there could be nothing else in the mind of the sacred writer. We are thus impressively reminded, that there is but One, the fountain and the centre of being,-One for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, the great and exclusive object of religious homage, and joyful confidence to all his holy and rational creatures. But when man, in the perversity of his fallen nature, lost the knowledge of the only living and true God, he was given up to a reprobate mind, by which he transferred the homage of his supreme regards to others, and placed his confidence in a multitude of subordinate and imaginary beings, representations of which he formed with his own hands, and bowing down to them, said, "Ye are our gods."

With this extraordinary infatuation, which may be ready to fill us with astonishment, it is not merely the more brutal and uncivilized part of mankind that have been chargeable. Never did the monstrous evil prevail to a greater extent than among the refined and philosophical Greeks and Romans, who were accustomed to speak of every other nation by the name of Barbarians; and, with the exception of one little family, whom all the rest of the world had learned to despise or abhor, the whole world had received into its creed, absurdities fit to make the most illiterate Christian blush. And even in regard to that little nation, separated, as they were, from the rest of the world, with the express design of maintaining the knowledge and wisdom of the only true God, it is very humiliating to reflect, that never did the perverse tendency of the human race, towards a state of complete alienation from Him, appear in so affecting a light, as in their perpetual proneness to lapse into the idolatrous practices of those that hated and despised them. "Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord, for my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water."

That there is something analogous to this in the disposition with which idolaters, in every age, have been accustomed to pursue after the strange gods which they made for themselves, we have, to this very day, a striking evidence in the splendid monuments of the temples erected to their worship; and in the still more humiliating fact, that the Jews, as the peculiar people of God, when they became mad upon their idols, are expressly charged with having shed the blood of their own offspring in their honour; for it is expressly recorded, " Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood." Ps. cvi. 37, 38.

But some may be disposed to say, what is all

this to us? What have we, in this Christian land, to do with idols and idolatry? We can feel at once amazed and mortified, in contemplating the costly and splendid monuments which the most refined nations of antiquity had erected to the honour of their imaginary deities. We can shudder at the diabolical rites by which the smiling innocent, clinging to the hand of its parent, was thrown into the fire, in honour of Moloch. But, besides giving scope to the ordinary feelings of humanity at a spectacle so revolting, what else have we to do with idols and idolatry?

Forgive me, my brethren, if I venture to say you may have a great deal more to do with this subject than you are well aware of. We are informed, in the prophecies of Ezekiel, that when the elders of Israel came to that venerable man, with the professed design of being instructed in their duty, and were, perhaps, as much as we, prepared to say, of such gross idolatry, as had brought ruin on their country, "we are delivered from all these abominations," he was enabled to penetrate the disguise under which they tried to conceal themselves; and with the dauntless and faithful spirit of a prophet that had no other fear than the fear of God, charged them with having set up their idols in their hearts. The expression is very remarkable, and deserves our most serious consideration. We are reminded by it, that idolatry does not so much consist in forming a graven, or a molten image, before which we prostrate our bodies in the exercise of religious homage, as in the giving to any object, be it what it may, that place in the affections, which the only living and true God ought exclusively to occupy. So that, in point of fact, while we have as little fellowship with the Church of Rome, in trusting to the mediation of saints and angels, as we have with the ancient heathens, in prostrating ourselves before a statue of Dagon or Jupiter, we may no less be hastening after another god, by giving to any creature, real or imaginary, the homage of our supreme regards, in which, I conceive, the very essence of religious worship consists. An inspired apostle expressly testifies, that covetousness is idolatry; and an inordinate love of wealth, is described by another apostle, by a hasting to be rich. From whatever cause, it cannot be denied, that the eager pursuit of the world, in whatever shape it may present itself, may be regarded as the idol which has successfully mounted the throne which the Creator, Preserver, and Redeemer of his people had set up for himself. And will it be pretended, that this is at all an uncommon occurrence? Alas! we have only to look around, to be satisfied how full of such idolaters this world is. Only see how keen the devotee of the riches, the honours, or the pleasures of life, is in the pursuit of the object, call it what you will, on which he has supremely set his heart. Think how it engrosses his thoughts by night and by day. How insensibly and irresistibly it regulates the train of associated ideas! At what sacrifice of time, of health, even of moral obli

But we would not be doing justice to such a man, were there but one such present, if we left our argument here. We must apprise him, that the true God is no unconcerned spectator of what is going on among his alienated subjects. Jealousy of his own lofty prerogative in this affair, is expressly stated as the great leading reason annexed to that commandment in the decalogue which forbids idolatry, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image." In the exercise of that jealousy, he poured forth his wrath on the earth contaminated by the disaffection of our first parents, and under the tremendous effects of his curse, the whole creation, from that day to the present hour, has never ceased to groan. The earth, faithful to the bidding of her affronted and injured Lord, has never ceased to bring forth briars and thorns, that the alienated worshipper may eat his bread in the sweat of his brow and in bitter sorrow, till he returns to the dust from which he was taken. The effect of the controversy, when pleaded with particular nations, was strikingly expressed in the judgment denounced against Egypt on that memorable night when the angel of destruction passed through the land. Against all the gods of Egypt," said Jehovah, "will I execute judgment." But nowhere has the displeasure of Jehovah been more remarkably manifested against the estrangement we are at present considering, than in his conduct towards those who were taken into covenant with himself; and this may shew what we professed Christians have reason to expect if we follow the same course. It is thus written, "They provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images. When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel."-Psalm lxxviii. 58, 59. We may be permitted, to the same purpose, to quote a passage from the song of Moses: "He forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the rock of his salvation. They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger. They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not. Of the rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee. And when the Lord saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons and of his daughters. And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be; for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith. They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. I will heap mischiefs upon them; I

Now, my brethren, give me leave to ask, in conclusion, what you think must be the condition of those of whom these things are spoken? How multiplied must be the sorrows of that man on whom the arrows of the Almighty are not only shot but expended; the wretched man on whom not merely calamities fall, but mischiefs are heaped, and all this by a power that is irresistible! We may form, from such considerations, some notion of what an inspired apostle means, when he speaks of an inordinate love of the world drowning men in perdition, and of what is meant in the book of Revelation, when it is said that the smoke of idolaters ascendeth up for ever!

I

NATIVE EDUCATION IN INDIA, UNDER THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY'S INDIAN MISSION. BY THE REV. JAMES BRYCE, D.D.,

the

Late one of the Ministers of St. Andrew's Church, Calcutta.

would not be easy to convey an idea of the lamenta. regions to which the Missionary labours of the ble ignorance, degradation, and depravity, that cover Church of Scotland are now devoted. There, superstition, in the most hideous shapes, reigns triumphant ; and there may be seen, every day, thousands of human beings falling down before, and worshipping the most frightful and mis-shapen idols that imagination can picture; striving to propitiate the favour, or avert the wrath of the imaginary beings whom these idols repre sent, by rites and ceremonies the most frivolous, vicious, and sanguinary. Need I add, that from this worship has resulted a state of ignorance the most lamentable, and of morality the most humiliating? Yet the race that are thus not only buried in ignorance of all that in the daily and hourly practice, and that under the man, to be happy, ought to know and to believe, but hallowed name of religion itself, of all that can degrade and debase his nature, are, at the same time, endowed with intellectual faculties the most acute, qualifying them, whenever they will listen, to comprehend the lessons addressed to their understandings; and, moreover, with dispositions singularly tractable, and with a curiosity strongly inviting the advances of the teacher. It is, indeed, a subject of the deepest regret, that these encouragements have, in the great mass of the people, been borne down by superstitious prejudices, which it must prove no easy task to remove; and hence, undoubtedly, has arisen the slender success of the Missionary, when he has addressed himself to the crowds gathered around him in the market place and the high

way.

But a brighter prospect opens in regard to the rising generation; and it is chiefly for their benefit and instruction that the institution which the Scottish people are now called upon to assist, has been established. It is a subject of peculiar gratitude to heaven, that native youth, in a better and a purer faith and morality, while this institution avows openly the instruction of as well as in a more rational and enlightened education, it has not only met with no opposition from the parents, but has, on the contrary, experienced the support of a very large number, whose children are now attending our school, and the approbation of a still greater class, whose desire to share in its advantages we are not yet in a position to gratify. The fact, of upwards of six hundred Hindoo youth, now in daily attendance on the Assembly's school at Calcutta alone, is decisive of this

the Assembly's School. The institution is now sending forth, not scholars, but schoolmasters, from among its pupils; and the sphere of its labours and usefulness is widening all around it. These labours are, as yet, confined to the Presidency and its immediate neighbourhood; but situations the most eligible, at a distance from the seats of Government, have already presented themselves, and as public support is extended by the parent institution, and the committee at home, will also be overtaken. Besides holding out a field where we have every reason to believe that our labours will be both welcome and successful, many of them afford the advantage of a climate highly congenial to European constitutions, and consequently hold out the pleasing prospect of our Missionaries being enabled to recruit their health, when suffering under their labours in less favourable localities, without being obliged altogether to suspend these labours.

