reveals to man his pathway to a blessed immortality. Never should the words of Mr. Chillingworth be forgotten: "The BIBLE, I say, the BIBLE only is the Religion of Protestants." Sonnet 4. In the city of Paris, ten years ago, I was one of a large company of hundreds of the Friends of Peace from different nations. We presented to the Emperor,-then only a President,-an Address against War. In the present year by his inroad into Italy and conflict with Austria he has fixed upon his soul the unmeasurable guilt of several tens of thousands of murders. Sonnet 5. After the existence of one God there is no truth so astonishing and holding such a power over the human heart, as the death of the Son of God on the cross for the sins of men. For who was the Son of God? He was indeed in the form of a man, born of the virgin Mary; but he came down from heaven to tabernacle in human flesh. Let us raise our eyes from the earth to the worlds above us, of enormous magnitude compared with this little globe of ours. Suppose now the glorious sun is inhabited by a race of intelligent beings as much exalted above man, as the sun is greater and more resplendent than the earth. If the highest of the sun's inhabitants had come to this low world and dwelt in human flesh-it might have been a most amazing event in our eyes; yet he would not have been the Son of God. Suppose among the countless worlds of light there is one world vastly transcending all others and the dwellers on it transcending in their faculties and endowments all other world-dwellers; and the first among them had come to dwell in man's form; yet he would not have been the Son of God. We read of angels and archangels in heaven-in the place of God's more especial abode. Suppose the brightest archangel had descended to this ball of earth and animated a human form, and appeared as a man; yet he would not have been the Son of God. For the Son of God is he, by whom God created the sun and moon and stars of light, with all the intelligent dwellers upon them and the dwellers in the heavenly mansions. It was this Son of God inconceivably exalted and glorious, who came down from heaven and appeared as the Son of Mary. And not only so; but he actually was subject to the evils, which man suffers; he could feel pain, and anguish, and the agonies of the cross,-and did encounter them,-if the plain lan guage of scripture is no delusion,-in order to atone for our sins and to achieve the work of our redemption. Now, did we believe this did this most sublime and wonderful truth plant itself in our inmost persuasion,-unalloyed and unweakened or not destroyed in its influence by any of our speculative theories;-were we deeply and thoroughly convinced of this great fact ;-then who of us could fail to exclaim,-" God forbid, that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world?" Sonnet 10. John Tyndale, born in 1484, and educated at Oxford. Determined to translate the Bible for England, as he could not do it safely in London he fled to the continent. At Cologne he published the English New Testament about 1525. England was filled with light. The popish priests sent over a traitor, by whose means Tyndale was seized and martyred near Antwerp Friday, Oct. 6, 1536, being strangled at the stake and burnt. His translation of the New Testament was the foundation of our present one. Sonnet 13. The four following ex-presidents were all living, when this sonnet was written in March, 1826.—John Adams died July 4, 1826, aged 90; president from 1797 to 1801.—Thomas Jefferson died on the same day with Mr. Adams, July 4, 1826, aged 83; president from 1801 to 1809. As a member of congress he drew up the declaration of Independence in 1776.—James Madison died in 1836, aged 85; president from 1809 to 1817.—James Monroe died July 4, 1831, aged 83; president from 1817 to 1825. Sonnet 16. In a sonnet Mr. Wordsworth does not lament the protestant hurricane, which scattered wide "The trumpery, that ascends in bare display, Fast bound for Limbo lake." Sonnet 17. Christ's own clear, ample, minute, most decisive instruction concerning the Day of Judgment is in Matt. 25th, and ends with the words, "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." He also said of the unbeliever, in John 3d, "he shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him :" he also said, Matt. 18, "It is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire." Sonnet 20. Shakspeare in a sonnet says, "When to the sessions of sweet, silent thought I summon up remembrance of things past, For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,” Sonnet 22. Ten years ago, in 1849, I had the satisfaction of visiting the valley of Chamouni in Switzerland at the foot of Mont Blanc, the