contradictory. On the one hand, we find certain appearances in the kingdoms of nature, which stand upon various and independent grounds of sensible proof; and, on the other hand, are declarations of Scripture seeming to be irreconcileable with those appearances which are, indeed, ascertained facts. But we are sure that truth is immutable; and that one truth can never contradict another. Different parts of its vast empire may, and do, lie far asunder, and intermediate portions may be covered with more or less of obscurity; but they are under the same sceptre, and it is of itself and antecedently certain that the facts of nature and the laws that govern them, are in perfect unison with every other part of the will of Him that made them. There are declarations of Scripture which seem thus to oppose facts, of which we have the same kind of sensible evidence that we have of the letters and words of the sacred volume; and which we understand by the same intellectual faculties by which we apprehend the sense of that volume. Now, those appearances,-facts, I must call them,-have been scrutinized with the utmost jealousy and rigour: and they stand impregnable; their evidence is made brighter by every assault. We must then turn to the other side of our researches; we must admit the probability that we have not rightly interpreted those portions of Scripture. We must retrace our steps. Let us resort to this renewed examination in the great instance before us.

"I. The expressions of universality, with regard to the extent of the Deluge, are these. The waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth, and all the high hills that were under the whole heaven were covered.' To those who have studied the phraseology of Scripture, there is no rule of interpretation more certain than this, that universal terms are often used to signify only a very large amount in number or quality. The following passages, taken chiefly from the writings of Moses, will serve as instancesAnd the famine was upon all the face of the earth.' Yet it is self-evident that only those countries are meant which lie within a practicable distance from Egypt, for the transport of so bulky an article as corn, carried, it is highly probable, on the backs of asses and camels. All the cattle of Egypt died; yet the connexion shows that this referred to some only, though, no doubt, very many; for, in subsequent parts of the same chapter, the cattle of the king and people of Egypt are mentioned in a way which shows that there were still remaining sufficient to constitute a considerable part of the nation's property; 'the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field;' but a few days after we find the devastation of the locusts thus described-They did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees, which the hail had left.'All the people brake off the golden ear-rings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron' meaning, undoubtedly, a large number of persons, but very far from being the whole, or even a majority of the people, as we may reasonably infer from the circumstance that the stroke of punitive justice, for this act of idolatry, fell only upon three thousand persons; but the entire number of the Israelites at that day was a million and a half, and of them six hundred thousand were grown men trained to arms. "This day will I begin to put the fear of thee, and the dread of thee, upon the face of the nations under all the heavens.' Yet this declaration respects only the nations of Canaan, and those lying upon its frontier, all being within a very small geographical district. We likewise find the phrase 'under heaven,' employed by the inspired writers to signify an extent of country, large, indeed, but falling exceedingly short of a geographical universality: as,I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven.-There were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men out of every nation under heaven.' With this passage is combined a geographical enumeration, which points out the extent of

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country intended, as being from Italy to Persia, and from Egypt to the Black Sea; and thus a probable elucidation is given to the declaration of the apostle, that the Gospel was preached to every creature which is under heaven.' Ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it, and the Lord will scatter thee among all peoples, from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth;' a prophetic description of the dispersion of the Jewish people, as the punishment of their apostacy from God, and rejection of the Messiah; but no one can regard the expression as denoting a proper geographical universality. The fame of David went forth into all the lands (the plural of the word generally rendered the earth), and Jehovah put the fear of him upon all the nations.' This expression cannot be taken as reaching beyond the range of Syria, Armenia, Mesopotamia, Arabia, and Egypt. All the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom. This cannot be reasonably understood of any kind of resort but that of embassies and complimentary visits from sovereigns and states within such a distance, as might have appeared immense in those times, but which was small compared with even the then inhabited parts of the earth. The queen of Sheba was, we may think, the principal of these visitants. Our Lord, himself, condescended to use the style of the Jews in saying of her, that the queen of the south came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon.' Yet her country was on either the eastern or the western side of the Arabian Gulf, about twelve or fourteen hundred miles south of Jerusalem; a mere trifle compared with distances familiar to us in our days.

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Passages are numerous, in which the phrase, all the earth,' signifies only the country of Palestine. In a few places it denotes the Chaldean empire; in one, that of Alexander.

