your talents. Call forth every latent power of the mind. Bring out your ftores of ancient and modern lore. Butno ridicule! no laughter! no fneers! The occafion is too great and serious. Come forward, rather, in all the dignity of good fenfe, in all the majefty of confcious integrity, in all the zeal which the love of truth infpires, furnished with languages, knowledge, experience, oblervation, and either honourably overthrow the cause of the Gospel, which we affuredly deem the cause of truth; or, like JENYNS and PRINGLE, openly acknowledge that you are convinced and conquered. This would be manly.

This

miffed the congregation, this man called to the people to stay a little, for he had a meffage to them from GOD. Not being permitted to afcend the pulpit, or to addrefs the people any farther in the church, he went into the yard, where the congregation collected around him. He told them he had had a vision, and had received a command from GOD to deliver his will unto them; and which they must receive upon pain of damnation. It confiited, he faid, of five lights.

1. That the fabbath was abolished, as unneceffary and ceremonialAnd here, faid the man, I fhould have put out my first light; but the wind is fo high I cannot kindle it.

2.

Tythes are abolished, as Jewish, and a great burden to the faints of GOD, and a difcouragement of induftry and tillage.-And here I fhould have put out my fecond light, &c.

3. Minifters are abolished, as antichriftian, and of no farther use, now that CHRIST himself defcends into the hearts of his faints, and his SPIRIT enlightens them with revelations and inspirations.-And here I fhould have put out my third light, &c.

4. Magiftrates are abolished, as useless, now that CHRIST himself is in purity of Spirit come among us, and has erected the kingdom of the faints upon earth. Befides they are tyrants and oppreflors of the liberty of the faints and tie them to laws and ordinances, mere human invention. -And here I fhould have put out my fourth light, &c.

5. Then, putting his hand in his pocket, and pulling out a little Bible, he thewed it open to the people, faying, "Here is a book you have all in great veneration, confifting of two parts, the Old and New Teftament. I must tell you, it is abolished, It contains beggarly "rudiments, milk for babes: but now CHRIST is in glory amongst us, " and imparts a fuller measure of his SPIRIT to his faints than this can "afford; and therefore I am commanded to burn it before your faces." -So, taking the candle out of the lantern, he fet fire to the leaves; and then, putting out the candle, he cried-" And here my fifth light is "extinguished."

This is not the only madman whom we have known to burn his Bible. There are many fuch now within 40 miles of this place. One I have heard of, who, to be more witty than his fagacious brethren, roafted his Bible before a flow fire!

would

would be acting in a manner worthy the character of Lovers of truth. And on fuch men the GOD of truth himtelf would look down from heaven well pleafed.

I have already called your attention, GENTLEMEN, to a variety of characters from among the moderns, fʊme good, others bad, fome believers, others unbelievers. I would with you, however, to take the Bible into your own hands, and read it carefully and coolly over, as a book of common hiftory only, without any regard to its divine original; and then endeavour to form an impartial judgment what courfe you ought to take, and what the event of your prefent conduct will be. To bring the matter to a short and easy issue, turn to the thirty-feventh pfalm, read it ferioufly over half a dozen times, and confider well its contents. Do not be rafh, foolish, headftrong, and reject this, and the other Sacred Records, without either rhyme or reafon; but be cool, deliberate, fober, well-advifed, and determine to chufe the fide of prudence, difcretion, and fafety. Let the feveral historical characters recorded in the Old and New Testament be taken into your moft careful confileration, and judge calmly of their comparative refpecability, and with whom you fhould like beft to die. Whether had you rather wish to die and have your portion in eternity with CAIN, BALAAM, and PHARAOH; with KORAH, DATHAN, and ABIRAM; with SAUL, ABSALOM, and AнITOPHEL; with HEROD, JUDAS, PILATE, and all fuch like characters; or you would chufe to die and have your portion in eternity with ABEL, NOAH, and Lor; with ABRAHAM, ISAAC, JACOB, and JOSEPH; with MOSES, AARON, JOSHUA, and SAMUEL; with DAVID, ASA, JEHOSHAPHAT, HEZEKIAH, and JOSIAH; with ISAIAH, JEREMIAH, EZEKIEL, and DANIEL; with JOHN the Baptift, JESUS CHRIST, the twelve Apostles, the feventy Difciples, and all the other excellent men, whofe names are recorded with approbation in the Jewish and Chriftian code? Can you hefitate one moment which fide you would wish to take? Confider the matter well, and make your election.

But if you do already fee reafon to believe in the SON of GOD; or if at any future period you fhould find caufe

fo

fo to do, take heed that yoù imbibe the true, noble, liberal, benevolent fpirit of the Gospel, in all its purity

and extent.

