designing politician, seeking to overthrow the laws and customs of the Jews, and to establish a new order of government. Another class supposed him to be the Son of God, the Messiah, whose character and labors had been the theme of so many of the ancient prophets-while the more envious and bigotted declared that he had a devil and was mad. Thus we see that those who rejected the Prince of Peace, and the glorious truths which he taught and enforced, were actuated by different motives, which gave birth to variety in the character of their objections.

Between the skeptics of the first century, and those of our own times, there is, in some respects, a striking dissimilarity. Those who then rejected the doctrine and divine authority of the Saviour, admitted the reality of those astonishing miracles which he performed; but skeptics at this day allege the history of these miracles as an excuse for rejecting the system of revealed religion. This new attitude, therefore, of the opposers of divine revelation, renders it necessary for us to enter into the merits of

the evidence by which the miracles of Christ and his apostles are set forth and defended.

A miracle, in its common and most appropriate signification, denotes some effect which is produced by means that are contrary to the well known and established constitution and course of things; such as a sensible and obvious deviation from the known laws of nature. Or, in other words, it is an effect produced, aside from, and independent of, the ordinary laws which are established in the physical uni

verse.

The history which contains an account of the miracles of Christ and his followers, has been assailed with more violence and zeal, than reason and sober reflection.

Censure, of the most exceptionable character, devoid, alike, of sound reason and philosophy, is generally employed to intimidate the young and inexperienced mind. Modern skeptics appear to think that an unblushing charge of falsehood and deception is sufficient to ensure their triumph; especially if it be accompanied with a few sallies of satirical wit. But the sober exercise of reason will readily dissipate this illusion, and bring our minds to the more consistent employment of investigating the evidence of simple and well attested facts.

What evidence, or even argument, have they ever brought forward to prove that Christ and his apostles did not perform the miracles which are recorded in the New Testament? None. They rest their whole cause on a simple denial of the fact. They indeed attempt to justify this denial, by appealing to the frauds which have been practised by vile and arrogant pretenders. But this appeal is a tacit acknowledgment, on their part, that genuine miracles have been performed; since no man would ever attempt an imitation of what never existed in reality. No fraud which was ever attempted will compare with the plain, but stupendous miracles of Christ and his apostles. They were not performed under the cover of darkness; no previous notice was giv