and eloquent of orators.(50) All these eulogiums upon the sacred penmen are spoken of them merely as authors, without the smallest view to their higher order as inspired writers, and messengers of the Lord of Hosts.(1) If this last consideration be taken into the account, and added to the former, what an allimportant book must the Bible be? what a blessing to mankind? Language cannot express the value of it. If the exhortation of a late author, as improperly applied to the Grecian bard, were applied to this inestimable volume, it would be used with the strictest propriety and decorum!

"Read God's word, once, and you can read no more;
For all books else appear so mean, so poor.

Verse will seem prose: but still persist to read,
And God's word will be all the books you need."

The Bible abounds with a vast variety of matter, a confused magnificence above all order; and is the fittest book in the world to be the standard of doctrines, and the model of good writing. We defy all the sons of infidelity to shew us any thing like it, or second to it. Where will you meet with such a number of instructive proverbs-fervent prayers-sublime songs-beneficent miracles-apposite parablesinfallible prophecies(2)—affectionate epistles-elo

(50) Longinus ranks Paul among the most famous orators.

(1) Madam Dacier, in the preface to her translation of Homer, assures us, that, "the books of the Prophets and the Psalms, even in the Vulgate, are all full of such passages, as the greatest poet in the world could not put into verse, without losing much of their majesty and pathos."

(2) "Next to astronomy, few subjects expand the human mind more than the view which prophecy opens to us of the government of the Great King. To see the vast mass of materials, kingdoms, and centuries, in motion, only to the accomplishment of his purposes: to see refractory man employed to preserve the harmony of his designs; and the disorderly passions, while apparently working solely in their own narrow circle, ignorantly

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quent orations-instructive historians-pure laws rich promises-awful denunciations-useful examples,

advancing the fulfilment of his determinations! This is a study delightfully interesting, and which in common with the contemplation of all the Great Creator's doings, elevates the mind above the oppression of human cares and sorrows, and seems to leave her in that serenity of admiration, which one may imagine an impefect foretaste of part of the employment and happiness of angels."

Cowley tells us, that "all the books of the Bible are either al ready most admirable and exalted pieces of poesy, or are the best materials in the world for it."

Blackmore says, that "for sense, and for noble and sublime thoughts, the poetical parts of Scripture have an infinite advantage above all others put together."

Prior is of opinion, that "the writings of Solomon afford subjects for finer poems in every kind than have yet appeared in the Greek, Latin, or any modern language."

Pope assures us, that "the pure and noble, the graceful and dignified simplicity of language is no where in such perfection as in the Scripture and Homer; and that the whole book of Job, with regard both to sublimity of thought and morality, exceeds beyond all comparison the most noble parts of Homer."

Rowe, after having read most of the Greek and Roman histories in their original languages, and most that are written in Eng. lish, French, Italian, and Spanish, was fully persuaded of the truth of revealed religion, expressed it upon all occasions, took great delight in divinity and ecclesiastical history, and died at last like a christian and philosopher, with an absolute resignation to the will of God

There are few anecdotes of our English poets which give more pleasure than that of Collins, who, in the latter part of his mortal career, "withdrew from study, and travelled with no other book than an English Testament, such as children carry to school." When a friend took it into his hand, out of curiosity to see what companion a man of letters had chosen-"I have one book only," said Collins, "but that is the best."

This knits my heart to Collins more than all the excellencies of his poetry. Sick and infirm, in the spirit of Mary, he sits at the divine Redeemer's feet, listening to the words of eternal life. In such a state of body and mind, one single promise, from his gracious and infallible lips, is of more real value and importance, than all the pompous learning of the most celebrated philosophers. This will never be properly felt and understood till we are in simi lar circumstances. When Dr. Watts was almost worn out, and

as are set before us in this richly fraught magazine of all true excellence in matter and composition, the Holy Bible?

Cedite, Romani Scriptores; cedite, Graii;

broken down by his infirmities, he observed in conversation with a friend, "he remembered an aged minister used to say, that the most learned and knowing Christians, when they come to die, have only the same plain promises of the gospel for their support, as the common and unlearned: and so I find it. It is the plain promises of the gospel that are my support; and I bless God, they are plain promises, that do not require much labour and pains to understand them, for I can do nothing now, but look into my Bible for some promise to support me, and live upon that."

