We are next assailed with a long list of tales of supernatural appearancés, of sudden lights, and peculiar forms, of ghosts, and sundry other matters; and these have not only constituted a ground for unnecessary alarm, but have even formed a basis for precaution, for suspicion, for unjust, or injurious, or absurd action: and thus some ocular spectra, the offspring of a diseased brain, have become motives for conduct; and, still worse, this very conduct which is a remote consequence of disobedience to God, is made to assume the appearance of doing the immediate will of Him who is infinitely wise and holy.

Another demonstration of the same principle is to be found in the history of certain revelations and impressions, producing a very considerable influence upon the modes of thought, and habits of action. An idea, and very frequently an insane idea, depending upon some recollected image, whose law of association we may perhaps be unable to trace, is invested with an attribute of sanctity, as being the immediate suggestion of Him who constantly watches over his creatures. In a mind predisposed to superstition, this idea gains so great an influence over the attention, that it presently engages it exclusively; and the patient has now approached the confines of that undefined territory, in which he will range lawlessly, from an impression that he is acting under the immediate agency and guidance, sanction and direction, of that Being, with whom originated, as he verily believes, the early delusive impression, that formed the first CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 325.

A variety of the same tyrant principle may be observed in ascribing the operation of natural bad passion to direct satanic influence; by which means persons sometimes excuse their misconduct on the plea of not acting from the will, but under the resistless impulse of a power of evil superior (by the supposition) to the highest effort of that will. I am aware of what the Scriptures of truth teach us respecting the existence and the agency of that spiritual enemy, who goeth about seeking whom he may devour: but the worst that he can do against us is in the way of evil suggestions, adapted to our corrupt propensities. The Creator has endued him with no active power over us; he cannot operate upon us except through the medium of our own will; but per

sons

are often better pleased to throw the blame of that which is evil in their hearts upon the influence of Satan, than upon their own indulgence of sinful passion and corrupt propensity; as if the facility with which they fall into the snare of the devil, and were taken captive by him, did not equally prove that permanent tendency to wrong which shewed that the heart was deceitful and desperately wicked. What is commonly called (and very frequently is) temptation, is often ascribed to this especial agency, when it really consisted in the aptitude of the mind for certain evil modes of action, which are embraced when presented to it, because there exists a corresponding feeling, a principle from within, harmoniously combining with every outward action of a similar character.

Another step in advance, and we meet the whole tribe of dreams, visions, reveries, and the like,-fre quently the offspring of recollected impressions disjoined from their original trains of association; or resulting from a bad habit of indulging the love of mental wandering without C

guidance, or fixed rule, or definite object; or depending upon the organ of mind, variously irritated by immediate or intermediate connexion or sympathy with the morbid action of that other organ of the body which may happen to form the preponderating disorder of functions which overturns the balance of health.

Next appears for consideration the lengthened train of vulgar prophecies. We need not go beyond such an instance as Joanna Southcote, to perceive that there is no folly so great but that it will find a corresponding trait of imbecility in the character of many with which it will readily assimilate; and if this future should happen to possess a pretended association with religion, the dupe of the designing, or of the infatuated and misled, may become the disciple, or the founder, of a new sect, a zealous partizan of its views, a devotee to his newly-formed opinions, and a worshipper at the altar he has erected; he receives the seal of his safety, and becomes the fully formed enthusiast.

One step more in the descending scale of credulity, and we meet with a belief in the performance of vulgar miracles: as if the Author of nature would permit his laws to be interrupted, except to prove his own Divinity, to shew that His is the creative power, that this Power is superior to the laws of the universe, and that therefore he is God. Of the claims to miraculous agency in these latter days, the history of animal magnetism may be referred entirely to a well-timed employment of certain known physical laws on the part of the designing magnetizer, and to the influence of an exalted imagination under such physical agency on the part of the magnetized. The sacred advantages arising from the possession of the Holy Scapular*, may be adjusted, partly

* Some of my readers may not be aware that the Holy Scapular is supposed to be in imitation of a portion of the dress of the

by the selfish and avaricious influence of a crafty priesthood-partly by the falsehood of the narrativeand partly by purely physical and mechanical agency. The existence of Ann Moore without taking any sustenance, has been satisfactorily traced to imposture; and the astonishing cures of Prince Hohenlohe, if authentic, are to be explained upon the principle of unlimited credence, producing such an effect upon the animal fibre as to suspend for a time the morbid action which was previously going on; and which, in certain constitutions, might then be entirely suspended by the commencement of a new train of healthy associations. The same explanation will apply to the agency of charms in dispelling the returns of ague, and other intermittent irritations depending upon a law of the nervous system, by which a certain periodicity of action is observed; and the same functions, whether healthy or diseased, commence at similar hours, and are continued by habit, and by the persistence of similar conditions.

To this enumeration may be added, lastly, the whole system of dupery, involved by the mystic science of astrology, and its pigmy offspring-divination, casting nativities, and fortune-telling. The influence of this latter form of superstition upon the mind, is very considerable; and even at the present hour exerts an agency, far greater than could be believed by those who contemplate the barefaced knavery which it involves, had it not been actually traced by those who have obtained extensive oppor

crated by the priest and sold to the people, Virgin Mary, which, having been consewill defend the purchaser and wearer from many imminent dangers, from death other evils. The history of the Holy Scain a thousand forms, and from various pular forms an interesting and valuable monument of the influence of a secular priesthood, and of the degradation of human nature, by which it is placed in a situation for believing such monstrous absurdities, and for revering, nay adoring their authors!

tunities of observation; aye, and this agency is exerted even upon those whose minds by education and situation ought to have been exempted from this grossest fanaticism. Now all these several forms of superstition may be referred to one or more of the following causes. (To be continued.)

of which were not merely delivered orally ("the lively oracles"), but consigned to written tablets, for the benefit of succeeding ages, and ultimately of the whole world. Yet how much greater still, as he elsewhere shews, the consummation of these "oracles" under the Christian dispensation! for God hath now spoken to us by his Son."

