faithfully returns its mild and sweet seasons of grace, that earthly objects may not engross your thoughts, and revent your attention to immortality. The sanctuary on25 folds its doors; and invites you to enter in and be save. The Gospel still shines to direct your feet, and to quick en your pursuit of the inestimable prize. Saints wait, with fervent hope of renewing their joy over your repentance. Angels spread their wings to 30 conduct you home. The Father holds out the golden sceptre of forgiveness, that you may touch, and live. The Son died on the cross, ascended to heaven, and in tercedes before the throne of mercy, that you may be accepted. The Spirit of grace and truth descends with his 35 benevolent influence, to allure and persuade you. While all things, and God at the head of all things, are thus kindly, and solemnly employed, to encourage you in the pursuit of this inestimable good, will you forget, that you have souls, which must be saved or lost? 40 Will you forget, that the only time of salvation is the present? that beyond the grave there is no Gospel to be preached? that, there no offers of life are to be made! that no Redeemer will there expiate your sins; and no forgiving God receive your souls? 45 Of what immense moment, then, is the present life! How invaluable every Sabbath; every mean of salvation! Think how soon your last Sabbath will set in darkness; and the last sound of mercy die upon your ears? How painful, how melancholy, an object, to a 50 compassionate eye, is a blind unfeeling, unrepenting immortal! See the gates of life already unfolding to admit The first-born open their arms to welcome you to their divine assembly. The Saviour, who is gone before to 55 prepare a place for your reception, informs you, that all things are ready. With triumph, then, with ecstasy, hasten to enjoy the reward of his infinite labors in an universe of good, and in the glory, which he had with the Father before ever the world was. 20 EXERCISE 84. Character of Richard Reynolds.-THORPE. Look at mighty Athens, and you will every where perceive monuments of taste, and genius, and elegance Look at imperial, Pagan Rome in all her glory! You will behold all the grandeur of the human intellect un5 folded in her temples, her palaces, and her amphitheatres. You will find no hospital or infirmary; no asylum for the aged and the infirm, the fatherless and the widow; the blind, the dumb, the deaf; the outcast and the destitute. 10 How vastly superior in this respect is Bristol to Athens, is London to Rome. These, Christianity, are thy triumphs! These are thy lovely offspring! they all bear the lineaments of their common parent. Their family likeness proves the sameness of their origin. 15 Mercy conjoined with purity is the darling attribute of our holy religion. Its great founder was mercy embodied in a human form. Those virtues which shone in him shone in Reynolds also; though with a diminished lustre, when 20 compared with his great original :—yet in a brighter lustre than in the rest of mankind. But whence, it may be demanded, came it to pass that this man rose so high, above the great mass of proThe great fessed Christians? The answer is obvious. 25 mass of professed Christians are Christians only by profession. Reynolds was a Christian in reality. His Christianity was cordial-ardent-energetic. Not an empty name-a barren speculation; but a vital principle. Vital Christianity is not so much a solitary beauty, as 30 it is an assemblage of all beauty. It combines the wisdom of the serpent, with the innocence of the dove; the gentleness of the lamb, with the courage of the lion. It adds a charm to the bloom of youth, and converts the hoary head into a crown of 35 glory. It gives dignity to the palace, and brings heaven into the cottage. The king upon the throne is not so venerable by the crown that encircles his brow, as by the religion that renders him the father of his people, and the obedient servant of the Sovereign of the world. EXERCISE 85. Address of the Bible Society,-1816.-MASON. People of the United States Have you ever been invited to an enterprise of such grandeur and glory? Do you not value the Holy Scriptures? Value them as containing your sweetest hope; your most thrilling joy! Can you submit to the thought 5 that you should be torpid in your endeavours to disperse them, while the rest of christendom is awake and alert! Shall you hang back, in heartless indifference, when princes come down from their thrones, to bless the cottage of the poor with the gospel of peace; and imperial so10 vereigns are gathering their fairest honours from spreading abroad the oracles of the Lord your God? Is it possible that you should not see, in this state of human things, a mighty motion of Divine Providence? The most heavenly charity treads close upon the 15 march of conflict and blood! The world is at peace! Scarce has the soldier time to unbind his helmet, and to wipe away the sweat from his brow, ere the voice of mercy succeeds to the clarion of battle, and calls the nations from enmity to love! Crowned heads bow to the 20 head that is to wear "many crowns," and, for the first time since the promulgation of Christianity, appear to act in unison for the recognition of its gracious principles, as being fraught alike with happiness to man and honor to God. 25 What has created so strange, so benificent an alteration? This is no doubt the doing of the Lord, and it is marvellous in our eyes. But what instrument has he thought fit chiefly to use? That which contributes, in all latitudes and climes, to make Christians feel their unity, to rebuke 30 the spirit of strife, and to open upon them the day of brotherly concord-the Bible! the Bible-through Bible Societies! Come then, fellow citizens, fellow Christians, let us join in the sacred covenant. Let no heart be cold; no 35 hand be idle: no purse reluctant! Come, while room is left for us in the ranks whose toil is goodness, and whose recompense is victory. Come cheerfully, eagerly, generally. EXERCISE 86. The Roman Soldier ;-Last days of Herculaneum. ATHERSTONE. PART I. There was a man, A Roman Soldier, for some daring deed 10 He had a son, it was a rosy boy, A little faithful copy of his sire In face and gesture. From infancy the child Every sport The father shared and heightened. But at length The captive's lot 15 He felt in all its bitterness-the walls Of his deep dungeon answered many a sigh His jailer with compassion-and the boy, 20 Thenceforth a frequent visitor, beguiled His father's lingering hours, and brought a balm He was a poisoned àrrow in the breast 25 Where he had been a cure.— With earliest morn, Of that first day of darkness and amaze, Grew hot at length, and thìck; but in his straw The earthquake might pass by; nor would he wake From his sound rest the unfearing child, nor tell The dangers of their state. (6) On his low couch The fettered soldier sunk-and with deep awe 40 Listened the fearful sounds-with upturned eye T'o the great gōds he breathed a prayer;-then strove To calm himself, and lose in sleep awhile His useless terrors. But he could not sleep:His body burned with feverish heat;-his chains 45 Clanked loud although he moved not: deep in earth Groaned unimaginable thùnders:-sounds, Fearful and ominous, aróse and died, Like the sad moanings of November's wind, In the blank midnight. (·) Deepest horror chilled 50 His blood that burned before; cold clammy sweats Came o'er him :-- (=) then anon a fiery thrill Shot through his veins. Now on his couch he shrunk, And shivered as in fear:-now upright leaped, As though he heard the battle trumpet sound, 55 And longed to cope with death. He slept at last, A troubled, dreamy sleep. Well,-had he slept Never to waken more! But terrible his agony. His hours are few, PART II. Soon the storm Burst fortn: the lightnings glànced :—the atr 5 A moment as in sunshine,—and was dark :- In darkening, quivering tints, as stunning sound 10 And blackest darkness.-With intensest awe 15 Heard harshly grate and strain :-yet knew he not, |