2. And the thoughts of these things should work faith in our hearts, and firm trust in him, for pardon and strength, who is so exalted and powerful to give, and so willing and faithful to bestow. Do we doubt if these things be so? Behold, the law and the prophets bear witness that so should these things be, and the gospel that so these things were. Do we doubt that this body shall ever rise from its dust, and ascend into the presence of God? Behold the body of the God-man Jesus Christ taken up and glorified, a type and earnest of our own. Do we doubt if such glory can be laid up for us? Only let us be united by faith to this Saviour; only let us be lively members of the church whereof he is the Head, and whither the Head gone before thither must the members follow is after. Do we doubt if pardon can be found for us? Behold the Saviour now pleading his most precious blood-shedding in the very presence of God, to cover our sins and obtain forgiveness for our iniquities. Do we doubt that our hearts can be renewed unto the image of God, or kept from backsliding, amidst their manifold temptations and infirmities? Behold the exalted Saviour receiving gifts for men, imparting them by his Spirit, and sanctifying his people unto meetness for their eternal inheritance. Let us then help our unbelief by the faith of the glorious ascension and exaltation of our Lord; let us comfort ourselves by the assurance of the presence of the Redeemer, our Mediator and Advocate above, and let us exult at his triumph in the words of the apostle, "Who is he that condemneth? it is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Miscellaneous. RELIGIOUS OBLIGATIONS OF THE STATE.-Can it be the duty of the legislature to protect the commercial interests of the country, and leave its religious interests to shift for themselves? Can it be within the province of a Christian government to provide union houses, as asylums for the unfortunate sons and daughters of penury and want, and is it beyond their province to see that churches may be erected to shed their hallowing blessings on the spiritually destitute? If it be the bounden duty of the legislature to enforce the observance, and punish the violations, of the country's laws, is it not their wisdom to afford every facility for extending that worship of God, by which men are influenced, from a higher principle than that of fear, "to submit to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake?" If it be necessary for the state to maintain an army and navy for defence, and an organised police for the preservation of peace and order, is it not expedient to encourage, to the utmost, the diffusion of that gospel which inculcates every moral and social duty, and teaches men to turn their "swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks ?" If it be at length acknowledged, on the part of the government, that they are bound to tax the nation for the support of some system of national education, is it too much for us to ask that they will fulfil that duty to the adults, which they thus admit they owe to the young? and that they will also tax the nation for the supply of those religious ordinances, which will ripen and mature every moral principle which is thus im planted in the rising generation, and without which education-like the serpent which coiled around the tree of knowledge-will only make its specious but hollow fruits the means of leading away the ensnared and captivated intellects of men from holiness, and God! Gentlemen, I have to apologise for the length of these remarks, and I will conclude them by seconding the adoption of the petition which has been submitted to the meeting. It is time that, warned by the sad outbreak of treasonable insurrection, and the wide dissemination of abominable principles, every friend to his country, to his church, and to the cause of Christ, unite in demanding of the legislature that the public means of grace be supplied to an extent commensurate with the population; and that the ordinances, sacraments, and ministrations of the English Church may be in reality, as they are in equity, every Englishman's patrimony!-From a corrected Speech of the Rer. T. Page, at Windsor, Jan. 28. THE HARP.-In addition to this chorus, the beloved disciple mentions, I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps. These instruments of music are like the waters and the thunders-emblematical representations. Those, of the loud voices of the unnumbered multitudes; these, of the sweetness of the notes, the harp being, as I need not say, among the sweetest-toned of all instrumental music. It is fre quently spoken of in scripture; it was used in the days of the patriarchs. It was the favourite instrumeut of the sweet psalmist of Israel; it was appointed by him for the service of the temple, and is mentioned in this book as used by the redeemed when praising the Lamb. In one passage they are called "the harps of God." What these harps represent, or at least of what they may remind us, the inspired word, which so In frequently refers to them, will best inform us. the 43rd psalm, David prays-" Oh, send out thy light and thy truth; let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill and to thy tabernacles. Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy; yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God, my God." He says, in the 57th psalm, “ My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise. Awake up, my glory; awake psaltery and harp: I myself will awake right early." Here, you observe, he unites the heart and the harp together; saying, that when his heart was ready his harp was strung.-Rev. J. H. Stewart's "Family which Jesus loved.” PROPORTION OF THE SEXES IN INDIA.-The following is a list of the proportions which were found in many of the villages between male and female children under twelve years of age:-There were found in Barilahori in eighty-five families, fiftyone boys, and only fourteen girls; Chotilahori, in fifty-eight families, sixty-six boys, and only fourteen girls; Garoli, in seventy-nine families, seventy-nine boys, and only twelve girls; Gurrumgarh, in twelve families, ten boys, and only two girls; Manshargarh, in seventy-one families, fifty-eight boys, and only four girls; Paprula, in fifteen families, twenty-two boys, and no girls whatever.-Campbell's British India. London: Published by JAMES BURNS, 17 Portman Street, Portman Square; W. EDWARDS, 12 Ave-Maria Lane, St. Paul's; and to be procured, by order, of all Booksellers in Town and Country. PRINTED BY JOSEPH ROGERSON, 24 NORFOLK STREET, STRAND, LONDON. THE EXTERNAL EVIDENCE OF THE TRUTH brought forward such a mass of clear, con OF GOD'S WORD: No. 1. BY THE REV. JOHN ELLISON BATES, M. A. Curate of St. Bride's, Liverpool. We are instructed by the apostle Peter to "be ready always to give an answer to every man, that asketh us a reason of the hope that is in us with meekness and fear.' The Christian religion is a reasonable religion; above reason, but not contrary to reason. The bible, the charter of our religion, is a reasonable book, "wonderful" indeed, and so above reason'; human reason could never have compiled and constructed such a volume; but, when presented to us and examined, it is found to be in every way consistent with sound reason. And this is precisely what might have been expected in a revelation purporting to come from an almighty and all-merciful God; it would be beyond the powers of man to compose, but within the capacity of men to comprehend it. "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God" (John, vii. 17). The bible addresses itself to us with such evidences of being the WORD OF GOD, that any one, who will candidly and dispassionately investigate its claims, will be able to give an answer to every man that asketh a reason of the hope that is in him. At the present time it is especially necessary to attend to St. Peter's admonition. We must not only believe the bible to be God's word, but we must also be able to give a reason why we believe it. The sceptics of the day would persuade men that the bible is a cheat, which will not bear too close examination. The very reverse is the case. It courts inquiry, it solicits investigation; and we venture to assert, that on no subject can there be VOL. VIII.-NO. CCXXVII. vincing, incontestible evidence, as can be produced in proof that the bible is the word of the living and true God. There are, and for some time have been, in circulation, certain pernicious and pestilent publications, designed to disprove the authenticity of the holy scriptures-publications so blasphemous, that every one must shudder as he reads; and none would read, but they who feel it a duty to raise a warning voice-and withal so ignorant and erroneous, that all who have time and opportunity to examine the matter must detect their fallacy. But for such per sons they are not intended. The object is to assail and unsettle the faith of those who have neither time nor ability to go deep into the subject: I mean that large portion of the community usually called "the operative classes." Happily, where the grace of God has touched the heart, whether it be the labourer or the man of letters, there is an inward witness to the truths of God's word, which no subtilty of devil or man can ultimately overthrow. "Thy testimonies are wonderful; therefore doth my soul keep them. The entrance of thy words giveth light, it giveth understanding unto the simple." The word of God has been brought home to the heart by the demonstration of the Spirit: it has carried with, it a self-evidencing power. It has so commended itself to the conscience, that the believer knows it to be the word of God; knows it as clearly and incontestibly as he knows there is light when the sun shines. "The poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the Lord" (Zech. xi. 11). The word of God, like Peter's confession of the Godhead of Christ, is a rock upon which the soul is built, and [London: Joseph Rogerson 24 Norfolk-street, Strand.) D D the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. | This conviction, which is the work of the Holy Ghost, may be called the inward evidence and it is the most valuable evidence to the individual who possesses it; but it is not an answer to any one that asketh a