AMÉRICA. From the Second Report of the American Bible Society, May 14. 1818. WHILE using their endeavours, "that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified" throughout the United States, and especially in those parts where there is an incredibly swarming population, the Board have not been unmindful of their brethren of the woods. The condition of these natives, divided from us by their language, their manners, their ignorance, their degradation by every thing which distinguishes savage from civilized man-too often by the fraud and other injuries of profligate whitesaddresses to us a mute, but piercing expostulation, for that help which they can obtain only in very portions from any other quarter.

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The principal difficulty in the way of the Indian translations of the Scriptures, arises from the multiplicity of the Indian dialects. It is long since the researches of philologists have exploded the greater part of what were supposed to be radically distinct languages. Those of the Indians are ascertained, in many instances, to be dialects so near akin, that, unlettered as he is, a young Indian can make himself master of several.

The branches to which the Managers would more immediately bend their attention, are the Mohawk and the Delaware. The former would serve for the five nations, the Tuscaroras, and the Wyandots, or Hu

rons.

The latter, or Delaware, is of higher importance, as it has extended itself further than any other northren tribe. It can convey the Scriptures to many kindred tribes that are strewed along the frontier of the United States from Canada to Georgia. These are the Monsees, the Shawanese, the Kickapoos, the Kaskaskias, the Twightwees or Miamis, and the Chippewas, Hurons or Algonquins. This last is said to be the most numerous tribe on the northren borders of the United States.

In their efforts to bring in these outcasts, who are indeed afar off, the Managers must submit to their of the Bible as, from time to time, circumstances, and take such parts they can procure to be translated. A beginning has been made. The Rev. Christian Frederick Dencke, one of the missionaries of the United Brethren to the Delawares, stationed at New Fairfield in Upper Canada, has completed, and forwarded to tles of John; and has also finished this Board, a translation of the Episa translation of John's Gospel, and commenced that of Matthew; both which will probably be received in in the course of the year.

In consequence of this acquisition, the Board, on the second of April last, ordered an edition of one thousand copies, with the English on one page, and the Indian on the other. Of these, three hundred are to be sent to the Rev. Mr Dencke at New Fairfield, one hundred to Mr Leuchenbach, missionary in the State of Ohio, to be by them distributed among the aborigines.

The Board has also voted a donation of one hundred dollars to the in the prosecution of his work. Rev. Mr Dencke, to encourage him

With regard to the Mohawk language, the Managers find that the Gospel of Mark has been translated by the celebrated Indian chief, Brandt; and the Gospel of John by Captain Norton, a resident of Upper Canada. Should further assistance' be required, it may be obtained from the Rev. Mr Jenkins, formerly a Missionary among the Oneidas; and perhaps from Cornplanter himself, who is represented as very favourable to such an undertaking.

In the mean time, the Managers have ordered an edition of one thousand copies of Brandt's translation of Mark, and Norton's of John, to be struck off, and distributed among the tribes usually denominated the Six Nations.

The number of Bibles issued from the Depository in the course of the past year, is 17,594; which, added

I have read with great pleasure and unmingled satisfaction a pamphlet, written by a Mr Miller in Glasgow, one of the Society of Friends, on some of the leading features of Christianity. Some of your readers, perhaps, have never seen any thing written by a Quaker on evangelical subjects. Such will read with interest the following extract, "On the nature and extent of the Divine law." It is pleasant to think that such sentiments are held by a member of a Society, whose views of gospel doctrine are generally thought to be very erroneous.

J.

ON THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF THE DIVINE LAW.

"

IT appears, at first sight, very perplexing to be told, that "the doers of the law shall be justified;" that "the Gentiles do by nature the things contained in the law;" that "the man who doeth these things shall live in them ;"-and then to be told, that "by the deeds of the law no flesh living shall be justified;" that every mouth is stopped, and that all the world, Jew and Gentile, have become guilty before God;" and that man" is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law." But when we take a closer view of the strain of argument the apostle is engaged in, we find the difficulty vanish. The doers of the law are justified while they continue without breaking the law, but not longer. The Gentiles, when at any time they con

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scientiously do the things contained in the law, as well as when they accuse or excuse one another, prove that the law is familiar to them; but an offence in one point is guilt in all. "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them :" and on this ground, “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God;" and "therefore, by the deeds of the law no flesh living can be justified."

