Admit that you think you have something within you that teaches you what is right, it must be admitted, also, that it is in those things only, in which you have previously formed your judgment, and that judgment was formed according to some acknowledged rule.Some men think it right to swear profanely; they say it does them good. Some children think it right to tell lies, and to deceive their playmates ; they take pleasure in it. But are these things right because something within tells them so? Far from it. The rule may be wrong by which we judge.

A conscientious FRIEND thinks it wrong to go into a "steeple house" to worship,-thinks it wrong to read prayers and sermons,-thinks it wrong to praise God with instruments of music,-thinks it wrong to acknowledge "hirelings," as the ministers of the gospel! Now, how is it that his conscience and mine differ so widely? "O thine is wrong," says he; "yes, Friend, and so may thine, unless thou art a Pope, which no one, I hope, will acknowledge !" My conscience, I know, is often wrong in some particulars—the cowardly reprover slumbers till the deed is done, and then wakes up, as it were, in a hurry, and raises a tempest in my soul,—a hurricane,—an earthquake ! "But the Lord is not in the wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire," no, nor in the tempest of affright, nor in the storm of guilt, after the deed is done ;-but in that sacred, "still, small voice," which lies upon the written page, which looks me in the face, which utters not a word to the outward ear, but speaks volumes to the heart! O that blessed word, how noiseless and salutary are its teachings. "My son, if

sinners entice thee, consent thou not." I am enticed by the adversary, beset by the enemy, waylaid by the foe, allured by the flatterer, drawn aside by the tempter, thrown off my guard by the deceiver-but that kind word of admonition, " consent thou not," committed to memory, perhaps, when I was a child, rises to my view, looks me in the face, whispers to my heart, fills me with a godly, sanctifying fear, and by its timely and tender rebukes, I am kept from the snare of the destroyer. It is the word of knowledge, and of wisdom, and when it "enters the heart," and is" pleasant to the soul," and its voice is regarded, it saves the soul from death.

The case of the noble Bereans, spoken of (Acts xvii. 11.) is highly worthy of imitation. They not only had the scriptures, but "they searched them daily to see if these things were so." They esteemed them as of the highest authority in questions of religion. They regarded them as the standard of doctrine. They appealed to them in cases of doubt.

As it respects historical facts of ancient date, there is no book that gives so clear and satisfactory an account of them as the scriptures. In reference to those remote ages, every thing without the circle of Divine Revelation is but tradition and fable.

As it respects sound doctrine, whether political, moral, or religious, we may challenge the world to produce any thing equal to that which is found in the Scriptures.

As a complete system of moral philosophy, in which our duty to God and man is plainly and clearly taught, where is there any thing to compare with the Holy Scriptures? As to moral portraiture,

where are any sketches of human character, illustrious for virtue, or detestable for vice, to be found, equal to those drawn by the sacred historians? And as to style, where is there any thing, among either ancients or moderns, that will not suffer on a comparison with these holy and venerable writers ?

"Where then is the pretence for Deism; or why must the advocates of scepticism distrust the divinity of Scripture? Why should the enemies of Divine Revelation oppose the concurrent testimony of all history? Are they thoroughly conversant with the evidences, external and internal, of the authenticity and truth of this word? Are they aware of its just claims to credibility and inspiration? Do they comprehend the contents of Scripture? Have they diligently perused-humbly searched-and impartially compared the different books comprised in this wonderful volume? But who are they that stand in the foremost ranks of Infidelity? Idolatrous heathens, haters of fathers and haters of mothers; murderers of children, manstealers, cannibals; blood-thirsty Mahommedans; apostate Jews-backslidden and degenerate Christians! What is their standard of morality? Are they not lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God? Are they not profane, intemperate, abusive and abandoned? What do they know of God; of truth; of right and wrong; of the measure of temperance, justice, and of benevolence, but what they have learned from this Divine volume? The Scriptures have diffused the light; they have insensibly imbibed it; and finding it to accord with reason, they flatter themselves that their reason has discovered it; and after grazing in the

pastures of Revelation, they boast of growing fat by nature, or, to use a more elegant figure, after drinking at the streams of revealed truth, fancy that they have discovered the fountain."—(C. B. vol. iii. p. 473.

"One might be ready to smile, if it were not so serious a matter, at seeing a circle of silly admirers, gaping, and fixing their eyes on some half-learned and impudent prater, whose best and only arguments against religion, are oblique and ridiculous insinuations against the Bible, the Clergy, and the Sacrament. No doubt, ignorance, pride and vanity, are the principal causes of infidelity. For let us suppose the case of a very learned, humble, and modest man, entertaining doubts of the truth of Christianity:-if he cannot solve his doubts by examination, he will yet recollect that doubts are not certainties, and before he endeavors to publish his doubts and objections, he will ask himself, Am I quite convinced that what I doubt of cannot possibly be true? And if I am convinced of it, am I sure that the publication of my opinions will not do more harm than good? No wise man will reject a system as venerable as Christianity, to which thousands have clung as their last hope; for which tens of thousands have sacrificed ease, honor, pleasure, wealth and life, and which hundreds of the ablest scholars have defended with great ability and learning; and in the faith of which hundreds of thousands have died happy, without first investigating its claims with all the candor of which he is capable. To be sure, a fine, gay, spirited philosopher, would be ashamed to be found with a New Testament in his possession, or to be

seen on his knees at prayer; but a truly humble and sincere mind will not reject the truth, on light and frivolous grounds."-(Imperial Ency. Article Infidelity.)

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Infidelity comes with a bad grace from the Poor, for Christianity has a peculiar regard for such people. If the Gospel can be charged with any partialities, they are on the side of the poor. Beside, our Holy Religion is the only system of wisdom and morals which ever bestowed any attention upon this class of society. In this particular, it challenges comparison with all others, and claims an undisputed superiority over all. Look at the teachers of philosophy and virtue in ancient times, in any, or in every part of the world! What was their treatment of the poor? Did they ever provide schools for their children, hospitals for their sick, asylums for their deaf and dumb, or a retreat for their insane, or even houses of industry for their helpless and needy, or houses of refuge for the recovery and reformation of erring youth? Or look at the countries and people in the present day, hitherto unblessed with the scriptures ;-let the geography of the globe be surveyed, and say whether such institutions are to be found out of Christendom! O ye poor !-must your ranks furnish the men of hardihood and folly to despise your greatest and only benefactor? And can you thoughtlessly put away from you the only antidote to the miseries of human life—the only support of your minds under the pressure of poverty of poverty and pain?

"Nor can infidelity be patronized a whit better by the RICH :-if they have any wisdom as to their