The Bible gives a particular and rational account of the creation of this vifible world, which is no where elfe to be found; and of the creation of man, by making one man and one woman, from whom all mankind defcended. It relates the fin and apoftacy of these first created parents of the human race, and how, by this, total moral depravity and finfulness came upon all their children, by which they are all, in their natural state, under the curfe of the law of God. That all men are by nature depraved and finful, is a fact evident to all who attend to the matter; but how and in what way they are become fo, none have been able to give any good reason, who have not been acquainted with the Bible, or have rejected the account that gives of it, which appears rational, confiftent and fatisfactory to those who have an upright and good heart, and even to the fober reafon of all who examine it without a great degree of prejudice and pride.

But the Bible reveals that which is infinitely more important to us, and to mankind, which never could have been known or thought of by any creature, had not God revealed it. This is the great defign and work of the redemption of man by Jefus Chrift, the Son of God; which is the great fubject of revelation, as the whole has reference to this, and would be needlefs in any other view. This fixes a divine ftamp on the whole, as it makes a more clear, full and wonderful manifeftation and difplay of the divine perfections, power, wifdom, holinefs, goodnefs, juftice, truth, grace and mercy, than otherwife could have been done; which cannot be known by those who never heard of this revelation, or who reject it as not coming from God.

In the gospel all mankind are reprefented as finners, tranfgreffors of the law of God, and under the curfe of it. And a way is opened by which finners may be delivered from this curfe, and be recovered to holinefs, the favour of God, and eternal life, confiftent with maintaining and honouring the law of God, and difplaying his juftice and truth, his hatred of fin, and difpofition to punish

punish it. This has been effected by the incarnation of the Son of God, who is really God manifeft in the flesh who by his fuffering unto death in the flesh, and paying perfect obedience to the law, for man, and in his ftead, has fo honoured the law, both the precepts and penalty of it, that God may be juft, according to the true fpirit and design of it, and pardon and justify finners who ap prove of the character and works of the Mediator, and truft in him. This is the fum of the matter, which might be enlarged upon, and illuftrated without end. But we fhall only fay now, that to us the wisdom and all the perfections of God are displayed in the gospel; that this is the true God and eternal life, and that with good reason, and with the moft perfect fafety, we may place our highest hopes on this fure foundation.

The difciples of Jefus appear to give a fair and honest history of what he faid and did, and of the treatment he received. They neither give him or themselves any praise, encomiums or flattering titles. They only relate facts refpecting him, themselves and his friends and enemies, without making any reflections in his or their own fa vour, or againft his enemies. They relate their own faults, without offering any palliation or excuse. No uninspired writer ever did, or could, or ever will, write a history of any particular perfon, or of fo many important and extraordinary events, in which he is as much interested, as those who wrote the historical part of the New Teftament were in the facts which they relate, in the manner in which they have written. Chrift uniformly fpake and acted with a dignity, condefcenfion,. ferioufnefs, wisdom and prudence whch became a perfon of the character which he fuftained, and the work he came into the world to perform. He never erred or made the least mistake in all he faid and did.

Christ taught the most fublime, important and pure doctrines, refpecting God and the ftate of man, the way of his recovery to the favour of God, to holinefs and true happiness, and in what these confift. He taught that God was fovereign and independent in beftowing

his mercy on men; that he had mercy on whom he pleased, for which men depend wholly on him; that all men were fo wholly depraved and wicked at heart, that they refused to come to the light when fet before them; that they hated the light; yea, that they hated him and God his Father, and continued to do fo, till they were born again of the Spirit of God, by which a new, obedient heart was given; that previous to this they did not understand or fee the things of the Spirit and kingdom of God; therefore all who come to the knowledge of the truth, and embrace the gofpel, are taught of God; in which he has mercy on whom he will have mercy, making the distinction according to the dictates of his wisdom and goodnefs, what will be beft to promote the highest good of the universe, which cannot be done by the falvation of all. This is clearly and concifely expreffed by Chrift: "All that the Father giveth me fhall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wife caft out. This recommends the gofpel to us as true and from heaven, as confiftent and most excellent; as no man or fet of men, uninfpired, would have reprefented mankind in fo bad a light, and fo dependent on God for a new and better heart; or that every thing and circumftance relating to the falvation of men is under the direction of Infinite Wisdom and Goodness; all which is clearly taught in the Bible.

