amangst whom he was always happy to converse upon the subject of Christ's religion."

Mr. John states that the new edition of the Old Testament had lately been finished in their Malabar printing press, which they had been enabled to accomplish by means of the printing paper sent out by the Society.

Two Missionaries, the Rev. Mr. Ringeltaube and the Rev. Mr. Holzbergh, were this year sent out to India by the Society. An able charge was given to them by the Rev. Mr. Owen, formerly one of the Company's Chaplains in Bengal, and now Chaplain-General of the Navy and Army. He exhibits in it some striking views of Hindoo superstition.

"Where shall we look for the morals of this people? Among their Bramins? They who officiate at the great pagodas are licentious, and eager for gain to an incredible extent. The unbounded superstition of the people protects them in their vices. In this respect, it would be difficult to say, whether their priestcraft has been more fatal to themselves, or to their followers. Will you seek for morals among their myriads of Fakirs and travelling saints? It is common to see one of these extorting money from the reluctant manufacturer by a torrent of obscenity in which he insults him, and the threat of curses which no Hindoo will incur.

"Will you inquire among their merchants, or manufacturers, or landholders? The great feature in a Hindoo's character is the desire of amassing wealth: this he does with a cold, unfeeling perseverance, that baffles all consideration of morals or humanity. The rich are oppressive; the poor are knavish : it is craft against violence. Their avarice is connected with parsimony; and hence, as from other causes, they are free from much of the luxury of their Mahometan in

vaders, who to equal avarice united boundless profusion.

"Can it be asserted their superstitions are harmless? Their religion has inculcated human sacrifices; and they appear yet to exist under different forms. The number of widows who perish on the funeral pile, or are buried alive in the same grave with their husbands, is as great as ever. To their superstition, among many other injurious customs, may be ascribed their laying the sick at the edge of the river in all seasons, when the opinion, or whim, or interest of his relations may suggest that a man is near death. To this may be ascribed their base subjection to those who assume dominion over their conscience. No human vigilance can long keep all parts of a family. from some ceremonial impurity that may affect its honour: nothing can exceed the secrecy and certainty with which a certain order of Bramins obtain information of what is amiss, or the address with which they turn the terror of their records to their own purpose.

"All false religious have been accommodated to the corruption of human creatures, by whom nothing is less sought than justice or purity of heart. It has ever been bodily exercise that profiteth little,' instead of godliness that is profitable to all things. The people of India have indeed line upon line to make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter! But is that superstition harmless by which a man would sanctify unjust gain by giving part of it to an idol, or purify his soul as he washes his body in the Ganges? I have seen them shew strong symptoms of uneasiness when urged on this side; and no wonder."

He adds in a note

"The officers who led back the Bengal troops by Jagernaut, at the close of the last war, indulged the Hindoos in their earnest desire of visiting this celebrated place of worship, the resort of men from the

extremities of India. On their approach to the temple, they passed by an enclosure white with the bones of wretched pilgrims, who, exhausted with fatigue and poverty, had died under the delays and extortions of the Bramius. The sight occasioned a shout of indignation.

"The modes of extortion used at Gaiah, a place of famous resort within our provinces, are extremely whimsical. Among others, they will bind rich persons with a wreath of fowers, to a tree, till they have agreed to pay such sums as they are fold it is their duty to pay, and, which are often enormous.'

(To be continued)

To the Editor of the Christian Observer. I AM Sorry that I cannot entertain so very high an opinion of the authority of the Jewish historian as your correspondent ANOTHER IN QUIRER; who appears to deem a contradiction of Josephus scarcely a less misdemeanor, than a coutradiction of Scripture itself.

For my own part, as I have some serious doubts respecting that writer's assertion, that the four rivers, which once met all together in Paradise, are the Ganges, the Euphrates, the Tigris, and the Nile, though such might very possibly be the traditional belief of his countrymen; because I cannot help wondering, how in the world they all got there: so I have likewise ven, tured to impugn his other assertion, though probably he might have no less Judaical authority for it, that the Scythians were the children of Magog; simply because I find it contradicted by direct evidence. To enter, however, into the detail of this evidence would not be suitable, to the plan of a periodical publication: I shall, therefore, not trouble you with it.

