Page.

Dwell chiefly on the mild and retiring virtues,

Require an abstinence from the proximate causes of evil,

Christian morality regards outward forms of devotion and

piety, as means to a higher end,

All Christian precepts aid each other,

And go to form a particular sort of character,

79

80

ibid

-

ibid

81

The WAY THE GOSPEL PROCEEDS to make these precepts

practicable,

82

Christianity begins with the heart,

ibid

Aims at achieving its object by the formation of habits,

Directs men to aim at the highest attainments, whilst she

encourages the weakest efforts,

Keeps aloof from secular policy,

Delivers her code in the form of maxims and prohibitions,

clear and decisive,

Works by setting forth strong and affecting examples,
Refers men to the ALL-SEEING EYE OF GOD,

THE CONNECTION OF THE MORALS of Christianity with
EVERY OTHER PART OF REVELATION, and especially with
its PECULIAR DOCTRINES,

ibid

83

ibid

84

85

86

86

The facts on which the doctrines rest, prepare for the opera-

tion of motives,

87

The doctrines are expressly designed, and admirably adapted,

to produce Christian obedience,

ibid

The love of Christ constrains,

They go to form that sort of character which the morals

require,

The promises and privileges of the gospel are attached to

certain dispositions and states of mind,

Christianity holds out to men further advances in holiness,

The doctrine of the heavenly state,

The manner in which the precepts are involved in all the

other parts of Revelation,

The SANCTIONS by which the Christian morals ARE ULTI-

MATELY ENFORCED,

ibid

92

The WILL OF GOD is the authority of moral obedience,

The MORALITY of the gospel makes it IMPOSSIBLE in the na-

ture of things, that Christianity should be an IMPOSture,

The above is strengthened by the WRETCHED SYSTEM which

modern infidels propose for the direction of mankind,

Men ought therefore to HOLD FAST by the CHRISTIAN faith,

The conduct of our Lord in his more peculiar character as

MEDIATOR,

-

102

The manner in which he sustained his high claims of being

the Son of God and the Saviour of the world,

His conduct as a Teacher and Revealer of the will of God,

His manner of instruction,

-

103

104

105

The matter of his instruction,

106

The manner in which our Lord supported the state of

humiliation,

-

108

The heavenly reward that he promised to his disciples,

The conduct of our Lord as THE EXAMPLE OF HUMAN VIR-

TUE TO HIS DISCIPLES,

-

109

110

His strict temperance and command of the inferior appetites,

The opposite, and to us apparently contradictory, graces were
found in him in equal proportion,

ibid

All was carried to the greatest height, and continued in

one even tenor,

117

A peculiar harmony,

ibid

The character of our LORD AS THE FOUNDER OF THE

The different parts of our LORD's character correspond with

his undertaking,

The impression and effect of the whole public character of

CHRIST,

121

Page.

122

124

125

The manner in which it is given by the Evangelists,

This argument springs from a FAIR PRESUMPTION upon the

first statement of the case,

-

Rises higher by CONTRASTING the character of CHRIST

with that of all others,

Becomes a moral demonstration, when the OTHER BRANCHES

of the Christian evidences are taken into the account,

IT BEARS AWAY the heart of the docile, and strengthens all

the principles of individual belief and love.

127

129

The DIRECTION which Christianity takes,

LECTURE XVIII.

THE TENDENCY OF CHRISTIANITY TO PRO-

MOTE IN THE HIGHEST DEGREE THE

TEMPORAL RND SPIRITUAL

HAPPINESS

OF NATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS.-Luke ii.

13,

14.

-

The nature of the argument explained,

It comes down to man's actual circumstances,

131

132

134

136

In the age following the establishment of the gospel,

PRODUCE WHEN ALL OBSTACLES ARE REMOVED,

Let each one ASK himself, what is the tendency of MY

CHRISTIANITY?

PRAY for the copious influences of grace.

147

i

Page.

LECTURE XIX.

THE TEST TO WHICH EVERY ONE MAY

BRING THE TRUTH OF THE CHRISTIAN

RELIGION, BY HUMBLY SUBMITTING TO

ITS DIRECTIONS, AND MAKING A TRIAL

FOR HIMSELF OF ITS PROMISED BLESS-

INGS.-1 John v. 10.

The NATURE of the argument,

The SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY on which it rests,

The FACTS by which it is sustained,

158

159

163

167

The SINGULAR IMPORTANCE of the proofs thus deduced,

APPEAL to sincere Christians in confirmation of the argu-

ment,

175

185

LECTURE XX.

PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS FOR THE APPLICA-

TION OF THE TEST TO WHICH MEN MAY

BRING THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION.

Psalm xxxiv. 8.

The characters addressed, described,

The DIRECTIONS; study Christianity in THE BIBLE itself,

TRACE out in YOUR OWN HEART the truth of its statements

as to the condition of man and his guilt before God,

PRAY fervently to God for his grace,

Use the MEANS which God has promised to bless,

Keep your eye fixed on JESUS CHRIST,

187

188

190

194

198

200

201

Observe how all the parts of Christianity CONSTITUTE A
WHOLE, and meet all the necessities of YOUR CASE,

The RESULT,

203

204

HISTORICAL faith will only INCREASE your condemnation,

NO NEED to make an experiment of ANY OTHER FORM of

religion or irreligion,

208

ibid

LECTURE XXI.

THE VANITY AND FUTILITY OF THE OB-

JECTIONS BROUGHT AGAINST THE CHRIS-

TIAN RELIGION.-2 Peter iii. 3, 4, 8, 9.

The best method of treating objections considered,

xiii

Page.

They are INADMISSIBLE, being speculative opinions, and

aimed against Revelation,

213

They are CONTRADICTORY one to the other,

219

They are FRIVOLOUS in themselves, and manifestly spring

from the pride and ignorance of the human mind,

They are upon the whole only TRIALS of our sincerity and

submission of heart to GoD, and go to CONFIRM rather'

than weaken the Christian evidences,

224

234

Sophisms of infidelity fix themselves in UNFURNISHED and

VAIN minds,

239

SHUN THOSE VICES which prepare for them,

ibid

PROVOKE not the GOOD SPIRIT OF GOD to depart from

you,

240

See that you have a REAL HOLD on Christianity in its SUB-

ibid

STANTIAL BLESSINGS,

-

Objections of infidelity are STRATAGEMS of Satan,

Consider them as the most DEADLY PRODUCT of the corrupt

and proud reason of a fallen creature.

241

242

LECTURE XXII.

THE LIVES AND DEATHS OF INFIDELS COM-

PARED WITH THOSE OF SINCERE CHRIS-

TIANS.-Psalm xxxvii. 35—37.

244

Contrast the two classes as to THE TENOR of their lives,

245

Their more PUBLIC LABORS, and THE WRITINGS they have

submitted to the eye of mankind,

258

Their DEATHS AND PREPARATION FOR AN ETERNAL STATE

of being,

-

265

WITH WHICH COMPANY DO YOU WALK in the journey of

life?

278

LECTURE XXIII.

THE FAITH WITH WHICH THE CHRISTIAN

REVELATION IS TO BE RECEIVED.-John v.