reason of the hope that is in us. If a blind man demands proof that the sun shines, and I answer, "I know it shines, because I see the light," he may reply, "That is no proof to "he me, I do not see it." And so an objector may affirm, "I know nothing of this inward conviction; I have it not; it is all imaginary. I want some tangible, some substantial reason for your holding the bible to be the word of God; some evidence out of yourself, which I can investigate and examine." Such evidence we may call the outward evidence, and we can very readily produce it. The only difficulty is, out of such an abundance, to know what portion to select: indeed it may appear superfluous to dwell upon this topic at all; but these days of rebuke and blasphemy seem to require that we should offer some plain and obvious remarks, which, under the blessing of God, may be calculated to put our humbler brethren on their guard against the insidious efforts of the sceptic and the infidel. I shall therefore, in this essay, offer some observations on the outward evidence of the holy scriptures. The impious design of the unhappy men who dare to impugn the holy scriptures appears to be, to prove that the bible is not the word of God, because in many parts it is written in plain and familiar language, and even contains expressions which are not of the most lofty and elevated character. It may perhaps be questioned how far it is advisable to notice such things, and not rather to leave them to their merited contempt; but having reason to believe that books of this character are very industriously circulated among the labouring classes, and having seen enough of them to know that they are calculated to perplex plain and unlearned men, I cannot but deem it a duty to infuse a corrective into these poisonous and bitter waters. I may hold these things in contempt, but my weak brother may be distressed and caused to stumble; I therefore produce from a book of this description an extract, which appears to contain the substance of the argument. The bold and blasphemous assertions with which this passage is prefaced I dare not repeat, nor need I. There is no argument in them they are no more than the assertions of an ignorant, as well as impious mind. The argument, such as it is, is contained in the following passage. : "A book which had really originated from an omniscient and munificent Divinity, a book which was the word or organ of such a Being, must inculcate, in every chapter and in every verse, the strictest, the purest, and the most exalted morality; must constantly exhort mankind to every thing that was just, rational, and charitable; and must contain no language but that which was exquisitely beautiful and elevating, and no expressions but those which were irresistibly persuasive and convincing. But the bible is a book, as may be seen on reference to these extracts, quite the reverse of this. We are compelled, therefore, to conclude, against the established opinions of society, that it cannot be of divine origin, and that consequently it cannot be the word of God." The writer having thus stated what he considers the word of God ought to be, proceeds as freely to declare what he thinks the bible is." My humble, but decided opinion is, that this book is an imposition, palmed upon mankind in ages of superstition and ignorance by the Christian priesthood." The extracts alluded to are quotations from the sacred volume, arranged under various heads, and quoted with the design of showing that the bible inculcates "immoralities, contradictions, and absurdities." To such extremities is the writer reduced, that he refers to Gen. iii. 9; "And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?" as an instance of absurdity: as if God, who knows all things, should have to inquire where Adam was. But could not almost any child in our Sunday-schools have told this objector, that the question was asked not for God's information, but for Adam's conviction? Would that the sinner, running headlong in the paths of wickedness and vice, attended to the still small voice of inward conviction, "Where art thou?" Again, 2 Cor. xi. 8, is produced as an instance of immorality; as if the bible sanctioned stealing, because the apostle says, "I robbed other churches." But who, that reads the context, will not perceive that St. Paul is contrasting, in the strong idiomatic language of the east, his willingness to receive assistance from other churches, while he refused it at Corinth? Other passages from holy writ are inserted in these extracts, in which are related the fearful falls, and flagrant offences even of some of the servants of God: but we ask, is not this a proof of the genuineness and veracity of the sacred scriptures? Human policy would have suppressed these things, but the bible, being the word of God, can dare to tell the whole truth. And why, we ask again, does the bible preserve these mournful records? Not for our imitation, but for our abhorrence. The bible is the word of TRUTH; it describes human nature as it really is; how far gone from original righteousness; of what man has been capable; to what he is still prone, unless he be