Greek language; but you must be aware that there are thousands and tens of thousands who do understand it, and are perfectly able to decide whether the translation be faithful or otherwise; and unless every one of these are in league together to deceive the world, you cannot possibly suppose that fraud has been practised, or even any material error concealed. Remember that what you allege as a difficulty could not have been avoided even by Omnipotence itself, as long as there existed more than one language in the world. There was no alternative between the Evangelists writing the history of Jesus in a hundred different languages, most of which did not exist in their time; or their writing it, as they did, in the language most universally current in that age, and leaving it to be interpreted by the learned of different countries, for the use of their countrymen. But I shall have no hopes of you, if you stumble, with no more cause than this, at the very threshold. Alc.-I will not pretend that I ever saw much force in this objection; but I like to have my way clear before me. There will be difficulties enough after I have once entered upon the Bible. Euseb. We are told in the Acts of the Apostles that the chamberlain of an Ethiopian queen, as he returned homeward from Jerusalem, was employed in reading the Hebrew Scriptures; when the Evangelist Philip was directed towards him, and explained to him what before he was unable to understand, the agreement between the prophecies of Isaiah and the actual character of Jesus. 1 cannot help considering this circumstance in a typical as well as an historical view. The Holy Spirit proves to every serious inquirer, what Philip was to the Ethiopian, and removes the veil of mystery which envelopes the records of Revelation, as soon as ignorance is sincerely felt and acknowledged. Alc. This is too profound for a noviciate like myself. But as soon as I have made myself better acquainted with the Gospels than I can have become by hearsay, shall you be prepared to go on with our discussion? Euseb.-That will be unnecessary. All I aimed at was the removing your preliminary objections, the correcting your errors of prejudice and misconception, and the awakening you to the awful risk to which you exposed yourself in rejecting the Gospel unexamined. If I have happily succeeded in bringing you to this point, there is no reason why I should attempt to do, in an inferior manner, what has already been effected in a way which must prove, I should think, satisfactorily to any honest inquirer. Treatises in abundance exist already, which set the truth of Christianity on a basis so firm and secure, that I do not see how any one can resist conviction who enters upon the subject with that state of mind which I have before represented as essential. If I only mention the treatises of Porteus, Doddridge, and Paley, it is not because there are not a host of others equally forcible, but because I should consider that these alone would be sufficient to set the faith of any man on an immoveable foundation. To these I refer you, with an earnest prayer that you may rise from the inquiry with a settled conviction, that those have not followed cunningly-devised fables, who profess to make the Gospel the rule of their faith, the guide of their life, and the sole basis of their future hope. J. B. S. THE SECOND ADVENT. 2 PETER, 1 16. "WE have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we make known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye witnesses of his Majesty." The above text, has, it is believed, been used to prove the truth of Christianity generally. Amidst the abundant evidence however, which we possess, it does not appear to be judicious to select any passage of scripture; which, when closely examined, will be found to be not strictly applicable. In the Epistles particularly-it is right to endeavour to ascertain the occasion of their having been written, or the particular object which the inspired writer had in view. It is quite clear, that St. Peter, in the 1st chapter of his 2nd Epistle, is calling attention to the "exceeding great and precious promises," not only "relating to life and godliness," but as connected with "the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." He thinks it right to put the church always in remembrance of these things." Then follow the words-16-" For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his Majesty." For he received from God the Father, honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.*16-19. * Or-And so we shall have the prophetic word more firm, to which ye do well to take heed, as to a lamp shining in a dark place; until the day dawn, and the morning star arise in your hearts.-Macknight, D.D. St. Peter here makes express reference to the transfiguration, an account of which is contained in Matt. xvi-27, 28xvii-1, 13. Mark viii-27, 38.-ix-1, 13. Luke ix-18, 35, and it appears to have been intended as a vision of the power and coming of Christ, on the second advent. The context seems to prove that at Matt. xvi-21, 27, our Saviour foretells his death and resurrection, and rebukes St. Peter in consequence of his having said, " Be it far from thee, Lord." He tells his disciples-" If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it,"-meaning, no doubt, at the resurrection and second advent, when Christ "shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and "then he shall reward every man according to his works." He adds, 28—“ Verily, I say unto you, there be some standing here which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."* "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John, his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them; and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses, and Elias, talking with him." xvii. 13. We.find by Acts I-3, 8, that after his resurrection he spoke "the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God," and that his disciples asked him, "Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" 6. He does not answer, ye are wrong in entertaining an expectation of the kind, mine being entirely of a spiritual kingdom, but he merely rebukes them for their curiosity as to the time, a thing in which they were not immediately concerned. Returning to Acts I-9, 12, we have an account of the ascension, when " he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight." From comparing these passages of scripture together, I can have no doubt that the power and coming mentioned by St. Peter, and the restoration of the kingdom to Israel, in Acts, are events which will happen about the same time; and that the literal coming of Christ is meant by the declaration. "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye see him go into heaven." 18th December, 1839. G. Or, Verily I say unto you, some of those who are present, shall not taste death, until they see the Son of Man enter upon his reign.-Campbell, D.D. "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered." Hebrews v. 8. Yes! Jesus left that Presence, bright With infinite, refulgent light, Where golden harps His praises rung, O, what a change---a wretched shed Again, in the proud Temple seated, Even Mary grave reproach can bring, And now, full many a year has past, Alas! still darker rose the morn Now abject Pilate yields consent- O God and Saviour, can this be ! Too vast the theme-the trembling hand, And trust, aye, cheerly trust to Thee. REVIEW. Y. Views of the Architecture of the Heavens, by J. P. NICHOL, LL. D., Professor of Practical Astronomy in the University of Glasgow. THIS is decidedly the most brilliant as it is the latest attempt to give a popular view of the stupendous discoveries of modern astronomy. And though it is perhaps too much devoted to the most distant and mysterious regions of the science, it is not on that account less interesting, and is certainly more original. When the wonderful facts of astronomy are first brought home to our conceptions, we are naturally lost in astonishment at the consciousness of our own insignificance in the mighty scale of creation. What is man that thou art mindful of him? is the obvious enquiry of any one who is informed that the planet thiuly and partially inhabited by the human race is an atom revolving round a vast and distant body, the source of its light and heat, and which body is itself but a star, one of the unnumbered sparks that gem the firmament. But this feeling, natural as it is, must give way to adoring gratitude and love when we remember that however low a place we may occupy relatively in the order of creation, we have not been of small account in the esteem of our Maker. And that a price has been paid for the redemption of the feeble and sinful tenants of this planet, which has perhaps not been needed by the sinless, or been denied to the hopeless inhabitants of other worlds. The leading subjects of the work before us, as we have observed above, are the more remote and obscure regions of astronomical research, the fixed stars, the milky way, and other celestial phenomena. We could have wished for some more particular notice of our own solar system, but must content ourselves with the following graphic illustration of distances from Sir J. Herschell's work :-"Choose any well levelled field or bowling green; on it place a globe of two feet diameter, this will represent the sun; Mercury will be represented by E |