one that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand and the rain descended and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house: and it fell, and great was the fall of it." Matt. vii. 21, 26, 27.

Before I conclude, allow me briefly to recapitulate my whole argument.

Christianity is a religion which rests on the authority of God himself. 1. It is proved, by a greater variety and quantity of evidence than has ever been brought to bear on a similar subject, that the writings of which the New Testament is composed are genuine. 2. That the history recorded in those writings is true, we conclude from the testimony of several honest and independent witnesses; and that testimony is so confirmed by a number of remarkable and indisputable facts, as fully to meet the peculiarities of the case, and to establish the reality of the christian miracles. Now miracles are interruptions of the order given to nature by an omnipotent God, and, like the creation itself, can justly be ascribed only to Him. Since, therefore, he has attested christianity by true miracles, it follows that christianity is a religion of divine author

ity. 3. The real foreknowledge of future events is an attribute which must also be deemed peculiar to the Almighty, and God has attested christianity by true prophecies. Jesus Christ exactly predicted several events which were future when he spake. More especially, the prophecies of the Old Testament, respecting the Messiah, correspond with the character and history of Jesus, just as a lock of complicated and absolutely peculiar structure corresponds with its key. Hence again it follows that christianity is the religion of God. 4. The Deity is a Being of moral perfections; and christianity is the instrument by which he so transforms unregenerate men, that they come to render unto him the fear, honour, and love, which are his due-to show forth his moral attributes in their own conduct and to enjoy a substantial and enduring happiness-whence the conclusion is again safely deduced, that our religion is divine and true.

The Scriptures are a divinely authorized record of christian truth. The inspiration of the writers of the Old Testament is evinced by the clear declarations, on that subject, of the apostles and of Christ himself. The inspiration of the writers of the New Testament, and

especially of the apostles, is plainly recorded in the gospel history already proved to be true; and these historical testimonies to the divine origin of the Scriptures are abundantly confirmed by the internal evidences derived from their holy, wise, harmonious, and practically efficacious contents. The difficulties in Holy Writ are analogous to those to be observed in natural science; but to the simple-hearted, sincere, and devotional reader, and as far as relates to those things which appertain to our salvation, the inspired writings are plain and intelligible.

More

The Bible is replete with important information, respecting God, ourselves, and Jesus Christ. 1. The various attributes and perfections of the Deity are described, in the sacred volume, with a force and precision which clearly indicate the divine origin of the book. especially the Scriptures represent the Deity as perfectly pure and just; so that he utterly abhors all sin, and will assuredly punish those who continue under its influence. Without holiness none shall see God. 2. Respecting ourselves, the Scriptures declare, that we are endued with a body and a soul-that the soul lives after death-that the dead will be raised in a spiritual body-that, in the eternal world

to come, we shall be rewarded or punished, and be happy or miserable for ever, according to our works-that we are fallen from the image of God in which Adam was created-that we are naturally prone to sin, and universally sinners-and that of ourselves, therefore, we can entertain no hope of salvation. 3. Respecting Jesus Christ, we read in the Bible-that he is the Son or Word of God, who was with God from everlasting-that all things were made by him-that he is one with the Father, and therefore, himself God or Jehovah-that he became incarnate, and assumed the nature of man, tarried upon earth, died on the cross, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and will come again to the judgment of quick and dead.

To the question--for what equivalent purpose SUCH AN ONE should so marvellously humble himself, as to come into this world, assume our nature, and die on the cross-the answer has been given: "To supply all our spiritual need;-to bestow upon us not only information, precept, and example, but indemnity and cure." This answer is explicitly confirmed by a multitude of passages selected from Holy Writ-by the perfectly accordant declarations of the prophets, of the angel Gabriel, of

John the Baptist, of Christ himself, and of his apostles. These passages unfold in a luminous manner the whole doctrine of redemption, fully account for the great facts of the gospel, and show that between the spiritual wants of mankind, and the mercies of God in Christ, there is an entire congruity. Lastly, I have observed that we cannot avail ourselves of the promises and blessings of the gospel, otherwise than by that true and living faith in Jesus, by which we rely upon him as upon our only Saviour, and through the operation of which we become new creatures, and bring forth the fruits of obedience, holiness, love, and peace.

Allow me, my dear friend, (and reader, of every description,) to express an earnest and affectionate desire that such may be thy happy experience! If the afflicting hand of divine chastisement has convinced thee of the utter instability of every earthly joy-if thou art made sensible, that in the fleeting scenes of this present state of existence, there is nothing which can satisfy the aspirations of an immortal spirit -if thou art prepared to acknowledge thyself to be unworthy of the love of God; wretched, and miserable, and blind, and poor, and naked -mayest thou find a sure refuge for a wounded