men, who, after a life spent in literary avocations, have been overtaken by imbecility. Whatsoever remains to me and my contemporaries of life or strength, I recognise as a debt overdue, and I adopt the words of David — " Grant that I may recover myself, before I go hence, and be no more"
The multifarious abuse, or I should rather say nefarious con tempt of Holy Scripture has, in our days, reached its climax, and that not only with the profane, but even with those, who in their own opinion are wise, nay spiritual. The TE'rPAiiTAl, " IT is WRITTEN," wherewith the Son of GOD Himself, in His single combat with Satan, defeated all his assaults, has come to be held so cheap, that those, who feed upon Scripture whole and alone, are considered to dote or to want soul. Thus will the False Prophet, at his coming, find the gates standing open. And well-inten tioned writers too emulously produce practical treatises, prayers, hymns, soliloquies, religious tales. Singly, they may be exceed ingly useful : but the mass of them when taken together, draws away many from the BOOK OF GOD, that is the Scripture, which in itself combines, in the utmost plenitude and purity, all that is serviceable to the soul's health. Let those, who prove all things that are best, preserve the Heavenly Deposit, which God, by writings gradually increasing in clearness and explicitness, has given, not in vain, from the time of Moses down to that of the Apostles. Then, if any one thinks, that he has received from this work of mine any aid towards the saving treatment of Scrip ture, let him employ it for the glory of God, for his own edifica tion and that of others, — and pray for a blessing upon me.