In reply to my remark, that a primeval national settlement of the Scythians in Europe would necessarily have proved them to be Ja

petidæ, I am indebted to your correspondent for the highly origi nal though somewhat irrelevant information, that all mankind came in the first instance out of Asia. My obligation to him would be increas ed, if he would tell me where he has found the proofs that the great Sclavonic house is descended from the old Scythians: I have not hitherto, in the course of my reading, been fortunate enough to meet with them. I must not unfairly ask him to demonstrate a negative: otherwise, while he is about the matter, I would request a proof that the Goths are not the descendants of the Scythians. With respect to this point, however, I can venture to assure him, that the relationship of our brave ancestors to that wise

and powerful people does not hang upon quite so slender a thread as he seems to imagine.

I here close my correspondence; the sole object of which was to shew the danger of interpreting genealogical prophecies without first carefully studying the pedi grees of nations: whence I would caution your readers against too hastily admitting Mr. Penn's extraordinary view of the predictions relative to Gog and Magog.

AN INQUIRER.

easy and natural manner by simply altering the accents, and writing it thus αύτη.

It is well known, that in the most ancient manuscripts written in uncials or capitals, without points or accents, the word is ambiguous, and therefore the alteration that I propose is perfectly allowable. Let us then consider how the sense of the passage will be affected by it.

The primary object of our Lord in this prophecy was doubtless to forewarn his disciples of the approaching destruction of Jerusalem. This he does in the fullest and plainest manner, in the preceding part of the chapter to the end of the 23d verse. In the 24th verse he concludes this account by the following declaration: “ And they (i. e. the Jews) shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations." He then inmediately adds, "and Jerasalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled;" viz. till the 2300 years of the duration of the Roman Empire, or, what amounts to the same thing, till the 1260 of the Antichristian Apostacy are completed. After their expiration, he informs us, "there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth." In these words we read a most accurate description of the events of the last twenty years. Have we not seen great and mighty empires, which formerly shone like suns in the political firmament, either eclipsed or set in total darkness? Have we not seen the minor

That this is the right interpretation is evident from the 2d verse of the 11th chapter of Rev. where it is expressly asserted, that the Holy City, i. e. Jerusalem shall be trodden under foot of the Gentiles, forty and two months, or 1260 prophetic days.

and dependant states falling like stars from heaven? Have we not seen upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;" innumerable and furious multitudes madly rushing to destroy each other? Ånd let me ask, is there an individual to be found, whose heart has not failed him for fear, and for looking after those things that were coming on the earth? If then these things are so, oh sir! let us take to ourselves the encouraging declaration with which the whole concludes, "When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." Verily I say unto you, that generation shall not pass away till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away."

But let us consider the precise meaning of the words; and is it not clearly this; that all these great and awful events shall occupy a space of time less than a generation? Now a generation we know by the consent of all chronologers is thirtythree years and a half; and we likewise know from the book of Daniel, that the time of the end, in which all these great events are to be accom> plished, is precisely thirty years; or three and a half years less than a generation. So accurately true are the words of our Redeemer, so appropriate was the confession of his enemies themselves, he spake as never man spake. Well indeed might he conclude with that decisive asseveration. "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away" and well may we rely on his never-failing promise, that, "to those who look for him, he will appear the second time without sin unto salvation."

* The word aury is so rendered by our own translators in the 38th verse of the 2d chapter of this Gospel, xas aûîn aûrý Tỷ

iwisata," and she coming in at that instant." The same translation is applicable also to Matt. xxiv. 34. Mark xiii. 30,

I shall conclude by observing, that, according to the view I have just taken of the prophecy, of these thirty years, twenty-two are already past, and that only eight remain to be fulfilled: "Watch ye, therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to stand before the Son of Man,' "Lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth NIGH!"

C. O.

the law prevail, there are mere Ishmaels, conceived of God's right seed, even as Ishmael was conceived of Abraham, hearing the word and preaching, and talking more about it than true and right Christians; but not sincere. They stumble on the law of works, they attempt every thing with their own free-will, and leave themselves, to its guidauce. They have God's commands before them, and pass a plausible kind of life in the eye of the world, which no one can particularly

MEN are very unwilling to bear with the failings of others; but every one in fact almost requires of others that they be perfect. Still men think of this duty of forbearance, and one will say here and another there, that he has overcome his dislikes, and cultivates friendship and harmony with those around him. But when such persons have deserted their neighbours and rejected them, they contrive to flatter themselves, and say, they do it for the love of righteousness, and be cause they do not wish to be acquainted with wicked people, but only with pious and good men like themselves; and thus really neglect the duty of bearing with the weak. This evil prevails most in those who are somewhat different from the generality, and follow a decent kind of life, and have more grace than others. These are apt to swell and hold up their heads. Whatever is not like them is odious. They condemn it: they despise it-and consider themselves as the only favourites in the house.

