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duty of worshipping Him, virtue and piety as His true service, the duty of repenting and forsaking sin, and faith in a Divine retribution, partly in this life, partly in the next; these five principles are, according to Lord Herbert, the chief pillars of pure religion. Whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. 1

The sceptical spirit which arose in England, passed thence to France and thence to Germany: the more reverential deists of England, Herbert, Morgan, and Tindal, and the brilliant but earnest Hobbes, gave place to the light and trifling school of Bolingbroke and his dissipated compeers. To England comes just then, to complete his education and to travel, the young and witty Francois Arouet, whom we best know by the self-imposed name which he assumed in manhood, a name so dreaded and feared when he lived, and for years after, but which has lost its power now. To England comes this witty, sarcastic, trifling, keen, and handsome young man, and sits at the feet of the wild, reckless, profligate, superficial, and accomplished Bolingbroke, the representative of English deism. The Frenchman returns to his own land, takes the name so well known, publishes his imported English deism, and his nation kindle at once, and France was filled with infidelity. There sprang up like flame the school of Rousseau, d'Holbach, and the Encyclopedists, their rank, poisonous, blasphemy brought from England by that brilliant Voltaire. But not content with sowing the seeds of unbelief among his own countrymen, he carries it to a new field, becomes the daily companion of the King of Prussia, and the admired head of the culture of Germany. The King set the fashion of infidelity, and thousands followed in it, and there began the unbelief of that land, carried by this subtle nan from England, by way of Paris to Berlin. Never did the devil employ an ambassador more potent, effective, and destroying than this brilliant, watchful, untiring Voltaire.

It is only in our day that England has gone to Germany again to borrow what has there run through its course and been discarded, giving not only to its uneducated millions, but to its educated thousands and to hundreds of

the ministers of its own establishment those ideas, which have all had their day in Germany. And in America scepticism did not begin till Thomas Jefferson brought it in from France, taking the virus which Voltaire carried thither from England, innoculating the veins of the American national life, even shutting the name of God out of the Constitution of the United

1 Luthardt, "Fundamental Truths," p. 15.

States, and leaving no trace in the great organic law of the nation that it is even nominally a Christian people. 2

LORD BOLINGBROKE was born in Surrey, He lived and died an 1673; and died 1751. infidel. He was a philosopher, statesman, and political writer, a man of great abilities, and extensive knowledge. In his philosophical works he attacked religion; but when we reflect that he was at the same time a libertine, we shall cease to wonder that he rejected Christianity, notwithstanding the high compliments he sometimes thought proper to pay it. Exempli gratia, "No religion ever appeared in the world whose natural tendency was so much directed to promote the peace and happiness of mankind as Christianity. No system can be more simple and plain than that of natural religion, as it stands in the gospel. The system of religion which Christ published, and his evangelists recorded, is a complete system to all the purposes of religion, natural and revealed. Christianity, as it stands in the gospel, contains not only a complete, but a very plain system of religion. The gospel is in all cases one continued lesson of the strictest morality, of justice, of benevoThese are lence, and of universal charity." a professed deist. strange concessions from And yet much the same have been made by Tindal, Morgan, Chubb, and others.

THOMAS PAINE, author of "The Rights of Man," etc., was born in Norfolk, 1737; and died in New York, 1809. Though an unbeliever, he is constrained to confess that Jesus Christ was a virtuous and an amiable man; that the

morality which he preached and practised was
of the most benevolent kind; that though
similar systems of morality had been preached
by Confucius, and by some of the Greeks many
years before, and by many good men in all ages;
it has not been exceeded by any.
the propriety then of endeavouring to explode
the gospels ? 3

Where is

The four evangelists-of whom such contemptuous things have been spoken by Mr. Paine and others have done, without appearing to have intended it, what was never performed by any authors, before or since. They have drawn a perfect human character, without a single flaw! They have given the history of one, whose spirit, words, and actions were in every particular what they ought to have been; who always did the very thing which was proper, and in the best manner imaginable; who never once deviated from the most consummate wisdom, purity, benevolence, compassion, meekness, humility, fortitude, patience, piety, 2"German Rationalism," pp. xv., xvi. * Simpson's Plea, pp. 5, 6, 218.

