possible, still more favorable to the preservation of their purity, that all the sacred books have been transmitted to us through the medium of the different sects of Jews and Christians unto the present day. Suppose, for illustration, that an attempt should now be made by an individual, or by any body of men, whether Infidel, Jewish, or Christian, to corrupt the oracles of God; who does not readily perceive that, from the number of copies scattered abroad throughout the church, and the various sects exercising a mutual watch over the movements of each other, and a common jealousy over the movements of the enemies of the truth, such an attempt must necessarily prove unsuccessful? And it is equally obvious, from the history of the church, that difficulties not less insurmountable would have been met in preceding ages.

Had the attempt been made by Infidels, it would have been detected either by the Jews or Christians, or by both. Had it been made by the Jews, the evil would have been exposed and corrected by the Christians. Or had it been made by the Christians, if in regard to the Old Testament, the remedy was with the Jews; or if in regard to the New Testament, the fraud would have been detected and the design frustrated by other Christian sects and by infidels also.

But it may be objected, that during the reigns of the impious kings of the Jews, and the prevalence of idolatry among that people, circumstances were different, and that the inspired books previously written might then have been depraved without difficulty; and it has, indeed, been urged by the enemies of the bible, that the record relative to the discovery of the book of the law in the temple, under the reign of Josiah, affords evidence of such a fact. But without occupying your time with an answer in detail, it will be sufficient to observe, in general, that though Josiah, yet but a youth, had never before seen an entire copy of the law, there might have been, and probably were, many copies scattered throughout the land, in the hands of the pious part of his subjects; and we are fully authorized to suppose that, during the greatest prevalence of idolatry, there were not wanting an adequate number of faithful guardians of the scriptures then extant; for even under the reign of Ahab, than whom none did more for the suppression of true religion and for the establishment of idolatry, the answer of God to Elijah assures us that he had reserved to himself seven thousand men who had not bowed the knee to Baal. These had doubtless retained the holy oracles in their possession; and the testimony that is given of them is a satisfactory evidence of their disposition to preserve them in their purity.

But what though the sacred page had been then profaned and the truth of God falsified? Was not the Spirit of prophecy, the same Spirit that originally dictated that truth, continued in the church by a suc cession of prophets until the canon of the Hebrew scriptures was completed; and what better security than this do we need for the restoration of the text, if it had received injury from the hands of men? But there is an other consideration, that ought forever to settle the question respecting the purity of the books of the Old Testament, as far down as the Christian era. Our Lord Jesus Christ in all the charges that he

brought against the Jews, never intimated that they had corrupted the word of God. He did indeed accuse them of making the law of none effect by their traditions, but not of depraving the law itself. His silence, therefore, on a point of such vital importance, and especially while publicly reading and expounding the scriptures in their syna. gogues, affords a just ground of inference, that they had not therein exposed themselves to censure; and, moreover, he and his inspired apostles by referring their hearers, without any qualification or caution, to the Old Testament as the oracles of God, and declaring that all scripture was given by inspiration of God, gave positive testimony in favor of their uncorrupted integrity.

But again, it may be objected that there was a time subsequent to this, when the evil might have occurred. It may be thought that during the dark ages of the church, when by a solemn decree of the Roman hierarchy the laity were prohibited the use of the bible, that then the circumstances which we have represented as a security for the preservation of the integrity of the scriptures did not exist, and that consequently corruptions might then have been introduced by an unprincipled and profligate clergy. To this we reply, 1st, That the Old Testament was safely guarded by the Jews; 2d, That had the New Testament been altered, it would have been made to sanction the errors that then prevailed in the Roman Catholic church; whereas, it now explicitly condemns them; 3d, That previous to this there was a schism between the Eastern and the Western churches, which rendered any such fraudulent attempt by one party impossible, without detection and exposure by the other-and that, in fact, the copies of the bible in the. East and West now agree; 4, That throughout that long reign of moral darkness that overspread the church, there were scattered over Europe thousands of faithful witnesses of the truth, and not less faithful guardians of the scriptures, among the Paulicians, the Vallenses, and the Waldenses.

