THE ANCIENT PEOPLE OF GOD.

WHILE age after age has passed on, rolling the billows of has passed on, rolling the billows of Time each into his appointed lot, while man, like the insect of a day, has fluttered on his little day, where have been those great events fulfilling the prophecies which said they should be, have any failed, has one been found to fail, has the great chain once been broken fulfilling the will of the Mighty Mind who inspired it?

Years have rolled on, empires have crumbled to the dust, dynasties have ceased to be, nations have been buried to rise no more, the crown has fallen from the aged head, the oppressor has grasped the much wished for rule, tyranny has had her short-lived sway, yet where has the word of prophecy not been verified as these passed on in the day of Time? where are the mighty conquerors of the east? all gone: where the mighty emperors of the west? gone, and all their greatness gone: where the sovereigns of earth's earliest empires? gone, all gone: vain in their most dazzling splendour, low on the highest pinnacle of their greatness; dust has been gathered to the dust of earth, and the splendid mementos of their power have but remained to tell us that man has lived, and man has long since died.

Yet though earth has returned to that from which it was taken, and the mighty revolutions of Time have gone their round, no word of prophecy has failed, and from our Saviour himself we learn that no word of phecy shall fail.

pro

Can we wonder then that the people, the chosen people of God, the people "still beloved for the fathers' sake," look with the mistrust and suspicion upon us as they do, and upon our belief with incredulity, wondering at our inconsistency and the contradictions we affirm; with one hand we offer them the word of prophecy and tell them to search and think with us; with the other we present to them our own incredulity to stop their believing all, to prevent their believing the whole

of it.

Though we may look with horror upon the wickedness of the infidel, and be startled at his daring profaneness, we are perhaps taking steps to arrive at his state, of which when setting out we little think: and what then can the Hebrew people think of us, hearing us professing Christianity, believing in some parts of its faith, yet rejecting others; receiving Christ as the Messiah, yet refusing to believe the predictions that they shall be gathered under Him as their great Head, again a chosen nation under the same great King who has already ruled them.

And yet it is declared, unhesitatingly declared, that this will not be, and by Christians whose practice would lead to the belief that none of the great truths of Christianity were slightly valued by them, so decidedly avowed by some Christians that even those of the same faith long accustomed to believe that every part of the word of God must be true as His word,-although the finite capacity of man may not understand all its great mysteries, and the understanding of man may not be enlightened to know the exact times and seasons of the events therein declared-if even they turn to ponder over those truths of which they have never had a shadow of doubt, to make the assurance in their belief still

more sure, what must the wavering, doubting Israelite think? Truly we may well say, when hearing the meaning of this plain truth so turned to suit man's prejudices," that man hath sought out many inventions."

And we forget if we begin by rejecting this truth we deny the omniscience of God, who has revealed in language so plain that all who will may read that it shall be, and if we deny this attribute of the Almighty, we may also deny His omnipotence to bring these great events to pass, and every other of His attributes, until at length we arrive at the climax of the infidel, that there is no God.

Independent of the effects of this upon their own minds, such believers are little aware of its effect upon those who are concerned with ourselves in the great events to come, and with whom, notwithstanding all their tradition, the monstrous doctrines of their Talmud, and their determined blindness, this great truth has ever stood forth with striking prominence; to be united under one King, to reign at their ancient city, has ever been the hope of the people of Israel; scattered sheep to be once again gathered under one Shepherd has ever been a support in the darkest of their days of woe: and why is the Christian, now that the shade is passing from their minds to affirm, that this shall not be, that their hope is without foundation, their belief wrongly established.

As to the change under which that state of things shall be is not the point in question, but to be openly declared that they shall not be gathered under one King, the righteous Branch of David, and that by Christians who believe in the other prophecies is a painful subject of surprise and awe, surprise at their rejecting the concluding subjects of prophecy, the summing up of all its great and glorious events-and awe at the dreadful increase of that infidel power which is declared in the latter days of the world shall entangle in its errors even some of those who appear the most devotedly opposed to it.

