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BURNING THE BIBLE.

A SOCIETY of gentlemen, most of whom had enjoyed a liberal education, and were persons of polished manners, but had, unhappily, imbibed infidel principles, used to assemble at each others' houses, for the purposes of ridiculing the scriptures, and hardening one another in their unbelief. At last, they unanimously formed a resolution, solemnly to burn the Bible; and so to be troubled no more with a book which was so hostile to their principles, and disquieting to their consciences. The day fixed upon arrived; a large fire was prepared, a Bible was laid on the table, and a flow. ing bowl ready to drink its dirge. For the execution of their plan, they fixed upon a young gentleman of high birth, brilliant vivacity, and elegance of manners. He undertook the task; and after a few enlivening glasses, amidst the applauses of his jovial compeers, he approached the table, took up the Bible, and was walking resolutely forward to put it into the fire; but happening to give it a look, all at once he was seized with trembling; paleness overspread his countenance, and he seemed convulsed. He returned to the table, and laying down the Bible, said, with a strong asseveration, "We will not burn that book, till we get a better.”

Soon after this, the same gay and lively young gen. tleman died; and, on his death bed, was led to true repentance; deriving unshaken hopes of forgiveness, and of future blessedness, from that book he was once going to burn.

LINES WRITTEN ON A BLANK LEAF OF A POCKET

BIBLE.

PRECIOUS book! Of books the best;

Dearest gift of God, but One;

That surpasses all the rest;

Gift of God's beloved Son.

Blessed Spirit! Heavenly Dove!
Thee I'd slight not, thee I love;
By thy power, and thine alone;
The value of these gifts I've known.

INFIDEL WIT REPELLED.

A GAY young spark, of a deistical turn, travelling in a stage coach to London, forced his sentiments on the company, by attempting to ridicule the scriptures; and, among other topics, made himself merry with the story of David and Goliah, strongly urging the impossibility of a youth like David, being able to throw a stone with sufficient force to sink into the giant's forehead. On this he appeal. ed to the company, and in particular to a grave gentleman of the denomination called Quakers, who sat silent in one corner of the carriage. "Indeed, friend,” replied he, "I do not think it at all improbable, if the Philistine's head was as soft as thine."

THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE..

It was an excellent reply of a friend of mine, said Mr. E...., when a gentleman took him up on the leads of his house, to shew him the extent of his possessions; waving his hand about, "There," says he, "that is my estate."

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Then pointing to a great distance, on one side, "Do you see that farm?" "Yes." "Well, that is mine." Pointing again to the other side, "Do you see that house?" "Yes." "That also belongs to me." Then, said my friend, "Do you see that little village out yonder?" "Yes." "Well, there lives a poor woman in that village, who can say more than all this." "Ah! What can she say?" "Why, she can say, Christ is mine." He looked confounded,and said

no more.

THE MAN OF THE WORLD, AND THE CHRISTIAN. CAPT. Macnamara, who lately killed Col. Montgomery in a duel, intimated, on his trial, that he could have overlooked the conduct of his antagonist, if the public would have overlooked his in doing so. The public opinion, therefore, was his god. Religion and humanity, as he in effect acknowledged, might require him to act otherwise; but he was a gentleman, and public opinion must be obeyed!

Col. Gardiner received a challenge; but Col. Gardiner was a Christian. "I am afraid of sinning," said he; "but you know I am not afraid of fighting;" and thus declined the challenge. Query, did this answer imply that he was a coward?

AN ESTIMATE OF TIME.

TIME was, is past, thou canst not it recal;
Time is, thou hast, employ the portion small;
Time future is not, and may never be;
Time present is the only time for thee.

EXTRAORDINARY CONVERSION OF A DEIST.

[Copied from the Georgia Analytical Repository, conducted by Rev. Mr. Holcombe.]

AMONG the many instances of the triumphant power of the gospel which have occurred in the now spreading revival of religion, the conversion of Dr. Porter deserves particular notice. This remarkable instance of the display of free and sovereign grace, took place at a meeting, which began on Friday, the 27th of March, 1802, at New Providence church,in Mecklenburgh county, North Carolina. The account was taken from his own mouth, four weeks after his conversion, by an intelligent and respectable gen. tleman of Charleston, South Carolina. The following is the doctor's wonderful narrative:

I was nearly a confirmed deist; and, though religiously educated, despised religion. At the great meeting in Mecklenburgh, I had the curiosity to attend. For nearly four days I continued on the ground, though often determined to leave it, without feeling any unusual impression, except what was occasioned by the cries of the distressed; and though I sometimes prayed to be religiously impressed, I never felt more careless and hardened in my life. On Monday evening, while I was sitting in Mr. M'Rea's tent, reflecting on the strength of my body, and the happy state of my mind, notwithstanding the fatigue and want of rest I had undergone, I was suddenly struck with an unusual sensation in the pit of my stomach, which, in a short time, pervaded my chest in general. I felt no pain; but apprehended immediate death. I endeavored to remove the impression by walking; but in vain.

Having returned to the tent, the sensation pervaded my whole body; and convulsions and involuntary gnashing of teeth ensued. Soon however, these ceased; and I be. came as one dead, being unable to move. While in this state, which I suppose was about two hours, I experienced a dreadful gloom, and confused horrors of mind. This resemblance of death was succeeded by other convul sions; and I again fell quiet, and, until near morning, experienced more dreadful horrors, which increased as my bodily strength returned. When the exercise of my bod ily organs was tolerably recovered, my horrors ceased, without my being able to assign the particular cause of their removal. I first asked myself, how I could possibly become religious, and exhort, as others were doing? A plan to avoid professing religion was immediately suggested; which was, to attribute all I had felt to fits, and say I had been subject to them before; but this I at once detected and discarded, as a suggestion of the devil; and resolved to love God, and profess the religion of Jesus Christ, be the consequences what they might.

I then began to inquire what could be the cause of those new and sudden resolutions; for to me, it appeared scarcely possible that I, who had been one of the most abandoned sinners, could experience a change of heart without being more dreadfully humbled for my sins. I then, indeed, saw that they were great, and of a most aggravated kind, having been committed against much light and goodness; and though I could not feel humbled for them as I wished, and as I knew I ought to be; the glory, wisdom, justice, grace, and condescension of God, as displayed in the device of salvation through a Mediator,broke in upon my mind. My soul was filled with admiration at

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