this character. Every man's experience demonstrates that temperance, chastity, justice, veracity, benevolence, and love, reward their possessors with health and peace; and that, as he is destitute of these virtues, or possesses their opposites, so he is miserable. Were all perfectly virtuous, they would be perfectly happy; for each person, in this respect, is a world in miniature. That the benevolent Author of our being wishes our happiness, no one, I think, will have the impiety to doubt. By making then, the attainment of religion the indispensable condition of its possession, he shows that we are formed to be religious creatures.

The same design is manifest in the relations which we sustain both to our fellow-creatures and to God. Those natural relations which are the framework of family, tribe, and community, demand certain affections and offices which are important parts of a perfectly virtuous character. If such affections are not possessed, and their duties not discharged, these societies become disorganized, and these natural connections, a nullity. Indeed, by establishing not only the relations of kindredship, but the innumerable ones of mutual dependance, which run through the whole family of man, the Great Eternal indicates the same thing. Among created beings there is no such thing as independency; each of us is dependant upon others; all upon God. Thus situated, we see ourselves under numerous obligations, and inseparable from various duties. He, then, who neglects religion, acts in opposition to the constitution of his own nature, to his best interests, and to his relations in the scale of being; and thus runs counter to the designs of his Maker. But proofs of that which seems to be generally believed, it may be thought, need not be elaborated. That man is designed to be what we have stated, has never been denied, at least, openly, in what we call christian countries, by a very

large body of intelligent men. It has, however, been denied, and is so still, it is to be feared, by many, in heart. As, too, it is the first question on the subject of the necessity of a supernatural revelation, its discussion may be excused.

Perhaps these lines may meet the eye of one who is neglecting, or even despising religion, from scepticism or infidelity. If so, let me entreat you, dear friend, to have the candour and determination to examine whether your unbelief is based upon a rational foundation. Will you believe that which all philosophers teach concerning man's mental endowments, then must not you allow that you are created for religion?

Conceding this, proceed with me in pursuing this one truth to its legitimate consequences. In doing this, the question in order is, By what means can the human race learn and acquire the character which their Creator designs them to possess? If it be admitted, that God intends man to be what we have stated, the means for the accomplishment of his intentions must exist. He could not design the thing, and not the means of its attainment. The existence of the intention infers that of the means of its execution. In the following papers, we shall show what means are necessary to accomplish this end. No. II. Conceivable ways of knowing our duties, and the origin of religious truth which exists.

There are only two conceivable ways, besides supernatural revelation, by which man, in his present condition, could be led to discharge his duties. 1. Our mental and moral nature might be such as to draw us irresistibly to religion; that is to say, we might be devout, loving, and obedient, from instinct, just as the intellect associates ideas. 2. We may also conceive of being led into the path of virtue by the instruction which reason might gain from our

constitution and the external world. If both these fail to accomplish this important work, a system of religious truth, miraculously revealed, is ne

cessary.

I. Relative to the first supposition, little need be said. A reference to consciousness, and the actual state of man, will show at once, that men do not attain common morality by the constraints of their mental endowments. If a knowledge of God grew up in the mind without any instruction concerning such a being, and if we were born with such a state of the moral feelings as necessarily led to the performance of all our duties, moral discipline and education would be unnecessary; there could be no crime nor immorality, and men's religious sentiments would be identical. The indispensable necessity, however, of moral discipline, is universally conceded in its general adoption, and man's general inclination to crime is taken for granted in the penal laws existing in all nations. Indeed, it must be admitted, that a vicious character is the general one, and that a virtuous one is the exception. As to men's religious opinions, we may say, Quot homines tot sentensiæ. There is an endless variety of principles and practices, too, with reference to this important matter. Our present mental constitution is not, therefore, such as to lead us to virtue, but rather to vice.

II. The second conceivable way of being led to our duties, requires a more extensive and close examination. Not a few learned and talented men have judged that the human intellect and the order of nature are such as to be sufficient of themselves to lead us to the discharge of all our duties. They have, therefore, proceeded to form a theory upon what they conceived the inferences which unaided reason had drawn from natural things, and have called it natural religion.' Natural religion, in this sense, has been thought to obviate

the necessity of a miraculous revelation. We shall, therefore, fully and impartially test the claims which this theory has to our belief. Is, then, human reason of itself sufficient to guide us in matters of religion? If so, a supernatural revelation is unnecessary, and a presumption against such a divine communication is established. If not, no other way to a knowledge of duty remains.

1. We observe, that the correct religious information which has existed in the world, and which is still published, cannot be proved to have been the mere production of human reason. The Bible is the most ancient book extant. Its writers certainly do not profess to have inferred from creation the doctrines and precepts which they teach, but to have spoken them as they were supernaturally taught of God. The parts of scripture confirming this statement, are too numerous to quote. Moses professes to have undertaken the office of teacher and lawgiver from having seen a miraculous representation of Jehovah, and from having been audibly commanded of him so to do. (See Ex. iii. 2-22, et iv. 1-17.) The subsequent books of this writer are the professed record of what the Lord spake to him, and of what he did at his command, See the commencement of almost every chapter of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. All the fundamental doctrines and precepts of the Bible are either derived from foregoing professed divine communications, or are themselves said to be such supernatural revelations. (See Heb. i. 1; Gal. i. 11–13; 2 Tim. iii. 16.)

