that whosoever believes in the Son of God, shall not perish in hell, but be saved from sin and brought to glory. Many other things the Scriptures teach, but these are the greatest.

Now, my brethren, if we are asked Why we believe these things, we are able to give a reason of the hope that is in us. There is no evidence that an unbeliever, like Dives, can now desire, that has not already been given. Dives asked for a miracle. God wrought many miracles by Moses, and more by Jesus Christ; and these are more credible than the apparition of a deceased friend would be. Moses performed many miracles in Egypt and the wilderness; for the truth of which he appeals to the whole multitude of Israel. Now, is it possible that a million of people could be persuaded that they saw and heard things which they did not see nor hear? Would they not have contradicted him? Could they, for instance, have believed that they had passed through the Red Sea, and that they had subsisted upon manna, in a miraculous manner, for many years, and that their garments had not worn out, if no such things had happened?

But, not to dwell on Moses or the prophets, let us consider the wonderful works of Jesus Christ; who, by the way, confirms the character of Moses; so that the character of Moses and of Christ must stand or fall together.

Jesus Christ appealed to his miracles for the proof of his mission. To the disciples of John, who inquired whether he were the true Messiah or not, he said, "Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them." Matt. xi. 4, 5. All these things are truly miraculous, and such as

Divine Power alone is able to perform: but they were perfectly easy to him, and they fully proved his divine authority. These things were not done in a corner, they were done openly, and some of them before thousands of witnesses. His great enemies, the Jews, could not, did not, deny them: they only wickedly ascribed them to the power of the devil. The Evangelists wrote an account of these miracles in the very country where they were performed, and near the time; so that if they had not been done, thousands would have risen up and contradicted their testimony. The Apostles went forth into various countries preaching the Gospel of Christ, and confirming its truth by their miraculous works; and surely they cannot be accused of priestcraft. Did not they, as well as the prophets, forfeit the esteem of men, and endure great hardships, even death itself? And was not their whole conduct an evidence of their sincerity?

But our faith does not rest only on the miracles. Prophecy, or predicting events long before they happened, is a proof equally strong. We could give many unanswerable proofs of this kind, but our limits forbid.

The excellent effects of the Christian religion wherever it is truly received, is another argument in its favour. We daily see, that by the preaching of the Gospel, sinners are converted to God; that bad men are made good men; they become " new creatures," as the Scripture calls them. So it was at the first: some of the greatest persecutors became Christians, and whole nations forsook their idols; and thousands in those nations forsook their detestable practices, and became sober, just, devout, and benevolent. Now, this is a continued miracle; we see it wrought to this day. May God give you, my friends, to know the power of divine truth in your own hearts, and its holy influence upon your temper and conduct, and then

you will have the witness or testimony in yourselves to the truth of Christianity? and this will be more satisfactory than all other evidences put together.

And now say, my friends, if any other, any new testimony is wanting to confirm the truth of Scripture? Dives wished that a person might rise from the dead to convince his brethren: and perhaps there are some people in England who would wish the same. Suppose God should grant their wish. Suppose that in the silent hours of darkness something should appearsomething exactly like one of our friends, whom we knew was dead and buried a month before. Suppose he should say, "I am such an one- -I am come to tell you that there is a holy God-there is a glorious heaven-there is a dreadful hell-Forsake your sins, and believe in Jesus, or you will perish for ever!" What effect do you think such a vision would have? Probably it would frighten you to death; or if you survived it, and were deeply impressed with it, it is likely that the cares and pleasures of life would wear off the impression in a little time. As to your friends, they would not believe you; they would try to laugh or reason you out of your fancies; they would say it was a dream, or that you were mad; and if your heart were not changed by grace, you would yourself begin to doubt, and judge that you were somehow or other imposed upon; so would you remain just what you were, or perhaps become worse.

But not to argue on suppositions, let us resort to matter-of-fact. The experiment has been tried, and was ineffectual. You remember to have read, in the 11th of St. John, an account of the resurrection of another Lazarus, who lived and died at Bethany, about two miles from Jerusalem. Jesus Christ went to his tomb, and in the presence of many people, cried aloud "Lazarus, come forth;" the dead heard the voice of the Son of God and lived; he that had been dead

four days came forth in his shroud, and walked home to his house. This miracle was never denied; it was acknowledged and dreaded by the chief priests and rulers: the neighbours saw him, conversed with him, ate and drank with him; but what effect had it? Some indeed believed; others turned informers, and went and told his enemies, who said, "This man doth many miracles; if we let him alone, all men will believe on him." From that day, therefore, they sought to murder him. So that we see outward evidence alone, however strong, is insufficient of itself to produce faith in the carnal heart.

Take another instance. Our Lord Jesus often declared that he would rise again upon the third day after his death. The appointed hour arrived, and behold there was a great earthquake. The Saviour rose; the keepers, the soldiers, were terrified; they became as dead men! But were they converted? No; the chief priests and elders hired the soldiers who saw the resurrection, to tell a lie, and say, that while they slept, the disciples of Jesus stole him away. A foolish lie it was; for, if they were asleep, as they pretended, how could they know what happened: and if not asleep, the pretended robbery was impossible; but it proves that the most sensible, the most awful evidence, will not convince or convert men without the concurrent operation of the Holy Spirit. In like manner, we might show that the most singular and awful providences, such as the death of near relations, and remarkable escapes from death, and the most dreadful views of eternity, and the most solemn vows and resolutions made at such times, prove insufficient to make men truly religious.

Let us now hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Be thankful for your Bible; prize your Bible; read and study your Bible daily; praying to God to give you his Spirit, that you may rightly understand it, and

be thereby made wise to salvation. Avoid bad books and bad men as you would avoid poison. Regard not their objections; they can make none that have not been answered a thousand times. Their cavils are mere trifling, like a man who despises such a building as St. Paul's church, on account of a small flaw or two in the surface of a stone. The Scriptures are fulfilling daily before your eyes; and the very objections of infidels are a proof of their truth; for, as our Saviour declared, "Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil;" and this is the grand source of infidelity, ancient and modern. Sinners are against the Bible, because the Bible is against them.

Read this parable again when you go home; and learn from it not to envy sinners, however rich and prosperous. Repine not at poverty; but pray it may be sanctified to the benefit of your souls. Be content with the evidence God has given you of a future state; be concerned, by faith in Jesus, to avoid the miseries of hell and to be made meet, by the grace of God, to enjoy, with all the redeemed, the unspeakable joys of the heavenly world, for ever and for ever. God grant this may be the happiness of each of us, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen!