The infinitude of nature does not distract Him, nor does the greatness of the whole withdraw his attention from the least of its parts. The eye of the minutest insect is not less curiously constructed, because he who made it created the sun; nor are its happiness and safety regarded the less, because he at the same time regulates the comets; and, while the fate of worlds depends upon him, yet, without his permission, not even a sparrow can fall to the ground. If, then, our Maker is so attentive to the least of his works, must not man be his peculiar care,- -man whom he has created but a little lower than the angels, and dignified with the image of himself? Ye sincere, ye pious Christians, fear not that the magnitude of the creation will keep you from the care and favour of your God!-ye are dear, ye are valuable to him; and the sighs and prayers of the meanest of you are heard by him, though surrounded by the hosts of heaven, and listening to the praises of seraphim!

Thus I have given a rapid view of the external evidences of religion, by showing the presumptions in its favour; and by tracing its early history through the Jewish dispensation: I have considered the authenticity and truth of its Scriptures: treated of the prophecies and the miracles contained in them: shown the progress and advancement of it in the world, notwithstanding every obstacle; and have endeavoured to remove the general objections which have been made to it. It remains with us now to consider, what ought

to be the conclusion in our minds from such enquiries, and what the result of the whole of this description of evidence.

There are two kinds of demonstration, mathematical and moral. The first does not apply to such subjects as this. The reasonings in which we have been engaged belong to the latter description. In appreciating our external proofs, therefore, we should contrast them with those of a similar nature; or, in other words, we should state them in comparison with the evidences which we have of other historical facts of antiquity.

Though Socrates was no divine person, there is something in his history not unlike that of our Saviour; as both of them were great teachers, and both suffered death from their barbarous persecutors. Now, have we better evidence of the doctrines of that great philosopher, and of the incidents both of his life and death, than we have of those of Christ? I think we have not. For, while what relates to Socrates has depended almost wholly on the writings of Xenophon and Plato, the transactions of the life of Jesus -the inimitable lessons he delivered to mankind-his miracles-and the circumstances of his sufferings and death-have all been told us by double the number of historians,-persons who had the same opportunities of knowing him, as those scholars of the eminent Greek had of being acquainted with whatever related to their celebrated master.

But let us take other examples. Have we better and more satisfactory evidence regarding either Alexander or Cæsar; or are the particular circumstances which related to any of those conquerors more accurately marked, or better known, than those respecting Jesus? If the lives of those great men had been written by several of their respective ministers, or officers of their life-guards, who had been constantly along with them, and witnessed their latter ends; if those accounts, composed at different times, and in different parts of the world, had been corroborated by contemporary historians, and actually quoted by them; and if the whole had been handed down to us, guarded by as strong a fence as that which surrounds books held to be sacred; would not all these have been considered documents of the most satisfactory nature?—Indeed they would have been such as do not exist with regard to any of the events of profane history whatever. But, with a slight difference of terms, THIS IS AN EXACT

DESCRIPTION OF THE EVIDENCE WHICH WE HAVE OF CHRIST, AND OF THE RELIGION WHICH HE TAUGHT; as I trust I have sufficiently shown.

We have been told that Socrates, when about to suffer death, gave directions that, in obedience to the religion of his country, a sacrifice should be made to Esculapius: that Alexander, in his last moments, bequeathed his great empire" to the most worthy;" and that Cæsar, with his dying breath, recognised the fatal stab of his once affectionate Brutus. Now, no

one disputes the truth of any of those things, because ancient historians have related them ;-and why, on the same kind of evidence, but sent down to us with far greater certainty, should we disbelieve what we are told of our Lord?-Why should we doubt that he terminated his life of beneficence and mercy, by one instance more of those godlike virtues-that he then gave an example of the first of his precepts, and prayed, amid the agonies of his cross, even for the most cruel of his enemies? Father," said he, "forgive them, for they know not what they do."

CHAPTER XI.

In the beginning of this treatise, I mentioned that the Evidences of Christianity are of two kinds, the external, and the internal: what we have been hitherto considering has related to the external'; and I now proceed to treat shortly of the internal evidences.

The INTERNAL PROOFS of the Christian religion are of two different kinds, according to the two several meanings which may be affixed to the term. In one sense, they consist of those circumstances which may be naturally presumed to be closely connected with a religion derived from Heaven. In the other, they are founded on an influence and feelings peculiar to Christianity, and perceivable only by those who have

made some progress in the knowledge of it; and have experienced its blessed operation.

The first description of Internal Evidences are grounded on these leading facts: first, That the Christian religion has for its basis the unity and infinite power of God, and the immortality of the soul; secondly, That it has reference to a degraded state of human nature, and the restoration and redemption of the fallen race of man; and lastly, That, besides leading the way to eternal felicity in a future world, it has, in this one, contributed most eminently to the advantage of mankind, by a general amendment of their condition, and by the introduction of a purer morality than ever had been formerly known. Now, as these important circumstances may be supposed to be connected with any religion expected from God, when we find them all united in Christianity, it is a fair general inference, that it must be derived from that sacred origin.

Taking the term Internal Evidence in the second acceptation: there seems to be nothing more distinctly laid down in all the New Testament, than the existence of the Holy Spirit, and his benign and potent influence in consoling the human mind, and enlightening it on all that is valuable and important.

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If a man," said our Saviour to his disciples, " love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.-These things have I spoken unto you,