Number ten-Many, Dan. i. 20. Amos vi. 9. Zech. viii. 23. Oaks-Princes, Isa. ii. 13. Olive, Wild-Sensual man, Rom. xi. 17. Olive, Cultivated-The church of Christ, Rom. xi. 24. Passover-Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. v. 7. Pillar-1. The chief support of a family, city, or state, 2. A monument of grace in the temple of glory, Rev. iii. 12. Poison-Lies, evil principles, Ps. cxl. 3. Rom. iii. 13. Rain-1. Emblem of saving doctrine, Deut. xxxii. 2. 2. Spiritual influences, Isa. xliv. 3. River-1. The irruption of an invading army, Isa. lix. 19. Jer. xlvi. 7, 8. 2. An emblem of exuberant blessings, Job. xxix. 6. Ps. xxxvi. 8. 3. Overflowings of divine love and grace, Rev. xxii. 1. Ezek. xlvii. Rock-1. A secure refuge, Ps. xviii. 2. Isa. xvii. 10. 2. The founder of a nation, Isa. li. 1. Rod-1. Powerful authority, Ps. ii. 9. 2. Divine faithfulness, Ps. xxiii. 4. Salt-1. The principles and virtues of christians, Matt. v. 13. 2. The wisdom of christian prudence, Col. iv. 6. Sea-1. The remote islands and countries of the Gentiles, Isa. lx. 5. 2. The river Euphrates, or Nile, Isa. xxi. 1. Jer. li. 36. Seal, Sealed-1. Symbol of security, Sol. Song iv. 12. 2. Symbol of secrecy, Isa. xxix. 11, 3. Restraint, Job ix. 7. xxxvii. 7. 4. Token of special commission, Johu vi. 27. 5. Emblem of peculiar interest, Eph. i. 13. iv. 30. Rev. vii. 2-4. Seed-Evangelical doctrine, Luke viii. 5.11. 1 Pet. i. 23. 1 John iii. 9. Serpent-Satan, the devil, Gen. iii. 1. 2 Cor. xi. 3. Rev. xii. 9. Sheep-The disciples of Christ, Zech. xiii. 7. John x. 11. 16. 1 Pet. ii. 25. Shield-Faith in the divine promises, Eph. vi. 16. Sleep-1. Death, Dan. xii. 2. John xi. 11. 1 Thess. iv. 14. 2. Carnal security, Rom. xiii. 11. Sodom and Gomorrah-An apostate, wicked city, Isa. i. 10. Rev. xi. 8. Sores-Spiritual maladies, Isa. i. 6. liii. 5. 3. Apostate teachers, Jude 13. Stone-1. Jesus Christ, Ps. cxviii. 22. Isa. xxviii. 16. Matt. xxi. 42. 2. A true believer, 2 Pet. ii. 5. Stone, White-Seal or token of full absolution, Rev. ii. 17. Sun-1. The Lord God, Ps. lxxxiv. 11. 2. Jesus Christ, Mal. iv. 2. Sun and Moon-States, civil and ecclesiastical, Joel ii. 31. Acts ii. 20. Swine-Unclean, infidel persons, Matt. vii. 6. Sword-1. The symbol of destruction, Deut. xxxii. 41,42. 2. The word of God-the weapon of a christian, Eph. vi. 17. Tabernacle-The human body, 2 Cor. v. 1. 2 Pet. i. 13, 14. Talents-The gifts of God bestowed on man, Matt. XXV. 15. Tares-Wicked infidels, Matt. xiii. 38. Thorns-1. Worldly cares, riches, and pleasures, Luke viii. 14. 2. Perverse unbelievers Ezek. ii. 6. Throne-1. Government or kingdcm, Gen. xli. 4. 2 Sam. vii. 12. 16. 2. An order of angels, Col. i. 16. by an innumerable multitude of intelligent, learned, and pious believers, in the character of confessors and martyrs for their truth, divinity, and saving efficacy; and their transforming influence on those who receive the love of the truth, still corresponds with their primitive claims, and demonstrates that they came from God. The Bible alone has clearly revealed the self-existence, the universal providence, and the infinite perfections of the one only living and eternal God. It has both published and illustrated his holy law, as the immutable rule of moral duty for all his intelligent creation. It announces a future judgment, in which all men shall be righteously rewarded or punished according to their cha racter and their works. It contemplates man in that condition, which all history portrays—a fallen, miserable mortal, a guilty transgressor against God. It exhibits to his terrified mind, and brings to his awakened conscience, the rich provisions of mercy, full forgiveness and free justification, through the substitution of an almighty Surety. The understanding of man being darkened, and his heart corrupted, it sends him an omnipotent Sanctifier, whose influence illuminates and purifies the soul by regeneration and sanctification. Christianity thus destroys the deeply rooted enmity of the heart, and brings the alienated rebel to God, as his heavenly Father, to receive the unspeakable blessings of adoption into the family of God, and to enjoy the sweet assurances of immortality in the life everlasting. It This system of sovereign mercy implants the principles and enforces the practice of every virtue which can exalt, adorn, and improve the human character. Even its partial reception has annihilated the cruel barbarities and degrading customs inseparable from former ages. alone has elevated woman