Be not afhamed either of its doctrines or precepts. Its doctrines are oracles, its precepts are fanctioned with penalties of a nature the most tremendous that can be conceived. Hold faft the former then, regardless of the obloquy of felf-righteous Moralifts, in all their purity and extent. They form one grand, well-compacted fyftem, far more glorious than the whole univerfe of vifible created things. The heavens declare the glory of Gon, the wonderful variety of creatures upon earth his wildom, power, and goodneis; but the fcheme of faving a toft world, by the interpofition of his Son, outfhines all the other works of the DIVINE BEING that have ever come within the ken of mortal creatures. Goo, who at fundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, bath in thefe last days Spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things; by whom alfo be made the worlds; who, being the brightnefs of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himfelf purged our fins, fat down on the right hand of the MAJES TY on high. This is perfectly in the spirit of ancient prophecy: Unto us a child is born, unto us a fon is given, and the government shall be upon his fhoulder; and his name fhall be called, WONDERFUL, COUNSELLOR, THE MIGHTY GOD; THE EVERLASTING FATHER, THE PRINCE OF PEACE. Of the encreafe of his government and peace there fall be no end, upon the throne of DAVID, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment, and with justice, from benceforth even forever. The beloved Difciple of our LORD difplays the original grandeur of this MIGHTY ONE more fully than the Prophet: In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with GOD, and the WORD was GOD. All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. And the WORD was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory, as of the only-begotten of the FATHER, full of grace and truth. This amazing idea of the creating power of the REDEEMER

REDEEMER is ftill more expanded by the great Apostle of the Gentiles: By him were all things created, that are in heaven and that are in earth, vifible and invifible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things confift.-He being in the form of GOD, thought it not robbery to be equal with GOD; and though he was GOD'S FELLOW, he made himfelf of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a fervant, and was made in the likeness of men, and belng found in fashion as a man, he bumbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore GOD alfo hath highly exalted him, and given him a name, which is above every name; that at the name of JESUS every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue shall confefs that JESUS CHRIST is LORD to the glory of Gon the FATHER. So that, though all* we have finned and come fhort of the glory of

*It may be fafely afferted, I apprehend, that all truly ferious and religious minded people are nearly of one opinion concerning the great doctrines of the Gospel. They live in the comfort and die in the faith of them. The Calvanist and Arminian here at least are of one mind. When the Rev. JOHN WESLEY came to die, his language was,

"I the chief of finners am,
"But Jesus died for me.

"There is no way into the holieft, but by the blood of JESUS.” I'll praise my MAKER with my breath." &c.

The late Mr. TOPLADY alfo appears to have been greatly supported with divine confolations during his laft fickness. A few days before his death he faid to a friend: "O, my dear fir, it is impoffible to defcribe "How good GOD is to me. This afternoon I have enjoyed fuch a fea"fon, fuch fweet communion with GoD, and fuch delightful manifefta"tions of his prefence with, and love to my foul, that it is impoffible "for words, or any language to exprefs them. I have had peace and joy "unutterable."

To another friend he faid: "The comfort and manifestations of "GOD's love are fo abundant, as to render my state and condition the "most defirable in the world. I would not exchange my condition with any one upon earth.”

The fame friend calling upon him a day or two before his death, he faid, with hands clafped, and his eyes lifted up and starting with tears of the most evident joy: "O, my dear Sir, I cannot tell you the comforts I feel in my foul. They are past expreffion. The confolations "of Gon to fuch an unworthy wretch are so abundant, that he leaves

of GOD, we are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in CHRIST JESUS; whom GOD bath fet forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his rightecufnefs for the remiffion of fins that are paft, through the forbearance

"me nothing to pray for, but a continuance of them, I enjoy a heaven "already in my foul. My prayers are all converted into praise."

At another time he faid: "O how this foul of mine longs to be "gone! Like a bird imprisoned in a cage, it longs to take its flight. "O that I had wings like a dove, then would I flee away to the realms

of bliss, and be at reft forever! O that fome guardian angel might "be commiffioned; for I long to be abfent from this body, and to be "with my LORD forever."

At another time, and indeed for many days together he cried out: "O what a day of fun-fhine has this been to me! I have not words to

express it. It is unutterable. O, my friends, how good is GoD! "Almoft without interruption his prefence has been with me."

Near his end, waking from a flumber, he faid: "O what delights! "Who can fathom the joys of the third heaven?" And again, a little before his departure: "The fky is clear; there is no cloud; come, "LORD JESUS, come quickly."

The learned reader will not be forry to compare here the dying scenes of two or three of the German Chriftians with the above of WESLEY and TOPLADY. MUSCULUS's Soliloquy before death appears to me in the highest spirit of the Gospel of CHRIST.

Nil fupereft vita; frigus præcordia captat :

"Sed tu, CHRISTE, mihi vita perennis ades.

Quid trepidas, Anima? Ad fedes abitura quietis;
"En tibi ductor adeft Angelus ille tuus.

Linque domum hanc miferam, nunc in fua fata ruentem,
Quam tibi fida DEI dextera reftituet.

66

"Peccafti?-Scio: Sed CHRISTUS credentibus in fe
"Peccata expurgat fanguine cuncta fuo.

"Horribilis mors eft? Fateor: Sed prozima vita est,

Ad quam te CHRISTI gratia certa vocat.

"Præfto eft de Satanâ, peccato, in morte triumphans

"CHRISTUS: Ad Hunc igitur læta alacrifque migra."

THEODORE ZUINGER, a famous German Phyfician, when he lay upon his death-bed, took his leave of the world in the following fine copy of verfes, which is a liberal paraphrafe of the 122 pfalm.

"O lux candida, lux mihi

"Læti confcia tranfitus!
"Per CHRISTI meritum patet

"Vita porta beatæ.

"Me ftatus revocat dies