1. The divine origin of the doctrines of the gospel. But these are so numerous, and would require such a compass of reasoning to discuss them fully, that I must content myself with only giving you the outlines of them. The principal of these, as far as the external evidences of Christianity are concerned, are _prophecies_ and _miracles_. When events have been predicted thousands of years before they happen, the correspondence between the fact and the prophecy must be the effect of divine interposition. Yet such a correspondence, the most punctual, even in the minutiæ of time and circumstances, is visible from the very face of scripture prophecy. Miracles are justly considered as an additional evidence of the divine origin of any doctrine, and of the divine mission of him who preaches it. And having been performed before a number of credible witnesses, under circumstances of public notoriety, with marks of preternatural operation, and with a tendency the most beneficial to mankind, they become so many indubitable vouchers to the cause of truth. Much accessional strength to this sacred cause might be derived from a consideration of the character of the first preachers of the gospel; who went forth to spread its truths, under the expectation, not of ease and honor, but of contempt, and poverty, and death itself; and, without any aid, save what they derived from the presence and blessing of the Lord, amidst universal opposition, erected the standard of truth in divers countries, and planted truth in the most distant regions of darkness and error. But the internal excellences of the doctrine are among the other proofs of its divine original. Here you meet with none of the monstrous absurdities of paganism or superstition, that have often made virtues of the most abominable passions, and deified vice itself, by consecrating temples to lust and cruelty; or that have dethroned both reason and religion, and established the most egregious fooleries, as maxims of truth, and modes of worship. Here every virtue is rescued from the false glosses that had been imposed upon it by the craft, or ignorance, or wickedness of men; and every moral precept is placed in its true light of purity and extensive obligation; shewing, that what is so pure in its tendency must have for its author the Holy One of Israel. What other system, but that of the gospel, produces such a harmony between the divine perfections! Here, notwithstanding the opposite claims of mercy and truth, justice and peace, each is respectively honored, yet all mutually harmonize. They meet at the cross of Jesus, and, from his great propitiatory satisfaction, derive a power to unite with perfect concord in the salvation of sinners. While Jesus bleeds, justice is satisfied, truth is fulfilled, mercy erects her throne, and peace extends an olive branch to a guilty world.