or happier? Let us be assured, that if we do not see truth with sufficient distinctness, it is not our own position, nor that of the object, which is in fault, but the organ itself. It is not to our present purpose to insist on the internal evidence of Christianity; on that witness within - that conviction of the Christian's own mind, arguing so strongly the truth of Revelation from its correspondence to his own wants-because this is an evidence equally accessible to the believer of every period. We shall, therefore, only offer a few observations on the superior advantages which we at present enjoy, as well from other causes, as from the fulness of the external evidence which has been undeniably established upon the profoundest knowledge and closest examination of the Sacred Records, by sa many of our wisest and soundest divines. We We have, for our assistance in religious knowledge, the collective wisdom of sacred antiquity; and for our furtherance in piety, its precepts, its monitions, its examples. It is also the peculiar honour of our apostle, that from his life and writings alone, a new con firmation of the truth of the Gospel which he preached, has been recently and completely made out. In addition to the fullest general evidence of the authenticity of the New Testament, two of our own contemporaries,- men of different rank, habits, education, and turn of mind, have extracted from the writings of Saint Paul exclusively, particular and collateral evidence of a most interesting and important nature. We refer, in the first instance, to a small but valuable work of a noble author *, himself a convert of no common order, in which he lays down, and substantially proves the truth of the position, that the con* Lord Lyttelton. version version and apostleship of Saint Paul alone, duly considered, is, of itself, a demonstration sufficient to prove Christianity to be a Divine Revelation. Into these circumstances, which it is probable powerfully assisted his own convictions, he has with great diligence examined; and has with irresistible strength proposed them for the conviction of others. In the other instance, we refer to that exquisite work, the "Hora Paulinæ," of Doctor Paley; a work which exhibits a species of evidence as original as it is incontrovertible. It is a corroboration of the truth of the New Testament, derived from the incidental but close correspondence of numberless passages inthe life and travels of Saint Paul, related in the Acts, with his own repeated reference, in his Epistles, to the same circumstances, persons, places, and events; together with their most correct geographical agreement; the respective au thors -- thors of both writings uniformly and consistently, though unintentionally, throwing light on each other. This interesting work, in a more especial manner, adds weight to facts which were already fully established, and strength to that "truth" which was before" barred up with ribs of iron." We cannot too highly estimate this subsidiary evidence to the Christian revelation, derived as it were casually and incidentally from our apostle, from him to whom we were already unspeakably indebted for so much direct spiritual and practical instruction. It is a species of evidence so ingenious, yet so solid, so clear and so decisive, that the author must have carried his point in any court of judicature before which the cause might have been brought.. If it were not the very genius of Scepticism to shrink its "shrivelled essence" down down to the minutest point, when it wishes to work itself an entrance where no visible opening seemed previously to have been left, we should think, that, after the able defences of Revelation which have been made on general grounds, the addition of these partial and subordinate, but not less convincing, proofs, had not left even the smallest crevice through which Unbelief could force, or even Doubt insinuate its way. But to quit this more limited channel. of conviction for the broad current of general Scripture, let us examine what period would have been more favourable, not only for the confirmation of our belief, but for our moral, our intellectual and spiritual improvement. Let us institute an inquiry, (if a few cursory and superficial remarks may be so calle whether all those whose supposed superior opportunities of religious improvement we are disposed to envy, really possessed VOL. II. |