Nay. the Faith of the Apostles themselves was established in the ordinary way, by outward evidence. For their conversion it was, and through them for the conversion of the whole world, that our Lord "shewed himself alive to them after his passion, by many infallible proofs." "And he that saw it bare record," says St. John, "and his record is true: and he knoweth that what he saith is true, that ye might believe.”

The words of those who brought the first account of our Lord's Resurrection, seemed to the Apostles as "idle tales, and they believed them not." How was this unbelief overcome? St. John tells us in his own case, as any other man would do, that he "saw and believed" For their conviction it was that our Lord vouchsafed to "shew unto them his hands and his side," and when Thomas would not believe on the testimony of the other Apostles, our Lord gave him that full evidence of his senses which he demanded. "Thomas," said he, "reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side; and be not faithless but believing." when Thomas overcome by this evidence, and melted by this condescension, broke out, in the language of true faith, into that exclamation, "MY LORD AND MY GOD:" "Thomas," replied our Lord, "thou hast believed, because thou hast seen me: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." This passage demands all our attention. Had Faith sprung from any inward impression, Thomas might as well have believed before this sensible conviction, as after it. But he

with

with-held his assent, till it was extorted from him by the evidence of his senses. Upon which our Lord's remark is, "blessed are they which have not seen, and yet have believed." That is, "the ordinary means of blessing mankind with the knowledge of Christian Faith, will be by that evidence which thou hast resisted, and the testimony of well-informed witnesses. The evidence of sense is indeed given to a few, that they may be my chosen witnesses to the rest of the world; but this kind of evidence cannot be imparted to all; the work of general conversion must be carried on by rational and historical evidence." It must be acknowledged that this occurrence is extremely remarkable, and seems to have been disposed by our Lord on purpose to lay open to us, in one striking incident, the whole doctrine of the origin of Faith.

If then this inward illumination did not take place even in the age of miracles, and in the times of the most plentiful effusions of the Holy Spirit, we can have no reason to expect it in these days, when his extraordinary communications are withdrawn. If it did not give birth to the Christian Faith, even in its first production, we can have no grounds to suppose it in the succession and

continuance of it.

Thus is this doctrine established upon the fullest and clearest proof; a proof resting not upon some casual expression, which might be liable to various constructions, but upon a series of facts which cannot be mistaken; upon the uniform practice of our Lord and his Apostles throughout their

whole

whole ministry. A proof of this nature can hardly leave room for any doubt or exception.

And here I should conclude my observations on the origin of faith, were it not that this subject hath been unhappily obscured by a number of unintelligible things that have been advanced against it I shall therefore add a few words concerning the evil tendency of a doctrine, which has of "late gained too much ground, of the insufficiency and inutility of reason in all divine subjects.

If reason is excluded from all share in forming and conducting the principles of our faith; if the whole work of Religion is supposed to be carried on by some concealed operations within, in which we are entirely passive, having nothing to do but to obey the secret impulse; how unfavourable an influence must this doctrine shed on all the business of the improvement of the mind, whose enlargement has been hitherto considered as bearing an honourable relation, and being as it were an handmaid to Religion! Alas, how degraded must all the functions of reason appear, when thus divorced from virtue, her noblest companion; and how mean, how trifling, all her labours, when they are no longer conceived to have any tendency to promote the only real business of this life, our preparation for a better ! If opini ons of this kind once come to prevail amongst us, like an unkindly damp, they must chili all the powers of the mind. For what is there, what can there be to excite or call her forth to action, now that her highest encouragement, her fairest palm of honour, is snatched from her? Farewell L

ther

then all efforts of genius, all generous emulation in the race of glory! farewell all thirst of knowledge, all culture of polite literature, or useful science; all that can adorn or improve the mind, farewell; and welcome, in their stead, monkish ignorance and barbarism! the mind, abandoned to the guidance of a fancied inspiration, runs into all the wilds of enthusiasm: there all neglected and melancholy it wanders; haunted by dark and gloomy visions; deserted by itself, and lost to every thing that is rational, manly and truly noble. All human learning will be reckoned to vitiate and debauch the mind, instead of improving it. Reason itself will be regarded with a jealous eye, as the rival of true religion,; and learning, that sacred pledge of faith, will be considered as a vain idol, aud all our studies, idolatry,

Of the Operation of Faith."

Let us now enquire into the operation of faith and consider the various tvays by which the Christian Faith applies itself to the human mind for its improvement.

And first of all, it begins its operations by en lightening the understanding, and by pouring into it streams of celestial knowledge, We now become "acquainted with God," and obtain a more enlarged view of the divine nature and perfecti

ons.

Reason indeed, properly exercised on the creation, could not fail to see many of those rays which beaming from the creation were reflected from his works. Such of the divine perfections.

as had been exerted in the creation, could ne ver lie hid since the creation itself was perpetually bearing its testimony to them, and all its parts were for ever telling to every beholder, the power, the wisdom, and the goodness of him who framed them. But the creation itself, though a fair transcript of the divine perfections, was still an imperfect one. Could we suppose it possibe that we could look through all nature, and could discern every character of wisdom that the Almighty hath impressed on every part of this system, our conceptions of the divine perfections would no doubt be exalted in proportion as our prospect of his glorious works was more extended. But even then our knowledge of the eternal Creafor would not so far surpass that degree of knowledge which we now imbibe from seeing only a part of his works, as it would all short of that which we shall one day obtain from a view of systems still more glorious. The works of God can only convey to our understandings an image of so much perfection as hath been stamped upon them. But our creation is far too narrow to receive a compleat impression of the divinity. When we shall have heard all that this creation can tell us of God, we shall have heard only a small part of all that God is.

Of all the divine attributes the power of the Creator was that which arose at first in its fullest orb; for we cannot conceive an higher exertion power, than that of producing a creation out of nothing. Yet those acts of power which have been exerted in our redemption, if not equal

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