Page images
PDF
EPUB

perfect and complete. They fay, they had all their knowledge of religion from Jefus Christ. But whence did J fus Chrift derive it? Thofe who deny his divine miffion, will find it dif ficult to account for his knowledge. There is fomething in hi fc eme unspeakably fuperior to every other. It takes in the rights of God, as well as the neceffities of man; and renders God el rious in all his perfections, as well as man completely happy. Who befides, in ancient or modern times ever conceived so vast an idea? But Jefus had no literary education. Perhaps the Old Teftament was the only book he ever read. never affociated with the Philofophers: his companions were not the chief priests, and elder, and fcribes. Let the Deift fit down and aflign a fat'sfactory reafon for the vaft fu eriority of the gospel. The chriftian is free from difficulty; for he r ads in the facred page, and he believes that " Jefus "Chrift is the only begotten Son, who was in the "bofom of the Father, and hath declared him "unto us." Jon i. 18.

SECTION V.

The moral Precepts of the Gospel.

He

By those who have been accustomed from their childhood to the reading of the New Teftament, fo that every part of it is familiar to their minds, it is fcarcely poffible to form an idea of the difficulty of afcertaining the various relations among mankind with fuch precifion, as to delineate exactly what is due to each. The writings of the evangelifts and apoftles have shed fo clear a light o.. the fubject, that fome are apt to confider the

or

nowledge of relative duties, (which all the inhabitants of christendom have through various channel, derived from this fource) as originating in the reflections of their own minds, and as the fpontaneous growth of the human heart, without labour and without cultivation. But read the inftitutes of MENU, p. rufe the books of the ancient fages of pagan antiquity in the weft; and the fallacy will foon be detected. That fome things there, are good and well faid, must be obvicus to all. But how defective are they in many points, how unjuft in others, how fuperftitious in more! Some duties are misftated; fome are mutilated; fome are entirely omitted; and many things are ftrenuously enjoined as duties, which are not. Their code of morals, even in what is due from man to man, wants many leaves. As to the most important part of the fyftem, namely, man's obligation to God, and the duties refulting thence, there is a ftill more dreadful deficiency. Inftead of moral duties, we find little elfe but a hideous mass of superftitious rites, and unmeaning ceremonies.

In the New Teftament there is a perfect fyftem of moral precepts. What is due from man to himfelf, is delineated without defect, and without redundancy. What he owes to his fellow creatures in all their different relations, is clearly defined, and authoritatively enjoined. None can fay, "It "is unjuft to require me to act thus to my father, "to my mafter, to my fervant, to my child." Man's duty to God, (a fubject ftill more difficult, and where heathens failed the moft,) is lid down with equal clearnefs, and equal fulnefs. Nothing can be conceived to be a duty, which is not here enjoined; nor any thing enjoined as a duty, which we can fay is unreafonable and ought not to be

performed. The World may be challenged to mention one duty to God, or man, which the New Teftament does not enjoin; or to prove any one thing it enjoins as a duty, to be deftitute of reason, and void of obligation. The fimplicity, the concifenefs, the perfpicuity, and the authority, with which they are delivered, give force to truth, and scope to reafon in the application of general duties to particulars circumftances.

The morality of the writers of the New Teflament is their own. They borrowed it from none. It begins at the fource, and gives laws to the thoughts. Its precepts reach to the first workings of the heart it enjoins purity of foul, and brings "into captivity every thought to the obedi

ence of Chrift," 2 Cor. x. 5. Not a vain imagination can be indulged, not be indulged, not an unhallowed defire rife up, without polluting the foul, and contracting guilt.

How different is this fyftem from what was written and taught by the fages of Greece and Rome. Regard for a perfon's own fame and reputation, how exalted a place does it occupy among pagan moralifts! and an equal anxiety is difcovered for the good opinion of others, and the approbation of the public. The following line of one of their poets expreffes both:

"Eft pulchrum digito monftrari, et dicer, Hic eft." While they thought it a fine thing to be pointed at with the finger, and have it faid, That is be, the Pharifees were practifing fimilar morals. Their defire was to be feen of men; and they loved "the praise of man more than the praise of God." These the gofpel utterly excludes: it authorita

K

tively inculcates felf-denial on all its votaries. It enjoins a fupreme regard to what God approves; but to man, no further than their approbation accords with God's, and is founded on it. The dif

ciples of Jefus are commanded to make their light fhine before men: but the aim must be, not that they may be admired and praised; but that those who fee their good works "may glorify their Fa"ther, who is in Haven.

The morality of the gofpel is uncontamin ted with the impure mixtures which have defiled every human fyftem, published b.fore or fine. It admits no licensounfefs; it enjoins no aufterit es; it contains no fuperftution; it will be fatisfied with no partial regards. In the religion of Heathens and Mahometans, how many licentious practices are tolerated and approved! not one will th gofpel allow, even in thought. What a multitude of fuperftitious obfervances do we perceive in every Heathen code, in the Koran, and in the Talmud -which is the Bible of the latter Jews. But let the bittereft enemy of Chrift, who is best versed in the New Testament, take up the book, and point out one. Aufterities, or practices confifting in a privation of comfort, how congenial have they always been to human nature; and how exalted a niche have they occupied in the religions of men in ancient days, and at the pref nt hour, among Pa gans, Mahometans, Jews, and even among fome who have affumed the Chr stian name! But where will a fanction for aufterities be found in the gospel? Never is the idea even hinted at, t at fuch things render a man more acceptable to God, or advance him to a state of higher per ection. In perufing histories of religion, how often do we find reaJon to remark, that ritual obfervances have been

made to fupply the place of moral duties; and even zeal for, and abundance in one duty, to compensate for the neglect of another. But no

partial regards w 11 the gofpl allow; it infifts on univerfal obedience, and 1 udly decl res" that he "who offen 's in one point is gui ty of all."

How the writers of this book fhould be able to draw up a fyftem of morals, which the world after the apfe of eighteen centuries cannot improve, while it perceives numberless faults, and fuggefts numberless corections in those of the Philofophers of India, Greece, and Rome, the Deift is concerned to account for, in a rational way. The christian is able to do it with cafe: The evangelifts, and the apoftles of Chrift " fpake, as they were moved by the Holy Ghoft."

SECTION VI.

The manner in which a future State is reprefented in the New Teflament.

WHEN an author choofes a theme which is level to the human capacity, and of which all can judge from obfervation, experience, or reflection, he has greatly the advantage. A future ftate of rewards and punishments requires the pen of a master to write upon it with but tolerable propriety. A review of what has been published on the subject, I will evince the truth of this remark.

The Greek and Roman poets, who were the retailers of the pagan theology among the most civilized nations of antiquity, defcribe the happiness of the good, and the mifery of the wicked, after death. But how mean the happinefs! It confifts in talking over their battles, in rehearling poems,

« PreviousContinue »