The

zeal, and every other excellency; and who in no instance let one virtue or holy disposition entrench on another; but exercised them all in entire harmony and exact proportion! more the histories of the evangelists are examined the clearer will this appear, and the more evidently will it be perceived that they all coincide in the view they give of their Lord's character. This subject challenges investigation, and sets infidelity at defiance! Either these four men exceeded in genius and capacity all the writers that ever lived, or they wrote under the special guidance of Divine inspiration; for, without labour or affectation, they have effected what hath baffled all others who have set themselves purposely to accomplish it. +

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, an American, born at Boston, 1706; died 1790. He was apprenticed to a printer, but his superior talents soon appeared; his discoveries and experiments in natural philosophy recommended him to the notice of the learned all over Europe; his fame was as great in politics as in science. Hagenbach speaks of him as "that original American genius, Benjamin Franklin, one of the most perfect representatives of the purely materialistic philosophy, the so-called 'enlightenment' of the eighteenth century."

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The following is taken from his autobiography: "My parents had early given me religious impressions, and brought me through my childhood piously, in the dissenting way. But I was scarce fifteen when, after doubting, by turns, several points, as I found them disputed in the different books I read, I began to doubt the Revelation itself. Some books against deism fell into my hands; they were said to be the substance of the sermons which had been preached at Boyle's Lectures. It happened that they wrought an effect on me quite contrary to what was intended by them; for the arguments of the deists, which were quoted to be refuted, appeared to me much stronger than the refutations; in short, I soon became a thorough deist." Again, "I grew convinced that truth, sincerity, and integrity in dealings between man and man were of the utmost importance to the felicity of life; and I formed written resolutions, which still remain in my journal book, to practise them ever while I lived." Though only one of these resolutions has to do with our subject proper, yet on account of the wisdom embodied in them, and because they may be serviceable, expecially to young persons, an abstract is here subjoined.

1. Temperance.-Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

From Thomas Scott's Answer to Paine's Age of Reason. • Pinnock.

Observer, June 1, "77.

2. Silence. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.

3. Order. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.

4. Resolution.-Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.

5. Frugality.-Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; that is, waste nothing.

6. Industry.-Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

7. Sincerity. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly; and if you speak, speak accordingly.

8. Justice. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty. 9. Moderation.-Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries.

10. Cleanliness.-Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.

11. Tranquility.-Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents, common or unavoidable. 12. Chastity.

his

13. Humility.-Imitate Jesus and Socrates. At the time when Dr. Franklin lay upon death-bed, he was visited by a young man who had a great respect for his judgment in all things. Having entertained doubts as to the truth of the Scriptures, he thought that this solemn period afforded a suitable opportunity of consulting the doctor on this important subject. On inquiring very seriously of Franklin what were now his sentiments as to the truth of the Scriptures, the doctor solemnly replied,

"Young man, my advice to you is, that you cultivate an acquaintance with, and a firm belief in, the Holy Scriptures: this is your certain interest."

SENSATIONAL PREACHERS.

IN the progress of time words change their meaning greatly, or rather they are used to express that to which they were not at first applied. The word "sensational" was at first used to describe the doctrine held by Condillac, and by some attributed to Locke, that our ideas originate solely from what we learn through our five senses. But for a long time it has been known as indicative of endeavours to awaken public attention, and secure profit or reputation by the use of means of doubtful propriety,

From "Dawnings of Genius," pp. 369, etc.

Observer, June 1, ’77.

which tend to conceal the real purpose, or to excite curiosity by their oddity, impertinence, or even silliness. As used in the common language of the people, there is more or less of disapprobation of that to which it is applied. The "sensational" way of doing things is confined to no particular class or calling. There are sensational men and women, sensational merchants, sensational mechanics, sensational physicians, sensational lecturers, sensational newspapers, and sensational clergymen.

At present we propose to do with sensational preachers. They are known by peculiarities in the pulpit and in their intercourse with the world, not natural but assumed; by the selection of disjointed texts; by attempts at finding meanings in the words of Scripture discovered by no one else; by the utterance of startling sentences; and by the oddity and absurdity of their subjects of discourse as announced in the pulpit and through the press. They are always in some way advertising themselves. They are not an exclusive product of modern times. Church history informs us of some such in almost every age. But it is very certain that our own times have been extremely prolific in the production of such characters, and the press has been the means of giving some of them great notoriety. They usually seek fields of operation in or about cities and large towns, because of the facilities there afforded for making themselves known, and because there are always many in such places ready to run after and admire for a time something new. Some of these men have for a time filled a large place before the public eye, and have even been highly esteemed by many well-meaning people, and possibly have been the means of doing considerable good. Occasionally they have eclipsed for a season learned, studious, faithful, and able pastors, and caused them to be treated with neglect, if not with positive disrespect.

