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greater or elder (for there were two apostles of that name,) and the son of Zebedee, by his wife Salomé. He was one of the three most favoured apostles, and is designated as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." There are evident references to this gospel in some epistles of Ignatius, bishop of Antioch. These epistles must have been written early in the second century; for Ignatius suffered martyrdom in the year 107. The precise time when this gospel was written has not been ascertained; but the opinion most generally entertained is, that it was written subsequently to the apostle's return from exile in the isle of Patmos, to which he was banished "for the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus." According to Irenæus, the apostle wrote it with the express view of extirpating the errors of Cerinthus and the Nicolaitans, which were then prevalent. Any one who examines the subject carefully will readily perceive that it forms a very important supplement to the other three Gospels. John rarely introduces into his narrative any of the topics that are mentioned by his predecessors, while he is much more particular, circumstantial, and copious than they are on the doctrine of our Lord's divinity, ch. i, and also in supplying us with those precious discourses which fell from the lips of that divine teacher, in his intercourse with the unbelieving Jews, as in ch. iii., v., vi, to x.;—his consolatory sayings to his disciples before his passion, and his wonderful intercessory prayer for them,recorded in ch. xvii. For these grand and interesting topics, so replete with instruction to the ignorant and so edifying to the pious mind, we are almost exclusively indebted to the Gospel of John. In fine, it appears to have been a very early tradition in the church that this Gospel was composed, not only to supply what had not been fully communicated in the former Gospels, but also to serve for refuting the errors of Cerinthus and the Gnostics. It is quoted by Justin Martyr, by Tatian, by Irenæus, Athenagoras, Theophilus of Antioch, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and the whole current of succeeding ecclesiastical writers.

So much, then, for the authenticity of the four Gospels, concerning which I have thought it necessary to be the more particular, as the subject lies at the foundation of the whole superstructure of Christianity. I now proceed to say a few words respecting some other of the New Testament writers.

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Among the canonical epistles are to be noticed, first, the epistles written by the apostle Peter. They were addressed to the Jewish converts dispersed throughout the countries of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who were at that time suffering greatly from persecution, and were intended to console them under their afflictions, by the hope of a blessed issue in eternal life. They were written in the year 64.

James, the brother of our Lord (properly his cousin, for he was the son of "the other Mary," Matt. xxvii. 56; and of Alpheus, called the less, or the Just), wrote also a concise, but most invaluable epistle to the Jews dispersed abroad, some years before his martyrdom, which happened during a tumult at Jerusalem, A. D. 61.

Paul the apostle wrote fourteen epistles at various times; some to Christian churches, and others to private individuals, as Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. These form a most important part of divine revelation; and, though they uniformly recognize the writings of the four evangelists as the basis of the Christian economy, they throw a flood of light upon many grand and sublime doctrines which had, indeed, been previously mentioned, but may be rather said to have been implied than unfolded :such are the doctrines of the priesthood and sacrifice of Christ— his kingdom, government, and laws-the divine decrees-and particularly the resurrection of the dead, which is illustrated in his epistle to the Corinthians, and placed in the noon-day light of the New Testament. They were written at different intervals, from the year 52 to 67.

Jude the apostle, and brother of James the Less (who is called Thaddeus, in the Syrian dialect, and also Lebbeus, from Lebba, a city of Galilee, Matt. x. 3), also wrote an epistle, subsequently to those of Peter and Paul (to whom he refers, ver. 17, 18), when several disgraceful heresies, against which he warns them, had sprung up among Christians. His epistle is supposed to have been written in the year 70.

And, lastly, the apostle John, who survived all the apostles, wrote three epistles for the use of the Christian church, and also the book of the Apocalypse, by which the Canon of Revelation was closed, and, as it were, sealed.

Although the books of the New Testament were so well authenticated as not to stand in need of any confirmation, it may

not be amiss to remark, in this place, that what the apostles in their writings testify of the suffering state of the first Christians is abundantly corroborated by the writings that remain of their companions and immediate followers.

Thus, for instance, Clement, who is honourably mentioned by the apostle Paul, Phil. iv. 3, has left us his attestation to this point in the following words :-"Let us take," says he, "the example of our own age. Through zeal and envy, the most faithful and righteous pillars of the church have been persecuted even to the most grievous deaths. Let us set before our eyes the holy apostles. Peter, by unjust envy, underwent not one or two, but many sufferings; till at last, being martyred, he went to the place of glory that was due unto him. For the same cause did Paul, in like manner, receive the reward of his patience. Seven times he was in bonds; he was whipt; he was stoned. He preached both in the east and in the west, leaving behind him a glorious testimony of his faith; and so having taught the world [the way of] righteousness, and for that end travelled even to the utmost bounds of the west, he at last suffered martyrdom by command of the ruling powers, and departed out of the world, and went unto his holy place, having become a most eminent pattern of patience unto all ages."

