understandings, and to pafs themfelves upon the world for perfons of fuperior fenfe and more enlarged views. But I leave it to any impartial man to judge which hath the nobler fentiments, which the greater views; he whofe notions are ftinted to a few miferable inlets of fenfc, or he whofe fentiments are raised above the common taste by the anticipation of thofe delights which will fatiate the foul, when the whole capacity of her nature is branched out into new faculties? He who looks for nothing beyond this short span of duration, or he whofe aims are co-extended with the endlefs length of eternity? He who derives his fpirit from the elements, or he who thinks it was inspired by the Almighty? GUARDIAN, Vol. I. No. 70.

CHRISTIAN RELIGION. ·

THE great received articles of the Chriftian Reli

gion have been fo clearly proved from the authority of that divine Revelation in which they are delivered, that it is impoffible for those who have ears to hear, and eyes to fee, not to be convinced of them; but were it poffible for any thing in the chriftian faith, to be erroneous, I can find no ill confequences in adhering to it. The great points of the incarnation and sufferings of our Saviour, produce naturally fuch habits of virtue in the mind of man, that I fay, fuppofing it were poffible for us to be mistaken in them, the infidel himself muft at least allow, that no other system of religion can fo effectually contribute to the hightening of morality. They give us great ideas of the dignity of human nature, and of the love which the Supreme Being bears to his creatures; and confequently engage us in the highest acts of duty towards our Creator, our neighbour, and ourselves. How many noble arguments has St. Paul raised from the chief articles of our religion, for the advancing of morality in its three great branches! To give a fingle example in each kind, what can be a ftronger motive to a firm trust and reliance on the mercies of our Maker, than the giving up

his fon to fuffer for us? What can make us love and esteem even the most inconfiderable of mankind, more than the thought that Chrift died for him? or what difpofe us to fet a ftricter guard upon the purity of our own hearts, than our being members of Chrift, and a part of the fociety of which that immaculate perfon is the head? But thefe are only a fpecimen of thofe admirable enforcements of morality which the Apostle has drawn from the hiftory our bleffed Saviour.

If our modern infidels considered these matters with that candour and seriousness which they deferve, we fhould not fee them act with such a spirit of bitterness, arrogance, and malice. They would not be raifing fuch infignificant cavils, doubts, and fcruples, as may be started against every thing that is not capable of mathematical demonftration, in order to unfettle the minds of the ignorant, difturb the public peace, fubvert morality, and throw all things into confufion and diforder. If none of these reflections can have any influence on them, there is one that perhaps may, becaufe it is adapted to their vanity, by which they seem to be guided, much more than their reafon. I would therefore have them confider that the wifest and best of

men, in all ages of the world, have been those who lived up to the religion of their country, when they faw nothing in it to oppofe morality, and to the best lights they had of the divine nature. Pythagoras's first rule directs us to worship the Gods, as it is ordained by law; for that is the moft natural interpretation of the precept. Socrates, who was the most renowned among the heathens, both for wisdom and virtue, in his laft moments defires his friends to offer a cock to Æfculapias, doubtlefs out of a fubmiffive deference to the eftablished worship of his country. Xenophon tells us, that his Prince (whom he fets forth as a pattern of perfection) when he found his death approaching, offered facrifices on the mountains to the Perfian Jupiter, and the fun, according to the custom of the Perfians; for those are the words of the hiftorian. Nay, the Epicureans and atomical philofophers fhowed a very remarkable modefty in this particular; for though the Being of

a God was entirely repugnant to their schemes of natural philofophy, they contented themselves with the denial of a Providence, afferting at the fame time the existence of Gods in general, because they would not fhock the common belief of mankind, and the religion of their country.

To

eye,

SPECTATOR, Vol. III. No. 186. L.

CHRISTIANS (their advantage.)

O one who regards things with a philofophical and hath a foul capable of being delighted with the fenfe that truth and knowledge prevail among men, it must be a grateful reflection to think that the fublimeft truths, which among the heathens only here and there one of brighter parts and more leisure than ordinary could attain to, are now grown familiar to the meaneft inhabitants of these nations.

