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Obstacles to the SprfAd of Chris- tianity -----■* IV. ANCIE^T Books * - ' " V. Prophecies - VI. Miracles, Part I. . - - - - VII. Miracles, Part II. - - " * • VIII. Miracles, Part III. ,- - * , IX. Wonders AND Signs - - X. Summary of Evidences " " " " XI. Internal Evidences, Part I. - " Xn. Internal Evid^'Nces, Pait II. - XIIT. Internal Evidences, Part III. XIV. Gi)^;D Ei-FECTs OF Christianity XV. objections. Tart I. - - " • XVI. Objections, Part II. . - - - XVlf. Modern Jev^^s, Part I. - - - - XVIII. Modern Jews, Part II. - - " ' Fige. 12 19 26 32 37 42 51 59 ' 68 78 ' ' 84 ■ 92' itif' 123 132 fcO-G LESSONS ON THE TKUTH OF CHRISTIAJJI1?Y Y. Pag*, S ON ITS IHRIS- • 12 19 26 - 32 37 - 42 ' 51 - 59 68 ' - 78 ' ' 84 ■ - 92 101 ; - in^ 123 - 132 i^EssoN r. •INTRODUCTION. \n can nevef be thankful enougft- tfial ^ve live in a land where Christianity i. known, and where we have been taught to know the one living and true God,-that He is Almighty, always present to us and to all creatures everywhere ; fhat He ^inovvs all things, and that He is holy, and just, and mercful, khd good. It is a great Wessihg that we have been taught xvhat God i^quh^ of us, fn order to p^a.e Him, and especially, that being sinners, we have been taught how to obtain the pardon of our sins, and divine assistance in correcting them. VVe ought, therefore, to value very highly the ad- vantage of having received Christian instruction, and ' ius having been made acquainted with the way to please and honor the great God, and to 1)« h.nn. }„ u;e enjo3,„e„t of his r^vor. These are blessings ^"ghly to be prized, although we may never have '1 t ■ - i 4 LESSONS ON TH£ inquired very closely into the authority upon which •our instructors have given their 'nstructions. Child- ren cannot enter into such inquiries; yet, if their parents be acquainted with Christian truth, and instruct them in it, they may receive the full benefit of Christian teaching, being trained up in the nur- ture and admonition of the Lord. When the people of Israel were conducted out of the laad of Egypt by Moses, they were directed to carry their little children with them into the wil- ^ernesi. These littl^ children could not understand why their parents were thus going with their families into another land ; yet, they enjoyed the benefit of being delivered from slavery in Egypt, and made God's own people ; and, as they became older, they would understand why it was that their parents came out of Egypt themselves and brought their children along with them; and they would bless God, that, when they understood not the reason, they had been brought out of Egypt, and set on their journey to the land promised to their forefathers. And the parents were directed to teach their children these things, when they should be of an age to inquire about them. " When thy son shall ask thee in time to come, saying, What do the testi- monies^ and the statutes, and the judgments, which ipon which IS. Child* yet, if their truth, and full benefit in the nur- nducted out 5re directed nto the wil- understand iieir families e benefit of , and made J older, they leir parents ought their vould bless the reason, , and set on • forefathers, teach their Id be of an hy son shall do the testi- lents, which TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITV. & tbe Lord our God hath commanded you, mean t t^.en thou shalt say to thy son, We vN^re Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt," &c. Deut. vi. 20. So all who ^ mstructed in the genuine truths and precepts of CAristianity have reason to bless God day by day foi the advantages uhich they enjoy, (which we «hall show as we go on,) even although they may net be able to comprehend the evidence upon which t^eirinsU'uctor proceeded, when he taught them the precepts of Christianity. But, although it is not to be expected that a child should be able to weigh the proofs of the Christian relgion,-although, in his childhood, he must depend tipon his parents, or on those religious teachers, under xvhom his parents may place him, for reli- gious mstruction ; yot it is important, both for his own sake and for the sake of those he lives with that he should be made early acquainted with son.J better reasons for being a Christian, than that his parents were so before him. He may some time or other fall into dreadful perplexity and doubt, if he have no other grounds for his belief than our pagan forefathers, and all pagan nations of the present day have for theirs ; namely, that it is the religion of their , ... „j !x.un(i3. sina especially in an age when there are so many infidels mixed up with % LESSONS ON TPIE society — so many persons wuo pay no regard to all that knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ which is within the-r reach, and who are constantly seek- ing opportunities to seduce others fror i their faith, and to persuatle them that Christianity is but a fable, — it is of great importance that every body should have some well grouFided reason for being a Chris- tian, to enable him to withstand the confident asser- tions of such persons ; and also, to enable him, as he may have opportunity, to convince them of their folly, and the danger to which they expose them- selves. The chief purpose of these Lessons on the truth of Christianity is, to suggest such reasons to those who believe in Jesus Christ as may serve to protect them from the artifices of infidels, and enable them to strengthen the faith of others, or to restore thosfr who may have fallen away from Christian pro- fession. regard to all yhrist which stantly seek- i their faith, I but a fable, body should ing a Chris- fident asser- ible him, as lem of their pose them- on the tnith 3ns to those e to protect pable them ?store ihosfr ristian pro- /TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITV. 1 LESSON If. CHANGE PRODUCED BY CHRISTIANITY ON ITS INTRODUCTION. .j 'It is perfectly certain th^t Christianity had a be- gmning. All men agree that it arose at a certain definite period in the history of the world, and that, a period wHh which we have abundant materials for becoming well acquainted. It will therefore be important to conti-ast Christianity with the state of the world at the time at which it was introduced. ^But It may be asiied,~-How do we know that 'Christianity arose at a certain definite time ?-How can we tell that it did not gradually grow out of forms of religion that previously existed? The answer is, that while the New Testament exactly specifies th9 time at which our Lord was born, and .at which he began his public mijiistrv, there are many books still extant, written both before and af- ter the time specified, and that in none of the books ^ntten previously to the time specified, is Christ or Christianity mentioned as being then in existence • .whereas in almost all books that were written after -the specified time, Christianity is either expresslv mentioned, or so alluded to as to prove that it was N^w we Jcnovv, from the books stiU extam that a LESSON! ON THE were written about the time at which Christianity arose, that the whole western part of the world, from the River Euphrates to the Atlantic Ocean, and from the Baltic Sea on the north to the great desert of Africa (called the Sahara) on the south, including Egypt, was under the dominion of the Romans. We know further, that the Romans, although they had madie great progress in many of the arts of civilised life, were sunk in the grossest immorality j that falsehood, treachery, bloodshed, covetbusness, rapacity, such as has scarcely ever been exhibited among any other people, the most scandalous profligacy, among both men and women, were universally prevalent. One example may, I^rhaps, be sufficient to show what the state of morals was at Rome at this time. Tublic shows were frequently provided for the people, and at these, men were employed to fight with one another with naked weapons, for the amusement of the spectators. Among these spectators there were frequently women and children, and at such exhi- bitions it was not unusual that several persons should be butchered before the faces of the people. Nay, to such a pitch of depravity had they arrived, that if any of -the gladiators (for that was the name- given to the men employed to fight) was beaten,. Christianity r the world, antic Ocean, to the great n tlie south, nion of the 16 Romans, I in many of the grossest , bloodshed, carcely ever te, the most and women, ample may, the state of 'ublic shows pie, and at one another nent of the there were such exhi- sral persons rthe people, hey arrived, as the name' was beaten,. TRUTH OF CK'niSriANlTV. 9 and the spectator, were not well pleased with his mode o. fighting, they would, by holding up their thumb., encourage his adversary to put him to death m cold blood, which wa. frequenUy done. This exhibits the state of morals in the l^oman empire generally, at the time vyhen Christianity began to take root in it. ^ 'I he only nation that had in it the most striking pecuhanties, either in religion or morals, was the Jewish nation. They had the knowledge of the rue God, and they had a higher standard of morals tJian the other nations, derived from the Old Testa- m«nt; yet, from similar sources of information to those which we possess with respect to the Roman empire generally, we learn that th^y too had fallen into a state of frightful corruption.* That the ac count of their condition given in the New Testa mem does not exaggerate their wickedness, but rauier throws a veil over the worst features of ,t, vve know from a book still extant, written by a Je/ ca led Josephus ; for any one who read, tliat book vvi 1 receive a much worse impression of the mor^ 6tate of the Jews than he does from the New Teata- ment. Such, then, was the state of Ihe whol. ..^.J^ -" Christianity arose; and just in proportion' an.ty was diffused, a renovation of morals A 2 when as 11 ill 10 •LCSSONS ON TH2 became apparent ; sentiments favorable tq temper- ance and justice and humanity began to spread, the gladiatory shovvs fell into disrepute, gross and abom- inable crimes were stamped with public reproba-r tion, and became confined to the scandalously wicked. The breaking in of the innumerabla hordes of heathen barbarians into the empire, and the conflicts that ensued, interrupted for a time the progress of amendment ; but many of these being persuaded to embrace Christianity, a vast change fpr the better on the state of society became appa- ifent, when nations in their new form began to as^ sume a more settled state. Doubtless, there was still much vice, because Christianity was but im- perfectiy known, and but partially obeyed ; yet there was not that universal corruption which exist- fid in the Roman empire when Christianity first speared in it. Even war itself, which had been .carried on with the most savage barbarity by the heathen invaders of the empire, was considerably ,mitigated ; and orders of knighthood were establish- ,ed for the protection of the weak and the helpless. •Now, the very idea of men risking their lives for .such a puipostf, indicates the introduction of a feeling. iQ temper- spread, the and abprn- ic reprobar :andaIousl7 inumerablQ empire, and a time the hese being ^ast change laine appa- ;gan to aa- , there was ras but im- )e3red ; yet k'hich exist- stianity first 1 had been irity by the lonsiderably re establish- he helpless, eir lives for jction of a for fiiaiPt of THaxjI OP CHRISTUNITr. n ..io'lTf'r '''"""'' " '""'"" '^^ -"or^l condi- 'T . "°""'^ =" ">« P"'^"' momcnt.than in ^^e condmon „,• society under U,e ancient R„„,an cmp,re.,stobe.ascriM wholly to the progress of Chnsuanuy. Wherever Christianity has Zen httle known, as m France ..at the time of the revo- iHCvn to,vard, d,e ,nd of the la.t centuty, crime, ^fearful magn.tudehave begun todtow themselves. Wherever ,. has be«n propagated diligently, and J^ce,ved w.th faith, ,s«ch crimes havf J^ome ieiver, or have ceased altogether. The general history of the world, therefore, since tliemtroducuon of Christianity till the present day .« a senes .,f proofs .ha, i, ^^s sen, to men by HJm who made them, ,« heal their moral di«,a.4,«„d turn them from darkness to light Ko .other part of the world has.undeisone any sucl, reformatiofof morals The present heathen countries, such as Hmdostan afld.the countries to the eistwanl of i, are m a ^te of as great moral depravity at the' present ,^o„,^,,, ,„s.,|.ey ^^^ wcre,-clearly prov! ."g thflt .whatever there is in Christian countrie, «.I.er,or to thcmorals of heathen countries. i» ,., '^'l.wtvcly iipjB ii,e iniluencc of Christianiu- ' 1«»M»r_ 12 LESSONS ON THE LESSON III. OBSTACLES TO THE SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY. But there is another argument to be derived from the fact that Christianity arose at a certain well known time among the Jews, and spread itself gra- dually over the Romaa empire. It proves that those who propagated it nliist have been able to produce strong evidence of the truth of it. ' No people will give up the religion of their forefathers, and receive a new religion, without what appears to them to be strong reasons. It is true that there are instances of a people gradually changing one form of Paganism for another. But in such cases the change has been more in name than reality. The principles were the same, the practice, except in forms of worship, the same ; for all of those forms of Paganism have equally left their votaries in pos- session of their sinful indulgences. But Christiani- ty, as we know, strikes at the very root of Pagan- ism in every form, works a total revolution in the minds of men, and requires an entire change in their conduct j and we say tliat no people will sub- mit to such a change without evidence.^ [ANITT. •ived from Brtain well I itself gra* >roves that 3en able to )f it." NV forefathersy appears to it there are g one form 1 cases the ilily. The , except in hose forms ries in pos- Christiani- of Pagan- tion in the change in ie will sub- TRUTH OP CiimSTlANITr. J3 Let us briefly consider a few of the obstacles to the mtroduction of Christianity into the Roman «mp,re, and we shall see that its success proves that It must have been accompanied mih the most Convincing evidence. In the first placej it was absolutely required of all who became Christiani that tlietr should believe the most extraordinary wonders. To confine our- selves to one, no person could be a Christian with- out believing that the Lord Jesus Christ hdd been actually crucified, dead, and buried, and that on the fliird day aftei'wards he had risen from the dead. Now, Jet any one consider what difficulty there would be in persuading the people of England and Ireland, to believe that a person who had been pub- hcly executed as a criminal had actually risen from the dead, and you will understand what difficulty the i^postles must have had to encounter, in per- suading men in their days to believe such a story on their testimony. , ^: ,.., t. ; But again, the object for which people were required to believe this story was a very unpopular one. When people's inclinations are much engaged m behalf of anything, they are more disposed to be- lieve whatever is favorable to it ; but when the beliefof anything would lead to results which are H , u tESBONS ON THB contrary, to iheir inclinations, they me proportion- abiy slow to believe. We see every day how ob- stifi^tely people will reject any statement that makes •gainst their owe political or religious party. Now, Christianity, although really the best news ibat ever came to the world, appealed, at first ?ight, to come like bad news to every body. The Jews, for example, who were exjiect^ng that Christ .would come, expected that he was to be a great King and Conqueror, and was to make them the greatest nation in the world. And when they were lold that a poor man who had been brought up a« « carpenter, who had travelled through the country on foot, preaching religion to the people, and wh(> was at last taken up by their rulers and actually crucified, like a common slave and evil-dwr, between two thieves,— that this man was the Christ, from whom they expected so much, and that they had all along been mistaken in expecting tj grea^ kingdom in this world, for that his kingdom was not ol this, but of another world,— you may easily .imagine what must have been their disappointment, ;*nd how very little jjjey would be disposed to lie- lieve that Jesuj r.tt«e from the dead, when they found that they mus;t at the same time L'ive un all their hopes of wealth and greatness, and consent to TRUTH GP^ttlWtTUNlTr. 4 IS '"* ''" r*"^?' "-Sri*! fiir ,the fulfilment of their To the Pap„,,al^,„f,,l,e »<;„,,„ i tian.^ would appear aa m«st mottifyln, d^. J ^e for .hey we^ jjH,ui.d to give „p .heiroM iS ed forms and .dea, of ^ligi,„, ,„,, ,„ ^^^.^^ , "^ l«.pn frop,,heMv». Now, the Jews were ul arly stgmatise^ as be.n^ supei^Utious and credu- lous : and yoM n.ay .think what it must have cost a proud Roman ,p ac^nowledge, as his Lord and Master, a poor pe«ecMted Jew,_one whom the Homan governor of his pmvince had put to death on a charge of sedition. Surely nothing but the most ove^owering evidence could have convinced any Roman that Jesus rose from the dead, when he result was u, be that he was thus to acknow^ ledge h,m iis his Ch.ef, and to take hi, lawsTd precepts as the rule of his conduct. But, yet further, Chri-tianity required that men ^ould ,^orm their morals-that evety man .h^u d g.ve up ^^ sms-all his habit, „f indulgence, even If they ,v^ as dear to him as a right foot or a right e}^, and de,elared that no man could be received a. " ■"■" tlie habitual present day, practice »Ucu ir -» ^mZ 16 LESSONS OK THE nnd we feel within us, how difficult a thing it i^ for men to make up thdr minds to give up their sins, and we can easily conceive how determinedly men would resist any such story as that a dead man had risen to life at the present day, if the object was to make them give up their vices. Now, there must have been the same difficulty in the days of the Apostles, and tliey must have found men as much disposed to reject their declarations, that Christy who was crucified, had risen from the dead, when they found that by believing that fact, they would be expected to enter upfon an entire reformation of their whole lives. But yet again, in no part of the world could a person become a Christian without exposing himself to persecution. Jesus, while he lived, had laid open the wickedness arid hypocrisy of the ruling men among the Jews ; they therefdre considered^ him and his followers as their enemies. Nor did' their enmity rest till they had taken away his life. They then persecuted all who ackhowfedged him.' No man in Judea could become a Christian with- n out exposing himself to persecution— the loss of alf his property, and the imminent danger of his life. You may conceive how very little disposed people" would be to believe that Je.