lency of our religion, and behold all human virtues springing up and expanding themselves under its light and influence, producing their healing and precious fruits in endless variety and profusion, and the life of man, which must else have been as "the wilderness, and the solitary place," made "glad" for them, the " desert rejoicing and blossoming as the rose,"-gazing and expatiating upon a prospect so rich and diversified, we incline to be content and satisfied with the terrestrial paradise which our fancy has created, and grow in a manner forgetful of the scenes which lie beyond it, and indifferent to a farther sight into futurity; making but little effort to ascend that sublime and glorious height, to which the hand of faith is pointing us, though that height commands eternity-regions of unclouded radiance, unfading verdure, stretching interminably before us.

In the conclusion of this argument in support of the credibility of the Christian religion, we may be met with a question of which it may be proper to take some notice :-Suppose, it may be asked, Christianity were deficient in the internal moral evidence which you ascribe to it, what would you reply to the evidence of miracles alleged to have been wrought in its attestation? We answer, let such a case be first affirmed and proved to exist, and it will then be fit we should regard it. But we are not called to believe or

defend Christianity on a state of evidence which is purely imaginary, and has no existence. The case itself is one of the most arbitrary character that can be conceived; one which is scarcely credible; namely, that Christianity should teach a false morality, and yet have been attested by miracles; or rather that evidence should be offered that miracles had been wrought, in proof of its divine institution, so close and convincing as that which is alleged of the reality of the miracles of Christ and his apostles. But, as we have said, let the case be shown to exist; our duty is with things as they are.'

One thing, however, is certain. If such were actually the case, the rejection of Christianity would be a determination and state of the mind essentially different from what it is. A man would not be subject to the misgiving and accusation of his conscience, in demanding additional and even irresistible evidence of the truth of the Gospel.

For probable evidence, as is often

1 But who would not admit the truth as well as the energy of the following?" And surely it is not too much to say, that those moral principles (though they may derive fresh sanction from miracles), are such as no miraculous evidence can overthrow. If a teacher were one hour to raise the dead, and the next hour were to propose, on the strength of that wonder, a scheme of faith and practice which should confound the landmarks of good and evil, who can doubt that we should be fully justified in disregarding his miracles, and in rejecting his doctrine ? The only proper reply to him would be- Get thee behind me, Satan!"-Le Bas on Miracles, p. 45.

remarked and should be seriously considered, is that on which we are formed and habituated to act in relation to our fellow-creatures, and the business of the present world. It supplies the universal and sufficient stimulus to human conduct it feeds the lamp of hope, and sustains and nourishes our active powers; and inasmuch as we are, proverbially, prone to forestall and exaggerate the evidence in support of such statements and propositions as are agreeable to our inclinations, or as we wish to be true, there is, clearly, a sufficient reason why we should suspect ourselves of disaffection to a law which the conscience recognises to be holy, just, and good-of aversion to the rule of life which Christianity inculcates, if we demand still farther and more decisive, if not overpowering, evidence of the truth of the Gospel; and can account even the testimony which has been borne to the resurrection of Christ from the grave, insufficient to establish its divine authority, although it would assure us that we ourselves shall outlive the dissolution of these bodies, and obtain everlasting happiness. It is, precisely, the intrinsic moral truth in the Scripture which grounds the argument for self-distrust and examination in dealing with the evidence of its truth. It is because the Gospel is corroborated by the testimony of his conscience, that the Christian, in receiving and availing himself of such evidence

218 THE CHRISTIAN EXPOSITION OF OUR DUTIES.

of its truth as it is his wont and nature to act upon in the general pursuits of life, may justly conclude that he yields himself to the special commandment of his Creator, and is actuated by a disposition to obey his will.

LECTURE VII.

CREDIBILITY OF MIRACLES.

2 Tim. iii. 16.

ALL SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN BY INSPIRATION OF GOD, AND IS PROFITABLE FOR DOCTRINE, FOR REPROOF, FOR CORRECTION, FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

In the last discourse we considered the strong presumption which there is, from its intrinsic moral purity and excellence, that the particular exposition of our duties laid before us in the Christian religion is, as it purports to be, of divine authority. A topic so extremely important might well engage the whole of our attention in the space remaining for the prosecution of our subject; but, in regarding the claims of Christianity in its appeal to our reason as moral agents, there are other topics almost equally essential, as well as less repeated and familiar; and we proceed, as proposed at the commencement of our discussion, to direct attention to the