beast. The empire of the Turks, whose rise fulfilled the second woe, and whose Mohammedan delusions fulfilled the first wae, are to be destroyed, before the Millennium. Their empire embraces the river Euphrates. The sixth trumpet gave rise to them, by loosing the four Turkish sultanies, near the river Euphrates; Rev. ix, 14. The sixth vial is to this a perfect counterpart; a subversion of the same empire. Whether its phraseology alludes to the manner, in which Cyrus reduced ancient Babylon; or to the language of the sixth trumpet; it subverts the power to which the sixth trumpet gave.cise. This trumpet united the four petty Turkish governments, whose capitals were Bagdat, Da nascus, Aleppo, and Iconium. Having relieved them from the restraints, which had long circumscribed their power, (the bloody cru ades, and the attacks of the Tartars,) it formed them into one powerful empire; and aided their bloody incursions into Europe. This empire is now in existence; but is soon to be no more The conclusion seems most natural, that the fall of this Euphratean empire will be accomplished under the sixth vial. "We never find the figure of drying up a river used to denote the failing simply of wealth and power. Rivers, in symbolic language, are nations. Isa. xviii, 2"whose land the rivers have spoiled." Or, the nations have overrun Palestine. The rivers and fountains of water, on which the third vial was poured, were the Papal nations. And the drying up of such rivers, is the subversion of such nations. Isa. xlii, 15; "I will make the rivers islands, and will dry up the pools," i. e. I will destroy Antichristian nations. Ezek. xxx, 12. "I will make the river dry, and sell the land into the hands of the wicked." i. e. Egypt shall be reduced by Nebuchadnezzar. Repeatedly the drying up of rivers symbolizes the subversion of nations. But never does it symbolize simply the failing of wealth and power, unless in the solitary instance of the sixth vial." pp. 455, 456. In a new section upon the chambers of imagery, in Ezek. viii, our author shews, that while the portraits there drawn exhibit the wickedness of the Jews at that period, they are also prophetic, and are to receive their ultimate accomplishment in the last days. This is argued from the testimony of Peter, and from various passages in the New Testament. The classes of the wicked cloistered in the temple, are in this section delineated; and their ruin is advertised in the following chapter of Ezekiel. A mark is set upon all who sigh and cry for the abominations of the times; and all the rest are utterly destroyed by the armed exccutioners of divine wrath. Various descriptions of the abominable characters of the last days, given in the New Testament, Mr S observes, allude to the descriptions of the same characters in the chambers of imagery. Hence the one class crept in unawares, and privately brought in damnable heresies. The other are intriguing in hidden conclave, in the chambers of imagery, having crept in at a private door in the temple. Are the one class filthy dreamers? The other are dreamers likewise, operating every man in the chambers of his imagery. Do the one separate themselves? The other do all things in the dark, in their retired chambers. Have the one eyes full of adul tery? The other have one cloister in their temple devoted to women, weeping for Tammuz. Do the one of these descriptions of men deny the Lord who bought them? The other say, The Lord seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the earth. Are the one traitors, as well as heady, high-minded? The other have their backs toward their temple, and their nation; and their faces toward the abominations of a foreign, favorite, wicked people. Must the one have their form of godliness, while they deny the power of it? The other have their censers in their hands, and . their cloud of incense ascends; while yet they say, God seeth us not. Are the one fierce, and despisers of the good? The other have filled the land with violence, and put the irritating branch to the nose. Do the one comprise the kings of the earth, the first characters among men, deluded by the spirits of devils? In the other are found the Seventy, the grand council of the Jewish nation, united in all the wickedness of these magic chambers, with Jaazaniah their prefect, at their head. These things, the author supposes, have received a striking incipient fulfilment of late in various antichristian nations. In the section following the above, Mr S. comments upon Zech. ix, 6, which he conceives to be a prediction of the illegitimate dynasty in modern France, the same with the god whom his fathers knew not, in Dan. xi, 38, The events of this 9th of Zechariah, are said to take place, When the eyes of men, as of all the tribes of Israei shall be to wards the Lord; when the chariot and the battle bow shall be cut off, and God shall speak peace to the heathen; and his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth? When the Jews shail return to the strong hold, as prisoners of hope, from the pit of their long dispersion. Among the events of that period, this is predicted, verse 6, And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philstines. Mr. Smith remarks, that the enemies