conferred, under God, upon western Africa, by that noble institution the Church Missionary Society.* In Jamaica, too, fifty years since famous for cotton of the highest quality, it is once more beginning to be cultivated. The high price of sugar at the close of the war put a stop, unfortunately, to its growth.

But if we should write for any, though we are persuaded they can be but few, whom neither considerations of commercial policy, nor yet the higher claims of religion, influence, we appeal to them by that sense of national honour, and that regard for their country's reputation, which glows as warmly in our transatlantic kinsmen as in the hearts of their own ancestry at home. Will they listen for a moment to an English senator? Will they receive in the same generous spirit in which it was penned, the eloquent remonstrances of Lord John Russell?

"One spot remains which oceans cannot wash out. The slavery of the African race, which the North Americans had inherited from the antient monarchy, was adopted and fondly cherished by the new republic. Washington, from the impulse of his warm heart, set free by his will his own slaves; Jefferson, from the calculations of his cool head, deduced the conclusion that the black race ought to be sent back to Africa. The logic of the Constitution declared that all men were free; the pride and avarice of the slaveowners, disowning the image of the Creator and the brotherhood of nature, degraded men of a dark colour, and even all the descendants of their sons and daughters, to a level with oxen and horses. But as oxen and horses never combine, and have no sense of wronged independence, oxen and horses are better treated than the men and women of African blood. All the cruelties which fear and jealousy induced the despotic tyrants of the Roman empire to commit, are consecrated by law, and permitted in the free states of the New World. Neither the civilization of commerce, nor the diffusion of letters, nor the refinement of manners, could eradicate the vices or prevent the crimes which God has affixed as a befitting curse to the institution of slavery. Constitutional statesmen argued, that if the black race were acknowledged as men, they must rule in states where they had the majority; learned judges and able lawyers shewed that slaves were property, and entitled their owners to its inviolable rights. But neither the philosophical dogmas of the authors of the Constitution, nor the strict pedantry of the law, can stifle the cry of outraged humanity, nor still the current of human sympathy, nor arrest for ever the decrees of eternal justice." (Life of Fox, ii. 365.)

* We notice with pleasure that a committee has been formed at Edinburgh, consisting of Dr. Candlish, Dr. Guthrie, and other well-known names, to assist

Dr. Cheever, either by contributions or by the adoption of "such other steps as may seem necessary."

ON THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE 2300 YEARS OF THE

PROPHET DANIEL.

THE times of the commencement of most of the great periods of prophecy have been so far investigated, that the existing theories now abide the test of the next eight years. Within that space it will be settled by experience, whether the time, times, and half time of prophecy, the forty and two months, the 1260 years, with or without the additional seventy-five years of Daniel, come to an end before the expiration of the year 1867 or not.

But there is another prophecy which does not stand in nearly so clear a light, although it was one of the earliest delivered, and the very first to begin to run, and one of surpassing interest, especially to the people of Israel; the period of 2300 days mentioned in the 8th chapter of the book of Daniel.

It is difficult, even with the knowledge we now enjoy, to find a satisfactory time for the commencement of this prophecy. The vision which precedes it is one of the Persian empire generally, in its power, attacked by the Macedonians, and overthrown the Macedonian kingdom divided into four, and the taking away of the daily sacrifice, under a king to come forth of one of these four kingdoms, and (as it is afterwards explained) in the latter time.

The inquiry as to the duration of the prophecy (which is not that of the prophet who saw the vision, but of some superhuman being,) relates chiefly, if not entirely, to the ceasing of the daily sacrifice; and it would rather seem to be directed to the beginning of the interruption than to the end of it, for nothing relating to restoration had been alluded to before. "Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot ?" But the answer gives a promise of restoration, and fixes the time "unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed."

With all our present expectations, this prophecy is not recognised as one imparting much additional light and strength to the others; and this is owing to the little detail which it furnishes, so that there are no collateral references to guide us; and the remoteness of the event, clear enough in itself, in which it is to end-the cleansing of the sanctuary, and the want of any mark to indicate the beginning of the period.

It is often, perhaps generally, understood (as by Mr. Elliott in his Hora Apocalypticæ, vol. iii. p. 395) to begin when the Persian empire was at the height of its power, just before Xerxes' expedition against Greece, about the year 480 B. C., and on that sup

position the 2300 years would end in 1820; but it appears as though the selection of that beginning were made for want of a better; and being after the battle of Marathon, though before that of Platea, it certainly looks somewhat forced; and it surely cannot be said that in 1820 the sanctuary was "cleansed."

Though there may seem to be nothing in Persian or Grecian history from which to reckon the period, yet is there nothing in the Jewish history? Amid the difficulties which surround the prophecy, this is a very reasonable inquiry. And following it, we find an event of no great political importance, but one singularly in character with the subject of the inquiry, and suitable as to the period of the prophecy; namely, the profanation of the temple, when Eliashib the high priest gave a residence in its precincts to Tobiah the Ammonite; and the daily sacrifice was performed with little reverence, even if it were offered at all. The account is given in Nehemiah xiii. 4-10:

"And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah: and he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests. But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king: and I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chambers. Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat-offering and the frankincense. And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field."

