man is worthy of credit, in any thing that he relates, if they were liars.

The next argument was from prophecy; several persons (who had always been considered divinely inspired) foretold many things concerning him, who should be the Redeemer of the world: many hundred years afterwards, all these predictions were fulfilled in the person, the doctrines, the actions, and the sufferings of Jesus Christ. He was therefore unquestionably the Messiah, who had been so promised; for no one but God can know what will happen hereafter and He therefore it must have been who commissioned these holy men to foretel such various particulars of the life of Christ, for the purpose, that after He was come, the world might be convinced that He was the person, whom God had so long before designed to send.

In the last place, I reminded you of the signal success of the Gospel, in spite of all opposition, though so offensive to mankind in general, and preached by men, in a mere human point of view, so insignificant, so deficient in learning, in power, in riches, in every thing that could influence, except the mighty power of truth, and the favouring assistance of God.

These were the points on which I insisted in my former discourse; and the more closely

these arguments are examined, the more convincing do they appear; I only proposed them in the shortest and most familiar form that I could; but if those, who are able, will study the matter for themselves, they will see reason to assent to the expression of one of the wisest men that ever lived, "that there is much more proof of the truth of the bible, than of any antient history whatsoever;" so that if you do not believe the Scriptures, you cannot consistently believe any thing that has been recorded of the events of former times; for there is no such testimony to any other history, nor has the truth of any other, been so minutely sifted and enquired into.

But there are many more proofs besides those on which I have dwelt. Consider the purity and excellence of the Gospel doctrines, contemplate attentively the more than human virtues displayed in the life, and character of the holy founder of our religion; mark the striking simplicity of the evangelical narrative, observe the manifest honesty of the artless writers, reflect on the remarkable agreement in their several relations, compare the prophecies uttered by Christ himself, with their extraordinary accomplishments, survey the history and present state of the Jewish people, who idly expect a Messiah,

now that the temple which He was to adorn, has been destroyed, that the kingdom which was to remain till his coming, has departed from Judah, that the whole race is so intermingled and confused, as to render it impossible to distinguish one tribe from another, or to trace the descent of an individual from David, of whose family "the Christ" was to be; trace the progress of the Gospel at this day, penetrating into every corner of the world, behold the purifying and sanctifying effects of its doctrines, upon the heart and life of every sincere believer; remark what essential good it has wrought, wherever it has been truly obeyed, in promoting the honour of our great Creator, and the welfare of mankind; put all these things together, and well weigh their accumulated evidence, and you will be astonished that any one should disbelieve, or even doubt the truth of it.

But although this appears to be so very clear a case, although it seems as if there was nothing wanting that any reasonable man could require for his perfect conviction, although the proofs that I have mentioned, are almost as evident and satisfactory, as if God had written on the heavens in characters of fire, "the Gospel is true," still my brethren, there is one method of persuasion yet to be noticed, which is of

greater, and more universal efficacy, than all the rest, and without which all the rest, though they might stagger and confound an unbeliver, would not be sufficient to make him a Christian. The words of my text shall explain to you what I mean, "if any man will do his (i. e. God's) will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."

Before I proceed to discuss the truth contained in these words, I think it desirable to set you right as to the signification of one expression; for there is a slight ambiguity in our translation, which does not exist in the original. As the sentence runs in our English bible, you might suppose it to mean-" he that obeys the will of God shall be instructed, and confirmed in the truth of the Gospel;" as if the practice of the Christian duties could precede the assurance that the religion was revealed from heaven; whereas of course it is not to be expected, that any man should endeavour to conform his life to the rules of the Gospel, as containing the declared will of God, until after he has been convinced that such is really the fact. I do not know whether I have made myself understood; I will express my meaning in other words; suppose in attempting to convert a heathen to Christianity, I were to say to him, "if you will but do the

will of God, you will soon be persuaded of the truth of the religion, which I am recommending to you." He would reply, "I have no certain knowledge what the will of God is; where am I to learn it?" I could not reasonably answer, "it is contained in the Gospel," because that would be taking for granted the very thing that I had to prove; and he might justly say, "there is no reason why I should endeavour to obey the Gospel, until you have first convinced me, that the will of God is therein revealed, for that is the point that I am at present ignorant of; satisfy my mind on that subject first, and then I shall feel myself under an obligation to practise what the Gospel teaches."

You perceive therefore, that what would appear, at first sight, to be the plain meaning of the words, cannot be their true signification; the misconception of them arises, I have no doubt, rather from an ambiguity (as I have said) in our language, than from any mistake of the translators; for nothing can be plainer than their signification in the original-it is this, "if any man is willing (or desirous) to do the will of God," so that our Saviour's assertion is simply this, "he that is previously disposed to obey God, will easily be convinced of the truth of that 'religion which I teach," and the sentiment here