every day made difcoveries in it, that gave him frefb caufe of Admira

tion.

Comment. p. 16.

Of St. Paul in particular, upon feveral of whofe Epiftles he drew up a moft ufeful Commentary,he fays, That he was miraculoufly call'd to the Miniftry of the Gospel and declared to be a chofen Veffel; That he had the whole doctrine of the Gospel from God by immediate Revelation That for his Information in the Chriftian Knowledge, and the Myfteries and depths of the difpenfation of God by Jefus Chrift, God himJelf bad condefcended to be his Inftructor and Teacher That he bad receiv'd the light of the Gospel, from the fountain and father of Light himself and, That an exact obfervation of his reasonings and inferences, is the only fafe guide for the right underftanding of him, under the P. 17. Spirit of God, that directed thefe Sacred Writings.

And

Pofth.

21.

And the death of this great man was agreeable to his life. For we are inform'd by one who was Works, with him when he dy'd, and P. 21. had lived in the fame family for feven years before, That the day before his death he particularly exhorted Ibid. all about him to read "the Holy p. 20, Scriptures, That he defir'd to be remember'd by them at Evening Prayers, and being told, that if he would, the whole Family fhould come and pray by him in his Chamber, he anfwer'd, he fhould be very glad to have it so, if it would not give too much trouble; That an occafion offering to fpeak of the Goodnefs of God, he efpecially exalted the love which God fhewed to man, in justifying him by Faith in Jefus Chrift; and return'd God thanks in particular for having called him to the knowledge of that divine Saviour.

About two months before his death he drew up a Letter to a cer- Posth. tain Gentleman (who afterwards Works, distinguish'd himself by a very P. 328.

different way of thinking and writing,) and left this direction upon it, To be deliver'd to him after my deceafe. In it, are these remarkable words,

This Life is a fcene of Vanity that foon paffes away, and affords no folid Satisfaction, but in the confcioufness of doing well, and in the hopes of another life. This is what I can jay upon experience, and what you will find to be true, when you come to make up the account.

Sir ISAAC NEWTON, univerfally acknowledged to be the ableft Philofopher and Mathematician that this or perhaps any other Nation has produc'd, is alfo well known to have been a firm Believer, and a Serious Chriftian. His discoveries concerning the frame and Syftem of the Univerfe, were apply'd by him, as Mr. Boyle's Enquiries into Nature had been, to demonftrate against Atheists of all kinds, the Being of a God, and to illuftrate his Power and Wifdom in the Creation of the World. Of which a better account

can

View of his

cannot be given, than in the words of an ingenious Perfon who has been much converfant in his Philofophy, Philofophical Writings: At P. 405. the end of his Mathematical Principles of Natural Philofophy, he has given us his thoughts concerning the Deity. Wherein he firft obferves, that the fimilitude found in all parts of the Universe, makes it undoubted, that the whole is governed by one fupreme Being, to whom the original is owing of the frame of nature, ' which evidently is the effect of . 'choice and defign. He then proceeds briefly to ftate the beft metaphyfical notions concerning God. 'In fhort, we cannot conceive either ' of Space or Time otherwife than as neceffarily exifting; this Being there'fore, on whom all others depend, 'must certainly exift by the fame neceffity of nature. Confequently 'wherever space and time is found, 'there God muft alfo be. And as it pears impoffible to us, that fpace

ap

'fhould

fhould be limited, or that time should have had a beginning, the Deity muft be both immenfe and eternal.

This great Man apply'd himself with the utmost attention to the study of the Holy Scriptures, and confider'd the feveral parts of them with an uncommon Exactnefs; particularly, as to the order of Time, and the feries of Prophecies and Events relating to the Meffiah. Upon which head, he Jeft behind him an elaborate Dif courfe, to prove that the famous Prophecy of Daniel's Weeks, which has been fo industriously perverted by the DEISTS of our times, was an exprefs Prophecy of the coming of the Meffiah, and fulfill'd in Jefus Christ.

Mr. ADDISON, fo defervedly celebrated for an uncommon accuracy in Thinking and Reasoning, has given abundant proof of his firm belief of Christianity and his Zeal against Infidels of all kinds, in the Writings that are here publish'd; of which it is cer