The scripture prescribes the most excellent preeepts and rules of life.

As it gives us a perfect character of God, so it teaches us to study a conformity to this character in righteousness, goodness, sincerity and truth. It exhibits to us a complete pattern of piety and virtue in the life and actions of Jesus Christ, who once dwelt on earth and conversed with mortals. It inculcates our duties in all relations and conditionsthe duties of love, reverence, faith, submission, gratitude and prayer, which we owe to God-the duties incumbent on us in our domestick and social connexions-the duties which belong to a state of prosperity and a state of adversity-the duties which respect our bodies and our souls, our pas sage through this world and our prospects in another. The religion which it describes is not merely external, but has its seat in the heart, and thence displays itself in the actions of the life.

It proposes the purest motives to virtue-motives taken, not from the interests and honours of the world, but from the character and government of God, from his approbation and favour, and from the promises of eternal felicity in a future invisible state.

It inculcates the noblest virtues, and these in the sublimest exercises; such as the forgiveness of injuries, love to enemies, benevolence to all men, contempt of the world, patience under sufferings and contentment in every condition.

It furnishes us with the best defence against temptations, and the sweetest consolation in afflictions, by directing our views to a holy, just, merciful and omniscient God; to a wise superintending providence, to the grace of the holy Spirit ready to be afforded for our assistance, and to an eternal state of felicity, reserved for those who are faithful to the death.

It has instituted the most excellent means of moral improvement in the order and discipline of the church, and in the stated ministrations of the sanctrary of God, to a faithful observance of which gracious promises are annexed.

Finally; The scriptures give us affecting illus trations of God's attributes and providence in his various dealings toward the children of men.

We there see many instances of his mercy to his obedient servants; many remarkable interpositions of his hand in favour of good men; many seasonable answers to the prayers of his afflicted saints; many tokens of his displeasure against impious and bold transgressors. By these dispensations the promises and threatenings of his word are verified, and encouragements are held up to the virtuous, and warnings to the ungodly.

In a word; Whatever we need to know, relative to our duty and happiness; to our comfortable passage through this world, and our safe entrance into a better, we may find in the sacred volume.

As God in his abundant goodness has committed his lively oracles to us, it is obvious,

II. That we are bound to convey them to succeeding generations.

God, in mercy to mankind, has given them a revelation, and established it by competent evidence. That which he has once given and confirmed, he commits to the care of those who receive it, that it may by them be conveyed to their children, and by these again to their children, and thus be handed down to distant ages.

Moses says to the people of Israel, "I have taught you statutes and judgments as the Lord commanded me. Keep and do them; for this is your wisdom in the sight of the nations, which shall hear of these statutes. Teach them to your sons and to "These words which I com your sons' sons." X x

VOL. II.

mand thee, shall be in thine heart, and thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children, and shalt talk of them, when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them as a sign on thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes, and thou shalt write them on the doors of thine house and on thy gates.”

The Psalmist, in later times, repeats these instructions. "Give ear, O my people, to my law, incline your cars to the words of my mouth. I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and We will not known and our fathers have told us. hide them from our children, shewing to the genera tion to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and the wonderful works, which he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children, that the generation to come might know them, even the children, who should be born, who should arise and declare them to their children, that they might set their hope in God, and not forget his works, but keep his commandments.

From God's giving us his holy oracles we may conclude their vast importance.

He would not have inspired men by his own Spirit, nor have sent down his divine Son from heaven to instruct men in the knowledge of his will, if this knowledge had been of little consequence, or if it could with facility and certainty have been obtained in any other way.

If the scriptures are important to us, they are so to our children; and if the conveyance of them depends on our care, we are under the most serious obligations to attend to this object.

The succession of the human race will doubtless be continued for many ages. The numbers that

will exist on the earth, after we are gone, exceed all conception. If their happiness depends on us, our charge in relation to them is solemn and awful, and our negligence and unfaithfulness will involve us in most tremendous guilt.

The excellence of the scriptures demonstrates our obligation to convey them to posterity.

We wish, that our children may grow up in such justness of sentiments and propriety of man. ners, as to be agreeable and useful in their day. And what can we do so conducive to this end, as to fill their minds with the noble sentiments, and form their manners by the holy precepts contained in these lively oracles? By these they may be led to just views of themselves and of mankind-of God and of a future life. By these they may be taught the temper and duty, which belong to all relations and conditions, and may learn how they ought to walk, that they may be accepted of God and approved of men.

These oracles, wherever they have their influence, purify the mind, restrain the passions, elevate the thoughts, smooth the language, polish the behaviour, and render men courteous, friendly and beneficent to one another in all their social intercourse and connexions. The things which are honest, just and pure, are lovely and of good report. Where there is any virtue, there will always be some praise. The young must cleanse their way by taking heed thereto according to God's word.

In the education of our children, we aim not merely at their subsistence, but also at their reputation; We think it not enough to teach them manual labour; we would also form them to a decent behaviour. The former they may learn, and yet be vexatious in society and odious to mankind. The latter they best learn from the pure precepts scripture.

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Whatever pains a parent may take to give his children an agreeable education, if he makes a knowledge of scripture no part of their education, he overlooks that which is most essential in the case. He may send them abroad to acquire a knowledge of the world and an easiness of behaviour; but if they go abroad without religious sen, timents and principles, they are exposed to every snare and temptation, and their manners, instead of being refined and improved, will probably be more corrupted and depraved by conversing with the world. The unprincipled youth will always be ready to hear the instructions, which cause to err from the words of knowledge. And such instructions he will often find. There is a native depravity, which fondly listens to evil suggestions. This is corrected only by the influence of those pure sentiments, which are derived from revelation.

If we regard the temporal, much rather ought we to regard the eternal happiness of posterity. The former is promoted by the knowledge of the scriptures. The latter essentially depends on this.

Let us conceive, then, that there will be, for many ages, a succession of mortals on earth, who, after a short probation, will pass to another world, to exist eternally there. Let us conceive, that we now have in our hands a sacred book, which contains all the instructions necessary to prevent their misery and ensure their happiness in the eternal state before them. Let us conceive that their enjoyment of this inspired volume may probably depend on our care to commit it to our immediate successors, who will be under the same obligation to convey it to theirs. Under these impressions shall we not feel a sacred duty lying upon us to hand this book to those who stand next to us, that they may live by it, and may convey it still further on, and that thus it may reach to distant ages?