of the divine attributes to all orders of intellectual beings, *"such as angels desire to look into." The Author of it is represented as of a divine nature, and most exalted dignity, the Son of God, and Judge of the world. The means it employs are various and awful; but its obvious practical tendency is to promote virtue and piety. Shall we say all this is the mere dream of enthusiasm, because we do not clearly comprehend the detail of all its parts? Shall we neglect its positive proofs, which are perfectly level to our capacities, and judge rashly of what they are obviously incompetent to decide on? Surely this is to invert that order of reasoning, which on other subjects we find ourselves obliged to observe, For in every thing else we begin with what is plain and certain, before we proceed to what is complex, doubtful and remote.

Men who thus proceed in their religious inquiries, well deserve the rebuke pronounced against them by the * celebrated Boyle, whose researches into nature served, not to diminish, but to increase his reverence for Christianity. "As to some passages (says he) of Scripture which are really obscure, since it is the abstruseness of what is taught in them, which makes them inevitably so, it is little less saucy, upon such a score, to find fault with the style of the Scripture, than to do so with its Author for making us but men.”

I conclude this part of my subject, by observing, that however various causes may contribute to cast a partial shade over the Christian revelation, they are very far from eclipsing the lustre of its divine original, or intercepting that salutary light, by which it directs the steps, and brightens the prospects of the human race, The facts on which its evidence is founded are remarkably free from obscurity and doubt, and its leading doctrines are clear, as far as is necessary, to all who candidly and impartially improve the means of information they enjoy. The occasional obscurity of the Scriptures does not render it difficult for the humblest Christian to discover the principles and rules, by which his moral conduct should be regulated in

* 1 Peter i. 12.

+ Vide Boyle's essay on the style of the holy Scriptures; his answer to the objec tion from their obscurity, s. 5. vol. 2, p. 101, of the folio edition, in 5 vols. Lond. 1755.

this scene of trial; or to prevent him from being fully assured, that life and immortality are brought to light by the Gospel; and that faith, an humble reliance on the veracity and the mercy of God, "working by love," by sincere and cheerful obedience, from heartfelt gratitude and reverence to God, and active good-will to man, is an essential condition of final acceptance.

And while the occasional obscurity of the Scriptures does not prevent them from guiding the humble and illiterate Christian in his way to heaven, we perceive that it may serve many important purposes in moral discipline. It excites the curiosity and fixes the attention of the learned and inquisitive; while it furnishes an object of inquiry, that if rightly used, will at once exercise their understandings, and improve their hearts. And to many, who may perhaps by their happy situation, and their intellectual characters, be almost exempted from other material difficulties in their probation, it forms a trial of their candour, humility, and serious desire to trace the divine will.

That it also affords occasions for disputes and contention, for heresy and schism, for heat and violence, surely is not inconsistent with the general tenor of God's moral government; in which every thing as it is valuable when rightly employed, is capable of being proportionably perverted and abused. Nor should it be forgotten, that this very obscurity of Scripture affords the strongest reason for that mutual forbearance and good-will, amidst diversities of opinion, which crowns the Christian character, and forms the very bond of peace, and of all virtues. Surely beings ignorant and fallible, such as we are, should never forget, that the more grounds there are for doubt and contrariety of opinion, the more obviously it is our duty to "receive those that are weak in the faith, but not to doubtful disputations," and to cultivate that charity, without which he who liveth is dead before God."

SECTION II.

The warmth and earnestness of St. Paul's Epistles not imputable to Enthusiasm.

FROM what has been hitherto adduced, it seems sufficiently evident that the obscurity, so much complained of in the epistles of St. Paul, arises in a great degree from the language which the apostle was led to use, as most natural to himself, and to the generality of those whom he addressed, and best adapted to the sacred subjects which employed his pen; and also from the nature of epistolary composition abounding with allusions, which, though clear to those for whom they are immediately intended, are obscure to readers of a distant country and an age long subsequent; and lastly, from the incompetence of the human faculties to comprehend fully and distinctly, the whole extent and the exalted and mysterious objects of the Christian scheme. It has been shown that these various circumstances, far from proving the apostle a wild and visionary fanatic, tend to confirm the authenticity of his works, and the truth of his claims to a divine inspiration. But in addition to these circumstances, the obscurity of these epistles undoubtedly arises, in a great degree, from the warmth of the apostle's mind; from the rapidity of his thoughts; and from his neglecting to point out exactly the connexion and method of his discourses, and to ascertain the distinct object of every part.