Of the holy and excellent character of these people, even their ene mies in the communion of the hierarchy have borne decisive, testimony. Of their attention to the word of God, also, they speak particularly. One of their cruel persecutors says, "they frequently read the holy scriptures, and in their preaching cited the words of Christ and his apostles." Another says, that he had seen peasants among them who could recite the book of Job by memory; and several others who could perfectly repeat the whole New Testament. A third writer, an

enemy too, in speaking of one of the valleys where they dwelt, says, "they can all read and write, and you can scarce find a boy among them who cannot give you an intelligent account of the faith which they profess." He adds, "in this, indeed, they resemble their brethren of the other valleys.' Here, then, was a refuge for the bible, and another security against any designs of the catholic clergy.

But to bring our investigations in this branch of our discourse to a close, we remark,

Fourthly, That the result of the stupendous labors of biblical critics in late years, perfectly harmonizes with the considerations that have

already been adduced. After an incalculable amount of time and treasure expended by the most learned theologians of Europe in collecting and comparing all the ancient manuscript copies that could be found in every part of the world, (some of which are upwards of twelve hundred years old,) it has been found that there are no other discrepancies between them and our present editions of the bible, than such as would accidentally and unavoidably occur.

A late learned author observes, "that the very worst manuscript extant would not pervert one article of our faith, or destroy one moral precept. The general uniformity, therefore, of the manuscripts which are dispersed through all the countries of Christendom, and in so great a variety of languages, is truly astonishing, and demonstrates both the veneration in which the scriptures have uniformly been held and the singular care which was taken in transcribing them; and so far are the various readings contained in these manuscripts from being hostile to the uncorrupted preservation of the inspired books, (as some sceptics have boldly affirmed, and as some timid Christians have apprehended,) that they afford us, on the contrary, a most convincing proof that they exist at present, in all essential points, precisely the same, as they were when they left the hands of their authors."

Other considerations, leading to the same conclusion, might be derived from ancient versions, and from the voluminous amount of quotations in early Christian writers, but we have already occupied too much of your time on the subject, and therefore proceed,

II. In the second place, to notice very briefly, some of the contents of the bible, illustrative of the proposition in our text. Yes, my hearers, this holy volume is good as to the truths it contains, the doctrines it teaches, and the difficulties it solves. The oracles of reason and philosophy have failed to satisfy the anxious inquiries of the human mind in matters of infinite moment. But what they have failed to do, revelation has accomplished. Here is the true light; a light emanating from the third heavens to irradiate the darkness of this lower world; a lamp hung out from the skies to enlighten our way thither. The subject is copious and affords an opportunity for much detail, but as this is ground more frequently trod, it will be sufficient, on the present occasion, merely to glance at a few particulars. The bible, then, we may specify, decides on the claims of the gods that have swarmed like summer insects, in the mythologies of the heathen, and teaches us to whom alone divine worship should be paid. It would seem from the multiplicity of deities acknowledged by some of the idolatrous nations, that there had been a competition among them, which could enumerate the most. An ancient Grecian author computes the number at 30,000; and in Hindostan the number is estimated at not less than three hundred and thirty millions! The kind of creature or thing, whether in heaven or earth, can hardly be named, that has not received in some form or other, the adoration of men; so that there are acknowledged, gods innumerable, both celestial and terrestrial. But the bible leaves us in no doubt to whom we should render our homage. It assures us, "though there be that are culled gods, whether in heaven or in earth,

(as as there be gods many and lords many,") that to us there is but one God, of whom are all things; and by ascribing to him every conceivable perfection in an infinite degree, shows us why he alone is entitled to our homage, why his name alone is Jehovah, and why he will not give his glory to another.

It teaches us also, as might reasonably be expected of an infinite Being, that he is a God of unsearchable mysteries. It assures us, that in the unity of the Godhead there are Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; to each of whom belong all the names, attributes, works, and worship of the true God.

