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how do we know that this history is true?-Because eye witnesses have written it, and have suffered death to maintain the truth of their testimonies. And how are we certain, that there were eye witnesses, and that they suffered death, rather than deny what they said? By history; that is to say, by the testimony of men who have affirmed it constantly, from the time of the establishment of the christian religion, to the age in which we live.?" Le Clerc.

4. Belief in Christ, includes a belief in the doctrines which he taught, the principal of which are, that we must love God supremely, and our neighbour as ourselves; and that there is another life after this, in which the righteous will be rewarded, and the wicked punished. And we also learn from the Gospel, to hope, that, at some future time, all men will become obedient to God, and that the kingdom of Christ, that is the authority of his example and instructions, will become universal.

5. The History of Christ, the nature of his miracles, and the prospects of mankind, are briefly and beautifully displayed in the following verses, by James Montgomery.

Behold him rise from infancy to youth, The Father's Image, full of grace and truth; Tried, tempted, proved in secret, till the hour, When, girt with meekness, but arrayed in power Forth in the spirit of the Lord, at length Like the sun shining in meridian strength, He goes:-to preach good tidings to the poor, To heal the wounds that nature cannot cure ; To bind the broken-hearted; to control

Disease and death; to raise the sinking soul;
Unbar the dungeon, set the captive free,
Proclaim the joyous year of liberty,

And from the depth of undiscovered night,
Bring life and immortality to light.

How beautious on the mountains are thy feet,
Thy form how comely, and thy voice how sweet,
Son of the Highest !-Who can tell thy Fame ?—
The Deaf shall hear it while the dumb proclaim;
Now bid the blind receive their Saviour's light,
The lame go forth, rejoicing in thy might;
Cleanse with a touch, yon kneeling leper's skin;
Cheer this pale penitent, forgive her sin;
Oh! for that mother's faith, her daughter spare ;
Restore the maniac to a father's prayer;
Pity the tears those mournful sisters shed,
And be THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD!

What scene is this?-Amidst involving gloom, The moonlight lingers on a lonely tomb No noise disturbs the garden's hallowed bound, But the Watch walking on their midnight round: Ah! who lies here, with marred and bloodless mein, In whom no form nor comeliness is seen; His livid limbs with nails and scourges torn, His side transpierced, his temples wreathed with thorn?

'Tis He, the Man of Sorrows!

He who bore Our sins and chastisement ;-His toils are o'er; On earth erewhile a suffering life he led, Here hath he found a place to lay his head; Ranked with transgressors he resigned his breath But with the rich, he made his bed in death.

Sweet is the grave where angels watch and weep;
Sweet is his grave, and sanctified his sleep.
Death, as he struck that noblest victim, found
His sting was lost forever in the wound.

The grave, that holds his corse, her richest prize
Shall yield him back, victorious, to the skies.

He lives :-ye bars of steel! ye gates of brass!
Give way, and let the King of Glory pass :
He lives;-ye golden portals of the spheres!
Open, the Sun of Righteousness appears.
But ah! my spirit faints beneath the blaze,
That breaks and brightens o'er the latter days,
When every tongue his trophies shall proclaim,
And every knee shall worship at his name;
For He shall reign with undivided power,
To earth's last bounds, to nature's final hour.

THE COUNTRY OF THE JEWS.

The modern Palestine, and ancient Canaan comprehended, after the conquest, twelve divisions belonging to the tribes. After the division of the kingdom, into Israel and Judah; Judah occupied the south, and Israel, the north of the country. Phoenicia lies west of the country of Israel, on the Mediterranean; and the land of the Philistines stretching towards Egypt, lay on the same coast, west of Judea. A small part of the Israelitish territory extended to the sea. After the restoration of the Jews, and under the Romans, this

country was divided into three parts, Judea in the south, Samaria in the middle, Galilee in the north.

ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE GOSPEL.

1. While Judea was a Roman province, the Jews suffered some terrible oppressions from the Roman government. One of these oppressions was the exactions of the Publicans, or tax gatherers. The Romans farmed out the revenues, that is permitted the tax gatherers of the provinces to take a certain portion of all the taxes which might be collected. The consequence was, that the tax gatherers demanded more of the people than was right, and all over Judea, made themselves feared and hated.

2. Nor can it be doubted but the soldiers and other Romans in the provinces, exercised a very cruel control over the provincials, or original inhabitants of the provinces. In Christ's sermon on the mount, is this passage,

"Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. If any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, give him thy cloak also, and whosoever shall compel thee to go with him a mile, go with him twain.”

3. This passage is, doubtless, meant only to be strictly applied to persons under the political circumstances of the Jews. The Jews were a comparatively weak people, subjected to those who were strong. To give blows, to take garments, to force labourers from their work, were common

insults inflicted by their military tyrants, upor ne helpless Jews. If a Jew resisted, the injusuce was repeated; it was therefore wise in a Jew not to resist, but to make the easiest submission, possible, to the Roman magistrates and soldiers.

4. Some other parts of this admirable sermon, apply particularly to those who heard it; thus:— "whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause, shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, (a reproachful name,) shall be in danger of the council." This judgment and council, were tribunals of the Jews, that judged petty offences.

5. The sense of this passage to us, is determined by other passages of the New Testament, and by the example of Christ. "Be courteous,' "In honour preferring one another," are injunctions of the apostle, which show that unbrotherly and contemptuous language, is unworthy of Christians.

6. The example of our Saviour shows that we should not resist bad treatment, when it would be useless to do so, but that when we have sufficient power, we may do what is lawful to defend our lives, to secure our property, and to follow our own pursuits.

The greater part of the sermon on the mount, is of universal application-meant for all people, at all times.

1. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem upon an ass, attended by the multitude, as he came near it, he

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