sages of antiquity? what single advantage, indeed, have they above them, except this, that in their days the light of the gospel has been spread over the world? But this comparison between the wise and learned of different ages will not determine the case: religion is not made for scholars only, but to influence the general practice of mankind: the great question, therefore, lies between the religion of the world in general as affecting its morality before the coming of Christ, and since condition of the world in the one instance contrasted with its condition in the other: whence then comes this change? If it is for the better, surely the world is indebted to the hand that rooted out false notions, destructive of virtue and happiness, and planted in their stead such as produce contrary effects. It may be said that the common people are now only influenced by custom and education, like the heathens: suppose the case to be so, and we are even then greatly obliged to revelation. Two things must surely be admitted:-I. that it was the work of a very extraordinary power to root out such ancient errors: II. that it was also an act of great wisdom and goodness to introduce and establish such just principles and notions as throw the weight of custom and education on the side of virtue and true religion. The first proposition cannot be disputed; for the power that destroys the force of custom and education must be very great : no instance in history of a nation reasoned out of its religious errors; and the gospel not having been introduced by external force, the work must be ascribed to a power of another kind. With regard to the second proposition, it may be thought that true religion is no longer religion when it stands by the force of custom and education: yet the precepts of the holy writers call on us to train up a child in the way he should go, for this very reason, that when he is old he will not depart from it; which, as well as God's declaration to Abraham, Gen. xviii. 19. proves that true religion is not the worse for the support it has from example and education: but farther, inasmuch as principles, opinions, and practices of mankind will ever be strongly influenced by custom and education, how could the wisdom and goodness of God be manifested more than by directing such influence to the side of virtue, religion, and happiness? The true end of religion is to make men better, and to lead them to perform their duty to God and man: true principles, therefore, being instilled into them, they are as capable of discharging those duties as the greatest philosophers, and as beneficially to the world. It is not to be inferred from hence that religion should be founded on prejudice: the gospel was at first promulgated by the strongest appeal to reason, when it was introduced by the hand of God in signs and wonders, called by the Apostle demonstration of the spirit,' in opposition to the wisdom of the world;' and it stands on the same reason still, though it may be maintained under the natural influence which custom and education have on mankind: hence, perhaps, we may see the reason why miracles were so frequent in the beginning of the gospel, and why they afterwards ceased: they were necessary till truth had possession of the world; but truth, thoroughly established, was left to be propagated by the natural means of instruction and education. Any one may see that evil is produced by false and corrupt principles, which owe not their influence to reason, but to the possession which they have of the mind; and that good principles, with the sanie advantage of possession, will be as powerful to good purposes, though the mind discerns not the reason from whence they flow! to answer this end of religion, were the preachers of the gospel sent into the world; and the errand was worthy of him who sent them. PART II. The subject of the text re-considered; and the circumstance, that a few of the learned heathens extricated themselves from popular errors, discovered a Supreme Being, and acquired clear notions of morality, shown to be no argument against the necessity of a revelation: for, in the first place, religion, if it be of any use at all, is of use equally to all men: since all men live under a sense of being accountable for their actions, all equally stand in need of directions to guide them: to show that reason served the purpose of four or five persons out of millions, is no proof that it rendered the publication of the gospel unnecessary neither will the argument hold good-that what reason did for a few, it was capable of doing for all, and was therefore a sufficient foundation for true religion; inasmuch as true religion was lost, not from a defect in reason, but by the abuse and misapplication of it; for the general abuse of reason stood in need of a remedy, as an eye which, though sound, is covered with a film, requires this obstruction of the sight to be removed moreover, when reason is considered abstractedly, as a principle of action, that degree of it which illuminates the minds of extraordinary men must not be taken as a measure of what is to direct the mass: yet among even the learned and philosophic sages of antiquity, few formed just notions of religion and morals; the people in general had neither time nor capacity to make the attempt: reasoning, in short, will not do for them; and therefore the gospel set out differently, by proposing the great truths of religion, plainly, simply, and authoritatively. The custom of dressing up the doctrines and proofs of religion in axioms, theorems, and demonstrations, may be useful to men of thought and contemplation, but not so to mankind in general: by this method religion would have lost that plainness of doctrine and simplicity of evidence which are strong proofs of its divine original. The foregoing observations are made on the supposition that a few wise and learned men had extricated themselves from all popular superstitions ; but this has never been proved: indeed St. Paul justly lays it to the charge of the wise men of the world, that when they knew God they glorified him not as God, &c. Socrates, the best of them, when accused of despising, and of teaching the Athenian youth to despise, the gods of his country, acknowleged himself an idolater in the court of Areopagus, and made his observance of sacrificial rites on the Pagan altars a part of his defence. But how different was the defence of St. Paul, accused in the same court and of the same crime, when he made his appeal to the ALTAR OF THE UNKNOWN GOD! The very death of Socrates shows that he did not dissemble his opinions through fear was it then possible for any one to oppose heathen idolatry on his authority? Moreover, the character of Socrates, as well as of his accusers, was afterwards put in a true light; his memory was held in reverence; and his doctrines were published by his great and philosophic pupils; yet for the space of near four hundred years to the birth of Christ, what was the effect produced thereby on the morals of mankind? The manner and effect of St. Paul's preaching at Athens, and of other Apostles in various parts of the world, contrasted with those of Socrates and his school. Concluding observations: I. If during so many ages reason was unable to reform the world, let us not be so vain as to imagine we could have done more in similar circumstances, &c. II. When we consider the means used by God in restoring true religion, and pretend to judge of their fitness, let us avoid being misled by the conceit of some, who think themselves wise enough to give such directions in so momentous a matter, &c. III. Since we see how unable human reason is to struggle against the inveterate follies of superstition, and also how much it is indebted to, the light of the gospel, let us be careful to preserve this light, for fear of falling back again into the wretched state from which it delivered-us, &c. DISCOURSE IV. I CORINTHIANS, CHAP. I.-VERSE 21. For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. PART I. · 'IN the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God.' There is some difficulty in ascertaining the precise meaning of the first words, in the wisdom of God.' Some understand the meaning to be, that since the world, in the wisdom of God,' i. e. by contemplating the wisdom of God in the great works of the creation, had not by wisdom,' i. e. by the exercise of their reason, arrived to the true knowlege of God, it pleased God to take another method, and by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.' But since this difficulty does not affect the main assertions of the Apostle in the text, I will not spend time in inquiring what has been, or may be, said on this point. The main assertions of the Apostle in the text are two : Secondly, That it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save believers. 6 The language made use of here by St. Paul may want explaining; for it may seem strange that the preaching of the gospel should by an Apostle of Christ be called the foolishness of preaching.' But the meaning and language of St. Paul will be accounted for by considering what led him to this kind of expression. The doctrine of the cross, and of the redemption of the world by the death and passion of Christ, was received by the great |