^us rose from the 'dead, "tL TRUTH OF CHRHTIAHITr. ]7 When they found that their acknowledging that fact was to be followed up by .quiring them°.o expt 'J-emselve, to such deadly enmity and persecuion. The Roman „, ,„,„ ^^^ ^^ ^^^ Chr,at,an,ty that the Jewish rulers did. We can Tl r "*:" """''■ '■*""«^ ""'^' '•«-« been, from ttld h ?K '"''"^' '^''"' ^'^^'"^ •'""n the Bapti" told h,m that .t was not lawful for hin, to have hi« ^e , st,gat.«n of the wicked woman with whom he was vmg, o,de,ed him to be beheaded. So tfe Cfmshan teachers taught everywhere that it was u« for either rule, or people to indulge" vices whith we«. then commonly practi^d. This provoked both, so that the rule. Ln denouS Chnsfans as rebels; and the people having the eame cause of enmity to them, carded ihto 1^ Ae persecuting orde. of their rule, with the most m the ChrBftan history continued t4 spread : that Z?T ""t "-P^oP'-ame to be'convlnS that feus Chnst had really been crucified and bad risen from the dead. ^ From all this it is very evident that the Aoostle, =.u« nave iK=en able to bring the most convincing proofsof the truth of their testimony. And, indeed! ,1^ Ll^SSONS ON THE it seems impossible to account for their success without beUeving what the New Testament tells us. ; —that the Apostles were enabled by God to work miracles, and so to comniand tjie attention and^be- Uef of multitudes. Perhaps it may occur to some, or be suggested to .them, that the religion of Mahomet rose in circum- stances very similar to Christianity, and overspread a considerable part of the .world, and yet that we do not believe it to be true on that account. But the circumstances under which Mahometanism arose, were altogether the reverse of those in which Christianity. was established. In the first place, Mihomet commenced his imposture after Chris- tianity was generally received in the Roman em- pire, and he availed himself of some of the doctrines of Christianity which commend themselves to tlie ' natural understanding of men, such as the existence of one supreme God, omitting those doctnnes at which people , are most likely to take offence. All the superiority of hia doctrine to Paganism, he de- rived from Christianity, for his religion is rather to be regarded as a corruption of Christianity than .a new religion. In the next place, he did not insist that men should give up their sins, but on ilie con- trary allpy^cd sensuality, and promised all the joys their success ment tells us. ; God to work ntion and'be- e suggested to •seia circum- [id overspread " ^et that we do iccount. But ilahometanism ihose in which be first place, ■e after Chris- be Roman em- of the doctrines mselves to tlie IS the existence ise doctrines at e offence. All aganism, he de- ;ion is rather to istianity than .a e did not insist but on the con- sed all the joys TRUTH OF CHRISTJANITy. of parad,se to those who were killeU in fighting for rr* ^"'^' '' P^^^^^^^ ^'« -%on by t" «word; so that his followers were never exposed to pe.eeu,on but were always the assailing pZ The n3l,g,on of Mahomet has nn^rn^aJZyt Thus the rise of the religion of Mahomet out of a cjupt form of Christianity, and its prog^ss by W of arms, can be easily accounted for, without upP--g any supernatural agency ; while the rise and progress of Christianity cannot be so accountJd 19 " i-.f^SSON IV. ANCIENT BOOKS. We Imv-e spoken in a former Lesson of ancient books, which are written in the ancient H»K™!! ^reek, and Latin languages, such as the Hoiv •Sqnptures, ,h. writing, of J„seph„s, a„d certain P" •rfJk. ii i i ! 20 LESSONS ON THE Other ancient books,(rom which we derive our know- ledge of the state of the Roman empire at the time when Christianity began to be promulgated. But 8ome persons suppose that evidences derived from such books must be evidences only to the learned, who are able to examine ancient books, and to read thejn in the original languages, and that an ordinary unlearned Christian must take their word for what they tell him. You do, indeed, read in English the accounts ot what the Lord Jesus and his Apostles said and did, and of what befell them. But the English book which we call the Bible professes to be a transla- tion of what was originally written in Greek and Hebrew, which you do not understand. And some one may perhaps ask you, how you can know, ex- cept by taking the word of the learned for it, that there are these Greek and Hebrew originals which have been handed down from ancient ti .nes 1 or how you can be sure that our translation i of them are faithful, except by trusting to the translators ? And this is what many persons do. But others will be apt to say, «' How can we tell that the learned have not deceived us? The Mahometans lake the word ol me learauu iuc» anxwr^ , ^ and the Pagans do the same ; and i: the people » our know- at the time gated. But erived from he learned, , and to read an ordinary ord for what ; accounts of said and did, English book >e a tranala- ,n Greek and . And some an know, ex- ed for it, that riginals which enttinesl or tion J of them translators ? ). But others tell that the } Mahometans , ciHtv'"^ ■» J u the people TRUTH OF CHRISTUMTY. 21 have been imposed upon by the learned in Maho- metan and Pagan countries, how can we tell that It IS not the same in Christian countries ? What ground have we for trusting with such perfect con- fidence to our translators of the Scriptures, that they are men who would not deceive us ?" The truth is, however, that an unlearned Chris- tian may have very good grounds for being a be- hever, without placmg this entire confidence in any man. He may have reason to believe that there are ano.ent Greek manuscripts of the New Testa- ment, though he never saw one, nor could read it If he d,d. And he may be convinced that an English translation gives the meaning of the on- ginal, though he may not trust completely to any one 8 word. In fact, he may have the same sort of evidence in this ca.e, which every one trusts to in many other cases, where none but a madman would nave any doubt at all. For instance, there is no one tolerably educated, who does not know that there i« such a country a^ France though he may never have been there him- selt. Who is there that doubts whether there are such cities as London, and Paris, and Bome, though ne may never havp viou^^ «i — i »» . . , ^- '.«.v^« iwciii I iwtosi people are fully convinced that the world is round, though PjpKi ss WESSONS ON THE there are but few wUu liiave sailed round it. Tliefe are ruaiiy persona living in the inland parts of these islands who never sav/ the sea ; and yet none of them, even the most ignorant clowns, havd any doubt that there is such a thing as the sea. We believe all these, and many other such things, be- cause we have been told them. Now suppose any one should say, " Hovy do you know tliat travellers have not imposed upon you in ail these matters, as it is well known travellers are apt to ? Is there any traveller you can so fully trust in, as to be quite sure he would not deceive vou?" What would you answer? We supp' iic you, would say, one traveller might, perhaps, de- ceive us ; or even two or three mij ht possibly com- bine to propagate ?k false story, in some case where hardly any one would have the opportunity to de- tect them ; but in these matters there are hundreds and thousands vvr o w^ould be sure to contradict the accounts if they were not true ; ahd travellers are often glad of an opportunity of detecting each other's ilnistakes. Many of them disagree v^th each ollrer ih several particulars respecting the cities of Paris and Rome ; and if it had been false that there are any such cities at ji. '^ 's impossible but that the falsehood should he* v.. • ■ sr pp^-cdily contradicted. T^ ■J TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITT. 23 it. There Its of these yet none of , hav(j any ( sea. We things, be- [low do you jpon you in :avellers are can so fully not deceive iVe s'upr^'iie perhaps, de- ossibly com- : case where Unity to de- ire hundreds ontradict the ravellers are each other's th each otlrer ities of Paris that there are but that the contradicted. AnJ it i, the same with the existence «f ,he se» - he roundnes. of the worl.l,_„,,, .,.« „u,er thiL that were mentioned. " J','' I" "'*' """" """""■'• "'^t "c believe, on the word of .astronomer,, that u.e earth turn round evejy twemy-fou. ho,,,,, .hongh we are inLX of.hem„.,on;and .hat the sun, which Jr* Penon .r ten thousand that has ever gone through the mathematical p.„of of this. And yet we hat strong confidence ,n the honesty of anv nar.icnl»r l.y many different astronomer,, who an, so far from combmmg ,ogetl,er in a fake account, that manyTf of reason or behevng that there ,re copies in l!op'acefu.icrdtce'r:;:irf./";!^-' '-esty . ,br if any book were fo^ed bv;::; Z: SWK .s^L, I! 1 24. LEfSONS ON THE ed men in these days, and put forth as a translation from an ancient book, there are many other learned men, of this, and of various other countries, and of different religions, who would be eager to make an inquiry, and examine the question, and would be Bure to detect any forgery, especially on an impor- tant subject. And it is the same with translators. Many of these are at variance with each other aa to the pre- cise lense of some particular passage ; and many of them are v«ry much opposed to each other as to the doctrines which they believe to he taught m Scripture ; but all the different versions of the Bible agree as to the main outline of the history, and of the discourses recorded : and therefore an unlearned Christian maybe as sure of the general sense of the original as if he understood the language of it, and could examine it for himself; because he it sure that unbelievers, who are opposed to all Chnstians, or different sects of Christians, who are opposed to each other, would not fail to point out any errors m the translations made by their opponents. Scholars have an opportunity to examiue and inquire into the meaning of the original works ; and, therefoie, the .... iiu .,,u;«K fVimr rliHniite against each very Diuerness wnu vt, juv." "=• j — r = other, proves that whei-e they all agree they must be right. "H a translation other learned titries, and of ir to make an nd would be m an impor- irs. Many of aa to the pre- ;e ; and many Lch other as to be taught in ns of the Bible listory, and of e an unlearned ral sense of the lage of it, and use he it sure ) all Christians, are opposed to ut any errors in ents. Scholars inquire into the 1, therefoie, the ute against each agree they must TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITY. S5 All these ancient books, in short, and all tlie translations of them, are in the condition of wit- nesses in i court of justice j examined and cross- examined by friends and enemies, and brought fac6 to face with each other, so as to make it certain that any falsehood or mistake will be brought to light. No one need doubt, therefore, that the books of the English New Testament are really translated from anciem originals, and are, at least, not forgeries of the present day; because unbelievers in Chris- tianity would not have failed to expose siich a for- gery. But in the case of the books of the Old Test- ament, we have a remarkable proof that they could never have been forged by Chrisiians at all ; be- cause they are preserved arid highly reverenced by the unbelieving JevVs iri varidus part* of the world at this day. A3 lii^.-- I I 2C I,i:55SONS OiN TIIK LESSON V. PROPHECltS. But these OKI Testament Scriptures are, in some respects, more instructive to us^ than even to the persons who lived in the Apostles' time, on account of the more complete fulfilment of sowie of the pro- phecies that has since taken place. In the times of the Apostles, the religion of Jesus Christ was indeed spreading very rapidly, both among Jews and Gentiles ; hut still it was but a small and obscure portion of either that had em- braced it, compared with those who either knew nothing of it, or rejected it with scorn and hatred. Mow, Jesus is, and has been for many ages, ac- knowledged as Lord, in all tlie most civilised por- tions of the world. His disciples overthrew the religions of all the most powerful and enlightened nations, and produced, without conquest, and with- out the help of wealth, or of human power, or learn- ing, the most wonderful change that ever was pro- duced in men^s opinions, and on the most important point. The number of those who profess Chris- tianity is computctl at about two hundred and fifty millions ; comprehending all the most civilised nationa of the Nvorid. And to estimate properly the TRLTll OF CHUISTIANITV. 27 s are, in some an even to the irac, on account iowie of the pro- religion of Josus • rapidly, both 1 it was but a cr that had eni- M) either knew 3rn and hatred, many ages*, ac- Dst civilised por- s overthrew the and enligbtened fjuest, and with- power,orlcarn- t ever was pro- 3 most important :) profe^?^5 Chris- lundred and fiftv most civihscd nute properly the greatness of the cflect produced, uc should take into account that llirre arc about one hundred and tucnty nn-IIions of persons whoso religion is so far founded on Christ'., that it coui.i never have existed Mich as it i., h- Christ had never appearcd,-we i '"'""/''^ Mahometans ; n,r though these, have do- I parted widely Ironi thf> religion Nvhlch Jesus taught, »nd regard Mahomet a.< a gi-ealer prophet than He, yet they acknowledge the Lord Jesus as a true pro- phct and as the Messiah, or Cltri«t; and profess that the>r religion is founded ou his. Tliis should be taken i ito account ; because what we are now .peaking of is the great and won- derful effect produced,~the extraordinary change \ brought about in the world, by Christ and his Apos- ties. So great is this eflect, that everj- man, whe- ther believer or unbeliever, if not totallv ignorant of history-, mustallovr that Jesus Christ', even in a mere historical point of view, was the most im- portant AND EXTRAORDINAUT PERSON that CVCr appealed on earth ; and that Me eflected the most won.lerlul revolution that ever wag effected in the religion of mankind. Yet thi» vvohderful change was made by a person of the Jewish nat}on,-a nation which was never one of iho f^reatest and ««ostpowerfu!,-neverot all equal, in'thc^ameTf I ; ! \ I li Hi 28 LESSONS ON THE wisdom, and knowledge, and skill in the arts of life, to the Greeks and several other of the ancient nations. And all this was done by a person who was despised, and persecuted, and put to a slmme- M death, by the Jews themselves, his own coun- trymen. If, therefore, you were to ask any unbe- liever in Christianity, " Who was the most wonder- ful person that erer existed 1 and who brought about the most extraordinary effect in the strangest and moat Wonderful manner?" he could hardly help answering that Jesus of Nazareth was tho person. And then ypu might ask him to explaiii how it happened (supposing pur religion to be an invention or man) tKat all thi« had "been foretold in the an- cient prophecies of the Old testament ; in books which are carefully preser\';ed, and held in high reverence- by the imbelieving Jews of this day. You may find such prophecies in various parts of the Old Testament. As, for instance, it was prophesied that a great blessing to all the nations of the earth should spring from the nation that wns to descend from Abraham. (Gen. xxii. 18.) Now, vvKen the descendants of Abraham did actually become a nationj and did rer.ejyr*, through Moses, a religion which they held in the highest TRUTH OP CHRISTIANITY, 29 in tite arttf of of tlie ancient a person who ut to a alinme- lis own conn- ask any unbe- 5 most wonder- who brought n the strangest could hardly ireth was the 5xplai'.i how it e an invention )ld in the an- ent; in hooks held in high f this day. various parts itance, it was the nations of n that was to I. 18.J Abraham did iceiv<*j through in the highest 1 veneration, they would naturally expect the above prophecy to refer to the extension of that very reli- gion. And any o«e of them professing to be a prophet, but speaking really as a mere man, Would have been sure to confirm that expectation. Yet it was foretold that the religion which the Israe- lites had received from Moses was to give place to a new one : as in Jer. xxxi. 31 : « Behold the days «ome [are coming], saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: not accoi-ding to the covenant that I made with their fathers," &€. You may find other prophecies to the same effect in Jer. xxxii. 40, and xxxiii. U; Ezek. xxxvH. 