Does it however necessarily follow that we must impute this warmth, this rapidity, this apparent neglect of regular method, to the violence and incoherence of enthusiasm ? Surely to assert this would be to take the whole question for granted. Warmth and zeal are indeed natural consequences of fanaticism; but they are not decisive proofs of it, except they arise to a degree for which no other adequate cause can be assigned, or except their effects are absurd and extravagant, inconsistent with reason, and therefore unworthy of God.

In order then to decide this question, we must consider what causes may have produced this warmth in the apostle, under

the circumstances in which he was placed, without supplying any just grounds for questioning his claim to a divine authority.

Now in considering the probable causes of such warmth, it is evident, that if St. Paul was really directed by inspiration to preach the Gospel, he could not but feel the great dignity and importance of the sacred subjects of which he treated. Christianity, in every view of it, was calculated to rouse the warmest feelings of devout joy and gratitude, reverence and self-abasement in every pious mind. The unparalleled virtue and benignity of its Author, his supernatural wisdom and power, his cruel sufferings and death, his divine and mysterious nature, his ascension and exaltation, the supremely important character he bore, and the final effects of his interposition as Redeemer and Judge of the world-all these united formed such an object, as no human mind could contemplate with coolness and indifference when convinced of its reality, (as we suppose the apostle to have been,) by direct and irrefutable proofs.

Christianity was not less calculated by its doctrines to rouse similar feelings. It decided all those questions, and solved all those doubts, which perplex and depress the soul of man, when looking forward to futurity. It assured him that he should not remain in the darkness of the grave, but should rise with a new and incorruptible body to eternal existence; that he should, in the very next stage of his being, be judged by Christ Jesus, and receive according to his use of the means of improvement afforded him in this present life: that though bound to perform the whole law of righteousness, his weakness and his guilt were not without a remedy; that if he prayed for strength and assistance, God would bestow it; and if he repented, his judge would pardon; for he had died to redeem him.

But the Christian was not called on merely to yield to this interesting and awful system of doctrines an inactive assent. His profession required a total change of principles and conduct, a total renunciation of the crimes, as well as the prejudices and errors of his former life. He was called on to forsake the multiplied pollutions of idolatry, and worship the one true God, to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this life, looking for his reward to another world, where eternal happiness or misery would await him, according to the sentence of that Jesus, the

certainty of whose existence was frequently proved, especially to St. Paul, by plain and uncontrolled miracles exhibited to his senses, and even wrought upon himself.

With such an impression of the Gospel as this, was it natural, I might almost say was it possible, for the apostle to receive Christianity and to dedicate his life to preaching it, and yet to regard it with coldness, teach it in calm and frigid language, and never betray any marks of zeal and earnestness? Surely not. So far then from considering the warmth of St. Paul as decisive proof of delusion and fanaticism, we must admit it to have been the natural consequence of the reality and truth of his divine mission. Had no traces of such zeal and warmth appeared, we could not but pronounce him insincere and hypocritical.

The only cause of our hesitating a moment to admit this conclusion, is undoubtedly found in our proneness to judge concerning the feelings of the first teachers and believers of Christianity, by the feelings of even the most sincerely religious at the present day, which, it must be confessed, rarely exhibit such warmth as animated St. Paul. But a moment's reflection will expose the fallacy of such reasoning, and convince us, that removed as we are for a period of more than one thousand eight hundred years from the first origin of the Gospel, we may feel but very weakly the great importance of various circumstances attending it, which could not but make a deep impression on the primitive converts. Never having ourselves witnessed or joined the absurd, impure and bloody rites of idolatrous worship, we are not accustomed to receive with sufficient gratitude that rational and simple religion, which teaches that God is a Spirit, and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth. Never having laboured under the burden of Jewish ceremonies, we feel but faintly the comforts of that law of liberty which the Gospel reveals. Never having felt the tormenting doubts and fears of those, who shrink from death as the stroke of annihilation or the commencement of misery, we value not as we ought the gracious terms of forgiveness, and the hopes of a happy immortality, which our Redeemer and Lord holds out to every sincere penitent.