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to affirm, that nothing can be found in Homer, Virgil, Shakspeare, or Milton, that will bear comparison with most of them in point of beauty, splendour, majesty, and grandeur. Where, again, will you find such interesting stories, so artlessly, yet often so pathetically, told, as those of Jacob and Rachael, of Joseph and his brethren, of the death of Jacob, of the widow of Zarephath's and of the Shunamite's sons, of Naomi and Ruth? Where will you find more genuine touches of nature, more delightful pictures of the effects of friendship and sympathy, than those in the eleventh and fourteenth chapters of John's Gospel, and the twentieth chapter of the Acts?

Be assured that those, who lay aside the Bible under the notion of its being dull, dry, and unentertaining, deceive themselves most miserably, and thereby deprive themselves of the highest intellectual delight. This most excellent of all books, besides being of the highest authority in its historical portions, and of invaluable utility, as furnishing the only consistent and practicable scheme of morality, contains very much that is superlatively adapted to gratify the finest mental taste.

enters more sagaciously and more deeply into human nature e; it developes character, delineates manners, charms the imagination, and warms the heart, more effectually than any book extant: and if once a person would take it into his hand, without the strange unreasonable idea of its flatness, and be only not unwilling to be pleased, I doubt not that he would find all his favourite authors dwindle in the comparison, and soon perceive that he was not merely reading the most religious, but the most entertaining book in the world 22.

The great objects, however, for which the Scriptures were put into our hands, are vastly more important than

22 For numerous examples and quotations in proof of this position, I refer those who have any doubts, to Blackwall's Sacred Classics, and Melmoth's Sublime and Beautiful in Scripture: also to Burke on the Sublime, part ii. sec. 4, 5, 13; and to various parts of Blair's Rhetoric.

the mere furnishing us with amusement. God, who is infinitely wise as well as infinitely good, knows our compound nature, and has regard to it, by bestowing upon us a Revelation which is fitted to man who has a mind to be instructed as well as entertained, a heart to be amended and renewed, and a soul to be saved.

By this time, I hope, you feel persuaded, upon the solid ground of the most rational conviction, that the Bible contains the pure and unadulterated word of God; such as comported with the majesty and mercy of the Supreme Being to bestow, and such as it will be highly salutary to man to receive with humility and gratitude. Study it, then, with daily attention, thankfulness, and reverence. Consider it as an unerring " light to your feet, and lamp to your path." Here we are strangers and pilgrims: the Bible points to heaven as our home. Here we are in an enemy's country: the Bible directs us to "fight the good fight of faith," under the guidance of the "Captain of our salvation." Here we are exposed to temptations, even to all the " fiery darts of Satan" the Bible furnishes us with "the whole armour of God," and exhorts us to put on the "breastplate of righteousness, and the shield of faith; and to take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit." Here we are subject to want, distress, and disappointment: the Bible cheers us with the prospect of a better and an enduring substance" in a happy region, where "God shall wipe away all tears from all faces." Here we may be poor, destitute, and despised; but if we are Christians indeed, the Bible assures us we are heirs of an invaluable and indestructible inheritance," an inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for us."

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Thus numerous and inestimable are the benefits offered to those who believe the Scriptures, and live conformably to the precepts therein exhibited. That these benefits and blessings may be yours, my dear friend, suffer me to entreat you sedulously to cherish the dispositions essential to a profitable perusal of the

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sacred pages: those dispositions have been ably delineated by an excellent clergyman now living 23, in a passage with which I shall close this branch of our correspondence.

"In the first place, study them devoutly. Remember that they are the word of God: that they were written under the superintendence of his Spirit; and that their great purpose was to introduce and extend over the whole earth the Gospel and the kingdom of his Son. Remember, also, that they were written to conduct you to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Read them, therefore, with a reverence and holy fear; and make it your earnest and constant prayer to Him, from whom alone cometh every good and perfect gift, that his grace may open your understanding, enable you clearly to comprehend the import of the Sacred Writings, and deeply impress it upon your heart.