And strange, and almost incredible, must it appear that those who receive one part of Scripture should reject the remainder, often separating the same prophecy, often believing in the first clause, yet rejecting the latter, though both are dictated by the same great Being, receiving one part as to be, and the remainder as not to be fulfilled; as for instance, the words of Jeremiah, upon which, with other portions of the same word, the Israelites have built their hopes of future peace, happiness, and exaltation; "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name, whereby he shall be called, the Lord our righteousness," And in Isaiah "The government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever:" and yet many, very many, will believe in the first of these passages, that Judah and

Israel shall but enjoy the gospel privileges of the Christian, and shall not have a King to reign over them: and in the latter, that He, of whom the prophecy was written, is the Mighty God, but that He shall not reign up. on the throne of David, to establish it with justice; how strange, that while the pride of man will bow to believe in the Divinity of Christ and his power to save, that its prejudices will not bow to the belief in Him as a King with power to reign.

Independent of the wickedness of such belief is it not cruel now, at the present great crisis, when, with the termination of their last year terminated the hopes of great portion of the Jewish nation as to the appearance of the Messiah; when the great period predicted by one of their most esteemed Rabbies many hundred years ago as the time when He should come is now closed, and when consequently the doubts are still more strong in their minds either that He has already appeared, and that the despised Jesus of Nazareth is their long-looked for Messiah; or, that the prophecies, as also the predictions and traditions of their Rabbies-which like those of another faith are held to be of far greater importance than the word of God,-must be untrue, and may all be untrue, for if one is so what ground have they or we for believing all are not, and consequently carrying up the argument arrive at the conclusion that there is no God?

Now, more especially does the belief, and declaration of such belief, in Christians tend to throw a stumbling block in the way of the Hebrew people, even when they begin to believe, from the fulfilment of so many of their prophecies, that Christ is the Messiah, His divine nature is one of their greatest difficulties in seeing clearly; they can far sooner believe Him to be the Son of David than they can the Son of God. Why then should we seek to overthrow the first dawnings of their belief by affirming that He is the Son of God, but not the Righteous Branch of David, that shall reign, and instead of shewing to them that from their prophecies alone, independent of the New Testament, that we believe He shall appear again as God, and reign at Jerusalem as God, and a theocracy again be established, and man, as the Son of David, whose son it is declared shall reign for ever in "the holy mountain of the Lord:" we place before them difficulties, of which they may well say to the Missionaries, and to those interested in their welfare, "How can Christians expect us to believe that their Messiah is ours, when, in the same prophecies, which you desire to prove to us it is shewn He is, and that His Divinity is established, you reject the same prophecies that He shall reign over us, as the Righteous Branch of David in our ancient and beloved city;" and if it is long before they can discern that under the name of Christians are those who profane it by their profession, who are openly idolaters, and who are also at heart infidels, it is still longer before they can understand why, among conscientious Christians, they should retain a disbelief of part of the word of God, and a separation in its promahecies, which to them, when awakening, appear as clear the se connected as any other portion of the Scriptures. clude av ungrateful are we to this people; through them, escendants of Abraham, every "nation of the * Phil. iii. § be blessed," and what nation, family, or

individual of earth is not blessed if they will accept the benefits arising from our Saviour's death. From the Jews, therefore, every nation of the earth, and we consequently among them are blessed, for our Saviour was a Jew.

And as by Him we receive the full benefits of redemption, so through Him we receive every blessing which arises to us from life itself, for what blessing would life have been to any human creature, if the immortal spirit was but to live here that it might eternally die hereafter; as from Him therefore proceeds the blessing of redemption, so on Him therefore hangs every hope of life, peace, and exaltation hereafter, every benefit, every hope, then is derived from One, who, in his human nature, was a Jew.

