common people to believe the Scriptures or to disbelieve them-O, says he, to believe them!

What do you think of the human being that would take away the Bible, dash this only cup of consolation from the parched lip-that would pull down the only refuge to which the polluted sinner can escape from the storms of life-that would deprive him of a resource to which, by and by, there will be an entire enjoyment, and that gives him the conscious

think of a man that would do this, while he knows that he has nothing to substitute in the room of it, and knows that if the thing be a delusion, it is a solace which can be obtained in no other way?

Then let us view the enemies of the Bible, thirdly, with regard to their charity | and compassion. I have not time to prove that this earth is the heir of evil, that man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. The common resources to which men apply in these cases are mise-ness of present support? What can you rable comforters, and physicians of no value; yea, they add to the evil; they are not only vanity, but vexation of spirit. But in the midst of all this disappointment, all this dismay, all these distresses, Christianity comes in among us to heal the broken heart, and to bind up all their wounds. It comes and says to the afflicted, "In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." It says to the wretched, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." And it has this recommendation-the recommendation of experience: there are thousands that have made the trial. There is one who can say, turning his eyes upward, "In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul." Another wipes his eyes and says, "Unless thy law had been my delight, my soul had almost dwelt in silence." Here is a child returning from the funeral of a father, now buried in the same grave with his mother; he opens the twenty-seventh Psalm, and reads, "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up." Here is a husband dying, and sees his wife and children unprovided for, weeping by him; but he hears a soft voice, "Leave thy fatherless children, I will keep them alive; and let thy widows trust in me." I one day, at Olney, met Why do men dislike this book? with a good man who had been long deaf. Why do they love darkness rather than He said to me, "For more than sixteen light? Because their deeds are evil. years I have not enjoyed the pleasure of If the aim and the design of the Scriphearing a single sermon; but I am look-tures be to cleanse us from the filthiness ing forward and looking upward for my of the flesh, "perfecting holiness in the

We, therefore, view these men onoe more as to their guilt. This may be fairly determined from their doom. We do not determine their doom; this has been decided by a Being who knows all things, and who will judge the world in righteousness. He has said, "How can ye escape if ye neglect so great salvation ?" "He that believeth not shall be damned." Against which, as unreasonable, the infidel protests, and claims that the criminal be the judge of the law and the judge of the judge. "Oh," say some, "we are not accountable for our belief!" To which we answer that if we are not accountable for our belief, we are accountable for nothing; for all our actions spring from belief; and infidelity does not arise from want of evidence, but from want of inclination. We may judge of the moral disposition of a man from the nature of the things he opposes. In proportion as a man is holy he is adverse to sin: in proportion as a man is sinful he is adverse to every thing that is holy. Is the Bible, then, not distinguished by holiness? Its promises are holy; its commands are holy; it requires holiness of life and heart.

fear of the Lord"-it is easy to determine why a man opposes this: he who destroys the principle of all good actions would destroy, if he could, all good actions themselves; and his disposition

says unto God, "Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways; and cause the Holy One of Israel to cease before us."

and strife; and some also of good will: the one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to` my bonds; but the other of love, knowing As there is nothing, therefore, that im- that I am set for the defence of the gosplies so much wickedness, so there is pel. What then? Notwithstanding, nothing that tends to so much wickedness, every way, whether in pretence or in as the removal of the Scriptures. And truth, Christ is preached; and I therein this is the design of these men. The do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice." The door would then be open to all manner of periods of suffering have been always the iniquity; and every check and restraint most glorious for Christianity; the brebeing removed, temptation would be thren have been united and endeared the always triumphant. If you think them more to each other; the Spirit of glory guilty who would rob a fellow-creature and of God has rested upon them; their of his wealth, what can you think of sufferings have arrested attention and inthose who have robbed their fellow-crea-duced sympathy; the witness of their tures of the unsearchable riches of Christ? sufferings has been found to be impressed, If they are guilty who have ruined their and they have been led to inspire the health, or their reputation, or their busi-principles that would produce such ness, what can we think of those who would poison their minds and would destroy their souls for ever? And this is their wish-this is their endeavour and God will give them credit for their design, and judge them according to their works, and according to their wishes-for they may be guilty without being successful.ther have been the author of Alleine's This leads us to notice,

Lastly, SOME THINGS WHICH SEEM LIKELY TO INJURE REVELATION, AND WHICH

YET PROVE ITS ADVANTAGE.