At best, however, the career of all such men in any one place is a short one, and it is not one to be coveted. Within our recollection at least five generations of such men have appeared in this city, have had their day of popularity, and have passed into insignificance, and in some cases into what was much worse. Every city in the country has had a similar experience, and not a few of the large towns have been visited in the same way. A good many years ago we were sitting in the study of the late Rev. John M. Krebs, D.D., of New York, then in the very height of his popularity and usefulness, when the conversation was directed to a noted sensational preacher then followed and admired by great crowds in that city. At last Dr. Krebs remarked: "Formerly the attention given to

such men, the large numbers that collected to listen to them, and the publicity given by the press to everything they did and said, annoyed me greatly. But these things trouble me no more; I have out-lived six generations of such men, who have appeared here and played their fantastic tricks and then disappeared for ever. I am content to stand in my lot, do my work, and pursue the even tenor of my way, without the least feeling of envy towards the most accomplished clerical mountebank in New York or anywhere else."

The end of sensational preachers for the last thirty or forty years has been for the most part a sad one. Some of them have fallen into immorality; others have become openly infidel and have sought to destroy the faith which they once preached; others have abandoned the ministry and entered some secular calling; and others have passed into complete obscurity. It is surprising that every now and then good and well-meaning young ministers seem anxious to imitate these sensational men whose popularity has been so short-lived and whose end has been so sad. And it is, if possible, still greater cause for wonder that sensible people are so often induced to follow these flashing, uncertain, and bewildering lights, which go out so soon, leaving those who admired them so much to regret the delusion by means of which they had been led and to denounce those by whom they had been deceived.-Presbyterian Banner.

The Sunday School.

INTERNATIONAL LESSONS.-NOTES.

June 17.-THE CAPTIVITY OF ISRAEL.-2 Kings, xvii. 1-23. "Hoshea" ascended the throne by conspiracy and bloodshed (xv. 30). He reigned from about 730 to 721 B.C. "But not as," 2. He was bad, but not so bad as former kings. It seems that during his reign Hezekiah, king of Judah, had opportunity of inviting Israel to Jerusalem to keep the passover, and that many from Israel went (2 Chron. xxx. 1, 11, 21, &c.). "Shalmaneser," 3, was the son and successor of Tiglath-pileser. Three Assyrian kings took part in subjugating Israel (xv. 19, 20, 29). "Brought no present," 4. For some time he had been a vassal king, paying tribute to Assyria. Now he was seeking a league with Egypt. "Then," 5. necessarily after Hoshea's imprisonment; it may be but a fuller account of the steps that ended in the king's imprisonment and the captivity of the people. "Besieged," xviii. 9-11. Assyria," 6. Westward, Assyria was bounded by the Mesopotamian desert, while, according to others, it reached the Euphrates. "Halah seems to have been a region adjoining Gozan." "Habor is identified beyond all reasonable doubt with the famous affluent of the Euphrates,"

66

Not

"Gozan."

which still bears the name of Khabour. "The word 'by' should be omitted, and the name Habor would then denote properly the principal river of Gozan." Gozan thus becomes a tract of country watered by the Habor, in the north of Mesopotamia, conquered by the Assyrians (Is. xxxvii. 11, 12). Gozan is`again named, however, as a river in 1 Chron. v. 26, where Young translates "the river of Gozan." By others these places are all sought for east of the Tigris. "Cities of the Medes."

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"There is some reason to think that the Medes once occupied a part of the Mesopotamian region." 7-23 contain reflections on the causes of the downfall and captivity of Israel. "From the tower," 9. Varying in dimensions from the watchman's hut to the fortified city. "Set them up," 10. Ex. xxxiv. 12-15. Seers," 13. 1 Sam. ix. 9. "Molten images," 16. 1 Kings xii. 28-30. “Israel walked,” 22. For 254 years, during the rule or misrule of 19 successive kings, God had patiently borne with the wayward Israelites; but now they enter upon the full consequences of their estrangement from Him. The history of the two and a half centuries is a sad, but true, picture of human perversity. The gloomy shades gather intensity and weight under the pen of Paul (Rom. iii. 10-19). But righteousness of God is manifested through Jesus Christ (21, 22). The sin with which the world is now charged is lack of trust in Christ (John iii. 18; xvi. 7-9).