And it may be enquired could He, in whom was found no guile, and "in whose mouth was no deceit," have countenanced the belief of His people on the fulfilment of the prophecy of Zechariah," Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold thy King cometh unto thee," when they exclaimed, "Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord:" would He have countenanced such belief, would He not rather, were the same scenes to be again acted, exclaim to those in our own day who refuse to receive Him as a King, and seek to influence the belief of others; would He not probably reply to them as to the openly professed disbelievers in that day, “I tell you that if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out."

Could He, who Truth himself spake but the words of Truth? could He, who suffering from the malignity of him, who is described in scripture as "the father of lies ?" could He have permitted even Pilate to have continued in the belief that He was a King if He were not so; still less knowing that belief would lead Pilate to act as he did by proclaiming, not alone to the Jewish, but to the Greek and Roman people assembled at Jerusalem, "This is the King of the Jews," still less would He have allowed the error to have been proclaimed when death had sealed the costly sacrifice, and when the hearts of those who had trusted "it had been He who should have redeemed Israel," were led to look forward for His kingdom of glory? It was impossible. He who spake no word but truth could not have coun tenanced error. Therefore as those who will not be lieve this great part of the Christian faith imply an error, either in themselves or in the words of Christ, let them ask themselves which becometh most the state of man: to suppose and believe an error and deceit in the Creator and Saviour of the world; or a great want of faith, and great self-deceit in their own blind and prejudiced hearts when they refuse to receive Jesus as the King of the Jews."

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October 17, 1839.

SCRIPTURE PORTRAITS.

No. v.

THE FIRST ARTIFICERS.

THE first artificers of whom we read in the mot ancient, as well as the most authentic and accurate of all histories, are recorded as having lived in a ver early period of the world. In the fourth chapter of

Genesis, we are informed, that "Jubal was the father "of all such as handle the harp or the organ," and that Tubalcain was "an instructer of every artificer in "brass and in iron." As we view their portraits, we admire the inventive faculty, the ingenuity and skill, the perseverance and success, by which they were distinguished; but when we reflect that these eminent men were of the race of Cain, we cannot suppress a sigh.

Do, then, it may be asked, children uniformly manifest the spirit, adopt the principles, cherish the sentiments, and tread in the steps of their progenitors? Have we never known ungodly children of godly parents? And are there, on the other hand, no instances, in which the offspring of irreligious parents, receive, rejoice in, and adorn the "gospel of the grace of God?" Such instances there are, and, doubtless, always have been: but of the fact we have certainly no indication in the sacred narrative that the family of Cain presents an illustration. On the contrary, we are led from it to infer that the example which Cain had given, shed it's contagious and baneful influence even over his children's children, and that they exhibited a family likeness in the strongly marked features of infidelity and impiety. For, had there been any illustrious exceptions, any members of the family, of whom, in the register which has been preserved of their names, it might have been said, as it was subsequently recorded of Enoch and Noah, that they "walked with God," have we not reason to think that they would, like these, have been singled out from their fellows, and spoken of in terins, which, however concise, would leave us no room to question their being distinctly pointed out as inodels for our imitation ?

Of the disunion between piety and talent, which appears to have existed in the case of the first artificers, the instances have unhappily been in every age too numerous: in none more than our own. And as it is an age, remarkable for it's idolatry of talent; in which it appears to be an extensively prevailing sentiment, that the cultivation of the intellect may be allowed to supersede the cultivation of the heart; that infidelity in principle, and impiety in practice, are lightly to be regarded, if associated with exuberance of genius, splendour of eloquence, inventive ingenuity, literary or scientific pre-eminence, it cannot be justly deemed unseasonable, and it may, under the divine blessing, be not unprofitable, to offer a few remarks upon the subject.

Nothing could be more uncandid or unreasonable than to argue that the disunion, so frequently witnessed, between talent and piety, is inevitable. And were we disposed to advance such an argument, it would at once be refuted by the fact, that there are now, as there have been before, men eminent for genius, for intellectual cultivation, for literary and scientific attainments, who are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ," are actuated by it's principles, animated by it's hopes, soothed and supported by its consolations, afford triumphant evidence of it's efficacy, and abound in it's rich, and varied, and lovely fruit.

