parlour, "I believe the scriptures to be the work of inspiration." His father asked him with surprise, and with a smile somewhat sarcastic, "And so you believe that book the word of God?" "I do father," said he, "I do indeed, believe it sincerely." (Reader, one item of this case points out a truth which is important. They do well who note and forget it not.) There was a friend near, who heard this declaration, and who rejoiced on the following account. He had long felt concern for the immortal welfare of the young infidel. Whilst conversing together on the subject of religion, the latter had often said, "If I believed the Bible, as Christians say they do, I would certainly obey it. I would scarcely think, or care for any thing else, save that eternity which they expect, and that judgment which they wait for." If his friend should remark to him, that so we might suppose, but we were besotted by sin and altered by the fall, and that the Bible teaches of a state of soul belonging to us all, which will lead us to slumber on the edge of death, &c., adding, "Perhaps, if you did believe, you would move on much as you do now." He was answered, "Do you think I would risk unending darkness and misery, whilst my Creator was offering me unending peace and splendour, for the bare acceptance? No, I never would be such a fool, if every other man on earth was negligent, I do assure you I would not be with such a prize as that at stake."

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Some months after he had made up his mind concerning the verity of the holy book, he was called on by his friend, and the following conversation (or substance of it) took place between them. Friend,-You say that you read some in your Bible every day, how does it appear to you now? Answer,-I find something new and interesting almost every time I open it. It is a singu

a

larly instructive book. Friend, I rejoice that you read, and I rejoice that it is not to you what it once was, book of tiresome insipidity, possessing your aversion. Answer,-The fault was mine, not in the book. I was too ignorant to enjoy it. Friend,-Yours is only a kind of literary enjoyment in reading that book, for I do not see your life changed any since your belief in it. You once thought that you would not risk an endless hell half an hour, that you would not be contented a moment without a title to heaven, if you believed God had ordered the writing of that volume. Answer, That is another proof of the truth of the Bible. I am going on stupidly, day after day. I never would have believed it, no matter who informed me of it, that I should have acted as I am now acting, and I know that we are not thus infatuated in other things. We do not act with this mad imprudence in any thing else. It must be that sin has some strange effect upon the soul.

For the sake of those who expect to reach heaven, we add one sentence here, which others need not read, unless inclined. It will be pleasing to some, and it does not take us long to state, that this young man after a time, did obtain the Christian's hope. He hopes to see the author of a certain commentary on the right hand side of a throne that is high and white! We should love to see them meet! but it will not be the only feeling interview.

CHAPTER XXXII.

COMMENTARIES INSTRUCT THOSE WHO READ-NO ONE NEED COPY SENTIMENT.

THERE was a man who had undertaken to make himself acquainted with history. He had read until he knew something of the different ages of the world, and also of the habits, manners, and fortunes, of many nations of the earth.

It was stated by the authors which he had seen, that the main force of the Saracens consisted in their cavalry. These armies of horsemen were, in some respects, such as the earth has not seen since, nor was the like witnessed before. The yellow silk turban around each head, (when their long extended ranks were drawn out in the sunshine at a distance,) caused them to appear as though every individual was a king wearing a splendid crown. Their faces were somewhat remarkable. The Arabian countenance has been noted by travellers for its haughtiness or ferocity. Their long hair streamed on the gale, like that of the American Indians. Their African teeth, long and white, and coming to a point, made their visages more striking still. Their breastplates were mostly iron. But when they charged at almost the entire speed of the eastern horse, when their steel scabbards struck against their metallic trappings, when the feet of twice ten thousand chargers struck the earth in this headlong rush, it is said that the echo of their impetuosity can scarcely be fancied. Reader, suppose a man who has known these particulars, takes up the notes of a commentator on the ninth chapter of the Revelation of St. John, and there find it stated that the

ravages of a certain army were described so many hundred years beforehand; and then reads the 7th, 8th, and 9th verses, what army do you imagine he would think was pictured?

Verse 7. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle, and on their heads were as it were, crowns like gold: and their faces were as the faces of men.

8. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.

9. And they had breast-plates as it were, breast-plates of iron, and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.

The individual we have said had read some history, but had never noted its application to this passage, until he was reminded of several items by the commentary. Was there any reason why he should not be struck with these facts, because they were brought to his recollection by the pen of another? He felt his curiosity so much awakened, that he determined to read other verses of the same chapter. Verse 4. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those men who have not the seal of God in their foreheads. He did not know how to understand this verse well. Indeed it seemed to him that its interpretation must be difficult. If locusts are not allowed to eat any thing green, what shall they eat? When we remember that it is their natural food, it strikes us as a strange sound to hear the oriental locust forbidden to eat the leaves of the tree, or the grass of the earth! The commentator reminded him of what he might read again in history, and when it was called to his recollection, it struck him as a fact exceedingly interesting. It was a rule of those

armies, wide as were their ravages, cruel as were their devastations, to destroy no grain field, to cut down no fruit tree, and to waste nothing which constituted the sustenance of man. That this should have been the general order of the ferocious devastators was very singular. Reader, you could not count the number of interesting facts, items, and incidents of this nature, connected with almost every verse of the prophetic or historic part of that beautiful and wonderful book. Men grow up in ignorance, and special ignorance of these things, not only because they love any amusement, or any worldly pursuit in the morning of life, more than they do pious meditations; but also because their fathers and mothers see to it, that they are taught more at school, that more toil and painful industry is expended in making plain any science, or part of a science, art, or literary pursuit whatever, than any thing connected with the book which tells us of our eternal interests.

LET all read industriously who are willing to part with their ignorance.

There was a merchant of Kentucky who had been a settled infidel for more than fifteen years. He was unusually skilful in the management of sceptical arguments. His ability to cover or to pervert the truth seemed to have led him into a feeling of entire security. Nevertheless, after reaching middle life, a train of kind