26 ; Micah iv. L It was prophesied, likewise, that k was not to be by the whoie JewisJi nation that these great effects were to be produced, but by one particular person of that nation; and, what is still more remarkable, that this one promised Saviour was to be "despised and rejected ^^ byfeisown people,- as you may read in Isaiah lu. and Liii. And yet that He waa (though put to death by them) to establish a great and extensive kingdom. For prophecies of these Sf»VPJ"n] nnintd c i *-j " xxxiv, 23. a.ju.ian iA. Ait jbzeK. » ^; 3" 30 Lessons dn the i I Now, many of these prophecies were delivered (as the unbelieving Jews of this day bear witness) six hundred years -before the birth of Jesus, at which time, and also at the time when the Gospel was first preached, the Jews were so far from being a great and powerful people, that they had been conquered and brought into subjection to other r.ations. So that according to all >human conjec- ture, nothing could have been more strange than the delivery of these prophecies, and their fuUUment. And the proof from these prophecies is made very much the stronger by the nvmber of diUinct particulars which they mention ; some of thejn seeming, at first sight, at variance with each others but all of them agreeing with what has really taken place. Such a prophecy is like a complicated lock, with many and intricate wards, when you have found a key that opens it. An ordinary sim- ple lock may be fitted by several different keys that were^not made for it; just ,as a loose, general kind of prediction^ — of the coming of some great con- queror, or the like, — may have been made by guess, and may be found lo agree with several different evetits. But the more numerous and complicated are the wards of a lock, the more certain von nrp ivere deliveret! ' bear witness) I of Jesus, at hen the Gospel I far from being hey had been ction to other liuman conjec- jtrange than the ir fuUUment. lecies is made ber of distinct some of thejn 'iih each other ; las really taken a compHcated rd», when you n ordinary sim- Tqrent keys ifiat se, general kind ame great con- i made by guess, several different md compjieated certain vou ar^ TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITY. 31 that a key which exactly fits it must be the right key ; and that one of them, the key or the lock, must have been made for the other. And so it is With prophecies, that contain many, distinct, and seemmgly opposite particulars, %yhen ,we see the event fulfilling all those particulars. This fulfilment, by the wide spread of Christ's religion among various nations, though it was ex- pecied by the early Christians, had not been seen by them as it is by us. They saw, however, that what Jesns had done and suffered did agree with the prophecies of the Old Testament ; that He was born at the time when it had been foretold the Christ was to come, and when the whole Jewisli nation were in expectation of his coming :~that He was acknowledged by his enemies to have wrought those miracles which had been prophesied of; "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the J^ame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb smg," (fsaiah xxxv. 5 ; Luke vii. 22); that notwithstanding this. He had been rejected and put to death, as had been foretold ; and that his disciples bore witness to his having risen from the dead, agreeably to other Drooheries • « Th^,. ,vM» r-* leave my soul.in hell {i, e. the grave) ; neither wilt 32 LESSONS ON THE Ihou sufTer thine Holy One to see corruption." (Psalms XVI. 10 ; Acts n. 27.) All this led them to conclude^ when they exa- mined candidly, that the miracles which they saw were not the work of evil spirits, but that the Gospel ilid come from God. On the other hand, we, who have not actually seen the miracles which they saw, have an advantage over them, in seeing such an extraordinary fulfilment of prophecy in what has happened since their tinie. 1 i i « tiuil ''' i ■I' I LESSON VI. MIRACLES, tART I. The people who lived in the times of the Apostles^ though they had not seen so much as we have, of the fulfilment of the ancient propheciesj yet had seen them so far fulfilled in Jesus, as to afford good reasons for receiving Him. But you may, perhaps, he inclined to womkt they should need to search the Old Testament Scriji- turea for a confirmation of what the Apostles taught, if those Apostles realiy i^erformed Buch miracles as we read of. It may seem strange to you, that men TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITT. S3 e corruption." hen theyexa- hich they saw hat the Gospel band, we, who hich ihey saw, seeing such an f in what has f the' Apostles^ IS we have, of eciesj yet had to afford good led to wondeir* istament Scrip- Lpostles taught, you, that men who healed the sick ^yith a touch, and displayed so many other signs, far beyond human power, should not have been at once beHeved, when th£;y called themselves God's messengers. But you must re- member how much the people of those d^ys were accustomed to believe in magic. Indeed, in much later times, long after Christianity prevailed, it was a very common notion that there were magicians who were able, through the help of evil demons, to work various miracles. And in the days of tlie Apostles this belief in the power of magic was very general, both among the Jews and. the heathen. Those Jews among whom Jesus lived, and who- rejected Him, maintained that He was a magician, who did mighty works through the prince of demons. This is not only related in the New Testament, but IS a common tradition among the unbelieving Jews at this very day j who have among them an ancient book giving this account of the origin of Christiani- ty. And there can be no doubt that this must have been (as our sacred writers tell us it was) what the adversaries of Jesus maintained from the first. For if those who lived on the spot in his time, had ,denied or doubted the facts of the miracles, and had declared that the accounts of them were false tales, .and thai no miracles had ever 3ally wro lught, we iji^y be sure that .he sajne would have been 1' I'! .1" i t li j i ilipi § 34. LESSONS ON THE paid ever nficr by their (Icscciulants. If, tliorcroro, tiny oftlie Jews among whom Je.sus lived, had denied the fact of his miraculous powers, it is ineonceiva- i)Ie tliat another generation of Jews should iiave i)etaken themselves to the pretence of niagi<', to- account for miracles which had never heen acknow- ledged at the time, but had been reckoned impos- tures by the very people among whoui they were said, to have been performed, Tli<3 Pagan adversaries of Christianity also seem" to have had the same persuasion on this subject as tlic Jews, and to have attributed the Christian mir- acles to magical art. We learn this from all the remains that have come down to us of the ancient writings against Christianity, and of the answers to them, written by Christians. Now, supjiosc that in the present day any one should appear, professing to be sent from God, and' to work miracles as a sign of his being so sent^ you would naturally think that the only question would be as to the reality of the miracles ; and that all men would at once believe him, as soon as ever they were satisfied that ho had performed sometI;'ng clearly beyond human power. But men certainly ilid not judge so in ancient times. It was not then, only one question, but two^ that had to be settled ; first, whctiier any sign had really been displaye*! 1, If, tliorelbic, ivcd, hntl denied it is inconceivn- \vs should have e of rnngic, to- ^r been acknow- ockoned inipos- klioia tliev were ianity also seem' n this subject as 3 Christian rair- \is from all the of the ancient ' the answers to t day any one from God, and' being so sent, 5 only question acles ; and that as soon as ever rmed somet! *ng . men certainly [t was not then, 1 to be settled ; been displayed TKUTII OF CHRIsTlAMTf. 35 which showed a power beyond that of man ; and ^econdly, whether this supernatural power camj from God or from an evil demon. Now, after the forn^er of these questions wa:* deeded, that Is, after the fact of the miracles was ndmitted, inn Jews were inclined still to doubt or chsbeheve t»ie religion which Jesus taught, l)ecau«e .t was so difterent from what they had becni used t<. t^xpect; and hence it was, that the greater part of them attributed his m.rncles to magic. But others were of a more candid nund, and satisfied them- .elves that the ancient pn.phecies res].ectin.. the Christ did really agree with all tiiat Jesus had done and suffered And this it v/as that convinced them that Jus miracles were wrought, not by evil spirits, but by divine power ; and thus they were brought to the conclusion tliat " the kingdom of heaven was at hand." If, then, any one should say to you, « How great an advantage the people who lived in those days, and saw miracles performed before their eyes, must have had over us, who only read of them, in ancient books j and how can men in these days be expected to believe as firmly as iheu did ?»'~vnn may answer that different men's trials and advant- ages are pretty nearly balanced. 7'he people who LESSON ON THE lived in those times were not (any more than dur- selves) forced into belief whether they vyould orno ; but were left to exercise candour in judging fairly from the evidence before them. Those of them who were resolved to yield to their prejudices against Jesus, and to reject Hini, found a ready excuse (an excuse which would not be listened to now), by attributing his miracles to the magical arts which in those days were commonly believed in. And again, though they saw many miracles which we only read of, they did not see that great miracle (as it may be called) which is before our eyes, in the fulfilment of prophecy since their time. They could see, indeed, many prophecies fulfilled in Jesus ; but we have an advantage over them in tvitnessing the more complete fulfilment of the pro- phfecies respecting the wonderful spread of his religion. TMUTfl OF CMrUSTlAMTV. 37 LESSON vn. MIRACLES, PART II. "But can we of these days really find sufficient proot, some one may say, « and such proof as is vvithm the reach of ordinary Christians, for beheving that miracles really were performed, which we never saw, but which are recorded in books, as having happened nearly 1800 years ago?" Is it not expecting a great deal of us, to require us to be- heve that there xvere persons who used to cure blindness and other diseases by a touch, or a word and raise the dead, and still the raging of the sea,' and (eed the multitude with a few loaves ? Certainly these things are in themselves hard to to be believed ; and if we were to find in some ancient book accounts of some great wonders which led to no effects that exist at this day, and had nothing to do with the present state of things among us, we might well be excused for doubting or dis- beheving such accounts^ or, at least, none but earned men, who had the ability and the oppor- [tumtyto make full innnlr^r ;„♦« *h^ ^-•j- ^ f.i.nk I. , 1—^ '"'^^- "i«^ cviuuiice lor Much a book, could fairly, be expected to trouble ■ B Ai»iMhrir»M 38 LESSONS ON THE question', themselves about Christian miracle! are closely connected with something which we do see before us at this day ; namely, with the exist- ence of the Christian religion in so great a part of the world. A man cannot, indeed, be fairly re- quired to believe anything very strange and unlikely, except when there is something still more strange and unlikely on the opposite side. Now, that is just the case with respect to the Christian mirades j for, wonderful as the whole Gospel history is, the niost ivonderful thing of all is, that a Jewish peasjmt should have succeeded in changing the religion of the world. That He should have succeeded in' doing this without displaying any miracles, would have been more wonderful than all the miracles that are recorded ; and that He should have accom- plished all this by means of pretended miracle., when none were really performed, would be the most incredible of all. So that those who are un- willing to believe anything that is strange, cannot escape doing so by disbelieving the Gospel j but will have to believe something still more strange, if they reject the Gospel. And it is the same in many other cases, a« well HS in what relates to religion. We are often obliged 'I i^ TRUTk OF CHRISTIANITY. 39 to believe, at any rate, in something that is very wonderful, in order to avoid believing something else that is still more wonderful. For instance, it is well known that in these islands, and in several other parts of the world, there are great beds of sea-shells found near the tops of hills, sometimes several thousand feet above the sea. Now, it is, certainly very hard to believe that the sea should ever have covered those places which now lie so far above it. i^nd yet we are compelled to believe this : because we cannot think of any other way that is not far more incredible, by which those shells have been deposited there. And so it is with the Gospel history. We are sure that the Christian religion does now exist, and has overspread most of the civilised world ; and we. know that it was not first introduced and propagat- ed (like that of Mahomet) by force of arms. To believe that it was received, and made its way, without miracles, would be to believe something more miraculous (if one may so speak) than all the miracles that our books records But some people may say, that the ancient Jews and Pagans, who so readily believed in magical flrtS. nnn tnP nmv«tr' nf ilamnna miio4 Vkn.m Uonn ..y«.~. , .,,,.,.., ... rrv..is%-iicj JutscL IICITC ur-.Titi VCIV weak and credulous men ; and that, therefore, they 0. II ^ w *_aZ tffei iiM i 40 LESSONS ON THE may have given credit to tales of miracles without making any careful inquiry. Now there is, indeed, no doubt that they were w^eak and credulous j but this vreakness and credulity would never have led them to believe what was against their early preju- dices, and expectations, and wishes : quite the con- trary. The more weak and credulous any man is, the hardei it is to convince him oi! anything that is opposite to his habiti of thought and inclination. He will readily receive without proof anything that falls in with his prejudices, and will be disposed to hold out against any evidence that goes against them. i^ow, all the prejudices o^ the Jews and Pagans vveie against the religion that Jesus and his Apostles ^aug^t ; and, accordingly, we might have expected jthat tl^e most credulous of them should have done just \yl^at pur histories tell us they did j that is, resolve to reject the religion at any rate, and readily satisfy themselves with some weak and absurd way of accounting ifor thej miracles. But, credulous as they were about magic, the enemies of Jesus would never have resorted to that pretence if they could have denied the facts. They would certainly have been more ready to maintain, if possible, that no miracles had t^en place, than to explain them ■■:» I: TRUTH OF CIIRISTIAMTV. 41 miracles without 1^ there is, indeed, i credulous; but d never have led their early preju- 8 : quite the con- tous any man is, r anything that is and inclination. [)of anything that 1 be disposed to lat goes against evvs and Pagans and his Apostles ; have expected ould have done jy did ; that is, •ate, and readily md absurd way But, credulous jmies of Jesus retence if they would certainly if Dossible. that i. -.- — } explain them as performed by magic ; because this pretence only went to make out that Jesus, notwithstanding his- miracles, might possibly not come from God; whereas, if they could have shown that He or his Apostles had attempted to deceive people by pre- tended miracles, this would at once have held them up to scorn as impostors. We read in the Go3i)el of St. John (chap, ix.) that the Jewish rulers narrowly examined into the reality of a miracle performed by Jesus, on a man thtt^vas born blind. This is exactly what we may be sure must have been done in the case of other miracles also ; and if the enemies of Jesus could have succeeded in detecting and exposing any false- hood or trick, they would have been eager to do so^ because they would have been thus sure to over- throw his pretensions at once. It is plain, therefore, that ths weakness and ere- dulity of the people of those days would be very far from disposing them readily to give credit to mira- cles, in favor of a religion that was opposed to their prejudices ; and that, on the contrary such persons would be likely, some of them obstinately, to reject the religion, and others only gradually and slowly to receive it, after having carefully searched the an- cient prophecies, and found that these went to con- dtaH J^2 LESSONS ON THE firm it. Now tliis is just the account that our \m- tones give. It appears certain, then, that the unbelieving Jews and Pagans of those days did find it iinpoBsible to throw any doubt on the fiict of the miracles having really been performed; because that would have enabled them easily to expose Jesus to contanipt as an impostor. Their acknowledging the miracles, ahd atlribuung them to magic, aa the unbelieving Jews do to this day, shows that the evidence for them, after the strictest scrutiny by the most bitter enemies, was perfectly undeniable, at the tinio. »nd place when they were said to be performed. LESSON vin. MIRACLES, PART III. There are persons, some of whom you may j)er- haps meet with, who, though they are believers in Christianity, yet will not allow that the miracles recorded in Scripture are any ground for their belief. They are convinced (uiC) will loll you) that the Lord Jesus Christ came from God, because ount ihiit our hisr unbelieving Jews d it impoBsible to e miracles having that would have us to contempt as ing the miracles, I the unbelieving the evidence for ly by the most liable, at the time, be performed. TRUTH OP CHRISTIANITY. 