though perhaps in their nature of less consequence to mankind than the most common circumstance that could happen.

At first, the occurrence of an unexpected and striking appearance directed attention to some event then in progress; and was supposed to influence, or at least foretell its issue. The transition from this to another idea, that such an event could not happen without being foretold, led to a particular watch after extraordinary appearances. When such things are looked after, they are sure to be found; for the wonders of nature are in abundance, and all its appearances may be accounted wonderful, in different senses; indeed, according to the eye of wisdom or ignorance with which they are viewed. But to discover wonders without being able to explain them, would be useless, and would confer no superiority on the observer.

As popular opinions would naturally become an object of attention to the supreme power, striking appearances in nature, that influence such opinions, may well be supposed to have soon attracted the notice of governors; who would take care to appoint those to observe, whom they imagined also most competent to explain; and as all men are not equally skilful in every department of science, we are thus able to account for the division of divination into the departments of aeromancy, geomancy, pyromancy, and hydro

mancy.

Those who now-a-days speak of circumstances being auspicious to their wishes, have no idea of expressing by these words what was formerly intended, that the birds had been observed, and that their actions were on the fortunate side: ab avibus inspiciendis. Aruspiceo in like manner was, from observation of the altar; augura (ab avium garritu) from the chattering of birds. The ridiculous excess to which things of this sort was carried among the wisest people on earth, is a satire on the human kind. The Romans, the greatest masters of state policy in the world, carried chickens with them in their expeditions by land and sea, in order to be guided by them in their proceedings;, and so strong was popular opinion, that an unfavourable eircumstance from this source would sink the spirits of the bravest people on earth. Claudius Pulcher, in the reign of Tiberius, seeing the enemy's fleet advancing, threw grains to the chickens, that by their eating he might be able to form an opinion of the event of the action. When, however, they refused their food, he threw them into the sea, saying, that at least they should

102.-VOL. IX.

drink their fill for this action a grave historian considered him guilty of contempt of religion. The feeding, the gait, the voice, the flight, the state of the entrails, of birds, had each its particular signification. That jealous tyrant Tiberius forbade these things from being observed by private individuals, without witnesses: an order strikingly descriptive of the state of popular opinion, that could make ideas grounded on such foundations a subject of any consequence. We smile at this: yet without going far from home, we can find something not only like it, but derived from the same source.

Throughout Europe, and the whole of Turkey, a blessing is invoked on those who may chance to sneeze; and the blessing is deemed more efficacious if the individual is saluted by name, This custom was observed by the Romans, for Pliny inquires the reason of it; and Aristotle mentioning the same observance, says, it is an augural sign, divine and holy, The hand and forehead were minutely inspected in augury; from whence we conclude that our modern gipsies have classical authority for the practice of cheiromancy.

Of necromancy, or divination by means of the dead, we know but little; though of one kind, that of raising the spirits of departed men, we have an account in Homer's Odyssey; and of another sort, the using of the deceased body, there is a particular description in Heliodorus's Ethiopics; but on what authority is uncertain. Much of the magic art was built on an opinion which some very able men in modern days have strenuously defended; namely, that sympathy exists between certain substances of a similar nature, or that have become accidentally connected. The famous chemist, Sir Kenelm Digby, was a believer in this doctrine; and the practice now existing among the lower orders of people, of keeping clean, warm, and otherwise particularly attending to metallic instruments that have inflicted a wound, is a relic of the same.

In pagan times, prayers were offered to the deity supposed to preside over the person or thing intended to be influenced; and as these prayers were supposed to have no efficacy unless they were in verse, and sung, we have thus the origin of the word charm (carmen, a song) and enchant (to sing.) We have a fine specimen of such an invocation in Virgil's eighth Eclogue: a piece that derives additional value from the fact, that the author's father was one of this profession, and probably had communicated some know

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The art of medicine was supposed to derive its efficacy from the influence of the heavenly orbs, with which the deities were in intimate union, on the human body, and on drugs, whether mineral or vegetable. The growth and declension of a vegetable, the circulation of its sap, were under the influence of the host of heaven; and in order to produce its proper effect, should be gathered and employed when these influences were most favourable; the proper ceremonies must accompany the use, of which song (carmen) formed a chief part, to propitiate the presiding demon on whose presence in the drug its virtues depended. Hence, a physician was necessarily an enchanter. A knowledge of astronomy was necessary to ascertain the proper season for procuring and administering medicines; and hence, in the titles of physicians of the first reputation, three hundred years since, the name of astrologer found a distinguished place.

Man himself was not thought to be exempt from the influence of demons; on the contrary, maniacal insanity, now supposed to be merely a disease of the body, was in the middle ages universally attributed to possession by an evil spirit. This idea might perhaps have been harmless, if it had not given rise to another, that led to the most cruel treatment of the insane. For as it was considered that no evil spirit could take up its abode in the human body, unless by the consent of the person possessed, the most probable method of persuading the unfortunate individual to repent of that consent, was to make him feel the smart of it; and hence the cure was attempted by the dungeon and the whip. If this did not expel the devil, it had at least the good effect of inflicting deserved punishment on the sufferer for his previous consent. The church of Rome adopted a more lenient method of proceeding, when it instituted an official service for the expulsion of demons.

sibility of obedience to the law of nature, I am far from asserting, as J. G. insinuates every opposer of his doctrine must do, that there is "another Saviour than Jesus Christ;" on the contrary, I strenu→ ously maintain, that although the law is perfectly adequate to the purposes for which the infinite wisdom of its divine Author ordained it, yet as no child of fallen Adam, that we know of, hath ever so perfectly fulfilled the dictates of that law, as to be able, upon the ground of his obedience, to lay claim to eternal life; so both Jew and Gentile, as well as believers in Jesus, must be indebted to the atonement, intercession, and regene-` rating grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the influence of the Holy Spirit, and the mercy of God, as the only efficient means, (though unperceived by some of them,) whereby they can obtain both a title to, and a qualification for, the possession of eternal life. And it is against the cruel, the unjust, and the unscriptural restraint and limitation of those blessings to the Christian dispensation, and to its enlightened subjects, as attempted by J. G., that I enter my protest.

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In his 4th paragraph, J. G. asserts, that "the superior excellency of Christianity" is depreciated, if not destroyed, by the admission of "the doctrine of the salvation of the heathen by the law of nature:" a consequence, however, which by no means results from the premises; and if it did, the objection would equally lie against Adamic perseverance, as against the obedience of Adam's posterity to the law of nature. But I readily admit, that although our first parents, and possibly some of their posterity also, might have obtained eternal life by obedience to the law of nature, yet the salvation which results from the mediation of Christ on our behalf, is enhanced, through his transcendent merits, to "a far more exceeding and eternal weight of celestial glory, than any, the most perfect works of man, would have procured from the just judgment of God, in favour of their authors; and in this opinion I presume every friend of the doctrine I am endeavouring to support, will most cheerfully join. This objection therefore of J. G.'s falls to the ground.

HEATHEN FROM SALVATION. (Concluded from col. 448.) BUT, sir, while I thus contend for the wisdom, truth, and consistency of the

the interests of Christianity, by the paralyzation of missionary exertions on behalf of the heathen, if the fact of their salvability by obedience to the law of nature

were admitted. But these fears, sir, are entirely groundless and visionary; and for this plain reason, viz. because that whatever powers God hath originally planted in the human mind, calculated to produce and cherish, in it a knowledge of himself, from the evidences of the exterior creation, and by analogy of reason, thence to deduce the principles of love, obedience, and confidence, as due from a rational and dependent creature, towards his benevolent Creator; (which are the fundamental principles of all natural religion;) yet these powers, for want of cultivation and improvement, are found dormant and inoperative in the savage mind of the unenlightened heathen; and the first principles of religion are nearly extinguished in his soul: and hence he is a most proper subject for the operation of christian principles, and a most interesting and suitable object of christian charity. For it is not what the heathen might have been, had he faithfully improved the gracious advantages granted to him, above the brute creation; but what he has rendered himself by his disobedience to the purer dictates of the divine law written upon his heart, that constitutes his present want of christian instruction, and his consequent claim upon christian benevolence, exemplified in missionary exertions. And hence, those exertions will never be depressed by the admission of the fact, that the law of nature, if properly understood, assiduously cultivated, and universally practised, would have taught its subjects the very same fundamental principles of holiness, which Christianity brings to their ears, and implants in their hearts. One grand source of J. G.'s erroneous views of this important subject, appears to be, his inattention to the coincidence which subsists between the principles of natural and revealed religion. As these both spring from the same divine source, so there must be a perfect coincidence of principles between them and hence a considerable part of J. G.'s grand error consists in placing them in opposition to each other. By natural religion," I mean the religion contained in the moral law, as written upon every human heart by the Spirit of God, under the universal operation of the covenant of redemption. By revealed religion, under the christian dispensation, I understand the forgiveness of the transgressions against natural religion, (perpetrated in the violation of its obligations upon mankind,) by virtue of the sacrificial atonement of Jesus Christ, and the restoration of the human soul to the

forfeited favour and lost image of God, by faith; and added to these, the re-establishment of "righteousness, peace, and joy," in the hearts of its happy subjects. In these two religions it is easy to trace the features of a strong family resemblance; and as they both spring from the same fountain, so they lead to the same end, viz. eternal life, and everlasting felicity. A circumstantial difference, however, may be recognized between them, although they are essentially the same: that difference is simply this,-the practice of natural religion, is properly the righteousness of man; whereas the experience and practice of genuine Christianity, is emphatically styled "the righteousness of God;" see Rom. iii. 21, 22. 2 Cor. v. 21, &c; because, as I apprehend, it is God himself, who, by his Spirit, works in the heart of the christian believer, "both to will and to do of his good pleasure," Philip. i. 13. This important distinction St. Paul clearly recognizes, when he prays "that he may be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness, which is of either the moral or ceremonial law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is (received) from God by faith;" Philip. iii. 9... While, therefore, the christian missionary preaches the same gospel which St. Paul preached, J. G. need be under no apprehensions that the religion of nature will counteract or subvert that of the Son of God! Nor will the mis. sionary be either deterred or discouraged in the prosecution of his arduous labours, by the consideration that in preaching Christ to the heathen who is sunk in sin, and wallowing in iniquity, he is laying the best foundation for the re-establishment in his benighted heart, of "the righteousness of that law," which St. Paul declares is "fulfilled in the believer in Jesus," who, walks not after the flesh, but after the spirit," Rom. viii, 4., that is, the moral law in its last, its best, and its purest edition; but still it is only the perfection of the same law which infinite wisdom originally engraved on the heart of the natural man the law of love."