2. In

QUESTIONS.-1. How long did Hoshea reign? what relation did he stand to the Assyrian king? 3. Who was then king of Assyria? 4. How long was Samaria besieged? 5. Why did Shalmaneser besiege Samaria? 6. How many kings had ruled over the ten tribes before Hoshea? 7. What time elapsed between the revolt under Jeroboam and the captivity here named? 8. Why did God allow His people to be taken captive? 9. What is the sin for which men are now condemned? 10. How can sinners be made righteous ?

June 24-REVIEW OF THE QUARTER'S LESSONS. -The first half of the Quarter brings before us chiefly acts of Elisha. Elicit from the class the principal events associated with him. These first six lessons suggest (1) provision for the needy ; (2) life to the dead; (3) health to the diseased; (4) exposure and punishment of sin; (5) blessings of prayer, and the hosts of God on the side of His people; (6) capability of God's prophets to look into to-morrow. Lesson 9 illustrates how even death is made by God a means of life. Remark on Jehu's daring exploits, and his subsequent failure to keep the kingdom intact. He and his descendants to the fourth generation reigned some 110 years. During the time of these five kings there appeared the prophets Jonah, Amos, and Hosea. Jonah foretold events to transpire in the reign of Jeroboam, the great-grandson of Jehu (2 Kings xiv. 23-25); and he effected the conversion of the Ninevites, the inhabitants of the capital of that very empire which afterwards enthralled the Israelites. Amos sets before the ten tribes their sins in detail, narrates God's faithfulness and painstaking care with them, threatens punishment, exhorts to repentance, and fortells the captivity (v. 27), which happened 60 years later in the days of Pekah and Hoshea. Hosea was engaged in warning and exhorting Israel for 60

Observer, June 1, '77.

years or more. During that time 7 different kings ruled in Samaria, beginning with Jeroboam and ending with Hoshea. Hos. x. 14 seems to refer to 2 Kings xvii. 3, where events in Hoshea's reign are named. To reckon the time, and to make out the contemporaneous kings of Israel and Judah, see Hos. i. 1; 2 Kings xv-xvii. The book of Hosea "should be read as a poem, written by one on whose sight the impending downfall of his nation was darkening, filling his heart with anguish too great to bear." At last came that terrible dispersion. Kings and people had long been travelling the downward road of sin. Rom. x. 21 is sorrowfully illustrated in their rebellious career. Prov. iv. might be read, and the paths of the righteous and the wicked contrasted. The chequered life of Israel is on record to instruct and warn us (1 Cor. x. 11-13; Rom. xv. 4).

QUESTIONS.-1. How many persons were in that family that had the oil increased? 2. What need was there to increase the oil? 3. Where did the woman live whose boy Elisha brought to life? 4. Who names Elisha in the New Testament? 5. What happened to the Syrian host that came to Dothan to apprehend Elisha? 6. What was Jehu before he was anointed to be king? 7. What did Hazael, the king of Syria, do to Israel in the reign of Jehu? 8. What was Jonah sent to Nineveh to do? 9. What two prophets wrote about Israel before the captivity? 10. Where were the captive Israelites taken to?

A.B.

HOW TO STUDY THE LESSON.

MUCH has been written in various Sundayschool journals on this question, and we propose to contribute our mite to the general fund. Mind-it is how the teacher may best study the lesson, so as to be ready to meet his class and instruct it.

1. Contrary to much of the advice we have read, we say to every teacher, sit down, first of all, with your Bible, without notes or comments, and try what you can yourself do with the lesson. You will never become a trustworthy or skilful teacher until you acquire skill in handling the Word of God; and you will never acquire this skill while you are leaning on others, and have only the ignoble ambition to be a mere echo of the words and ideas of others. To encourage you to undertake this work resolutely, and with good prospects of success, note (1) The International Lessons are necessarily fragmentary. While there is unity of purpose in their selection, they are not consecutive, nor can they be where the object is to give, within reasonable limits, merely a general course of instruction in the Old and New Testaments. The first thing, therefore, is to obtain a knowledge of the connecting links of the lessons. Read carefully the Scriptures between the lessons, until you are able to connect the two by a clear

Observer, June 1, 77.

statement of the occurrences or teachings of these intervening portions of Scripture.