43 r. m yon may per- are believers in lat the miradcH rround fur their )y will loll you) •m God, because " never man spake like this man." They find tlie religion so pure and amiable in itself, and lhey feel it so well suited to their wants, and to the wants of all mankind, and so full of heavenly wisdom and goodness, that they need no other proof of its being from heaven j but as for miracles, these (they will tell you) are among the difficulties to be got over : they believe them as a part of the religion, from finding them recorded in the Bible, but they would have believed the Gospel as easily, or more easily, without them. The miracles (they will say) were indeed a proof to those who lived at the time, and saw them j but to us of the present day, who only read of them, they are a part of our faith, and not a part of the evidence of our faith. For it is a greater trial of faith, they say, to believe in such wonderful works as Jesus is said to have perf jrmed, than to believe that such wise and excellent doc- trine as He delivered v*ras truly from heaven. Now, there is, indeed, much truth in a part of what these persons t*ay ; but they do not lake a clear view of the whole subject of evidence. It is, mdeeil, true, that there is, as they observe, great vveight in the internal evidence (as it is called) of -..rsstianity ; {hot is, ilie reasons for believing it fro- the ch:iractpr ol ihe religion itself. The more u LESSONS ON THE you study if, the more strongly you will perceive that It IS such a religion as no man would have been likely to invent; and of all men, a Jew, most un- likely. But there are many different kinds of evi- dence for the same truth j and one kind of evidence may the most impress one man's mind, and another another's. And, among the rest, the Christian miracles certainly are a very decisive proof of the truth of Christ's religion to any one, who is con- vinced (as you have seen there is reason to be) that they really were wrought. Of course, there is more difficulty for us in making out this point, than there was for men who lived at the same times and places with Jesus and his Apostles; but when this point has been made out, and we do believe the miracles, they are no less a proof of the religion to us than to those early Christians. It is quite a mistake to suppose that the difficul- ty of proving any fact makes that fact, when it is proved, a less convincing proof of something else. For example,— to take an instance formerly given, —those who live in the neighbourhood of the places where great beds of sea-shell are found near the topi of hills, and have seen them there themselves, are convinced by this, that at some time or other those beds must have been under the sea. Now, a G you will perceive I would have been a Jew, most un- ent kinds of evi- 5 kind of evidence oind, and another it, the Christian sive proof of the one, who is con- reason to be) that course, there is t this point, than ! same times and ; but when this ■ do believe the >f the religion to that the difficul- act, when it is something else. formerly given, Dod of the places found near the lere themselves, I time or other e sea. Now, a TRUTH OF CHRlSTIANITir. i5' person who lives at a distance from. such places has more difficulty than those on the spot in making; out whether there are any such beds of'shells. He has to inquire of travellers, or of those who have conversed with themj and to consult books, and perhapsexamine pieces of the rock containing some of the shells ; but when once he is fully satisfied < that there are such beds of sea-shells^ this: is just as good a proof to him as to the others that the sea must have formerly covered them.. And so also in respect of the Christian miradies.. The difficulty we may have in deciding whether - they were really wrought, does not make them- (when we «rd convinced that they were wrought) ^ a less decisive proof that the Christian religion i& from God. But as for the difficulty of believing Jn anything so strange and wonderful as those miracles, you should remember that every difficulty (as was ob- served before) should be weighed against that on the opposite side. Now, the difficulty of believing the miracles recorded in our/sacred books, is much less than the opposite difficulty of believing: that, the Christian religion was established without' miracles. That a Jewish peasant should have iiveiihrown the religion of the civilised world with- B 2 4(i f-ESSONS ON THE 00 the a,d of any ^,>acles, is far more miraculous, -a, leas., more incrcdible,-.|,a„ anything ha ^o^ooks^te, and i.„in appear sUlLo^:: crea.b!s, if you femember that this wonderfuF change wa, brough, about *y ;^„„, „j- ^a^tl .0 miracles. .Je,u, ,nd his Apostles did cerS f:f r'o ""^^ -i-culous povvet, in prlo ^f t.e,r being »„. ,Vom God, and this ..omLf. b^en the greatest hinderance to their prop^ ting a new relig^n. if they rea|ly had p„ JJ no uch powers, because this pretence would have laid Ihem open to detection and lidiciile But there is a distinption between our religion ^ d U othe^, whi,h is pften oyerlppked. tZZ all religions have some miraculous p,«,ensions«,n nected with them ; ,ha, is, miracles are CrW to have been wrought in support of some Pagan Zo,^^ .^mong people who ahmdy believed it R^,' 2 J' «"d .ha. any religL e^:;'; „ ^ ^ Str '"""' .'"""'"'"'' "■""ienemieCIZ "uracies. And we have every reason tf. k.i- ■». no sttch at.emp. ever did I'cZ ucSif f'lity, therefore, of beli(.vtn» .h„. a,. ^. . .. " r p "■«' luc \^nrisiian reii- I TRUTH OF CHRISTUNITT. 47 gioii was propagated by meana of iniraclea, ii nothing in comparison to tlie difficuliy of believing that it could have been propagated without any. Indeed, we have every reason to believe that many more miracles must have been performed than are particularly related. Several particular cases of our Lord's miracles were described ; but besides these, we are told, in various places, of great multitudes of sick people being brought to him, and that « He healed them all." (Matt. xn. 15 \ XIX. 2.) So, also, besides particular miracles related as done by the Apostles (Acts n. 33 j iii. 7 J IX. 33 J xni. 1 1 J XIV. 8 ; xxvui. 5), we are told, generally, of their not only performing many miracles (Acta viii. 6 ; xix. 11), but also bestow- ing rruraculous powers on great numbers of disciples (Acts VI. 5, 8 ; x. 44 ; xix. 6). And we find St. Paul, in one of his Epistles, speaking of it as a thing familiarly known, that miracles were " the signs of an Apostle." (2 Cor. xii. 12.) And in all these books, we find miracles not boastfully dwelt on, or described as something unusual, but alluded to as familiarly known to the persona to whom the books were familiarly addressed ; that is, to the Christians of those days. B.»* K««utea the accounts given in the Christian 48 LESSOtiS ON THE ine case, (ha the Apostles could never have t.e8,,f they had not displayed some extraordinarv and supernatural power Pan., r '"""^'"^ry fishermen t^n* , "^^"^^y a ^vv poor Jewish "snermen, tentmakers, and neasan«a „«:« • . :;.:; :t:r --'^ - pioS^:^s an abominable fo„y,_.o Ht fS Z their ancestors,— to reiect u.i*h , ^ ''^ ^^nrrbTdt^rr^^'^"^'""™"' death. Ho«-do vTtC ' """" ''"""«'■"' a« this, „i,h merely .ueh ^17. *" P-aching t y„„ can dd'hatr" """ " have scorned then »„j .7"" "at aU men would madmen ' ""^ "^""''^ »' P"''''^ "'«'" aa TRUTH OF CHRISTIANIXr. i9 the very nature )uld never have among the Gen- ie extraordinary few poor Jewish !, going info one B», whose inha- d temples and hich had been 5y were proud, t where those discoursed on ts to the youth r these Jewish fieir images as he religion of ' the instruc- ceive instead, «v of humble ost shameful Id have been h an attempt 'an means as I nien would tied them as As for the wisdom, and purity, and sublimity of the religion of the Gospel, this might have gained them some attention,— not, indeed, among the mass of the people, who were too gross to relish or per- ceive this purity and wisdom,— but among a very few of the better sort, if once they could be brought to listen to the description of the religion. And this, perhaps, they might have done, if it had been taught by some Greek or Roman philosophers, famous for knowledga and wisdom. But the Gos- pel was preached by men of a nation which the Greeks and Romans looked down upon as barbar- ian J and whose religion especially, they scorned and detested for being so uifferent from their own. And not only did the Apostles belong to this des- pised nation, but they were the outcasts of that very nation j being rejected and abhorred by the chief part of their Jewish brethren. If, therefore, they had come among the Gentiles, teaching the most sublime religious doctrine, and trusting merely to the excellence of what they taught, it is impossible they should have even had a hearing. It is not enough to say, that no one would have believed ihem ; but no one would even have listened to them, if they had not first roused men's serious attention by working (as we are told 50 .'i.M 'Mini LESSOXS ON THE Afienvards, when the Gosnel h.A •o excite general attention™ „! "^'^ '""" ""e'y to listen te the P Jchinrr/itTvlT'*' "" sons who did not nrelenrf ,„ „• ^" ^^ P^" -.^vin'gp^or/Jr^LTj^K'' were not false ,vit„e«H,s, by their firn,^!' . '^ persecution. And this iL ceJIil a I." '"'"« for believng their testimony So„r^ «™™'' then^elve. eye-witnesses, arte aLT'T' -stance, we™ „f .heir Master's ^ „r,Jcf ' Ah rt " not to be conceived that men ^ . "'' themselves to danpe,. and ,L "'*' ^''P'^ attesting false stori^^Ll . "vrM"' '"'"' "" to be false. If the.^ C fc"" T" '"""^" '•"■posture in-,^pec. of plZJ ^- ^™"-'='""ri^«<' ' possible but that'someS^.r :r";:r many hundreds brought forward 1 . '* would have been inducedT, Cantor"""'' J.ribes. to be.n.y the i„post„re! ' ^"""' " There were many, therefn„. J *«rk< fciTcived the TRUTH OP CHRISTlANlTr. 5» iracle...'* (Acts ad spread so as men would be it even by per- lous power, but racles they had ime, that they nness in facing a good ground ough men may 1 they sincere- 3 to such facts they professed' Apostles, for section. Andf vould expose' nnd death, ii>- have known >'elI-coritrive(} ' cles, it is im- t, out of tfie 'e- witnesses, , tortures, or received ihe Gospel,— and with good reason,— on such testi- mony as this, as soon as they could be brought lo listen to and examine it. But, in the first instance, the Apostles could not have brought any, of the Gentiles at least, to listen to them, if they had not begdh by working evident miracles themselves. A handful of Jewish strangers, of humble rank, would" never have obtained a hearing among the most powerful, and most civilised, and proudest nations of the world, if they had not at first roused their attention by the display of some extraordinary powers. LESSON rx. "WONDERS AND SIGNS. It is plain, for the reasons which have beert put before you, that the Apostles must have roused men's attention, and gained themselves a hear- ing, by performing,— as your books tell us they tiid,— many wonderful works. And tliese works, as well as those of Jesus, whieh they related, '^'^mt have been such as to admit of no miitafee, riff] 52 LESSONS ON THE . I either about the facts, or about their being really supernatural. Else, surrounded as they were by enemies, and with men's prejudices opposed to them, it seems impossible they could have been believed, or even attended to. If for instance, there were a report of some sick men hav- ing been miraculously cured by them, but such a report as to leave a doubt either as to the fact of the cure having taken place, or as to the manner ofthe cure,— -that is, whether the men might not have recovered by natural means,— any such doubt would have been enough to shut men's ears against them. And besides this, it was necessary that the mira- cles should be both so numerous, and so various in kind, as to exceed the pow«rs generally supposed to belong to magicians. For most persons seem to have thought that a magician might, through the aid of demons, be enabled to perform some miracles, and not others of a different kind. We find it related, accordingly, that Jesus not only healed the lame, and blind, and sick, some present and some absent, grown persons and children, but also raised the dead, fed a muhitude with a few loaves, stilled the waves and winds at his bidding, blasted a tree at his word. chaniTArl wator \nin. ,.^«« c,^ a_j this seems to have been no more than a necessaiy TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITr, 53 n a necessaiy condescension to the weakness of men's minds in those days. They did not at once conclude tliat He must be a true prophet from his working one miracle ; but said, " When [the] Christ cometh,. will he do mor^ miracles than these which this man doethr' (John viL 31.) So, also, Kicodemua 8ay8,—not « No man can do ant/ miracles," but, --« No man can do these miracles which thou doest, except God be with him." (John iii. 2.) And the disciples, who had witnessed so many mira- culous cures, were astonished, we are told, at find- ing that Jesus had a command over the storm: " What manner of man is this, that even the wind* and the sea obey him ?» (Matt. viii. 27.) And we find the same variety also in the mira- culous gifts possessed by the Apostles, and bestow- ed by them on other Christians : (as you may see m 1 Cor. xii. and elsewhere.) You should ob- serve, too, that it would not have satisfied men's minds merely to see some extraordinary occurrence, unless it were also something plainly done by the Apostles, as a sign, testifying that they were divine messengers. It would have been impossible for them, in the midst of adversaries, to take advantage of some remarkjihlft pvpni rnllinm ;♦ •> rp:..n^u j lo explain it so as to favour their own pretensions. 54. LESSONS ON THE m Ml m This has often been done, indeed, in support or ^some leligion, or some doctrine, which men already !)eheve, or are inclined to believe. The Pagans were, many of them, ready enough to attribute any thmg wonderful to a miraculous interference of Jupiter or some of their other gods. And so, also, Mahomet easily persuaded his follower that some of his victories were miraculous, and that God sent angels to fight for him. He was a great warrior and his followers being M of enthusiasm, and eager for conqu. ', glory, and plunder, often defeat- ed a very superior force of their enemies, and gain- ed victories which maybe rightly called wonderful : though not more wonderful than several which have ibeen gained by others. It is not strange, therefoi-e, that Mahomet should easily have persuaded them that their victories were miraculous, and were a proof that God was on their side. In all times, indeed, men are to be fonnd who call any extraordinaiy event miraculous, and inter- pret it so as land, which was about the beginning oi the last century j for it is a very curious fact, that though It has often been seen since, (particularly in 1836 and 1837,) it is not recorded ever to have been seen in the British Islands before that time. On its first appearing, people were greaUy astonished and alarmed, at nn appearance which seemed out of the course of nature ; and many declared that it was a supernatural sign, and that it portended such and such events j each giving a different in. terpretation, according to his own particular preju- dices. But people of sense saw it that was no sign at all ; because there was no one who had either ^any authority to declare, or power to know, what it was a sign of. Kilt if ta irAI-lT xnaU ... pronounce in trua manner a^ to any remarkable event that occurs, And it is 56 LESSONS ON THE w not only rash, but uncharitable also, to pronounce that sudden death, or any extraordinary affliction that befalls any one, is a miraculous Divine judgment upon him. That is what the people of Melita did in respect of St. Paul, when they saw the viper fasten on his hand, and concluded that he must be a murderer pursued by the Divine vengeance (Acts XXVIII. 3, 4.) This uncharitable rashness is censured by our Lord in Luke xin. 2, 3. The people of Melita were ignorant Pagans: but we of these days ought to know better. You may easily perceive, on reflection, that a mere wonderful oc- currmce, of liseK, proves nothing j but when a man does something that is beyond human power to do, or foretells something beyond human foresight, and makes this a testimony of his coming from God, it is then, and then only, that he is properly '- said to offer a miraculous proof. And, accordingly, the works performed by Jesus and his Apostles are called in Scripture, (as they really were,) not mere- ly Miracles, (that is, wonders,) but Signs ; that is, miraculous evidence. (Mark xvi. 20.) For instance, that a violent storm should sud- tlenly c«-^se, and be succeeded by a complete calm, is something extraordinarv i hut of its^"* proves nothing. But when the" disciples helrii ^ If- TRUTH OP CHRISTlANlTr. 57 Jesus give his command, and rebuke the wind and V wveg, which immediately became still, they justly regarded this as a sign that God was with Him (Matt. VIII. 26.) So, also, that a person seeming. ly dead should suddenly revive and rise up, is indeed a wonderful event ; but, of itself, is merely a wonder. But when the Lord Jesus told the child of Jairus, (Luke viii. 54^,) and the widow's son of Nain, (Luke vii. 14,) to rise up, and each of them did so at his word, these became proofs of his divine mission. These were among the « works " which, as He said, "bore witness of Him." Again, if any one who is opposing some particular religious sect or system, should suddenly loss his eyesight, it would be very presumptuous to pro- nounce at once that he was struck Wind as a Divine judgment. But when St Paul rebuked Ely- mas, and declared that the hand of the Lord was upon him, and that he should become blind, and im- mediately a darkness did fall upon him (Acts xiii. |10, 11), the Roman governor justly regarded this as la sign, and believed accordingly in what Paul was ■teaching. Anything wonderful, in short, i^ then, and then Dnly, a miraculonn Slirn- ^^rhon o/^r«« ^^ ^ or foretells it, in a manner surpassing human power, -58 LESSONS ON TriE SO as to make it attest the truth of what he sayg. And this may fairly be required of any one professing to be a messenger from Heaven. For if a stranger were to come to yon, professing to bring a message from some friend of yours, you would naturally ex- pect him to show you that friend's handwriting, or some other such tokens to prove that he really was so sent. And so, also, when a man comes to this country as an ambassador from some other country, he is required first to produce his «« credentials,'^ as they are called ; that is, papers, which prove that he is no impostor, but is really commissioned as an ambassador. And it is equally right that men pro* fessing to bring a message immediately from God, should be required to show what may be called their " credentials;^ that is, such miraculous power as God alone could have bestowed, as a sign or token, to prove the reality of their divine commission. But credulous and superstitious people often over- look this rule ; and are ready to interpret as a mir- aculous sign any remarkable occurrence,-— such as a victory, or a famine, orthunder-storn', or a sudden recovery from sickness, or the like,— when these are so explained as to favor, or at least not oppose their prejudices, and the religious belief they are already inclined to. But the Aposlfes found no such pre- TRUTH OF CHRISTlA;viTr. 59 judices in their favor. Tliey would never have been allowed to explain in their own way anything strange tliat might happen. On the contrary, all the superstitious credulity of the people was opposed to them. And insteadof men being ready to cry « Mir- acle !» when anything extraordinary occurred, and to interpret it in favor of Christianity, the Apostlea lound the most credulous men disposed rather to at- tribute the Christian miracles to magic. In order to gain converts, therefore, or even to obtam a hearing, they must have shown (as our books tell us they did) many mighty works, evidently peformed by them, as the « Signs of an Apostle." WESSON X. SUMMARY Oy EVIDENCBS. You wiif have seen, by this time, what a