Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1817-12-25


>t:.c end Of his Bible, wrote the following
! words:
81 have regularly and at.cntively pe.
russell thcse Holy Scriptures ), and am of
| opinion, that this volume Independent of
its divine origin contains more true sub
Unity, more exquisite beauty, more pure
morality, more important history and liner
s.raios Of poetry and cIoquence, than can
be collected from all other books. in what
ever ace Or language they may have been
written. The unstrained application Of
them to events which took place long at
ter the publication. is solid ground for
belief that they are genuine productions,
and consequently inspired"
Mr.. Addison, speaking OF the superior
projections of the sacred volume To eve
~ human work, says,
The great sud glorious truths which
it discovers to Us are, compared with
those which we elsewhere acquire, as the
Creator contrastcd with his mO,ks. Had
Cicero lsays hey lived to see all that
christianity has brought to light, how
would he who so foDdiy hoped for i.nmor-
tally, have lavished out all the force of
eIoqucnce in those Dcb!cst Ct contemp!a-
tIOas-the resurrection, aud tie Judgment
that will follow it How had his breast
glowed with pleasure, when the whole
compass of luturiiy revealed 10 these pa
ges lay open TO his view How would he
have entered with the force of Lightning,
into the affections of his hearers, upon
those glorious themes which are contain
ed in the BIb!e-themes which, when en-
larged on by sk;lful christian orator,
make US break cut iDto The same express
sions as those OF the two disciples who
net our Saviour alter he rose from the
dead " Did not our hearts barn within
Us, when he talked with US by tie way,
and while he opcned unto US The Scrip
turcsm
The learned Mr.. Locke latter demon.
stratihg the truth of The Holy Scriptures
in various Ways thus expresses himself,
in letter TO friend, just before he died:
"Study he Holy Scripture, especially
The New Testament; for therein are con-
tanned the words Of eternal lie. The
Bible has Tod for its author. salvation
for lis end, and truth for its matter, with-
out any mixture Of error"
Similar testimonies in favor of the BIZ
bic might be aGduced in the immortal
Bacon, Lord Veru!om in the great Sir
Isaac Newton, who wrote to prove the
excellence Of the Scriptures ; in Mr..
Bowie, whs Instituted means TO elucidate
their truth in MIR. West, who wrote
t,ea.isc on the subject OF the Resurrec-
ton J in Lord George Littlcton, whose
iIustrious rank received splendor from
his talents, and who has done essential
service TO the christian cause, by lis ad-
mrabe work On the conversion Of ST.
Paul. All these, it will be observed,
were laymen, and therefore cannot be
suspected Of any undue Partially for the
Scriptures and to such distinguished
names might be added those of Milton,
a Hale, Johnson, CewPer. Bryant,
a Beattie, Cumberland, a Washington,
a Jay--laymen also most eninently dis
tinguished Tor their learning and science,
yet who deemed all their learning, all
their science, of little worth, conpal ned
with what they derived from the book OF
God.
The excellent DR.. Watts lin his sd-
vice to young man) says,
{" Whatever your circumstances may
be in this world, value the Bible as your
best treasure; and whatever be your em-
ployment, look upon religion as your best
business. The Bible contains eternal
life in il, and religion is the only way for
you TO become possessed OF it."
DR.. Leachman, upon his death bed,
thus addressed the son of nuslemaI
who had been under his care:
"foa see, my young friend, the si.ua-
ton in which now am. have not ma
ny days to live, and am happy that you
witness the tranquility OF my last mo-
ments. But it is not tranquility alone;
it ia JOY and triumph-ray it is complete
exuiiaiion." His features frightened,
AID his voice rose in energy as he spoke;