The Opinion of Dr. Lucas, the celebrated Author of a Treatife on HAPPINESS, concerning the Evidence of Christianity arifing from divine Communication.

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HERE is," fays Dr. Lucas, great need of acquired learning in order to true illumination. Our Sa"viour did not exact of his difciples, as a "neceffary preparation for his doctrine, "the knowledge of tongues, the history ❝ of times or of nature; logic, metaphy"fics, or the like. These indeed may "be serviceable to many excellent ends:

they may be great accomplishments of "the mind, great ornaments, and very "engaging entertainments of life. They "may be, finally, very excellent and necef

fary inftruments of, or introductions to "feveral profeffions and employments : "but as to religious perfection and happi" nefs,

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"nefs, to these they can never be indif "penfably necessary.

"A man may be excellently, habitually "GOOD, without more languages than "one; he may be fully perfuaded of thofe "great truths, that will render him maf"ter of his paffions and independant of "the world; that will render him easy " and useful in this life, and glorious in "another, though he be no logician nor "metaphyfician.

"The qualifications previously necef"fary to illumination are two or three "MORAL ONES, implied in that INFANT "C temper which our Saviour required in "thofe who would be his difciples, humility, impartiality, and a thirst and "love of truth."

"There is a knowledge which, like "the fummit of Pifgah where Moses "ftood, fhews us the land of Canaan, but "does not bring us to it.

"How does the power of darkness, at "this moment, prevail amidst the light "of the gospel? Are men ignorant? No:

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"but their knowledge is not fuch as it ought to be; it is not the light of « life.

"The understanding does not always "determine the will..

Though every honeft man be not "able to difcover all the arguments on " which his creed stands, he yet may dif "Cover ENOUGH; and what is more, he << may have an INWARD, VITAL, SENSIBLE

proof of them; he may FEEL the power, "the charms of holiness, experience its "congruity and lovelinefs to the human "foul, fo as that he fhall have no doubts "or fcruples. But befides this, there is a "voice within, a divine Teacher and In"ftructor.

"Extraordinary natural parts are not "neceffary to illumination. The gospel "takes no notice of them.

Such is the "beauty of holiness, that it requires ra"ther a fine SENSIBILITY arifing from pu"rity of heart, than quickness of intel"lectual apprehenfion, to render us ENA"MOURED of it."

A truth

A truth which involves the present and eternal happiness of human beings, cannot be placed in too great a variety of lights, or too repeatedly enforced. "He that fow"eth to the Spirit," fays St. Paul, “ shall of "the Spirit reap life everlasting *." When fuch is the harvest, every benevolent mind must wish to urge mankind, in this their feed-time, to fow to the Spirit. What is fo important cannot be inculcated by too frequent repetition. I therefore quote authors which occur to me in the course of my reflections on the fubject, whose opinions, though fimilar, may add weight to doctrines already advanced. Such is the above from Dr. Lucas, a most excellent divine, never charged with the leaft tendency to blameable enthusiasm.

I wish my reader to pay particular attention to what he fuggests on the INFANT TEMPER, required by our Lord in his followers. "Except," fays Jefus Christ, "ye "be converted, and become as little chil"dren, ye shall not enter into the kingdom * Galatians, vi. 8.

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"of God *."-" Verily I fay unto you, "Whofoever fhall not receive the king"dom of God as a LITTLE CHILD, he fhall "not enter therein †.”

The amiable difpofitions of infants must therefore be produced in the heart, before the religion of Chrift can be received into it. But are fuch difpofitions beft produced, or can they be produced at all, by subtle difputations, by cold argumentation, by bringing forward objections in order to difplay ingenuity in anfwers, laboured indeed and fagacious, but, after all, unfatisfactory to many, and unintelligible to more?

Yet this mode of recommending Christianity is the only one approved by fome perfons of high authority; and there are those who would not venture to preach the doctrine of grace, the teaching of God and a Spiritual understanding, left they. fhould be numbered with enthusiasts, and lofe all chance of promotion and worldly esteem. This danger must be

* Mat. xviii. 3.

+ Mark, x. 14.

voluntarily