mistake it 18 to supi)ose, that ordinary Christians cannot be taught to understand the evidence for their religion, ""- '•- '-""'-ciii uj laKc u lor granted, as the Pagans do theirs, because (hey have been brought Jr'l, 60 LESSONS ON TH8 up in it. Tiierc are, indeed, many who do so, hut that is because, when they speak of" the evidences of Christianity," they mean all the evidences. And, certainly, to be well acquainted with all of these,, would be enough to occupy the whole life of a stu- dious man, even though he should devote himself entirely to that study. Indeed, to go through all the books that have been written on the subject, and to examine and thoroughly master all the arguments on both sides that have ever been brought forward, would be more than any one man could accomplish, even if he had nothing else to do. But there are many things which you may have very good reasons for believing, though you may not know a tenth part of the proofs of them that have been or might l)e pro- duced. For instance, you may have good grounds for believing that there is such a city as Rome, and that it was formerly the capital of a mighty empire, of which Britain was one of the provinces. But alt the evidence that might be brought forward in proof of this, would be enough to occupy a learned man for many years, if he were to examine it thoroughly, ft is sufficient in any case, if we have enough of evidence to warrant our belief; even though there shjii.'i ' much more evidence of the same thing besides, which we have not examined. Although, TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITY. 61 therefore, the generality of Christians cannot be ex- pected to know the whole, or near the whole, of the proofs of their relipon, that is no reason against their seeking and obUiining proofs enough to convince 4 reasonable mind. Even that small portion of the evidences yoU have now been learning, is perhaps more than suf* ficient for this purpose ; though it is but a part even of what you may hereafter be able to understand. It is certain that Christianity now exists ; and that Jesus Christ is acknowledged as Lord and Master, (in words, at least,) among all the most civilised peo- ple of the world. It is certain, loo, that this cannot have been always the case j but that Christianity must have been introduced, by some means or other, among the Jews and Pagans ; who must have had some reasons that appeared to them very strong to induce them to change the religions thev had been brought up in. You know, also, that this great revolution in the religion of the world, was begun by a person of humble rank, in one of the least powerful and least esteemed of the ancient nations. It was not a mighty warrior, or a rich nnri nn«rorA,i .,-:— or a learned philosopher, but a Jewish peasant that brought about this wonderftil change. And you are £3 62 LESSONS Ox\ THE sure, accordingly, that no one, wliether friend or. enemy, can reasonably doubt that Jesus of Nazarr eth is, merely by his influence on the affairs of the world, the most extraordinary and most important personage that ever appeared. Again, you have seen that there is good reason to be certain,, that Jesus and his Apostles propagated their religion by an appeal to miracles ; that is, that they professed to perform works beyond human power, m a sign of^heir being messengers from God. And no one has been able to point out any other way in which they did or could introduce the reli- gion. Nor can we conceive how a few Jewisb peasants, without power, o;: wealth, or learning, or popular prejudice 01^ their sicjp, could have been, at first, either believesd or listened to, if they had not begun by appealing to the tes^ijmony of miracnlouR signs. Now this wftuld have been no help, but a hinderance to their preaching, if their prttensions toi supernatural powers had not been true ; because surrounded as they were by adversaries and men prejudiced against them, any attempt at imposture would have been detected, and would have exposed them to general scorn. And, accordingly, it doe» not appear that any of the Pagan religions, — in short, any religion except ours— ever was first introduced TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITY. 6^ whether friend or. it Jesus of Nazarr 1 the affairs of the d most important is good reason to ostles propagated clcs ; that ']i>, that J Ijeyond human engers from God. It out any other troduce the reli- vv a few Jewislto , or learning, or Id have been, at if they had not ly of miracidous no help, but a ir prttensions toi true ; because,, saries and men pt at imposture d have exposed 'dingly, it doe» ;ions, — in short, first introduced und established among adversaries by an appeal to the evidence of miracles. We have good grounds foi- believing, therefore, 'that the people of those times, even the enemies of 'Christianity, found it impossible to deny the fact of the miracles being wrought (see Acts iv. 16), and thence were driven to account for them as the work of evil spirits. And this we find recorded, not only in the writings of Christian authors, but also in those of Jewish and Pagan adversaries. We find accounts, too, in the works of Pagan writers, as well as in the New Testament, of the ■severe persecutions which great numbers of the eariy Christians had to encounter. And this furnishes a proof of their sincerely believing, not only the truth of their religion, but also the miracles which many of them professed to have seen, and in which they could not have been mistaken. For, if these mifacles,had been impostures, it is incredible that such humbers of men should have exposed themselves to dangers and hardship^ to attest the truth of them, without anyone beinfe induced by sufiering (and this, though some of them were driven to renounce Christianity,) to betray the imposture. That the works nrthou^ iiri.U/>t..^ U n, _. .1.....^, ^..,^^jj, .._.^._ ic^ijy UUIIIC ^own to us, and that the general sense of them is 04 LESSONS 0.>l T^K given in our .ranslations, you have good reason to be convinced, even without understanding the ori- ginal languages, or examining ancient manuscripts. Vou need not take the word of a scholar for this, ox feel such full confidence in the honesty of any two or three learned men, as to trust that they would not deceive you in anything, and to believe on their authority. There is, and has been, so great a number of learned men in various countries and, ages, some, oppoted to Christianity, and others. Christians of different sects opposed to each other, that they never could have agreed in forging a book, or putting fortK false translation. On the contrary, anv supposed mistake or fraud oi any one of then), the rest are ready to expose, So that there is no reasonable doubt as to anything in which they ajl agree. And this, you have seen, is the s^me sort of evi- dence on which most men, believe that the earth is !Dund,-|hat there is such a citv as Ron^,^^nd' many othpr things which they have not themselves seen,but which rest on tlie uncontradicted teslmony of many independent witnesses. You have seen also, that in respect of the books of the Old Testament there is this very remarkable circumstance, that they are preserved with the Utm.ost care and reverence bv ihc .Te W8, Who reject TRUTH OK CHRliTlANITT. ^'^ iesus Christ, although these books contain whatap- pear to Cliristains most remarkable prophecies of Him. And it vvas poiited ont to you, (hat there art many parts of these prophecies of which we see the fulfilment before ^, ,h„„gh the early Christians did not ; ,amely, that a religion should arise among the Je«-s, which should have a wide spread among the Gentiles, but yet that it should be a new religion, not the same as taught by Moses, and that this H.g,on should spring, not from the whole nation, but from one individual of that nation, and He a person despised, rejected, and persecuted even to death, bv nis own people. All this, which is so unlike what any one would have foetold from mere guess, and which we see actually com* to pass, is prophesied in books which e«.em,es oi Christianity (the unbelieving Jews of this «ay, reverence us divinely inspired. , Now, if you reflect attentively on aU these heads which th« short s«mma,y ha, just been put before you you^vill perceive that even a portion of h I taght be fmriy considered as a strong reason to be pven «f the hope that is in you ; but that, when ' — «.o vvaoie 01 n iogetim^ it is sufficient to fr!" If i lli ■ I ! f, 66 LESSONS ON THi satisfy any reasonable mind ; for, to believe that so^ many marks of truth should be brought together by chance, or by man's contrivance, in favor of a false. story,~to believe this, I say, would be much greater, credulity than to believe that the Gospel really was from God. These marks of truth, you should observe, are (as has been said) a vast deal stronger when taken to- gether , and con6rming each other. For, each of the separate proofs may be regarded as a distinct witness. And when several independent. witnesses give the same evidence, their agreement may prove the matter completely, even when no one of those witnesses is, by himself, deserving of confidence. Suppose, for instance, that one out of several men, —none of them much to be relied on,— gives a par- ticular account of some transaction which he pro- fesses to have seen : you may think it not unlikely that he may have invented the story,or have dreamed It J but then, if his account is confirmed by another, and another, of these men, who, you are r jre, could have had no communication with the first, you then conclude that it must be true j because they could not have chancea, all of them, to invent the same story or to have the same dream. And SQ. it 13, Wix6n. you ua.vd Ji.iaT'i^.KrTr ^ "' ^^rent iiiark* It TRUTH OP CHRrSTIANlTY. 67 of truth meeting together, as they do, in the Gospel history. Even if each of these, taken separately^ had much less force than it actually has, it would be infinitely unlikely that they should all happen to be found united in a false story. These arguments, however, have been laid before you very briefly ; and hereafter, if you will study them at leisure and dwell upon them more fully,' in your own mind, and in conversation with others,, you will see the force of them still more and more. But though these arguments are enough to satisfy you, th^t an ordinary Christian, who does not pre- tend to be a learned man, may ye* believe in his re-, ligion on better grounds than the Pagans have for believing theirs, there are many other arguments be- sides, some of which are quite within the reach of the unlearned. In particular, what is called the internal evidence of Christianity,— that is, the proof drawn from die character of the religion itself, and, of the Christian Scriptures, is a kind of evidence! which yon will find more and more satisfactory the more you reflect on and study the subject, if you endeavour, at the same time, sincerely to act up to the knowledge you acquire, and to be the better for it in your life. 68 Lessons om the Lesson xl INTERNAL EVIDENCES, PART l. ^F the Christian religion was not from God, it must 'ha^^e b6en from man. It must have been a « cun- ningly devised fable'* of artful impostors, or else a ^ream of crazy enthusiasts, of some mixture of these %Wo, if it was nol really, what it professed, to be a 'divine revelation. To examine, then the internal evidence, istd irt- 'y dogrees, a great deal more ofthiathan i^ would "W« 70 LESSONS ON THE be posfcsible clearly to put before you here, at onc(i> in a small space. But still there are several internal marks of truth that may be pointed out ; vvhicli, though but a small part of what you may hereafter find, are yet of great importance. For example, if the Christian religion had been 'Contrived and propagated by a number of duyigning men, in such a way as would have seemed to them the best suited for gaining converts, you may be sure that they would naturally have put forth some book purporting to be written by Je^ui Himielf, laying down the principles and precepts of hii reli- gion, and answering to the booka of the Law written by Moses. All men who were at all disposed to listen to the preaching of the Grospel, and to examine the Christian Scriptures,would have been likely to in- quire,in the first place,(as no doubt many persons did,) for somethiiig written by the very Founder of the new religion. If, therefore, there had been any forgery, the fijrged books,— or at least the principal of them,— would certainly have been attributed to Jesus Christ as their author. And all that were not attributed to Him, would naturally have been published with the names of the most distinguished and eminent uf the Apostles, * Now, the fact is, as you know, that of all the that of all the TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITY. 7, Christian Scriptures, there Is no one hook professing to be written by Christ Himself, and of the four Gospels there are only tno that are attributed even to any of the Apostles as the writers ,- St. Matthew's and St. John's : and, again, of these two, St. John 9lone^ ^ rnucb distinguished among the Apostles : very ]^e.be.ng recorde been expected from crafty and designing men, seek- ing to impose on the credulous for the purpose of gaining converts. Again, it is certain that at the lime when Jesus appeared, the Jews were earnestly expecting a Christ, or Messiah, (that is, an anointed Deliverer ) Ivvho should be a mighty prince, and free them from Subjection to the Romans, and make them a power- ful nation, ruling over all the Gentiles. And thi» h what is still expected by the Jews at this day. r»0\v if Jesiis apd hi« A«^ofi^~ u_j 1 ,' r -*-^ -"" -j.p-^oiicD xiau oeen enthu- siasts, or impostors, or a mixture of the two, they 72 LESSONS ON THE would most likely have coriformed to the prevailing expectations r f tho j>eople. They would hrtve been likely to give out that the "kingdom of lieaven" which was '^* at hr nd" was n glorious worldly empire, such as the Jew« had ;^%etf ^m hopes on, instead of a "kingdom not of this ^vorli,*' wh/th was u'hatthey did preach. And we know thst th ; several pretended Christs who appeared ft iiitle befoi'o the destruction of Jerusalem, and even a Her it, did profess, each to come as u tempoml deliverer and conqueror, agreeably to the prevailing notions. Jesus and his disciples, on the coLc^ry, not only proclaimed no temporal king- dom, butt did not even promise any worldly success and prosperity to their followers ; but told them, that ** in the world they should have tribulation."— (John XVI. 33.) And this is the more remarkable, because the Jv'iws had been always brought up in the notion that worldly prosperity was a sign of God's favor ; «uch being the rewards promised in the Mosaic law. The hardships and afflictions, therefore, in this life, which men were told they mtist make up their minds to, if they became Christians, were not only dishearteniag, but also likely to raise a prejudice in their minds against Jesus and his disciples, as if they could not be really favoured uoa accord- ing to the prophecy of Tsaiah, (L.a. 4-,) *< we did TP^TT! OF CH. fesUvals, as an ordinance of their religion. But at the «me when Christianity first arose, neither Jew nor Pagan had ever heard of, or conceived such a these offerings, that they most likely regarded them as es^ntia, to every religion, and vvere astonished and shocked at 6nding that the Christian religion' .r, r',j r- ^"^ " '^ '"'='^»"« *at cL. tianity s/umld have been without them, if it had been a religion invented by men. It would never have entered into the minds of its a„tho,« to make that they had ever heard of; and that, too, ii «, point which would be likely to shock all men's feehngs an(^ prejudices. The whole character, indeed, of the Christian religion diffem so ,videly, in many particulars, both, from the Jewish and from all the other religions- which had ever existed in the world, that one can- not conceive how any men could, of themselves, aave thought of any such system; much Ie«, hought of It, as likely to be well received. And Himself, as drawn by the Evangelists. It i, . ,i,« dZ;!d ""' '"^ '!," '''■"" reared, oi been uejjcnbed, or imagined. 7G LESSONS ON TI Another point to be observed is tliis ; that mere men seeking to propagate their religion in whatever way they might think best, u'ould naturally ha,t? been so eager to make converts that they would not have insisted very much on a strict moral life in those who did but show ;reat zeal in their Master's cause ; but would h-ive allowed active services to their party to make umends for some neglect of other duties. Mahomet accordingly declared that the highest place iii the Divine favor belonge(i to those who fought bravely in his cause. And in al- most all sects and parties you may see the same dis- position in men to reckon zeal m their cause as a virtue so gieat that it will excuse many and consi- derable faults in private life. This mode of judging, which is so natural ♦o man, is just4)he opposite of what we find in Jesus Christ and his Apogtles. They not only . Mj»ht L.eir fol lowers to be pure and upright [righteous], and kind and humble, but taught them also tha* 1,0 ning they could say or do in the cause of the Christian faith could make up for the want of Ihese Christian vir- tues, or would be at all accepited by tlieir Ma^ He not only compares a man \vho should hear is precepts without acting upon" them, to one who /•i)uilt a house on the sand,V and reproaches those »*■ this; that mere gion in whatever i naturally have it they would not ■ict moral life in in their Master's LCtive services to some neglect of ;Iy declared that vor belonged to ise. And in al- ee the same dis- their cause as a nany and consi- > natural ♦o man, i in Jesus Christ . ^ght C.e'iT fol- eous], and kind la* 1.0 aing they Christian faith e Christian vir- >y tlieir Ma-^ should hear is ij to one who *proaches thosft B TRUTH or CHRISTIANITY. ffj uho called Him "Lord! Lord!" and "did not the thmgs which he said," (Matt, v ,1. 