knows nothing of real and permanent happiness. The diversified and beautiful scenery of this "bright earth”-the consummate harmony manifest in the works of creation—are presented to the mind of the deist, not indeed as the offspring of chance, but as the handi. work of a great and glorious Creator, who, nevertheless, deigns not to regard the happiness of his creature man. He beholds the tower. ing forests, in the tops of whose trees the bird of heaven builds her nest, and is cared for and fed by that unseen Protector who "suffers not a sparrow to fall to the ground without his notice," on every hand he discovers the beneficence of Heaven, in the ample provisions made for the comfort of mankind-all proclaiming the mercy and goodness of the divine Upholder of all things; but although he may be delighted with these works, and even feel his heart to swell with gratitude to God for his abundant kindness, he never realizes those exalted feelings of enjoyment experienced by such as can exclaim, in the language of the amiable Cowper,

"My FATHER made them all!"

In order to sustain their views in opposition to the Christian reli, gion, unbelievers sometimes presume to institute a comparison between the God of the Bible and the heathen deities, and contrast paganism and Mohammedanism with Christianity; and because the pagan ap. pears to believe as firmly in his idol, and the Mohammedan in his prophet, as the Christian, does in his Saviour, they contend that it is reasonable to suppose all are alike deceived; for, say they, one is as tenacious of his faith as the other. The absurdity of such an argu. ment may be seen at once by any person who will take the trouble to examine the subject.

The God of Christianity is not only a Being of unlimited power: he is also a God of infinite goodness. To prove that he is omnipotent, it is only necessary to say, in the language of inspiration, "He created the heavens and the earth;" to show that he is good, it is sufficient to observe that he gave his only begotten Son for the redemption of a ruined world. He has mercifully given a revelation of his will, in which are pointed out to man the character and attributes of his Maker; and these are such as to excite his warmest love: he is constrained to adore a Being of such wonderful perfections, and only regrets that he is incapable of loving him still more.

None of these things, however, can be said of the idols of the heathen. Jupiter, the supreme deity of the ancient pagan world, although he was regarded as the most mighty of all their gods, "who, by the mere movement of one of his eyebrows, could make Olympus tremble," was, nevertheless, according to their own representations of him, a god of limited power, insomuch that he was compelled, on various occasions, to have recourse to stratagem in order to effect his wishes.* And certainly, to compare the Maker of heaven and earth

It is said, that, when the giants resolved to dethrone Jupiter, by besieging him either in heaven itself, or upon Olympus, he was terrified at the sight of his enemies, and their formidable proceedings, and summoned all the gods and goddesses to his assistance. We are also informed that he was deceived in a sacrifice offered him by Prometheus. This so greatly enraged him, that he resolved to avenge himself on mankind by taking from them the use of fire. Prometheus, however, possessing a subtle and crafty genius, ascended to hea

with a deity of this description, would be impious. We would not, indeed, presume to contrast the ennobling religion of Jesus Christ with the disgusting and demoralizing worship of these heathen gods, but to show the supreme excellence of the one, and the deep corruption of the other; extremes which weak and corrupt minds bring together. Every infidel must admit, that, prior to the propagation of the Gospel, the world was sunk in the grossest idolatry. St. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, paints, in true colors, the condition of the people under the influence of this idolatry; and the picture thus drawn should cause every man to be thankful that it was not his lot to live in that wretched era of the world. But grand and glorious was the change which followed the introduction of Christianity into the world, as the legitimate effect of it. Well might the angels sing for joy at that glad moment when the birth of Immanuel was proclaimed; for soon the voice of the mighty God-of the incarnate Saviour-broke over Judea's hills, and the long worshipped idols of the pagans trembled upon their venerable pedestals. The almost impenetrable moral darkness which had reigned so long now receded as the Sun of Righteousness arose, dispensing his heavenly light over the desolate places of a fallen world. In language not to be gainsaid, the followers of the Saviour, as they had been taught by him, proclaimed in the ears of all classes, whether high or low, rich or poor, learned or unlearned, "the unsearchable riches of Christ ;" and, with a voice which carried authority in its tones, declared to the worshippers of strange gods that their deities possessed no power to save; and that, unless they called upon the name of the true God, they must perish. The effect was a reformation, such as the world never before witnessed. The gross immoralities of the heathen were held up to view; and many, becoming disgusted with them, renounced idolatry, and embraced the Christian faith.