It instructs us in the doctrine, agitated but undecided by the heathen, of an all-wise, superintending Providence-a Providence so general, that it extends its dominion, not only abroad over all the face of the earth, but up through all the splendid galaxy of the heavens-so particular, that the very hairs of our heads are numbered. It quiets the anxieties, engendered alike by atheism and polytheism, and bids us to rejoice because the Lord God omnipotent reigneth-to cast our cares upon him, for he careth for us.

But the bible not only reveals the true God to man, in his being, his perfections, and government, but also reveals man to himself, in his origin, his character, and condition, and acquaints him with his duties and his destination. Without the supposition to which unaided reason was sometimes driven, of his being the workmanship of Demiurge, a malevolent deity, and without raising a shadow of impeachment against the goodness of his Creator, it accounts for his moral degradation and his numberless sufferings, by teaching us that, after being created in the image of God and made happy in his communion, he voluntarily apostatized, and by so doing not only involved himself in sin and misery, but, according to the uniform analogy of Providence, entailed the corruption of his nature and the curse of his disobedience on his posterity. It describes mankind in all the extent of the turpitude of their degeneraIt decides the question on which, after all their arguments, the greatest masters of reason still doubted-the question of the immortality of the soul; and reveals the kindred doctrine of which they knew nothing-the doctrine of the resurrection of the body. It discloses to our view, in the midst of the assembled universe, the great white throne of future judgment, and assures us of an eternal state of retribution, according to the deeds done in the body.

cy.

But to man as a sinner, these disclosures alone would only add to the sorrows, that previously burdened his heart. Thanks to God, these are not all. The bible, while, by bringing the sinner under the scrutiny of a law whose requirements are as broad as its character is holy, and in view of a tribunal whose retributions are as terrible as they are just; while it thus constrains him to cry out, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" at the same time exhibits a scheme of grace so consolatory, and a plan of redemption so complete, as to demand from him the rapturous exclamation, “O the breadth and the length, the depth and the height of the love of Christ that passeth knowledge!" Yes, it answers to the sa

tisfaction of the anxious and agitatéd sinner, the all-important question, "How shall man be just with God!" It assures him that "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." The necessity of an atonement has been implied in all the sacrifices and penances that have ever been practised, from the apostacy to the present day; but in the bible only do we find an atonement that affords any rational ground of hope towards God. Here the vicarious sufferer is human, that sin may be punished in the same nature in which it is committed; and divine, both that he may have the right to make an offering of himself, and that his dignity may give sufficient value to his sufferings. Here is the only sin-offering with which the Lord is pleased. Hence the bible bids him that would bathe the sacrificial knife in the blood of his offspring, to desist, and "behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world;" and him that would torture or immolate his own body, to appease his gods, "Do thyself no harm— believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Yes, it proclaims to all, as a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by him—not only to save them from the goadings of a guilty conscience in this life, and from the pains of hell for ever, but to advance them to the adoption of children in the family of God while here, and afterwards to introduce them into his presence, where is fulness of joy, and at his right hand, where there are pleasures for evermore.

As a preparation for that state of pure and perfect bliss, the scriptures declare the necessity of the regeneration and sanctification of our nature, by the agency of the Holy Spirit. They moreover inculcate and exemplify a perfect system of morals, both personal and relative— morals far exceeding any thing that the mind of man in his fallen state ever could have conceived. They carry the authority of their precepts to the conscience, and sum them up in these all-comprehensive injunc tions, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thyself" and "whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." These precepts, in addition to their divine authority and legal sanctions, are enforced in all their details by evangelical motives-by motives derived from the amazing love of God in Christ Jesus.

Such, briefly, are some of the contents of this inspired volume. Blessed book! Who would not say, "Thy judgments are good? more are they to be desired than gold, yea, than much fine gold." Who, in the benevolence they inculcate, would not give his money and his influence to send them to all the benighted abodes of his fellow men?

III. Need we further evidence of the excellence of the bible? Look, in the third place, at its effects. It is one of its own maxims, that the "tree is known by its fruit. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit." Now apply this principle to the history of the bible, and the result will be calculated alike to increase our conviction of its excellence, and to enkindle our zeal in its