I may also mention, as a motive to still greater exertions than ever, that the eminent success of the institution at Calcutta has stirred up the friends of the Church of Scotland at Madras and Bombay, to be included in the General Assembly's scheme, which until lately has been confined to Bengal; a requisition to which the committee has most readily lent an ear. At both of these Presidencies, the Church of Scotland may, indeed, account herself fortunate, in having men zealously devoted to her interests, and distinguished among the foremost scholars in India, for their knowledge of the native character, literature, and languages; some of them, indeed, almost without rivals in these most requisite attainments. If there are any who are afraid that, by attempting too much, we may run the risk of accomplishing less than under narrower endeavours might be attainable, I would say, that the extension of the Assembly's scheme to the other Presidencies in India, has not been taken up, until so strongly demanded from these quarters, as to leave no reasonable doubts of a very liberal measure of local support, by which the services of such eminent Orientalists, and zealous and devoted Missionaries, as are now enlisted, both at Bombay and Madras, ought undoubtedly to be secured for an institution which may well be termed national. Indeed, the concentration of effort, by all the friends of true religion both at home and abroad, in aid of the Assembly's School and Mission -so peculiarly the child of the people of Scotlandis so obvious, that a doubt cannot, I think, exist as to its expediency; and we ought to regard the bringing of the Presidencies of Madras and Bombay within its pale, as a step in our progress promising the best of fruits to the natives in these parts of our eastern territories.

It is well known that the Indian institution-thus enlarged and enlarging in its sphere of duty and usefulness depends for its activity, and indeed its existence, upon the benevolence of the people of Scotland. It is a tree of their own planting; and now that it is growing up towards maturity, and affording shelter to many under its branches, whose lot has been cast in a "dry and thirsty land," thus promising so well to reward their past care, it must not be forsaken. The policy hitherto pursued by the Indian Government, has prevented any aid being given to our school from the funds provided by the Legislature for the promotion of native education. The time, I trust, will soon come, when this policy will be departed from; and it will certainly come the sooner, that we are able to prove how powerful and efficient we are, as instruments in promoting all the great objects which a British and a Christian Government of India ought to have in view. The most honourable testimony has been borne by the highest authority in India and this in the most public manner-to the preeminent ability and success that have hitherto distinguished the Assembly's School, under the able superin

To

tendence of Dr Duff, whose zeal, talents, and unwearied diligence and activity in the cause of the Indian Mission, require no eulogium from me. enable the institution still more to earn and to deserve this testimony, the exertions of the people of Scotland must not be relaxed. Let this be their encouragement, also, that as we succeed in enlightening the native mind in India, we shall prepare the people themselves for one day taking an active part in the good work, and we shall most effectually remove the difficulties that now stand in the way of our receiving assistance from the public funds. At present, the fear is entertained that, by extending this assistance to an institution avowedly teaching Christianity, the prejudices of our native subjects might be outraged, and their feelings offended. It is impossible not to respect the motives from which this cautious policy has originated; but I venture to think, that it is now acted upon to a greater extent than the necessity of the case demands. Hindu prejudices and fears upon this ground, are vanishing before the well directed and truly judicious exertions to enlighten them, which have been made by the Assembly's School: and it becomes us to take care, that Christian prejudices do not usurp their place, in tying up the hands of the State from granting the same aid to institutions where Christianity is taught, as to those from which it is excluded. But what is, perhaps, still more encouraging, as it is undoubtedly honourable to our exertions, a desire has been generated, even in the most exclusive seminary at Calcutta, to introduce into it the reading of the Christian Scriptures. Several of the native gentlemen, who are directors of the institution to which I refer, have perceived its inferiority to that of the Assembly, in bestowing instructions, in what they have penetration enough to see is a most important branch of knowledge as regards the history of the world, even without reference to the peculiar religious dogmata that are involved in it; and I certainly entertain very sanguine hopes, that the Hindu College will be soon assimilated to that of the Assembly, in putting the Bible into the hands of its pupils, were it merely as a historical record, well entitled to their attention. But should this happy period be more remote than I would fondly anticipate, it is obvious, that as we succeed, under the blessing of God, in removing the prejudices that now stand in our way, and directing the feelings, that now obstruct us, into a proper channel, new sources of pecuniary support will open to us. Already have we succeeded in so far overcoming these difficulties, that the demands for admission into our school are more than can be answered. Besides the six or eight hundred youths now receiving education under our Missionaries, it ought to be borne in mind that there are many thousands, equally anxious to enter the institution, whom we are as yet unable to overtake. The Church of Scotland cannot be otherwise than thankful to heaven, for having been enabled, by the bounty of the people of Scotland, to do so much as she has accomplished; but she cannot shut her eyes to how little that is, compared with the vast field for moral and religious cultivation that lies before her in India. The occupation of this field, to a greater and greater extent, depends on the permanence and extension of that liberal support, which has hitherto enabled her to do so much, as already to have commanded the applause of both the European and native population of India. If this support is not withheld, but farther and farther extended, as her labours more and more expand, the honourable position which she has attained among the bodies devoted to the extension of moral and religious knowledge over our Eastern empire, will assuredly be sustained; and, we trust, rendered still more conspicuous by her continued and increasing success, until, under the blessing of an allwise and all-disposing Providence, the ignorance and superstition, which now overshadow so many of the