doomed only to make their graves in our stony strata, become extinct, and be no more seen, except in the forms of mutilated carcases and imperfect skeletons; I am almost frightened to read of man, as only another vital form, brought upon the stage, to suit the shiftings of the scenes. I say it almost frightens me to read of these things, and if I had not my Bible nearly by heart, I know not that I could read about them, with any comfort or satisfaction. In the Book of Genesis, I find my God and my Creator, and the Ruler of the universe, just where I wish to find him: I read of him as of a Being of infinite power, and wisdom, and goodness, exercising and displaying all those attributes in the creation of man, and placing him upon the earth, not as a mere vital development, the almost accidental successor of a multitude of extinct animals in all the four divisions of that kingdom of nature, but as at once designed to be the lord of this lower world, and with faculties suited to that high station. Not ignorant of his Creator, but receiving from him a law, purposely to raise him to the condition of a moral and responsible being, so as by obedience to qualify himself to eat of the tree of life, and live for ever-I find him indeed choosing the unavoidable alternative of disobedience, and falling from his high estate; but I do not proceed far, before I read, not merely of the goodness, but of the redeeming mercy of his Creator, stretching forth his hand to save him from the bitter consequences of his own misdoings, and by prophetic intimations, giving him assurances of a Mediator and SAVIOUR to come; and from this beginning of his earthly existence, enabling him to look to the very end of things, and encouraging him to hope, that he may yet become worthy to enter into the very presence of his Maker, in the heaven of heavens, there to enjoy a life everlasting, with all honour and glory, in a world without end. No. III. It will have been seen that some geologists, the Huttonians particularly, profess to have nothing to do with the " origin of things," and we may not therefore expect them to tell us any thing geologically concerning the end-indeed they do not seem to attempt it. This world must appear to them like a serpent with his tail in his mouth; decaying, but yet renovating so methodically, that nobody shall be in the way of discovering any fixed or certain termination of things; "never ending, still beginning." Perhaps a more just picture of the Huttonian system of a succession of continents could not be found, than in the following enigma of Lactantius, actually entitled Vipera :— "Non possum nasci, sinon occidero matrem, Theologists on the contrary, profess to know something about the end as well as the beginning of things; upon the authority of St. Paul particularly, in the very chapter I selected as the basis of my remarks upon man, as known to us theologically; his words are these: “If in this life only we have hope in CHRIST, we are of all men most miserable. 66 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept. "For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection from the dead. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. "But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits, afterward they that are Christ's, at his coming. "Then cometh the END, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to GOD, even the FATHER; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 66 feet. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." Here then is no extinction for us; and "these things were written for our learning;" not in the way of science, but of revelation; "that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope." If I were asked when this end is really likely to come, I should not be so presumptuous as in any manner to attempt to say. I should only venture to observe that it is coming, and nobody can hinder it; and that we had better be upon our watch, and that constantly; for it may happen any day of our lives, and at any division of the day-" at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning." (that word which As I cannot pretend to say when it will come, so could I not venture to say how it will come, had we not been expressly told, that as one world has perished by water, so "the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word," ordained the destruction of a former world,) store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment, and perdition of ungodly men." And that moreover, "the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night." 66 are kept in Having this intimation given us in so circumstantial a manner, and having it in our power to read the history of volcanos, down to the present time, in Mr. Lyell's entertaining volumes, we can scarcely be at a loss to find materials for such an igneous termination of earthly things as the apostle speaks of. At present volcanos may indeed be conservative, and operate as safety-valves, but we know what it is to depend upon any security so precarious, whether physical or mechanical. And who can answer, in mundane affairs, for any obstruction or interference with such safety-valves, to answer other purposes? that is, in short, for moral or religious ends? How very easily it might all be brought about, may appear from the following rather alarming account of things. "The present existing crust of the earth is comparatively thin, and the