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of virtue has never been taught so well any where as in that divine work. The national historizs which it relates, the particulars which it records respecting every holy person mentioned in it, each of the poems, letters, and discourses which it contains,—what do all these teach, but righteousness, charity, and other virtues 2 The teaching of the Bible 15 not only fitted to amend men’s conduct, but it is also fitted to melt and purify the heart. To understand the excellence of ifs teaching, read the discourse delivered by our Tord upon the mount, as contained in the Gospel written by St. Matthew, from the fifth to the seventh chapter. Such admirable moral teaching as is contained in that sermon cannot be found in any other treatise. It has neither eaual nor second.
Va the other hand, the Purdnas and other relicious hooks which are current in this country contain no teaching which is conducive to good morals. It is taught in the Purfnas, that the crimes committed by the gods are not crimes at all, and also that the erim-s of those persons who regard the gods with Jkalti, or implicit faith, are not regarded by those gods as crimes. Can this teaching be expected to deter the people who read those Purfinas from crime, or tend to their moral improvement? Certainly not. Instead of becoming more virtuous, the more they read they will neeessarily become the more licentions and deceitful.
The Bible, or sacred book of the Christians, teaches most distinctly that the bhakti, or piety, of persons who are ime moral is not regarded by God as piety at all, that without holiness of heart no man shall see God or heaven, that the happiness of heaven will be bestowed upon the virtuous alone, and that the wicked, to whatever sect or religion they may belong, shall be driven into hell. No such teaching as
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