Whence came this furprising change, that regions formerly inhabited by ignorant and favage people, fhould now outfhine ancient Greece, and the other eaftern countries, fo renowned of old, in the most elevated notions of theology and morality? Is it the effect of our own parts and induftry? Have our common mechanics more refined understandings than the ancient philofophers? It is owing to the God of truth, who came down from Heaven, and condefcended to be himself our teacher. It is as we are Chriftians, that we profefs more excellent and divine truths than the reft of mankind.

If there be any of the free-thinkers who are not direct Atheists, charity would incline one to believe them ignorant of what is here advanced: And it is for their information that I write this paper, the defign of which is to compare the ideas that Chriftians entertain of the being and attributes of a God, with the grofs notions of the heathen world. Is it poffible for the mind of man to conceive a more auguft idea of the Deity, than is fet forth in the Holy Scriptures? I fhall throw to

gether fome paffages relating to this fubject, which I propofe only as philofophical fentiments, to be confidered by a free-thinker.

"Though there be that are called Gods, yet to us there is bet one God. He made the Heaven and Heaven of Heavens, with all their hoft; the earth and all things that are therein; the feas and all that is therein He faid, Let them be, and it was fo. He hath tretched forth the Heavens. He hath founded the earth, and hung it upon nothing. He hath fhut up the fea with doors, and faid, Hitherto fhalt thou come, and no farther; and here fhall thy proud waves be ftaid. The Lord is an invifible fpirit, in whom we live and move, and have our being. He is the fountain of life. He preferveth man and beaft. He giveth food to all flesh. In his hand is the foul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich. He bringeth low, and lifteth up. He killeth and he maketh alive. He woundeth, and he healeth. By him kings reign, and princes decree juftice; and not a sparrow falleth to the ground without him. All angels, authorities and powers are fubject to him. He appointeth the moon for seasons, and the fun knoweth his going down. He thundereth with his voice, and directeth it under the whole Heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth. Fire and hail, fnow and vapour, wind and storm, fulfil his word. The Lord is king for ever and ever, and his dominion is an everlasting dominion. The earth and the heavens fhall perish; but thou, O Lord, remaineft. They all fhall wax old, as doth a garment, and as a vefture fhalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed; but thou art the fame, and thy years shall have no end. God is perfect in knowledge; his underftanding is infinite. He is the father of lights. He looketh to the ends of the earth, and feeth under the whole Heaven. The Lord beholdeth all the children of men from the place of his habitation, and confidereth all their works. He knoweth our down-fitting and uprifing. He compaffeth our path, and counteth our steps. He is acquainted with all our ways; and

T

when we enter our closet, and shut our door, he seeth us. He knoweth the things that come into our mind, every one of them: And no thought can be withholden from him. The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. He is a father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widow. He is the God of peace, the father of mercies, and the God of all comfort and confolation. The Lord is great; and we know him not; his greatness is unfearchable. Who but he hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out the heavens with a span? Thine, O Lord, is the greatnefs, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty. Thou art very great, thou art clothed with honour. Heaven is thy throne, and earth is thy footstool."

Can the mind of a philofopher rife to a more just and magnificent, and at the fame time a more amiable idea of the Deity than is here fet forth in the ftrongest images and moft emphatical language? And yet this is the language of fhepherds and fishermen. The illiterate Jews and poor perfecuted Chriftians retained thefe noble fentiments, while the polite and powerful nations of the earth were given up to that fottish fort of worship of which the following elegant defcription is extracted from one of the inspired writers.

"Who hath formed a God, and molten an image that is profitable for nothing? The fmith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the ftrength of his arms: Yea, he is hungry, and his ftrength faileth. He drinketh no water and is faint. A man planteth an afh, and the rain doth nourish it. He burneth part thereof in the fire. He roafteth flesh. He warmeth himself. And the refidue thereof he maketh a God. He falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and faith, deliver me, for thou art my God. None confidereth in his heart, I have burnt part of it in the fire; yea, alfo, I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roafted flesh and eaten it: And fhall I make the refidue thereof an abomination? Shall I fall down to the stock of a tree ?"