regularity, our existence would be a mere succession of accidents. This would be equally true of the whole course of events. There would be, visibly, neither means nor ends. If second causes existed, they would be unperceived; and their efficacy being continually variable, could never be discerned. All things therefore would naturally be attributed to chance. Who then would be able to refute the doctrines of Epicurus, or to prove satisfactorily the perfections or even the existence of God? 4. How interesting an object is the destination of this world. In The earth was designed to be the habitation of immortal beings, whose numbers the human mind is unable to limit. Every one of these is an heir, either of endless happiness or endless woe. All of them also have apostatized from God, and exposed themselves to final condemnation. In this state of things, this world became the theatre of the most wonderful works, which, so far as our knowledge extends, has ever existed. The Son of God descended from heaven, and, passing by the angels, took upon him the seed of Abraham;' suffered the distresses of a humble persecuted life; died on the cross, and was buried in the grave, to expiate the sins of men. consequence of this expiation, the Spirit of truth has here shed his renewing influence on the human soul; and has sanctified, and will hereafter sanctify, a multitude which no man can number, of all nations, kindreds, and tongues.' All these, by a patient continuance in welldoing, will seek for glory, honour, and immortality;' and will find a new, eternal life.' By their union to Christ, and their interest in his mediation, they will hereafter become, together with the angels who kept their first estate, inhabitants of the supreme heaven, and attendants upon the throne of God. This is a destiny to which, so far as we are informed, no other virtuous beings will ever be raised. Thus this world is a scene of transactions, such as probably never existed in any other: and its inhabitants are heirs of glory and happiness, in which they will be rivalled only by the angels of God. 5. These considerations exhibit the unreasonableness of several objections made against the divine origin of the Scrip tures. (1) The representation of the scriptures, that the creation was accomplished progressively, and not instantaneously, is declared to be unworthy of God. It will be admitted that Moses has taught, not only in the most explicit, but in the most sublime manner, that it was perfectly easy for God to create the world in an instant. Let there be light,' said this glorious Being, and there was light. Let there be a firmament, and there was a firmament. Let the waters be separated from the waters, and they were separated.' He who can do these things in this manner, can do any thing in any manner that shall please him. No other representation of power was ever to be compared with this. Nor has any one of those who have followed Moses, whether inspired or uninspired, rivalled him in sublimity of narration. But while he exhibits the omnipotence of God in so impressive a manner, he gives us an account of the creation, which is both intelligible and useful. Had the work of creation been instantaneously performed, it would have been totally incomprehensible even by the angels, who were witnesses of it; and the history of it would have been totally useless to ourselves, except merely as settling the point, that the world was created. The first verse in the bible would have contained the whole. Nor could any thing have been added to it with propriety, unless that God called the universe into existence by his word. How much more interesting, comprehensible and delightful, is the whole chapter, in which that verse is contained. In a far higher proportion was the actual progress and order of this great work intelligible, interesting and delightful, to the sons of God,' who were witnesses of its accomplishment. They saw and understood much of what was done: we read and understand not a little. The history of the creation as written by Moses, is the noblest history which was ever written by man. With perfect simplicity, it unites supreme grandeur; and has accordingly received the highest testimony of criticism, from the time of Longinus to the present day. It is further to be remembered, that by means of this order of creation, the Sabbath, the great source of piety and eternal life to man, was ushered into the world with a solemnity unrivalled and infinite. 'God rested,' say the divine writers, 'from all his works which he created and made; the morn ing stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.' What a sabbath was this! Who, with such an example before him, can refuse to keep this day holy unto the Lord?' Who does not see that the very existence of this example, and all its consequent influence, arose out of the order of the creation, recited by Moses? (2) Another objection urged by infidels against the divine origin of the Scriptures, is derived from the date assigned by them to the creation. Can it be supposed,' say these men, that God existed so many millions of ages alone; and began the work of creating only six thousand years ago?' This question has been often asked with confidence, and even with triumph. But it has been always asked without good sense or consideration. Yet, as there are persons who will ask it, and others who will suppose it to possess real weight, it will not be improper to give it a momentary attention. I answer then, In the first place, that the Scriptures do not assert the existence of created things to have been begun at the time when this world was made; and there is no