fire was prepared; the Bible was laid upon the table, and near it stood a flowing bowl of liquor, to drink after the dreadful action was perform ed. One of the most wicked and daring in the company, was appointed to carry the Bible from the table to the fire: he took up the sacred volume, and was walking towards the fire; he cast his eyes on the Book in his hand; a sudden trembling seized him in every part of his body; paleness covered his face; he came back to the table, and laid down the Bible, saying"Let us not burn that Book, till we get a better." This young man afterwards lived to experience its value and taste its sweetness even on a dying bed.

"O bless the Lord for Bibles given,

To teach our souls the way to Heaven."

I. Let us enquire what you are to search? The scriptures, or sacred writings, which we are told were written "by holy men of God, who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." The word search, means to read, as to seek for any particular part; you are desired to search, by him who knew the value of the book which he commands you to read. The old Testament was all that was then written, but the New Testament is now added, by which their value is much increased, their harmony, displayed, their meaning explained, and their beauty set forth. The Bible is the name by which this precious Book is mostly called;

some say, the Holy Bible; others, the Word
of God, because, the things which the Bible con-
tains, were spoken by God, and written "by
holy men, who spake as they were moved by
the Holy Ghost." It is called the Old and
New Testaments. The Old Testament was
written by Moses and the prophets; the New
Testament by the evangelists and apostles.
The Old Testament contains thirty-nine differ-
ent books; and the New, which has been writ-
ten since the coming of the Lord Jesus into the
world, contains twenty-seven books. This pre-
cious Book contains a variety of important
truths, which may be divided into history, doc-
trine, prophecy, each of which are equally in-
structive and important. There are excellent
examples for you to imitate : important doc-
trines for you to believe, and precepts for you
to obey; mysteries, far above the understand-
ing of the wisest of men; while many parts are
so plain and simple, that a little child may learn
the
way to Heaven.

"How glad the heathen would have been,
That worship idols, wood and stone,
If they the Book of God had seen,

Or Jesus or his Gospel known."

A vessel sprang a leak at sea, and was sinking very fast; when the sailors jumped into the boat, one of them, at the hazard of his life, ran back into the cabin for something he had forgotten, and when he came back to the boat, behold

it was a Bible! which hs esteemed so much, as to run the risk of his life to save.

One

II. I will endeavour to show you why you should search the scriptures, or, I might say, and perhaps you will understand me better, if I say, why you should read your Bibles. After having told you what you are to search, or read; the next thing is, to give you some reasons to urge you to search the scriptures: and I assure you I can give you some very good ones. reason is, because it is not only the best book, but it is God's Book. If you were at a distance from home, and your parents sent you a letter, would you not read it? O yes, that you would, I am sure; and will you not read what God has written for you? A little girl once said, that the Bible was God's word, and that the catechism was the Bible's word.

Another reason is-because you do not know what the Bible contains; and if you are ignorant of the important and glorious things which are in the Bible, you are strangers to the only things which can make you happy in this life, and happy forever in the world to come. Let me briefly tell you what things these are, which you ought to know. The scriptures will tell you who and what God is that he is a Spirit; that he is eternal, holy, wise, powerful and good: They will tell you what you are that you are all sinners, born in sin and shapen in iniquity: that your thoughts and imaginations are evil from your youth; that you go astray from the

womb, speaking lies; that childhood and youth are vanity; that your hearts are deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; that your natures are depraved, your understandings darkened, your passions sinful, your affections earthly, and your souls exposed to the wrath of God; that your bodies were formed of dust, and will return to dust again; but that your souls are immortal, and will live forever.

The scriptures tell you what is your duty to God and man: That thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind; and that thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: on these two commandments, said Christ, hang all the law and the prophets.

The scriptures tell you of a Saviour, who was God; but came down from Heaven, and became man, that he might save your souls from the wrath to come; they tell you that he suffered hunger and thirst, temptations and trials; that he became a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; that he was sold by Judas, denied by Peter, and forsaken by the rest of the disciples; that he was falsely accused, unjustly condemned, buffetted, scourged and spit upon; that he was crucified on the cross, and gave himself a ransom for you: He suffered, that you might be happy; he died, that you might live forever.

The scriptures tell you the way to Heaven: That Christ is the only way to God the Father;

that whosoever believeth in him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life: They tell you that he is gone to Heaven, to prepare a place for all those dear children who serve God, and love his Son Jesus. They tell you that it is on account of what Christ has done, that you will be admitted into Heaven, and not on account of any thing that you can do.

The scriptures relate to you, the history of the creation of the world; the fall of Adam; the flood; the building of Babel; the plagues of Egypt; the giving of the ten commandments; the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness, and the miracles attending it: There are histories of good and of bad children, as well as of wicked and of holy men; but, above all, there is the history of Jesus Christ, his birth, his life, his miracles, his suffering and death.

The scriptures give you the real characters of Cain and Abel, of Noah, Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Esau, Joseph, Jabez, Samuel, Abijah, Josiah, Obadiah, Solomon, Timothy, Mary, Martha, Dorcas, Lydia, Phebe, Priscilla, Rebecca, Sarah, Abigail, Hannah, Esther, Ruth, and the elect Lady. My dear little girls, will read and learn the thirty-first chapter of Proverbs, from the tenth verse to the end.

The scriptures speak of God's punishing wicked children. God set a mark upon Cain; denounced a curse upon Ham; commanded the stubborn son to be put to death; caused the