(2) Then, with a good reference Bible, a map, and a Bible dictionary, go to work on your lesson. First, read it over and over until you have at least a general idea of its drift and its main features. Then, consult parallel passages, and get from them all the light you can. Then look out the places on the map, and learn the particulars concerning them from your dictionary.

(3) When you are thus filled with the facts and truths of the lesson, take time to consider what there is in it of special interest to your classwhat lessons may be legitimately drawn from it for their benefit. It is one thing to obtain and impart a knowledge of the lesson itself; quite another to appropriate and apply its teaching for your own good, or for the benefit of your pupils.

When? The date of the record or of the transactions. Under what dispensation-Patriarchal, Jewish, or Christian? This will have much to do in deciding what you are to draw from the lesson for present use. For instance: Elijah's calling down fire from heaven to consume his adversaries (2 Kings i), under the Jewish dispensation, is not a lesson to be taught under Christ. (Luke ix. 51-56.)

Where? In what country? In what situation? The history of the place or places. This gives a fine opportunity to supply interesting historical and geographical information to the pupils.

For

Who? This question relates alike to the speakers and the persons spoken to. instance: In Matt. iv. 6, in answer to this question, you find that the speaker is Satan! Of course, you do not wish to accept his teaching as true and good! You must ask concerning speakers and hearers, Partriarchs ? Jews? Gentiles? Sinners? Christians? You do not want to enforce Jewish teachings on Christians, until you find that they perfectly accord with Christ's teachings. Nor do you want to take instructions given specifically to Christians, and apply them to the unconverted. We ought to amplify here, but cannot now.

2. When you have done all this-and not until then-consult such notes and comments as you have at your command. You may find, after such consultation, that you have blundered; that your own ideas are erroneous or very crude; and you may have to throw away much of your labour as unprofitable. Let it be so. Your final success must come through just such failures. Your labour is not lost. You have begun to acquire facility in mastering Bible teachings, and in due time you will enjoy the felicity of the discovery, when you come to consult the commentators, that you have anticipated many of their best thoughts-have dug them out for yourself, and have even hit on ideas and discoveries of truth that are not to be found in them. This will be to you a juste.g., the reasons of the revolt of the ten delight and an abundant compensation for your hard study and anxious investigation.

3. While availing yourself of all the help that critics and commentators offer, do not blindly adopt their interpretations, nor allow yourself to be carried off by plausible novelties. Bring all they say to the test of Scripture, and make it a rule to adopt nothing, in the way of interpretation, until you are fully satisfied that it harmonizes with the general tenor of Scripture teaching.

4. And now, whether in reference to your own investigations, or the comments of others, keep in mind certain enquiries which should constantly guide you. You have heard of the four P's-Parallel, Passages, Persons, Places; and the four D's-Dates, Doings, Doctrines, Duties. We give you our rules for study under the head of the five W's, thus:

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What? What are the facts-the principles -the lessons taught? And what is there in these that can legitimately apply now? would be false, for instance, to take the special direction given to a sickly man (1 Tim. v. 23) and make it universally applicable as a Divine rule.

Why? The reasons for the facts of the lesson

tribes. Also, the reasons for the lessons you draw from the text and enforce on your scholars-e.g., why it was unwise in Rehoboam to take the counsel of the young men, and reject the counsel of the aged.

You think all this will involve an outlay of much time and labour. Certainly it will. But not so much time or labour as a blind groping through your lesson, without definite plan or aim. It will be hardest at first. You will soon learn to proceed rapidly and satisfactorily. And then, reflect that unless you are willing to bestow time and labour, you are not fit to be a teacher. Reflect, too, that in thus preparing to instruct others, you are gaining stores of knowledge and wisdom for yourself more precious than fine gold.-Teacher's Mentor.

LESSON-DIFFICULTIES.

We find that 2 Kings xv. 30 makes Hoshea begin to reign in the twentieth year of Jotham; but Jotham only reigned sixteen years (verses 32, 33).

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