Further, whatever correct religious knowledge appears in other writers, cannot be proved to have been the discovery of mere human reason. 'The great principles of all religion, the existence of God, the immortality of the human soul, the accountableness of man, the good or evil quality of the most important moral actions,

by none who have written upon them, whether legislator, poet, or sage, however ancient, have been represented as discoveries made by them in the course of rational investigation; but they are spoken of as things commonly known among men, which they propose to defend, demonstrate, or deny, according to their respective opinions.' 'The Indian Brahmins,' Strabo, a writer who flourished about twenty years before Christ, says, I were remarkable for their adherence to ancient traditions which they received from their ancestors. The ancient sages among the Egyptians, Chaldeans, Phenicians, Ethiopians, Arabians, and Indians, never showed an inventive genius, So as to make it probable that they owed the things that they taught to their own reason. They delivered their tenets not in a way of argumentation, but simply as what ought to be received without hesitatation upon the authority of the wise men.' It is evident, that an obscure notion of the soul's immortality was entertained by mankind generally in the earliest ages. There is, however, no satisfactory proof who originated this notion. By different ancient Greek and Roman writers, it has been attributed to different persons, and as having had its origin in different countries. By the most talented

་

Indeed, we know that progressive improvement belongs to human inventions. Had those notions of morality, and of a future state, found among ancient heathen writings, been their own discoveries, and those of their forefathers, would they not have improved them, and ultimately have delivered the nations from their ignorance and vice? The contrary is the fact, Religion was less corrupt in the ruder and more illiterate, than in the more polite ages. While the arts and sciences made progress in the heathen world, they themselves became more and more addicted to the most absurd idolatries, and the most abominable vices; both of which were at their height in the time of our Saviour.' The farther we go back into the history of heathen nations, the more simple and correct we find the religious notions of those nations.

Thus, taking the testimony of moral writers, or reasoning from analogy, there is much evidence against the supposition that the religious truth which exists is a mere human discovery. In our next paper, we shall endeavour to show from what source much of the truth exhibited in heathen writings, proceeded. May we love the truth and find it.

*The present paper extends over eleven years; that is, from the accession of Solomon, to the dedication of the temple.

FROM B. C. 1015* To 975.

dominions were widely extended; his public buildings were magnificent; his court was splendid; his wealth and riches were immense; the appointment of his officers and servants was exact; and during the chief part of his reign, peace prevailed in all his borders, and the blessing of God rested on him and on his people. He himself was a person divinely-endowed with extraordinary wisdom and knowledge, so that he became the idol of his subjects, and the admiration of the whole earth.

Soon after his accession, Solomon repaired to Gibeon, where was all that remained of the tabernacle Moses had set up in the wilderness, and where also stood the brazen altar of the Lord. There he offered many sacrifices and burnt offerings unto the Lord, that he might especially honour him at his own altar. As this act of piety was done sincerely and with a view to seek and serve God, the Lord appeared to him in the visions of the night, and said, Ask what I should give thee.' The king, after acknowledging God's mercy to David, and confessing his own youth, inexperience, and insufficiency for the duties of his high office, prayed and said; Give to thy servant an understanding heart, that I may discern between good and bad; for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?' This prayer, while it displayed the humble consciousness of Solomon that the Lord had made him king, also indicated that he had a deep sense of the importance and responsibilities of his office as God's vicegerent, and a supreme solicitude in all things to discharge its high functions to the honour of God, and for the welfare of the people. The prayer of Solomon was approved, and as he had not asked for those things which men generally desire, as riches, long life, and the life of his enemies; but sought for wisdom and understanding, God promised that his wisdom should be without parallel, and also that riches, and honour, and length of days, if he continued obedient, should be his. This divine manifestation cheered and strengthened the heart of the king, and he returned to Jerusalem with joy, and offering sacrifices before the ark, he rejoiced with all his house in the goodness of the Lord.

His superior sagacity and discernment were soon apparent. The conflicting claims of two mothers, for a living instead of a dead infant, were submitted to him for judgment. In the absence of all testimony but that of the two women themselves, it occurred to him to appeal to the well-known tenderness of maternal affection, as a means of deciding to which mother the living child belonged. He therefore ordered both the dead and the living child to be cut in two, that both might have half of each. The real mother of the living one then, feeling tenderly for

her babe, relinquished her claim to it rather than her infant should be killed. Her tenderness demonstrated her relationship, and the living child was given to her. This remarkable proceeding on the part of Solomon caused his fame and fear to be spread abroad amongst all Israel.

David had been a powerful and prosperous king. He had subdued his enemies round about, and reduced the surrounding nations to tribute. He had accumulated immense riches. His people were so completely armed and organised, and his mighty men so distinguished for prowess and bravery, that his armies were reputed victorious and invincible. Solomon, therefore, when he was established in his kingdom, was the richest as well as the most powerful of existing monarchs. His reign was peaceful. His people were prosperous, and multiplied abundantly; their lands yielded their increase, and their wealth and power were prodigiously augmented by commerce with near and distant nations, which was encouraged and fostered by the wisdom and prudence of the king. Now it was that Judah, the predominant tribe, 'stooped down; he couched as a lion, and as an old lion, who shall rouse him up?' Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine, and under his fig-tree, from Dan even unto Beersheba.' The territory and kingdoms in subjection to Solomon, extended from the Euphrates on the east and north, to the Mediterranean on the west, and to the Persian gulf, the Red sea, and Egypt on the south. The Hebrews were, therefore, the ruling people in western Asia, and the tribute of the surrounding nations appears to have been regularly and freely paid during the whole of this reign. Whatever might be the strength and forces of the kingdoms beyond the boundaries of Solomon's empire, as he was powerful, prudent and pacific, none attempted to disturb the tranquility of his people; but all, by cultivating the arts of peace, and promoting a mutual interchange of produce, contributed to, and partook of, the prosperity of the chosen people. How do order, industry, and peace, with the blessing of God, tend to promote the well-being of men! Happy is a people in such a case; yea, happy is that people whose God is the Lord.'

་

The wisdom of the king appeared also