This law of nature, which is founded on the sovereignty of God, as Creator, provides no remedy for guilt. The individual who once comes under its condemnation, is under the curse, and can be saved only by faith in Him who hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, by being made a curse for us; and therefore, the righteousness of God is manifested without the law, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by the faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe.

"Should we, in reading the Bible, meet with expressions we do not understand, or which are very different from the way we should express the idea we attach to such words; and should this occur so often as to break the train of reasoning, or of illustration, of which such passages are parts, is there not a danger, that we may misunderstand the subject in the main 'scope of it?

"Again, one part of the Bible seems quite inconsistent with another. Thus, in one place, it is said, "Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before me, and I will receive you ;" and, "If the wicked man depart from This iniquity, and do that which is lawful and right, and restore the pledge, and what he has robbed, and commit no iniquity, he shall live, and none of his former ways shall be remembered." Should we, after reading this, turn to another place of equal authority, we see it written, "He that believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God;" or to this other, "Now to him that worketh, is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt; but to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted to him for righteousness." But these passages, at first sight so destructive to each other, are harmonious, on the supposition that the commands to wash and make clean, and to put the evil of our doings out of God's sight, and to restore what has been robbed of the glory and allegiance due to Him, and to commit no iniquity, are for the purpose of making the individual know and feel, that the thing is impossible, and thus to impel him to lay hold on that Saviour, whose righteousness is counted to him without works.

"But, to go a little more into the subject. God stands to us in the relation of Creator, and we are the work of his hands. We are also dependent on him for continual support, and know

that we, and all our blessings, are wholly in his hand. On these grounds, God has an indisputable right of sovereignty over us; and we are under the most absolute and unalienable obligation to obey him continually, with our affections, as well as our actions.

"When Cain was told that if he did well, he should be accepted, and if not, sin should lie at his door, he had more than justice done him. Had the Most High, to the obedience of whom every one of his intelligent creatures is under infinite obligations, barely announced his commands, without the addition of promises or threatenings, he had acted in strict justice, but there had been no exhibition of mercy. When Adam was created, and had a command given him, he was at the same time told, that in the day he disobeyed he should die. Now, the sentence of condemnation which passed on Adam, was perfectly consistent with the Divine character as revealed in Scripture. He ought to have obeyed; for the motive to obedience, from his known interest, even independent of the allegiance he owed to his Creator and Sovereign, was such in its nature, and according to the nature of man, as ought to have determined him to obey, because the obvious consequence of disobedience was a greater evil than any good arising out of it could ever counterbalance. It is not for us certainly to balance between the advantages arising from obedience and disobedience, for the purpose of choosing that which may appear to us the best: we ought to know, and we do know, that our Maker claims our obedience independent of our conclusions as to its comparative usefulness to us. But it appears that he does usually, and I think always, present such motives in the form of promises, threatenings, warnings, and judgments; in providences, and deliverances; in the storm, in the thunder, and the earthquake, -as ought, according to the laws of human nature, to convince us, that our interest lies in keeping his commandments. We all know what man can do when he apprehends his interest to be connected with any pursuit.

"This law is continually insisted on in the Old Testament; and it is from time to time extended, as a new display of the Divine character adds news obligations to it. The law which Moses promulgated, besides those parts which were of universal application, contained many things peculiar to those only who have revelation, and even some which applied to the people of Israel alone. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, strength, and mind, and thy neighbour as thyself, which is declared, on the highest authority, to be the sum of the law,must have applied in some degree to all people, and we are assured the obligation on all to yield obedience is most unequivocal. Moses tells his charge, that the law he