of the gospel is being felt in China. The people are watching the Christians. They see the fruit of holy living, and they curiously enquire if we do anything to the Christians. They ask, Do you give them a pill? Do you pay them? What has so changed them? They are different from what they were. They are so happy and joyful. We don't understand it. Is it your religion has this effect upon them? It must be good religion, &c.-Brethren, how shall the matter be clearly explained to them? They press us with enquiries on every hand. We cannot answer one in a thousand. We want more labourers. I have asked for ten only. Can they be found? Will they go to aid in this most blessed of all works? We must have help, too, to save the lives of the missionaries in the field; so multiplied are their labours, that they are sinking under them. -When we get so that we can preach to the people and talk to them about Jesus, we become wholly absorbed in the work; and besides distributing tracts, &c., we preach every day. If a missionary is laid aside by sickness, or called away from the field, the remaining labourers take | his work in addition to their own, and toil on, bearing the cross of Christ. Already I have lived two ordinary lives of the missionaries there, and I hope to spend, at least, twenty years there yet, in the service of my adorable Redeemer. I re-dedicate myself to the work, and wish to return home to China, to labour for their salvation. We need faith in God's promises. I feel it more than ever before. Trials have but increased my faith, strengthened my reliance on God. As I was on my way hither, from China, we were threatened with shipwreck. The storm drove us in proximity to high rocks, projecting, like a wall 100 feet

66

high; the Captain came to me and expressed his belief that the ship could not stand half-an-hour longer, she must strike the rocks and be dashed to pieces. Go," said he, "with a rope and lash yourself to the vessel, on deck somewhere, that you may stand a chance to be saved." Oh, I thought, if it were the will of God that I should find a grave in the deep, and not among the Chinese, it is my part to be resigned-but I could not help it,-brethren, I felt that God had a work for us in China, and I had strong faith in Him. Oh, we looked to Him whence cometh all our strength. At that very hour, the anchor held fast and so continued for two hours, when the winds lulled and the tides changed, and we lifted anchor and drifted around the huge rocks to safety and quietude. Our gratitude to God for his mercy was great, and I thank Him here this night. That danger strengthened my faith in God, and in his purpose to use me for his glory. I would not take $500 for the courage I then gained. Oh, brethren, trust in the Lord, and "cast thy bread upon the waters." Wake up, and put forth efforts commensurate with the work before you.

Before you meet again in Convention, I shall be in China, at home. This was, but that is now, my home. I love my work there, and am determined to toil on so long as I live for the salvation of China. Will you send other labourers? Will the church and Christians in this country work for China? Will you pray for China, and give of your substance for the good of souls? Oh, brethren, remember us as we go far away. We go to honour Jesus, your Saviour to tell the story of his dying_love.-Trust in God, and pray for us. Farewell.

cally named in the Psalms; but, what is of infinitely greater importance, the great truths symbolized in both ordinances, are celebrated less or more in them all. An express reference to baptism or the Lord'ssupper in a hymn that may be sung on the occasion of the observance of the one or the other, is of little consequence com-

nance.

With respect to baptism :-any of those psalms may be used, that celebrate the excellence of the Divine statutes. These, indeed, will either suit baptism or the Lord's-supper, as they have a common application. Some of the Psalms, however, are peculiarly suitable to this ordiA more appropriate baptismal hymn than Psalm lxix., I believe does not exist. Of that Psalm Christ himself is the speaker, (compare ver. 4, with John xv. 25; ver. 9 first clause with John ii. 17; and latter clause with Rom. xv. 2, 3; and ver. 21 with Matt. xxvii. 34.) The Redeemer thus opens the Psalm :— "Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow Here the "man of sorrows" describes his sufferings under the same image by which they are symbolized in baptismhis being overwhelmed in the floods of Divine wrath,- in allusion to which He says, "I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished." Luke xii. 50. "He was even straitened under a kind of holy uneasiness," says the pious and evangelical Hervey, "till the dreadful work was accomplished; till He was baptized with the baptism of His sufferings, bathed in blood and plunged in death."

me.

