has neglected to call in the aid of numerous evidences which might have been appealed to in confirmation of the positions which he has labored to maintain, and the facts which he has advanced: But the addition of these would have extended the Lectures beyond the limits originally designed; besides, in all probability, it might have rendered them too voluminous for the perusal of that part of the community, who find but little leisure for reading polemical and theological discussions. The object has been, to introduce many of the leading and most important subjects of revelation, and accompany them with such remarks and evidences, as he thought would tend to impress a clear and salutary conviction upon the candid and reflecting mind, without an unreasonable draught upon the patience of the hearer or the reader. How far he has succeeded, must be left for the public to judge.

Should any remarks which these Lectures may contain, be thought uncharitable, or too severe, the author disclaims any intention of injuring the feelings of his opponents, or of treating their objections to revelation with the least unfairness. All who have read the writings, or listened to the arguments of skeptics, are aware that they are unsparing in ridicule and satire: These have been their principal weapons; and on these they appear principally to depend for their success. They, therefore, have no reason to complain, if their own weapons are occasionally turned upon themselves.

That the arguments and evidences contained in these Lectures may be rendered instrumental of promoting the honor of God, by removing some of the obstacles to the faith and practice of the gospel of Christ, and of guarding the youthful and inexperienced mind against the snares of temptation which beset their path; settle the confidence of the wavering, and contribute to the joy and peace of the believing heart; is the sincere and devout prayer of the author, in complying with the wishes of the friends of Divine Revelation.

LECTURE 1.

JOB XXI. 15.

"What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have if we pray unto him?"

Such was the language of unbelief in the days of the patriarch Job ;-and such has been the language of those who knew not God, in every succeeding age. A portion of mankind, have, in all ages of the world, been found to indulge a propensity to cast off the restraints of fear and reverence, and finally to call in question the existence of the Supreme Being, and his government of the natural and moral world. And, my hearers, it requires neither the wisdom of Solomon, nor the inspiration of Paul, to describe the certain consequences of such infidelity. It prostrates at a single blow, the fairest temple that ever graced and beautified the creation of God, THE TEMPLE OF VIRTUE !

But you may, perhaps, inquire; is there in creation, a wretch, so devoid of reason and principle, as to deny the being of a God? Yes, my friends, there are multitudes, who in theory deny this truth; and still more, who, in practice, evince that they are destitute of any proper sense of their accountability to the laws and institutions of his moral government; and are, therefore, in every practical sense of the word, involved in all the darkness of atheistical infidelity!

It has been a question of doubtful solution, with some, whether there ever was a being, possessing moral intelligence, who could be so far blinded and depraved, as to call in question the truth, that a Being of infinite power and wisdom, created and governs the universe. But the modern boldness and daring attitude of skepticism has dissipated this illusion, and taught us that we have yet to contend, upon logical and philosophical principles, that the universe was created, and is governed by the agency of an infinitely wise and Almighty Being. Indeed, the

words of our text afford sufficient evidence that there were men of this description in former ages, notwithstanding all the plain and impressive indications of a divine and intelligent First Cause, scattered throughout the boundless immensity and endless variety of the works of creation and providence. Hence the necessity of meeting characters of this description upon the ground of their own choice, and of employing the weapons upon which they profess to depend, becomes obvious to every candid and reflecting mind.

Those who call in question the existence of a Supreme Being, alternately affect to be very wise and very ignorant. At one time you may hear them expatiating upon the astonishing laws and properties of nature; admiring the order, regularity and harmony of the physical universe, and really enthusiastic in their encomiums upon the wisdom, beauty and exuberance of nature: They appear to take delight in wandering back through the history of antique ages, and drawing from the records of olden time, the evidence of nature's constant and unchanging profusion. They will often profess a profound veneration and respect for the wisdom of nature's laws, and gravely philosophize upon the moral and social duties of mankind. But simply ask them whence these laws originated; from whom sprang this admirable order, regularity and harmony, so visible in the physical universe; and who is the author of nature, with all the profusion of blessings which it brings to man? and they will then change their position, and begin to plead the inability of mankind to form any correct conclusion of the source whence they had their origin; and of course, endeavour to persuade you, that for aught we know, they existed without beginning. With such pleas, and by confident appeals to man's ignorance of what he does not absolutely see, hear, feel, taste or smell, they have succeeded in many cases, in silencing those whose opportunities have not permitted them to read and investigate the subject with judgment and success: It may therefore be useful to push our inquiries still further, and if possible, sift this skeptical theory to the bottom.

