"miraculously called to the ministry of "the gospel, and declared to be a chosen "vessel;-that he had the whole doctrine "of the gospel from God by immediate "revelation;-that for his information in "the Christian knowledge, and the myste"ries and depths of the dispensation of "God by Jesus Christ, God himself had "condescended to be his Instructor and "Teacher;-that he had received the light "of the gospel from the Fountain and "Father of light himself;"—and, “that "an exact observation of his reasonings "and inferences is the only safe guide for "the right understanding of him, under "the Spirit of God, that directed these "sacred writings*."

And the death of this great man was agreeable to his life. For we are informedy, by one who was with him when he died, and had lived in the same family for

* Comment. p. 17.

y Posth. Works. p, 21.

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seven years before, that the day before his death he particularly ❝zexhorted all about "him to read the holy scriptures;" that he desired "to be remembered by them at evening prayers;" and being told, that, if he would, the whole family should come and pray by him in his chamber, he answered, "he should be very glad to have it 66 So, if it would not give too much trou"ble;" that an occasion offering to speak "of the goodness of God, he especially "exalted the love which God shewed to "man, in justifying him by faith in Jesus "Christ; and returned God thanks in par"ticular for having called him to the know"ledge of that divine Saviour."

About two months before his death he drew up a letter to a certain gentlemana, (who afterwards distinguished himself by a very different way of thinking and writing,) and left this direction upon it: "To be

Posth. Works, p. 20, 21. a Ibid. p. 328.

"delivered to him after my decease.". In it are these remarkable words :- "This "life is a scene of vanity, that soon passes "away, and affords no solid satisfaction, "but in the consciousness of doing well, "and in the hopes of another life. This "is what I can say upon experience, and "what you will find to be true, when you 66 come to make up the account."

Sir ISAAC NEWTON, universally acknowledged to be the ablest philosopher and mathematician that this, or perhaps any other nation has produced, is also well known to have been a firm believer, and a serious Christian. His discoveries concerning the frame and system of the universe were applied by him, as Mr. Boyle's inquiries into nature had been, to demonstrate against atheists of all kinds, the being of a God, and to illustrate his power and wisdom in "the creation of the world." Of which a better account cannot be given,

than in the words of an ingenious person, who has been much conversant in his philosophical writings: "bAt the end of his "Mathematical Principles of Natural Phi

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losophy, he has given us his thoughts "concerning the Deity. Wherein he first "observes, that the similitude found in all 66 parts of the universe makes it undoubted, "that the whole is governed by one Su

preme Being, to whom the original is "owing of the frame of nature, which evi"dently is the effect of choice and design. "He then proceeds briefly to state the best "metaphysical notions concerning God. In "short, we cannot conceive either of space "or time otherwise than as necessarily ex

isting; this Being therefore, on whom all "others depend, must certainly exist by the "same necessity of nature. Consequently "wherever space and time is found, there "God must also be. And as it appears

b View of his Philosophy, p. 405.

impossible to us, that space should be "limited, or that time should have had a beginning, the Deity must be both im66 mense and eternal."

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This great man applied himself with the utmost attention to the study of the holy scriptures, and considered the several parts of them with an uncommon exactness; particularly as to the order of time, and the series of prophecies and events relating to the Messiah. Upon which head he left behind him an elaborate discourse, to prove that the famous prophecy of Daniel's Weeks, which has been so industriously perverted by the deists of our times, was an express prophecy of the coming of the Messiah, and fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Mr. ADDISON, so deservedly celebrated for an uncommon accuracy in thinking and reasoning, has given abundant proof of his firm belief of Christianity, and his zeal against infidels of all kinds, in the writings