tion. And, more remarkably still, that insight is commonly shown by allusions and hints not fully developed, but manifesting in the original author of them a perfect acquaintance with circumstances and cases which should arise hereafter. Declarations, warnings, descriptions occur, which require a key. The characters or circumstances which the Gospel has produced, supply that key. But could such men as first set out to preach the Gospel, have possessed this foreknowledge? Could any men have possessed it? If they had ventured to conjecture at all upon a subject so uncertain as human conduct in a case so delicate as religion, would their conjectures have been verified by the subsequent experience of eighteen hundred years? What would have been thought of Columbus, if, instead of merely persevering till he reached a country of whose existence he was assured, he had undertaken to describe the rivers, mountains, or inhabitants which it contained, and the reception he should meet with there? And if he had hazarded such a prophecy, and the event had turned out according to his predic

tions, we should look upon him as something more than an enterprising adventurer.

The discourses, however, of Jesus, are full of anticipatory warnings and precepts, which show that the whole map of the future proceedings of his disciples was laid as it were open to his view. And many of these presumed on consequences from the doctrines to be promulgated, some of which would not have seemed probable beforehand to human expectations, and others would not have been openly declared by an impostor, if they had been foreseen.

I. One instance of this nature, was the PERSECUTION Which Jesus taught his disciples to expect. It was not, indeed, unnatural to anticipate that a nation, so bigoted as the Jews, should oppose the introduction of a religion which was to supersede their law; or that even the idolatrous Gentiles, however in many respects indifferent to matters of religion, should display an attachment to their superstitions when an attempt was made to shake them,

which their previous apathy had concealed. Therefore I should found no argument upon the prophecy, if it were merely written in general, "Whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospel's, the same shall save it." Some such encouragement as this must be held out by every enthusiast; as it was by Mohammed, when he reserved extraordinary rewards for any proselyte who should fall in battle in defence of his faith.

But the mode in which the persecution of Christians is spoken of, is not in the way of an ordinary command to maintain the faith or support the authority of their Master. It discovers an exact acquaintance with the sort of attack which they would commonly be forced to undergo. "Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake." "Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake"." "Blessed are ye when men

1 Mark, viii. 35.

2 Matt. v. 10, 11.

shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach and cast out your name as evil for the Son of man's sake"." "If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household?" "If the world hate you, ye know. that it hated me, before it hated you.' "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer, persecution." "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified "."

It is clearly intimated in these passages, that the persecution of Christians should be for righteousness' sake: that the peculiar piety and strictness of life demanded of them by their faith in Jesus, and practised for his sake, should be generally disliked, and cast in their teeth as a reproach. And it is a certain fact, that this species of persecution has existed under the dis

3 Luke, vi. 22.

Matt. x. 25.

4 John, xv. 18.

6 2 Tim. iii. 12. 1 Pet. iv. 14.

pensation of the Gospel. Yet I do not see that it was to be previously expected. That the

name of Jesus should be odious to those who found their prejudices assaulted, or their interests endangered, was sufficiently natural. But that the particular objection made to his disciples should be taken from their adherence to the strictest rules of temperance, moderation, and piety: in short, should be for righteousness' sake; arose from a trait of human nature which had not been before exhibited, and could only be foreseen by him who "knew what was in man." It had not been before exhibited, because no philosophical teachers, such as the world had hitherto seen, had made the duties relating to a man's self, or those which regard God, equally binding, and defined them as strictly, as those which concern his neighbour. In social duties it has never been pretended that any one can be too exact or too fearful of offending. But a similar exactness in habits of personal virtue, as purity, sobriety, moderation, patience, humility, as also in habits of piety, has excited, in almost every age, more or less virulent suspicion and reproach.