66 ye perceive it not." Vol. II. p. 387. Verily, they who lower their voices in the prefence of the apostle of God are those whofe hearts God has difpofed unto piety. They have obtained piety, and a great reward. As to those who call unto thee from without the inner apartments, the greater part of them do not understand the respect that is due to thee. If they wait with patience until thou come forth unto them, it will certainly be better for them. But God is inclined to forgive and be merciful." Vol. II. p. 388. Befides the charge of incontinence at a time of life when it was leaft excufable (for he was above fifty before he took any of the liberties above mentioned), Mahomet is charged with fome acts of exceffive and unneceffary cruelty, and even treachery. Eight perfons having been concerned in the murder of his shepherd, and having feized upon fome of his camels, whose milk and urine he had allowed them to drink for fome diforder to which they were subject, he ordered all their hands and feet to be cut off, their eyes to be put out with a hot iron, and then fixed to croffes, croffes, on which they miferably expired. Univerfal Hiftory, 137. He once ordered feven hundred Jews to be put to the sword, but was perfuaded to change their punishment for that of perpetual banishment. Ib. p. 117. When Sofian Ebn Kaled was making preparations to attack him, he gave a commiffion to Abdallah to affaffinate him; and when he had fucceeded, he gave him his cane, as a token of his approbation of his conduct. This cane Abdallah ever after carried about with him, and it was interred with him after his death. Univerfal History, p. 124. Mahomet alfo endeavoured to procure the affaffination of his enemy Abu Sofian, but the scheme failed. Ib. p. 125. It certainly is not neceffary that every prophet should be a good moral mán, and much less that he should be a perfect character. But it might reafonably be expected that the founder of a new religion should be free from fuch great defects as these; and therefore they take fomething from the evidence, fmall as it otherwife was, of his of his prophetic office. Both Mofes and Jesus were far fuperior characters. They both excelled in the virtues of meeknefs, patience, and benevolence, as well as piety, in which laft it is not pretended that Mahomet was particularly deficient, except fo far as his falfe pretenfions to a divine miffion make him chargeable, as they certainly do with impiety, whatever good end he might ultimately propose by fuch an impofture. But that devotion is of little value which does not enforce a command of our paffions, and which admits of the violation of the virtues of benevolence, placability, and temperance, including chastity. Jefus was far from being chargeable with any vicious indulgence whatever, fo that his example may be safely proposed to the imitation of all his difciples. He pleaded no exemption of any kind. The fame kind of indulgence to which Mahomet was himself addicted he largely promised to his followers in another world; prefuming, no doubt, that the same gratifications would have equal charms for them; and it cannot be denied that the delights of Mahomet's Paradise confift wholly of fenfual indulgences of the groffeft kind. It is in vain to attempt to fpiritualize what he fays on this fubject; his language is too definite, and the fame expreffions too often repeated, without the least mention of any thing else. DISCOURSE V. PART IV. THAT the contraft between the doctrine of Jefus, who brought life and immortality to light, and that of Mahomet on this fubject, may be the more ftriking, I shall recite all the particulars of Mahomet's Paradife, as collected from the Koran, and then fubjoin extracts from that work, as my authorities for the account. According to the Koran, Paradise confifts of a garden, or rather of two gardens, watered by rivers, and in each of them there are also two fountains. They are so shaded by trees, that neither the fun nor the moon are vifible in them. They who are admitted to this Paradife fhall be clothed in garments of fine filk and brocade, be adorned with bracelets of gold and filver, and repofe on on couches, the lining of which fhall be filk interwoven with gold. They shall be placed oppofite to one another, fo that while they recline on the couches they may have easy converfation with one another; while youths, continuing in their bloom for ever, shall attend them, going round with goblets, and cups filled either with water from the limpid fountain, or with wine. They fhall also be supplied with every kind of food, that shall be moft pleafing to them, and with the most delicious fruits, fuch as dates and pomegranates, growing on trees whofe branches hang fo low that they shall be easily gathered. Though they fhall eat and drink whatever they wish for, they fhall have an eafy digeftion, and the wine will not intoxicate them. They fhall alfo be poffeffed of women of an equal age with themselves, created on purpose for their use, with complexions like rubies and rofes, large black eyes, and fwelling breafts, not fubject to any impurity, and whom neither man nor genius fhall have deflowered before them. They fhall be kept in pavilions from public view, or, when they are in the company of others, VOL. III. Y |