We have a similar testimony in Hermas, to whom Paul sent his salutation in his epistle to the Romans; thus he speaks :— "Such as have believed and suffered death for Christ's name sake, and have endured with a ready mind, and have heartily given up their lives," &c. &c.

Polycarp, the disciple of John (though all that remains of his works is a very short epistle), has not left this subject unnoticed. "I exhort all of you," says he, "that ye obey the word of righteousness, and exercise all patience, which ye have seen set forth before your eyes, not only in the blessed Ignatius, and Lorimus," and Rufus, but others among yourselves, and in Paul himself and the rest of the apostles: being confident in this, that all these have not run in vain, but in faith and righteousness, and are gone to the place that was due to them from the Lord, with whom also they suffered; for they loved not this present world, but Him who died and was raised again for us by God."

Ignatius, the contemporary of Polycarp, recognizes the same topic, briefly indeed, but positively and precisely. Referring to

CREDIBILITY OF THE FOUR EVANGELISTS.

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the apostle Peter, and those who were present with him at Christ's appearance, after his resurrection, having felt and handled him, so as to be satisfied of the reality of his bodily existence, Ignatius adds that "they despised death and were found superior to it." Here, however, I stop, as the limits of my Lecture forbid further enlargement, and I shall now endeavour to sum up the evidence which has been adduced in favour of the testimony of the evangelists, apostles, and first ministers of the Gospel.

begin by remarking that, of all the books in the world, the writings of the four Gospels have undergone the strictest scrutiny. Ever since the time of their publication, they have been carefully read both by friends and enemies; and, though the latter have laboured hard to find some grounds of accusation against them, the utmost that they have done has been to detect a few apparent inconsistencies in the circumstances attending certain facts, but not in the facts themselves-and, upon examination, even those circumstances are found capable of reconcilement. They, in fact, only prove that the evangelists did not write in concert-there was no combination among them to make up a story to deceive the world. But, not to dwell on this, allow me to fix your attention on some of the marks of credibility which lie upon the surface of their narratives. You will find that their writings have not the smallest air of a cunningly devised fable. Every transaction mentioned in them is so marked by the circumstances of time, place, and persons, as to have rendered the examination of the whole, at the time they were published, the easiest matter in the world, if they had exhibited falsehoods. These writers manifest no undue bias towards the cause in which they were engaged, nor towards their master; for they have honestly told, not only those particulars which were honourable to both, but they have mentioned many things which they could not but know would, in the eyes of unbelievers, reflect great dishonour upon both, and afford matter of cavilling against the Gospel itself. It does not appear, from any thing found in the Gospels, that the writers of them were under the influence of ambition, or covetousness, or sensuality. They show no personal esteem of their master beyond what his character warranted. They express no resentment towards his

enemies. Upon him they have passed no encomium; against them they have thrown out no reflections. Whatever is matter of praise to Jesus or of blame to his enemies, the evangelists record simply as facts, without passing upon them the slightest comment. The events of which they were the eye-witnesses, and which they have narrated, are well known to have been directly opposite to all the prejudices and prepossessions with which they were tinctured at the time they witnessed these things. They were, therefore, in no previous disposition to believe them, The belief of them was forced upon them merely by the evidence of sense, and they recorded them in obedience to truth. As be come eye-witnesses, the evangelists show no doubtfulness concerning any of the matters they have recorded. They speak of them with no uncertainty concerning them; and though they knew that many of them would, to strangers, appear improbable, they are at no pains to vindicate them from objections, or to show their probability. They were themselves certain of the truth of the facts they asserted, which indeed were matters well known in the country where they happened, and were rendered credible, in the most distant countries, by the miracles which the apostles and first ministers of the word performed, to the conviction of the heathens themselves. They appear as Christ's humble attendants, selected for introducing to the knowledge of others the character of their divine Master, whom they uniformly exhibit as the oracle of God. We invariably find them acting the subordinate part of ushers. Struck with the ineffable dignity of the Messiah, whom they served, they lose no opportunity of exhibiting HIM to the world, appearing to consider the introduction of their opinion, unless where it makes a part of the narration, as an impertinence. As modest pupils, in the presence of so venerable a teacher, they lay their hand upon their mouth, and by a respectful silence show how profound their reverence is, and how strong their desire to fix all the attention of mankind upon him. They sink themselves in order to place Him in the most conspicuous point of view-they in effect annihilate themselves that Jesus may be all in all. Never could it be said of any preachers with more truth than of them, that they preached not themselves but Christ Jesus the Lord. Deeply impressed with their master's instructions, and far from affecting to be called Rabbi, or to be