In this number we first rank the attacks of the infidel on its divinity. What has been the consequence of all his opposition? What? Why, zeal in its diffusion; and able articles brought forth in its favour; for inquiry is always friendly to truth, as darkness and concealment are friendly to error.

effects. Therefore the blood of the martyrs was always considered the seed of the churches; and the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and grew. Dr. Watts, all poet as he was, said, (and who would not wish to join with him in the choice!)-"I would ra

Alarm to the unconverted than the writer of Milton's Paradise Lost;" but that was a prison production. What did the enemies of religion get by confining Bunyan so many years in jail at Bedford? There, almost inspired, he wrote those works which will continue to incommode the powers of darkness to the end of the world.

In this number we rank, thirdly, the divisions and parties that have sprung up among its professors. These have amazIn this number we place, secondly, the ingly alarmed some good men; and in sufferings of its followers by persecution. their lamentations they have added terror Here we have the testimony of an apostle to grief; they have talked of danger, not who suffered as an evil-doer unto bonds; remembering that in a thousand cases but he says the, "the word of God is not variety is compatible with unity. The bound." And says he to the Philip- differences which subsist amongst all pians, "I would ye should understand, those who hold the head do not affect the that the things which have happened unto oneness of the church; they are only so me have fallen out rather unto the further- many branches which form one tree-so ance of the gospel; so that my bonds in many members which form one body. Christ are manifest in all the palace; and By these they have always proved stimumany of the brethren in the Lord, waxing lations to each other; they have awakened confident by my bonds, are much more and increased emulation and zeal; and bold to speak the word without fear. religion has always been upon the whole Some, indeed, preach Christ even of envy la gainer by them. Thus the separation

between Paul and Barnabas caused the | cases; they have become an effectual gospel to flow into opposite channels, check on each other, and have proved so when otherwise it would have been con- many vouchers of the integrity of the fined to one. The same may be observed Scriptures, and of the copies of the Scripof the difference between Luther and Cal-tures, and have prevented spoliation and vin, and also between Wesley and Whit- expunctuation. field. Thus new opportunities have been offered for the display of liberality, and candour, and mutual forbearance, which sameness and uniformity would have made not only needless, but impossible. It has been found far more important for Christians to love one another, and to exclaim, "Grace be with all them who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity," than to peep together through the same key-hole of opinion. And then the different parts of the Scripture have also, in consequence of these divisions, been peculiarly attended to: one party has argued for the doctrinal part, another the practical, another the disciplinarian; and, in consequence of these, no part has remained unexplored or unheeded.

There is only one thing more; and that is, the failings of its members. It would seem impossible any good should arise from these to the cause of the gospel. We therefore, say, "Woe to the world, because of offences,"--because thereby the way of truth is vainly spoken of; by these the enemies of the Lord are made to blaspheme. And, as to such characters as these, we sometimes wish they would not mingle with our assemblies, or that they would come here and get the benefit which the Bible affords. And yet what is the fact? No thanks to themselves-even these scandals have been overruled for good. These scandals were foretold by the Scriptures; and, therefore, they are pledges of their truth; these have shown that the gospel is divine and almighty-because it can bear to be betrayed from within as well as assaulted from without. The excommunication of these persons has always strikingly shown the purity of the church, and that they cannot bear those that are evil; while the true professors have been led, by these instances, to fear, and tremble, and pray; and ministers have held them up as warnings to others, and have said,

heed, lest he fall." Thus the Scripture lives through all; and the very things that seemed likely to destroy or injure it have proved the means of its benefit.

