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all their projects; all their schemes of happiness. They worship him; they pray to him daily in their closets and their families; they dedicate one day in seven to his honour; they bring up their children according to his commandments; they strive to propagate his name throughout the world. The great God of heaven is, with them, restored to that just dominion of which sin had deprived him; he is their glory, their boast, their confidence, the object of their love, and the source of their felicity.

Then, as to the principles of morals, every Christian aims sincerely at maintaining them, with all boldness and honesty, in every possible way, and at every sacrifice. They are not merely acknowledged as a theory, but they are constantly avowed and defended. But why should I repeat the Lecture on Christian morals, or that on the character of our Lord? Suffice it to say, that every element of morals is studiously inculcated and enforced, in proportion as men are real Christians.

In short, the contrast between infidelity and Christianity, in this first sub-division of the inquiry, is between darkness and light, contradiction and harmony, falsehood and truth; unprincipled scepticism, and the holy subjection of faith; a dereliction of all conscientious regard

to religion and morals, and the uniform maintenance of both.

What avail, then, the speculative objections of men, with no firm principles to set out with, against men obeying the Christian Revelation, on the footing of its positive evidences, and maintaining, boldly and perseveringly, all the moral and religious principles which that Revelation elucidates and extends?

2. But let us contrast the lives of infidels and true Christians in another point of view

THEIR RESPECTIVE DISCHARGE OF THE DUTIES OF DOMESTIC AND SOCIAL LIFE-that is, from their principles let us proceed to their practice. For, as both classes profess a belief in a righteous governor of the world, it may be expected that those who have truth on their side, will show it by the superior discharge of moral and religious duties; more especially as the question regards such an all-important matter as Christianity, and bears upon duties, acknowledged in common to be binding on

man.

Now, it is notorious, from their own avowals, from the memoirs written by themselves and boasted of, from the comparison of documents of all kinds, as well as from our own daily observation, that vanity and pride, selfishness and sensuality, malice and revenge, turbulent tem

pers and outrageous violations of the domestic virtues; impurity and profligacy of the grossest form; treachery in situations of trust, and want of ordinary honesty and integrity in dealings, discontented and seditious conduct in civil society; contempt of all established order in church and state, connected often with a hatred of their native country; in short, selfish, malignant, debasing, anti-social passions and tendencies have, in all ages and places, distinguished infidelity, as a system.

I speak not of individuals, but of the general class. I appeal to the records of our courts of judicature; I appeal to our statesmen and magistrates; I appeal to the consciences of every one who has known the annals of Europe, and the chief agents in the revolutions which have disturbed it.

There are examples, no doubt, of sober deists, where pride, intellectual pursuits, literary ambition, or other causes, have predominated over the grosser appetites; but even in these cases, an avowed licentiousness as to the doctrine of morals; a ridicule of the milder Christian virtues; an extreme selfishness and coldheartedness, as to all the best interests of man, have varied the appearance, without lessening the guilt, of their general conduct.

The lives of sincere and devout Christians are precisely the reverse of all this. Humility,

disinterestedness, benevolence, meekness oftemper, purity in all the domestic relations, fidelity in situations of trust, honesty and integrity in their dealings, contentment and loyalty in civil society, abstinence from scenes of tumult and disorder, love to their native country; in short, every virtuous, amiable, self-denying, elevating principle, carried out into act, has, in all places, distinguished true Christians, as a body.

Where shall I turn to take my examples of these general assertions? On the side of infidelity, I pass by the horrible character of Thomas Paine. I say nothing of his frauds and public dishonesty, his cruelty and selfishness, his avarice and pride, his ingratitude and treachery, his impiety and blasphemies, his licentiousness and adultery; I pass by his deadly enmity against his own country, his anarchical and revolutionary principles, his determined hostility to all peace, all law, all morals, all religion; I pass by the disgusting filth and wretchedness and intoxication into which he sunk towards the decline of life-an object of pity and contempt to his own deluded disciples. To dwell on such a character is beneath the sanctity of our subject; from such a life, what could spring but objections and resistance to the purity of the Christian religion? In comparison with such turpitude, the lowest measure of real Christian virtue in the humblest

cottager, after abating every thing on the score of human imperfection, is an exalted and noble state of attainment.

But let us come to the leader of modern infidelity, who, for more than sixty years, attracted and corrupted so large a body of followers. I acknowledge the extraordinary talents of Vol taire; the brilliancy of his parts, the fecundity of his imagination, the versatility which could apply itself to almost every subject; the beauty of a style which lost little of its charm at the close of a long life; the diligence, which was never wearied; the reputation and success in some branches of elegant literature, which gave him so wide a sway over public opinion. But I ask what was his MORAL AND RELIGIOUS Character? I ask, how far it was probable that his objections against Christianity sprung from a sincere and steady pursuit of truth? Talents, if separated from morality, are of no value on such a question as religion. Let young people ever remember, that angelic powers, perverted by thorough hatred to goodness, are the very things which render the spiritual adversary of mankind so formidable and detestable.

I peruse, then, the full and authentic narratives of his life, published by his friends and disciples; I compare the most recent accounts; I consult, especially, the memoir lately pub

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