childish trifles. The king is a learned man, but this letter manifests the most consummate ignorance, and is full of contradictory statements. The king is a good, and a holy man; but it contains many impure sentiments, and is filled with a variety of statements, which in their practical tendency lead to every kind of wickedness. Suppose this, I say, to be the character of the letter; and suppose at the same time, that it requires the subject to whom it is addressed no longer to reverence and obey his sovereign, from whom it professes to have come, but absolves him from all further allegiance; he will of course, in that case, reject it as the attempt of some wicked person to impose upon him: it contradicts both his reason and his antecedent experience of the character of its professed author, and therefore further investigation is unnecessary, to convince him that it is the offspring of fraud and falsehood. But if, on the contrary, this letter harmonize in every part with the wisdom, goodness, purity, greatness, and authority of its professed author, he can in that case have no reasonable ground for rejecting it. And so, according to this rule, whilst the Bible is worthy of all acceptation, the Hindoo Shasters, on account of their being full of inconsistencies similar to what, by way of illustration, I have described in the letter alluded to, must, on the ground of reason and common sense, be rejected as the fruit of imposition and falsehood. Their nature and contents evidently prove them to have originated in the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. Eph. iv. 14.

CHAPTER II.

The Moral Precepts of the Bible, with the Characters which it is designed to form; and its Superiority in these and various other Respects, to the Hindoo Shasters.

The Bible contains a perfect system of moral precepts. The duty which men owe to God and to their fellow creatures, in all the different relations of life, it clearly defines, and authoritatively enjoins: it countenances no sin-ad

mits of no licentiousness-it sanctions no austerity-it contains no superstition-it will be satisfied with no partial regards, but requires universal obedience; and plainly declares, that he who offends in one point is guilty of all. For the confirmation of the truth of this statement, I request the candid reader to peruse the list of passages contained in the following section, which I have selected from it, and which are in entire accordance with the whole of its contents on the subject of personal and practical religion.

SECTION 1.

Of the Moral Precepts of the Bible.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another, with brotherly love : in honour preferring one another; not slothful in business; fervent in spirit, serving the Lord: rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer: distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you; bless, and curse not: rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one towards another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath. If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers; for there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Render therefore to all their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due ; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom

D

honour. Owe no man any thing, but to love one another; for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. Be sober, and watch unto prayer. Have fervent charity among yourselves. Use hospitality one to another. Honour all men : love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

Were it necessary, I might multiply quotations of this nature to a much greater extent; but these are abundantly sufficient to give the reader a general idea of the nature, variety, and excellency of the moral precepts which the Bible contains, and the universal holiness which it inculcates.

I observe further, that the Scriptures are not satisfied with the mere act of external obedience to the duties here enumerated: love to God is denominated the first and great commandment; and from this, as the internal principle and spring of action, all these duties are required to be performed. The Bible requires internal purity of heart; and although men may be exceedingly strict in their attention to morals, and correct in all their external deportment, yet if unholy and improper dispositions are allowed to reign within, they will be rejected by Him who searcheth the heart, and trieth the reins of the children of men, and who requireth truth in the inward parts. The following passages point out the attention to this important part of vital religion, which the Bible universally enjoins.

Exod. xx. 17. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

Prov. iv. 23. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Eph. iv. 31. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and

clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another.

Psalm li. 6. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

Matt. v. 21. It was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

1 John ili. 15. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

Matt. v. 27. It was said by them of old time, Thou shalt

not commit adultery: but I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

The passages here quoted principally, as may easily be seen, (if they are duly attended to,) refer to that internal purity of heart which the Bible requires of all men to cultivate. Such indeed is the high standard of purity it erects, that it will not allow of a vain worldly licentious thought or impure desire of any kind. A strict and uniform attention to all the moral duties before enumerated is re'quired, but they must all be accompanied by this inward principle of holiness-must all spring from the most exalted purity of motive-otherwise they are of no estimation, and will not be accepted in the sight of God.

But I proceed to observe, that in addition to the constant attention to these duties which is required, and the performance of them from pure motives, accompanied by inward sanctification of heart, it is also required that they be performed without any reference to personal fame or human applause. A vain-glorious desire of that honour which cometh from men, must never enter into the thoughts, or influence the actions of him, who in the performance of these relative and social duties desires to please God: this is sufficiently evident from the following passages.

Matt. vi. 1. Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth; that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Moreover, when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.