THE WHEEL OF LIFE.

PART THE THIRD.

I shall begin this division of my subject, by repeating an observation I made in the commencement of my argument with the unbelieving philospher; namely, that from the time of Constantine who was the first christian emperor (so called,) history does not furnish us with any period, wherein six successive princes of Rome perished by treason* although in the dark ages of popery provo

* Tiberius, an emperor of heathen Rome was smothered or dispatched by poison in the thirty-ninth year of the christian æra; he was succeeded by Caligula, who was murdered by Cassius Cherea-Caligula was succeeded by Claudius his uncle, who was poisoned by his wife Agrippina-Nero, who succeeded Claudius, murdered himself to escape the vengeful fury of his enemies-Galba, his successor, an able soldier, and worthy of government in those barbarous times, perished by the treachery of Otho, his favorite-Otho, who succeeded him, was killed in a battle fought with Vitellius, his competitor-Vitellius was murdered by the soldiers of Vespasian, who dragging his dead body through the streets, threw it with all possible contempt into the river Tiber.-These are only a few instances of the barbarity of those times, à few scattered fruits of that wild olive tree, into which some men (of loose principles, who wish to render them. selves eminent, or of mistaken judgments, and who are themselves deceived) wish again to ingraft us-but, brethren, suffer not your simplicity to be corrupted by their sophistry-for if these men possess themselves any virtue, they are indebted for it to the influence of that religion, which they endeavour to destroy, and which equally disclaims the loose principles of the infidel, and the loose practices of the libertine-the ravages of war, and in private life the more refined, though (as to human happiness) equally desolating influence of unhallowed nature!Över the whole universe the divine mercy lifts aloft its hovering wing, and suspends the sword of justice, that the creature of probation may have a fair opportunity of trial-during this day, many warnings and incitements to virtue are afforded him; many

cations were not wanting-I would place this moderation of the people to the credit of christianity; and the cruelties afterwards exercised by men in power assuming that name, as not chargeable upon it-they being in reality heathens, who had only transferred their idolatry to new objects equally prohibited by the Gospel-and I would vindicate the superintendance of Providence by saying, that these idolaters were never able by fire and sword, to destroy its existence in the hearts and lives of thousandsnor could their sanguinary measures prevent its final progress-they were undoubtedly permitted (for reasons unknown to us) to dam up the well-spring of life, and force it for many centuries to take a subterraneous course-during these ages of crucifixion darkness; the wilderness and solitary desert were its chief receptacles-yet even here it carried too much of the Jew and Gentile-Mara and Tiber had insinuated themselves into the water of life,

opportunities of instruction thrown in his way-that with one eye fixed upon Christ for the succours of his grace, and the other upon that perfect copy of his divine will which the gospel exhibits, the feeble creature may aspire after conformity to that portraiture of beauty and perfection, in which, if sincerely engaged, although feeble as a child-or by nature deformed as a monster-the perfections of God are engaged on his behalfengaged-whether in a day, a year or an age, according to his own good pleasure, to perform his gospel covenant-that he will create in this seeking sinner, a clean heart," (that fountain of purity to the body) that he will" renew a right spirit," (that only source of right action)" within him."

That the humble ingenuous reader may not be seduced into a misunderstanding of the gospel, by confounding it with the errors of popery on the one hand-or the national and individual imperfections of those who are in part reformed on the other, is the object of this note, as well as to manifest to his view the weighty blessings we derive from the christian religion, of which poor heathens were destitute.

so that even in the wilderness it tasted bitter-nevertheless the infusion was pot so extensive, as to destroy its healing influence; or to render undistinguishable its intrinsic properties-these refreshing streams, although as I said chiefly to be found in the wilderness, did nevertheless in their passage from the fount, frequently breaking out even in the populous haunts of men-and sometimes asserted their dignity, and offered their refreshments in the very heart of the capital; but being averse to violence, they were uniformly pushed back through their subterranean channels, to seek a reception elsewhere-For upwards of a thousand years, they continued to be thus persecuted; but at length, he who said, "Let there be light, and there was light;" at whose command, nations and empires rise and fall, flourish and decay-whose justice reaches to the depths of hell, and whose voice animates all nature with its instructions, saw the time was fully come, in which he should begin to deliver the celestial spring from its imprisonment.-A priest* is made the first instrument of delivering the stone from the well's mouth, and in this pious undertaking, he is assisted by the advocates of the gospel-and at length the healing streams spout forth, and in spite of all opposition, obtain the sanction of a law to water Germany !-I must confess it ran in a muddy stream all this century-in process of time however its agitation ceased, and faithful labourers raised up for that purpose, commenced the task of separating it from the filth of the soil, through which it ran; these labourers have been

* Luther.

D

succeeded by others; and the work is still going on-from Germany it flowed more or less mixed to various countries of Europe as Geneva, Holland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and even the islands of the sea; and it wrought marvelous changes in all these places, although mixed with the sediment of its original bed;-last of all it visited the continent of America-the barren wilderness received with open arms its healing streams, which flowed from province to province in majestic simplicity, rendering wholesome and fertile every spot through which it passed-in Pennsylvania it reposed as in its own proper bed-the purifying operations it passed through before its arrival here, has given it a transparency and fruitfulness that mocks description the Nile has never caused the barren sands of Egypt, to produce such fruits and flowers as are to be found in Pennsylvania-the products of the old world still groaning under corruption, cannot vie with them; and this province which may be justly stiled the mistress of the new world, continues the admiration of mankind-And now having traced the progressive movements of christianity, from Judea a Roman province which gave it birth, to Pennsylvania a province of the United States of America, where I conceive it to be established in its purest form; let us look a little back to christian Rome so called, whose political and ecclesiastical image, is comprised of a motley mixture of Paganism, Judaism, and Christianity

A learned man who has written the history of these times, makes the following observations upon them,

viz." Both Jews and Heathens were accustomed to a vast variety of magnificent ceremonies in their religious service and as they considered these rites as an essential part of religion, it was natural they should behold with indifference, and even with contempt, the simplicity of the christian worship, which was destitute of themTo remove this prejudice, the bishops thought it necessary to increase the number of ceremonies, to render the public worship more striking to the outward senses." In this and similar conformities, we may perceive the origin of those abuses complained of by Epicurus Sadducee-abuses borrowed from pagan pride, and pagan superstition—and although apparently unconnected with war and injustice, were the parents of both-for they gave birth to that mother of harlots, which afterwards covered the earth with her sorceries; shed the blood of the martyrs, and made princes tremble on their thronesfrom the moment that this new adopted system obtained footing in the christian church, it spread its desolations far and wide-to improve upon it, it became necessary to abandon the simplicity of the christian religion-Antichrist, who before this period had in vain fought against the church in his heathen character, is now admitted, dressed in the motley garb of a Jewish and Pagan priestthe sanctimonious appearance of the Demon excites veneration" the whole world wonders after him ;" and to convince them that he is worthy of their worship, he works miracles-the carcases of pagan superstition and of Jewish ceremonies, interred by the first christian worthies, he raises from putrefaction in sight of the