storms.

to them, of a happy immortality, sweetens the present day. To the unfortunate, again, who are struggling with the stormy sea of life, but still depend for relief on divine aid, and the faithful promises of the gospel, it opens the solacing prospect of a secure haven, where they shall escape from the To every thinking man, whatever may be his condition, the great truths are well known, that here he has no continuing city, or lasting place of abode; and that a few revolving years, at the utmost, will send him to that narrow house to which every mortal must go down. Of what importance, then, must it be to him to study that knowledge which will add to his happiness here, and afford to him such bright and cheering prospects hereafter! This must, in an especial manner, be of consequence to him, if, like me, he has suffered much domestic affliction; and if it has been his mournful lot, (like mine,) within his own family, to consign to untimely graves many of those who were most promising and dear; and whom, alas! neither youth, nor beauty, nor talents, nor attainments, could save from the fatal destroyer! Of what vital importance indeed must it be to the happiness of such a person, to have that belief which will lead him confidently to hope and trust, that after a patient continuance in well-doing here, he shall, in a more blessed state, meet again with those who were so precious to him, to part with them no more!

H

These are the views which I have been led to take of the evidences of our religion, both external and internal; and happy shall I be if my reasonings shall have proved satisfactory on this great subject. I shall only say, that although sceptics in all ages have cavilled, yet the soundest understandings that have ever existed have been satisfied of the truth of our religion; and the ablest men that ever lived, have been pious adherents of Christ. A Bacon, a Boyle, a Newton, and a Locke, those sages who "led forth the true philosophy," who explored the innermost recesses of nature, and, by their wonderful investigations and discoveries, raised us almost to the rank of superior beings;-all of them have been believers in our Redeemer, and supporters of the Christian faith. Who among the infidels can be compared with them; and which of their philosophers can stand in competition with these?

One reflection more still remains to be made, arising from the train of thinking in which we have been engaged. That same Jesus who rent the heavens and came down to sojourn among us with so much benevolence, and the truth of whose religion we have now been examining, is yet to return. On the latter day, he shall appear with infinite majesty, surrounded with innumerable angels, to complete his work of redeeming love. Then will ye who shall have obeyed his precepts receive the reward of all your services! Ye steadfast believers in your blessed Master, then

ah, then-shall ye know the value of that faith which shall have saved you!

NOTE.

This is in general the same treatise which was first published under the title of a "Father's Gift;" but it has since been much enlarged and altered, and, I trust, improved. The additions now made, consist chiefly of remarks upon the peculiar style of the Epistles, as part of the evidence of their truth; of observations on the particular character of Christ, as confirming the testimony of his religion; and of nearly two chapters on the internal evidences, with remarks therewith connected. There has further been transferred into the body of the essay, a more special examination of the evidence of the Christian miracles, which was not in the original treatise, but formed a part of the appendix to the later editions; and so is probably new to those who have perused only the earlier ones. These additions, including what has been so transferred, amount in all to above one-fourth part of the whole essay.

The change alluded to, which has been made, exclusive of the additions, has been effected chiefly by placing the refutation of the general objections to the Christian evidences towards the latter part of the treatise, instead of the beginning of it, where it originally was. The alteration was judiciously suggested to me in a very friendly letter, written to me on the subject, by the late Bishop Sandford of Edinburgh; and which letter, on his death, I handed to his son, when I understood that a publication was contemplated of a Memoir of the Bishop, with part of his correspondence. The same suggestion was made likewise in a letter to me from the Reverend Mr Jones, Archdeacon of Bangor.

The "Father's Gift" is the treatise alluded to by Mr Lockhart, in his Life of Burns, when mentioning my acquaintance with the poet; but in the first edition of that life, it was, by mistake, styled a " Manual of Devotion:" In a subsequent edition, it got its proper appellation of a " View of the Evidences of the Christian Religion."

ESSAY III.

ON THE

IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL.

"If a man die, shall he live again?”—JOB xiv. 14.

"That which natural religion hath but shadowed out, Christianity will reveal in glory. It will clear up thy doubts, disperse thy fears, and turn thy hopes into certainty. Thy reasonings about a future state, which are but reasonings, it will not only verify by divine authorities, but by positive proof."-CUMBERLAND'S Observer.