This was the case with the pious and excellent Hervey. He wrote about two months before his death :-"I now spend almost my whole time, in reading and praying over the Bible.-"I am now reduced to a state of infant weakness, and given over by my physician. My grand consolation is to meditate on Christ; and I am hourly repeating those heart-reviving lines of Young:

"This-only this subdues the fear of death;
And what is this?-Survey the wond'rous cure
And at each step let higher wonder rise!
Pardon for infinite offence!-And pardon
Through means that speak its value infinite!-
A pardon bought with blood!-With blood divine?
With blood divine of him I made my foe!—
Persisted to provoke-Though woo'd and aw'd,
Bless'd and chastis'd, a flagrant rebel still!—
A rebel 'midst the thunders of his throne!-

Nor I alone!-A rebel universe !

My species up in arms!-Not one exempt!-
Yet for the foulest of the foul he dies!-
Most joy'd for the redeem'd from deepest guilt!
As if our race were held of highest rank;

And Godhead dearer, as more kind to man."

Mrs. Godwin, otherwise Mrs. Wollstonecroft, was a woman of considerable powers, but of a lewd character in life, living with Imlay; and when forsaken by him, living with, and being preg nant by Godwin, who afterwards married her. I mention this circumstance, because they were both professed philosophers, and unbelievers, and as a contrast to the above pious Christians. She attended no public worship, and during her last iliness, no religi ous expressions escaped her philosophic lips.

And we recommend to the gentleman,(3) the scholar, and the philosopher, as well as to the illiterate Christian, the daily perusal of the Bible,

Nocturna versate manu, versate diurna.

There is another circumstance; though there are several of your unbelieving brethren, who are men of considerable natural abilities, of some learning, and of decent morals, yet there are not a few among you, as among us, who are profane and debauched in no small degree; and who are not capable of being reasoned with upon any religious topic whatever. These are a disgrace to any cause. And the more zealously they avow their party, the less honourable it is to that party. Such men are little raised above the brutes that perish, being earthly, sensual, develish. Let them but eat, drink, sleep, and indulge the baser passions of the human frame, they ask no more, they look no higher. To intellectual and refined enjoyments they are strangers. Of literary gratifications they know little. For moral and religious pleasures they have no taste. Immortal expectations, which exalt and ennoble the mind of man, they are willing to forego. The language of their sensual souls, which are brutalized with indulgence, is no other than that of the ancient Epicureans:-"Let us cat and drink; for tomorrow we die." And did they die to-morrow, the public would have no great loss of them: could they make good their hopes, that death is an eternal cessation from sensibility, they themselves would sustain no material inconvenience. The best they can expect, is, to cease to be: a consummation, for such characters, devoutly to be wished!

(3) South observes, that "he who would not read the Scriptures for fear of spoiling his stile, shewed himself as much a blockhead as an atheist, and to have as small a gust of the elegancies of expression, as of the sacredness of the matter."

These are the men, who make the greatest noise, and most violently oppose the religion of the Son of God and the Sacred Writings!(4)

It is an honour to that religion, and those writings, that such men are infidels, and avow their unbelief in the face of the world! May every unreasonable and

immoral man do the same!

If every thing besides in this volume shall be despised, let the several examples herein recorded have their due weight upon your minds. If there be importance in any thing, it is usually to be found in the sentiments and behaviour of men, when they draw near the close of their earthly existence.

"Men may live fools; but fools they cannot die."

We may be hardened in our sins, when that event draws nigh. We may brave it out against death. We may set at defiance all the threats of heaven. But, usually, we discover certain symptoms of what our future destiny is like to be. Fear, horror, indifference, hope, trust, faith, reliance, joy, will all more or less prevail, according as the state of our minds shall be, in those solemn moments, when death is making his approach. (5) The time is not at any

(4) There are, upon an average, 200,000 manufacturers in this country who constantly spend their hours in idleness, drinking, gambling and debauchery. This large body of men may be considered as infidels in principle, atheists in practice, and ripe for any wicked and desperate enterprize which may arise. They are the curse of the country; and yet they are excessively wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own conceit. All the world are fools besides themselves. They are great politicians, great philosophers, great divines-over their cups!-and wisdom shall die with them!

(5) There is a very affecting narrative in the confession of a deist at the gates of death. The gentleman in question was a very respectable person of the medical profession in Maidenhead. He was a man of pleasure. as far as business would permit; but his favourite amusement was the card table, at which he spent much time, and would frequently say to Mr. Cooke, a dissenting minister, "I am prodigiously fond of cards." While he was visiting