Psalm lxix. appears to me to be peculiarly adapted to a baptismal service. First, because the sufferings of Christ are described in it, and symbolized in the ordinance. Secondly, because these sufferings are represented by the same figure in both, viz., immersion. And, thirdly, because the union of Christ and the church in his atoning death is represented in both. It is represented in the ordinance. "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death. Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death" Rom. vi. 3, 4. It is represented in the Psalm. For whilst Jesus is the

His people. In this Psalm and its parallels, Jesus is represented as singing praise to His Father in the midst of the church. (Compare Psa. xxii. 22, with Heb. ii. 11, 12), and His people unite with Him in singing the same song. There is, therefore, a peculiar beauty in the Psalm being penned in the first person singular. "I sink in deep mire," says Jesus, "where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters where the floods overflow me." But the church too can say, "I sink in deep mire where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters where the floods overflow me, because His people virtually suffer in His sufferings, they "drink of His cup, and are baptized with His baptism." Matt. xx. 23.

When the ordinance of baptism is associated with the singing of this Psalm, we have a double symbol of the union between Jesus and His people; or of their fellowship with him in his sufferings. We have one symbol in the baptism of the believer, and another symbol in the singing of the Psalm. There is a rich source of edification here, which can only be enjoyed by those, who practise Christian immersion, and use the Messianic Psalms.

We have already observed that many of the Psalms may be applied either to baptism or the Lord's-supper. But as some of them are peculiarly adapted to the former ordinance, so others are peculiarly adapted to the latter-such as those that celebrate the gospel under the image of a feast. Psa. xxii., xxiii., lxiii., lxv., cxvi., for example. Psa. xxii and cxvi., like the lxix., are spoken in the person of Christ. In the former, Jesus gives a very minute, circumstantial, and affecting description of His sufferings, and closes in a hymn of triumph :- My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear Him. The meek shall eat and be satisfied; they shall praise Jehovah that seek Him," &c., ver. 25, 26. The allusion is to the peace offerings under the law, which having been presented to God in sacrifice, were shared by the priest and the people. So gospel worshippers feast on the sacrifice of Christ, which is significantly represented in the Lord's-supper Our Great High

Priest and his people are represented as feasting together in this ordinance, and hence it is called the "communion" because believers in it have communion with Him and with each other. He thus brings them into the "banqueting house, and His banner over them is love." He "drinks of the fruit of the vine new with them in His Father's kingdom." Matt. xxvi. 29.

Psalm cxvi. is a eucharistic hymn, or hymn of thanksgiving. In it Messiah represents the great salvation accomplished by Him under the emblem of a сир.

"What shall I render unto Jehovah for all his benefits towards me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of Jehovah. I will pay my vows unto Jehovah now in the presence of all his people." ver. 12—14. We read of the " cup of trembling," the "cup of astonishment," and the "cup of Jehovah's fury." That cup was put into the Redeemer's hands, and He drank it to the dregs, as the redemption price of the cup of salvation" which He "takes" and puts into the hands of His people. The action of Christ at the institution of the sacred supper was a beautiful symbol of this, and the great truth is symbolized over again as often as the solemn rite is repeated. The very action that Jesus performed, when He "took the cup and gave thanks" is here described in almost

66

the same words, "I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of Jehovah ;" and it is highly probable, that this is the hymn that was sung by Christ and the apostles, when the ordinance was first administered, as this Psalm, together with several of the preceding ones, called the hallel or hymn was usually sung at the close of the paschal feast. As the Lord's-supper arose out of the paschal feast, it is reasonable to suppose that Christ and the apostles would sing the same hymn that was usually sung on that occasion. Whether this be the identical hymn that was used on that occasion, however, I shall not take upon me to affirm, as it cannot be proved from Scripture, however probably it may be inferred from Jewish customs. But this does seem evident at least, that the hymn which Jesus used, must have been taken from the liturgy of praise that then existed, and we are not aware of any psalmody having been then in use except the Psalms of David. Now if Jesus judged one of David's hymns to be suitable to be used at the institution of the supper, it surely cannot be unsuitable now. If we sing a hymn at the close of the supper, as Jesus and the disciples did, we cannot be wrong in selecting it from the same collection. Conlig, Newtownards, Ireland. June 10, 1859.