Let it not, then, for a moment be supposed that we look with an unfriendly eye on the exercise of talent,

if we enter our protest against the prevalent idolatry of talent. Let it be cultivated in its various branches, let it be exercised in its various provinces, so long and

so far as its cultivation and its exercise come not into collision with the high demands of Christian duty; let it be viewed as subordinate and subsidiary, not as supreme; let it be the servant of piety, but not it's substitute; much less, employed as it's resources and it's energies are, we too frequentiy behold it, it's adversary. "One thing is needful;" and for that one thing no brilliancy of genius, no embellishments of education, no depths of scientific research, no refinements of literary taste, no facination of eloquence, no "concord of sweet sounds," whether in music or in poetry, can compensate. Suppose a man to shine in any, or in all of these departments, suppose him to realize all that we have read of a Crichton: he be may admirable" in the estimation of his fellow men; but if he be living without God in the world," the impartial voice of truth must pronounce him "of all meu most miserable." For, let it be remembered that, in proportion to the talents bestowed, is the deep and solemn responsibility, which the exercise of those talents involves. Even, though not marshalled in hostile array against religion, if they are allowed to divert from it the attention, and to alienate from it the heart, they will assuredly draw down upon their possessor a curse, and not a blessing."

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"the

The root of the evil, against which we would lift up the voice of faithful warning, and kindle the friendly blaze of the beacon fire, is this: men forget that natural faculties and intellectual endowments are not less the gifts of the most High God, than are the spiritual qualities of faith, hope, love, and all the gifts, graces, and fruits of the Spirit, There be a mea

may

sureless distance between the value of one order of gifts, and that of the other; but all are from God. He who imparted to Bezaleel and Aholiab their mechanical. ingenuity and skill, for the especial purpose of constructing the tabernacle, with it's sacred appendages, who "filled" them" with the Spirit of God in wis"dom and in knowledge, and in all manner of workman"ship, to devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in "silver, and in brass, and in cutting of stones to set

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them, and in carving of timber to work in all man"ner of workmanship," bestowed upon Jubal and Tubal cain those faculties, by which the one was enabled to become the father and founder of musical science, the inventor of musical instruments, and the other an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron. Of nei ther of the objects, in the accomplishment of which the inventive faculty with which God had endowed them, was developed and exerted, would we speak in disparaging terms, because, like every thing else in a world of fallen creatures, they have been, and often are perverted and prostituted to pernicious purposes by human depravity. If music has lent it's fascination to the song of the voluptuary, and ministered fuel to the fire of licentious passion, has it not innocently beguiled the mind of many a care, soothed it in many an hour of depression, and aided it's flight, in the solemn services of the sanctuary, froin earth to heaven? To condenm this science because of it's abuse, would

be as unjust, as to pronounce a censure upon the art of which Tubalcain was the inventor, and to which we are indebted for so many of the comforts and conveniences of life, because it has often been employed in the fabrication cf engines and implements of war, bloodshed, and death. But when in the gifts of God the giver himself is wholly and awfully forgotten; when, instead of being exercised, with humble and grateful recognition of the hand which bestowed them, to his glory, they tend only to blind the mind and steel the heart against him; when they elevate their possessor to a lofty pinnacle in his own estimation, and render him to others, as well as to himself, an object of idolatrous admiration; when, dazzled by their brilliancy, men view them with fond complacency, and hail them with rapturous applause, though there may be in the individual who possesses them a total absence of moral worth and religious principle; when, in a word, talent appears to be regarded as infinitely more important than piety, we would, speaking" as the oracles of God," remind our readers that it is not talent but godliness, which "is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to "come." PASTOR.

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The Bookseller of Allerton, or Practical Piety
(Continued from page 153.)

Now, as religious people, their feelings in this instance might have changed, but the practice was not so blamable in their case, for it never detained Esther or any one else from Church. This is seldom the case, but the sermon was so short, and the service at rather an early hour, that Walters usually strolled into the fields while most persons were at dinner, and Esther by the aid of her oven had all ready for him in good time.