highest point in Europe, 15,600 or 15,673 feet or nearly 3 miles in height above the sea. Here once lived Jacques Balmat, who, having discovered a way to the top of the mountain, in his gratitude to Dr. Paccard, the physician of the village, apprized him of his discovery, and undertook to conduct him to the summit. After two days' toil the exploit was accomplished Aug. 8, 1786. The next ascent was by De Saussure, the elder, of Geneva, accompanied by his servant, by Balmat, and 17 other guides, Aug. 3, 1787. In 1808 Balmat conducted to the top 15 of the people of Chamouni, one of whom was a woman, Maria Parodis. Ascents were made by men of different countries in 1802, 1812, and 1818. Two Americans accomplished this ascent in 1819, Dr. Wm. Howard of Baltimore and Dr. Van Rensselaer, with 9 guides. They reached the top Monday, July 12th. Remaining more than hour on the summit, they reached Chamouni in safety after an absence of 53 hours only.—Capt. Underhill of England made the ascent in the same year. The lives of three guides were lost in the attempt of Dr. Hamel in 1820. Since then there were 27 ascents, to the year 1851, when Albert Smith and other Englishmen went up with 16 guides Aug, 13th. Sonnet 23. The Christian theologian has this ground of controversy, that the Bible is a revelation from God, which book therefore contains no error, but is filled with eternal, infallible truth. No contradiction in doctrine can possibly exist in holy scripture ; and nothing can reconcile the reason, bestowed upon us, with what is absurd or impossible. If controversialists may gather some expressions, which seem to conflict with each other, some patience and diligence of inquiry may be requisite in order to bring them into harmony; a knowledge of the ancient languages, in which the scriptures were written, may prove useful, as may also an acquaintance with eastern customs and manners, and an attention to the circumstances and design of the utterance which is under consideration. Sonnet 24. In a sonnet Wordsworth speaks of the new churches in England, in which the Truth of God might be taught : "The wished-for Temples rise! I hear their Sabbath bell's harmonious chime Sonnet 26. In the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, the Thirteen United States said unanimously-"We hold these truths to be self-evident :-that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights: that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." In his last will Washington ordered the emancipation of his slaves; so also did John Randolph. Patrick Henry declared, that the principle of slavery is "as repugnant to humanity, as it is inconsistent with the Bible, and destructive to liberty." Mr. Jefferson said in his Notes on Virginia, in reference to the holding of slaves, I tremble for my country, when I remember, that God is just!" If the leading minds of the South should adopt the sentiments of these illustrious Virginians, it will next be their proper business to devise and execute the best method for giving to their slaves the blessings of freedom. 66 Sonnet 27. Dr. Cotton Mather of Boston, published in Boston 141 years ago a new Version of the Psalms from the Hebrew into English blank verse, so called from the absence of rhyme,-the measure of the lines being adapted to the music in vogue. Melancthon said of the Psalms, "It is the most elegant work extant in the world." Jewell wrote to Peter Martyr in 1560, that 6,000 people sung the Psalms together at St. Paul's Cross in London. The following is his version of the 23d Psalm : Sonnet 29. "1. My shepherd is the Eternal God; 2. In pastures of a tender grass He (ever) makes me to lie down: Because thou (ever) art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, these are what 5. A table thou dost furnish out Richly (for me) before my face. Good, with (most kind) benignity, Even to (unknown) length of days, Lodg'd in the house which does belong To him who's the Eternal God." As Christians we are under inexpressible obligations to God for his book of revealed truth, proved to be divine by the voice of prophecy, by the wonders of miracles, by the sublimity of its doctrines, and by the approval of conscience. Every man, who can read, is bound to examine this book for himself; for otherwise his faith will rest on a human not a divine teacher.-According to Mr. Chillingworth, what God requires of us is "to believe the Scripture to be God's word, to endeavor to find the true sense of it, and to live according to it." He also says-" I see plainly and with mine own eyes, that there are popes against popes, Councils against Councils, some Fathers against others, the same Fathers against themselves, a Consent of Fathers of one age against a 7 |