the excellent physician and philosopher, Dr. GREW, we acknowledge that, 'The Bible contains the laws of God's kingdom in this lower world, and that religion is so far from being inconsistent with philosophy, that it is its highest point and perfection. With the equally-celebrated physician and philosopher, Dr. DAVID HARTLEY, we maintain, that No writers, from the invention of letters to the present times, are to be compared with the penmen of the books of the Old and New Testaments, in true excellence, utility, and dignity.' With the pious Sir MATTHEW HALE, we perfectly unite in sentiment, that There is no book like the Bible, for excellent learning, wisdom, and use.' With the distinguished BOYLE, we behold it as 'A matchless volume,' and believe 'It is impossible that we can study it too much, or esteem it too highly.' With the incomparable NEWTON, "We account the Scriptures of GOD to be the most sublime philosophy.' With MILTON, we are persuaded, There are no songs to be compared to the songs of Zion; no orations equal to those of the PROPHETS, and no politics like those which the Scriptures teach.' With ROUSSEAU, every ingenuous man may say: 'The majesty of the Scriptures astonishes me, and the holiness of the Evangelists speaks to my heart, and has such strong and striking characters of truth; and is, moreover, so perfectly inimitable, that if it had been the invention of men, the inventors would be greater than the greatest heroes.'*

If we are induced to reject the Bible,

'Where shall the living, weeping o'er his woes,
The dying, trembling at the awful close,
Where the betray'd, forsaken, and oppress'd,
The thousands whom the world forbids to rest,-
Where should they find, (those comforts at an end
The Scripture yields) or hope to find a friend?
Sorrow might muse herself to madness then,
And seeking exile from the sight of men,
Bury herself in solitude profound,

Grow frantic with her pangs and bite the ground.'

* See Simpson's Plea for Religion and the Sacred Writings Second Edition, page 242, and 243.

In whatever point of view we look at the Scriptures, they afford the most important lessons of instruction, and demand our greatest esteem. HERE we learn our origin, our character, and future destiny: HERE, we are made acquainted with the commencement of time, the attributes of God, the design of creation, the ruin and recovery of man, and the proper duties of every condition in which it is possible for us to be placed. Why, then, should we question the excellence of holy writ? or, why for a moment doubt its UTILITY?

The cause of infidelity is too obvious to admit of the least hesitation upon the subject. It arises from a baneful union of self-conceit and ignorance; a vain desire of absolute independency, and a love of sin: but, as Cowper observes:

Though various foes against the truth combine,

Pride, above all, opposes her design;

Pride, of a growth superior to the rest,

The subtlest serpent with the loftiest crest,
Swells at the thought, and kindling into rage,
Would hiss the cherub Mercy from the stage.'

But neither the wrath nor the folly of man, can ever invalidate the word of God; therefore, in the day of judgment, it will stand as a testimony against the madness of unbelief; and a witness to befriend the faithful: it will condemn the wicked to endless woe, and pronounce the righteous eternally blessed. The Scriptures conduct us to the separation of the unholy and the upright, the world in ruins, and man in transports of delight, or crushed beneath the frown of God: they open the scenes of futurity, and express the speedy dissolution of all things terrestrial. Then the fears of the sceptic will render him speechless; but the CHRISTIAN shall possess an humble confidence in the Lord, and receive his recompense amidst the applauding seraphs. Scoffer!

Hark! universal nature shook and groan'd,

"Twas the last trumpet-see the Judge enthroned:
Rouse all your courage at your utmost need,
Now summon every virtue, stand and plead..

What! silent? Is your boasting heard no more?
That self-renouncing wisdom, learn'd before,
Had shed immortal glories on your brow,
That all your virtues cannot purchase now.
All joy to the believer! he can speak:
Trembling, yet happy, confident yet meek.
"Since the dear hour, that brought me to thy foot,
"And cut up all my follies by the root,
"I never trusted in an arm but thine,
"Nor hoped, but in thy righteousness divine:
"My prayers and alms, imperfect and defiled,
"Were but the feeble efforts of a child;
"Howe'er perform'd, it was their brightest part,
"That they proceeded from a grateful heart:
"Cleansed in thine all-purifying blood,
"Forgive their evil, and accept their good;
"I cast them at thy feet, my only plea,
"Is what it was-dependence upon thee:
"While struggling in the vale of tears below;
"That never fail'd, nor shall it fail me now."
Angelic gratulations rend the skies,
Pride falls unpitied, never more to rise,

Humility is crown'd, and faith receives the prize.

Such is the effect, such the utility, and such the blessedness connected with a cordial reception of the Word of God.

London, July 9th. 1823.

T. W.

WITNESSES TO THE TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITY.

No. 4.

'It has been objected that the Bible is a tasteless, insipid, inelegant, uninteresting book, composed almost always in a dull, heavy style, and therefore could not come from Him who is the Author of language and sentiment. To overthrow this objection, I cheerfully refer to the Bible itself, and ask where else can be found such wonderful and varied specimens of sublimity as in the 5th of Judges; the 4th, 26th, and 37th Job; in the 29th, 104th, 107th, and 139th Psalms; several portions of Isaiah and Ezekiel; and the 1st of the Apocalypse? Taking them even as they appear under the disadvantage of a translation, I will venture to affirm, that nothing can be found in Homer, Virgil, Shakspeare, or Milton, that will bear comparison

with most of them in point of 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 Shunamite's son, 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 11th and 14th of John, and the 20th of Acts. Be assured, that those, who lay aside the Bible, under the notion of its being dull, dry, and uninteresting, deceive themselves most miserably, and thereby deprive themselves of the highest intellectual light.

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 practical scheme of morality, contains very much that is superlatively adapted to gratify the finest mental taste. It enters more sagaciously and more deeply into human nature; 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 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.-Dr. Olinthus Gregory.

PHILANTHROPIC GAZETTE.

TO THE EDITOR,

I am sorry to remark that THE PHILANTHROPIC GAZETTE, which is a paper that in other respects, I warmly approve, has espoused the cause of prosecutions for infidelity!!! The Editor, indeed, endeavours to plead for them under the names of

prosecutions for atheism and blasphemy; but this does not alter the question; it is justifying a principle which the New Testament does not countenance, and which is Jewish in its origin; and on the same principle, every sabbath-breaker ought to be stoned for violating the sabbath-day. It is also admitting a principle, which, wanting qualification, may be extended to any length, according to the pleasure of ruling parties; and it is strengthening a precedent which will furnish an excuse on the part of infidelity, for all the cruelty it committed against whatever assumed the name of religion, at the French Revolution. Some ministers of religion have signed a Petition to Parliament, against prosecutions for vending deistical writings; and attempts have been made in the paper, to prove, that most of the signatures are those of Socinians, and though the editor has inserted a reply, he has openly espoused the other side of the question. This I lament, as it is not impartial. I am no Socinian, but I shall always be happy, in any way, to oppose measures which I think so derogatory to the honor of the religion of Jesus Christ, as attempting to support it, by fining and imprisoning its opposers; and I know, that a VERY LARGE BODY of ministers, not Socinians, are of my opinion. The same paper grieves me by its evident inveteracy against the Catholics. I abhor their tenets, and their spirit, and wish, therefore, to set them a better example. Many of your readers, probably, see the publication in question, and I feel in duty bound to caution them against imbibing its errors; yet, its virtues are such as induce me still to give it, with these cautions, my most cordial recommendation, and to ask for it additional support. Yours,

VERBI DEI MINISTER.

HELL DESTROYED!

TO THE EDITOR.

An infidel publisher has announced this title on a placard, which the traveller through the city of

D