But let us inquire into the condition of idolatrous pagans at the present age, and see how far the influence exerted over their minds, by their paganism, has tended to elevate their moral and intellectual character. The present state of the Hindoo world is one in which every Christian feels the most intense interest. Destitute of the light of the gospel, this unhappy race of men emphatically "sit in darkness." Polygamy and prostitution, the effects of ignorance and idolatry, are. not regarded by them as vices; and the miseries thus occasioned must call forth the deepest sympathy of the heart that can "feel another's The temple of Juggernaut, which is esteemed the most sacred

wo."

ven, and, approaching the chariot of the sun, stole thence the sacred fire, and brought it down to earth. Incensed at this daring and audacious enterprise, Jupiter devised an unsuccessful plan to insnare his enemy. He caused to be formed a woman of surpassing loveliness, whence she was called Pandora, and sent her, decorated with choicest gifts, and a box filled with every description of misery, to Prometheus; but he, suspecting the artifice, would have nothing to do with her. Epimetheus, however, to whom she subsequently presented herself, became so captivated with her charms that he married her; and curiosity inducing him to look into the fatal box, the moment he opened it there issued from it a deluge of miseries, which, according to this fable, have overrun the earth ever since. Increasingly incensed that Prometheus should have so much sagacity as not to be insnared by so great an enchantress as Pandora, Jupiter finally caused him to be carried to Mount Caucasus, and bound fast to a rock, whither a monster in the form of an eagle was sent to punish him for his offence.

of all their religious institutions, is annually visited by one million two hundred thousand infatuated worshippers, numbers of whom throw themselves upon the ground, and are crushed to death beneath the ponderous wheels of the moving tower, amid the joyful acclamations of the deluded multitudes. During this dreadful ceremony, the priests and principal worshippers of the idol often address the people in libidinous songs and gestures, for "obscenity and blood are the characteristics of Juggernaut's worship." The Hindoo widow who offers herself a sacrifice at the funeral pile of her deceased husband imagines she performs a most meritorious action. After passing through various cere. monies, the most important of which is bathing in the Ganges, whose waters the Hindoos consider sacred, the hapless victim rushes upon the burning pyre, and, as the flames gather around her, her shrieks are drowned amid the beating of drums and the shouts of the multitude.

We turn from pictures so revolting, to contemplate paganism in a more modified form. Although at the present day the Chinese are lamentably superstitious, they are not so grossly idolatrous as the Hindoos. Time was, indeed, when the religion of China was of a more elevated character. In fact, it may safely be inferred, from the consideration that their canonical books set forth the idea, and enforce the belief, of one supreme Being, that the ancient inhabitants of that country recognised, in some degree at least, the worship of the true God; for, at one period of their history, "His fear alone was sufficient to restrain all the subjects of the empire, and to keep them within the bounds of duty." As in England, during the reign of the great and good Alfred, it was not necessary to intimidate the people by the severity of penal laws, so also was it not, at this period, with the Chinese. This ray of light which shot through the surrounding darkness was no doubt reflected, in one way or other, from the inspired records which God gave to his ancient people. But their degeneracy shows the insufficiency of their prevailing idolatry, to which they still adhered, to enlighten and save them.

There are other pagan worshippers of whom we might speak at length; but as they do not materially differ, except in their religious ceremonies, from those already introduced, it will be unnecessary longer to detain the reader on this particular point. The religion of the false prophet, Mohammed, may therefore next invite our attention.

Mohammed was unquestionably one of the most extraordinary men the world ever knew. Had he not been such, he could not have exerted so mighty an influence over the minds of his countrymen, in the short period of one single life, as to induce them to receive him as the prophet of God, and his Koran as the written will of Heaven. The main arguments which he used to convince his followers of the divinity of his mission, were contained in the Koran, which, he said, was made up of certain revelations sent from God, and brought to him by the angel Gabriel; and from the same source he professed to derive his commission to convert the people from the errors of paganism. In order the more effectually to excite the passions, and to enlist the support of the vulgar, he framed his paradise agreeably to the corrupt appetites and inclinations of those whom he desired to proselyte, by representing it to consist of enjoyments in which he well knew they

mostly delighted; while, to excite their fears, he presented to their imagination a hell comprising such torments as were the most dreadful to them. Through these means he raised up an army of fol lowers; and, by the power of the sword, succeeded in establishing his religion over a great portion of the Eastern world.

