who were called to extraordinary trials, but who had alfo, let it be remembered, extraordinary comforts and fupport: in the prefent times men may fuffer fome inconveniencies of different forts from their ftrict adherence to the ftraight path of duty and uniform profeffion of chriftian principles; for inftance, the lofs of fome methods of advancing themselves in the world, which perfons lefs confcientious embrace, and alfo in an irreligious age they may bear the fcorn and perhaps the ridicule of those who fee not, or will not profefs that they fee, the grounds upon which they have formed their scheme of conduct: as to the former of these instances, let men only wait and obferve the ufual refult of fuch practices, (I mean) with respect to real enjoyment, which, and not merely what may be accounted the means of it, a wife man makes his object of purfuit: and as to the latter instance, time will foon do juftice to the character of an uniform

uniform chriftian, provided it be not diftorted or rendered abfurd by enthusiasm or fuperftition, and thofe very perfons, whofe depraved habits will not permit them to imitate him, will at least efteem and reverence, and fometimes even applaud him: and the regard of good men, and the unalloyed approbation of his own confcience, and the confidence of his master's favor, will more than make him amends for enduring, if that should be his lot, the fcorn of the foolish and the profligate: but further exceptions to the eafe, the comforts, and the happiness, which are alledged to flow from christian principles, and those of greater weight, may be. thought to arise from the difficulties which many persons have to ftruggle with in bringing their temper and difpofition to evangelical habits of duty; and from the great depreffions of spirits, which some, even good men, frequently experience, from a fense of their failings

who cafily could, and with transport would have detected and expofed their falfehood, and at once have precluded the facred records from that glorious triumph, which they afterwards obtained, from the numberless perfons of all ages and countries, who, with an unexampled conftancy, bore atteftation to the truth and value of them with their lives. In fhort, fo strong and fecure is the evidence, on which the authority of the holy fcriptures is founded, that amidst the daring attacks with which the christian religion hath been affaulted in every form which malice and ingenuity could fuggeft, few have been the attempts made to overthrow that evidence, though the fuccefs of fuch an effort must have enfured the fall of the whole system, and without which all other attacks could make but little impreffion.

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THE bible being thus firmly established as the revelation of God, it follows that it is incumbent upon all, without exception, to whom it is made known, first, to examine with care, and then to believe with reverence, and to practise with fincerity whatever it requires. Limited as our faculties. are, we cannot wonder that in a revelation given by infinite wifdom there should be fome things which exceed our reafon, which, however, fince they do not, when rightly confidered, contradict it, we are bound upon fuch a teftimony to receive as implicitly, and believe as firmly, as we do those truths which our reafon is competent to understand.

AND fince the Almighty created us at firft, and fupports us continually, and thus has an absolute right to our obedience, he might with perfect juftice have prescribed to us any commands within our power to perform

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perform, And we could not have reafon to complain of any want of goodness, what ever had been the conditions of obtaining his favor, fince he has propofed to us no lefs a recompence than eternal happiness, and promised us such assistance as will enable us to attain it. Infinite wisdom and goodness certainly would not have established the chriftian difpenfation, if it had not been proper and neceffary for mankind. But fince God has thought fit to establish it, he undoubtedly requires our compliance with it; and according to his constant denunciations, will refent and punish, as a most affronting indignity, our neglect of it,

ABSOLUTE univerfal obedience to God in all respects, i. e. a total furrender to our Creator of our understandings, our hearts, and our lives, is what both fcripture and reafon dictate-doctrines the most unconnected with the present state of things, and apparently