"Secondly, study the Scriptures with Humility; with a sincere desire to receive instruction from them, and to submit your own opinions to the declared will of your Maker and your Saviour. If we may judge, by the manner in which some persons speak concerning the Scriptures, of the temper and spirit with which they read them, we may almost conclude that they read them for the purpose of cavilling, finding fault, and raising difficulties and objections. Be not thus blind and presumptuous. If you take up your Bible with Christian humility, you will not say concerning any doctrine, 'This is a strange and unreasonable doctrine, and I cannot receive it.' Your language will rather be, "This doctrine is clearly contained in the word of God, and therefore must be true.' You will not say concerning any rule of practice, This is a hard and grievous commandment, and I may be excused from regarding it very strictly.' Your language will be, This commandment is positively enjoined by my Lord and Judge, and I must obey it, if I would prove my love to him, or escape condemnation at the last day.'

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23 Mr. Gisborne, in his Familiar Survey, &c. p. 231.

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Finally, read the Scriptures with a full purpose of heart, not merely to learn what they require of you, but faithfully to practise it, through God's blessed assistance every day of your life. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father.' 'Not the hearers of the law are just before God; but the doers of the law shall be justified 24 If you read the Scriptures carelessly or merely from custom, or rather from a spirit of curiosity than from anxiety to profit by them, and to grow in grace; you do not read them as you ought to read the word of your Maker. You do not read them like a person solicitous above all things to obtain through Christ the Kingdom of Heaven; and conscious it will be bestowed by Christ on those only, who strive according to their power to learn from the Scriptures the way of his commandments, and faithfully to walk in it, by his help, unto death." Believe me, dear Friend, unalterably yours.

END OF THE LETTERS ON THE EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY,

LETTER XII.

Introductory Letter on the Leading Doctrines of the Christian Religion.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

It is much more easy for you to conjecture, than for me to describe, the pleasure I received from learning that you are now fully persuaded of the truth and Divine authority of the Christian Religion: and I cheerfully accede to your renewed request that this series of letters shall be extended until I have furnished you with a view of the principal doctrines proposed in Scripture for your belief, and of the grand duties which we are called upon as Christians to discharge.. Had I not, however, a decided conviction of your supreme

24 Matt. vii. 21. Rom. ii. 13,

love of truth, and of your sted fast determination to follow it whithersoever it may lead you, I should be somewhat apprehensive that, in performing this second part of the task your friendly deference to my opinions has assigned me, my efforts will be attended with less success than they have been in what I have already attempted. The truths which lie at the basis of the Christian system are so humiliating to human nature, so revolting to the sentiments of those who have too exalted ideas of the powers of reason, and who cherish erroneous conceptions of the dignity of man, that though they are so plainly stamped in the universal character and conduct of mankind, that "he who runs may read;" yet they require to be asserted repeatedly in the Word of God before they receive our assent: and after all we yield that assent more reluctantly than to any other truths ever presented to the mind.

Still, when a person admits, as you do, that the Holy Scriptures are a collection of books whose authors were divinely inspired, were led into all necessary truth, and preserved from all doctrinal error by the superintendence of God himself, he at once sees the necessity of studying those sacred treasures under different feelings, and with different intentions, from those with which he turns to the perusal of any other work. He is aware that there are two points known to God, the inspirer of the Scriptures, which man cannot comprehend; that is to say, "the secrets of the heart, and the succession of times." He therefore interprets the Bible with that entire submission of his own understanding to the divine teaching, which such a persuasion is calculated to produce; and proceeds to the study of Theology with the maxim of Lord Bacon in his head at least, if not in his heart, that " by how much any divine mystery is more unpalatable and incredible, by so much the more honour is given to God in believing, and the victory of our faith is made more noble1."

Now to me it appears impossible, and I trust you will 1 Advancement of Learning, book ix.

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