actually given them, viz. that the great preacher of the doctrine should, in his own perfon, afford them an example of its truth, by dying and rifing again within a limited time.

This was no new doctrine to the Jews. The great body of that nation were then, and are to this day, fully perfuaded of it. This muft, in my opinion, have arisen from fome very early revelation from God on the fubject, but probably prior to the writing of the books of Mofes; whatever difficulty we may now find in accounting for the remarkable filence concerning a doctrine of fo much importance in his writings, as well as thofe of the Old Teftament in general. Had this great revelation been made to Mofes himself, or to any of the fubfequent prophets, we could not but have heard of it. But having been made known probably to our first parents, and, though it was lost in other nations, having been always retained by the Jews, there was the lefs occafion for any mention of it in books defigned for their peculiar use. But what was well known to the Jews would be good tidings of great

great joy to the Gentile world, which was ignorant of it.

When the fulness of time was come, that God thought proper to manifeft his paternal regards to all his offspring of mankind, it was highly proper that, as the original record of this great doctrine of a refurrection was then loft, it fhould be renewed; that fo no reasonable doubt might remain concerning it; and this was completely effected by the refurrection of Chrift, who likewife brought it into view in all his dif courfes. For he did not, like Mofes, give his difciples any expectation of happiness in this life, but only at the refurrection of the just; and to this great hope that was fet before them, he taught them cheerfully to facrifice all their interefts here, and even life itself; affuring them that they who fhould lofe their lives for the fake of the gospel, would receive them again, with infinite advantage, in the world to come. It was his exprefs declaration, that his kingdom was not of this world, and he enjoined all his followers to lay up their treafure in heaven. We also learn from the apoftle Paul that we

are

are to walk by faith and not by fight, fince the things that are feen are temporary, but the things that are unfeen are eternal.

When God had by this means imparted to mankind this most important information concerning himself and his moral government, concerning their duty here, and their expectations hereafter, nothing more was requifite in order completely to effect his great defign, the reformation of the world, and the preparation of men for that future happy ftate which is announced to us in the gospel. For with thefe helps, the rational nature that God had originally given to man was fufficient, without any fupernatural operation upon their minds, to their restoration to his favour and their future happiness. The historical evidence that we now have of the miracles, the death, and refurrection of Chrift, is of itself fufficient to produce Chriftian faith, or a firm belief of the great facts on which Christianity refts; and this faith, or belief, is fufficient to induce men to reform their conduct, and to fit them, by a life of virtue here, for a ftate of happiness hereafter.

3

cord Acingly,

Accordingly, no farther help than this is ever promised to us in the gospel. Like good feed, in our Saviour's most inftructive parable, it is fcattered promiscuoufly on all kinds of foil; but nothing is done to the foil itself, and therefore it brings forth much fruit, or none at all, just as the minds of men were previoufly difpofed to receive it. The gift of the fpirit, of which we read, always means fome miraculous power, calculated for the confirmation of the gospel in the early ages only. We are taught, indeed, to pray to God to be led into, and to be kept in, the ways of truth and virtue. But we are alfo taught to pray for our daily bread; and as our daily bread is not given to us without our own labour, fo likewife good difpofitions of mind are only to be acquired by the ufe of proper means; though both the means, and the power of using them, being from God, it is right to afcribe all to him, to pray to him for every bleffing, temporal or fpiritual, and to thank him for all of them alike,

As

As a practical improvement of this doctrine, I fhall obferve (1.) that from it we may infer the dignity of human nature; man being a creature the moft diftinguished by his great Creator among his works here below, in that we are the proper subjects of his moral government, and fit heirs of immortality. This implies that we are capable of unlimited improvement; and what we fee of man in this life makes this probable. We fee no bounds to increafing knowledge and ripening virtue, though we, and all created beings, fhall ever fall infinitely fhort of the perfection of the fupreme Being, who is, and ever will be, alone, the abfolutely good.

Let us then, my brethren, with all humility and gratitude to God, for every thing that we have, or are, refpect ourfelves, as fo greatly diftinguifhed by the Author of all excellence, and not carelessly and wickedly abandon the glorious prospects that are fet before us. For a beggar in our streets to reject the offer of a kingdom, would not be more prepofterous. We can

hardly