restrained by the grace of God's Holy Spirit! And here is the ground of men's hostility to the word of God: it will not flatter; it draws the picture to the life; it will not soften down, or extenuate the offences of mankind. Like Elihu, it "knows not to give flattering titles;" it has no fashionable names for vice, but exposes it in its true colours. The bible, like St. Paul, seeks not to please men, but to improve them, and that, by showing them their natural face in a glass. We find, indeed, no eulogies on the "progression of intellect," or "the dignity of human nature;" but man is there described as a fallen creature, in a state of mental and moral degradation (Rom. iii. 10-19; Ephes. iv. 18, 19; Titus, iii. 3), and is treated as such. No wonder, then, that men, "wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own conceits," find in the bible what they do not like, perhaps what, in their fancied dignity, they did not expect. "The world by wisdom knows not God," but this is no argument against the bible being really the word of God. Let us examine more closely the argument contained in the foregoing objection: it will be found to consist of a presumption, and an opinion. The inference that the bible is not the word of God, because not written in the way the sceptic would have expected, amounts to no more than presumption. The assertion that the bible is an imposition, palmed upon mankind by the Christian priesthood, is no more than an opinion. sisted in apprehending him in the very act of violence and rioting. Here is a fact. Of what value, then, would be the opinion or presumption on the opposite side if contradicted by fact? Nay, if instead of one, twenty witnesses had given their opinions, and stated presumptive evidence, the ONE FACT that the prisoner was apprehended in the very act of rioting would confute them all. The outward evidence in support of the bible is the evidence of facts-things done, sound, solid, well-established facts. Men may form what opinions they please; they may argue and draw what presumptive proofs they will from their false premises: but they cannot dispose of one of the facts upon which the evidence in favour of the bible is based. We cannot, then, allow the infidel to treat this evidence (as in the former objection) merely as one of "the established opinions of society." It has pleased God to establish the authority of his word upon facts, "confirming the word with signs following." Our Saviour appealed to facts; "Believe me for the very work's sake." It was upon the fact of the resurrection that the apostles and first preachers rested their claims to veracity: " If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain: yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ." (Mark, xvi. 20; John, xiv. 11; 1 Cor. x7 14, 15). Hence we learn the proper mode of dealing with the sceptic; we refer him to some c those facts with which the authenticity of scripture is closely connected. A great variety may be produced; but there is one with which Now we know that opinion and pre- we are all familiar-the Jewish nation. sumption are of no value, if contradicted by Compare the past history and present confacts. In illustration of the relative value of dition of the Jews, with the predictions of these various forms of evidence, opinion, pre- the judgments which should overtake them sumption, and fact, let us suppose a case tried on account of their sins; take, for inin a court of justice. A man is charged with stance, a passage from Lev. xxvi. 31-34: having been concerned in a riotous assem-" And I will make your cities waste, blage: a witness comes forward in his behalf, and speaks to this effect: "I do not think the prisoner was likely to take part in such illegal proceedings." This is only his opinion. But another witness is called upon to speak, who goes further, and says, "I saw the prisoner on the day of the disturbance, a few hours before it occurred, and he assured me he would have nothing to do with the rioters." The inference to be drawn is, that the prisoner spoke the truth, and acted upon the determination thus expressed. This would be a presumption. But a third witness is called into court, a man of strict veracity and unimpeachable character, and he affirms positively that he saw the prisoner leading on the rioters, nay, more, that he himself as and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours. And I will bring the land into desolation, and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you; and your land shall be desolate and your cities waste. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest and enjoy her sabbaths." See also Deut. xxviii. 