This way of having recourse to the first foundations of religion, would be fo far from feeming low, that it would give moft difcourfes that force and beauty which they generally want; fince the hearers can never be instructed or perfuaded in the myfteries of religion, if you do not trace things back to their fource.

''

"For example-How can you make them understand what the church fays, after St Paul, that Jefus Chrift is our FASSOVER, if you do not explain to them the Jewish Paffover, which was appointed to be a perpetual memorial of their deliverance from Egypt, and to typify a more important redemption, that was referved for Meffiah.

"Almost every thing in religion is hiftorical. The best way of proving its truth, is to reprefent it justly; for then it carries its own evidence along with it. A coherent view of the chief facts relative to any person, or tranfaction, fhould be given in a concise, lively, clofe, pathetic manner, accompanied with such moral reflections as arise from the feveral circumstances, and may best instruct the hearers.

"A preacher ought to affect people by ftrong images; but it is from the Scripture that he should learn to make powerful impreffions. There he may clearly discover the way to render fermons plain and popular, without lofing the force and dignity they ought always to poffefs.

"If the clergy applied themselves to this mode of teaching, we should then have two different forts of preachers. They who are not endowed with a great share of vivacity, would explain the Scripture clearly, without imitating its lively and animated manner; and if they expounded the word of God judiciously, and supported their doctrine by an ex

emplary

emplary life, they would be very good preachers. They would employ what St Ambrose requires, a chafte, fimple, clear style, full of weight and gravity, without affecting elegance, or defpifing the fmoothness and graces of language. The other

fort, being of a poetical turn of mind, would explain the holy book in its own ftyle and figures; and by that means become accomplished preachers. The former would instruct their hearers with folidity and perfpicuity; the latter would add to this instruction the sublimity, the vehemence, and divine. enthusiasm of the Scripture, which would be (if I may so say) entire and living in them, as much as it can be in men, who are not miraculously inspired from above."

This, Reader, is the model which I have chofen, and after which I have humbly endeavoured to work. I count not myself to have attained-Far, very far indeed from it; as you will too foon difcover. I have not yet been able by any means to fatisfy myfelf; nor can I hope to fatisfy you. I have done as well as I could; and know not that it will be in my power to do better. Nobler and more extenfive ideas rise beføre me; but planning and executing are very different things. Time haftens forward; and life, attended with its cares, perhaps its forrows, will quickly have run its courfe. Accept fuch as I can give, and pardon errors and imperfections. I ftand at the door of the temple, with my torch. If you would view its glories, en ter in, and there dwell for ever.

THE CREATION OF MAN.

GEN. i. 26.

And God faid, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fifb of the fea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

CUR

URIOSITY naturally prompts us to enquire into the records of the family, or society, to which we belong. Every little incident, that befel our ancestors, is collected with care, and remem bered with pleasure. The relation it bears to us gives it confequence in our eyes, though, in the eyes of others, it may feem to have none. The mind, in its progrefs, finds attention excited, as the velocity of a falling body is increased; nor can it repose itself at ease on any account, which stops fhort of the original, and firft founder of the community.

Every motive of this fort confpires to animate our researches into the origination of mankind, and the hiftory of our common progenitor. We cannot but earnestly and anxioufly wish to be acquainted with the circumftances relative to the father of that family, of which all nations are parts; to difcover and survey the root of that tree, whose branches have overspread the earth. B

VOL. I.

Nor

Nor can fuch investigation be deemed matter of curiofity only. To form proper ideas of man, it is neceffary we should view him, as he came from the hands of his Creator. We must know, in what ftate he was placed, what were the duties refulting from that ftate, and what the powers whereby he was enabled to perform them. We must learn, whether he be now in the fame ftate, or whether an alteration in his ftate may not have fubjected him to new wants,' and new obligations. Upon a knowledge of these particulars, every fyftem of religion and morality must be conftructed, which is defigned for the ufe of men. A fyftem, in which the confideration of thefe hath no place, is like a a courfe of diet prescribed by a phyfician, unacquainted with his patient's conftitution, and with the nature of the difeafe under which he has the misfortune to labour.

It is obvious to remark, that this knowledge of human nature, of what it was at the beginning, and what alterations have fince happened in it, is a knowledge to the attainment of which no strength of genius, no depth of reafoning, no fubtlety of metaphyfical difquifition can ever lead us. It is a matter of fact, and must be ascertained, as matters of fact are, by evidence and teftimony. But he only, who made man, can inform us, how man was made; with what endowments, and for what purpofes. If he hath not done it, the world is, of neceffity, left in utter ignorance of fo capital a point. And this reflection alone may fupply the place of a thousand arguments, to convince us that he hath -done it.

We find an opinion current through heathen antiquity, that all is not right with the human race; that things were not at first as they are now, but

that

that a change hath been introduced for the worfe.
When the philofophers tell us, that mankind were
fent upon earth to do penance for crimes by them
committed in a pre-exiftent ftate, what is it but
faying, that man once was upright and happy; but
that, ceafing to be upright, he ceafed to be happy ;-
and that natural evil is the confequence and pu-
nishment of moral. Nor is it at all difficult to dif
cern, through the fictions of the poets, thofe truths
which gave birth to them, while we read of a gold-
en age, when righteousness and peace kiffed cach
other; of a man framed of clay, and animated by
a fpark of celeftial fire; of a woman endowed with
every gift and grace from above; and of the fatal
casket, out of which, when opened by her, a flight
of calamities overfpread the earth; but not without
a referve of HOPE, that, at fome future period of
refreshment and reftitution, they fhould be done:
away. Such are the fhadowy fcenes, which, by
the faint glimmering of tradition, reflected from an
original revelation, prefent themfelves in that night
of the world, the era of pagan fable and delufion,
when the imaginations of poetry and the conjec-
tures of philofophy were equally unable to fupply
the information which had been long loft, concern-
ing the origin of the world, of man, and of evil.

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A

With this information we are furnished by the writings of Mofes, penned under the direction of him who giveth to man the fpirit of understanding, for the inftruction of ages and generations. We are told, by whom the matter of which our fyftem is compofed, was brought into being; and in what manner the feveral objects around us were gradually and fucceffively formed, till the whole, com-pleatly finished, and furveyed by its great author, -

B

was

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