"are difcernible in its whole extent, and even "in its remoteft parts."

The preceding quotations fufficiently demonftrate the fentiments of Sir William Jones on the fubject of Revelation, and they may be fairly confidered as evincing an anxiety on his part to imprefs his own belief on others, for the very expreffions which may seem to imply hesitation or indifference in his mind, are particularly adapted to enforce conviction on thofe, to whom they were addreffed. It is worthy of remark, that the reflections in many of the paffages cited, although fuch as would naturally occur to a believer in the Scriptures, are not neceffarily called for by the subject under his difcuffion, and could only proceed from his zeal in the investigation and propagation of truth. This was the fixed object of his whole life, as he has himself declared in the following elegant couplets:

Before thy mystic altar, heav'nly Truth,
I kneel in manhood, as I knelt in youth :
Thus let me kneel, till this dull form decay,
And life's last shade be brighten'd by thy ray:

Then shall my soul, now lost in clouds below,
Soar without bound, without consuming glow*.

A difciple of Voltaire would have omitted the observations made by Sir William Jones, or have tortured the premises on which they are founded, into the service of infidelity; nor would he have declared that, "in order to "enlighten the minds of the ignorant, and to "enforce the obedience of the perverse, it is "evident à priori, that a revealed Religion

was neceffary in the great fyftem of Providence+."

The mind of Sir William Jones was never tainted with infidelity; but there was a period, as I have already obferved, before his judgment was matured, and before he had ftudied the Scriptures with close attention, when his belief in the truth of Revelation was tinged

* These lines were written by Sir William Jones in Berkley's Siris; they are, in fact, a beautiful version of the last sentence of the Siris, amplified and adapted to himself; "He that would make a real progress in knowledge, "must dedicate his age as well as youth, the latter growth "as well as the first fruits, at the altar of Truth."

with doubts. But these were the tranfient clouds, which for a while obfcure the dawn, and difperfe with the rifing fun. His heart and his judgment told him, that Religion was a fubject of fupreme importance, and the evidence of its truth worthy of his moft ferious investigation. He fat down to it without prejudice, and rofe from the enquiry with a conviction, which the ftudies of his future life invigorated and confirmed. The completion of the prophecies relating to our Saviour, had impreffed upon his youthful mind this invaluable truth, that the language of Ifaiah, and of the prophets, was infpired; and in this belief, to which fresh proofs were progreffively added, he closed his life. He has I truft received, through the merits of his REDEEMER, the reward of his faith.

In matters of eternal concern, the authority of the highest human opinions has no claim to be admitted, as a ground of belief, but it may with the ftricteft propriety be oppofed to that of men of inferior learning and penetration; and, whilst the pious derive fatisfaction.

from the perufal of fentiments according with their own, thofe who doubt or disbelieve,

fhould be induced to weigh with candour and impartiality, arguments which have produced conviction in the minds of the beft, the wifeft, and most learned of mankind.

Among such as have profeffed a steady belief in the doctrine of Chriftianity, where fhall greater names be found, than thofe of Bacon and Newton? Of the former and of Locke, it may be observed, that they were both innovators in fcience; difdaining to follow the fages of antiquity through the beaten paths of error, they broke through prejudices, which had long obftructed the progress of found knowledge, and laid the foundation of science on folid ground, whilft the genius of Newton carried him extra flammantia mania mundi. These men, to their great praise, and we may hope to their eternal happiness, devoted much of their time to the study of the Scriptures: if the evidence of Revelation had been weak, who were better qualified to expofe its unfoundnefs? if our national faith were a mere

fable, a political fuperftition, why were minds which boldly destroyed prejudices in Science, blind to thofe in Religion? They read, examined, weighed, and believed; and the fame vigorous intellect, that difperfed the mists which concealed the temple of human knowledge, was itself illuminated with the radiant truths of Divine Revelation.

Such authorities, and let me now add to them the name of Sir William Jones, are de→ fervedly entitled to great weight: let those, who fuperciliously reject them, compare their intellectual powers, their scientific attainments, and vigour of application, with those of the men whom I have named; the comparison may perhaps lead them to fufpect, that their incredulity (to adopt the idea of a profound fcholar) may be the refult of a little fmattering in learning, and great felf-conceit, and that by harder study, and a humbled mind, they may regain the religion which they have left.

I fhall not apologize for the extracts which I have introduced from the works of Sir WilLife-V. II.

S