tracery on the scabbard. The shekels are of the purest ore; but even the scrip which con tains them is of a texture more curious than that the artists of earth could fashion it. The apples are gold; but even the basket is silver. CALL that, apart from all theories about I it, one ever it, one of the grandest things ever written with pen. One feels, indeed, as if it were not Hebrew, such a noble universality, different from noble patriotism or sectarianism, reigns in it. A noble book! all men's book! It is our first, oldest statement of the never-ending problem,―man's destiny, and God's ways with him here on earth; and all in such free, flowing outlines, grand in its sincerity, in its simplicity, in its epic melody, and repose of reconcilement. There is the seeing eye, the mildly understanding heart, so true every way; true eyesight and vision for all things, material thing no less than spiritual; the horse," hast thou clothed his neck with spear!" thunder?"" he laughs at the shaking of a Such living likenesses were never since drawn. Sublime sorrow, sublime reconciliation; oldest choral melody, as of the heart of mankind; so soft and great, as the summer midnight, as the world, with its seas and stars! There is nothing written, I think, in the Bible or out of it, of equal literary merit. T XXXI. By St. AMBROSE.-340-397. The Varied Richness of the Bible. HE Bible is a sea, having its deep senses, the fulness of prophetic mystery into which many rivers have run. But there are, besides this, sweet and clear rivers, fresh springs, that yield water unto eternal life; good words, a honeycomb, acceptable sentences, which may refresh the mind of the hearers with spiritual drink, and delight them with the sweetness of moral precepts. Various, therefore, are the streams of the Bible. Thou hast what thou mayest drink first, what thou mayest drink second, and what thou mayest drink last. XXXII. By Sir WALTER SCOTT.-1771-1832. The same. HE most learned, acute, and diligent stu THE dent cannot, in the longest life, obtain an entire knowledge of this one volume. The more deeply he works the mine, the richer and more abundant he finds the ore. New light continually beams from this source of heavenly knowledge to direct the conduct and illustrate the works of God and the ways. of men; and he will, at least, leave the world confessing, that the more he studied the Scriptures the fuller convictions he had of his own ignorance and of their inestimable value. "Father of mercies, in Thy word For these celestial lines. Oh, may these heavenly pages be My ever dear delight And still new beauties may I sœe, And still increasing light!” MRS. ANNE STEELE, 1717-1778. XXXIII. By Rev. GEORGE GILFILLAN. The surpassing Richness, Unity, and Originality of the Bible. HE Bible is a mass of beautiful figures. THE Its words and its thoughts are alike poetical. It has gathered around its central truths all natural beauty and interest. It is a temple, with one altar and one God, but illuminated by a thousand varied lights, and studded with a thousand ornaments. It has substantially but one declaration to make; but it utters it in the voices of the creation. Shining forth from the excellent glory, its light has been reflected on a myriad intervening objects, till it has been at length attempered for our earthly vision. It now beams upon us at once from the heart of man and from the countenance of nature. It has arrayed itself in the charms of fiction; it has gathered new beauty from the works of creation, and new warmth and power from the very passions of clay; it has pressed into its service the animals of the forest, the flowers of the field, the stars of heaven,-all the elements of Nature. Thus the quick spirit of the Book has ransacked creation to lay its treasures on Jehovah's altar; united the innumerable rays of a far-streaming glory on the little hill Calvary; and woven a garland for the bleeding brow of Immanuel, the flowers of which have been culled from the gardens of the universe. In relation to other books, the Bible occupies a peculiar and solitary position. It is independent of all others; it imitates no other book; it copies none; it hardly alludes to any other, whether in praise or blame; and this is nearly as true of its later portions, when books were common, as of its earlier, when books were scarce. It proves thus its originality and power. XXXIV. By Sir WILLIAM JONES. 1646–1694. THAT The Bible the richest Treasury. HAT great Oriental scholar said, "I have regularly and attentively read the Holy Scriptures, and am of the opinion that this volume, independently of its divine origin, contains more true sublimity, more exquisite |