Atheism, which degrades you to a level with the brutes, and makes you the creature of a day, with no higher object than to eat, and drink, and die-will you choose this? Here is Paganism, with its gods many, and lords many-will you choose this, and daub your faces with ashes, and bow down to a senseless block, and call it your god? Or, will you choose the religion of the false prophet, and rest your hopes of a heaven of sensual delights upon the word of a man who proved the divine authority of his mission by the story that he rode one night upon an ass, in company with the angel Gabriel, from Mecca to Jerusalem, and from Jerusalem to the seventh heaven? Or, will you take Deism, and content yourself, like the heathen philosopher, to float in a sea of doubt and uncertainty, from the probable many, pursuing probabilities by conjecture, having no means of passing beyond what may have the resemblance of truth? Is this a pleasant path to walk in? Does it give ease, and comfort, and delight to your soul, when you know not what may be beneath your feet-whether an elysian paradise, or a burning volcano ? and but one thing is quite certain to you, and that is, that very soon the ground will open beneath your feet, and let you know, by experience, the best or the worst. Will you choose this? For, let me solemnly advertise you, that there is nothing on which you can stand between this and the evangelical system of truth revealed in the Bible, embracing the doctrines of atonement, regeneration, and the eternal punishment of the wicked. No man in his senses can honestly and sincerely set down to the study of the Bible, as a book addressed to the common under

standing of mankind, and find any other system of truth in it. And, I think I have shown that this system of truth is just what your soul needs. And now, again I solemnly put the question,-which will you choose?

3. Finally,-There is one class more whom I would seriously and tenderly address. I mean those who regularly and constantly sit under the sound of the gospel, and admit its truths, and yet never heartily and cordially embrace them-who acknowledge that the system of religion taught in the Bible is just what they need, and that they must perish without it, and yet never lay it seriously at heart, and settle their hopes upon this only sure foundation-but go on, with their eyes wide open, with the full prospect of perdition before them. There is nothing more painful to the heart of a Christian who feels for the souls of men. We labor hard with the skeptical and unbelieving, hoping that, if we can but convince them of the truth of Christianity, they will certainly embrace it. Indeed, I seriously question, whether any one who has tried the experiment of floating in the sea of error and doubt, will ever be convinced of the truth of Christianity, without embracing it. But here you are, seriously convinced that all the doctrines set forth in the Bible are true-perhaps you have never doubted them--you believe that you are a sinner in the sight of God-that you deserve to be sent to hell-that Christ died to save you from your sins-that he is now inviting and entreating you to come to him-that you may come if you will-that you must be born again, or you can never see the kingdom of God-that a world of eternal joy and felicity, and a world of

eternal wretchedness and misery are spread out before you, as the result of your action in reference to these truths—and yet, all this exerts no living power over you, but you live on from week to week, as though there were, in your view, no God, no heaven, no hell. And yet, you seem to pay serious attention to the word, and to be interested to know the truth. I must say that I am astonished-amazed. And I am sure, if you could look up and behold a bright vision of angels looking down at the scene, the amazement they would express in their looks, and gestures, and language, would be indescribable; for they know the meaning of eternity, and heaven, and hell. Yes! and you, dear friends, will very soon know their solemn reality. May God give you to see and know your true interest, and to embrace the salvation offered in the gospel, that when you come to see and know the realities of eternity, they may be joyous and not grievous to your souls. O, defer not this momentous subject, but see to it now that your foundation rests on the Rock of Ages.

CHAPTER II.

THE SECOND PILLAR.-The Authenticity of the Holy Scriptures contained in the Old and New Testament, as a Revelation from God, is clearly established by External Evidence.

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

1. It is necessary to define what we mean, when we say that the Scriptures are a Divine revelation ; because there are various views on this point, some of which make a revelation, after all, of very little consequence, because they are so loose as not to render it an infallible guide.

It is not necessary that we should enter into an examination of the various theories which have been advanced concerning inspiration, by those who have received the Scriptures as containing an infallible revelation of God's will to man. They are worthy of a separate examination; but, in this place, they would only tend to confusion. It is important, however, to understand clearly the difference between the views of inspiration entertained by Orthodox Christians, and those held by the rejecters of the fundamental doc

trines of Christianity. This will explain the ease with which the latter are accustomed to dispose of many truths plainly and clearly taught in the Holy Scriptures. Dr. Priestly, who was one of the Fathers of Unitarianism, "denies that the Scriptures were written by a particular divine inspiration; and asserts that the writers, though men of the greatest probity, were fallible, and have actually committed mistakes in their narratives and reasonings." And, in this sentiment, he has been followed by the mass of Unitarian writers.*

* The following quotations are made, as a specimen of what may be found in the works of accredited Unitarian writers:

EUROPEAN UNITARIAN WRITERS.

PRIESTLY. "The writers of the books of Scripture were men, and therefore fallible."

"Like other historians, they were liable to mistakes, with respect to things of small moment.'

"Not that I consider the books of Scripture as inspired."

" Paul often reasons inconclusively."

"As it is not pretended that there are any miracles adapted to prove that Christ made and supports the world, I do not see that we are under obligation to believe it merely because it was an opinion held by an apostle."

BELSHAM.- - The Scriptures are not themselves the word of God, neither do they ever assume that title."

WAKEFIELD." I believe, no more than Thomas Paine, that the sun and moon, either in the apparent or philosophical acceptation of the phrase, stood still at the command of Joshua.'

EVANSON.—“The Evangelical histories contain gross and

irreconcileable contradictions."

IMPROVED VERSION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT; published and recommended by American Unitarians." The account of the miraculous conception of Jesus was probably the