37; "Thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the Lord shall lead thee:" (and from ver. 49 to the end of the chapter). Who, that is in any measure acquainted with other people; present in all countries, with a home in none; intermixed, but yet separated, neither amalgamated nor lost; there they wander among the nations, a living and lasting evidence of the veracity of God's word." the history of the Jews during the last eigh-face of the earth, and yet distinct from every teen hundred years, who, that has lately visited, or read the reports of those who have visited, the holy land, but must be struck with the wonderful exactness of such prophecies as these prophecies which have now become matters of fact? Nay, if you distrust the records of history, and discredit the reports of travellers, what says your own personal observation to these things? What language can better describe the estimation in which you have been wont to regard the Jewish people than the language furnished by inspiration, "an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all nations ?" * From these facts we can draw but one of two conclusions; either the writings referred to were composed after the events, or, they were written by the inspiration of Him, unto whom "all his works are known from the foundation of the world." That these scriptures were not written after the events is certain, from the well-authenticated fact that a translation of them was made, from the original Hebrew into Greek, more than two thousand years ago (about 270 B.C.): consequently the only conclusion is, that the scriptures are the word of the living God. Away then, with that proud, but pitiful, philosophy, which would set the judgment of ignorant man in opposition to the wisdom and veracity of the infinite God: "Let God be true, but every man a liar." Let the infidel abandon his prejudices against the truth, because it comes clothed in a different garb from what he expected: let him be converted and become as a little child, and "hear what God the Lord will say," and then will he confess, that "the foolishness of God is wiser than men." SACRED POETRY. BY JAMES CHAMBERS, ESQ. The Poetry of the Old Testament. culiarities, belonging to the form in which the truths of word of the true and living God. And, when an acquaintance with these forms enables us better to understand the spirit of which they are, as it were, the body, of them can be deemed lost, or mis-spent. Thus the no time consumed in acquiring an accurate knowledge habit of tracing out that parallelism, which appears to be the distinguishing feature in the poetry of the bible, will often throw light on doubtful passages, and give greater strength and energy to all those where it occurs. By the term parallelism is meant a certain equality, resemblance, or relationship, between the members of each period; so that, in two lines or members of the same period, things shall answer to things, and words to words, as if fitted to each other by a kind of rule or measure."* That this is the characteristic peculiarity which distinguishes the poetry of the bible, has been clearly proved by bishop Jebb in his "Sacred Literature," in which elegant volume he successfully controverts the arguments brought forward by the learned bishop Lowth, to prove that there are four principal characteristics When, therefore, the infidel assails our faith, we refer him to the sound, solid, and substantial facts by which the authenticity of scripture is established. The testimonies of God's word are wonderful, and therefore doth our soul keep them: wonderful in prophecy+; the destruction of Nineveh, of Tyre, and of Babylon; the character of the Arabians, the descendants of Ishmael; the condition of Egypt; the dismemberment of the Roman empire; the rise of Antichrist; the destruc-" tion of Jerusalem; the dispersion of the Jews; these are so many things which have come to pass, in exact accordance with the predictions of scripture-facts, therefore, which prove the bible to be the word of him, who sees the end from the beginning. Let, then, the arguments brought against the bible be ever so specious and plausible, they amount to no more than mere opinion, or, at most, presumption, which cannot stand against facts. We say to the sceptic, "I will ask you one question, answer me, and then I shall be disposed to attend to your objections. the bible were not the word of God, how could it have foretold with such correctness the dispersion, the past history, and the pre- Parallelism, the nature of which has been explained. sent condition of the Jewish people? Take their history, as it may be collected from the pages of the historians hostile to Christianity, and compare it with the scriptures. Look at their present condition; scattered over the * See Newton on the Prophecies. Diss. viii. t See Newton, Diss. ii. vii. viii. ix. x. xi. xii. If of Hebrew poetry, viz., 1. The acrostical or alphabetical commencement of lines or stanzas: 2. The admission of foreign words and certain particles, which seldom occur in prose composition, and which thus form a distinct poetical dialect: 3. Its sententious, figurative, and sublime expressions: and 4. * See "Horne's Iutroduction to the Critical Study and Know ledge of the Holy Scriptures". Vol. ii. p. 468, (third edition, 1822). Also Lowth's "De Sacra Poësi Hebræorum Prælectiones Academicæ," and "Sacred Literature: comprising a Review of the Principles of Composition by the late Robert Lowth, D.D. Lord Bishop of London, in his Prælections and Isaiah, and application of the Principles so reviewed to the Illustrations of the New Testament," 1820. |