But I am well aware there are some differences of a more important kind. Truth is one and the same in itself; and, therefore, if men entertain opposite opinions on it, they cannot be all right. I do not believe in the harmlessness of error and heresy; I am persuaded they always affect injuriously, not only the welfare, but the safety, of the individual who is misled by them. But, if we view these things as we now do-if we consider the consequences as they affect Christianity"Let him that thinketh he standeth take itself—it is obvious that even these have been overruled for good-that even these, as they have risen up in parties and divisions, have been a salutary check on each other, and that each has prevented the possibility of interpolation and expunction as to the Scriptures. If Trinitarians, for instance, had been disposed to introduce passages favourable to their system, the Arians would have been sure to have discovered them, and exposed them. As, on the other hand, had the Arians endeavoured to suppress any passages favourable to the divinity of God our Saviour, the orthodox would have been sure to have detected them, and to declaim against them. The same may be said of advocates and opponents in all

On the ground of this subject, therefore, and in conclusion, by way of improvement, we bring forward three admonitions.

The first is, Be persuaded of the stability to the cause of revelation. Never let your hearts tremble for the ark of God. Give up your fears-they are unworthy or groundless. The church of Christ is not, cannot be, in danger. "Upon this rock," says he, "I will build my church." The unbelief of man shall not make the word of God, says the apostle, of none effect. Men may oppose the Bible, they

thing; and he shows his care of the church in those perils and difficulties which seem likely to destroy it. He could do without these, but he will do now as he did originally: to display his perfections, he will cause light to flow out of darkness, and beauty out of deformity, and order out of confusion.

may burn the Bible, but they cannot destroy the Scriptures. "Heaven and earth shall pass away," says the Saviour, "but my words shall not pass away." "My word," says God, "shall not return unto me void; it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." "All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of Secondly, Apply Scripture to your own grass. The grass withereth, and the use, and apply it to the purposes for which flower thereof falleth away: but the word it has been given. "Whatever was writof the Lord endureth for ever." Thus ten aforetime, was written for our learnwe read in the Acts, that Herod, the per-ing, that we through patience and comfort secutor, died, smitten of the angel, be- of the Scripture might have hope." cause he gave not God the glory; but it "These things," says the evangelist, is immediately added, "The word of the" are written, that you may believe on Lord grew and multiplied." The waves, the name of the Son of God, and that, bemy brethren, may roar and dash; but lieving, you may have life through his while they beat against a rock, they break name.' You are only trifling with this only themselves. The devil in our day sacred book, unless you make it the is deceiving many; but don't you think means of leading your feet into the way God is at work too? Has he not all his everlasting. You have seen men destroy enemies under his control, and under his the Bible, but the Bible can destroy you, subserviency? O yes! The thunders and with the surest of all destructions that terrify will purify the air, and show- too. The Bible is the most awful thing ers will fall upon the earth. I have fre- you ever met with in your existence; and quently been struck with the resemblance having come in contact with the Bible, there is between the times and circum- you can never shake off the effect; it can stances of Luther, and the day in which never be removed; no, it will always adwe live. He was not opposed only by here to you; to eternal ages it will stick the papist, but by some of the reformed to you in the way of remembrance, and church, and suffered not only from foes, in the way of accusation. Yes, "the but from friends. Then he was torment- words which I have spoken," says the ed with the prophetical party, with their Saviour," will judge you in the last day." dreamings and forebodings in the name To what purpose, therefore, is it, that of the Lord. Then there were some who you hear, unless you receive the word pushed his principles into Antinomianism, which is worthy of all acceptation-unand turned the grace of God into licen- less it brings you to the Saviour, to the tiousness. Then he had to encounter the foot of the Saviour's cross-unless it Anabaptists: you will not confound these enables you to give yourselves up to him with the respectable denomination of as poor perishing sinners, knowing in Christians now living, who only differ whom you have believed. Oh! embrace from us in the article of baptism; but he its proffers-obey its commands-follow had to encounter these levellers, these its examples, and suffer them to govern opposers of civil magistrates, who burned you in your worship, in your lives, in down the houses of the rich, and destroyed your calling! Bind it about your neck; the castles of the great. And yet, not- write it upon the tables of your heart; withstanding these oppositions continued, that when you walk it may lead you, that the cause prevailed, and the cause came when you sleep it may keep you, that out of all in triumph. I am persuaded when you awake it may talk with you. this will be the case now. Be not faith- Pursue it-speak highly of it-recomless, but believe. God shows his govern- mend it to others. And, ment of the world in those confusions which seem likely to unhinge every

