Arrayed in garments dipped in blood, let the impoftor go forth conquering, and to conquer, wherever the turkish crefcent awes the proftrate nations. Let the ftill more tremendous terrors of the inquifition guard thy faith, O antichriftian Rome! The religion of the gospel will ever be diftinguished by her calm appeal unto the light of reafon, and evidence her title to our ftrict obedience, by her healthful operation on the foul of man.

The particular circumstances of the world, when firft the religion of Jefus was unfolded, throw further light upon this benevolent precept of the prince of peace.

We may comprise the difficulties, with which the first propagators of the gospel had to contend, in two fhort obfervations.

It might naturally be expected, that the jews would hold it in abhorrence, because it tended to deprive them of every flattering expectation of that temporal grandeur, for which they fondly wished, and which no confideration of a merely fpiritual nature could induce them to refign.

And the gentiles would naturally be in

clined to hold it in abhorrence, as it directly ftruck at that idolatrous worship, and immoral conduct, which were countenanced by every established inftitution, whether of a civil or a religious kind.

In fuch circumftances, had its founders endeavoured to fupport it by the strength of human power, its duration would, probably, have terminated almoft in the moment of its appearance, and even the history of its

deftruction have been to us unknown.

Had they endeavoured to raise it upon the ruins of preceding establishments by the aid of political contrivance, it would probably, in the common courfe of human affairs, have yielded to political contrivance in its turn: and the recorded declaration of its author, that "the gates of hell fhould not prevail against it," have become an undeniable evidence of its having originated in falfhood and imposture. It seems, therefore, that any mode of conduct, different from that which was pursued by the primitive profeffors of the gofpel, in obedience to the advice of their divine inftructor, could

could not have been attended with a fimilar fuccefs.

Religion had fo freqently been rendered fubfervient to political interests, and selfish purposes, that men juftly called for fome lefs equivocal evidence of the truth of a system, which claimed to itself a right of directing the conduct of mankind. That evidence was afforded in its fulleft luftre, when the foftened manners, and the heavenly temper of chriftian people, were propofed as the demonftration of the truth, and purity of chriftian faith.

By the fruits of the gofpel, manifested in each part of the irreproachable demeanour of its true disciples, their adverfaries were invited to judge of the tree from which they fprang. They were invited to contemplate the mighty powers of a religion, which could difarm the mind of anger, in the moment of its fierceft refentment; and finally prevail over every incentive to thofe crimes, which, as appeared from fad experience, human laws were found unable to restrain. At a time when every unworthy inclination reigned in the place of thofe affections, to

which we owe the comforts of domeftic life, men were invited to behold the power of this religion, in triumphing over every lawlefs indulgence, every licentious practice, which the violence of diftorted imagination, aided by the strength of inveterate cuftom, had established in the world. They were invited to behold the influence of this religion in infpiring that breast with pious fentiments, which was formerly the feat of irreligion, and profaneness; in generating the principles of an upright, honeft, friendly, and beneficent deportment in that heart, which was deformed by every paffion which could render us odious to our neighbour, and miferable to ourselves.

Thefe fruits of the faith, produced an animated attention to the chriftian cause. Upon examination into the principles of conduct recommended in the gospel, they appeared to be fuch as might reasonably be fuppofed to form the most effectual inducements to every worthy action; they derived an influence, permanent, as well as tranfcendent, from that glorious hope of immortality, which, in preference to those opi

nions that have fo long unworthily divided the difciples of Jefus, forms the grand, and fundamental article of the chriftian creed; and the effects produced in confequence of this belief were themselves a teftimony, that the evidence, by which this important truth was fupported, refted on the folid basis of unquestionable fact.

To a deflection from the purity and fimplicity of manners, which were fo eminently confpicuous in the earlier ages of christianity, we are to afcribe the inconfiderable progress of the gospel in fucceeding times. Hence, at this day, the pious difciple of the benevolent Jefus, mourns that the religion of his master is bounded by the limits of kingdoms, and of nations; and, that in fo many portions of the habitable earth, its profeffion, or its influence, is even ftill unknown. We bear the name of christian indeed, to every region of the globe; but, at the fame time, we bear along with it thofe horrid forms of vice, by which that name is dishonoured, and defiled. The inhabitants of many a diftant clime, astonished at the contrariety between

our