So then, brethren, we are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free.-Gal. iv. 31.

Where persons who build upon

the bond-woman; for there is no promise of God's word in their It is a work of nature. God's grace religion. It is all flesh and blood. has wrought nothing. There is no faith in the heart, by which they might be delivered from the law. They are therefore nothing more than Ishmaels.

For whatsoever is not of faith is sin.-Rom. xiv. 23.

We must learn to judge aright what it is that makes a work really good, that it proceeds from God's Spirit; and not to consider so much how long or great or difficult it is, or who has done it; but, scattering all this to the wind, to see whether God has commanded it and it is done in faith. For that is the standard, and measure, and weight by which God measures and weighs all works. Wherefore if it is not of faith and God's word, even though it should be raising the dead or living as chaste and pure as the blessed Virgin, it is yet nothing better before God than open sin and shame.

Blessed is he who hath not seen and yet hath believed.-John xx. 29.

My beloved Philip*, the end and eveut of things trouble you. But this would I say to you, even if I could comprehend them, I should be unwilling to have a haud in managing affairs; much less would

• Melancthon,

I be the head or beginner of them. God has placed you in a situation, where you find nothing in your rhetoric, and nothing in your philosophy to help you. This situa tion requires faith, in which all those things stand, which we can neither see nor comprehend. He who will make all things visible, and glaring, and comprehensible, as you do, has sorrow of heart and mourning for his reward, as you also have much against my will.

The stone which the builders refus ed, is become the head of the corThis is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. --Psalm exviii. 22, 23.

ner.

These words are soon learnt and said; and how finely and well I could do this, my books shew. But when the conflict comes on, that I must grapple with the devil, sin, death, the world, and all extremities, and there is no help, relief, nor comfort but from this Cornerstone; then I truly find what I am able to do, and what a science it is to believe in Christ. I then see well what David meant in these words, It is marvellous in our eyes.

FAMILY SERMONS. No. LXXIII. Matt. xxvi. 41.-Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. SOME persons are ready to pray against temptation, but are not sufficiently watchful against falling into it; others watch and use endeavours against it, but do not lay much stress upon the efficacy of prayer. Both these descriptions of persons are wrong. The command of our blessed Lord unites both prayer and watching. "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation."

There has ever been an unhappy propensity in men to separate the truths which God has united; to set up one as it were in opposition to another; to establish a system in which one is studiously exalted,

while the other has little stress laid upon it. But such a disposition argues both a narrowness of mind, which takes only a partial view of truth, and also a want of proper reverence for the declarations of God, which are intended not to be opposed to each other, but to be believed and obeyed. Thus our Lord declares that both watching and prayer are necessary to enable us to resist temptation; and experience will fully justify the wisdom either depends upon prayer, withof his declarations; for whoever out vigilance, or upon his own endeavours, without fervent prayer, will assuredly find that he cannot stand in the hour of trial.

"

It is true, indeed, that all power to resist sin proceeds from God only; and if our own endeavours were to be set in opposition to his grace, there could be no question upon the subject; or if prayer were considered as interesting us in the power of God, and vigilance esteemed only as the effect of human effort, there could, in this case, be no doubt which would be the most effectual agent in resisting sin. But this would not be a correct representation of the case. Vigilance ought to be esteemed as much a means appointed by God, and the exercise of it as much the

effect of his grace, as prayer. The course in which God pleases to communicate his grace, embraces equally prayer and exertion. We must, therefore, use both in dependance on him.

I. We must pray that we may not enter into temptation-i. e. that we may not be tempted at all; or, if exposed to temptation, that we may be enabled to withstand it.

Now, in order that we may pray aright, several things are necessary. 1. Our prayer must be founded in a deep sense of the evil of sin.Whoever is insensible to the evil of sin, cannot pray with sincerity and earnestness to be delivered from it. Even he who only dreads the consequences of sin, without hating the