Eliashib is spoken of as high priest (Neh. iii. 1), and Tobiah was an Ammonite (Neh. iv. 3), who were never allowed to enter into the house of God (Neh. xiii. 1); so that the profanation of the temple by the residence in it of an Ammonite, and by the contempt put upon the daily sacrifice by the acts of Eliashib the high priest, was very great. The denunciations of Malachi, the last of the prophets who flourished about this time, are very striking; and they are directed against similar offences and desecrations of the temple worship.

Of course, the mind hurries to the inquiry, what was the date of this profanation, and to what time will it bring the completion of the 2300 years? If we take 1866, the number of the year to which so much attention has lately been directed, from 2300, there is left 434; and the date given to this event of Eliashib's profanation in the margin of the authorized version is 434.

But it seems probable that the date ought to be a little later; for the date 434 seems to refer to Nehemiah's journey to Babylon in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, where he remained "certain days" before he obtained leave to return; and the outrage, as it is expressly mentioned, was perpetrated in his absence. Prideaux considers that he might have been at Babylon for five years, and fixes the date of the profanation in 428. This is probably too late; but it seems clear that it was some short time after the year 434. But that makes it the more likely that this is the time from which the 2300 years is to be reckoned. For we may expect that this period of 2300 years is to be the last of the prophetic periods to be fulfilled; as at the end of it all the great events accompanying the terminations of the other prophetic periods, which seem preparatory to the restoration, will probably be over, and the sanctuary shall then be cleansed.

Can any objection be urged against the event from which the commencement of the 2300 years would thus be dated? It was not a striking event in the estimation of the world; but that does not seem to be regarded by the author of prophecy. Possibly it may be for the purpose of giving us a lesson on the subject, that the 430 years which were to measure Israel's captivity in Egypt, and the termination of which is spoken of as that self-same day, and a night to be much observed, are found to begin from an event of no consequence, except as indicating the character of the treatment which the church was to expect from her adversaries-the mocking of Isaac by Ishmael. In the estimation of the Governor of the world this was of sufficient importance to stand for the beginning of the first prophetic period. Eliashib's profanation of the temple happened within the limits of the vision; and it is strikingly of the same character with the events referred to in the question and answer as to the termination of the period, all of which refer to the sanctuary; and therefore it is very reasonable to regard it as an act from which the 2300 years are to commence, if it be found otherwise suitable.

But is the event of little importance? There is one view of it which is peculiarly striking. Nehemiah's correction of this abuse, and his concurrent reformation, form the last occurrence in the history of the Old Testament. And may we not devoutly and humbly believe that God did not close the Old Testament history but with an event, the commencement of which (Eliashib's profanation) indicated that the long period during which the sanctuary was to await its cleansing, had begun to run, and the last part of which (Nehemiah's restoration of the divine worship) was typical of that glorious cleansing which was and is to be the last act of the dispensation then coming on.

G. S.

NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS.

The Aspects of Religion in the United States of America. By the Author of "The Englishwoman in America." London: Sampson Low, Son, and Co. 1859.-In the course of an hour or two the author of this book brings before the reader's eye the social and religious aspect of the United States; depicting the scenes with vigour and vivacity, and occasionally describing various incidents with much power and feeling. As the panorama moves rapidly on, every object worthy of attention is presented to us. Somewhat bewildered by the quick succession in which scene after scene has passed, we endeavour calmly to estimate how much reliance is to be placed on the representations we have received; and are inclined to think that distance has, in some instances, lent enchantment to the view. The work contains, in a pleasing form, a great amount of information, and numerous and interesting statements; still we cannot at once yield an unhesitating assent to every statement. For instance, the author remarks:-"I have no hesitation in saying, that under the voluntary system in the United States the poor are more systematically and universally sought out than under the parochial system in our English cities.".... "It is no exaggeration to state, that there is not a house in New York and Philadelphia which has not had the gospel brought within its doors, by an organised system of visitation, from which even palatial mansions are not exempt."

It would have been well if our fair author had felt some hesitation before she ventured on so formidable a statement. The Americans themselves tell a very different tale. The " Philadelphia Sunday School Times," for instance, of October 1st, 1859, pleads for a homemission for the "Fourth Ward, New York," in these terms:

"This is one of the most abandoned wards in our city. It is filled with dens of infamy, gambling hells, and sailors' lodging-houses. It contains a population of 23,000, and has but two Protestant houses of worship. This is one of the wards in which the bible is prohibited from the public schools. Even the Lord's Prayer is not read."

And then follows a picture of spiritual neglect and moral degradation which equals anything of the same kind in the worst parts of our own worst towns. It will be seen, too, that the voluntary system fails in America just where it fails in England. In the poorest neighbourhoods, where it is most wanted, it finds itself starved out, and migrates in search of better quarters:

"It is a great question what is to become of the lower wards of the city. Below Canal-street is a population of 100,000. In this section are now less than twenty churches and chapels. If crowded to their utmost they will hold about 21,000. Some of these churches are contemplating removals up town. I learn that St. John's