concerning the general subjects which the christian religion embraces. Christianity is a subject which cannot be comprehended at a single glance; nor can its evidences be clearly investigated without the devotion of time and serious reflection. Whoever expects to become acquainted with the doctrines, hopes and evidences of the gospel, without devoting his mind to the discipline of serious inquiry and investigation, will find himself mistaken in the anticipation, and will, it is to be feared, either become an ignorant enthusiast, or shortly sally into the vortex of infidelity. The Saviour of the world was aware of this fact, and therefore exhorted his countrymen to "search the scriptures. And this exhortation is still more needful at the present day, when so many allurements await the profession of christianity, and so many temptations are exerting their influence to lead us astray.

It is a lamentable truth, however, that there are but few, who seriously engage in the investigation of the evidences on which the credibility of the gospel depends.The greater part of mankind are either too much engrossed with the cares and perplexities of life; or are too indifferent to the infinite concerns of religion, to enter deeply and feelingly into the investigation of its principles and evidences. Among the great mass of mankind, but few have the patience to enter the field of honest and laborious inquiry, and to push their investigations so far as to detect the haughty pretensions of infidelity, or to be able to meet and repel the insidious attacks of infidel philosophy; which, like the camelion, changes its hues as often as it comes in contact with a different object. An intimate acquaintance with prophecy and history is indispensable to the success and certain triumph of revealed religion. But how few there are who are disposed to devote a sufficient share of their time and attention to master a subject of such importance. Those who are satisfied with the internal evidences of the gospel, and such as are exempted from serious doubt, by the force of early education, do not often discover the necessity of all this labor and time, and therefore leave the subject to be investigated by those who have both the leisure and inclination.

The infidelity of all ages has acquired, for the most part, the little popularity which it has been able to boast, by assuming the character of a lofty and commanding philosophy, which casts aside, and affects to pity and deplore the vulgar prejudices of ignorance, and proposes to raise the human race above the degraded condition to which they have been reduced by the desolating influence of sordid superstition. It appeals to the pride of the human heart, and flatters the vanity of those whom it designs to allure from their allegiance to the cause of revealed truth. No weapon which it has ever employed, has proved more successful: For nothing was ever more congenial to that native self-esteem, which enters so largely into the constitution of the human character, than the desire and prospect of being distinguished for singular fortitude, and a noble elevation of thought, above the grovelling prejudices of mankind. So artfully has modern skepticism applied its influence to the native vanity and pride of the human heart, that it has often induced the unsuspicious youth to believe that a renunciation of revelation would be the means of distinguishing them as philosophers, and men of extensive and useful knowledge. Thus has the flattering appeals of infidelity, to one of the strongest passions of men, turned aside the feet of youth from the path of religion, and blighted the fairest prospects of happiness.

There is another cause which exerts a powerful influence upon the minds of men, unfavorable to the reception and practice of that pure and undefiled religion, so clearly taught in the scriptures of the New Testament. I allude to the love of sinful pleasure, which, to a greater or less extent, predominates in the hearts of every class of human beings. It is well known that the preceptive authority of the gospel of Christ, imposes restraints upon every passion of human nature, requiring that these passions be kept, or circumscribed, in their indulgence, within the bounds of innocence and justice. The reasons in vindication of this law of restriction, are too obvious to require any explanation, since the multiplied examples of their unrestrained indulgence have often deluged nations in blood, and uniformly tended to prostrate inno

cence, and sunder the purest ties that bind society together.

Pride is one of the most subtle passions which is nurtured in the human heart. Its influence is diffused through the thoughts, the looks, the language, sentiments and actions of mankind: But the love of pleasure, prompted by the impetuous current of human passions, often renders its possessor absolutely impatient of all restraint, and frequently urges him on the most daring adventures, regard, less of all the bitter consequences which may possibly result to individuals or to community at large. Either the authority of the gospel, therefore, must be disregarded, or sinful pleasure, with every passion which its indulgence requires, must be held in absolute and continual subordination. Those who are strongly disinclined to forego the momentary gratifications of sinful indulgence, are easily persuaded to throw off the stern restraints which christianity imposes, by adopting that kind of philosophy which acknowledges no other guide but nature, and resolves the whole science of happiness into the gratification of temporal desire.

The dignified humility which the religion of Jesus Christ requires, and the lessons, of equality which diversify its instructions, are so incompatible with the suggestions of human pride, and are supposed to detract so much from the distinctions of rank, birth and fortune, which are the boast of thousands, that the temptation to reject its authority, and to assume a loftier carriage than its self-denying doctrines will either justify or admit, acquires additional strength, and often precipitates its victim into the vortex of infidelity, and deprives him of all the advantages and refinements of moral virtue, which spring from faith in the covenant of divine grace, and hope in the unfailing promise of eternal life. Hence the necessity of fortifying the youthful mind against all these allurements, and of encouraging them in the early cultivation of all the graces and virtues which the gospel of a risen Saviour enjoins.

In closing this discourse, I shall mention one, and but one more cause, which tends to induce mankind to reject the wholesome instructions of revelation. There is in the heart of every human being, something which tells him

that he is a sinner; and he is apprized by the plainest instructions of the Bible, that sin disqualifies him for the approbation of God and the happiness of heaven. It is the language and sentiments of revelation, which he perceives to be the cause of his disquietude; and unwilling to abandon those pursuits from which he hopes to derive both pleasure and profit; disturbed by the consciousness of guilt, and assured by the warning voice of revelation that the Judge of quick and dead will render to him a just recompense of reward, he becomes impatient to free himself from the dread of punishment, as well as from all the restraints which the gospel has imposed; and thus to enjoy a more unrestrained liberty to follow the impulse of all his unchastened and unsanctified desires. To accomplish all this, and stifle the admonitions of conscience, he seizes upon every plausible pretext to justify a renunciation of the scriptures. Like the Jews of old, he soon acquires the art of evading the plainest evidence of truth, and finally becomes a proficient in the fearful labyrinths of skeptical philosophy. Instead of forsaking the practice of sin, by turning to the obedience of Christ, he augments the aggregate of his offences and his condemnation, relinquishes all the exhilarating anticipations of future beatitude, and finally drags out a precarious existence, "without God and without hope in the world!" ware, then, my friends, of these fatal allurements, and be admonished by the wisdom from on high, to choose "the better part."

Be

LECTURE XV.

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?"

In my last Lecture upon this subject, I briefly replied to some of the principal and popular objections to the gospel of Christ, and remarked upon some of the obvious and leading causes of infidelity. The design of our present labors is to consider the moral influence of skepticism, notice the acknowledgments of skeptical writers in favor of revealed religion, and contrast the hopes of infidelity with those which christianity unfolds. To determine what is the moral influence of skeptical opinions, we are not at liberty to select those who are, to all outward appearance, the most upright and virtuous among the opposers of revealed religion; for it is well known that such men have been educated in and are influenced by principles totally different from those which they now profess. And to do them justice, we frankly confess that some of them are examples of sobriety, justice, benevolence and probity; which render their lives worthy of commendation. But it will not, it cannot be pretended, that they have derived these good moral principles, by which they are governed, from examples or sentiments which are at war with the christian religion. They must have been the effect of a purer influence, and of a system infinitely more refined than that of any theory of infidelity which has ever been presented to the notice of mankind. It is a fact of universal notoriety, that the early impressions which men receive, whether good or bad, produce an astonishing effect upon their lives, their moral feelings and habits of thinking, even through the whole course of their mortal existence : So that in order to test the legitimate influence of skeptical