the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. It opens the locks of my heart, and sits upon its throne, as an infallible Judge over all my thoughts, and thousand purposes of my heart, and makes them all subject to its own law.

When the Earl of Rochester, a great sceptic, and the most witty and sarcastic man of the age, was reading the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows;-yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of cur peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." divine power going along with these words arrested him, and screwed him in such a manner, that he thought that his body and mind were twisted to such a degree, that his deistical principles were subdued and crushed to death in a moment, and he experienced faith and hope, in Christ, and love to him and his cause instantaneously. "Wonders of grace to God belong,

Repeat his mercies in your song."

The

The dead in the grave when quickened and made alive, have no time to inquire how the life came into them; for the tide of life is coming in so rapidly and powerfully upon them into their old beds, that they have no time for any thing, but to raise with the life which raises them up. In like manner was the power of the Gospel working in the country of Matthew, at the custom-house ;-the woman of Samaria, by Jacob's well; the thief on the cross;-the three thousand under Peter's Sermon ;-the persecuting Saul on the road to Damascus ;-the Jailor in Phillippi;-and thousands more in different parts of the world, who have felt the Gospel mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high

thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, and turning them from darkness to light, and the reigning power of sin and Satan to the glorious liberty of the children of God.

When I am cast down and dejected in solitude, having no one, to whom I can unbosom myself, I can see, in the lively sentiments of the Gospel the omniprecency of the Deity, and the infinite wisdom, like bright and cheerful eyes, looking upon me through the crevices of my prison house; so that I feel him to be near me ready to hear my prayer, and grant me relief in all my troubles; and in all the riches of his grace and power, he is able to say unto the helpless singer at the gate of hell, “Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise."

Suppose for a moment, that I had been troubled with cancer, and that I had been bitten by a rattle-snake, and a mad dog, and that I had found a remedy that perfectly cured me of the three wounds. Sometime afterwards a certain sceptic called upon me, in order to persuade me that the receipt was good for nothing, that it was only a cheat, invented lately by a maniac, and demanded of me to prove that such medicines were made use of before the deluge; and asked me such questions, that would puzzle a Solomon to answer. How could I look ́upon such a man better than a maniac himself! I have tried the experiment and found a remedy; therefore all his pretended philosophical reasoning would sound in my ears like the backward ringing of a bell, or like sounding brass, or tinkling cymbal. The wisdom of men have invented many remedies for the guilt, the love, and the punishment of sin; but the remedies of these vain philosophers never restored one individual to peace, purity, and happiness; but all that ever cordially believI can ed the Gospel, have been cured of their diseases.

truly say upon the most mature deliberations on the subject, and millions more can testify the same thing, that the Gospel in the hand of the spirit of God has subdued the love of sin, and quenched the fire of guilt within me, and hath taken away the fear of death from me, and hath removed the terrors of the grave from my breast. If the pretended infidels of the present day will allow that I am sane, and a man of credit; what farther proof must they have that the Bible is the word of God?and that the Gospel is,-the glorious Gospel of the bles sed God?

The blessed effects attending the cordial reception of the truths of the Gospel, evidently prove the important fact, that the Bible is the Book of God;-that all scripture is given by inspiration of God;--that the christian religion is from heaven;-and will ultimately prosper, and triumph, in spite of all opposition. That the word of God is powerful and sharper than a two edged sword. That the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for pulling down strong holds. Thousands and millions have been awakened, convinced and converted through its instrumentality; and brought to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus; the lost and the ruined enquiring, what could they do to be saved? have been directed to the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world. Those that were enemies to God are become his cordial friends. Blasphemers are praying-Sabbath breakers keep holy the sabbath day,--and where sin did abound, grace has much more abounded.

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firma ment is showing forth his handy-work; yet there is nothing in the whole creation that can give the guilty conscience ease; no direction to flee from the wrath to come; and no saviour, for lost and perishing sinners, ex

hibited in the whole works of nature; but in the Gospe we are informed that God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Finally, we would observe that the character of God exhibited in the Gospel is full, and perfect,—worthy of himself, and far more glorious than any thing that has been seen in the creation. The god whose char acter is drawn by Mahomet in the Alcoran is nothing but abomination. The god Jupiter represented by Homer in the song of Troy, is revenge. The character of the god described by Voltaire in his writings is a jester or a buffoon. Confusion and war was the char acter of the god spoken of by Thomas Paine. It is the Gospel only that represents the living and true God in his true and perfect character.

There are also many external evidences to corrobo. rate this all important fact, that the bible is the word of God.

We shall mention only a few of them. It was written by the persons therein mentioned. Their character was blameless. Christianity was established by miraeles, signs, and wonders. Predictions of the Prophets recorded in the Bible, have been fulfilled. Jesus of Nazareth, the founder of the Christian religion, died on the cross for our sins;- -rose from the grave for our justification;—ascended up to heaven, and maketh intercession for us. These are simple facts, admitted by the primitive Christians,--by the immediate successors of the origina! witnesses,-by the testimony of neutralsby the declaration of apostates, and by the most inveterate opponents of Christianity. The question therefore is settled,-all is admitted that is necessary to prove the authenticity of the glorious Gospel of the blessed God.

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could do nothing, but shut them up in prision forever. It gives eyes to the blind, ears to the deaf, feet to the lame, refuge to murderers, and life to the dead. The gospel can transact business, relative to the salvation of sinners in the sanctuary, the highest, and the most public place under the government of God; so that he is not ashamed to call himself their God and to him is due the praise and glory forever, for the eternal redemp. tion of sinners, and not the instrumental cause of deliv. erances not to the gospel. nor any ministers thereof; for Paul may plant and Apollos water, and the gospel may be read and heard to no bencficial purpose, if God will not give the increase. It is in the hand of the holy Spirit that the glorious gospel of the blessed God doeth

wonders.

There is no necessity to hide the flaming purity and lusture of the divine character from the sinner, nor his. own unworthiness and miserable condition, while the gospel proclaims the virtue and efficacy of the blood of Christ, to quench the rage of the flaming fire, to calm the accusation of the awakened conscience, to purify the heart of its corruption, and to open a place of safety, for the poor trembling sinner under the protecting wing of Almighty God. Although innumerable sins, and of the blackest hue, are written against the sinner in the book of the law and conscience; yet it is recorded in the Book of mercy. That the blood of Jesus Christ his Son clean. seth from all sins.

There is a certain glory belonging to the kingdoms of this world consisting in wealth, and power; but it soon vanishes away. All the works of God are glorious. The heavens declare his glory. And the glory of his power, wisdom and majesty shine forth with splendour in the works of providence; which are as so many bands to preserve the world from breaking asunder and falling