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"him, and fmote him, and delivered it out of his mouth; and "when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and fmote "him, and flew him." This is furely the fhorteft, and most lively description of fuch a dangerous enterprise as ever was made. "I caught him by his beard, and fmote him, and flew him." Whoever compares this with any paffage of the like nature in a profane writer, must be charmed with the modefty and fimplicity of it. The hiftory of David, as told in the facred books, is not only the most instructive, but the most entertaining piece that ever was wrote; and his book of Pfalms may easily be proved to excel, in every refpect, the poems of the moft celebrated ancients.

But what shall we fay, when we turn our eyes to the New Teftament, where beauty and grandeur have taken their peculiar refidence ? Surely whoever reads there our Saviour's fermon on the mount; his various parables, fo well adapted to the understanding of all mankind, and, at the fame time, full of the profoundest truths; the folemn and pathetic relation of the death and paffion of the great Redeemer of the world, will be apt to think all other writings of no value, when fet in competition with thefe; will be ready to declare, that this is the precious pearl, which, when a man hath found, fhould he fell all he is worth to procure it, he would be an infinite gainer. The travels and pilgrimages of the Apostles; their courageous behaviour, when called before kings and governors, as recorded in the Acts; the epiftles to the first christian converts, especially thofe of St. Paul, are wrote in fuch a manner, as muft, and have extorted the highest encomiums from infidelity itself.

To conclude:-The facred fcriptures are not only the moft neceffary, but the most engaging books that ever were composed : they greatly excel all the writings of the most admired Greeks and Romans: whatever is to be found remarkably beautiful in them, is here compleatly fo; for this is the fountain from whence

they

they derived their most exalted ideas; and those who are best acquainted here are fuch as will be moft admired as long as learning or the world endures.

It is with reluctance we quit fo delightful a subject, though we confefs it no eafy matter to proceed in a manner fuitable to the dignity and importance of the theme. The more inftances we produce, the more we can call to our remembrance. To felect any in particular where the choice is fo extenfive, must neceffarily prove difficult, for the ftudy of the fcriptures is like the study of nature, the nearer and more curious we are in our refearches, the more scope we find for wonder and amazement, and we shall naturally be led upon a contemplation of either to exclaim with the Pfalmift-THIS IS THE LORD'S DOING, AND IT IS MARVEL

LOUS IN OUR EYES.

SERMON

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY.

ASTOR, LENOX AND TILD A FOUNDATIONS.

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