What do these men, these pretended philosophers, mean by nature? Do they mean any thing more than the ma

terials which compose the solar system, of which the globe we inhabit is a part? If this be their meaning, then nature, according to their system, is nothing more nor less than an immense mass of simple and elementary substances, combining by mere accident, and producing without design, thought, or reflection, all that is wise and unerring in the order of the seasons, all that is lovely on the face of the globe, all the beautiful, all the admirable variety of enamelled flowers, all the wholesome fruits of the field, with all the vast armies of moving life which people every realm! Nor is this all ;-beings possessing the faculties of thought, reflection, will and memory, are likewise the production of an unthinking, an unreflecting and an unwilling cause! But reason would blush to admit that any cause ever produced an effect above itself, or that any effect ever existed independent of its cause.

Will the skeptic, to extricate himself from this absurdity, now assert that nature is intelligent? We deny the assertion, and demand the proof;-for what is nature, but the material system of things? And is matter intelligent? If so, then are stocks and stones, trees and plants, vegetables and minerals, of every description,-Nay, more; even dead and mouldering carcases are possessed of this noble and distinguishing property! Observation has long since demonstrated to our senses, with sufficient clearness, that nothing can afford the evidence of intelligence, which does not possess animal life. Whatever is destitute of intelligence, must, of necessity, be incapable of design. Matter, therefore, being destitute of this property, could not have produced the order of nature, nor designed the existence of a single form, in all the vegetable kingdom; much less the activity, sprightliness and intelligence, so visible through all the animal tribes of air and earth and seas. This position, therefore, is not only without proof, but it is absolutely unphilosophical, opposed to all tangible evidence, and falls little short of the grossest absurdity.

Matter is capable of being moulded into every variety of form, and the ingenuity of man has converted it to all the purposes of usefulness and convenience. But who ever dreamed that the artist was torturing intelligence.

when shaping his iron upon the anvil-melting the precious metals, or refining the silver and the gold by the application of fire? Who ever thought that the sculptor was inflicting misery upon the senseless marble and the passive block of wood, when plying his art, to please the eye and gratify the taste! And who would not blush to be found an advocate for such monstrous absurdities? Yet, the supposition that intelligence is an original and essential property of matter, necessarily involves this conclusion; since it is a well-known truth, that the amputation of the smallest parts of an animal form, or of a being possessing life or knowledge, is productive of those keen sensations of misery which always give birth to anxiety for the means of escaping whatever portends their danger of injury or pain. The hypothesis, therefore, that matter is necessarily possessed of intelligence, denotes a credulity and extravagance bordering upon madness.

Perhaps we may be told, that although matter is not absolutely intelligent, yet intelligence is the effect of a peculiar and happy organization of matter. This theory is by no means new, nor will it stand the test of logical investigation. It requires but a moment's reflection to discover that this proposition is a fair acknowledgment that intelligence is not coeval with matter, but the effect of a secondary cause: For it supposes first, the existence of matter; secondly, a peculiar organization, and thirdly, this organization produces an effect, which is intelligence: So that this wonderful proposition, of Atheistical pedigree, bears its illustrious inventor in unenviable triumph, to the following climax of absurdity-matter is active and unerring, though entirely passive and unintelligent! It has, without intelligence, produced the most astonishing effect, namely, a perfect system of organization, which indicates one of the profoundest designs of wisdom! And finally, that organization, though equally destitute of wisdom or knowledge, has produced all the intelligence which is displayed through the immensity of the heavens, and is inscribed on all the beauty and variety of this lower world!! The authors and disciples of this scheme, are therefore welcome to all the literary fame, and all the philosophical renown, which it is capable of yielding its primogenitors, and the whole train of its sapient foster-fathers.