er behold it with the fame eyes. It is for this reafon, that, in Chriftian countries, the ufe of it in punishing is univerfally abolished. We are inclined to confider it as too honourable a destiny, for any after Jefus Chrift, of the pofterity of Adam, to undergo. But in order to judge of the appearance and effect of a new doctrine, published in a remote period, we muft, as much as poffible, enter into the opinions and prepoffeffions that prevailed at the time. Confidered in this view, it is but just to observe, that crucifixion was then, in the Roman empire, incomparably more difgraceful than any kind of death known in thefe days in any part of Christendom. No citizen of Rome, how atrocious foever were his guilt, how mean foever were his ftation, though the loweft mechanic, or the pooreft peasant, could be fubjected to it. If a man was not a flave, as well as a criminal, it was not in the power of any magiftrate to dishonour him fo far as to confign him to fo ignominious a punishment. And though the privilege of Romans did not extend to every free fubject of the empire; fo tar did the Roman fentiments prevail in regard to this mode of punishing, that it was held univerfally as in the laft degree opprobrious. Conceive then the emotions which would naturally arise in the minds of fuch people, when a man (a miferable culprit in their account) who had been compelled publicly to fubmit to fo vile an execution, fo degrading, fo fhocking to humanity,

humanity, was reprefented to them as the Son of the Moft High God, and the Redeemer of the world. If to men fo prepoffeffed as were the Jews, this doctrine could not fail to appear impious and execrable, (and for a time it did fo even to the apostles); to men fo prepoffeffed as were the Gentiles it could not fail to appear nonfenfical and abfurd.

Nay, it is manifest from the writings of the early apologists for Chriftianity, in the second and third centuries, that this doctrine continued long to be a principal matter of offence to the enemies of our religion, and was regarded by fuch as an infurmountable objection. They treated it as no better than madnefs, to place confidence in a man whom God had abandoned to the fcourge of the executioner, and the indelible reproach of the crofs. Yet this doctrine was, from the beginning, fo far from being taught covertly by the apostles, as one would have thought that a fmall fhare of political wifdom would have fuggefted; it was fo far from being diffembled, and palliated, that it appeared to be that particular of their religion, of which, in spite of the utter abomination it raised in others, in fpite of all the obloquy it brought upon themselves, they were chiefly oftentatious. With our apostle the cross of Chrift is a phrase in familiar use for denoting the whole of this new economy. The foes of the gospel he calls enemies of the cross of Christ. To the * Philip. iii. 18. Corinthians,

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Corinthians, he fays, he determined to know nothing among them, fave Jefus Chrift, and him crucified *. The offence taken against Christianity he styles, the offence of the cross t And the grand object of his glorying was what to others appeared the greatest scandal, the cross of Christ ‡. So much in general (for your time does not admit my entering into particulars) of the foolishness of the doc

trine.

LET us next confider the weakness of the inftruments, the first miffionaries of this new religion. What were they? We fhould certainly think, that a truft of this kind, requi ring the most confummate skill and address to manage properly, could not, with the smalleft hope of fuccefs, be committed to any, but men, who to great natural fhrewdnefs, and acquired knowledge, had all the advantages that refult from being acquainted with the world, and converfant in public life. If to thefe, wealth, nobility, and authority, were added, fo much the better. But were the first publishers of the gofpel men of this fort? No. thing can be conceived more oppofite. A few fishermen of Galilee, and fome others of the lowest class of the people, poor, ignorant, totally unacquainted with the world; without any visible advantages natural or acquired; men who, before they received this extraor

I Cor, ii, 2. + Gall. v. II. ‡ — vi. 14.

dinary

dinary miffion, had been obliged to drudge for bread within the narrow limits of a toilfome occupation, and had probably never dared to open their mouth in places where men of condition (their betters, as we familiarly exprefs it) were prefent. Such were the agents employed in effecting the greatest revolution ever produced upon the earth. Was it in a rude and unlettered age that this religion was firft broached? or was it only to the illiterate that its promulgators were char. ged to communicate it? It was at the time when Rome was in the zenith of her power; it was at the time when all the Grecian arts and fciences fhone forth in their meridian glory. It was then that thefe plain, unexperienced men, were commiffioned, not cautiously to impart this doctrine in a whisper, to perfons of a particular ftamp, but to proclaim it to all indifcriminately, as from the housetops, to preach the gospel to every creature *. Thefe lowly minifters of Jefus did according. ly publish it to the Jews in the temple and in the fynagogues, and to the Gentiles in the forums of their cities, and in other places of public refort. Their undaunted fpirit and freedom, confidering what they were, did in. deed amaze their fuperiors, and all who heard them. When the High Prieft, and other members of the Sanhedrim, faw the boldness of Peter and John, in the fpirited and perti

* Mark xvi. 15.

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nent

nent reply they made, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled *.

How different is the policy of Heaven, pardon the expreffion, from that of earth! How truly is the matter represented in my context: "God hath chofen the foolish things of the "world, to confound the wife; and God hath "chofen the weak things of the world, to "confound the things which are mighty; "and bafe things of the world, and things "which are defpifed, hath God chofen, yea,

and things which are not, to bring to

"nought things that are; that no flefh fhould "glory in his prefence +." The apostles were very fenfible of their defects, in respect of natural talents, rank, and education; they knew well, that by men of fashion, men of the world, they were counted "as the filth "of the world, and the off-fcouring of all "things." But as their zeal was kindled folely in behalf of the cause of their master, they never affected to conceal or extenuate thefe defects. They neither difdainfully undervalued thofe acquired advantages which they had not, but which were poffeffed by many of their antagonists, nor vainly arrogated to themfelves any merit from the fuccefs that attended their preaching. Their humble language was, We have this treafure, the doctrine of the gofpel, the ineftimable riches of 1 Cor. i. 27. 28. 29.

* Acts iv. 13. 1 Cor. iv. 13.

Chrift