26, Luke vi. *6,) but He also declares that those who had "preached n his hamn '» n,i • u- ,. \ "'^ '^^'"^' "" in his name even done many wonderful work.," should be disowned and rejected by him, if they were " worke.. of ini- qu.ty." (Matt. vn. 22, 23.) And the Apostlo« ,n Ike manner taught their converts that their profess^ ng he Chnstam faith was a reason for requiring, not he less, but tf- . more, strictness of morals from them, nL ; ""' ''J^''^'^^' • en the miraculous powers bestowed on them weic worthless, if they had not that charity which is hurr' gentle, patien^ and self.denymj. (I Cor. xm.) All this is what we might have been exj. .ted from ^achers sentfrom God. Andexperience shows how ddferentitis from what might have been expected of mere human teachers, acting according to the-r own judgment and iheir natural feelings. 78 LESSONS ON THE LESSON XII. INTERNAL KVIDENCES, PART If, You may observe, again, that the kind of moral duty which Jesus and his Apostles taught, was not what was the most likely to gain them popularity with their hearers. The Jews had a great deal of national pride in being God's holy and peculiar peo- ple J they looked on the Gentiles as unclean and outcasts ; and had a particular hatred and contempt for the Samaritans, The Romans, again, were no less proud ol their military glory, and political pow- er ; and the Greeks of their superior wisdom and refinement. And all were zealous for the glory, and greatness, and superiority, each of his own country. It was not acceptable to any of these to be taught to " love their enemies,""-to return good for evil, — to be humble and forgiving, — patient under persecution, — gentle and kind to all men ; and lastly, to consi:r der men of eveiy race, and of every station, as on a level in respect of the Gospel promises ; and that in God's sight there was to be " neither Greek nor Je\y, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free." (Col. in. 11.) f « I. LRT 11. le kind of moral taught, was not them popularity id a great deal of ind peculiar peo- as unclean and ed and contempt J, again, were no nd political pow- rior wisdom and for the glory, and his own country. se to be taught to ;ood for evil, — to mder persecution, 1 lastly, to consfT r station, as on a lises J and that in ir Greek nor Jevy, !."(Col. III. 11.) TRUTH OF CFIRISTIANITV. 79 Moreover, party-spirit ran very high among the Jevvi ; especially between the sects of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Now, an enthusiast would have ni08thkely been a zealous partisan of one of these sects J and a scheming impostor, if he did not join one of them, would have been likely to aim at the favor of both, by flattering each in turn, and gratify, 'ng each by exposing the fault, of their opponents. Jesus, on the contrary, in his discourses to each party ^ts before them their own errors; (Luke xi. 42,' i^c. ; XX 27;) and He does the same in respect of the Jews and Samaritans. (Luke x. 33; John iv. AH this is worthy of a "teacher sent from God » and IS quite different from what we might expect of mere human teachers. Many men, it is true, would be ready to praise and to recommend a life of greater punty and uprightness than their neighbours, or they themselves, are accustomed to practise. Several of the ancient heathen philosophers wrote moral trea- tises containing some excellent precepts, and describ- ing a much higher degree of virtue than was com- monly found in the lives of the heathen generally, or even m the lives of those ve.y philosophers them- selves. And if the New Testament wnf.r. k«,j been men of the higher and more educated clas^sl 80 LESSOiNS ON THE accustomed to converse with the leanied, and to study philosophical works, instead of being, mostly, • poor and ignorant Jewish fishermen and artizans, it would not liave been wonderful that tliey should have taughl a higlier degree of morality than what men in general practised. But the Gospel went beyond, not merely what men practised^ but what they approved. It was not merely better than men's conduct ; but, in several points, contrarTf to their principles. For instance, «« to love one's enemies,"—" to return good for evi^" -^«' to be meek and lowly in spirit,"—" not easily provoked,"— but « forbearing, submissive, and long suffering ;" all this was not merely not practised by the ancient lieathens and Jews, but it was not even admired : on the contrarj' it was reganled with scorn, as base and mean-spirited. And what is more, even now, we may often find prof«!ilter tMtH OF CHRlSTMMITr, 81 spirited conduct," and as a noble Christian zeal And you will find a,, ,u. even in men To vet ! buked 1„8 AposUe, for offering tocall down fire from knew no. what manner of spirit they were of." S nee, .hen, Christianity is ,ppos^ J°l ^ men's natural inclinaUoJ hn, <.i. ^ 10 their «,„. (• T^^' '""*''»' "1 some points, their «/,« of „hat .8 dignified and praiseworthv r ""^.^ ''"^^ '"'='-•'""« i. is .ha. me^oS^ human be,ngs should have contrived a Son^ Then, again, if you look to the stHe of writing in the historical books, (the four Gospel and t TS you will observe that ne-th-- th» nii,^ni u^ ;«JringsofchristorhisAp.trbXi: ~rd^:r£trrf'"^~^^"-^>• makin., » «, '"'■ "'"'^'^ "lesii-ous of i)rir::rr:s;-;^^^ - efl-ect on men's feelings and imaginTtir tb^ miracles Derfnrm»H ,„j .L :_ . S'^^^on*. ibe ' -"-" "«= '"siancesofheroic forli- C2 i: ; ?: 82 lifiSSONS ON THE lud8 displayed, are all related briefly, calmly, and drily, and almost with an air of indifference, as if they were matters of every-day occurence,and which the readers were familiar with. And this is, indeed, one strong proof that the readers to whom these books were addressed-^the early Christians-really were ;(as the books themselves give us to understand they were,) familiar with these things ; in short, that the persecutions endured, and the Signs displayed, by the Apostles, really were, in those times and coun- tries, common and notorious. You should observe, also, the candid and frank .simplicity with which the New Testament writers .describe the weaknesses and fauhs of the disciples j ,iiot excepting some of the most eminent among the Apostles. Their « slowness of heart," [that is dul- ness of underBtanding,]~their want of faith [trust] ?n their Master,— and their worldly ambition and jealousy among themselves, are spoken of without reserve, and as freely as the faultsof their adversaries. This, and some of the other points, in the New Testament, that have been noticed, would be very remarkable if met with in any me book j but it is still more so, when you consider that tbsame char- acter runs through all the books of the ^e,yf Testa- -tament, which are no less than twenty-seven distinct TRUTH OK rurasTiKmrr. §3 ber or hn]f,u ''j'^''^"Pomt out the sam^ nu.u exception wri„S',h ' '""'""" =" ^'"^'^ and without any a«e„, "™ '"'■''^»' ^'-P'-'X. "e totally „„,ike what they Zh. h ' K *"""'' men must have been PiM.. *• '''^^,^® ^^ "^en, these , -a Wicked J!:^:^TrvfT'''^' -ajnaddest^to^entiXtTvii^^^^^^^^^^ b.ned together ; since they did „„ T "'' """' enthusiasts have done) .pj ZewTT ""^^ inward feelin-- a„,i it, J , ^^ *" "'®"' "wn senses; in which none 1^'!' c 'V'''""'""" "'« -Id be Mistaken, and U:lri'!r!,r '- -™swereJi.etoj„dgeofa»vv.,,a;;;;Xr St LESSONS ON THE LESSON XIII. INTtrVAL EVIDENCES, PART III. These few heads, then, of internal evidence, vVliich have been here briefly sketched out, would, even alone, furnish good reason for believing that the Gos- pel did not, and could not have come from man 5 and that, therefore it must have come from God. Aiid yet these internal marks of truth, which have been here pointed' out by way of specimens, are but a very small part of what you may hereafter make out for yourself; and are not even selected as being the principal and most conclusive, but only as those which could the most easily be put before you in a small- compass. At some future time, when your power of judging is improved, you will feel the very character of our Saviour as described in the Gospels, to be (as I hare hinted to you,) one of the strongest TRUTH OF CHRIStUNITir. gJJ proofs, and the'most satisfactory and delightful proof of the truth of Hi8 religion. But this is rather to be felt than described j and you will feel it only in pro- portion to your sincere desire and endeavour to con- form your own character to the purest and best pattern you can find. The more, indeed, you learn of mankind, and of the Gospel, and the more^ you study, with a sincere desire to know what is true and to do what is right, both other books, ancient and moderii. and also the Christian Scriptures, the more you wH perceive (as has been above said,) how unlikely the Christian religion is to have been devised by man, and how well suited it is to meet the wants of man and to improve his nature. But when you do come to perceive the force of the internal evidence for the truth of Christianity, you will find though it may be one of the best reasons to have, It will often not be the best to g\ce, A great part of this kind of evidence is better fitted to furnish a consoling satisfaction to the mind of a believer than to convince an unbeliever. For there is much of the excellence of the Christian religion that can only he learned fully from experience. Sincere believers perceive in it a wisdom and purity, and nobleness of character, which are not completely understood, nor fbnrniii*KI.. 1:1,^,1 1 !• ' _ ' • 86 LUSSONS ON THE has become^ in a great degree, what the Christian religion is designed to make him : till he has some- thing of such p. character as the Gospei does not Jind in man, hui forms in him. And this seem to be that Christian experience which i).. Apostles,— especially St. John and St. Paul, — oftc.i appeal to as ^n evidence, (not indeed to unbelievers, xvho could not have had this experi- ence ; but!) in addressing their converts. " The Spirit itself," (says St. Paul, Rom. viii. 16,) " beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God," &c. It seems, indeed, to have been designed that man's conscience should bear witness not only against what is wrong, but also in favor of what is right. And hence, a Christian who has for some time been laboring to conform himself to the Gospel, and who finds his religious notions becom- ing clearer, and that he is growing better, and holier, and happier, gains, by this, an experimental proof, which confirms the other proofs, of the truth of his religion. His conscience testifies that he is practi- «ally influenced and " led by the Spirit of Christ ;" and thus he is "filled," (as St. Paul says, Rom. XV. 13,) " with all joy and peace in believing." And this is a kind of evidence which will h@. TRUTH or CHRISTrANftr. SI eome, 10 such a Christian, Wronger and stronger the more he "grows in grace, and in the knowledge of our lord and Saviour." But this proof from per- sona! experience, is fitted (as has been said,) not so much for the first conversion of a„ unbeliever, as for the ronfirmalion of a practical Christian: because no one else can feel, or fully underatand and value it. A life of genuine Christian virtue does, indeed, meet wth some degree of approbation from most men, even though unbelievers; and it appears accordmgly to have been, i„ the earliest times, a help towards the conversion of some of them (l Peter irl2.) And it is for you to bring befo,; the minds ol those you live with, this kind of testimony to Christianity from its moral excellence, not so much by talking of it, as by setting it forth in your ife, and « letting your light so shine befom men that ti^ey may see your good works, and glorify your Father who .s in Heaven." (Matt. v. 16.) Bm you must not expect that any one will completely feel all the for^e of this kind of internal evfdence of Chn.t,an,ty, till he shall have become himsell a believer and a sincerely practical believer. It is not easy to give a clear description of the inside of a Well-built and rommnAi^,,^ u— ^- . _ 88 WH- :r 4 Lessons on the the outside and has never been in such a house^j but has always lived in a tent, like the wild Arabsy or in a smoky, slovenly hovel. But you may be able toi point out to him enough of what is on the outside, to induce him to come in : and when h& has done this, he will gradually be able to judge fdr himself, and by the habits of neatness, order, clean-^ liness, and decency, which he will be likely to ac- quire by living in such a house, will gain more and more the power of perceiving the commodiousness of it. And so it is with the evidences of Christiani- ty. As soon as a man has seen enough, as h& easily may do, of good evidence to convince hmi' that it is from God, if he will then be induced to» come in, and heartily embrace it, and endeavour to- understand it, and to apply it to himself so as to^be the better for it in his life, he will then be rewarded by a fullei and clearer view of many other evidences' which he could not at first take in. And such a person will thus obtain the fulfilment of that promise of our Master, - If any man is willing to do [will doj the will of God, he shall know of tlie doctrine, whether it be of God." (John vii. 17.) Observe, then, that this last is a kind of evidence which ail Chrifitians ought to have, and will have more and more, in proportion as they fairly try the TRUTH OF CHRlSTfAKITF. gg cxpevhnent of conforming themselves to tlie Gospel l^iflerent persons may have been led by different kinds ot proof, to embrace the Gospel : but when they Aaveen,hraced it, they may all hope for this confir. mation of their faith, by this further r>roof from ex- perience. Suppose, for instance, some one shofild offer to several persons, suffering under a pairifwl an4 dangerous disease, some medicine which he de- dared vyould relieve their sufferings, and restore them- to health : it would be natural and reasonable for them to ask for some testimony or other proof, to as- suitj them of this, before they made trial of tlie medicme : then, suppose them all to be so far con- v.nced,-some by one proof, and some by another, -as to make trial of the medicine j and that they tound themselves daily getting better as they took it • they would then have,-all of them,~an evidence* rom experience, confirming the former proofs that I'ad originally brought them to make the trial. But these persons, if they were wise would be con- vinced of the virtues of the medicine, not from its be^ ing immediately pleasant to the taste, or from its swd- dea y exciting and cheering them up, like a strong cordial 5 but from its gradually restoring their strength, nnd removing the symptoms ofthe disease, and ad- vancing iiiem daily towards perfect health. So, also. 90 LESSONS ON THE Christian experience, you should remember, tlocs not consist in violent transports, or any kind of sud- den and overpowering impressions on the feelings ; but in a steady, habitual, and continued improve- ment of the heart and the conduct. We do not say, you will observe, — tliat you or other Christians, may not experience &ticii sudden transporting impressions as those just alluded to. But it is a settled habit, — an improved and improving character, — that is the Christain experience which we find described and alluded ' r? the New Testa- ment Scriptures; which thus B ^d an additional internal evidence of their luivji been written by sober-minded men.* For, the Apostles, if they had been wild enthusiasts, would have felt, and have taught their converts to expect, the sudden excite- ment of vehement emotions ; and would have re- ferred to some immediate, single, and momentary impression of that kind, as Christian experience. But what they do teach, and perpetually impress on us, is, " He that is Christ's, hath crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts:" — the test they refer to is, a "growth in grace and knowledge," — a calm, * See 2 Pet. i. 5 j and 1 Thess. iv,, 1 : and Galat. iv. 9, &c. •emember, docs my kind of sud- on the feelings ; tinued improve- e, — that you or ;e Siicli sudden ust alluded to. 1 and improving Dcrience which Lhe New Testa- I an additional een written by ties, if they had felt, and have sudden excite- would have re- md momentary an experience. lally impress on icified the flesh test they refer ^g6," — a calm, TRUTH OP CHRISTIANITY. 9| gradual, and steady advancement in " bringing forth fru,t wuh;..^,-.,,, ., (Luke viir. 13.) For « PrTi ENCE (says St. Paul, Rom. v. 4,) worketh Experi- ashamed j because the love of God is shed abroad mm.r hearts, by the Holy Ghost, who is given unt^ Galat. IV. 9j &c. >s.% v^, %t>T.^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A // 4^ '"•"'her their children when they are infants. So comment - r-«^«.u, ui«c m me great city of Pekin, carts 96 LESSONS ON THE 21 are sent round every morning to gather up the bodies of the infants that may have been smothered and thrown into the streets during the night, that that they may be taken away and buried. In some districts of India, as well as in all the islands of the Pacific Ocean, it is a common thing to mur- der female children in their infancy, because the people think it more difficult to provide for them than for boys. In some districts of India, also, it is the practice when a man of any rank dies, that his widow is burned to death along with his corpse. In general, throughout the whole heathen world, women are oppressed and degraded, merely because men, teing stronger, have it in their power to op- press and degrade them. Whereas, in Christian countries, women are treated with respect ; in most of them it is considered a mark of politeness and propriety of conduct for men to yield the prece- dence to the women, and to consult their comfort in preference to their own, because women are weaker, and cannot maintain equal rights by force. This, then, is another evidence of the great bless- ing, and, consequently, of the Divine origin of Ghristianity. War is at all times, and under all circumstances, jiorrible, letting loose the pasgions of men, and ex- gather up the been smothered I the night, that nd buried. In I all the islands )n thing to mur« y, because the rovide for them tf India, also, it ' rank dies, that with his corpse, heathen world, merely because ir power to op- as, in Christian •espect ; in most f politeness and yield the prece- ilt their comfort ise women are rights by force, the great bless- livine origin of circumstances, ■\f man nn '^ '' "*'"""'"™^- othe„, U,a. h L' r SL?d r'"'''""'' "' *» -^ <•- What ha/rS ? ri"''"^ '■ feet reception whirh rhl-^- •/ .. ^ ""P^""- withintheH"arifm? '^''" ■"*«"" "^^ ^tood and obeyer wl tf """"""'^ ""'''*- "«ijrcu. we Can see at a irlann/^ *k * •/» anycitvorrniin»«, . °^ «»' a giance, that if "fall lyine theft rtn.nl ""'^'^ ^ e"^ all «.o« against which then. »~ "el'eving something iections which you rnr"'"'^""'""^' '"•« o"- fien. knowieiVrrir f ' "^ '>^-^' cases besides that of reli»„„ i " "*"? «*« o" both sides ofalSr h''t"''"'^*«™'«<» "•an cannot clearT 2,tt """' "">-'•«*«' plainly see on which side! ^^ ^"^'y' P^'^aps, =""' ™ay even ^1^ ^'■""'■''"^''""'«"'« satisfied ^/^.