Latterly, however, both Walters and his wife appeared as many persons do, who are beginning to 'go down in the world," they were careless of many little comforts and enjoyments they had formerly been tenacious of, and Esther had scarcely noticed that Walters had gone without his "bit of roast," for the few last Sundays.

It had been his practice on Saturday morning to hand her the money to procure it, and during her confinement he was obliged to take this office on himself, and on her recovery made some excuse for not returning to his former habit. The true cause of this change now occurred to Esther, and she thought this prudent self denial was a real sacrifice on her husband's part. Esther had been very frugal in her expenditure while she was ill, and had saved some shillings which were appropriated by her husband to the purchase of any little indulgences she might require. This money she laid safely by, and intended to expend it in getting some additional dresses for her infant; but this day she reflected on the impropriety of spending money on the child, while her husband's comforts were neglected, and colored at the recollection of the pretty cap with which she had before pleased her funcy. At this mo

ment a little girl came in who often went on messages for Esther, and without a moment's further thought, she pulled out the crown piece she had treasured, and resolved that Walters should not go without his "bit of roast;" though she was unable to leave the house, she gave the girl full directions and despatched her to market.

Esther had arisen that morning with a quiet and happy persuasion, that not only all would go righ through the day, but that its course would be market by some blessing of Providence. She had lain dowd at night with a mind at peace, trusting in God and desiring to submit to his blessed will; a better understanding had been established between her and her busband, and sweet mutual confidence and sympathy restored: so it was natural she should awake with happy feelings; but to this happy state of mind was added a little, a very little of excited feeling; it was unusual with her, but it was under the infla ence of this, she acted in so hastily sending ber little savings for the "bit of roast," a temporary indulgence at best; and she did not with her customary caution reflect that it might be required for something more absolutely needful. She pleased herself in preparing a surprise for her husband, when he should see his roast meat and pudding ready as usual.

She was just setting about the preparation for the latter, when the sound of steps running up to the door drew her attention, and the voice of a child crying bitterly rather alarmed her; the little girl burst in, and sobbing violently, cried out that she had lost the crown piece.

Esther was silent for a moment; a fear of the child's truth crossed her mind, but she knew the often fatal effect of a charge, or even the apparent saspicion of falsehood or dishonesty. She checked her own feelings and temper; and drawing the girl towards her enquired how she had lost it. She had helped another girl to carry a basket, she said, and and in order to do so put the money in her bosom, and when she looked for it, it was gone.

Esther took another way than accusation to elicit the truth; she knew the child's feelings could not be hardened, and that her own manner in this occa sion would convict or clear her. She told her how grieved she was, how she had lost what she wanted both for the baby and the husband, she had been so happy in making ready for the morrow, but now they must go without their dinner, for she had no more money to spend. The girl's sobs redoubled at the picture she drew, and clinging to Esther she cried, "Oh, Mrs. Walters you shall have all my dinner, I will not touch a bit, I will bring it over to you myself, and ask mother to give you some more; she will be angry with me I am sure for losing the money, but that is no matter."

Esther kissed her, told her she did not wish to have anything said about it, she would make out something for Walters and not care about the dinner herself, and with some exhortations to greater carefulness, dismissed the unfortunate messenger.

When she had gone, Esther sat down leaving the table covered with what she had been preparing, and feeling a check put to all her activity, and a blank left in her mind. This might seem a very little trial to one who was unacquainted with similar little things, yet Esther did not feel the same pleasant and full acquiscence in the will of God, and the dispensations of Providence, with which she had risen in the morning; in which she had been so persuaded that all would go well, she had made no preparation for the contrary. She thought they should receive an answer to their prayers of the preceding night, but she did not regulate her conduct in the way to meet that answer. "In the way of Thy judgements have we waited for Thee, Oh, Lord," says the prophet. The persuasion that God will supply future wants, should not lead to preseut extravagance, nor the fruits of saving at one time, be applied to additional expenditure at another.