One of the principal institutions of this religion is the pilgrimage to Mecca, which is made an affair of state. Every year the devout Moslems of Damascus and Grand Cairo depart in solemn procession for the burial-place of their prophet. As they advance, the caravan is swelled by Moors from every part of Asia and Africa. The com. mon horrors of the desert, which are greatly heightened by the harassing depredations of the roving Arabs, who equally despise the devotion and the sword of the pilgrims, are not so great as to overcome the zeal of the pious Mussulman. In addition to this, the Koran enjoins prayer, fasting, almsgiving, "&c., requisitions which are strictly ad hered to. In this respect, perhaps, the Christian would do well to. emulate the conscientious Mohammedan, whose religion, it cannot be denied, is vastly more rational than paganism. However evil his

motive in establishing his imposture, the prophet certainly arrayed himself against many of the corruptions of paganism, which he discarded from his system, and most solemnly denounced. This mix.. ture of good with evil doubtless gave plausibility to his cause, and tended to extend the mischief it was calculated to produce.

We have already spoken of the great change effected in the pagan world by the introduction of Christianity. We may now briefly speak of the Christian religion as a system.

The systems of morals propagated by a few of the wisest philosophers of Greece and Rome, and especially those of Socrates and Plato, have been justly commended by historians; and some of the precepts inculcated by them are certainly excellent. But what were Socrates and Plato, and their systems of morality, in comparison with Jesus of Nazareth and his holy religion? The immortality of the soul was a doctrine on which Plato reasoned well; but the Son of God demonstrated the truth of this doctrine by offering up his life for the redemption of the immortal spirit, and rising from the dead as evidence and an earnest of the resurrection of the body.

It is in vain for us to attempt to find, in the schools of the heathen sages, any system so well adapted to the wants of man as is that of Christianity; for, with all their reasonings and researches, those philosophers could never confidently point him to a world of happiness, "where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest." Christianity not only does this, but it also exhibits to our view a course which, if faithfully pursued, will secure to us real and permanent happiness while travelling through this "wilderness world." No community is so blessed as that in which she reigns in her purity.

That there are those bearing the Christian name who bring a reproach upon the cause, is a fact too evident to be evaded or denied ; hence unbelievers say that though the Christian religion claims superiority over all other systems, yet its supporters do not display in their lives that superiority of virtue which the assertion leads them to expect. Unhappily, this is true of many professed believers; but it is not reasonable to bring their deficiency as an argument against the

truth of Christianity, which, as these very objectors well know, discourages every thing approaching to immorality. The great Founder of our religion himself said, "Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven." It would be remarkable, if, in so large a body as the Christian church comprises, there should be no hypocrites. Such are to be found among all classes of men in every pursuit in life. It is far from being improbable that infidels themselves, during some portions of their lives, pretend to doubt the truth of the Christian religion, when their consciences are loud in proclaiming to them that they are in error. P. D.

For the Magazine and Review.

ART. IX.-The Sufferings and Glory of Christ. A Sermon. By J. H. YOUNG, of the Baltimore Annual Conference.

"The sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow," 1 Peter i, 11.

MYSTERY is engraven indelibly on every part of the material universe. The lowest degree of crystallization bears its impress, as well as the most perfect metals, to the diamond sparkling on the monarch's crown. It is written on the blade of grass scarcely visible in the dust, on the sacred hyssop at the wall, on the tall cedar of Lebanon, and the proud oak of the forest; on the least winged insect, buzzing round the midnight lamp, and on the steady pinions of the soaring eagle, who delights to gaze at the brightness of the sun. It is seen in the microscopic animalculæ, a thousand of which can play in a single drop, and in the unwieldy whale, sporting in "the paths of the deep," or the dreadful leviathan, "thou canst not draw out with a hook;" in the diminutive creeping thing of the ground, trodden under foot, as well as in the king of beasts, whose terrible voice shakes the solid earth, or the elephant, who "trusteth he can take up Jordan into his mouth," or the huge ruins of the mammoth, whose giant bones remain only as an antediluvian wonder, and, like the pyramids of Egypt, stand forth in defi. ance of the ravages of time. Its voice is heard in the loud thunder, in the fall of the cataract, and in the roar of the ocean. Its footsteps are seen in the red lightnings of heaven. It frowns in the storm, it glows in the sun, it burns in the fire, and it twinkles in every star. "The wind bloweth where it listeth; thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth." Men, by perseverance and application, may learn much, and yet, in reality, know but little. The most profound investigations of philosophers have left still undiscovered the primitive essence of matter. If, therefore, the real nature of its elementary particles is yet a mystery, we need not think it strange if some of its laws are likewise totally unknown, and some of its most common properties revealed to us but in part. And if the mineral, vegetable, and animal kingdoms of the world we inhabit, and many things connected with the innumerable systems composing the extensive dominions of the Deity, which are but "the works of his fingers," are "hard to be understood," it should certainly not surprise us if the moral and intellectual worlds, and especially the holy