to the learned, who are able to examine ancient books, and to read them in the original languages, and that an ordinary unlearned Christian must take their word for what they tell him.

You do, indeed, read in English the accounts of what the Lord Jesus and his Apostles said and did, and of what befell them. But the English book, which we call the Bible, professes to be a translation of what was originally written in Greek and Hebrew, which you do not understand. And some one may perhaps ask you, how you can know, except by taking the word of the learned for it, that there are these Greek and Hebrew originals which have been handed down from ancient times? or how you can be sure that our translations of them are faithful, except by trusting to the translators ?

And this is what many persons do. But others will be apt to say, "How can we tell that the learned have not deceived us? The Mahometans take the word of the learned men among them; and the Pagans do the same; and if the people have been imposed upon by the learned in Mahometan and Pagan countries, how can we tell that it is not the same in Christian countries? What ground have we for trusting with such perfect confidence to our translators of the Scriptures, that they are men who would not deceive us ?"

The truth is, however, that an unlearned Christian may have very good grounds for being a believer, without placing this entire confidence in any man. He may have reason to believe that there are ancient Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, though he never saw one, nor could read it if he did. And he may be

convinced that an English translation gives the meaning of the original, though he may not trust completely to any one's word. In fact, he may have the same sort of evidence in this case, which every one trusts to in many other cases, where none but a madman would have any doubt at all.

For instance, there is no one tolerably educated, who does not know that there is such a country as France, though he may have never been there himself. Who is there that doubts whether there are such cities as London, and Paris, and Rome, though he may have never visited them? Most people are fully convinced that the world is round, though there are but few who have sailed round it. There are many persons living in the inland parts of these islands who never saw the sea; and yet none of them, even the most ignorant clowns, have any doubt that there is such a thing as the sea. We believe all these, and many other such things, beIcause we have been told them.

Now suppose any one should say, "How do you know that travellers have not imposed upon you in all these matters, as it is well known travellers are apt to do? Is there any traveller you can so fully trust in, as to be quite sure he would not deceive you?" What would you answer? We suppose you would say, one traveller might, perhaps, deceive us; or even two or three might possibly combine to propagate a false story, in some case where hardly any one would have the opportunity to detect them; but in these matters there are hundreds and thousands who would be sure to contradict the accounts if they were not true; and travellers are often glad of an opportunity of detecting each

other's mistakes. Many of them disagree with each other in several particulars respecting the cities of Paris and Rome; and if it had been false that there are any such cities at all, it is impossible but that the falsehood should have been speedily contradicted. And it is the same with the existence of the sea,-the roundness of the world, and the other things that were mentioned.

It is in the same manner that we believe, on the word of astronomers, that the earth turns round every twentyfour hours, though we are insensible of the motion; and that the sun, which seems as if you could cover it with your hat, is immensely larger than the earth we inhabit, though there is not one person in ten thousand that has ever gone through the mathematical proof of this. And yet we have very good reason for believing it; not from any strong confidence in the honesty of any particular astronomer, but because the same things are attested by many different astronomers, who are so far from combining together in a false account, that many of them rejoice in any opportunity of detecting each other's mistakes.

Now, an unlearned man has just the same sort of reason for believing that there are copies in the ancient languages of the Christian sacred books, and of the works of other ancient authors, who mention some things connected with the origin of Christianity. There is no need for him to place full confidence in any particular man's honesty: for if any book were forged by some learned men in these days, and put forth as a translation from an ancient book, there are many other learned men, of this, and of various other countries, and

of different religions, who would be eager to make an inquiry, and examine the question, and would be sure to detect any forgery, especially on an important subject. And it is the same with translators. Many of these are at variance with each other as to the precise sense of some particular passage; and many of them are very much opposed to each other as to the doctrines which they believe to be taught in Scripture; but all the different versions of the Bible agree as to the main outline of the history, and of the discourses recorded: and therefore an unlearned Christian may be as sure of the general sense of the original as if he understood the language of it, and could examine it for himself; because he is sure that unbelievers, who are opposed to all Christians, or different sects of Christians, who are opposed to each other, would not fail to point out any errors in the translations made by their opponents. Scholars have an opportunity to examine and inquire into the meaning of the original works; and therefore the very bitterness with which they dispute against each other proves that where they all agree they must be right.

All these ancient books, in short, and all the translations of them, are in the condition of witnesses in a court of justice; examined and cross-examined by friends and enemies, and brought face to face with each other, so as to make it certain that any falsehood or mistake will be brought to light.

No one need doubt, therefore, that the books of the English New Testament are really translated from ancient originals, and are, at least, not forgeries of the present day; because unbelievers in Christianity would

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not have failed to expose such a forgery. But in the case of the books of the Old Testament, we have a remarkable proof that they could never have been forged by Christians at all; because they are preserved and highly reverenced by the unbelieving Jews in various parts of the world at this day.

LESSON VI.

PROPHECIES.

BUT these Old Testament Scriptures are, in some respects, more instructive to us, than even to the persons who lived in the Apostles' time, on account of the more complete fulfilment of some of the prophecies that has since taken place.

In the times of the Apostles, the religion of Jesus Christ was indeed spreading very rapidly, both among Jews and Gentiles; but still it was but a small and obscure portion of either that had embraced it, compared with those who either knew nothing of it, or rejected it with scorn and hatred. Now, Jesus is, and has been for many ages, acknowledged as Lord, in all the most civilised portions of the world. His disciples overthrew the religions of all the most powerful and enlightened nations, and produced without conquest, and without the help of wealth, or of human power, or learning, the most wonderful change that ever was produced in men's