matter-of-fact and tangible world. That numerous class of materialists who wish to turn the spirit of Holy Writ into a subject of every-day life, that it may not appear that there is anything concealed in the sacred book, for which they have no understanding, will not be convinced; and for those others, it would be superfluous, who, under the mild influence of a higher light, build at that temple of the eternal spirit, which will endure for ever.

With Moses himself, the great man of God, we find no less remarkable appearances. The visions of Moses were principally dreams-some of them ecstasies; and added to this, he was initiated into the secrets of the Egyptians, whom he far surpassed in miraculous power; and on account of his extraordinary piety and wisdom was chosen to be the saviour of his people from the bondage of Pharaoh. His visions were manifold; even the whole guidance of his people and their legislature proceeded from the depths of his mind. If we look upon this as the fruits of inward contemplation, or as the consequence of a direct command through the voice of God, as, according to the Scriptures, the Almighty spoke directly to Moses, it is in the first case a purely magical contemplation; in the last case, if we rather incline to the belief, we shall find confirmation in the idea that a pious mind is open to the divine influence, and can perform miraculous actions.

Moses received his first vision on Mount Horeb, where he was still tending the flocks of Jethro, his father-in-law. Exodus, iii. 2: "And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked and behold the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And the Lord said to him, Draw not nigh hither; put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.'

Moses, the prophetic seer, acquainted with the misery of his brethren, and full of religious enthusiasm, with a glowing imagination, was placed in such a position with his father-in-law, Jethro, in Midian, that he had time and opportunity, as a shepherd in the wilderness, to sink his mind in religious contemplation until he heard the voice of God, and saw the means and ways of becoming the leader and shepherd of his people. His innermost heart

was opened to the voice and influence of God, who appeared to him as a light in the burning bush which did not consume, and with whom he conversed, having covered his face. We see in Moses the inward psychological contest of fear and hope, of vacillation and confidence; of resignation, veneration, and obedience; of reliance, and, lastly, of enthusiasm, which overcomes all worldly obstacles: he was provided with superhuman powers to command the elements, and to give evidence of the power and glory of God by miracles. Moses passed much time in such ecstasies during his journey in the desert and during his seclusion among the mountains, and was regarded by his people as more than human. The visions of Moses referred to the present and future, as well as to the events passing immediately around him. He not only gave his laws from the Mount, but also beheld from thence the sacrifice made to the Golden Calf; he saw that he could only preserve Israel from returning to idolatry, and prepare it for a purer mode of worship, by a long isolation in the desert, from the influence of the surrounding Pagan nations, and by a severe legislature in Canaan. From these intimations we may direct attention to the visions of Moses, his power of transferring the light of prophesy to others, as a magnetic rapport; the kinds of sacrifices; blessing with water, oil, and blood, and by the laying on of hands; as well as his remarkable commands against the participation in sorcery, false prophesy, exorcism, and the questioning of the dead.

Of some proceedings similar to magnetism, the most remarkable are the staff with which Moses performed his miracles before Pharaoh, and the stretching forth of his hands before which the sea divided. Exod. xiv. 16. "But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea." This stretching forth of the hands, and the miracles wrought thereby, are not without a deep meaning. With this staff he struck the rock in Rephidim, and caused water to pour forth to calm the thirsting and murmuring people. Exod. xvii. 15: "And the Lord said unto Moses, go on before the people, and take with thee thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the water, and thou shalt smite upon the rock, and there shall

come water out of it, that the people may drink." And when Amalek came and fought against Israel, Moses said to Joshua,-Exod. xvii. 9, 11-"Choose out men, and go out, fight with Amalek; to-morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand that Israel prevailed and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed." The gift of prophecy appears to have been communicated to the pious elders of Israel through communication with Moses; for we find, Numb. xi. 23-29, "And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lord's hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not. And Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle. And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass that when the spirit came upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad and the name of the other was Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle and they prophesied in the camp. And there ran a young man and told Moses. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!"

The various conditions of inward sight are clearly defined in the writings of Moses. When Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, on account of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married, they said, Numb. xii. 2-8, "Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not also spoken by us? And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they came forth. And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine

house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches." Thus, therefore, there were among the Israelites, as among all other nations, and especially in our magnetic phenomena, visions, in dreams or the language of a dream, or dark words and symbols, as is particularly the case in the lower stages of sleep-walking; but in the highest state of vision in the purest minds, as Moses', it is a direct contemplation of truth.

In the oral intercourse of the Lord with Moses, and the vision of his form as Biblical expressions, we must not take the letter but the meaning of the Scriptures. For the Lord speaks in revelation as by light, and not with a mouth; neither is he visible to corporeal eyes. Thus the Lord says at another place, "He who beholds me cannot live." This language is the expression or impression of the divine words and the reflection of the eternal light; it is the spiritual communication and revelation of the divinity to mankind, which, according to the degree of illumination, is variously accepted and understood by men: as in material nature light produces various effects according as it falls upon near or distant, dense or thin, hard or soft, substances. This language was understood by the prophets and inspired men of all ages, who were certainly unable to render the received light otherwise than in the language of the lips, although that which they felt was simpler, more impressive and spiritual, than any such interpretation could be. The influence or word of God consists in an influence of the divine light by which the soul through which it penetrates is as it were electrified. God, as the centre, only influences the centre of all things, that is, the soul and the outward manifestations follow naturally. Not less remarkable is it that the bite of the serpents was cured by looking upon a brazen serpent: we find, Numb. xxi. 4-9, as follows," And the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way, and the people spake against God and Moses. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses and said, We have sinned; pray unto the Lord that he take the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses,

Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall come to pass that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.”

The visions and prophecies of Balaam the son of Beor, to whom Balak sent messengers that he should curse Israel, are very remarkable. "If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more,"-Numb. xxii. 18. The most remarkable of his predictions is that of the star of Jacob (Numb. xxiv. 4, 10, 16, 17, 19), in which he foretells the advent of Christ. "And the spirit of God came upon him, and he took up his parable and said: Balaam the son of Beor hath said. He hath said, which hath heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open,-I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel. Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion." That not alone the sacred seers had visions is shown by the history of Balaam. Balak, the king of the Moabites, wished, through fear of the Israelites, to join the Midianites. But, as neither of the allies had any desire to fight, they wished to have recourse to magic; and as they themselves had no soothsayer they sent to Balaam at the water of Pethor, who was celebrated for his powers as a soothsayer and magician. The messengers came to Balaam with the reward of the soothsayer in their hands,-and we may therefore suppose that it was customary to pay for his predictions, and begged him to curse the strange nation. Balaam told them to remain overnight; and in the morning he announced to the messengers that God had not permitted him either to curse the people or to go with them to their country, for that that people had been sent by God. Balak, in the belief that he had not sent sufficient presents, sent others still more magnificent, that Baalam might be prevailed upon to go to him and curse the people. Balaam, a mixture of faith and vacillation, of love of truth and avarice, of true prophecy and the black art, said to the servants of Balak,—“If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go