ings with that invincible firmnefs and conftancy, which all the various fects of philofophy had never been able to infpire. Whence, but from God, could a religion have its origin, which could make men perfift and glory in the profeffion of it, though every human evil menaced them; to difavow and openly abjure their belief of which, no fufferings could ever impel them; and who, inftead of renouncing it, when by renouncing it they might have escaped all this ignominy, fuffering and torture, and lived in eafe, credit, and affluence, chofe rather to endure a great fight of affliction, to be made a gazing stock to angels and men, both by public reproaches and afflictions, taking joyfully the Spoiling of their goods, and refigning every domeftic endearment, every fecular advantage, and life itself, knowing in themfelves that they had in heaven a better and a more enduring fubftance-Christianity hath, moreover, produced. the happieft effects upon the mind in foftening its. ferocity and humanizing the heart. The very genius and tendency of this bleffed religion is to infpire its profeffors with mercy, love, compaffion, benevolence, and the moft kind and generous affections. This its felecteft influence it hath *whole focieties, communities, and nations, fhed upon See this beautifully reprefented in a late excellent fermon, by that moft polite and elegant writer the Rev. Dr., William Robertfon, author of the Hiftory of Scotland, and by the great and good Dr. Leechman in a judicious and comprehenfive Difcourfe, or rather Treat ife, cntitled, The Wisdom of God in the Revelation of the Gospel. nations, of thofe who have embraced it. From the Chriftian world, that barbarous and deteftable practice, fo prevalent in heathen countries, of expoling infants on mountains and in woods, most miferably to perifh, is for ever banished. To treat with politenefs and humanity unhappy captives in war, who, in pagan times, were fometimes butchered in cold blood, fometimes put into mines to drudge for life, but generally fold for flaves, is an established custom among all Chriftian nations. Human facrifices flain to placate the divinity, fo common in heathen countries, are now for ever ceafed. The gospel hath refined the morals, fweetened the difpofitions, and harmonized the minds, of large collective bodies and vast populous nations, and by the cement of its benevolent conciliating principles hath united them to each other in the bonds of a generous and endearing philanthropy, and engaged them to interweave humanity and mercy even in crowns of laurel that are dipped in blood. How fuperior Chriftians are in point of morals to all pagan countries, however civilized by arts and fciences, an impartial comparison will evince. The beft modern accounts of the morality of China prove the affertion of Leibnitz to be falfe and groundlefs, who declared that inftead of our fending miffionaries over to China to teach them religion, they ought rather to fend miffionaries over to us to teach the Europeans morality. The gofpel hath done fignal and diftinguished fervice in forming the manners both of individuals and of nations, in having extirpated many cruel and abominable ufages, which always reigned, and now reign, in heathen nations, in having civilized a very large extent of the globe, and infpiring men every where with humane and focial affections. These happy fruits and effects, as they are the fairest harvest any religion coming from God can raise, so they obtain more generally, I am convinced, than the suggeftions of uncharitablenefs, and the voice of nfidelity, would perfuade us. For great numbers in every Christian nation, I believe, though loft in filence and oblivion among the busy scenes of this world, make confcience of discharging their Chriftian duties, tread, through this tranfitory life, a regular path of Chriftian virtue, tho' of all the world unknowing and unknown, and in acts of fervent devotion, in benevolent affections, in well-governed paffions, in an amiable uniform tenor of temperance, moderation and contentment, and in the joyful expectation of an happy immortality, exemplify the power, force, and divinity of the Chriftian principles. SECT. SECT. XIX. The prefent ftate of the Jews an argument in favour of the truth of Christianity. HE prefent ftate of the Jews is a wonder TH ful * confirmation of the truth of the Chriftian religion. This is a standing permanent miracle, perpetuated through a series of many fuc * The very learned and ingenious Dr. Newton, bishop of Bristol, thus expreffes himself. "The prefervation of the Jews is really one of the most fignal and illuftrious acts of divine providence. They are difperfed among all nations, and yet they are not confounded with any. The drops of rain which fall, nay the great rivers which flow into the ocean, are foon mingled and loft in that immenfe body of waters and the fame in all human probability would have been the fate of the Jews, they would have been mingled and loft in the common mafs of mankind; but on the contrary they flow into all parts of the world, mix with all nations, and yet keep feparate from all. They ftill live as a diftinct people, and yet they no where live according to their own laws, no where elect their own magiftrates, no where enjoy the full exercise of their religion. Their folemn feasts and facrifices are limited to one certain place, and that hath been now for many ages in the hands of ftrangers and aliens, who will not fuffer them to come thither. No people have continued unmixed fo long as they have done, not only of thofe who have fent forth colonies into foreign countries, but even of those who have abided in their own country. The northern nations have come in fwarms into the more fouthern parts of Europe; but where are they now to be difcerned and distinguished? The Gauls ceffive ages, to our times. The Affyrians, Babylonians, Carthaginians, Macedonians, are now no more. Their names have long fince been swallowed up and confounded with thofe of their conquerors. But in this diftinguished inftance we fee the vanquished for many ages furvive the victors, and remain a diftinct feparate community and. body among all the various nations into which they Gauls went forth in great bodies to seek their fortune in foreign parts; but what traces or footsteps of them are now remaining any where? In France who can feparate the race of the ancient Gauls from the various other people, who from time to time have fettled there? In Spain who can diftinguish exactly between the firft poffeffors the Spaniards, and the Goths, and the Moors, who conquered and kept poffeffion of the country for fome ages? In England, who can pretend to fay with certainty which families are derived from the antient Britons, and which from the Romans, or Saxons, or Danes, or Normans? The most antient and honourable pedigrees can be traced up only to a certain period, and beyond that there is nothing but conjecture and uncertainty, obfcurity and ignorance: but the Jews can go up higher than any nation, they can even deduce their pedigree from the beginning of the world. They may not know from what particular tribe or family they are defcended, but they know certainly that they all fprung from the stock of Abraham. And yet the contempt with which they have been treated, and the hardships which they have undergone in almost all countries, fhould, one would think, have made them defirous to forget or renounce their original; but they profefs it, they glory in it: and after fo many wars, maffacres, and perfecutions, they ftill fubfift, they fill are very numerous: and what but a fupernatural power could have preferved them in fuch a manner as none other nation upon earth hath been preserved.-Dr. Newton's Differtations apon the Prophecies, Vol. i. p. 216, 3d Edit, |