to him who was most excellent in such a tongue, as the APOCRYPHA to ANDREW Downs; and then they met together, and one read the translation, the rest holding in their hands some Bible, either of the learned tongues, or French, Spanish, Italian, &c. If they found any fault, they spoke; if not, he read on.”

In the reign of Edward the First, the price of a fairly-written Bible was twenty-seven pounds. The hire of a labourer was but three half-pence a day. The purchase of a copy would, of course, have taken such a person the earning of fifteen years and three months of constant labour.

THE VISION, OR BIBLE GEMS.

I look'd—and the sons of Pride stalk'd past

In their gauds and glittering sheen ;
But stormy passions and baffled hopes

In their restless eyes were seen!
And again I look'd—and a phantom-ship

O’er a dark and shoreless sea,
Was bearing them on, while the arch-fiend's

Yell'd out—" FOR ETERNITY!” (voice

Then the vision chang'd-andmethought I saw

A blissful valley, trod By all who with meek and contrite hearts,

Walk humbly with their God !

Down a beautiful vista lighted up

With unearthly splendours, came The mingling music of Seraph's harps,

And songs of loud acclaim !

As nature with mental strife o'erpress’d,

The chains of slumber broke;
A still small voice from viewless lips,

In solemn sweetness spoke :“Remember the phantom-ship, and beware

The doom to which Pride condemns, And school thyself to become as the meek,

Whose jewels are BIBLE GEMS!”

THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

Beyond, beyond that boundless sea,

Above that dome of sky,
Further than thought itself can flee,

Thy dwelling is on high;
Yet, dear the awful thought to me,
That THOU, O God! art nigh!

JOSIAH CONDER.

In all companies and in all places remember the PRESENCE OF GOD: walk continually as if under the view of his all-seeing and observing eye; often considering that God is every where present, and then you will study to be every where holy.

God is every where present by his power. He rolls the orbs of Heaven with his hand, he fixes the earth with his foot, he guides all the creatures with his eye, and refreshes them with his influence ; and makes the powers of hell to shake with his terrors. There is not one hollowness in the bottom of the sea, but he shows himself to be Lord of it, by sustaining there the creatures that come to dwell in it : and in the wilderness, the bittern and the stork, the lion and the elephant, live upon his provisions, and feel the force of his almightiness.

Let every thing you see represent to your spirit the presence, the excellency, and the power of