rent effects on the minds of different perfons. The fame profperity that excites fentiments of gratitude, and a liberal beneficent difpofition in fome, infpires others with infolence, rapaciousness, and cruelty; adverfity alfo may be the parent either of induftry, or fraud; fo that neither of them has neceffarily and invariably a good effect upon the mind. The difpenfation of the gofpel, therefore, may be fimilar to this, without any impeachment of its divine original.

The evidence of truth may alfo come under the fame rules with the means of virtue, and thus the arguments in favour of divine revelation may be fufficient to convince the candid, impartial, and well-difpofed, at the fame time that they may afford thofe who are of a different difpofition handles enow for cavilling, fuch as, in their ftate of mind, will juftify their rejection of it to themselves. To this our Lord might poffibly allude when he faid, John ix. 39. For judgment I am come into this world: that they who see not, might fee; and that they who fee, might be made blind; and, John vii. 17. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. To the fame purpofe is the prophecy of Simeon, Luke ii. 34. Behold, this child is fet for the fall and rifing again of many in Ifrael; and for a fign which shall be Spoken against.

It

It is often taken for granted that the defign of revelation in general, and of chriftianity in particular, was fimply to reform the world, and that end not having been completely answered by it, it has been objected by unbelievers, that it could not have been from God, who would certainly have chofen fufficient means to gain all his ends. But, confidering that men are accountable creatures, and capable of abufing every advantage of which they are poffeffed, both reafon and revelation do, in fact, in all cafes, anfwer the end for which they were given, whether they be abufed or improved, whether, as the apostle Paul fays, they be a favour of life unto life, or of death unto death.

I fhall conclude thefe obfervations on the difficulties which attend the Jewish and chriftian reyevelations, with remarking, that the question is not whether any of the particulars I have mention ed, feparately taken, be likely or unlikely to come from God, but whether the whole fyftem, attended with fuch difficulties, may be divine. If it were poffible that any perfon fhould be asked, a priori, whether it was probable that, under the govern ment of a wife and good being, an innocent child hould inherit the difeafes, poverty, and vices of its parent, or whether no diftinction would be made between the righteous and the wicked in war, peftilence, famine, or earthquakes, he would certainly answer it was not probable; though when

he

he fhould come to know, and attentively confider the whole fyftem, of which fuch events make ☛ part, he might be fatisfied that it was the refult of perfect wisdom, directed by infinite goodnefs ;; and even that a scheme more favourable to happinefs or virtue could not have been formed; and the time may come, when we fall know and acknowledge the fame with refpect to the extraordinary that we do with refpect to the ordinary dispenfations of the divine being.

The advantage which chriftianity derives from the objections of unbelievers, is various and con-fiderable. This eircumftance has been the means of purging it from what was foreign and indefen fible, and also of fetting its evidences in a clearer. and stronger light; fo that many perfons who before took their religion upon truft, do now adhere to it upon a rational conviction of its truth and excellence, and hold it in greater purity than they would otherwife have done. And as the heathen. philofophy contributed to diferedit the popular re ligions of the Gentile world, which ferved as a preparation for the promulgation of the gospel, fo the writings and discourses of unbelievers in the prefent age feem to be fapping the foundations of the Popish corruptions of christianity, and pre-. paring the way for the establishment of the pure religion of Chrift.in their place.

Chrifti

Christianity, after having stood fuch a trial as this, will no more be expofed to fuch virulent attacks as before, but will acquire fucha fixed character of truth, as it could never have obtained without the oppofition which it has met with. Such has been the fate of all the branches of true philosophy, of the Copernican fyftem, the Newtonian theory of light and colours, and the Franklinian theory of electricity.

THE CONCLUSION.

Tis in vain to fay any thing by way of addrefs

to persons who will not read or think upon a fubject. To the profligate and unthinking among the unbelievers I fhall, therefore, fay nothing, because they will not give them felves the trouble to read what I might be difpofed to fay to them; but to the more moral, fpeculative, and thoughtful unbelievers, into whofe hands this treatife may poffibly fall, I would obferve, and they must agree with me in it, that, in juftice to themfelves and to the fubject, they fhould give it the most serious and deliberate examination. To men of reafon and reflection the evidences of chriftianity muft appear the most interefting of all fubjects of inquiry. For what can be more fo than fully to afcertain, that the prefent ftate is not the whole of our existence, but that Jefus Chrift, by the appointment of God his father, will come again to raife all the dead to a future endlefs life, and to give to every man according to his works. This is the great object and end of chriftian faith; and thofe who believe this important doctrine receive it on the authority of Jefus Chrift, whofe divine miffion was attefted, as they believe, by fuch mi

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