presumption against the formation of this world at the time specified. There is no more reason to conclude, á priori, that worlds may not be created at different times, but must all be brought into existence co-etaneously, than there is to form the same decision concerning trees, animals, or men. Again: If all things were created at the time specified by Moses, then it is certain that the creation existed as soon as was possible. Between the eternity of God, and any supposable date of creation or commencement of time, there is, there can be, no possible relation, and therefore no possible comparison. To the eternity of Him, with whom one day is exactly as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day; who inhabiteth eternity at once; whose duration is an omnipresent now; our successive existence, and the periods by which it is reckoned, have no reference whatever. To Him, time and date have no relation, and are obviously nothing. Further: Had the world been created at the commencement of any imaginable past period, suppose a billion of years; at the end of six thousand years from its first creation, the same objection would have been made against the date of its existence with exactly the same force. It might then have been asked, with exactly the same propriety, Can it be supposed that God existed so many millions of ages alone, and began the work of creating only six thousand years ago? The objectors appear not to perceive, that by receding into past duration, they approach no nearer to a goal; but that, while they amuse themselves with the dream of advancing towards a satisfactory limit, the same vast still expands immeasurably before them. (3) From the regular order of things, infidels have also determined, That the universe is eternal, and have hence denied the revelation of the Scriptures. St. Peter has taught us, that ' in the last days there should be scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the world.' This prediction we ourselves see verified. There have long been, there are now, just such scoffers, just such objectors. The regular order of things established in this world, has long been the source of pertinacious opposition to the word, the government, and even the existence of God; and the design of the opposition has uniformly been to overthrow the promise,' and the probability, ' of his coming' to judgment. The general doctrine of these men has been this: The materials of the universe were self-existent and eternal. By means of these materials, fate, necessity, destiny, or a blind succession of causes, have produced such beings and events as have hitherto existed.' At the same time, another class of infidels pronounce all such beings and events to be the result of mere chance. Regular as the present system is, they professedly find in it sufficient irregularity to warrant them in making this conclusion. Singular indeed must be that state of things which is sufficiently regular to support the former of these doctrines, and sufficiently irregular to warrant the latter. According to these schemes, taken together, there neither is nor can be any proof of the existence and government of God, either in the present, or in any supposable state of things. The only remaining mode by which the Creator can make himself known to mankind is Revelation; and the possibility of this, several of these men roundly deny. Men indeed make known themselves to each other every day, by speaking, moving, and acting. Even common modesty, as well as com mon sense, could not, one would think, believe this to be beyond the power and skill of the omnipotent and omniscient Creator of men. The two schemes of existence here specified, have been sufficiently examined in the second of these Discourses. All that I have intended here was barely to remind you of the manner in which men of this character have thought proper to reason; and to show you that their views of the universe and its Author, flow from the heart, and not from the head. (4) Infidels object the Miracles recorded in the Scriptures, against their divine origin; on the ground, that there is a universal presumption against the existence of a miracle. Those which are styled the laws of nature were, it will be remembered, subsequent in their existence to the creation. This work could not therefore be in any sense conformed to them, but was an immediate act of Divine power; absolutely new, conformed to no analogy, and existing in a manner wholly miraculous. What is thus true of the work of creation at large, is equally true of the act by which each individual thing, originally created, was brought into being. There have therefore been many millions of miraculous productions; and in this vast number of instances, miracles have been certainly wrought. Of course, there is the strongest presumption of their existence in other cases. We know that they have been actually wrought, when there was a sufficient occasion: and cannot rationally doubt, that on every other such occasion they would be wrought again. Nothing more therefore can be necessary to prove their existence, than fair unexceptionable Lestimony. 6. If this great work is thus wonderful, how wonderful, how glorious must be its Author. All of them All these things He contrived and executed. are merely pictures, or archetypes, of the thoughts originally existing in the uncreated mind. Whatever is beautiful, useful, majestic or exalted, is only a display of the beauty, excellence, greatness, and sublimity of Divine perfection. How naturally do our first parents exclaim, in the language of the great English poet, 'These are thy glorious works, Parent of good, |