and produced the most astonishing effects before they existed! or in other words, that nonentity produced the reality of all things!

In that Lecture, an appeal was made to the perfect order and harmony, which every where prevail throughout the physical universe, as affording demonstrative evidence that the cause by which they were produced must of necessity be possessed of perfect wisdom and inconceivable power.

It was shown that design was too apparent through the infinite variety of nature, to leave a rational doubt upon the intelligent mind, that they were the production of the combined energies of infinite intelligence and omnipotence: While the capacities of the whole animal creation, for enjoyment, suited to their various natures; with the ample provision which is made for their respective wants and desires, were called in to support the conclusion that the Being who created and governs the countless whole, must be perfect in wisdom, almighty in power, and unlimited, or unconfined in goodness.

Having arrived at this legitimate conclusion, by the aid of sensible objects, and established the fact of the divine existence by the undeniable evidences of nature; we briefly considered the kind of service which such a Being might be reasonably supposed to require of those on whom he had bestowed the gift of reason, and fixed the moral image of his own nature, which could be none other than that of imitating his goodness by efforts to promote the true interest and happiness of our species, whose condition is evidently such as to admit of continual improvement. We also offered some plain and pointed arguments, showing the fitness, the duty, the reasonableness, necessity and moral influence of prayer.

With this brief notice of our introductory Lecture, we shall proceed to the object proposed; namely, to offer a regular course of Lectures in defence of divine revelation.

It would be a vain and useless labor to defend revelation, unless it could be made to appear that mankind needed such a revelation. The object therefore of our present labours will be to establish the fact that the condition of the world was such as to require a revelation from God

for the improvement and happiness, the moral virtue and usefulness of its inhabitants. To accomplish this object, we shall plainly and faithfully contrast the situation of man, while left to the sole guidance of nature, reason and philosophy, with his condition and improvements under the light of revelation: This will afford us a fair opportunity of judging whether a revelation was, or was not necessary to enlarge the sphere of his usefulness, and to advance the knowledge, refinement and happiness of human society.

In doing this, we will not be so ungenerous as to select the most barbarous and ignorant nations which the history of the heathen world presents, but we will select the most polished and enlightened nations, where we find most to admire and approve Where nature has shed her kindest gifts, and where philosophy has exerted her powers and diffused her happiest influence; and if these will not bear a comparison with those nations who have been favored with the light of revelation, the necessity of such a reve lation will be too clearly established to admit of a fair and reasonable doubt.

It would be impossible to determine with any degree of certainty, what discoveries human reason would be capable of making, unless we survey its acquisitions and dis coveries, independent of the lights and improvements which revelation has furnished. We can only arrive at an accurate investigation of its powers, by examining what it has brought to light, when it stood unaided and alone.

It cannot be denied, that in the days of Socrates, Plato, and Cicero, science unveiled her splendors, and exerted her powers for the enlightening and improvement of mankind-Nor can it be denied that philosophy was then in the very zenith of her glory, or that reason had attained the meridian of her strength.-But we demand, (and the demand is made with confidence,) whether reason, science and philosophy, in their combined efforts, produced any system so honorable to the Supreme Being; so congenial to the wants and happiness of man; so fruitful in the glories of moral excellence, or so refined in the hopes and virtues to which it gave birth, as that system of truth which revelation has unfolded to the view of the world? The most hardened and unblushing skepticism dare not answer

this question in the affirmative.-For skeptics know that such an assertion would be confronted by the most stubborn facts.

The splendid elucidations of the divine benignity; the unspeakable consolations of mercy and grace; the endless felicities of eternal life, and the indescribable glories of immortality, were neither recognised by the philosophy of Socrates and Plato, nor embraced by the flowing periods which have thrown so much lustre around the character of the Roman Orator. The depth of scientific research, which was the boast of Greece; the polite literature which distinguished the Athenians; and the senatorial wisdom which illuminated the halls of imperial Rome, fall equally short of elevating the mind to the sublime heights to which it is exalted by the powerful and glorious light of revelation. The faithful records of history present us with a gloomy picture of the moral condition of man, when left solely to the guidance of nature and reason. Although surrounded with the beauty and luxuriance of nature; though enchanted with the vivifying influence of spring; surrounded with the glories of summer; loaded with the plenteous fruits of autumn, and taught by experience to lay by a store of the blessings of Providence to supply his wants in the dreary period of winter; man, with all his advantages and blessings, formed but vague and imperfect conjectures of the source whence these blessings flowed.

