Southern Christian Advocate

THE SCRIPTURES.
AN EXTRACT FROM BISHOP DEHON'S SERMONS.
Taken from the Gospel Messenger.

Imagine yourselves living in that age and state of the world, in which human nature is found unenlightened by revelation. Fancy yourselves, for a moment, encompassed with the darkness of heathenism, the paths of virtue and safety obscured; your Maker hidden from your view; your origin, your duty, your destination, unknown; the way to the tomb, your inevitable course, haunted with spectres of doubt and dismay; your spirits turning on every side, for light and direction; but finding on every side, darkness and uncertainty. In the midst of this gloom, suppose the heavens opened, and there descended to you a messenger, bringing to you a book, which informed you of your origin and destiny; which revealed to you the true God and assured you of his love and favor; which made the path of every virtuous excellence, plain before you; and disclosed to you a title, an eternal title to immortality. With what transports of delight would you receive the messenger! I see you, in imagination, falling prostrate at his feet. The book which he gives you, you press to your lips; you would hold it to your bosom; you would drop on it the tears of excessive joy. As the messenger returned to the skies, you would follow him with benedictions till he vanished from your view; and the precious volume, you would carry to your habitation with care, and unspeakable exultance.--

Your wife, your children, would be called to behold the gift. Your neighbors and friends would be shown the treasure. And were the wealth of the world offered you in exchange for it, you would again clasp it in your hands, and declare it above all price. But my brethren, take away the Scriptures, and what is your condition of unenlightened nature? Consider their inspiration of God, and their important contents, and what is their value less, than if they were brought to you immediately from the skies?-- And yet, how imperfectly are they appreciated? Who hath sufficiently regarded them? Of the worth of the sacred volume, no estimation would be too high. For the kindness and condescension of the Almighty in giving it to us, no measure of gratitude would be excessive.-- But, because we have always been in the enjoyment of it, and its light and comfort are familiar to our minds, we behold it, as we behold the sun in the heavens, unmindful of the majesty and benignity of its Author, and almost unconscious of the importance of its beams. Surely, if the views we have taken of the subject are remembered, this insensibility to the value of the best blessings of life, will be reproved by your consciences, and carefully corrected. When you think of the inspiration of the Scriptures, of their completeness, and of their end and uses, unless you are ungrateful to your Maker, and unjust to yourselves, you will be like the Psalmist, as glad of God's word, as one that findeth great spoils.