From these instances of the Scriptural idiom in the application of phraseology, similar to that in the narrative concerning the Flood, I humbly think that those terms do not oblige us to understand a literal universality; so that we are exonerated from some otherwise insuperable difficulties in Natural History and Geology. If so much of the earth was overflowed as was occupied by the human race, both the physical and the moral ends of that awful visitation were answered."

From the preceding extracts, it will be seen, that Dr. Pye Smith with great ability, sustains his opinion as to the limited extent of the Deluge. He supposes that the inhabited portions of the earth were lowered at the time of the Deluge, and that the bed of the sea was raised, so as to cause the water of the sea to flow upon the portions of the earth, inhabited by man, and drown all mankind, except those who were preserved in the ark. That afterwards, when the bed of the sea returned to its former level, the waters would return, and the parts of the earth which had been covered with water, would then again become "dry land." Dr. P. Smith has given quotations from the writings of Bishop Stillingfleet and Matthew Poole, which evidence, that these eminent Biblical critics were of opinion, that the Deluge was not universal as to the earth, but only as to mankind. In this opinion some other theologians of high repute have concurred. Our judgment is, that Dr. Pye Smith rendered good service to the interests of religion in avowing so fearlessly his convictions, as to the erroneousness of the interpretations of those statements, contained in the Scriptures, which appear to be antagonistic to the facts about which geologists and the most accomplished men of science are ge

nerally agreed. By adopting such rules of interpretation as are manifestly required, and generally adopted, in regard to many parts of the Word of God, we may understand all the Scriptures declare concerning the creation of the earth, and the destruction of the world by a flood in the days of Noah, so as to perfectly harmonize with all the facts which the scientific study of geology has brought to light.

Mr. Bohn is entitled to our hearty thanks for having published so excellent and cheap an edition of these valuable Lectures. They contain such information as will enlighten the reader's understanding, as to the wonderful geological facts discovered by laborious and persevering scientific research; and they, with great ability, show how these facts may be harmonized with legitimate interpretations of Scriptural statements. As the Lectures, with Notes and Appendix, are now published, bound in cloth, at the low price of Five Shillings, we anticipate the work will have, as it deserves, a widely extended circulation.

The Head and the Heart enlisted against Popery, under the Banner of Christian Truth. A Prize Essay. Designed for Sabbath School Teachers and Scholars. 18mo. 148pp. RELIGIOUS TRACT

SOCIETY.

POPERY with unblushing effrontery urges its audacious pretensions, and presents its seducing bewitchments; and, that our youth may be fortified against its attempts to bring them under the enslaving influence and domination of the Romish priesthood, it is all important that they should be well instructed concerning the awful heresies which popery inculcates. For this purpose the neat little volume now before us has been published. It contains a compendious and lucid statement of the chief errors of Romanism, and its extensive circulation will render good service to the interests of truth.

James Watt and the Steam Engine. 18mo. 192pp. Monthly Series. RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY.

WONDERFUL, indeed, are the results produced by the steam engine. Witness our manufactories, our rail-roads, our fleet ships. What a change would be effected if all our steam engines were demolished! Our comforts and conveniencies would be largely diminished, and the state of society would become disordered to an alarming extent. Much honour is due to the memory of those gifted men, by whose genius and perseverance the steam engine has been made to render such important services. Among the most distinguished of those James Watt occupies a prominent position. In the volume before us we have, for the small charge of sixpence, a very interesting sketch of his life, and an instructive account of the discovery and progress of the application of the power of steam, to the working of the engines, which have produced such wonderful results.

The Leisure Hour; a Family Journal of Instruction and Recreation. Part II. RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY.

AN excellent cheap work, containing a pleasing variety of useful articles.

The Ancient British Church; Being an Inquiry into the History of Christianity in Britain previous to the Heptarchy. By W. L. ALEXANDER, D.D. 18mo. 192pp. RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY.

THIS is another volume of the cheap monthly series. It affords evidence that its author has diligently investigated the subject on which he has written. He has made it evident that much obscurity rests upon the facts connected with the introduction of Christianity into the British isles; and has presented a valuable compendium of facts and conjectures, which have been discovered and formed, by various writers, on this subject.

The Homilist; Or Voice for the Times. AND Co.