This leads us to fay, that the gospel appears to us evidently of divine original, and we are fure that it is not of man, because it reprefents man as fo infinitely guilty, odious and ill-deferving, that he cannot recommend himfelf to the leaft favour by any thing he can do or fuffer; and that it is unbecoming the holy and just God to pardon and fave him out of refpect to any thing good and deferving in him, but purely on the account of the atonement, righteoufnefs and infinite worthiness of a Mediator, to whom the unworthy finner is united by faith fo that the falvation of men, from the foundation to the top-ftone, from beginning to the end, is of mere, fovereign, wonderful mercy and grace, by which

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man is thoroughly abafed and humbled, and his falvation must be afcribed, not in the leaft to himself, but wholly to the undeferved, fovereign grace of God. This is perfectly agreeable to the law of God, and the finful, guilty state of man; and there is no other poffible way in which he could be faved, confiftent with the divine law, and the guilty state of man. It is impoffible that this should be the contrivance of man, as it is directly contrary to his thoughts and reigning difpofition, and is the principal reafon of the oppofition men make to the gofpel, and why none will cordially embrace it till they have a new heart, a heart to confess their fins, and humble themselves in the fight of God, and receive offered mercy as a free, undeferved gift to the infi nitely guilty and wretched, and with pleasure afcribe all the honour and glory of their falvation to God alone; by which they are prepared to enjoy true happiness, of which they were before wholly ignorant and deftitute.

We have another all-convincing evidence that the gofpel is true, and has a divine original, from the duties and the nature of the religion taught and enjoined by Christ and his apoftles, which are different from any thing of this kind recommended by men not infpired, and in many respects contrary thereto. The Bible teaches that all true religion has its beginning in the heart of man, in the fear of God, and confifts in fupreme love to him, and unreserved devotedness to his honour and intereft in all our exercifes and conduct, which implies conftant devotion in prayer and praife, and a religious acknowledgment of him at all times, and in the proper feafons of public and focial worfhip, as well as that which is more private and fecret. Christ said, men muft deny themselves, and forfake all they had, for his fake, in order to be his true difciples; that they must be humble, meek, upright and benevolent, even towards their worst enemies; do them all the good in their power, and pray for them forgive thofe who injured them, and indulge no difpofition to retaliate and avenge themfelves; but be harmless, and injure no man. In fum,

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the religion and morality taught in the Bible, especially by Chrift and his apoftles, is as much fuperior, in its reafonableness and excellence, to any thing of the kind which has been taught by men who have not derived their sentiments from revelation, as light is to darkness, and is perfectly fuited to make those who heartily embrace it and conform to it happy in this world and forever. And we must further obferve, that the religion and morality inculcated in the Bible is urged by the strongest motives, not only as moft reasonable, and tending to render fociety happy in this world; but as it is enjoined by divine authority, with the promise of eternal happiness to all who obey, and an awful threatening of endless punishment to all others; in which oppofite states all fhall be fixed at the great day of general judgment.

We have now, in a fummary way, given the reasons of our belief and affurance that the Bible contains a divine revelation, and of our hope in Chrift. We see enough in him to fatisfy us, even all we can wish, or hope for, or defire; enough to make us happy, beyond. our prefent conception, in his eternal kingdom; and not us only, but all that shall believe on him, which we would earnestly urge on all those to whom we have accefs; knowing that all who believe fhall be faved, and all who do not believe on him fhall be damned.

We are fenfible that Chriftianity has been greatly oppofed in all ages fince its inftitution, and much has been written, and many objections have been made, against it, by men of great parts and learning, which have been fully and abundantly refuted by Chriftian writers, fome of whofe writings we have feen. We know alfo that infidelity has greatly increased of late, and is now increafing; and that many, who profefs to believe Chrif tianity to be true, are rejecting the most effential doctrines of it, and there are many others who do not cordially embrace it, or live anfwerable to the precepts of it. But this is fo far from making us hesitate, or abating our belief and confidence of the truth of it, that