-rfl^'^^^^^rna for being fiuiy' found far above the nt.^ ^^' "^ sea-shell, --'rongobjectlltSl "'•'"■"■'' ««'• *- ^ was formerly so TuTkT'"J "■*^ ^^''^ie ^"e beds were J muc ,' '^ """' »' "«" -P. manyhund^d feeT,oVrV"1- "•"' ''*''^'' "«• And yet no „„« 1° t Wht where they now -to the subject S d" rf"" "^ '"I"-'' ">e«s do exist, ;„&?""''• •*/' ">»«« bed, „f '^o the botto; of ; «t '"■"* "^^^^ "me We To take another instance • ih. Pemicusfiret taught ah„,,,7K' . "^'''"'on'er Co- 'bat ike earth (XcktiT'^ ^'^''"' ^^^ 'go. "~y:bodiesmo.„,.-„di;Srj;^^^ 108 LESSONS ON THE sun in the course of a year, and is at the sanie time turning also on its own axis, — that is, rolling over like a ball— every twenty-four hours. This theory of hisj, (which has long since been universally ad- mitted,) was at first met by many objections ; several of which neither he, nor any one else in those days, Were able to answer. Many years aftenVards, when astronomy was better understood, some objections were answered, and difficulties explained. But there were'others, of which no explanation could be found, till a very short time ago, in the memory of many persons now living. Yet, long before that time, notwithstanding the objections, there was no tone at all acquainted with the subject who had any doubt of the earth's motion. Again, it is perfectly well established, that aerolites, — that is, stones from the sky, — have fallen in vari- ous countries, and at different times, to a considera- ble number. They are composed of iron, or a pe- culiar kind of iron-stone, and are of all sizes, from a few ounces to several hundred weight. No ex- planation has been given of them that is at all satis- factory. There are strong objections against sup- posing them either to have been thrown out by vol- canoes in the moon, or to be fragments torn off from Some other olanets. or to be formed in the air- In Lt the same time is, rolling over s. This theory universally ad- eciions ; several le in those days, ftenVards, when lomfe objections xplained. But mation could be the memory of ong before that , there was no 2t who had any d, that aerolites, 3 fallen in vari- to a considera- if iron, or a pe- f all sizes, from Bight. No ex- t is at all satis- ris against sup- wn out by vol- ts torn off from in the air. In TRUTH OF CHRiSTU5lTr. *«• 109 mare generations, nerhan« u a-^u. Aeae wonderfulUi r^,™' ^ '"""'' "nie,thefactoftbe,Vh«vrf;, ' '" ">« mean "teh no one has SZ^'fr'u'^' «'«" "ho* *ven^ «H.. difficult S 2 r- "'r" *«"^ ««'=o«nte of .hem, ,^T^J^ T^ «"" '» '"« against the history, L"1k^ '*•'*'=''""'« ™i«^v many things them «:^::Zr"^'' » •bings there m'mZ men be- no LEISOMI on TU£ lieve,— and believe on very'good grounds,— in spite of strong and real objecUons, which they cannot satisfactorily answer: these being outweighesd by more and greater difficulties o.^ the opposite side. As for the particular objections which have been brought against the Christian religion, and the Christian Scriptures, it would, of couree, be impossi- ble to put before you, in a short compass, even the chief part of them, together with the answers that have been given. But what is of the most import- ance it, to lay down, generally, the right way of viewing objections, either against our religion, or against anything else ; namely, first, that you should not begin by considering the objections to any atatertient or system, before you are acquainted with the evidence in favor of it j and secondly, that you should not think yourself bound to renounce your faith, if you cannot answer every objection, and clear up every difficulty that may be raised j but should remember that many things are believed, and must be believed, against which there are strong' objections that have never been completely answer- ed, >vhen there are stronger objections against the opposite belief. U£ i gn>UBd8,->in spite which they cannot ng outweigh«l by ^e opposite side. IS which have been i^ligion, and the course, be impossi- compass, even the I the answers that )fthe most import- Mhe right way of ist our religion, or iBt, that you should objections to any re acquainted with secondly, that you to renounce your ery objection, and ay be raised j but ngg are believed, ch there are strong >mpletely answer- ctiohs against the ^Rt'TH or CH«,STIA NiTr, 111 I'fiSSON XVf. 0*«CTXOXs, PAitT „. iii';,i, ■"?! '•^--oed and able meThat^ '?'"' '° "W^h P^'W to a„,^,, or ev^„ f "" '^°* •««'^- again, there are other 1 """^ewtrndj and, ''<««ver learnt a^ hl^'*'"" '*'"'* "o »an P«* '--"o^ermy^^ ««^'«. can ex-' .'-'-'edge whiC, X Tman"'" "^t ■•""»'^-' »f "^y one as^having m„chl^' !''"'" '^ ^«k S»"oe, we mean Iharh*"? "^ ""' '»«- »«<"■««. ; since.!,. ...,. Lf »»?«•«««/» ^,h 112 LESSONS ON THE ; r tt ignorant ; and the wisest man cannot expect to un- derstand all the works, and all the plans of his Crea- tor. Now this is particularly important to be kept in mind in the present case ; because Christianity, we should remember, is a scheme imperfectly un- derstood. What IS revealed to us, must be, (sup- posing the religion to be true,) but a part, and per- haps but a smull part, of the whole truth. There are many things of which at present we can know little or nothing, which have, or may have, a close connexion with the Christian religion. For in- stance, we are very little ^acquainted with more than a very small part of the universe; of the whole his- tory, past and future, of the world we inhabit; and of the whole of man'« ea^«nc«. This earth is but a speck compared with the rest of the planets which move rojund the sun, tc^ther with the enormous mass of the pun itself; to say nothing of the other heavenly bodies. It is likely that all these are inhabited ; ;}nd it ipay be, th&t the Gospel which has been declared to us may be but one small portion of some vast scheme which con- cerns the inhabitants of jniumerous other worlds. Then, again, we have no knowledge how long this our world is to continue. For aught we know, the Christian religion may not have existed a fifth ►t expect to un- ms of his Crea- rtant to be kept ise Christianity, imperfectly un- must be, (sup- part, and per- ; truth. There t we can know y have, a close igion. For in- with more than f the whole his- d we inhabit; • }d with the rest le sun, together a itself; to say s. It is likely pay be, that the us may be but me which con- \her worlds. • ledge how long lught we know, i existed a fifth *RUTH OP CHRISTMNITY. j|3 And we know that a«, it u ia ■"^'^^nty beyond h Ja e . °"' "■' '"'* <"' man's condition nm 1 ^ ', " ™""««'ed with and so much Sc^' Xf" "' -- "'"' '" """ the wisest of men nfo ^ t^, '" '*' ^^^<^^ °«. wi men are unable to evnlam a «j t^r wise am nw* -*.-« • / «^^'am. And men »/wi/«,r^^r,^-7/'»''-ened,.™ee.- ^n «;% ^'a,^' "'** '^ "»« "^fe" », ha, "f"/ compared to a map of an inl^j "y; m which we s«. r;,„ ^ "^ "*"' Pe^onwhokll T'"'*'°'''°"''''''"«- A •vhich the road« 1«^ .' !.„ "^*''' ."""^ ">« '°'^"i« boundaries oflhe dtelThoZT"' '"^°"'' "" ""met , though he may not know m IH LESSONS ON THE where they \h. But ony one who was very ill informed might be inclined presumptuously to find fault with the map which showed him only a part of the oourse of the rivers and roads. And it is the same with anything else, of which we see only a part, unless we recdlect that it is but a part, and make allowance accordingly for our imperfect view of' it* It 1'?"*'* »M«ifj.fV There is much truth, therefore, in the Scotch proverb, that " children and fools should never see half-finished works." They not only cannot guess what the whole worid will be when complete, but are alpt to presume to form a judgment without being aware of their own ignorance. If you were to see for the first time the be^nning of the manu- facture of some of the commonest a cleS) such, for instance, as the paper now before you, you would be at a loss, if you had nf ver heard the process des- cribed, to guess what i\e workman was going to make. You would see a great trough fuU of a liquid like pap ^ and would never thimk of such a thii^ as a sheet of paper being made from it. A fed if you were to see the beginning of the buildiiig of a house ^. , Aide IB a rPIimnn tU^ • .■ . eiigion, they say, which pro- f\6 LESSONS 0»N THE fesses to have been designed to work a great reform- ation in man's character, and yet we find the be- lievers in this religion living as if there were no world but the present, and giving themselves up to all the base and evil passions of human nature, just as the heathen did. And besides those who are altogether careless and thoughtless about their reli- gion, we find (they say) many who talk and think much of jt, and profess great Christian zeal, and who yet live in hatred against their fellow-Chris- tians, indulging in envy, slander, strife, and perse- cution of one another j and il! the time prolf>»ing to be devoted followers of One who taught them to love even their enemies, to return blessing for curs- ing and to be known as his disciples by their love towards each other.*" Now it is certainly most mortifying and disheart- ening to a sincere Christian to find that his religion iias produced hithcfrto so much less improvement among mankind than he might have been dispr ' to expect from it. And you should consider dc'ri'v what a double guilt Christians will have to answer for, whose life is such as to bring an ill name on their i-eligion ; and who thus not only rebel against * Johixm. 34. I'RUTH oy CHiiismNrrr. a great re form - we fincl the he- r there were no lemsclves up to nan nature, just those who are ibout their reli- ) talk and think jstian zeal, and ir fellow-Chris- ife, and perse- time protf>»ing taught them to jssing for curs- I by their love and disheart- jat his religion improvement been dispnced )nsider de'^n'v t ive to answer n ill name on rebel against ^' -d ye. continually S;"' T" -"" -••-,, were not iveeded out a,r,m T ''^'"'™^«'- "ley "«' -ppose whe^ttobetdil "r* ''"" '™""* Wild) in that country burr ^'^'" "''" «'»" •be land had been iJl' , ' 7"'<' """e'ude that if .iuced gra. an^thi'lLMTi" T™'" ""- P- "Ixo, when you «,« le^rna.IrK"' "' "'■ '" Posite to the pure nJ "'"""'«'• »» "P" and fo^lving cCcrof trcrl T^^"'^"'' after they have received I Go,^^^'' ■ '','" ^^^" apt ^ be quite a co„t„.,t to VoS^^^ "™» ««> not think it likely that .uch a "J" "'*"'y'»' ean- have «en the ,„vp„,„ T \ ^^ *' "■»" ^»"M tian. '""'"'" <"^'"<=''«%io« a, the ChnV -?4'"Sa:::f;^-'^-''i-n,e„ . 6 iiioite amends for Uie want nC ru • .- virtue byoutvani «>l.v "'^ ^^"t oi Christian active L,^^:J>^'""^> and by ♦ D 2 ' 118 tESSONS ON THE in the cause of Christianity ; when the very Founder of our faith has declared that He abhors such con- duct ; so that such Christians, in professing to be followers of Him, pronounce their own condemna- tion. This is certainly very strange ; but it shows, at least, how strong man's natural tendency is to that error j and it shows, therefore, how much more mcredible it is that men should themselves have de- vised a religion which thus condemns their princi- ples. All men, in short, and especially Christians, when they are leading an unchristian life— I mean, a hfe on unchristian principles--(see page 79,) are .so far bearing witness that Christianity could not jhave come from men. And thp same may be said of the absurd extra- vagances into which some fanatical enthusiasts have fallen ; and which have given occasion to unbe- hevers to throw ridicule on Christianity. There is nothmgof this wild and extravagant character in our sacred books. On the contrary, their sobriety and calmness of tone presents a striking contrast to what we see in some enthusiasts. So that their absurdities, instead of being an objection against the Gospel, are a proof, on the contrary, what a differ- ent thing the Gospel ivould have been if it had been the work of enthusiasts. the very Founder ibhors such con- i professing to be own condemna- ;e } but it shows, I tendency is to how much more mselves have de- n\a their princi- cially Christians, m life—I mean, 36 page 79,) are ianity could not le absurd extra- snthusiasts have ;asion to unbe- nity. There is tit character in ', their sobriety ^ing contrast to So that their Jtion against the , what a differ- sn if it had been rnuTH OF cHRisTumiY. X19 an !l!f r '"'''^'*' '"'^"^^^ ^' ^'^ ^^^n brought a» an objection against Christianity that is hf ! spread over the whole world if Tf many millions unconverted tn;"'"' '^'" '''^ «he religion omong these alear! , k '^'"^ "'^ Tl.i. may be thonght ZyZZ . '"^ ''°'^- "'ei but a. least itfhlrs mlt 1 « J "'''"'^"»'^- have been ori,rin=ih, T f . ^^"'" '=""'<^ "»' me» human mel' Th ""' P™?''^'"^'^ •>/ wLruiin^ilr^rTlbrr'"^-'' " *""» zealous missionaries, the rplim«« . '7 P'T«» i» a ce„,„y than i fd intw™ ' when it was preached by a handmi «? t/""/*""' "ants and fishermen, with aimorlll ,l "'' P""" and pov^M and iWned, tpldt tr' w'' cannot come near them in the wn* r ^* .hough we have every .^^tf^ZT"' '" ■!"?«« of miraculous powers. And7 T"' «v« havl an additional „lf .kI. :."?*' "'.^'*«»*. . WUH i M.^ II:: 1 no LESSONS ON THE Again, it is soraetimes objected that our sacred books do not give any full and clear revelaZof naturally w,sh and expect to find in them. For example, therj is a ve,y short and scanty accoun • of the c^e«,on of.the world, and of the c^nditiro the world before the flood ; the.^ j, „.«« said about angels i and what is mO. ..martable, there rn" SL and oft r fr'p''"" ^^- «"• " '•"«- state, and of the k.nd of life which the West a>^ to lead m heaven. All these, and especially the lal "vJnZth?"" r'r'""" — ' -^ " beyond the reach of man to discover, it appea.^ to contain a d,v,„e revelation, should give so ver^ bnef an ,eanty an account of them, and W s«^ a natural curiosity unsatisfied. Now this is a difficulty which you may /ier«„ft«. IZr/ut^'^^" *""' '^"''^OS """ thfs ab- sence of al that goes ,« gratify mere curiosity, is just ^vhat might be expected in a revelation'' re ly coming from God. But you may perceive at ^L 'ha. It ,s not to be expected in a pretended revelaln E »ave accomplished >d that our sacred lear revelation of which men would id in them. For i scanty account fthe dortdition of s little said about able, there' is no k^en of a future I the blest are to pecially the last, Iters J and being 3ver, it appears >^oks professing Id give so very and leave such may hereafter, Jtely to explain, ig that this ab- uriosity, is just 'elation really 5rceive at once ided revelation TRUtH OP CHmriAmTY. tU ^evm hymen. An impostor seekin. tn • verts by pretending to have mZZTV ^''" """" tion, would have Ln sureTJ^t'tht"" ""^" the credulous by givin. ttm^T^ . '"""'''^^^ -tte. interestK^^^^^^ have sought to excite their feelinrf'^ ''''"^^ dominations, by dwellingS^^ 1 '"'"^ ''^^^ ali t^ie particulars acJif ' eloquence on and hl^^' ;^^^^ and on thenature other thing, whTch. ^^^ and all those Scriptures.' tfZ;? 'T' "^^^'^^ '" - ^hoJldhavemtlnl /"'^"'^^^^ ^-^^'"' ^^« '-velation from h' ' '"^ ^'"^'^^ ^^^ havehisdreiandrrrirth^^^^ lo rtie invisible world • on Iht *" '*''*'"8 a» they are in tk^Vl ! '' ""' ''""'''' "» ^-"h "ot such ;':::d w ' I'^r" *"• "^^ ^"^ "' well as in manv !.! "" """• ^" *'». P<««o.. or enthusiast '»''" *-P««'ed n-omim- . . • • .vx. z.avu oeen brought m m 122 LESSONS ON THE 1 . forward as objections against it, are so far evidences m its favor, that the religion was introduced and established in spite of them all. jMost of the objec- tions which are brought forward in these days, had equal force,— and some of them much greater force, —at the time when the religion wag first preached. And there were many others besides, which do not exist now ; especiaUy what is called « the reproach of the cross j" the scorn felt towards a religion whose founder suffered a kind of death reckoned in those days the most disgraceful j and whose followers were almost all of them men of obscure station, of low birth, poor, unlearned, and without vorldy power. Yet in spite of all this, the religion prevailed. And that it should have made its way as it did, against so many obstacles, and difficulties, and objection?, ia one of the strongest proofs that it must have had some supernatural means of overcoming them, and that therefore it must have come from God. so far evidences introduced and Mt of the objec- these days, had ch greater force, 3 first preached. s, which do not i " the reproach ards a religion ath reckoned in whose followers cure station, of vithout v'oridy arevailed. And ; did, against so d objections, is lust have had ingthem, and LGod. TRUTH OF CHmSTlAMTv. - jo 23 I-ESSON XVII. MODERN JKWS, PART T. t 0»B of Ae diflicultie, with which *e minds ofsome Chn^s am perplexed i,, that Jes.„ ChristS have been rejected by the greater nun „7l •Ormen, the Jews, Jii^uZylCmZri"' co«i.ng to our Script^e,, for J many ^^"g',^; favored and peculiarpeople, ,hodd be norandl atK.ut seventeen centuries, without a co^'tld Their present condition and past history are i„ reflection that th^v . P?^'*' " ^'"» found on e.iH.rr f u ^ """* ™« of the stronaest ;;t '™" "'■*'' ^-^-y -'*™ ""-hTey I°:'Ml!''"Z''*"'^-f~-edthe.aw through Moses, thev i"""*"«scu succesf tind Hi I^SSSONS ON THt pr<^per,ty as long as they should obey the Lorf; and that heavy judgments were denounced against them m case of disobedience. It vvas foretold that heyshould bedefeate,! by their enemies, driven from their country, scattered abroad, and continually har- assed and oppressed. These threats a.« set forth in vanous parts of the books of Moses, and most par ticularly in the t>venty-eighth chapter of Deuterono- my. « Thou Shalt become an astonishment, a pro- verb,a„da.byvvottla«,o„g all the nations whither the Lora shall lead thee. The Lord wUl make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even ffreat plagues of long continuance. And the Lo«l shaU scatter thee among all people, from theoneend ol the earth even unto the other.— Ver. 37 69 54 And the same is to be found in various'parL of the wntmgs of several of the prophets who lived Ezekiel, which agrees most remarkably, i„ one verv cunom particular, with the state of the Jews atthi dayi namely, where he declares that they should mthe m,ds.oftheir sufferings, remain a disUnc a'l hou^T'"'' I""' ""'' ""'*« »"'« -""'-^ althoug^ .t appears that i„ |,i, ,i„g^ .