sentiments of his soul; that he cannot but wish it may be true; and never yet, I believe, did any good man wish it to be true, but he actually found it so. He sees in it every expectation of nature answered, every infirmity supported, every want supplied, every terror dissipated, every hope confirmed; nay, he sees that God has done exceeding abundantly above all that he could either ask or think; that he has given him (what reason could hardly have the idea of) eternal happiness in a life to come. Will this man "love darkness " rather than that light ?" Will he choose to pursue virtue, with much pains, little success, and no other wages than death; or to be led to her through a safe and easy path by an infallible guide, who does not desire him to "serve God for nought ?"

Let me not however be understood to assert, or to represent the text as asserting, that all unbelievers are without exception absolutely wicked men. There are some, no doubt, who lead, what is called, good moral lives. Yet, if you examine even these very strictly, you will, I believe, seldom find that their virtue is so pure, so uniform, so extensive,

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so complete in all the several branches of duty, as that of a truly devout Christian. And it should be observed, also, that men may reject the Gospel, not only because they are dissolute in their conduct, but for various other reasons; because, perhaps, they are too busy or too idle, to examine carefully into the truth; because, like Gallio, “ they care "for none of these things," and, like him, "drive them away" with contempt "from "the judgment-seat"* of their own mind; because they give themselves up to a warm, lively imagination; and are impatient to show that they have more depth of thought, more freedom of spirit, and elevation of mind, than the rest of the world; because, in fine, they are ambitious to figure at the head of a sect, to enjoy the delightful triumph of beating down long-established opinions, and erecting upon their ruins a little favourite system of their own. Now all these causes of infidelity, though less culpable than downright profligacy, are yet evidently great faults, and indicate more or

* Acts xviii. 16.

less a depraved turn of mind; and from immoralities of this kind at least scarce any sceptics are entirely free. Or, admit that some are; yet these instances are confessedly very rare; and a prudent man would no more choose to embark his morality on so precarious a bottom, than he would venture to walk in the dark amidst rocks and precipices, because some perhaps have done it without receiving any harm. In general, therefore, the ground of unbelief laid down by our Saviour in the text is undoubtedly a true one; and if a man shuns the light, it is an almost certain sign that his deeds are, in some sense or other, in a greater or a lesser degree, evil, and consequently his condemnation just.

Yet how can this be? you will perhaps say, Can God punish his creatures for walking by that light which he himself has set up in their own minds, though he has at the same time perhaps revealed a fuller light from heaven?* Most certainly he can; for the very same reason that a prince might punish

* De quoi puis-je être coupable en servant Dieu selon les lumières qu'il donne à mon esprit, & selon les sentimens qu'il inspire à mon cœur? Rousseau, t. 8. p. 67.

his subjects for acting by the law of nature, instead of governing themselves by the civil laws of the land. It is not a matter of indifference, whether you embrace Christianity or not. Though reason could answer all the purposes of Revelation, (which is far, very far from being the case,) yet you are not at liberty to make it your sole guide, if there be such a thing as a true Revelation. We are the subjects of the Almighty: and whether we will acknowledge it or not, we live, and cannot but live, under his government. His will is the law of his kingdom. If he has made no express declaration of his will, we must collect it as well as we can from what we know of his nature and our own. But if he has expressly declared his will, that is the law we are to be governed by. We We may indeed refuse to be governed by it; but it is at our peril if we do; for if proves to be a true declaration of his will, to reject it is rebellion.

it

But to reject or receive it, you may allege, is not a thing in your own power. Belief depends not on your will, but your understanding, And will the righteousJudge

of the earth condemn you for want of understanding? No; but he may and will condemn you for the wrong conduct of your understanding. It is not indeed in your power to believe whatever you please, whether credible or incredible, but it is in your power to consider thoroughly, whether a supposed incredibility be real or only apparent. It is in your power to bestow a greater or less degree of attention on the evidence before you. It is in your power to examine it with an earnest desire to find out the truth,and a firm resolution to embrace it wherever you do find it; or, on the contrary, to bring with you a heart full of incorrigible depravity, or invincible prepossessions. Have you then truly and honestly done every thing that is confessedly in your power, towards forming a right judgment of Revelation? Have you ever laid before yourself in one view the whole collective evidence of Christianity: the consistence, harmony, and connection of all its various parts; the long chain of prophe

* Est-on maêtre de croire, ou de ne pas croire? Est-ce un crime de n'avoir pas su bien argumenter? Rousseau, tom. 6. p 305