THE BIBLE.

Does it not clearly shew the importance and advantages of personal religion? Reader, whatever may be your age, or condition in life, you are a sinner and need a Saviour; you are exposed to the curse of a righteous law-" for the wages of sin is death." Rom. vi. 23. And this punishment can only be escaped by your fleeing "for refuge, to lay hold upon the hope set before us." Heb. vi. 18. It is not enough to be sober, and just, as the moralist; "you must be born again." John iii. 7. You must receive Christ by faith, and manifest your love to Him by an entire devotedness to his service. Think not that poverty, a worldly calling, or evil example, will justify the neglect of religion. Hear the words of Christ, Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Luke xiii. 3. The shepherd was poor, and laboured hard; but he possessed vital religion; and this conferred upon him the richest benefits, and if this is possessed by you, it will confer upon you the same advantages which he enjoyed. W. H. E.

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THE BIBLE.

A NATION must be truly blessed, if it were governed by no other laws than those of this blessed book; it is so complete a system, that nothing can be added to it or taken from it; it contains everything needful to be known or done; it affords a copy for a king, and a rule for a subject; it gives instruction and counsel to a senate; authority and direction for a magistrate; it cautions a witness; requires an impartial verdict of a jury, and furnishes the judge with his sentence: it sets the husband as lord of the household, and the wife as mistress of the table; tells him how to rule, and her how to manage. It entails honour to parents, and enjoins obedience to children; it prescribes and limits the sway of the sovereign, the rule of the ruler, and authority of the master: commands the subjects to honour, and the servants to obey; and promises the blessing and protection of its Author to all that walk by its rules. It promises food and raiment, and limits the use of both: it points out a faithful and eternal Guardian to the departing husband and father; tells him with whom to leave his fatherless children, and in whom his widow is to trust; and promises a father to the former, and a husband to the latter. It teaches a man how to set his house in order, and how to

THE BIBLE.

make his will: it appoints a dowry for the wife, and makes provision for children. It defends the rights of all; and reveals vengeance to the defrauder, over-reacher, and oppressor. It is the first book, the best book, and the oldest book in the world. It contains the choicest matter, gives the best instruction, and affords the greatest pleasure and satisfaction that ever was revealed. It contains the best laws and profoundest mysteries, that ever were penned. It brings the best of tidings, and affords the best of comfort to the inquiring and disconsolate. It exhibits life and immortality, and shews the way to everlasting glory. It is a brief recital of all that is past, and a certain prediction of all that is to come. It settles all matters in debate, resolves all doubts, and eases the mind and conscience of all their scruples. It reveals the only living and true God, and shews the way to him; and sets aside all other gods, and describes the vanity of them, and of all that trust in them. In short, it is a book of laws to shew right and wrong; a book of wisdom, that condemns all folly, and makes the foolish wise; a book of truth, that detects all lies, and confutes all error; and a book of life, that shews the way from everlasting death. It is the most compendious book in all the world; the most authentic, and the most entertaining history that ever was published: it contains the most early antiquities, strange events, wonderful occurrences, and heroic deeds. It describes the celestial, terrestrial, and infernal worlds; and the origin of the angelic myriads, human tribes, and infernal legions. It will instruct the most accomplished mechanic, and the profoundest artist; it will teach the best rhetorician, and exercise every power of the most skilful arithmetician, puzzle the wisest anatomist, and exercise the nicest critic. It corrects the vain philosopher, and guides the wise astronomer; it exposes the subtle sophist; and makes diviners mad. It is a complete code of laws, a perfect body of divinity, an unequalled narrative; a book of lives, a book of travel, and a book of voyages. It is the best covenant that ever was agreed on, the best deed that ever was sealed, the best evidence that ever was produced, the best will that ever was made, and the best testament that ever was signed. To understand it is to be wise indeed; to be ignorant of it, is to be destitute of wisdom. It is the king's best copy, the magistrate's best rule, the housewife's best guide, the servant's best directory, and the young man's best companion. It is the school-boy's spelling

POETRY.

book, and the learned man's master-piece: it contains a choice grammar for a novice, and a profound treatise for a sage; it is the ignorant man's dictionary, and a wise man's directory. It affords knowledge of witty inventions for the ingenious, and dark sayings for the grave; and it is its own interpreter. It is a ford wherein a lamb may wade and an elephant swim. It encourages the wise, and promises an eternal reward to the obedient. And that which crowns all is, that the Author is without partiality and without hypocrisy,-" in whom is no variableness, nor shadow of a turning."

Poetry.

"HAVE ME EXCUSED."

"And they all with one consent began to make excuse "-Luke xiv. 18.

GOD makes a feast and bids the nations come;

But strange excuses keep the most at home.

Some are too busy to partake the treat,
And some too idle e'en to rise and eat.
Some too well settled to seek endless rest,
And some too happy to be truly blest.
Some are too learned to be really wise,
And some too rich the pearl of price to prize.
Some are too knowing wisdom's voice t' attend,
And some too stupid truth to comprehend.
Some are too bold the God of heaven to dread,
And some too timid duty's path to tread.
Some are too good free mercy to receive,
And some too bad their wickedness to leave.
'Tis yet too soon, says youth in vig'rous bloom,
To waste my time in chill religion's gloom;
While bustling manhood pleads for short delay,
'Tis time enough-I'll seize some future day.
E'en wither'd age still asks a longer date,
And then exclaims, alas! 'tis now too late.

