תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

lence, the candour and modefty, the power and the dignity, of our Saviour, with the craft, fecrecy, and oftentation, of a juggler, (one trembles even to think of the comparison,) and find no material difference between the mighty works of the one and the petty tricks of the other, are far beyond the reach of argument, and must, on this subject at least, be abfolutely irrational. As well might they fay, that the juggler, because he can fhift a card, or manage an eafy calculation, muft have the command of nature, and the power of changing death into life. The clown, who should fay fo, would be laughed at for his credulity and ignorance. What then fhall we think of the philofopher, who, in his judgment of our Saviour's miracles, fhows himself equally ignorant and credulous?

LASTLY; the apoftles found themfelves endowed, agreeably to their Lord's prediction, with the power of working fuch miracles as he had wrought. They saw the lame walk, the living drop down dead, and the dead arife to life, at their command. They felt themselves on a fudden enabled to speak a variety of languages they had never learned; a talent which, in the course of their miniftry, they must have had frequent occafion to exercife. In this is it probable, is it poffible, that they could be mistaken ?

THEIR faith, therefore, was the effect, not of WEAKNESS, but of WELL-GROUNDED CONVICCONSEQUENTLY THEIR TESTIMONY IS

TION.

TRUE.

End of the First Uolume of Beattie.

SECTION IV.

THE SUBJECT CONTINUED.

THE EXCELLENCY AND SINGULAR NATURE OF CHRISTI ANITY, A PROOF OF ITS TRUTH.

IT was hinted, that the other evidences of our religion may be greatly confirmed by the confideration of its fingular nature, and by the peculiar excellency of the knowledge we derive from it. For, if it fhall be found to have made its way in the world, in oppofition to human power, and by more than human means; if its excellency be fuch as to tranfcend the beft efforts of human wisdom; and if in its purity and tendency it be altogether worthy of God; we must, I think, affign it a divine original.

SOME things pertaining to this part of the fubject have been mentioned already. But, in a difquifition of this fort, in which the evidence hangs fo closely together, that fcarce any one part of it can be treated separate from the reft, a few repetitions will be pardoned, because it is not eafy to avoid them.

NEVER was there on earth any other perfon of fo extraordinary a character as the Founder of our religion. In him we uniformly fee a mildnefs, dignity, and compofure, and a perfection of wisdom and of goodness, that plainly point him out as a fuperior being. But his fuperiority was all in his own divine mind. He had none of thofe outward advantages that have diftinguished all other lawgivers. He had no influence in the ftate; he had no wealth; he aimed at no worldly power. He was the fon of a carpenter's wife, and he was himself a carpenter. So poor were his reputed parents, that at the time of his birth his mother could obtain no better lodging than a ftable; and so poor was he himself, that he often had no lodging at all. That he had no advantages of education, we may infer from the surprise expreffed by his neighbours on hearing him speak in the fynagogue: Whence hath this man these things? What wisdom is this which is given * him? Is not this the carpenter, the fon of Mary? Are not his brethren and fifters with us?' This point, however, we need not infift on; as from no education, that his own or any other country could have afforded, was it poffible for him to derive that fupernatural wisdom and power, that fanctity of life, and that purity of doctrine, which distinguish him from all other human beings.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

His firft adherents were a few fishermen; for whom he was fo far from making any provifion, that when he sent them out to preach repentence, and heal diseases, they were, by his, defire, furnished with nothing but one coat, a pair of fan dals, and a staff. He went about in great humi. lity and meeknefs, doing good, teaching wisdom, and glorifying God, for the space of about three years after the commencement of his miniftry; and then, as he himfelf had foreseen and foretold he was publicly crucified.-This is the man, who at this day gives law to a great part of the world, and to all the most enlightened nations. This is the man, who has been the author of virtue and happiness to millions and millions of the human race. And this is he, whom the wisest and beft men that ever lived have reverenced as a divine person, and glorified in as the deliverer and faviour of mankind.

In all this is there nothing extraordinary, nothing that feems to require the operation of more than human wisdom, and more than human power? We have heard of great events proceeding from fmall causes; but in general we can trace the connection between them, and account for it from the common principles that regulate human affairs. But here, fuppofing Jefus to have been nothing more than a mere man, and no other

« הקודםהמשך »