PHILO-JUDÆUS.

ON THE PHRASE THE ORACLES OF GOD.

Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer.

THE Apostle Paul teaches (Rom. iii. 2), that the chief privilege of the Jews was that "to them were committed the oracles of God." In numerous discourses and publications, and especially in charity sermons for the Jews' Society, I have observed this text quoted as referring exclusively to the written canon of Revelation. But it appears to me that this was but one particular, though a most important one, of the privilege intended to be specified by the Apostle; who, under the phrase "the oracles of God," includes, I conceive, all that the expression elsewhere implies; such as direct revelations, speaking "face to face," prophetic dreams, visions, voices, and the mysterious Urim and Thumınim. His argument would thus be as follows: "What peculiar advantage then hath the Jew; or what profit is there of circumcision? Much, in a variety of respects, but especially in this, that while other nations were left in pagan darkness, to this favoured people, during a long succession of ages, God was pleased to make known his will, having at sundry times, and in divers manners, spoken to them by dreams, by visions, by his prophets, from the mercy-seat, or from the pontifical breastplate."

Well might the Apostle say "chiefly," on the review of this long catalogue of Divine manifestations, all the permanently important parts

ON PREACHING THE GOSPEL.

Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer.

YOUR correspondent E. H. inquires, what are the legitimate subjects of public preaching; whethe Gospel only, or all that our Saviour and his Apostles taught? To this you have given what appears to me a perfectly satisfactory answer; but as you invite communications upon the subject, I venture to offer the following remarks.

E. H. says he had been accustomed, without much consideration, to suppose all the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles to be proper matter for the public instructions of his ministers, till his attention was called to the fact that they are commissioned to preach the Gospel only. Now it is true, that the command reported by St. Mark (xvi. 15) is simply, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature" but neither in the parallel passage of St. Matthew, nor in the commission given by our church to her priests, does even the word Gospel occur. The former (Matt. xxviii. 19) runs thus: "Go ye, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you;" which is evidently a command to teach all the doctrines and all the precepts of Christ; and although "teaching' may sometimes be spoken of in contradistinction to "preaching;" the one

to describe private, the other public, ministrations; yet it is clear that our Saviour uses the word "teach" in this place in its most general

sense.

Our own church has justly taken this view of the subject; for the words of the bishop in the ordering of priests are these,-"Take thou authority to preach the word of God;" that is, all things which the word of God teaches to be profitable unto salvation. What, then, are we to learn from the practice of St. Paul? In his memorable address to the elders of the Ephesian church (Acts xx.) he says, "I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you; but have shewed and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." Does not this comprehend the sum and substance both of the Gospel and of all that our Saviour and his Apostles ever taught? I say, of both; though in truth I do not understand the distinction which E. H. makes either between these two, or between the subjects proper for public, and those adapted to private instruction.

In respect to the first point, the Gospel is indeed, as he describes it, "the glad tidings of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ:" it is the message of reconciliation to God, and this proposed by the love of the Father, procured by the death of the Son, partaken of by faith, implanted, and made effectual, through the renewal of our nature wrought by the operation of the Holy Spirit, which last is the perfecting of repentance. Now what did Christ ever teach, or what ought we to teach in public or in private, not bearing upon these points? And do not the words of St. Paul embrace every thing necessary to enforce them? For it is easy to perceive, that in "testifying repent ance toward God," we must set forth his existence, his character, and his laws, together with the state

of man, as a fallen creature and an actual transgressor, and the state of holiness in which he must be established in order to salvation. Again, in order to build up our hearers in "faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ," we must set forth "the great mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh;" the purposes for which the Son of God came, and the means by which those purposes have been in part, and in part remain to be, fulfilled: we must shew how Christ died for our justification, and how he ascended into heaven to intercede for us, and to send thence his Holy Spirit for our sanctification: we must explain how, by faith, we become interested in all that he hath done, and all that he hath promised; not, however, by a dead, but by a living faith, even that "which worketh by love" toward God and toward man. Here, therefore, then is room for the most minute detail of Christian duties, and the most exact description of Christian motives and principles. In short, I conceive that those ministers only do faithfully preach the Gospel, who lay down clearly all the doctrines of Scripture, enforce strongly all its precepts, and carefully exhibit the necessary connexion which exists between the two, as between the foundation and superstructure of a building.

As to the second distinction of E. H. between the subjects of "preaching and teaching," St. Paul's testifying of the same things, "both publicly and from house to house," sufficiently shews that his successors should do so likewise.

Σ.

Another correspondent who has addressed us on the same subject says:- "The shortest answer to the question will be, to determine the latitude of meaning attached to the word 'Gospel in word 'Gospel' in the following passages: Shall judge the secrets of men according to my Gospel' (Rom. ii. 16)-On them that obey not the Gospel' (2 Thess. i. 8) Of them that obey not the Gospel'