to her just equality with man: it alone has sanctified the conjugal relation it alone has inculcated the duty, and exemplified the expression of domestic harmony, and of parental and filial affection: it alone enforces mutual forgiveness, confidence, and brotherly love, irrespective of clime, and age, and nation. Christianity binds all classes together in universal sympathy, under a sense of our common necessities, as equally children of the same almighty Parent; and, being christians, as members of the body of Christ, and fellowheirs of the grace of life. Christianity is the angel of celestial mercy to the sons of wretchedness, affliction, and woe; and that even where superstition has been mingled with it. " To the influence of christianity are to be attributed those asylums for the relief of the miserable, which humanity has consecrated as monuments of beneficence. Constantine was the first who built hospitals for the reception of the sick and wounded in the different provinces of the Roman empire. These establishments were multiplied in the sixth, seventh, and eighth centuries, in Italy, France, and Spain. They were afterwards so generally adopted, that, according to Matthew Paris, not less than 19,000 charitable houses for leprosy alone existed in the christian states in the tenth century. Rome contained forty hospitals for various charitable purposes. The number of similar establishments in Petersburg is almost incredible to those who recollect the sudden growth of that capital. In Paris, besides private establishments, there were before the revolution, forty-eight public foundations for the relief of disease and indigence.* The metropolis of our favoured country is eminently distinguished by such noble monuments of christian charity above every city in the world. In every part of it are to be seen hospitals, infirmaries, dispensaries, and asylums, built and endowed by the benevolence of christians; and provided to relieve the sick and the poor, the blind and the dumb, the aged and the orphan. The detail would show a list of some hundreds in our British capital, besides the incalculable numbers of the same refuges of mercy, which are found in every city and large town in the kingdom. Christianity has given to us our inestimable sabbaths; thus sanctifying a seventh portion of our days, for the benign purposes of rest, instruction, and devotion. It Dr. Valpy's Sermon before the Royal Humane Society. prescribes our social meetings on the day of the Lord, for cherishing fraternal affection, for increasing rational piety, and mutually to encourage our sublimest anticipations of a glorious immortality at the termination of our earthly sorrows. The sacred exercises of the christian sabbath promote the purest, the most enlarged philanthropy; and they have been the means of constraining the disciples of Christ to care for the souls of others. The immortal welfare of their neighbours, of their fellow-countrymen, and of the whole earth's population, has engaged their benevolent solicitude. It is computed that more than fifty thousand children of the indigent, are, in Great Britain, supported and educated in the principles of the Bible, by means of the bounty of deceased christians! Not less than a million of the children, chiefly of the labouring and mechanical classes, are collected every sabbath; and by a hundred thousand disciples of Christ, they are gratuitously taught to read and understand the words of everlasting life. Thus they are directed in the paths of virtue by the gospel of salvation, and instructed how they may glorify God and enjoy h'm for ever. For the divine purpose of advancing knowledge and religion among all the families of mankind, British christians annually contribute largely. Among the degraded heathen they support some hundreds of apostolical missionaries, to learn their languages-to translate for them the sacred scriptures-to preach among them the unsearchable riches of Christ-to instruct their children in heavenly wisdom-to show forth to guilty nations the unspeakable blessings of redeeming grace-and by the only Mediator between God and sinners, to lead them to the possession of life everlasting! Such is the noble spirit, and such the imperishable fruits of christianity, as contained in the Holy Bible. Its language still addresses equally every child of man; the monarch and the peasant-the rich and the poor-the learned and the illiterate-the master and the servantthe parent and the child, are alike invited and commanded |