surface of our globe surrounds a fluid nucleus of ignited matter, from which circumstances we appear to be by no means secure from a general catastrophe by fire." Pliny, long ago, wondered how we could live at ease on an earth so frail. "The process of physical revolution," says another eminent geologist, "is slow, but certain;" as human creatures, it is our business to be upon our guard against changes that are uncertain, and may be, sudden! But I must be cautious; for I have this instant fallen upon the following passage in my readings. "If men who know nothing of physics, will pretend to interpret the Bible in matters which imply physical action, they will, of course, write nonsense." I may, however, I think, proceed a few steps further, and copy the very passage that follows the one I have just introduced, as it appears to come from an adept in physical knowledge:-" It is plain, from the recent elaborate researches in geology, that this planet has undergone successive changes, and that another may ensue, which a great improvement in the nature of man, and state of the earth, may be expected to accompany. Such is the opinion of well-informed commentators on Cuvier; and it is to be added, that there is nothing whatever of which permanency can be predicated, except of the Divine Being. We are ignorant of the interior of this globe, and of the laws by which its subterraneous action is regulated. Of course, we cannot fix any date, or anticipate the phenomena, which will induce the change alluded to; as to the thousand years, it is plainly a mere phrase for a long period 1. We have made these remarks, to show that there is nothing unphilosophical in the matter so far as concerns the Bible, however foolish may be the interpretations of its meaning. We say, ' of the times and seasons knoweth no man.'' Now this is admirably written, being principally directed, I ought to add, against the too eager propensity of certain persons, living as well as dead, to fix the exact date for the commencement of the Millennium. That this planet has undergone "successive changes," is a geological decision; affording however ground, as it would seem, for another change to come, consistently with the prophecy of "new heavens and a new earth," and with such improvements in the nature of man, and condition of the earth, as to render the other portion of the prediction probable, that in the new earth, perfect "righteousness," may dwell. As to fixing the exact date of the commencement of the Millennium, (if the prophecies supposed to indicate such a period have not been mistaken,) men might, one would think, regard it as some check to their speculations, to be reminded, that we have already passed dates that had been fixed upon, and no Millennium has yet even begun; nor are there such prospects of its beginning as should be taken into the account-not merely an increase of righteousness, but the conversion of Jews and Gentiles, and such a fall of Antichrist as cannot be mistaken-it has been supposed actually to have began 1 Bishop Gray in his Sermon on the Millennium thinks it may have been so, p. 322. with, or in the reign of Constantine; (but this I think will be easily given up). Of other dates that are passed, we may mention 1530, 1716, and 1793-those to come begin with 1866, and end with 2036-which is, I believe, Sir Isaac Newton's computation. Lactantius, who had probably read as much as could be read upon the subject in those days, not omitting the Sibylline Oracles, considered it to be very generally admitted, that it would take place in about two hundred years after thetime of his writing; since which, however, there have passed more than fifteen complete centuries. That the prophecies supposed to intimate what is commonly called the Millennium, will be punctually fulfilled, I do not entertain the smallest doubt; but I do entertain great doubts of such prophecies having as yet been duly interpreted; of one thing, however, we may be quite certain, that by what revolution soever the change contemplated may be brought to pass, the new earth is to be one, "wherein dwelleth righteousness," and for which therefore unrighteousness must be a perfect disqualification. Seeing then," as the apostle has been careful to add, "that all present things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness." 66 Since writing the above (for I conclude all authors continue reading, though much of their manuscripts may be actually passing through the press), I have read in the " British Magazine," for the last month, February, 1834, two original letters of Bishop Horsley, in the first of which he speaks of the Millennium, so exactly as I have written above, that I cannot refrain from copying his words. "As to the Millennium, it is one of those mysterious points, which time, the only infallible interpreter of prophecy, must explain." In another part of his letter, the Bishop asks, "But how can the two Testaments be two witnesses?" Having in pp. 17, 18, of this very work, called them so, I cannot omit to observe, though in great deference to so truly eminent a critic, that I must still think they may be called so, though I rather adopted the expression at random, without at all meaning to decide a controverted point in divinity; surely we read of two covenants, two dispensations, two creations, two Adams, types and antitypes, prophecies and their fulfilment; and other distinctions of a like character, |