^ev were ver- much d,s,H«e,l ,0 unite themselves with the rest ,; raankmd, so as lo becon.c „nc of the Gertile nation^ obey the Lord; enounced against was foretold that mles, driven from I continually har- ts are set forth in s, and most par- ;erofDeuterono- nishment, a pro- nations whither 'd will make thy 'f thy seed, even And the Lord rom the one end ^er. 37, 59, 54,. various parts of lets who lived here is one in ily, in one verj he Jevvsatthi: It they should ain a dislinc other nations ^ey were veri mh the rest o ertile nation? 125 TRUTH OF CHRIsfi'AVlTV. "Thai !vlf " '" '"^'"^^'""^ ^^*'-- oivn n.r families of C'iil'^" *'' heathen, as the (E-kiel XX 32 ) '/' ""^ "^^^ ^"^ «^-«^" sev^^-T"^"^^" ^'^^ 0I<^ Testameut, that irr several instances, these judgments did Li u Jews, and especially when thTy "t.^ 1 ^ ^ '''l captive to Babylon ^n.l ^ "^^"^ ^^'^"eJ away opinion m^y be it LT/ , , u''^''"'"^ o™'' no doubt, thatthe.r{ '°^'"'"''"'"'^'«'="' >« ""i, mat the Jemali nation are artn»li„ . r fenng.at .hisday.snch thing, a, ICf^ ^Z" Prophets predicted. Whethef Moses 3"^ e"1S had m v,e«, what is now tailing place or It beamatterofopinion, but it is a S:;:;"^. Z what ,s now taking pfece does agree L t£- pt , b r • .tT"" -" "^ ^-P'e were taie Z Durnt by the Romans, about forty years after Z an^ 1 !^,, '^' ofthousands were sold as slaves • and the whole people were cast forth as wandelTr,' an.ong the Gentiles , and they haveevlr7nt re warned a na«,«« «r_.:i_ '' . _ ^y«^r since re- " ""'^" "' "'^"^^^» unsettled, harassed, an* 126 LESSONS ON THE n^ predH:t,ons respecting the Jews, and their nm.!!, cond Uon. is this • fho. .k. • ■ present Mos»= V ■ ^ J-Mlgnients spolten of by Moses were threatened in case of their deoarlin^ from the law which he delivered, and e32 .n case of far won,hipping fals^ godsr^dt' u° f^ ^ """' """Pnlous observers, of the and persecutions that any of them are exposST appear to be the conse^nce of the keeping th^; rel g.on, and not of their forsaking it. F^r a Jew hJ. only to give up his religion, anlcon£ o h,t^f t: rr '" "7,'"' '^••^'^-Christian, Mahol ten, or Pagan, and lay aside the observances of the law of Moses, and he immediately ceases to te re proached asa Jew and an alien, and is minjidw'h people around him. So that the Jews of the pre law^just the penalUes threatened fortheir.^^. t cruelly, not only Jso (to our shame «s j and still re- without a liomQ. ts raiative to these md their present fits spoken of by r their departing and especially, gods J and yet, apt to fall into ^e destruction of t sin J and have bservers, of the ill the indignities are exposed to, keeping to their For a Jew has »form to that of itian, Mahome- Brvances of the eases to be re- s mingled with 3WS of the pre- ' observance of or their depar- TRUTH OP CHRISTlANlTr. Jg? At first sight this seems very hard to exnlain • K.,. ourtr'V ""■«■»"' -^^-"S confirmation Tf Jew. themselves admit that a Christ or \wT vva« promised them ; and that to refett l^^l »n L^" ^^T*""""" "'="*« Urd should raise up from amongthem a Prophet like Moses him^^ and "whosoever shouldnot hear that Prophet" rl' S /r among the people. (De„.. J^t ^fiT'"-f'^^-^ Thisisgeierally under- S 'ofl 0,74 ^''°"' *" "^^'P-Phetioal wmera of the Old Testament (as both Jews and 2«^nsa^agneed)mo„partieulariyfo,et„,d::d 5!tfV.i """"""^"he Jew^have been gmlty oft,„svery act of disobedience, in rejecting ue ^^niist, on his coming, would be supK a sm as won d exoose thpr« ♦ *k • . ^" Mn«.« *K........ T"^ "^^"^ *« the judgment which 128 I'ESSOAS ON THE fvs To us, therefore, who do believe in Jesus, tins in7nte """ ^^^P'^"^*'^" °^ their suffi^ring these judg- But, secondly, besides this you will perceive on looking more closely, that the Jews of these davs do nc/ really observe the law of Moses, though 'they profess and intend to do so. They have indeed kept to the fazfk of their forefathers, but not to their re- ligious observances. For the chief part of the Jewjsh worship consisted in offering sacrifices dis- tjnctly appointed by the Lord Himself, in the law dehvered by Moses. There was a sacrifice appointed to be offered up every day, and two on the Sabbath ; besides ^veral other sacrifices on particular occa- sions. ^ow, the modern Jews, though they abstain from certain meats forbidden in their law, and observe strictly the Sabbath and several other ordin- ahces, yet do not offer any sacrifices at all ,• thouah sdcnfices were appointed as the chief part of their The reason of this is, that they were strictly for- bidden to offer sacrifices except in the one place which should he appointed by the Lord for that pur- pose. And the place last fixed on for these offerings having been the Temple at Jerusalem, which was destroyed about seventeeW hundred vears ago, and ^e in Jesus, tin's ^ring these judg- 'Vill perceive on of these days do 38, though they ave indeed kept not to their re- ef part of the ; sacrifices dis- plf, in the law ifice appointed I the Salbath j rticular ccca- » they abstain eir law, and 1 other ordin- tallj though part of their ; strictly for- e one place for that pur- Bse offerings which was irs ago, and . TRUTH OF CHRISTIAWITV. J 29 i>as never been restored, the Jews are na,v left the sacnfices which their law enjoins. ^ tJtt' % ^^^'>rdingly, of the present day, plead itt t r^V"" "^^"'^-»-^-ce, that the/^" loot these ordinances, but bcrai». .1,0 l . ^' Bm to say tf „ it i, '7 ''^.•^■'"^^''^sycannothelpit. «/ " n u js not tneir own fan'* ihm *u^ j nof ob^rve the ordinances JZ v- ^ ^"^ Jo keep i.. ' "**''y """"""^y A^'they I '^ . . ,,,-1 ^^^ ^uT '"' T«"""'y ■l^^ig-ed to be observX all nations, and for ever— that « tl,,. 1. . ^"^"^^ "y .shadow of .^ u.i„^ tolV'tHr'nt: "> o.^;"* e™P«" ; and that i, »;, dltn^-J^i ^ • »H«.otauL.hat.r.e.^t;2t:r»^: bWhecannotdenytha^theyAjeease/^'X' ' for aW seventeen centuries. Let a Je^ exp Lin ■f he can, how it is, that, for so long a time! £' dence has put i. out of d,e power of ?he jZl 71^ serve the principal part of their religion, whTch thet maintain wn« int^^A^A^. t. . ^ . ' vvuicn mey '--""'^^ i« oe opa^fved for ever. 130 LESSONS ON THE H A nd Uiis also is verj' remarkable ; that the religion of the Jews is almost the only one that could have have been abolished against the will of the peoi^le themselves, and while they resolve 6rmly to main- tarn It, Their religion, and theini only could be and has been, thus abolished in spite of their firm' attachment to it. on account of its being dependent on a particular ;,/a«~the Temple at Jerusalem. Ihe Christian religion, or/tgain any of the Pawn religions, could not be abolished by any force of enemies, if the. persons professing the religion weie sincere and resolute in keeping to it. To destroy a Christian place of wowhip, or to turn it into a M€>) still if they night assemble 3y might fly to fording to their h it might be exist in others. *agan religions. )iter, or Diana, liM not hinder * TRUTH OF c„R«T.^^,,,^ ^^^ Ibe vvorshippe,-^ of those gods from -o«hipthem aebefo^ Jtm^"^°«^'nuing to to them elsewhere. ""^^'"^S sacrifices But it was not so with the Jews 7W ,- was so fmmed as to make th. T' ^'^ *^''«'«n finances i^npossihle, :ht thrtT^ ^'^" ^^- destrx>yed. It seems to hav^S'; '''' '"^"^ V^ontrived by Divine x-rovidencJTh . ^''^"'^ «"^ -to be brought to anl^'i^^V't^^"' wh.ch ,t was a prepamtion,) so J 1''^^' ^^ /^^•»ethatitdidcom«t«n . "^ ^«*^ to part of the Jew,, j, ^ ,7f' »y ""e greater »»d a matter of »f„ -T ' ""'i*"* '° •« a q,«,B„ but things we.« «, oM^ I'f ''"""""^d or „„. j power to continue th^' '"^' " *"" "^ ""->'» 132 LESSONS ON TH£ LESSON XVIII. MODERN JEWS, FART II. i; It is likely that when Jerusalem and its Temple were destroyed, several of the Jews who had till then rejected the Gospel, may have been at length converted, by the strong additional evidence which was thus afforded. They saw the heavy judgment that fell on their nation ; and that it was such as to make the observance of their law impossible. They saw, also, that the event agreed with what Jesus had predicted forty years before. And they saw, too, that those of his followers who had been living in Jerusalem, had been enabled to escape destruction by following his directions, and fleeing to the nnoun- tains as soon as they saw Jerusalem encompassed by an army. It is, therefore, likely that several may have been led by this additional evidence, to embrace the Christian faith. But of this we have no records ; as the book of Acts takes in only an ejKrlier period. And in that book we have no par- I. r. and iti? Temple ws who had till been at length evidence which leavy judgment was such as to jossible. They what Jesus had I they saw, too, d been living in ape destruction ig to the ipoun- 1 encompassed ly that several lal evidence, to )f this we have ikes in only an e have no par- TRUTH OF CHRISTUNITT. 133 liculai. of the nu«,ber. of .hose Jews who were converted; though i, appears they must hZ amounted to n>any thousands ; indeL, m ny I! nod.; that is, tens of thousands; as i saidTnThe "'Tl """^^ "' ^""^ -"■ 20- But still thet made but a small portion only of d,at g,.at nation And a, the Jewish Christians would sTn b^Ze mmgled with the Gentile Christians, and ^^ be a separate people, hence, all those who a« fr™r J^'^^'hisday, a.„ the descendantsTf thoM who rejected the Gospel. These are computed to amount, a» the present me, notwUhstanding the prodigious slaughter of them, at the taking of their citv an^ „ , ntk..^. • v> and on several other occasions, to no less a number than4 800 OOO «««e..d though various parts of the:XC' evtrwr"! "'.*""'"« ^* o«.er nations; Tut everywhere kept distinct froa them by their pec- h.r fa,th and religious observances. And ev^r^. where they preserve and read with the utinost re- ve«,„ce the^r sacred books, which foretell ^e c„m- ng of the Messiah, or Christ, at a time whichTy about the time when Jesus did aonear Th/ t:lir!.t--^ -Vents a^eirnli -____.,„, aiiuioreicii, too, what is most remark^' D 3 m LESSONS ON THE able, that notwithstanding all this they shall still remain a separate people, unmixed with the other nations. You should observe, too, that these prophecies are such as no one would ever, have made by guess. Nothing could have been more unlikely than thp events which have befallen the Jewish nation. Nothing like them, has ever been foretold of any other nation ; There are, indeed, many cases re- corded in hist(v-y, of one nation conquering another, and either driving them out of the country, orkeep-' ing them in subjection. But in all these cases the conquered people who have lost their country, either settle themselves in some other land, or if they are wholly dispersed, generally become gra- dually mixed and blended with other nations ; as, for example, the Britons and Saxons, and Danes,' and Normans, have been mixed up into one people in England. The only people who at all resemble the jews, in having, been widely dispersed, and yet remaining distinct, are those commonly called Gipsies, and whose proper name is Zinganies, or Jingamies. It has been made out that they are an East-Indian nation, speaking a Hindoo dialect. And they are widely scattered through the world, keeping up their they shall still with the other ese prophecies made by guess, kely than the ewish nation. )retold of any lany cases re- lering another, ntry, or.keep- hese cases the heir country, ler land, or if f become gra- r nations; as, !, and Danes, to one people ble the Jews, yet remaining Gipsies, and ngamies. It 1 East-Indian And they are iping up their TRUTH OF CMRlSTIAMTr. ih language, and some customs of their own, and in all the countries through' which th^v J i. arect^rtninu > ^^ vvander. They 17'^T1' -y-naricable people ; and if there naa been any prophecy (which there was not^ of able. ' ^ '^ ^^^^ unaccount: tents hv 27. - ?, '""^ '" '"'"^s ; but dwell in tent^^y Aeroad.8,de,, and on commons; leading Lt '*\^^''»"'"f 'i-'^e-. pedlars, and fortune-tei? fe". This roaming life, of coume, tends to keetf But the chief difference is, that the Gipsies a«, always ready, when required, to profess thf re.^" ; the?'^' ""'"'" '''"'''" " MahcmetanTo and tl: T' '." """'' "" ""«''"' <"■"'- own; and to be quite md,ffere„t on the subject. The Je». on the co„,„,ry, aU^ays, when they are al! r^:r;:i!".r™?'°"^^^.'^<''''-en;a:d ,..„,. „„„, „,g,,, ^j^^.^. religion, and bv noth,ng else. They are the only peopl ^ho are II: If 133 LESSONS ON THE everywhere separated from the people of the coun- try in which they live, entirely by their peculiar faith and religious observances ^ and that too, though their religion, is such (which is the strongest point of all) that the most important part of its or- dinances,— -the sacrifices ordained in their law,— cannot be observed by them. The Jews, therefore, in their present condition, are a kind of,standing miracle ; being a monument of the wonderful fulfilment of the most extraordinary prophecies that were ever delivered ; which prophe- cies they themselves preserve and bear witness to, though they shut their eyes to the fulfilment of them! No other account than this of the present state and past history of the Jews ever has been, or can be given, that is not open to objections greater than all the objections put together that have ever been brought against Christianity. This, then, as well as several other diflSculties in our religion, such as have been formerly mentioned, will be found, on examination, to be—even when you cannot fully explain them— not so much ob- jections against the truth of your religion, as con- firmations of it. And when you do meet with any objections which you are at a loss to answer, you should re- m, or can be TRUtH OF CHRISTIANITY. J37 member, (as has been above said,) that there nve many things which all men must believe, in spite of real difficulties which they cannot explain, when there are much greater difficulties on the opposite side, ^nd when sufficient proof has been offered. And in the present case, you have seen that it is not only difficult, but impossible, to account for the nse and prevalence of the Christian religion, sup- posmg ,t not to have come from God. It certaiX was introduced and propagated (which no other i^hgion ever was j for the religion taught by Moses we acknowledge as a part of our cm,) by an ap- pea to the evidence of miracles. Nothing but the display of supernatural powers could have gained even a hearing for the Apostles ^ suri-ounded as they were by adversaries prejudiced against their religion by their early education, and habits of thought, and mchnations, and hopes. And these supernatural powers were, as you have seen, acknowledged at the time by those adversaries, who were driven to attribute the Christian miracles to magic arts. And you have seen, too, that tlie religion itself, and the character of Jesus Christ as drawn in the Chnstmn Scriptures, and tlie whole of the narrative of those books, are quite different, and. iniWH «ite to what might have been expected fromlm;^', tors or enthsiasts. ^ II 138 .l-KSSONS ON THE AnJ, lastly, you have seen that many of the dif Chn,„a„„y, ,„,„ „„,^ ^'n« additional evidence of \u truth. ,h.^7r^, °*'"''' "■'' i« '•^"''"•kably the ease with -y .0 .piaH- this- -rr:: that wonderful people, you may learn from them whauhey refuse to leam from themselvc, a strl' proof of the truth both of their Scriptures and ofth! Go^ewh,chU,ey obstinately ,^ect. It is so or ilml't rT*^" «™» that very obstinacy smade to furmsh an additional proof of Christiani' Iy the case with •ry and condition may not be able inces relating to earn from them, nselves, a strong )tures and of the t. It is so or- t very obstinacy ofofChristiani- tbe world as a ions and warn- om attentively and I will con- ' these. 1 when you see stinately keep- lerely because and refusing to t of religion, a o blanae them. ™UTH OP CH,U„,AN,TV. ,39 *« any argument *a. may enable Tm «T *" have a religion that iJii,^ /ieist!, ^^^ *° '''ati.t™e,„t^:ijf:7J'-J«''»'<^afaith --seitisthatofhisfo^eflZr' '"*"'^'«- and My enter into 1"^'' '» '""'''■^'and *e Jew/had L 2 it T' *'''=""y "^^ch prejudices 4 had b it'^ '". ''''"'"™"« '^l ">e were soflatteZsr to ,h. '*^' "^ '"' ^""l ^i^h selves from nil iK^ k ^™ ^ ^®an them- ^^.he, and their ances.o:wrii„?*» •-■7-^. ^odoubtitvvasagrievou.-T--- HO tESSONS OS TH'e to give ^^ay to those prejudices aii^ rejecf the Christ as thejr did. But it is a grater sin to acknoxvledge Him, as some Christians do, as theit LoW and Master, and to « believe that He shall eomb to be our jtidge," and at the same time to take no care to obey hiB precepfs, and copy the pattern of his life. This IS more truly impiety than thatwvith which an mfidel is chargeable. For suppose two men each received a letter from his father, giving direci- tions for his children's conduct ; and that one of these sons, hastily, and without anjr good grounds, pronounced the letter a forgerj-, and refused to take any notice of itj while the other acknotvledged ft to be genuine, and laid it up with ^at reverence, and then acted without the least regard to the advice and commands contained in the letter ; you would 6ay that both of these men indeed were very wrong but that the latter was much the more undutiful son 01 the two. Now, this is the case of a disobedient Christian, as compared with infidels. He does not like them, fi'onomice his father's letter a forgery; that is, deny the truth of the Christian revelation j but he setsat defiance in his life, that which he acknowledges to be the Divine command Lastly,-^ You should remember that no argument cf the Christ icknowledge Sr Lotd and totnteio be e no care to I of his lift, jvith which e two men iving dired- ^at one of •d grounds, tsed to take novvledged reference, the advice y'ou would Jry wrong, dutiful son Christian, like them. It is, deny he sets at lowledges TRUTH OF CHRISTUNITV. MI you «an bring against unbeliever »viil hA ^veight with most of them thalTrr ^"'"^ -•hing again wiiue morXl '''"''''' ''"'' infirm their unbelief than Iseeth l""""" ""'' opposition to the precenL L .'^,''™"'"'*«"«g in »""• 'i t^anada th*. ««-;- \oV *' ^"tain General, of L n- f PP^obation of His SrJ,"" of School Book. MethodiaTcoLrp^"?"^' °^ Clergymen iS„„1.' '"^"'^ ^ynod of •""::.-=••« "^ ear.' ■ :f" «• £iuuCauon for ARM^^UR k RAMSAY. lOd. '« 2d.