that he ever seriously ftudied the Gospel.-A fceptical careletfnefs and indifference, not unlike that temper, which, under the names of candour and moderation, has now overfpread the face of Europe, appears to have poffeffed the mind of this amiable prince: and, while he attended to the temporal advantages of mankind, and felicitated himself on his good actions, he feemed to forget that he had a foul accountable to the Supreme Being and scarce to think it poffible, that it fhould have any guilt to anfwer for before HIM. The evil of fuch a contempt of God is what mankind are of all things leaft inclined to difcern: Yet it is the evil of all others the moft vehemently oppofed in fcripture under the feveral branches of idolatry, unbelief, felf-righteoufnefs, and pride. No wonder;-for, without a knowledge of this evil, and a humble fenfe of guilt in confequence, the very nature of the Gofpel itself cannot be understood. The conclufion refulting from this confideration is, that godliness is perfectly distinct from mere morality: The latter indeed always flourishes where godliness is; but it is capable of a feparate exiftence. 3. The edict of this good emperor is a fingu larly valuable teftimony in favour of the Chriftians. of that time. It appears that there were then a race of men devoted to the service of Christ, ready to die for his name and for his religion: Thefe men exemplified the fuperior worth of their religion by a fuperior probity and innocence of manners, fo as to appear the best of subjects in the opinion of an emperor of the highest candour, intelligence, and acute obfervation. They were not inferior to the moft excellent of the heathens in morality: and they poffeffed, further, what this emperor confeffes their enemies were void of,-a fincere 0 2 fincere spirit of reverence for the Supreme Being,an unaffected contempt of death,-and that to which Stoicifm pretends,-a real ferenity of mind under the most preffing dangers; and all this grounded on an unfhaken confidence in God.We cannot but hence conclude-that the effufion of the Spirit of God, which began at the feast of Pentecoft, was ftill continued. Chriftians were SO IN POWER, and NOT IN NAME ONLY, by the teftimony of an heathen prince: and thofe, who would fubftitute the virtue or the morality of fallen man in the place of the religion of Chriftians, would do well to confider, that found virtue and found morality themselves know no fupport like that of Christianity.-This divine religion comprehends every poffible good thing that can be found in all others; and has, over and above, its own PECULIAR virtues :-It poffeffes a fund of confolation and an energy of fupport under the profpect of death itself; and it points out the only fafe and fure road to a blissful immortality. CHAP. CHA P. III. JUSTIN MARTYR. THIS great man was born at Neapolis in Sa maria, antiently called Sichem. His father was a Gentile,-probably one of the Greeks, beJonging to the colony tranfplanted thither: He gave his fon a philofophical education.-Juftin in his youth travelled for the improvement of his understanding; and Alexandria afforded him all the entertainment which an inquifitive mind could derive from the fashionable ftudies. The Stoics appeared to him at firft the mafters of happiness. He gave himfelf up to one of this fect, till he found he could learn from him nothing of the nature of God. It is remarkable as he tells us himfelf*,that his tutor informed him,-this was a knowledge by no means neceffary; which fact very much illuftrates the views of Dr. Warburton concerning these antient philofophers: namely, that they were Atheists in reality. He next betook himself to a Peripatetic, whofe anxious defire of fettling the price of his inftructions convinced Juftin, that truth did not dwell with him. A Pythagorean next engaged his attention, who, requiring of him the previous knowledge of music, aftronomy, and geometry, difmiffed him for the prefent, when he understood that he was unfurnished with those sciences. In much folicitude he applied himfelf • His dialogue with Trypho, whence the account of his converfion is extracted. himself to a Platonic Philofopher; and with a more plaufible appearance of fuccefs from this teacher than from any of the foregoing. He now gave himself to retirement. "As I was walking," fays Juftin, " near the sea, I was met by an aged perfon of a venerable appearance, whom I beheld with much attention. We foon entered into converfation; and upon my profeffing a love for private meditation; the venerable old man hinted at the abfurdity of mere fpeculation abstracted from practice: This," continues Juftin, gave occafion to me to exprefs my ardent defire of knowing God, and to expatiate on the praises of philofophy. The stranger by degrees endeavoured to cure me of my ignorant admiration of Plato and Pythagoras: He pointed out the writings of the Hebrew prophets as much more antient than any of thofe called philofophers; and he led me to fome view of the nature and of the evidences of Chriftianity:" He added, “ Above all things, pray, that the gates of light may be opened to you: for they are not difcernible, nor to be understood by any one, except God and his Christ enable a man to understand." He faid many other things to the fame effect: He then directed me to follow his advice; and he left me. I faw him no more; but-immediately a fire was kindled in my foul, and I had a strong affection for the prophets and for those men who are the friends of Chrift: I weighed within myfelf the arguments of the aged ftranger; and, in the end, I found the divine Scriptures to be the only fure philofophy."-We have no more particulars of the exercifes of his mind in religion. His converfion took place, from this beginning, fometime in the reign of Adrian. But he has fhewn us enough to make it evident, that CONVERSION was then looked upon as an inward fpiritual work in the foul,-the fame work of grace - which the Spirit operates at this day on real Chriftians. There appear, in his cafe, an earnest thoughtfulness attended with a ftrong defire to know God, and alfo an experimental fenfe of his own ignorance and of the infufficiency of human refources: Then there appear further, the providential care of God in bringing him under the means of Christian inftruction,-a direction to his foul to pray for fpiritual illumination, the divine hunger created in his heart, and, in due time, the fatisfactory comforts and privileges of real Christianity; which with him was not mere words and declarations; for he fays, He found Christianity to have a formidable majesty in it's nature, adapted to terrify those who are in the way of tranfgreffion, as well as a sweetness, peace, and ferenity for those who are converfant in it. He owns in another of his works*, that the example of Chriftians fuffering death fo ferenely for their faith, moved his mind not a little: This is an obvious confideration and need not be infifted on; however worthy it may be the notice of thofe called Philofophers in any age.-Juftin after his converfion ftill wore the ufual philofophic garb, which demonftrates that he retained, perhaps, too great an affection for the studies of his youth t; and if I mistake not, he always preferved a very strong tincture of the fpirit of philofophy, though not in fuch a manner as to prevent his fincere attachment to the Gospel. Coming to Rome in the time of Antoninus Pius, he there wrote a confutation of the heretics; particularly of Marcion, the fon of a bishop born in Pontus; who, for lewdness, was ejected from the Church Apology fecond, though mifnamed the firft, in all the copies of Justin. + Cave's life of Juftin. The truth of this charge against his morals has been difputed, poffibly with justice. |