All this was not yet clear to Esther, she felt she had done wrong and she regretted it, but her regret was chiefly produced by the loss of the crown; had the articles it was to purchase come home she probably would not have felt her error. The events of the day appeared likely now to be the very reverse of what she had anticipated. All Esther's activity was suddenly stopped, and she felt unwilling to set about anything.

During this same day, however, a circumstance of a different nature occurred to Walters, who endeavouring to bring his mind into a state of submission and reliance upon Divine Providence, had been anxiously employed in devising plans whereby he might still more retrench his small expences, or encrease his means of meeting them; and it so occurred that the wife of the man who first found out that he had lost his senses, and spread the report of his burning his books, came into the shop after a long absence, and asked for some articles which Walters did not sell, but immediately thought he might begin to sell; and besides imparting to him this idea, she actually laid out more shillings in his shop, than she had ever spent at one time there, even when they were the best friends.

Walters hastened to his wife with this intelligence, and added

"I begin to think, my dear, that I have been wrong in not believing that God directs the little affairs of life as well as the great; I never did think so till now, but it is strange that just after I had asked Him, as I did last night and this morning, to undertake for me and mine, the person in the whole neighbourhood who were most against us, and treated us the worst, should come and buy so much from me, and even things she used not to get

before."

"Yes, William, I am sure the hearts of all men are at His disposal; don't you remember that the Ravens brought food and meat day by day to Elijah? I had a pet Raven once, and know what ravenous creatures they are, sure I am they would never have given Elijah a single bit if they could have helped; and perhaps poor Mrs. J could not tell

when she got home why she laid out her money with us, instead of spending it, as I fear she generally does, in a worse way."

"Yes Esther, you are right, it would he unthankful not to look back to this day and feel that He has heard our prayers."

"Ah! but my crown!" thought Esther, "is not this a contradiction?" she was silent, for she could not with her whole heart assent to what was said, but the idea of concealment made her more uneasy. Walters went back to the shop, and she sat with her infant on her lap musing on what had passed. While she thought, that text which has been for the comfort of many a perplexed and believing heart, came to her mind-" All things shall work together for good to them that love God," and by the help of this she was soon able to see clearer how to reconcile the apparent contradiction in the dealings of Providence, that day with regard to them.

Walters had less reliance on that overruling Providence than she had; his faith required to be strengthened; but though his faith was less, his consistency in respect to it was greater; for having asked the Divine direction and blessing, he waited at his post, in the line of his calling, desirous of knowing what he ought to do, and was thus ready to receive in the course of common events an answer suited to his circumstances. Esther on the other hand had an undefined idea that something would be done for them, and instead of continuing in the way to meet the expected good, she had gone quite out of the way, and been led into a hasty and uncalled for act. She required the chastisement, to teach her watchfulness and self-distrust; her husband required the mercy, to increase his trust and encourage his patient continuance in well-doing: she owned this in her heart, and resolved to confess all to Walters.

After this, however, a greater time of trial than they had ever known, was experienced by Walters and his wife, not heavy, unexpected calamities, but a daily pressure of anxions care; a low depressed state from which no relief appeared, a gloom over their prospects that was seldom lightened. They had nothing to do, and felt an increasing demand in their exertions; to be in debt was the very horror of poor Walters, yet he was often reduced to his last shilling, his last penny, and though some casual relief always came, the suffering was still felt. The man was stricken down, hope seemed exhausted. Esther had been sadly tied to the house, and deprived of other exertion by nursing her infant; at length it was of age to do without her constant care, until that time she had only to exercise patience, to wait and hope, but as soon as she could confide it to the care of the little girl, who lost the crown, under the superintendance of the father, she resolved to seek some employment as a workwoman.

This time of trial was needful for Esther; she had now ceased to expect any uncommon interposition of Providence, and to expect the blessing of God only in a regular course of events, and in the pursuance of whatsoever their hand found to do for