Happy the youth to early zeal inclin'd,

Whose God delights and awes his opening mind;
The man who first pursues the world above,
And leaves the rest to his Creator's love:
The hoary saint with honoured age opprest,
Who quits his load and wings his way to rest.
Who timely comes the meanest and the least,
Shall find a welcome to the gospel feast.

ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS.

Anecdotes and Selections.

POWER OF A GOOD MAN'S LIFE.-The beauty of a holy life, says Chalmers, constitutes the most eloquent and effective persuasive to religion, which one human being can address to another. We have many ways of doing good to our fellow-creatures; but none so efficacious as leading a virtuous, upright, and well-ordered life. There is an energy of moral suasion in a good man's life, passing the highest efforts of the orator's genius. The seen but silent beauty of holiness speaks more eloquently of God and duty than the tongues of men and angels. Let parents remember this. The best inheritance a parent can bequeath to a child is a virtuous example—a legacy of hallowed remembrances and associations. The beauty of holiness beaming through the life of a loved relative or friend, is more effectual to strengthen such as do stand in virtue's ways, and raise up those that are bowed down, than precept, command, entreaty, or warning. Christianity itself, I believe, owes by far the greater part of its moral power, not to the precepts or parables of Christ, but to his own character. The beauty of that holiness which is enshrined in the four brief biographies of the Man of Nazareth, has done more, and will do more to regenerate the world, and bring in an everlasting righteousness, than all the other agencies put together. It has done more to spread his religion in the world, than all that has ever been preached or written on the evidences of Christianity.

AN INDIAN'S THEOLOGY.-A white man and an Indian were both brought under conviction of sin about the same time. The Indian, whose conviction was pungent, soon found joy and peace in believing, while the white man continued in darkness and distress for a long time. Seeing the Indian one day enjoying the sweet consolations of religion, "Why," says the white man, "should there be such a difference? Why has God forgiven your sins, while I go mourning? I have done all that I can do, but find no comfort." Suppose," says the Indian, "that you come along to a great prince. He holds out to you a suit of clothes, and says, 'Here, take these, and welcome.' You look around, feel ashamed, and say, 'No, my clothes are pretty good yet, they will do a little longer, thank you, sir.' Then the prince, rather angry, says, 'Here, Sam, take the suit.' I look, my old blanket all rags, cold and dirty: Thank you, thank you, kind sir.' Poor Indian now be warm and happy."

PATRICK HENRY.-When the celebrated Patrick Henry of Virginia was near the close of his life, and in feeble health, he laid his hand on the bible, and addressed a friend who was with him: "Here is book worth more than all others printed; yet it is my

ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS.

misfortune never to have read it with proper attention until lately." About the same time he wrote to his daughter, "I have heard it said that Deists have claimed me. The thought pained me more than the appellation of Tory; for I consider religion of infinitely higher importance than politics, and I find much cause to reproach myself, that I have lived so long and given no decided public proof of my being a christian."

CONVERSION OF THE AGED.-In a sermon to the young, Dr. Bedell said, "I have now been nearly twenty years in the ministry of the gospel, and I here publicly state to you, that I do not believe I could enumerate three persons over fifty years of age, whom I ever heard ask the solemn and eternally momentous question, 'What shall I do to be saved?' Another distinguished, and still living divine of our country, has said, "I will not say that none are converted in old age, but they are few and far between, like the scattered grapes on the outermost branches after the vintage is gathered! So 'Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth.' WEEK-DAY SERVICES.-The late eminent philanthropist and wealthy banker, Joseph John Gurney, said, "I have reason to be thankful that I was trained, from very early years, in the habit of uniting with my friends in public worship in the middle part of the week, as well as on the sabbath-day. Thus to break away from the cares and pursuits of business at a time when the world around us is full of them, I have found to be peculiarly salutary; and can now acknowledge with truth, that the hours so spent have formed the happiest, as well as the most edifying portions of my life."

"MARK THAT TEXT," said Richard Adkins to his grandson Abel, who was reading to him the thirty-second Psalm; "mark that text: 'He that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.' I read it in my youth and believed it; and now I read it in my old age, thank God, I know it to be true. O, it is a blessed thing, in the midst of the joys and sorrows of the world, Abel, to trust in the Lord."

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TRUE KNOWLEDGE.-The excellent John Newton, on being asked his opinion on some topic, replied, "When I was young I was sure many things; there are only two things of which I am sure now: one is, that I am a miserable sinner, and the other that Jesus Christ is an all-sufficient Saviour." This is the sum of all saving knowledge, and he is well taught who gets these two lessons by heart.

ARGUMENT FOR THE BIBLE.-Bad men or devils would not have written the Bible, for it condemns them and their works. Good men or angels could not have written it, for in saying it was from God, when it was but their own invention, they would have been guilty of falsehood, and thus could not have been good. The only one who could have written it, is its real author, God himself.