great degree, in the preservation of human lives, by the Christian religion; for the number of human beings saved from death through the prevalence of Christianity, has been all along far greater than that of those whom religious persecution has cut off. The persecutions have occurred but rarely, and though on certain occasions many have suffered from them; yet, taking the whole who have so fallen, they must be much less numerous than those who have been saved through Christianity in the different manners above detailed. I have shown from Lipsius, that gladiator-fighting alone was considered, over Europe, frequently to cut off twenty thousand men in a single month; and, if happening to that extent every month, that may be supposed to account for two hundred and forty thousand human beings saved yearly through the influence of Christianity, which put an end to the barbarous practice.

As the custom had lasted long before, so we have no reason for supposing but it would have continued long after, had it not been terminated through the benign effects of the Gospel. But, for calculation's sake, suppose it had remained a single century longer, then twenty-four millions might have suffered from that cause alone, whom Christianity saved. But suppose only one-fourth of that immense number to have been so saved, and if to these are added all whom the same cause has preserved from infanticide, and from immolation in human sacrifice, exclusive of all other ways of death, it will be found that the amount of all

those who have suffered in the different religious persecutions which have occurred in the world, has been truly but a drop in the bucket, compared to that of those who have been actually preserved from death through the direct influence of the Christian religion.

It is, however, now fully time to draw this treatise to a close; but I cannot, in candour, do so, without acknowledging the many obligations under which I have lain in the preparing it, to the very learned work on this subject by Mr Ryan, of Dublin, in the great profusion of valuable facts, suited to my purpose, with which that book abounds, together with their authorities. This was to me the more important, that I had myself no leisure adequate to so much research as would have been otherwise requisite. From obvious causes, my time has been indeed but limited for the preparation of these Essays; but I shall never regret having bestowed a portion of it in the composition of them, if my object in them shall be attained, If they shall in any degree instruct the ignorant, confirm the wavering, comfort the serious, or arrest the wicked in their fatal progress; if parents and teachers shall receive assistance from them in their important labour of instruction; and, above all, if they shall assist youthful enquirers in "giving A REASON for the HOPE that is in them," then will be gratified one of the most fervent wishes of my heart.

SELECT SCRIPTURE READINGS,

AND

CLASSIFICATION OF TEXTS,

ON IMPORTANT SUBJECTS.

"Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life."-JOHN, v. 39.

"Receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls."-JAMES, i. 21.

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."-2 TIMOTHY, iii. 16, 17.

P

INTRODUCTION.

ADDING, as I now do, to these my Essays, the following Select Scripture Readings, and Classification of Texts, it is proper that I should explain my object and intention in them.

The SELECT READINGS are taken from the devotional parts of the historical books, from Job, and from the Psalms and Prophets in the Old Testament; and from the Epistles in the New one. They are, of course, not intended to supersede a careful and minute perusal of the historical parts of either Testament, or, indeed, of the whole Scriptures; but in occasional resorts to the Bible, whether for personal instruction, or in family devotion, as people are frequently desirous of having recourse to fine portions of it. With the view of extensively gratifying so proper a wish, my object in these selections is to present, particularly in the columns entitled at top, Choice Passages, all those parts of it which are most interesting from their sublimity and beauty. The asterisks (*) found at some of the texts denote that they are prophetical of Christ; and by turning in their order to all the texts