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tianity, is one of perfect purity and holy love: a heaven of perfect conformity to God, and constant delight in him, and in his worship and service. Such a heaven, as no unholy man could endure. "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." In order to be " made meet for this inheritance of "the saints in light," from which the most honourable and lawful of our earthly comforts and satisfactions are excluded, "the flesh must be crucified with its affections and lusts; the right hand which causes to offend, must be cut off; and even our most lawful attachments and inclinations must be habitually subjected to the holy will of God. As to this world, nothing is set before us but the prospect of self-denial and tribulation : except such supports and comforts as come from God alone, and consist principally in the hopes and earnests of heavenly glory and felicity. Food and raiment, with a contented mind, are the whole of that which is expressly promised. Instead of being allured like Mohammed's followers, by the hope of plunder and power, of wealth and sensual pleasure, we are called on to "deny ourselves, and " take up our cross," and follow our suffering Saviour, forsaking all and prepared to "lay down " our lives for his sake."

Were all men consistent Mohammedans, all would be sensual, selfish, ambitious, deceitful, malignant; "having a form of godliness, but " denying the power of it." Were all men consistent Christians, all would be piety, purity, humility, integrity, disinterested, liberal, self-denying love. The earth would be full of happiness, approximating to that of heaven, and preparing for it: and, without any effort to induce them, men would every where "beat their swords into "plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks, " and would learn war no more."

But our divine religion wants a more able panegyrist; not, as panegyrists in general, to ascribe to her undeserved honours, but to do her justice in any tolerable measure. These remarks, however, may suffice to shew, that, in such a world as this, a religion which declared war against all vices, and against all the proud virtues; all the ignorance and delusion, all the "science falsely so " called," all the irreligion, and all the existing religion, of mankind; which attempted not, like heathen moralists, to rule by balancing parties, and to prevail against grovelling vices by sanctioning ambition and love of glory; but proscribed all corrupt passions without exception: I say, that such a religion should become triumphant to the degree and extent, and in the durable manner, which it undeniably has ; is an event unprecedented and astonishing, and which never could, in the prospect, have been imagined, except by those who considered the power of Almighty God as engaged to render it successful. This may introduce the third part of our subject,

3. The means by which the triumphs of Christianity, and those of Mohammedism, were severally acquired.

The apostle might well say, "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through "God to the pulling down of strong holds; cast"ing down imaginations, and every high thing

"that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, "and bringing into captivity every thought to the "obedience of Christ." 1 Jesus himself appeared as a poor man, "not having where to lay his "head:" having been educated, not in the schools of learning, but in the cottage, nay in the carpenter's shop of Joseph; without wealthy or powerful connexions; and despised and opposed by all those who possessed learning, authority, rank, or influence, and those who were invested with the priestly character. He chose his immediate followers, and the ministers of his spiritual kingdom, the commanders in this holy warfare, from the fishing-boats of Galilee, or the receipt of custom. He paid no court to the great and noble, but "preached the gospel to the poor;" which was an additional reason of the opposition of the Jewish rulers to his claims, and continues to be so to this day. "He went about doing good," in the midst of all kind of opposition, contempt, reproach, and contradiction; and, when his numerous and stupendous miracles so affected the common people that they wanted to make him a King, and to enlist under his banners as a temporal leader; he decidedly resisted or evaded their attempts, Having spent some years in constantly preaching the word of life; exhibiting all the time a spotless example, performing innumerable miracles of mercy, 'patiently suffering all hardships and injuries, and employing his hours of retirement in fervent devotion; he was at last. "led as a lamb to the "slaughter;" nailed to the cross as a deceiver and blasphemer; and expired amidst the cruel insults of rulers and people, of Jews and gentiles.

At this crisis his cause appeared hopeless, and his followers almost despaired. But behold! in less than two months after his crucifixion, his apostles, unarmed, unlettered, and obscure men, began boldly to preach the crucified Jesus as the Messiah, the Saviour, and Judge of the world, " the "Lord of glory" and the "Prince of life: charging the rulers of the Jews with having wickedly murdered him: attesting his resurrection from the dead, and ascension into heaven; and calling on all to believe in him, as they would escape the wrath of God, and obtain salvation; and appealing to the ancient prophets that "thus it was written "and thus it must be."

In this most perilous, and apparently hopeless service, which could not but give intolerable offence to all the rulers, and priests, and teachers, who had condemned Jesus; they had not the least protection, except from the power of God; and as the miracles which they wrought combined with their dignified and mild courage, to overawe their superiors, and impress favourably the multitude. They, however, stood their ground; and did not so much as flee from Jerusalem, or shrink from the most public testimony, after repeated imprisonments. It would be tedious to enter into a further detail. They engaged in what must have appeared to the wise men of this world, a desperate attempt. They undertook (going forth " in the strength of "JEHOVAH, and proclaiming his righteousness,") to prevail against all the vice and the proud virtue, the religion and the irreligion, the ignorance, and the learning, and the philosophy of the whole world; and all the rooted habits, and customs, and supposed interests of every nation; with no other weapons than faithful, argumentative, persuasive preaching; holy and exemplary lives; fervent prayers; patient and constant sufferings, even unto death; and miracles of mercy and beneficence. If the reader would see a masterly delineation of their ministry, let him carefully consider the apostle's description of his own conduct. Giv" ing no offence in any thing, that the ministry be " not blamed: but in all things approving ourselves

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as the ministers of God; in much patience, in "afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, " in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in "watchings, in fastings; by pureness, by know"ledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the

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Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned: by the word of "truth, by the power of God, by the armour of "righteousness on the right hand and on the left: " through honour and dishonour; through evil re" port and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;

as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, "yet behold we live; as chastened, but not killed;

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as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet " making many rich; as having nothing, and yet " possessing all things." 1

To preach, as the Saviour and Judge of the world, and the Lord of all, the very person whom Pontius Pilate, by the earnest request of the Jewish rulers, priests, scribes, and people, had