He saw that the seasons had their appointed periods, and was therefore led to conclude that an overruling intelligence presided over the destinies of nature. Hence an atheist was viewed as the most astonishing phenomenon, and as a monster among men. Still, having no clear conceptions of any existence distinct from matter, he was led to suppose that the Author of the Universe might be visible. And what object could so naturally and forcibly attract his attention, as the luminous king of day ;"from whose influence so many blessings and comforts were enjoyed? If any visible object was worthy of divine ado ration, the Persians might well be excused for rearing an altar to the Sun, and bowing down with devout adoration to this most glorious of all visible objects. Next to the Sun, the Moon, which dispelled the gloom of night, and

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marked the distinct periods into which the year was divided, was thought worthy to share in the divine honors which were almost universally paid to the ruler of day.

It is sufficiently apparent from history, that the sun and moon were worshipped by the Phoenicians, Canaanites, Chaldeans, Moabites, and in fact by all the eastern nations, from the earliest periods to which their history can be traced. Baal (the sun) and Astaroth (the moon) called in scripture the Queen of Heaven, were objects of universal adoration throughout the heathen world. The idol Moloch, so often mentioned in scripture, signi fies the same as Baal, a king, or ruler, and is therefore supposed to be the sun. Diana (or the moon) the god dess of hunting and the goddess of months, was called in scripture, as we have before remarked, "the queen of heaven." After the sun and moon, the smaller luminaries, which bestud the boundless concave, were considered of the same nature with the sun and moon, and therefore entitled to share with them the honors of worship, though not to the same extent, on account of the inferiority of their apparent glory.

During the Chaldean, Medo-Persian, Grecian and Roman monarchies, the sun, the moon, the planets and the fixed stars were all adored as Gods: And while the adoring Persian reared his altar to the Sun, and the Greek bowed with reverence at the shrine of Saturn, the deluded worshipper of the Queen of Heaven, rent the air with the acclamation, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians !" Nature was also worshipped under the name of this goddess, as the mother of all things, which will account for the peculiar appearance of her statues, covered from the shoulders to the lower extremities of the waist, with the emblems of nutriment, for the support of her children, which were represented upon all the body and limbs below, by the heads of various animals.

The objects which were worshipped by the ancient heathen, are too numerous for a minute detail:-In Egypt, besides the most grotesque figures of animals; or symbolical figures, compounded of man, and some animal; as the head of a dog on the body of a man; the head of a cat on the body of a woman; they worshipped oxen,

crocodiles, serpents, sparrow-hawks, ravens, insects, and even the herbs of their gardens :-Strange objects, indeed, to receive divine honors !

The heathen had idols of all sorts to worship; idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, wood, potters' earth, stars, spirits, men, animals, rivers, plants, trees, fountains, and even rough stones! The Arabians, before the days of Mahomet, paid divine honors to a certain black stone, which at this day is fastened in the wall at the temple of Mecca, and is devoutly kissed by Mahometans. They adored, in addition to this stone, spears, lances, great beams of timber, fire, animals, the sun, moon, stars, earth, flowers, plants, trees and fountains!—And we may add; the ancient Gauls and Germans, had scarce any other gods.

These idolators attributed to many of their gods and goddesses, the most ungovernable passions, and in their devotions they practised the most abominable obscenity and lewdness. This fact can easily be accounted for, if we reflect for a moment upon the probable causes which gave birth to their idolatry. This undoubtedly originated in the darkness of their minds, ignorance, vanity, pride, love of pleasure, fondness for sensible objects, libertinism, and in strong animal passions; the excessive affection of lovers; the mistaken tenderness of a father for his child; the husband for the wife, and the wife for the husband; great respect of subjects for their Prince, and of children for their parents; gratitude to the memory of benefactors; the splendid qualities of statesmen, and that admiration which the exploits of heroes and conquerors has almost universally excited; together with the indelible impression which has through all ages been fixed upon the human mind, of the existence of a Divine and Superior Cause: These have induced man to pay superstitious respect, worship and adoration, to what he loved, admired, esteemed, feared or honored to great excess.

The thought suggested itself to the minds of the ancients, that a resemblance of the gods which they worshipped, was desirable, to heighten the fervor of their devotions; hence images were raised and multiplied to an astonishing extent. But the infatuation of man at length became so great, that every object around him was dei