But may not the evidence of the Scriptures, the written records of our religion, receive aid also from attention to the observance of its institutions and sacred times? To resort, on this occasion, as in other instances, to a familiar example;-suppose that a peasant, dwelling near to any of the royal fortresses of the kingdom, has heard yearly, during all his life, and knows that his forefathers likewise, in every year of theirs, had listened to the resounding of the artillery there, on the anniversaries of the discovery of the gun-powder treason, and the restoration of King Charles the Second, meant for commemorating those great events: even without resorting to authentic history, of which probably he has no knowledge, it never enters into his imagination to doubt, that that plot was actually discovered, or that monarch happily restored to his kingdom. From the repetition of the firing, in all the successive years, said to be intended to keep in remembrance those great occurrences, he concludes, that that practice must

have been commenced by authority, immediately after they happened; or at least while they were fresh in every body's memory. In thinking so, he reasons justly; because it is scarcely possible to conceive such an order to have been given, and such annual custom to have been insti

tuted, about any thing which those, meant to be kept in recollection of it, had never before heard of, or known.

To apply this example to our present subject. The period of our Lord's sufferings and death, has, in most churches, been recognized as a season of solemnity and devotion; and, from its constant and regular return, the same conclusions of the truth of these serious events should follow, as took place regarding those great political occurrences, from the constant reiteration of what was instituted for keeping them in remembrance. The same thing may be said of the solemn sacrament of the supper; and while we, and our fathers, and remote ancestors, have all constantly, from time to time, sat down at the com

munion-table, or approached the altar to commemorate the Redeemer, our ideas naturally go back through the constant recurrence of such ceremonies, to the commencement of them, 66 on that night on which he was betrayed." What we do now, is no doubt merely doing again what has been done before; but beyond all these repetitions, the mind rests on the period, when what is now only repeated was done for the first time; and we are satisfied, that at the be ginning of the long series of recurrences of the sacred communion, those who first commemorated their departed master, knew well that they did so by his own express direc tion.

Many other illustrations might be given of this argument, but they seem unnecessary; and enough has been said to shew, that our Scrip tures receive no small confirmation from the recurrence of such ceremonies, and the return of sacred sea

sons.

CHAP. VI.

HAVING thus, as I conceive, sufficiently demonstrated, not only that the Scriptures which we have, are really the books which they are stated to be, but also, that they are true, I shall now solicit your attention to the two modes by which the truth of our Saviour's mission has been proven; and these are, miracles and prophecy, as detailed in those writings.

And first, with regard to MIRACLES. The laws of nature, are, in the common case, uniform and regular ; they depend not on man, and can never be changed nor departed from, by any thing which he can do. In every instance, therefore, where we find those laws traversed, where we discover events take place in opposition and contrary to them, we must infer the operation of the same

great Being who instituted them, and must acknowledge the hand of God. When, therefore, a personage appears, teaching the purest morality, and the sublimest religion; informing us, that he does so by commission from the Most High; and in evidence thereof, by the performance of wonderful miracles, evinces, that through him the regular laws of nature can be departed from, that great personage is entitled to be supposed the direct messenger of God. The Scriptures, whose veracity we have shown, acquaint us that these things were done by Jesus; and by them did he demonstrate his high and illustrious office.

On this subject of miracles, I may remark, that though, as we have seen, many of the heathen authors, who lived in the early ages of Christianity, write of Jesus, they did not deny his miracles. These were, at that period, too well established for their truth to be disputed. Acknowledging the miracles to have been actually performed, they have ascribed