For example, that the whole nation of the Jews, confifting at that time of fix hundred thousand men, befides women and children, fhould believe that, after feeing many miracles. performed in Egypt, they all walked through the Red Sea, while the waters divided to make them way; that they all heard the distinct articulate pronunciation of the ten commandments from mount Sinai; that after continuing in the wilderness forty years, during which they were witneffes of several other miracles, they all went through the river Jordan as they had through the Red Sea; that they should obferve the Paffover, and other annual cuftoms, in commemoration of those events, and preferve among them to this day books containing a diftinct narrative of thefe events, univerfally, and at all times, believed to be written at the time while the events were recent, are facts of this nature.

Jews are men, and they were by no means previously disposed to believe any thing of the kind above mentioned, or to practise the religious rites enjoined upon them in confequence

of

of them. And therefore that their minds fhould be univerfally impreffed with this belief, without a fufficient caufe, in the reality of the events, would be a proper miracle, nay a complication of miracles, of the most extraordinary nature. And what makes the cafe more extraordinary ftill, it would be a ferics of miracles wrought for no end; whereas the miracles recorded in the books of Mofes had a great and worthy object, viz. to imprefs the minds of the Jewish nation, and through them thofe of other nations, with the firm belief of the fupremacy of one true God, the maker of all things, and of his providence in conducting the affairs of men.

Alfo, the miracles performed by Chrift, the great object of whofe miffion was the revelation of a future ftate of rewards and punishments, are lefs extraordinary, and lefs contrary to the common courfe of nature, than the firm belief of fo many thoufands of perfons, previoufly difpofed as they all were, that fuch miracles were wrought; when they had every opportunity, and every motive,

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motive, that men could have to fatisfy themfelves concerning their truth, on the fuppofition that no fuch miracles were wrought. And the reality of their belief cannot be queftioned, fince they facrificed every thing that men hold dear to them in life, and many of them life itself, to their belief.

The miracle, for fo I must call it, of fo many perfons deceiving themfelves and others, could not have been calculated for any other purpose than that of mere delufion, without any rational object whatever. Whereas the miracles on which the belief of Chriftianity is established had the greatest and most glorious object that can be conceived, viz. the giving mankind a just idea of their future destination, fhewing them that this life is but the infancy of their being, and that they are to be educated for an immortal life hereafter. The full perfuafion of these great truths gives an unfpeakable dignity to the human character; it adds greatly to the true enjoyment of this life, and in a manner annihilates all its pains and troubles, as well as tends to prepare them for their future ftate.

This was an object worthy of the author of the human race, and could not have been accomplished by any other than fupernatural means; no appearances in nature giving us any rational ground to expect that we fhall furvive the grave. Nothing, however, could be better calculated to produce this belief than fuch miracles as Chrift wrought, and himself, the great preacher of the doctrine, dying in order to exemplify in his own perfon, that refurrection which he was authorised to promise to all. Had the most incredulous of mankind been asked what evidence of a future life would fatisfy them, they could not have demanded any thing more than this; nor, as I have diftinctly shewn in my Difcourfe on the Refurrection of Jefus, could they have demanded any ftronger evidence of any fact, than that which divine. Providence has actually provided for this; fo that its credibility fhould be ftronger, efpecially in remote ages, and to the end of time.

LETTER IV.

Cautions against fuperficial Reasoning on this Subject.

GENTLEMEN,

IT is not my intention in these Letters to

enter into a detail of the evidences of revealed religion. This I have done, in a great measure, in other publications; but only to give you what I apprehend many of you have not at prefent, viz. fome idea of the importance of the subject, and the nature of the evidence, in order to induce you to make farther inquiries concerning it; and I wish you to do this with the diligence and rigour that the cafe requires.

Be perfuaded, then, to examine with due care and impartiality the evidence of the facts on which revealed religion is founded, as you would do with refpect to any other interefting facts of the fame historical nature. It is acknow