The communications of the Bible claim our most grateful reception. It is not composed of unimportant narratives, legendary tales, and captivating fictions, for the amusement of triflers; but is a book of the most solemn, sublime, and interesting subjects, that ever engaged the attention of men or angels. It reveals the grandeur of Jehovah:-his moral purity, his condescending kindness, his equity, and his grace; it conducts to the origin of all things, and points out their final destiny; it explains the mysteries of time by its relation to eternity, and brings life and immortality to light in a world of darkness. It shews us our own states and characters; and what God requires prior to our acceptance into his eternal kingdom. Its doctrines are infinitely important, and the morals which it inculcates, are not the dull, dry, formal, whitewashed exterior of an ethical pretension to virtue; but the purity of principle, as the very soul of action; the life of heaven upon earth; and once embodied in the Son of God himself. 'Throughout mankind, the Christian kind at least, The predictions of the Bible claim our entire credence. Indeed they are almost the objects of sight in their accomplishment, and cannot admit of a moment's rational doubt. Prophecies delivered hundreds, and even thousands of years back, are receiving their fulfilment before our eyes. We see the descendant's of Shem and Japheth ruling and enlarged in Asia and Europe, and the curse of servitude still resting upon the unhappy descendants of Ham in Africa. We see the posterity of Ishmael 'multiplied exceedingly,' and become a great nation' in the Arabians; yet living like wild men' and shifting from place to place in the wilderness; their hand against every man, and every man's hand against them;' and still dwelling an independent and free people, in 6 6 the presence of all their brethren, and in the presence of all their enemies. We see the family of Esau to tally extinct, and that of Jacob still subsisting; the sceptre departed from Judah,' and the people deprived of all authority; but every where in subjection; the Jews dwelling alone among the nations," while the remembrance of Amalek is utterly put out from under heaven.' We see the Jews severely punished for their infidelity and disobedience to their great prophet like unto Moses; plucked from off their own land, and removed into all the kingdoms of the earth; oppressed and spoiled evermore,' and made a proverb and a byeword among all nations.' We see Ephraim so broken as to be no more a people,' while the whole nation is comprehended under the name of Judah; the Jews wonderfully preserved as a distinct people, while their great conquerors are every where destroyed; their land lying desolate, and themselves cut off from being the people of God, while the Gentiles are advanced in their room. We see Ninevah so completely destroyed, that the place thereof cannot be known; Babylon made a desolation for ever, a possession for the bittern, and pools of water;' Tyre become like the top of a rock, a place for fishers to spread their nets upon;' and Egypt a base kingdom, the basest of the kingdoms, and still tributary and subject to strangers.' We see the last of the four great empires, represented in vision to Daniel, divided into ten lesser kingdoms, and all the circumstances of the prophecy completely fulfilled. With facts like these before our eyes, we must be obstinately blind to discredit the divine inspiration of the Bible. What eye but omniscience could have foreseen the rise and fall of kingdoms, the dispersion of families, and the most minute events of future ages? The claim of Holy Writ to our credence, is strengthened by the testimony of tradition. Even the very circumstances which have been presumed to invalidate the Scriptures, are so many auxiliaries in their defence. When we are told, with an air of sceptical triumph, your sacred records limit the chronology of the world to about 5000 or 6000 years from its commencement, and other countries can trace their existence to a much remoter period. When it is said, Look at the Chaldeans! even in the time of Cicero, they could reckon up 470,000 years. Pass on to the Egyptians! they possess documents which carry them back 50,000 years; and, according to Halhed, the Hindoos can extend their history, more than 7,000,000 years. We simply reply to these bold averments, the objector to the Bible chronology, either is, or is not, aware of their modes of calculation; if he be not, he ought to be silent upon the subject; and if he be, his integrity of principle, is not to be commended. The years of the Chaldeans, Egyptians, and Hindoos, were of arbitrary determination. They had months of 15 days, and years of 60 days, or two months. A month is a night and a day of the patriarchs; a year is a night and a day of the gods; four thousand years of the gods, are so many hundred years of men. By attention to such modes of computation, the age of the world will be found very nearly the same in the writings of Moses, and the traditions of the Bramins. The coincidence of these with each other, and the Persian chronology, is pointed out by M. Bailly, as follows: From the Creation to the Deluge. 2256 years. 2222 2340 2000 2000 2300 the singular coingiven by four dis 5544 years. 5502 5501 The Jews, according to Josephus, 5555 Mr. Haldane truly observes,' Traditions have been traced over the globe-of the creation-of the sabbath day-of Paradise-of the fall of man-of the serpent-of the promised Messiah-of Cain and Abel --of the longevity of the patriarchs-of the number of generations between Adam and Noah-of the deluge of the dove sent out by Noah-of the rainbow as a sign-of the number of persons preserved in the ark-of Noah and his three sons-of the tower of Babel-of Sodom and Gomorrah, &c.'* The happy influence of the Bible upon human so ciety, claims our highest esteem. Here we shall possibly be met with the ignorant cry of the persecutions which have disgraced the Christian world. But, a Christian world in name, and a world of Christians upon Bible principles, are not the same people. If we go to the Romish church to search for blood unrighteously shed, we are prepared to prove the innocence of the Scriptures by an Alibi; and, in that case, where is the jury that will convict of crime; or the judge who can condemn ? If protestants have persecuted others, or been unkind amongst themselves, their own unfounded prejudices, evil passions, and improper tempers, were the cause; and not the word of God. How can that Book, which inculcates the utmost forbearance under the deepest injuries-the most prompt forgiveness for the greatest offences-and universal good-will to man, be the occasion of cruelty? On the contrary, it raises the savage bosom to a high tone of moral feeling, and imparts the most humane principles to ferocious dispositions. Both in communities and individuals, the Bible has produced the most beneficial effects, and proved itself an unspeakable blessing to the world. It has elevated the female character to its proper rank in society; it has condemned the practice, and alleviated the mise See Haldane's Evidence and Authority of Divine Revelation, Vol. II. pp. 185 and 186. See also Gale's Court of the Gentiles and Bryant's Ancient Mythology. T eries of war; it has exposed the wickedness of slavery, and set many a captive free from the chains of his oppressor; it has liberated fifty millions of human beings from the degrading servility of papal usurpation; it has diffused better principles amongst mankind in their civil relations, domestic habits, and personal conduct, than any other system has ever pretended to enforce; and it has been the solace of thousands under the deepest poverty, the most painful afflictions, and the ghastly appearance of death. In vain do we look to paganism in its utmost refinements, for commiseration to the poor, hospitals for the sick, kindness to enemies, and the genuine feelings of philanthropy; these are the attendants of divine revelation, and are found as the certain and happy effects which follow the word of God. Oh! could we but see the families that have been saved from vice and misery, by embracing the gospel of Jesus Christ,-all the benefits which it has directly or indirectly conferred upon states, all whom it has enabled to leave this world in triumph, and exalted to ineffable felicity, we should be filled with wonder, love, and praise; and, Whence this brave bound o'er limits fix'd to man? His final hour, brings glory to his God! Man's glory heav'n vouchsafes to call her own. We gaze; we weep; mix tears of grief and joy! London, November 5, 1832. T. W. THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTIANITY. Admit a God-that mystery supreme- YOUNG. Whatever is calculated to impress the truth of Christianity on the minds of those unfortunate persons who have been deceived by the sophistry of atheism, |