of Zion, in the last days, are predicted under the names of the ancient enemies of the church; as Babylon, Moab, Ammon, Seir, Egypt; and in this chapter, by the names of hostile cities in ancient Syria,and the capitals of the Philistines. By the 1h istines in the above verse, whose pride is to be cut off, must be meant, the Papal antichristian nations of the last days. Ashdod was a most noted capital of the enemies of Israel, in ancient Philistia. It was the city, where was the temple of Dagon; where that idol fell before the ark of God, and lost his head and hands; and where Samson subverted their temple, and slew their lords and admiring hosts. And this name in the above passage, our author conceives, must mean a capital papal nation, or France. And a bastard dwelling there strikingly denotes the Napoleon usurped dynasty. But no event of ancient times, has been found by expositors, answering to this prediction. Our author has a new chapter, which is styled, A concise view of the Revelation of St. John; the object of which is, to ascertain the plan, events, and chronology of the prophetic parts of this book. He attempts to shew, that the prophecies of this book, are found in two general divisions. The first begins with the opening of the first seal, in the sixth chapter, traverses the period of about 2000 years, from the apostolic age, till the Millennium, and closes with the eleventh chapter, with a prediction of the battle of the great day, and of the kingdom of Christ. The second general division then commences with the twelfth chapter. It begins, as did the first division, with events in the apostolic age, and proceeds over the same period with the first division, but with new prophetic images; describing some events not given in the first division; and exhibiting in more circumstantial detail, or in some new light, others which are there given. And this division proceeds not only to the commencement of the millennium, but describes it, the subsequent apostasy, the final judgment, and the future state of glory, and closes the Sacred Scriptures. The Each of these general divisions, Mr. S. observes, has its subdivisions, or internal arrange ment, peculiar to itself. first has its septenary of seals, and of trunipets, and its three woes; the last of which trumpets, and woes, sweep the wicked world for the introduction of the kingdom of Christ The second general division has its septenary of vials; the last of which is the same with the last trumpet, and the last woe of the first division, Two charts he exhibits to il lustrate his plan. The first presents to the eye the two general divisions, above described, and the periods, or chronology, of the contents of each prophetic chapter. The second chart exhibits the scals, trumpets, and vials, with a sketch of the historical events, which answer to each seal, trumpet and vial. The latter chart is designed as a classing piece, to the chapter on the Revelations, to imprint on the mind a concise aud connected view of the whole book. The of the kingdom of grace. second, the predictions of the coming of Christ's millennial kingdom. The third, the desir ableness of this kingdom. Its glory is exhibited in twelve particulars. And the fourth section consists of practical deductions and remarks. In a variety of notes, new matter is introduced on the following subjects: The mark of the beast: The antichristian kingdom, partly strong and partly broken: The length of the prophetic year: A notable prop agation of the Gospel just before the battle of the great day: Gog and the last head of the Roman beast the same: And, the great day of the Lord in the Old Testament, and the seventh vial, the same. We merely observe, that since the publication of this edition, the extinction of the dynasty of Bonaparte, and of the imperial title in France, has taken place. This certainly seems to militate with some important parts of Mr. Smith's scheme. With regard to the style and execution of the work, we have nothing to say, besides what we offered in the review of the first edition. LXIV. A Discourse on the Religious Education of Youth, dea livered at Homer, (N. Y.) on the evening previous to the meeting of Synod, Oct. 11, 1814. By Hervey Wilbur. Second Edition. Boston; N. Willis. 1814. pp. 16. 8vo. Another new chapter is giv en, on the millennial kingdom THE religious education of chil of Jesus Christ. The first sec. dren is undoubtedly one of the tion is to ascertain the true sensc most important duties, which are incumbent upon the Christian parent and the Christian minister. We are happy to add, that this duty is extensively and feelingly acknowledged in our churches; and that an existing conviction of past neglect is one promising indication, that an increased attention to this subject may be expected. The text of the discourse before us is 2 Tim. iii, 15. And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus. In the discussion of his subject, Mr. Wilbur, in the first place, considers some of the pernicious effects which result from ignorance of Divine Revelation; secondly, enumerates some of the advantages of an early acquaintance with the Oracles of God; and, thirdly, suggests some suitable and effectual methods of promoting, among