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will give them a fair and dispassionate hearing, and seek truth, at least, with as much warmth and assiduity, as we usually employ in our secular pursuits. No man ever succeeded greatly in life, who did not embark zealously in its concerns. No man ever became a good scholar, without much time and application. And no man ever made any considerable proficiency in things divine, till all the leading powers of his soul were engaged therein. Permit me then to exhort you to be in earnest in your religious inquiries. Apply your minds with zeal and impartiality to the investigation of sacred wisdom. This is the concern, the duty, the privilege, the glory of every human being. The most ancient and sublime author in the world hath exhausted all the treasures of nature to express its intrinsic value. "Where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found

In Germany have been published in the course of six years, from 1785 to 1790, no less a number than 27,462 books, on the following subjects, and in these proportions:

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27,462

The average number of books published in Germany from 1785 to the close of the year 1797, is 5,360 annually.

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in the land of the living. The depth saith, it is not in me and the sea saith, it is not with me. not be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels or fine gold, No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls; for the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold. Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?-Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding."

If such be the value of wisdom, the search will undoubtedly repay the labour. But have we any assurance that the inestimable treasure may be found? The wisest of men will answer to our satisfaction: "My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thy ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding: yea, if thou. criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding: if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God-thou shalt understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.' All this implies the greatest possible attention to our religious concerns.

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With these fine sentiments I take my leave, 66 commending you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, if you will submit to its authority, and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified." If you are right, in your present state of mind, may you continue in the right way to the end of your days, and increase and abound therein more and more. However, you should be extremely cautious how you contradict and

blaspheme what so many wise and good men esteem the truth of God, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets-Behold, ye despisers, and wonder and perish!-Speaking modestly, your situation is not altogether without danger. It is impossible you should be perfectly satisfied all is as you could wish.(3)

"Since then we die but once, and after death
Our state no alteration knows,

But when we have resign'd our breath
Th' immortal spirit goes

To endless joys, or everlasting woes;
Wise is the man, who labours to secure
That mighty and important stake,
And by all methods strives to make

His passage safe, and his reception sure."

As to myself, I am thoroughly satisfied with that God, that Redeemer, and that Sanctifier whom the Christian Scriptures hold out to the view and acceptance of mankind. I am perfectly pleased with those Scriptures, (4) and with all the divine dispensations

(3)" To doubt of the gospel is folly: to reject it is madness." Let the sceptical reader consult Robertson's Discourse on the Situation of the World at the Time of Christ's Appearance, and its Connection with the Success of his Religion.

"The

(4) When I have spoken above in such strong terms of the volume of Revelation, it is by no means intended to cast any slight upon the volume of Nature. While we daily study the former, we shall do well to pay all due attention to the latter, according to our opportunities of investigation. To an enlightened observer, they both carry indubitable marks of their great original. heavens declare the glory of God, and the earth is full of his riches." The most perfect catalogue of stars, before Herschel appeared, did not contain quite 5000: but by the vast superiority of his glasses, he hath discovered 44,000 stars in a few degrees of the heavens; and by the same proportion, it is supposed that 75,000,000 are exposed in the expanse to human investigation. Lalande supposes that a glass of Herschel's power may discover 90 millions of stars in the whole surface of the heavens, and that even this number is but small, in comparison of what exists. All these stars are of a fiery nature, and conjectured to be so many suns with their systems of planets moving round them. We know

therein recorded. Our God hath done, is doing, and will do all things well. It is altogether fit he should govern his own world, and bow the rebellious nations to his sway. The present degenerate state

the sun to be the centre of our system. It is accompanied with 29 planets, besides about 450 comets. What an amazing idea does this give us of the works of God! And if such be the work what must the Workman be!

Every part of nature, with which we are acquainted, is full of living creatures, with stores of every kind to supply their necessities. This little globe of ours is known to contain within its bowels a great variety of valuable minerals, and to be covered with about 20,000 different species of vegetables, 3,000 species of worms, 12,000 species of insects, 200 species of amphibious animals, 550 species of birds, 2,600 species of fish, and 200 species of quadrupeds. How immense then must be the number of individuals!-One fly is found to bring forth 2000 at a time, and a single cod-fish to produce considerably more than three millions and a half of young. Leewenhock tells us, that there are more animals in the melt of a single cod-fish, than there are men upon the whole earth. Over all these creatures preside upwards of 730 millions of human beings. Such is the family of the great Father here upon earth!-And when it is considered, that the earth itself, with all its furniture, is no more, when compared with the whole system of things, than a single grain of sand, when compared with a huge mountain, we are lost in the immensity of God's works. and constrained to cry out, "Lord what is man, that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man that thou visitest him!" And if to this immensity of the works of creation, we add the admirable structure of the whole, and the exquisite perfection of every part, we shall not fail of being exceedingly affected with the ineffable wisdom of the Divine Architect.-To bring this consideration more within the grasp of human comprehension, let us take to pieces, and examine the several parts of any one creature which God hath made; and we shall find a perfection among its several powers, and an adaptation of its situation in the grand scale of existence, far surpassing human skill. Let the most perfect anatomist, that ever existed, make his observations upon the human frame; let him examine with the greatest possible attention the tout ensemble of the structure; then let him proceed to the several parts, of which the microcosm is composed; first, the powers of the mind; the understanding, the will, the memory, the conscience, and the various affections: next the five senses; the touch, the taste, the smell, the hearing, and the sight; afterwards let him proceed to the several fluids of the body; and then to the 300 bones, the 40 different

of Christendom is too disgraceful to his government, to be permitted to continue beyond the predicted period. He will, therefore, arise and plead his own cause; and all the wickedness of men, and the convulsions and distress of nations, shall wind up to his eternal credit. "The Lord is King, be the people never so impatient; he sitteth between the cherubim, be the earth never so unquiet." His gospel is no other than the plan devised by infinite wisdom for the melioration of mankind. The immortal seed is sown; the principle of life has vegetated; the little leven is diffusing itself far and wide. Much has been done; much is doing; much shall be done. Millions of reasonable creatures have already found eternal rest in consequence of the Redeemer's dying love; multitudes of souls at this moment are happy in their own bosoms under a sense of the divine favour: and innumerable myriads of men shall arise, believing in his name, trusting in his mediation, and rejoicing in his salvation, maugre all the opposition of fallen Christians and apostate spirits. Wise and gracious is the Divine Being in all his ways, and he is the Governor among the people. To his service I avowedly devote

sorts of glands, the 466 muscles, the 40 pair of nerves, the fibres, the membranes, the arteries, the veins, the lymphæducts, the excretory vessels, the tendons, the ligaments, the cartilages; and let him explore the whole and every part with the greatest degree of accuracy, knowledge, and judgment that ever centered in man; and then let him honestly say, whether he could suggest the smallest improvement in any one respect. If he were an atheist before such an investigation, like the celebrated Galen he would be converted to the belief of the Divine Existence, would compose an hymn in praise of the Creator of the world, and sing with the great progenitor of mankind:

"These are thy glorious works, Parent of good;
Almighty, thine this universal frame,

Thus wondrous fair; Thyself how wondrous then!
Unspeakable! who sitt'st above these heav'ns,
To us invisible, or dimly seen

In these thy lowest works; yet these declare
Thy goodness beyond thought, and pow'r divine."

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