vast progress in the arts of social life. He has founded empires, builded cities, collected armies, and has framed laws for their government and guidance. Literature and the arts have flourished in a greater or less degree of splendour, and a beneficial, though imperfect code of morality has crowned the work of his mind and hands, and raised it to the highest elevation which his own unaided powers have permitted.

Still however the structure is incomplete. It rests on no sure foundation, and is also imperfectly cemented and fitted together. The elements of which it is compounded are of such conflicting qualities, that they can be brought into harmony and perfect union, only by the all-pervading influence of a pure system of morality, founded on pure religion. To be sensible of this, it is necessary to take a glance at the various relations of human life where no supernatural revelation has ever been made. And here permit me to remark, this is the only method of ascertaining the appropriate influence of a supernatural revelation upon the social institutions. What was the state of human society before the Bible was given to men? What has been its condition since, and what is it now? There are evils in the social state; but had they no existence before a supernatural revelation was known? In what condition did the Scriptures find the social institutions? In what condition are these institutions found at the present day, where the Bible has never been known, or heard of? In

fidels have charged not a few of the social calamities in the world on the introduction of Christianity. But I cannot help thinking, that if they did not feel an interest in rejecting the sacred Scriptures; if these holy oracles did not so severely reprove their wickedness and rebuke their pride; and if they were not either profoundly ignorant, or obstinately perverse; they would never resort to so dishonourable and disingenuous a mode of reasoning. The true questions in such a discussion are, has human society ever been well organized without the Bible?-Have the social rights and obligations been any where understood and respected, where the Scriptures have had no existence?-And where they have been best under stood and respected, and their various relations have been peaceful and happy, has the Bible disturbed this organization, trampled on these rights and obligations, and rendered men contentious and miserable? We are bold to say, that an enlightened and honest answer to these inquiries will do honour to the Bible. Where the Scriptures have found men without any social bonds, there they have laid the foundations and reared the superstructure of institutions that have endured for ages. Where they have found society loose and disjointed, and formed upon principles that must ensure its overthrow; there, as fast as they could exert their influence, have they, without fail, reduced this chaos to order and beauty. And where they have found it unrefined and impure, gross and

cruel; there have they, even in the most corrupted ages of Christianity, silently effected a change in the social relations which has gradually elevated the minds and habits of men to a visible and acknowledged superiority over all pagan lands.

There seem to be two sources from which man might of himself arrive at a considerable degree of social culture and enjoyment. The first is from the invention of some system of religion, which, by superstitiously influencing his fears and his hopes, would restrain him from crime, and by its imposing ceremonies and dark mysteries, influence him to virtue. The second is by the careful cultivation of those intellectual faculties which God has given him, by the exercise of which his more base and degrading propensities may be subdued, and his intellectual and moral nature be improved and elevated. But to show how insufficient these are to produce the end in view, look at the two celebrated nations of antiquity, which have the most to boast of in these respects; Persia and Rome. The religion of the Persians was the purest of all uninspired religions, and the most calculated to elevate the soul. In the heavenly bodies, they worshipped their unknown author, and in the two presiding principles they sought an explanation of the mingling of good and evil upon the earth,-that problem which has so long perplexed and confounded unenlightened reason. But their creed, however ingenious, could only exercise the intellect, and amuse the curiosity of its followers. It was desti

tute of all salutary influence upon their social relations. The history of Persia is a compendium of crimes, suffering and intolerance. A despot ruled the state, and polygamy, that despotism in miniature, gave law to the private and domestic relations of the people. In all that philosophy and moral culture alone can do for the social institutions, ancient Rome stands pre-eminent among all nations. Their religion was indeed gross and peurile in the extreme, exercising an unhappy influence upon the lower orders, but disbelieved by the priests who taught it, and by the worshippers in secret, who ridiculed it. Yet so far as the most ingenious and sublime speculations of their sages could refine and improve them, they were favoured beyond exam ple. Look then at their history. In proportion as their philosophy improved, the integrity, the purity, the happiness of their social relations declined; until the state became the legalized organ of oppression and cruelty, the marriage bond the pledge of encouraged licentiousness, the domestic circle the scene of terror, and that love of country for which Rome was distinguished in the best days of the early republic, was extinguished in the blood which flowed indiscriminately from her friends and her enemies.

I have anticipated much that might be said in regard to the relation which exists between the state and its citizens, as these relations are developed in pagan and antichristian countries, in the lectures on the influence of the Bible on human

laws and government. If any man will examine the government of Rome from the institution of the regal government, to the expulsion of Tarquin; from the consulship established by Brutus, to the magistracy of the military tribunes; from the usurpation of Cinna, to the supreme power of Augustus; from the empire of Augustus, to that of Nero; from Nero, to Valerian, and from Valerian, to Constantine; he will see dissimulation, revolt, tumult, slaughter, revolution, despotism, servitude, peace and war, and where the evils of peace were not unfrequently the worst calamities. Often was that fair land deluged with blood from the ambition of rivals to the throne. And then again, new schemes of mutual ambition would carry fire and sword to the remote and peaceful nations, till the flames of civil war raged in almost every part of the world. The resources of some great mind, increased and irritated by his calamities, possessing all the vices and none of the virtues of his species, would develope itself in all its hideousness, and wreak its vengeance in atrocities that cannot be thought of without horror. While, as often, elated with success, and dazzled with the pomp and consequence of station, it would again seek repose in brutal indulgence, or sanguinary persecutions. And how much better was ancient Greece, or Gaul, or Germany, or Britain? How much better are the modern nations of paganism, where the power of Christian lands does not restrain their ferocity?

Just in the measure in which the influence of