the rising generation, the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. The principal object in view, and the object which renders the sermon particularly worthy of perusal, falls under the third division. After urging the duty of par ents to instruct their children daily in religion, Mr. W. proceeds to recommend, that the children and youth of a parish should be divided into four classes, according to their age and attainments; that the different classes should be made acquainted with the Scriptures by means of catechisms and other helps, suited to their capacities; that stated and frequent meetings of the different classes should be held, at which a catechist should preside; and that the minister of the parish should devote as much time to this branch of his duty, as could be spared from his other sacred employments The following paragraph on the advantages to be derived from such a course as has been described, is a fair specimen of the sermon, and contains valua ble truths. "Numerous and important advantages would result from pursuing a course of catechetical instruction with the rising generation, from infancy to manhood. It would form habits of riveted attention to It religious truths. It would occupy the leisure moments of the young, and exclude many vain thoughts from their minds. It would have a powerful tendency to invigorate their memories, enrich and to preserve them from error in sentheir understandings, improve their tastes, timent and immorality in practice. would tend to increase the effects of the word of God when preached. How often do evangelical, learned and eloquent sermons prove nearly useless, through incapacity in the hearers. If, therefore, the Reverend Clergy wish to have intelligent ed discourses, they must spare no pains audiences, who would be profited by learnto excite a thirst for intellectual improvement among the young." p. 12. In the next paragraph, Mr. W. recommends associations of youth for the purpose of relig ious instruction and intellectual improvement, as a good substi tute for parties of pleasure, as they are usually called. For ourselves we have not the least doubt, that as the world is advancing toward the millennium, vast multitudes of persons, of every age and station, will find their pleasure in doing good, and in gaining religious knowl edge. It is sometimes object ed to the formation of charitable societies, that they occupy much time. The objection itself is a powerful argument in their favor. Happy would it be if the rising generation could be so occupied in improving the mind, acquiring a knowledge of the Scriptures, and administering temporal and spiritual relief to the ignorant and the destitute, as to leave no time for party politics, visits of mere ceremony, vain amusements, or licentious pleasures. RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE. MISSION AMONG THE WYANDOTS. (Continued from p. 89.) Extracted from the Journal of the Rev. "ONE morning, [in the spring of 1807] "July 16th. Set out for Detroit. Reached Brownstown on Saturday, and preach ed on the Sabbath, in the afternoon. About fifty of the Wyandots came together, to whom I explained the ten commandments. At the close of a very long exercise, the chiefs came and took me by the band, and thanked me for speaking to them God's word. Several of them tarried until near sundown, on whom I urged the duty of attending to God's word, and of having their children learn to read it. Had Mr. Walker to interpret. He is by far the best interpreter I have had. "July 25. Preached at Detroit. While there, about thirty of the Indians went with me and the chiefs to state to the Governor the injuries, which they often received from the traders, and concerning which I had written for them to him. "Lord's day, Aug. 2. Preached to about thirty Wyandots from the 8th chapter of Mark, the five last verses. They appeared very solemn. After sermon Barnet prayed. He was so affected, that be could not utter himself without sighs and tears. There was a general weeping among them. After prayer 1 talked with them for a long time. Many of them ap peared to be sensible that they were sinners. An old woman said, that "she had not repented to the prophet, but hoped she should now repent before God." "From this time to the 16th of September our situation was very trying. Had to dismiss my hired man for unfaithful It ness-my second son dangerously sick of "A few days after my return, one of the chiefs came in from the woods, welcomed my return with many expressions of kindness, and by kissing both my cheeks. From this time to the last week in May, I had no interpreter. Preached, when at the station, to the white people who were there, ten or fifteen in number, including those at the public store, and one white family living on Indian ground. "In Feb. 1808, went to some settle. ments south of Sandusky, on the Scioto, distant 130 miles, and preached two Sabbaths and a number of lectures. Encamp ed four nights in the woods, going and returning-waters very high-Swam my horse across the streams, and tied dry sticks together for a raft on which I took my baggage. In March, the lake got clear Mr. Badger commenced this mission under the patronage of the Synod of Pittsburgh. |