In col. 326, J. G. asserts "that the doctrine of the salvation of the heathen in their present state, has acquired so great a prevalency in our day, that those who formerly contemplated their spiritual condition with emotions of the deepest commiseration, now behold it with an apparent apathy." If this be the fact, (of which however I never before heard ;) it argues either gross ignorance or con

erectors of the altar inscribed "TO THE UNKNOWN - GOD," (ver. 23.) as well as numerous other upright heathens, that al though their dispensation afforded them not the explicit knowledge of the true God, either by name, or in respect to all his divine perfections; yet they knew so much of him, as to enable them to offer unto him that kind of worship, and that degree of service, which, under all the circumstances, he was pleased to accept as the best they were then capable of. They "feared God, and worked righteousness," according to the light they had; and we are assured that "the times of this," their comparative "ignorance, God winked at:" (Acts xvii. 30.) that is, he passed it by, and pardoned it, through the all-prevailing mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ; and in consideration of the defective means which their dispensation afforded of acquiring explicit knowledge of the nature of God, and of the moral obligations which, as his intelligent offspring, they were under, to love and obey him. And hence, J. G.'s "mournful conclusion, (col. 330.) that there are but faint hopes regarding the salvation of the heathen"-must give place to the cheering expectation, that the mercy of God, co-operating with the merits of Christ will produce a rich and copious harvest of glorified spirits, from even the arid and dreary regions of heathen morality. For, whatever J. G. may say or think to the contrary, I will glory on behalf of the heathen world, in the important seriptural truth, that "The living God is the Saviour of all men, (though) especially of those that believe." 1 Tim. iv. 10.

Before I conclude, sir, I must beg leave particularly to notice one observation of J. G. which appears to call for animadversion. The passage alluded to, occurs in col. 330, and runs thus:-Speaking of the improbability of the salvation of the heathen, J. G. says, "Comparing, however, the palpable evidence for and against their salvation, the latter appears most manifestly to preponderate. At all events, as one view of the subject may be attended with incalculable evil to a vast number of the human race; and as the other in the very nature of things cannot possibly be so; it will be our wisdom to speak and act agree ably to the latter." On this, I remark, 1st, I presume J. G. intends here to say, that the evidence against the possibility of

that, when you can at once consider the interests of the Athenians at home, in Egypt, and in Sicily, it is not too much for the Divine wisdom to take care of the universe. These reflections will soon convince you that the greatness of the Divine mind is such, as at once to see all things, be present every where, and direct all the affairs of the world."

the salvation of any heathen, as such, appears to preponderate. I trust, sir, Í have shewn the contrary of this assertion, clearly, from the unequivocal testimony of scripture. And, 2dly, I apprehend also, that it is J. G.'s "view of the subject," and not mine, that "may be attended with incalculable evil to a vast number of the human race," for if his view of it be correct, it shuts out many billions of the race of Adam from the possibility of eternal salvation-while my view of it, throws open the door of that salvation to Jew and Gentile, as such, under their peculiar dispensations, where the name of Christ has never been heard; at the same time that it gives to the superior dispensation of Christianity, all that transcendent glory, with which the wisdom and power of God have invested it. I remain, sir,

LETTER OF ADVICE TO A YOUNG MAN,

OCCASIONALLY A PREACHER.

'Gutta cavat lapidem, non vé, sed sæpe cadendo.' Ovid. THE work of preaching the gospel, which you have lately undertaken, is not more honourable than it is difficult. Upon you especially, it will press with extraordinary weight, by reason of your secular engagements. To discharge the duties of an evangelist with fidelity, acceptance, and success, is sufficiently difficult to those who are wholly devoted to the work; but how unspeakably more so must, it be to one, who, like you, is employed the greatest part of the six days in temporal business, and whose thoughts must, of course, frequently lie in a direction altogether distant from preaching. A peculiar difficulty arises to the occasional preacher, from the manifest dissimilarity that there is between things sacred and secular. When, during the whole week, his hands and head are engaged in worldly affairs, he will find no small difficulty on the sabbath-day, to command that fixation of thought and spirituality of mind, which are requisite to the edifying and comfortable performance of his ministerial work; it is a transition to which the mind is naturally repugnant, especially if not deeply imbued with the spirit of piety.

Let not my young friend, however, be discouraged; for, notwithstanding his disadvantages, he may, by God's assistance, in conjunction with his own endeavours, become, what many others have become before him--an able and successful minister of the gospel. Though you cannot expect to become so profoundly learned as those