was the emperor's private secretary, and who became his biographer. It is true he does not omit the fact that Ammianus records this incident; he even gives the words of this author (who knew as much of the defeat and the cause of it as did the emperor himself,) but they are placed below in a note, which many may overlook, and in Latin, so that many others may not understand, if the sentence is seen. The import of the words is that horrible balls of fire, breaking out from the ground, drove the scorched and blasted workmen to a distance, and the persevering element continued to maintain its ground until they were compelled to desist. If the his torian had translated the words of Marcellinus, or placed them on the page along with his other quotations or assertions, telling us, that although this reputable heathen author was a spectator of these things, and was recording his own failure along with that of his master, still he (Gibbon) did not credit the recital, there would have been nothing unfair in the transaction. We should say, in all love and candour, let each one judge for himself; but partial information afforded, or facts half hid, in these cases, certainly evince a repugnance to the unobstructed ray of light. It is not our object here to inquire how much credulity they must possess who can believe that no one was found to contradict these statements of pagans and Christians, out of all the Jewish nation, and out of all the Roman army, or from the ranks of the admirers or flatterers of royalty. A sermon which was preached within that generation is still extant, addressed to the Israelites as a persuasive, leading them to obey the gospel; they were reminded of this noted overthrow, and invited to go and look again at the materials and other tokens of their rebuke from heaven whilst endeav.

ouring to go contrary to the purpose of the Maker of worlds. We might pause and inquire how strange that any one wishing them to embrace Christianity, should remind them of that which they had never known, and speak to them of wonders which they had never witnessed, as though these marvels were fresh in their recollection; but these are not the points before us. The certainties alone are enough for our purpose. know that Jerusalem has been trodden down of the Gentiles seventeen hundred years. We know that the Jewish worship was not restored, and that if a wealthy and enthusiastic people, aided by an emperor and his army, were not enough to build another temple, then nothing ever could accomplish it.

We

Application. Should the reader desire to ascertain whether those who scoff at Holy Writ, do not occasion. ally have their curiosity at least awakened by such incidents as those above named, so far as to lead them on toward further inquiry; he may soon bring the matter to a fair trial by asking such questions as the author has often asked. Inquire the reason why the Christians left the city, and were not involved in ruin and misery, such as the world had never seen before? Had they more political sagacity than their countrymen? Or why did not some fifty or a hundred thousand of the . more prudent Jews retire to Pella, and share the safety which the Christian there enjoyed? Or, if the Church had been watching for the token, and obeyed the signal of the Redeemer, did he only conjecture the sign, or was he Lord of armies? How did he know that the dispersion would continue, and that Jerusalem would never recover her Mosaic forms of worship? &c.

Those who make such inquiries of such as reject the

gospel, at the present day, find with striking uniformity, that they do not remember, or they never knew accurately, what Christ had said of that people and that place. They are not informed as it regards Julian's ability, or his wish to disprove the prophecy; what unbelieving historians have acknowledgd on these points; what were the suffering, of those who killed the prophets and stoned the apostles, or indeed of any other fact or facts of this kind. It is only some hearsay difficulty, some seeming contradiction, or some objection of their own against the Book of inspiration, which seizes and retains their thoughts when the subject of inspiration is mentioned.

There is another branch of wilful ignorance, which must not be passed by without notice, but at present we are otherwise employed.

Scoffers of the present day, are unacquainted with all those facts of historic authority, which have a secondary connection with the holy page; but for the present, we must show what we mean by saying they are ignorant of Bible language.

CHAPTER XIII.

SCOFFERS OF THE LAST DAYS ARE WILFULLY IGNORANT OF BIBLE LANGUAGE.

An old man of Kentucky became rich, and mocked at God. He became more and more bitter, just as fast and in proportion as his kind Saviour heaped the blessings, comforts, and luxuries of life around him. He took up the Bible and read the following passage, or one like it :

Isaiah, xlvi. 1, 2,-" Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth; their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast; they stoop; they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity."

“Here, (exclaimed the old man, with more than anger depicted in his face,) here is the jargon which no one can understand; which I am required to believe; an unmeaning jargon."

Reader, notice what that old man might have known, if he had read one fiftieth part as much Bible history, as he had read of political disputes in his newspapers. Notice what he might have felt, whilst reading those verses, had he been humble enough to seek after knowledge; had he even patiently conversed with such of the pious as wished to speak with him on the great concern. He might have noticed that in the Sacred book, God, by the mouth of his prophets, spake in the past tense of future events,-that which he determined should take place, was as certain as that which had already transpired. The old man might have reflected, that when Isaiah spoke thus of Bel and Nebo, the kneeling millions prostrate before those idols pained the hearts of God's people. The desolations of Zion, the subjugation and dispersion of the worshippers of the true God, made his prophets mourn. How his servants would watch and wait to see the salvation of Israel, as connected with the fall of Bel and Nebo. That old man might have learned from common history, that those gold and silver images were broken down under the hammer, placed on mules and oxen, and whilst driving

to distant Media, the cattle were oppressed with the wearisome load.

The friends of God then, and the Church ever since, whilst reading that passage, are cheered with the recollection that the Lord of glory performs invariably his promises of succour and deliverance. Their souls are fed with the glorious fact, that as he did not forget to fulfil his words of promise then, so he never will in future. The enemies of God might be reminded, (if they would receive instruction,) of the awful truth that his holy denunciations will also be verified. The passage is of course unmeaning to those who know nothing; but shall God be answerable for the wilful ignorance of man? Those verses are full of comfort, sublimity, and heavenly glory to the pious, who have sought after knowledge. The boasting worm, who chooses to keep himself in utter ignorance, cannot of course understand this or any other passage, which pictures ancient occurrences; but the blindness is in his own dark mind.

It is in this way that the educated and the brilliant in other things, have neglected every thing connected with God's book; they have inquired after knowledge any where, or every where else, and much of the sacred volume has no meaning to them.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE SUBJECT CONTINUED.

A MOCKER who was admired for his strength of intellect, exclaimed, "What unmeaning nonsense," after reading either the following passage, or one like it;