heard what they had not heard, conversed with a man, with whom they had not conversed, wrought miracles which they had not wrought. They must be supposed to have persisted in these extravagances not only for an hour, or a day, but for forty days, yea for the whole course of their lives. Now, I demand, since an allusion produced a persuasion so clear and full, how could you assure yourself that you was not deceived in examining that new evidence, which you require? If so many different persons may be justly taxed with absence of mind, or insanity, what assurance would you have that you was not thrown into a disordered state of mind at the sight of an apparition? Let us reason in a similar manner on your second supposition. If the apostles were imposters, there must have been in the world, men so contrary to all the rest of their species, as to suffer imprisonment, punishment, and death, for the support of a falshood, This absurdity must have intoxicated not only one person, but all the thousands who sealed the gospel with their blood. The apostles must have been destitute of every degree of common sense, if, intending to deceive the world they had acted in a manner the least likely of any to abuse it; marking places, times, witnesses, and all other circumstances, the most proper to discover their imposture. Moreover, their enemies must have conspired with them in the illusion. Jews, gentiles, and christians, divided on every other article, must have all agreed in this, because no one ever confuted; What am I saying? No one ever accused our sacred authors of imposture, although nothing could have been easier, if they had been imposters. In one word, a thousand strange suppositions must be made. But I demand again, if these suppositions have any likelihood, God have given to falshood so many characters of truth, if Satan be allowed to act his part so dexterously to seduce us, how can you assure yourself that God will not permit the father of falshood to seduce you also by an apparition? How could you assure yourself afterward that he had not done it? Let us conclude, then, in regard to unbelievers of every kind, that if the ordinary means of grace be inadequate to the production of faith, extraordinary prodigies would be so too. Let us proceed now, in brief, to prove, that motives to virtue are sufficient to induce men to be virtuous, as we have proved that motives of credi bility are sufficient to confound the objections of infidels. Our The We believe, say you, the truths of religion: but a thousand snares are set for our innocence, and we are betrayed into immorality and guilt. minds seduce us. Examples hurry us away. propensities of our own hearts pervert us. miracle would awake us from our indolence, and would reanimate our zeal. We have two things to answer. A new 1. We deny the effect, which you expect from this apparition. This miracle will be wrought either seldom, or frequently. If it were wrought every day, it would on that very account, lose all its efficacy; and as the Israelites, through a long habit of seeing miracles, were familiarised to them, till they received no impressions from them, so it would be with you. One while they saw waters turned into blood, another they beheld the the first born of Egypt smitten; now the sea divided to open a passage for them, and then the heavens rained bread, and rivers flowed from a rock yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies, Psal. Ixxviii. 44. 51. 56. You yourselves every day see the heavens and the earth, the works of nature and the properties of its elementary parts, a rich variety of divine workmanship, which, by proving the existence of the Creator, demand the homage, that you ought to render to him, and as you see them without emotions of virtue, so would you harden your hearts against the remonstrances of the dead, where they frequently to rise, and to exhort you to repentance. Were the miracles wrought now and then, what you experience on other occasions, would infallibly come to pass on this. You would be affected for a moment, but the impressions would wear off, and you would fall back into your former sins. The proofs of this conjecture are seen every day. People, who have been often touched and penetrated at the sight of certain objects, have as often returned to their old habits, when the power of the charm hath abated. Have you never read the heart of an old miser at the funeral of one of his own age? Me thinks I hear the old man's soliloquy: "I am full fourscore years of age, I have outlived the time which God usually allots to mankind, and I am now a pall-bearer at a funeral. The melancholy torches are lighted, the attendants are all in mourning, the grave yawns for its prey. For whom is all this funeral pomp? What part am I acting in this tragedy? Shall I ever attend another funeral, or is my own already preparing? Alas! if a few remains of life and motion tell me I live, the burying of my old friend assures me I must soon die. The wrinkles, which disfigure my face; the weight of years, that makes me stoop; the infirmities, which impair my strength; the tottering of my enfeebled carcase; all second the voice of my deceased friend, and warn me of my approaching dissolution. Yet what am I about? I am building houses, I am amassing money, I am pleasing myself with the hopes of adding to my capital this year, and of increasing my income the next. O fatal blindness! folly of a heart, which avarice hath rendered insatiable! Henceforth I will think only about dying, I will go and order my funeral, put on my shroud, lie in my coffin, and render myself insensible to every care except that of dying the death of the righteous." Numb. xxiii. 10. Thus talks the old man to himself, as he goes to a grave, and you think, perhaps, his life, will resemble his reflections, and that he is going to become charitable, liberal, and disinterested. No, no, all his reflections will vanish with the objects, that produced them, and as soon as he returns from the fune ral, he will forget he is mortal. In like manner, the return of one from the dead would perhaps affect you on the spot, you would make many fine reflections, and form a thousand new resolutions: but when the phantom had disappeared, your depravity would take its old course, and all your reflections would evaporate. This is our first answer. We add, secondly. A man persuaded of the divinity of religion, a man, who notwithstanding that persuasion, persisteth in impenitence, a man of this character hath carried obduracy to so high a pitch, that it is not conceivable any new motives would alter him. He is already so guilty, that far from having any right to demand extraordinary means, he ought rather to expect to be deprived of the ordinary means, which he hath both receiv ed and resisted. Let us dive into the conscience of this sinner; let us for a moment fathom the depth of the human heart, let us hear his detestable purposes. "I believe the truth of religion; I believe there is a God; God, I believe, seeth all my actions, and from his penetration none of my thoughts are hid; I believe he holds the thunder in his hand, and one act of his will is sufficient to strike me dead'; I believe these truths, and they are so solemn, that I ought to be influenced to my duty by them. However, it does not signify, I will sin, although I am in his immediate presence; I will provoke the Lord to jealousy, as if I were stronger than hẽ, 1 Cor. x. 22. and the sword that hangs over my head, and hangs only by a single thread, shall convey no terror into my mind. I believe the truth of religion; God hath for me, I think, a love, thick passeth knowledge; I believe, he gave me my existence, and to him I owe my hands, my eyes, my motion, my life, my light; moreover, I believe he gave me his Son, his blood, his tenderest mercy, and love. All these affecting objects ought indeed to change my heart, to make me blush for my ingratitude, and to induce me to render him love for love, life for life. But no, I will resist all these innumerable motives, I will affront my benefactor, I will wound that heart, that is filled with pity for me, I will crucify the Lord of glory afresh, Heb. vi. 6. If his love trouble me, I will forget it. If my conscience reproach me, I will stifle it, and sin with boldness. I believe the truth of religion; there is, I believe a heaven, a presence of God in which there is a fulness of joy, and pleasures for evermore, Psal. xvi. 2. The idea of felicity consummate in glory ought, I must own, to make me superior to worldly pleasures, and I ought to prefer the fountain of living waters before my own broken cisterns, that can hold no water, Jer. ii. 13. but it does not signify, I will sacrifice the things, that are not seen, to the things, that are seen, 2 Cor. iv. 18. the glorious delights of virtue to the pleasures of sin, and the exceeding and eternal weight of glory, Heb. xi. 25. 2 Cor. iv. 17. to momentary temporal pursuits. I believe the truth of |