by one another. Therefore this tower was called Babel or confusion. 15. Soon after the confounding of language men spread over the eastern continent in various directions, but many of them forgot the true God, and imagined there might be other gods, or that men had the power of God, or that things without life or sense were gods; so they made images of these false gods, and built temples for them, and worshipped them in groves or on hills, which the Scripture calls "high places," Among the things worshipped were the sun, moon, and stars; afterwards fire, and the elements; and lastly the passions and vices of men. "They made a god of wine for the drunkards, of gold for the covetous, of thieves for the dishonest, &c." The history of these false gods is Mythology. The images of the gods were Idols, and the worship Idolatry. THE RAINBOW. The following passage from the book of Genesis relates the declaration of God to Noah on the first recorded appearance of the rainbow. "I will establish my covenant with you: neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.” Mr. Campbell's verses to the Rainbow. When storms prepare to part, I ask not proud philosophy To teach me what thou art Seem ever as to childhood's sight, Betwixt the earth and Heaven Can all that optics teach, unfold To me, fair bow no fabling dreams, Have told why first thy robe of beams When o'er the green undelug'd earth And when its yellow lustre smiled The earth to thee her incense yields, Heaven still rebuilds thy span, Illustrations. Can all that optics teach, &c. The science of optics teaches the real nature of the rainbow.-It informs us that the rainbow is caused by a reflection of the sun's light. After a shower, vapours from the earth rise into the sky, and the sun, fron the opposite side of the heavens, shines upon them -these congregated or collected vapours, reflect all the rays of light which are composed of the colours of the rainbow. Before a child knows this, he may imagine the rainbow to be formed of solid gold, topaz, garnet, and emerald, or any of the brilliant stones called gems; and while he is very young, and is delighted with every new object, he may be better pleased with the rainbow than after he has learned its real substance. God does not let the type grow pale, with age. The hues of the rainbow are as bright and beautiful now as when Noah first saw it. The words type, token, and symbol, signify one thing or sign which represents or suggests the idea of another thing or circumstance. When we see the rain bow, we immediately think of the promise of God, and thus it becomes the type, token, or symbol of his goodness and truth, and of our safety under his protection and government. LESSON V. 1. THE Old Testament consists of thirty nine different books, the list of these is called the Canon of Scripture. These books were selected from different writings of the Hebrews. The Bible is a moral book which teaches men what God requires of them, what he has done for them, and what he intends for them in another life; and it is also a history of the Hebrews, and in part of some other nations of antiquity. 2. The books of the Old Testament are the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible supposed to have been written by Moses; the historical books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther; sixteen books of prophecy; Ruth and Job-two histories of remarkable individuals; the Psalms of David, the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Solomon, and the Lamentations. 3. Genesis signifies the creation. This book describes the creation of the world, the history of our first parents and the Antediluvians, the Deluge, the origin of languages, the call or appointment of Abraham, the lives of his descendants, of Isaac, of Jacob, and of his twelve sons, and it concludes with the death of Joseph, B. C. 1635, embracing a period of 2369 years. 4. Exodus signifies the going out-the departure from Egypt. Seventy of the family of Jacob went to dwell in Egypt with their brother Joseph B. C. 1706, their posterity remained there till 1491 -215 years, and they were increased to six hundred thousand persons; they then returned to Canaan, the country of their ancestors. 5. Exodus relates the bondage of the Hebrews in Egypt, the birth and education of Moses, the Hebrew legislator; the oppression which the Israelites suffered from the Egyptians; the conduct of the Israelites during their sojourning, or abode in the country between Egypt and Canaan; and the appointment of Aaron and his sons to the office of priest-of these Aaron was the chief priest. This book also contains the ten commandments, and a description of the ceremonies. to be observed in the public worship. Moses |