of transient nature. Ah! in this shape, it is a dangerous enchantment, for it takes the form of taste and poetry, and even affects the feelings of devotion; but unless conjoined with that spiritual life whereof I am to discover the sources, it is vanity and vexation of spirit, and hurries one, through an exhausting variety, to the lethargy and tedium of overwrought excitement. This is the form of sensual life, which is prevailing at this day, among our lettered and reading people.'

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Every one will discover, by experience, when he sets his shoulders to the mighty work of keeping the Law of God, that what he succeeds in is but a scantling of what he fails in. In the obedience of every other law, we may be guiltless. We may pass the bounds of duty, and become meritorious and honorary members of the family of the social circle, or of the state; but we are our own accusers before the Law of God, and the better we become, the more violently we accuse ourselves, which is a phenomenon the inexperienced can by no means understand. David well expressed this truth, when he said, it was light to the eyes;-for as light openeth to the eye the wonderful works of God, which, without it, seemed one pall of darkness, so the law openeth to the conscience the multitude of duties, of which, formerly, it discerned neither the boundless compass, nor the infinite number; so that, in the language of St. Paul, by the law is the knowledge of sin.'

It doth appear, therefore, that we were not wrong in our argumentation, and that mankind are to a man brought, by the nature of God's government, into that dilemma of sinfulness and wrath to come, out of which we found ourselves unable to discover a release; that Christ hath brought the redemption we stood in need of; that God hath set him forth to be a propitiation for sins that are past, and that he can now be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. This is a fact of revelation not less certain than the fact of the law given from the mount, or the fact of judgment to come, concerning which we argue.'

Christ, the Saviour, draws upon himself the admiration and devotion of every one who receives the report of his salvation; and a personal feeling of attachment is begotten, which works with the utmost power upon every noble and generous faculty of nature. There is hardly one aspect of his character, or one view of his undertaking, which doth not move the heart.'

It will be remembered, that after trying the rescources of human ability against the pure institution of God, we found it was not possible for conscience to acquit herself, and that she must give in, overwhelmed with helplessness and transgression. Upon right, therefore, she cannot take the prize, and you perceive it is not yielded in right of conscience, but as a boon for affection towards Christ. Now it will be further remembered, that in order to be delivered from this dejection and despair of conscience, no resource of human ingenuity was found available; and that we were fain to turn unto the gospel of Christ as our refuge, and take upon mercy that which was denied to right. Then we proceeded to sift the gospel of mercy to the bottom, and find out, whether a loose were thereby given to licentiousness and disobedience, and a broad shield of forgiveness cast over the delinquencies of men. From this inquiry we gathered, that the disciple of Christ, and believer in salvation, through His merits, was not set loose from obligation, or delivered from one tittle of former obligation, but was brought under a new sort of obligation, and led into a new kind of obedience; that to all the native obligations of the law, originating in its admirable adaptation to human circumstances, there are added, all the affectionate and advantageous obligations of the gospel, springing from the knowledge of God's love in Christ, and the assurance of success through the Spirit: that Christ bound a new knot between the soul of man and his Maker, composed of a thousand interlacing ties, of which we cannot again afford to speak separately. Only this was the pith of the

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whole, that Christ was the intermedium, and that from Him all this new life sprung, and to him it was in gratitude devoted; that we hung and were suspended on him, as a viceroy, or viceregent for God over the affairs of our soul's salvation; and that through this new condition, a plenty and joyfulness of obedience was yielded, which could by no other means have been extracted from the fallen nature of man EDITOR.

OBVIOUS UTILITY OF DIVINE REVELATION.

Retire, and read thy BIBLE to be gay,

There truths abound of sovereign aid to peace:
Ah! do not prize them less, because inspired,
As thou, and thine, are apt and proud to do.
If not inspired, that pregnant page had stood
Time's treasure, and the wonder of the wise!'

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is PROFITABLE.'

IT would be impossible for the most inventive genius to point out any condition of human life, in which a man can be benefitted by rejecting the word of God. If for a moment we admit, that he may free his appetites, passions, or conduct, from the restraints of divine revelation, we may inquire, What benefit he will derive from his presumed advantage? Appetites and passions, &c. are either right or wrong, either sordid or rational;-if they be under the guidance of wisdom, the scriptures do not prohibit their indulgence;-and if governed by folly, their gratification must prove injurious to their possessor.

Therefore, on this ground, there is no more cause for alarm at the reception of the Bible, than to be terrified at the idea of being elevated by the influence of a rational soul, above the mere impulse of animal feeling.

My reason this, my passion that persuades,

But shall reason be condemned, and passion rule? No!

The whole tenor of the sacred volume proceeds upon a principle of infinite beneficence; and its constant language to every individual whom it addresses. is the repetition of St. Paul's advice to an intentional suicide Do thyself no harm.'

It expresses the temptations which are peculiar to the diversified circumstances of mankind; and then, as a suitable beacon to prevent a moral wreck, guards the unwary against the rocks and shoals, that have been the destruction of myriads.

The Bible detects the latent tendencies of the human heart, and enforces proper principles as essentially requisite to the performance of right actions: it enters the interiors of a man, and estimates his worth from his intellectual and religious state; and not from the outward decoration of his person, the affluence of his circumstances, or the pomp of his equipage. It thunders out the most tremendous anathemas against impiety on a throne, and consoles the penitent on a dunghill. A holy Lazarus feels its benedictions under his deepest poverty, and most painful sores: an unrighteous Dives is condemned in his wrath, and cut down in his sumptuous entertainments.

To hide pride from man, the Bible teaches the rich his entire dependence on the will of God for his possessions, and his high responsibility for the talents committed to his care. To encourage the humble, it directs the poor to look to the great Father of mercies for support, and trust in him for endless bliss. It reveals the cause and cure of human woe; brings life and immortality to light: shews a reconciled God through the mediation of his own Son, Jesus Christ; urges the cultivation of the most pure, humane, generous, and noble sentiments and feelings between man and man, and by creatures towards their adorable Creator,

It is a source of consolation to the aged and infirm, an excellent guide to the young, and the only asylum of the distressed. It gives certainty for doubt, substance for shadows, proofs for conjectures; and scatters the radiant beams of heaven over the land that was covered with the darkness of death, and obscured with the gloom of hell.

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To the BIBLE we stand indebted for our civil liberty, and religious enjoyments: to the BIBLE we owe our state of mental superiority over the heathen; to the BIBLE we are obligated for innumerable blessings in time, and the glorious prospect of a happy eternity. To the UTILITY and EXCELLENCE of the BIBLE, we can produce a host of witnesses, who have lived under its influence, and experienced its power to soothe the sorrows of the heart, and give the weary rest. Its commendations have been spontaneously expressed by men of superior talents, high attainments in literature, and deserved reputation as the ornaments of society. Its commendations have also been extorted from the consciences of its opponents. Therefore, we may boldly declare, with the great Lord BACON: There never was found in any age of the world, either philosophy or sect, religion or law, privilege or discipline, which did ever exalt the public good so highly as the CHRISTIAN faith. With Sir THOMAS BROWN, 'We assume the honourable style of CHRISTIAN, not because it is the religion of our country; but because, having, in our riper years and confirmed judgment, seen and examined all, we find ourselves obliged by the principles of grace, and the law of our own reason, to embrace no other name, but this, being of the same belief our SAVIOUR taught, the Apostles disseminated, the Fathers authorized, and the Martyrs confirmed.' With Doctor ROBINSON, the natural philosopher, we aver, 'The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament contain a system of human nature, the grandest, the most extensive and complete, that ever was divulged to mankind, since the foundation of nature.' With