enlarged by the lapse of time. To the miracles of our Lord are now added those of the Apostles. And to the prophecies accomplished in himself, all the series of predictions which have been since fulfilled, and are now fulfilling, in the world. We also adjoin the proofs arising from the propagation of the gospel, and the obvious benefits it has conferred on mankind. These topics will form the subject of the present and the four succeeding Lectures.'

Our Lord's doctrine and character, as well as the divine effects of his religion, will form branches of the internal evidences to be considered in a further division of our Course.*

Thus we are coming to the grounds of a divine faith, fixed on a divine testimony. The authenticity and credibility of our books place them on the footing of other undoubted histories; the supernatural credentials will give to the subject matter of them a divine authority.

We begin with the MIRACLES of our Lord and his Apostles.

And here three questions may be proposed: Did the wonderful actions ascribed to Christ and the Apostles really take place? Were these actions undoubtedly miraculous? Was there

1 Lect. viii-xi.

2 Lect. xiv.-xviii.

such a connexion between them and the religion they attest, as to prove that that religion was from God?

If these questions are satisfactorily answered, we shall have demonstrated all that the case requires; for we shall have shown that THE FACTS WERE DONE that THE

FACTS WERE MIRACULOUS-that THE FACTS PROVE THE TRUTH OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION.

Let me beg the attention of every candid and sincere hearer, (for I address no other,) whilst I detail the proofs of these points, though they will necessarily throw us back on the last lecture. Some repetition on so great a topic, if unavoidable, is a small evil.

I. To ask whether the wonderful actions ascribed to our Saviour and his apostles REALLY TOOK PLACE, is to move again the question which we have already settled. For it is in a good measure the same thing as to ask, Whether the credibility of the gospel history includes the credibility of the works which are the most prominent part of it, and on which the whole rests. If the history be not true as to these, it is not true at all. The wonderful deeds are not subordinate and insulated parts of the account, mere appendages; but the main features. The trust-worthiness of

the historians is pledged to the particular events which we call miracles, as the foundation of the entire narrative. The question then with regard to them is of the last moment. Το proceed in the clearest manner, let us first separate the wonderful actions from their causes, and view them simply as matters of history.

Take any miracles you please. For instance, at the marriage feast in Cana, our Lord is represented as having turned water into wine. At the same place he healed the son of a nobleman who was sick at Capernaum. On another occasion, when watched by the Pharisees, he ordered the man who had a withered hand, to stretch it forth and it became whole as the other. Again, he restored sight to blind Bartimeus; and he raised Lazarus, and the only son of a widowed mother at Nain, to life.

Now in each of these and the like examples of our Lord's wonderful works, there are two listinct and palpable facts, which were subted to the observation of all the people, of which they were competent judges. water-pots of stone were filled with watern the servants presented the same to the ernor of the feast, it was wine. The nobleu left his son at Capernaum dying-he reved on bis return from our Lord, the certain Jine very. The man had indis

putably a withered hand-it was afterwards

whole as the other.

sight was restored. Nain were dead; the

Bartimeus was blind-bis

Lazarus and the youth at

one had been interred,

the other was carried out on the bier as our Lord met him-both lived again.

So of all the other works which were performed by our Lord and his apostles, and which we consider to be miracles. At the least, certain plain, intelligible facts took place, which no one can dispute. All who were present witnessed and knew the previous state of the sufferers-the same persons witnessed and knew their subsequent altered condition. Whether a miracle was performed in each case, is another question. We are now concerned with the previous enquiry.. Did certain facts occur? Does the testimony to the facts of the state previous to the interference of our Lord and his apostles, and to the facts of the state subsequent to it-does this testimony deserve belief? Were the events themselves such as are recorded?

These remarks may be applied to the greatest of all miracles-the resurrection of our Lord. It resolves itself likewise into two facts. Did the apostles see and know the death and burial of their Master? This is one fact. Did they see and know the same Jesus

on are of degree of probability, even the lowest, do wy act on the strong probability, or rather, the unanswerable moral certainty which sheds ta glory on the book of God?

Aina! how weak is the faith of multitudes, how infirm and uncertain their judg mente, how inconsistent and indecisive their conduct! How little are they governed by the weight of testimony in religion! Unless there be a right state of heart, how small is the deference which men practically pay to the Evidences of Christianity! It is for this reason that I insist so continually on the importance of a religious and candid temper. Men believe according to the state of their affections. How little do multitudes act as if a Saviour had been really born, as if he had truly died for our redemption, as if he had really sent down his Holy Spirit upon his church, and was about to return to judge the world! How little do men act upon the 4e and immortality which are brought to light by the gospel! They hesitate-they are negligent they just admit the authenticity and credibility of the gospel-they are just not unbelievers-- but they want feeling, interest, a sense of the importance of religion.

11. Let such, then, awake to the IMMENSE VALUK OF CHRISTIANITY, the facts of which re