24pp. No I. WARD

CONTAINING a brief discourse on "The Wants of the World, and the Weakness of the Church." Five short sketches of sermons; and some pithy sentences extracted from various authors. The discourse and sketches afford evidence of talented authorship. But we think the price charged will greatly limit the sale of the work.

EDITOR'S TABLE.

Incidents and Memoirs of the Christian Life; Under the Similitude of a Voyage to the Celestial Land. By the Rev. G. B. Cheever, D.D.

The Local Preachers' Magazine, and Mutual-Aid Association Reporter. An Essay on Faith. By the Rev. Joseph Forsyth.

Third Annual Report of the Committee of the Voluntary School Association.

Abstract of the Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Conference of the British Organization of the Evangelical Alliance.

NOTES FROM A MINISTER'S SCRAP-BOOK.

EXPECT great things, attempt great things. This expectation is the life of faith, the vitality of the ministry; that which honours God, and is honoured by God. All our failures may be ultimately traced to a defect of faith. We ask but for little, we expect but little, we are satisfied with little, and therefore we gain and do but little. Bridges.

I had rather be fully understood by ten, than admired by ten thousand. If our words be not understood, it is of no consequence in what language they are spoken; and we cannot expect the Holy Spirit to give a blessing on unintelligible language: I mean unintelligible to the many, though a few of superior attainments or refinements may admire them.

Dr. Jonathan Edwards.

"This ministry." What ministry? Not a dead letter, but an animated ministry; that is, as it were the very vehicle of life and spirit. Howe. We must study how to convince, and get within men, and how to bring each truth to the quick. Baxter.

Paul, that master-workman, said nothing of what he had wrought, but only of what Christ had wrought by him. Henry.

How can I sustain the last judgment, seeing so little fruit of my labours.

Gregory I.

The judicious management of practical subjects is more difficult than the discussion of doctrinal points.

A pagan teacher could say, "That man is terrible who does one thing." To instruct the mind in the knowledge of divine things, and neglect the pressing of that practice, and power of Godliness which is the undivided companion of true faith; is to forget the building that ought to be laid upon that foundation once laid, which is a point of great folly. Leighton.

Massillon's preaching is said to have been so pointed, that no one stopped to criticise or admire.

To command others we must command ourselves. It must be felt that thought rises with passion; and that we are never so truly rational as when we are deeply impassioned. Passion without mind is mere frenzy: it may well wait on the false oracles of pagan worship, but cannot speak as the oracles of God.

Reed.

Melancthon said of Luther, "I have often found him in tears, praying for the Church."

To be tied to the Christian ministry while one has not an inward conformity to it, and complacency in it, is the most uncomfortable state of life imaginable. Burnett.

We have no hesitation in saying, that the most of preachers whom we have known, were essentially defective in the grand and primary object of the christian ministry—labouring for the conversion of souls. Dr. W. Brown. Let my abundance consist in works: I heartily allow an abundance of riches to whoever desires them. Melancthon.

It is damnable treachery against Christ, and against the people's souls, to hide their misery, when it is your office to reveal it. Baxter.

If anything but usefulness will satisfy us, I do not wonder that we are not useful. Scott.

In studying your sermons it might be profitable, at the close of every paragraph, to pause, and endeavour, with ejaculations to heaven and self examination, to feel some impression of the truths contained in that paragraph on your own soul before you proceed any further.

C. Mather. Nothing great has ever been accomplished without prayer. We do not want miracles, and we must not wait for them. Our means are perfect: the promise is perfect. Defect is with ourselves, and with ourselves alone.

A. Reed.

See here the perfect pattern of an evangelical preacher, to go to seek out sinners on every side, that he may show them the way to heaven, and to make his reputation and the confidence of the people subservient not to his own interest, but to the good of souls, and to the establishment of the kingdom of God. Quesnel.

Nothing so completely, or so quickly lets down a minister in spirit and in reputation, as idleness, and genteel sensuality.

"Give thyself to reading," both publicly and privately. Enthusiasts observe this! Expect no end without the means.

Wesley.

In everything a minister says to a sick person, he ought to keep three things steadily in view; the influence it may have on the person if dying; the influence it may have upon him, if he should recover; and the influence it may have upon persons in health, who are about him. Gerard.

I know not how it is with others, but the most reverend preacher that speaks as if he saw the face of God, doth more affect my heart, though with