Thirdly, Be concerned for the spread and diffusion of it. What can you impart to

any of your fellow-creatures equal to the | nents were completely put to flight. As bread and water of eternal life? And the field was to be the world, no private you cannot complain of your want of and sectarian combination could reach the means and encouragement in exertion.

grandeur of the design. Comprehension, therefore, and universal co-operation were required; and these were obtained. By the simplicity of its merits the institution was formed for action and for business, and accordingly, soon the little one became a thousand; and the annual report, which at first consisted of three or four pages, soon became a large octavo volume. The example of the metropolis was followed by the cities, and towns, and villages, through all the land; and other countries soon imitated the example of out own; and auxiliary societies contributed their aid from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

The advantages that resulted it would be needless to enumerate. It did more to harmonize the religious world than any thing had done before or could have done. Nothing had occurred as yet capable of furnishing a ground for all to stand upon who professed themselves to

This naturally leads me to take notice of the British and Foreign Bible Society, whose annual meeting we shall presently announce. But to use the words of the late Mr. Hall, on a similar occasion: "A speaker can never be so dissatisfied with any thing he can deliver, as when he attempts to commend an institution which, by its own merits, is so pre-eminently exalted above all eulogium." It is hardly necessary to remark now, that there was a necessity for such a society: all at the first acknowledged the necessity of it with regard to foreign parts; but there were some who denied the necessity of it with regard to the home department, presuming that Bibles were to be found in all, or nearly all, families. But the investigation served to show the awful state of destitution in which thousands here were found. I can only mention now the case of Wales: Bibles in the Welsh language were so scarce that it was no un-be Christians; and I know of nothing common thing for several families to that could have been found by which to possess one Bible as their joint stock; gain the good will of all, except that and so they used it alternately, by the which now struck the minds of a pious week or by the month. Mr. Charles, a few-namely, that as all professed to repious clergyman of the church of Eng-gard the Bible as the book of God, all land, soon made known their wishes, and could unite without compromising their provision was made for them; and I well particular views; unite, not in any eccleremember his saying, that when the peo- siastical or religious object; but unite ple of Bala learned that the first load of only to gain resources for the circulation Bibles and Testaments was coming to- of the Bible, which was to be dispersed wards the place, a multitude of them went without note or comment. I no more forth to meet the vehicle; and, taking out doubt than I do my own existence, that it the horses, they drew it themselves into was God who put this desire into so many the market-place, and there, in a few hearts-that God who, as the Liturgy of hours, they disposed of all the copies. the church of England beautifully exSome kissed them, some pressed them to presses it, is "the author of peace and their bosoms; the children ran home de- lover of concord"-that God who tells us lighted, and the labourers carried them in his word that one of the seven things into the fields in order to read them at which he supremely hates, "is he that their homely meals to refresh their toils. soweth discord among brethren."

The reception it met with at first was And what danger, what evil could rejust that which was to be looked for. It sult from all this? As nothing was to received opposition from the party which be circulated but the word of God, truth is high church in name, but popery in must have been a gainer, and error must spirit; but even this was overruled for have been a loser by such a measure. good; the opposition not only purified, The parties could not engage in these but fanned the holy flame; and its oppo-exertions without benefiting themselves.