IN his second book, called Euterpe, Herodotus gives an account of the history, customs, and religion of the Egyptians, suggested by the expedition of Cambyses, the son of Cyrus, for the conquest of that people. There are many things mentioned by the historian which throw considerable light on some portions of the inspired narrative.

He tells us, that the Nile was one of the chief deities of the Egyptians, and that hosts of priests in all parts of the country were devoted to its service. The following extract will give the most vivid idea of the reverence paid to this god.

62 Every person seized by a crocodile, no matter whether he be Egyptian or

alien, and all brought to death by the river itself, on whatever territory the body may float to, must by law be embalmed, adorned in the most magnificent manner, and entombed in a sacred coffin. No one dare touch him, whether relation or friend; the priests of the Nile bury the body with their own hands, as being something more than that of a man !" Euterpe II. 90.

This explains why, when Jehovah was executing judgment upon the gods of Egypt, two plagues fell upon the Nile; by the first of which that river was turned into blood; and all the fish in it were made to die; and the waters were made to stink, and the Egyptians loathed to

drink of them, (Exod. vii. 17, 18;) and by the second of which the Nile was made to bring forth frogs in such abundance, that they infested the houses and bed chambers, and beds, and ovens, and kneading-troughs of the people. (Exod. viii. 3, 4.) Two plagues were aimed at this deity, and these two were the first inflicted, because the worship of the sacred river was the foremost of the idolatries of the land. By these plagues the god was converted into a curse; and the folly of the worship paid to it was demonstrated. Herodotus tells us that the louse was considered to be so impure an insect, that no person in whom it harboured could take any part in religious services. Hence every precaution was observed by the priests to keep themselves pure from these detested creatures.

"These priests of the gods elsewhere wear long hair; but in Egypt they have it shaven." Euterpe, 36. "The priests shave their whole body every third day, in order that no louse or any other vermin may be found upon them when attending upon the gods: the priests also wear nothing but cotton, and shoes of hyblus; no other garments or shoes are they allowed to wear. They wash themselves twice every day in cold water, and twice every night; and observe ten thousand other ceremonies, so to speak." Euterpe, 37. This at once explains the plague of lice, with which some infidels have made themselves so merry. There was a profound significance in that judgment. At one stroke it put a stop to the whole system of idol worship in the land. (Exod. viii. 17.) "God smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt." During the prevalence of this plague, no religious worship could be presented by the priests, for they were all in a state of uncleanness. Yes! the land was perishing, and yet sacrifices to propitiate their deities they could not offer. Never did they so need deliverance as now, and yet they could not seek it. Thus, easily by means of a contemptible insect did Jehovah put a stop to the whole system of idol worship.

Herodotus gives us many interesting particulars of the veneration in which most of the kinds of cattle were held by the Egyptians.

"All Egyptians, therefore, sacrifice pure male kine and calves; they are not allowed, however, to sacrifice cows, which are sacred to Isis: for the image of Isis is a woman's figure with cow's horns, the same as the Greeks depict Io. All Egyptians alike have even a much greater veneration for cows than for any other cattle.

The kine that die are buried in the following manner:-The females are thrown into the river; the males are put under ground by the proprietor, in the suburbs, leaving above the surface one or both horns, as a mark. In the same manner as the oxen, they bury all other cattle that die; such is their custom; for neither do they slaughter even these.” Euterpe 41.

This explains the plague of the murrain sent upon the cattle of the Egyptians. (Exod. ix. 1-7.) Animals which the people worshipped were destroyed. Their sacred cows and bulls and other brute deities perished by the hand of Jehovah. But the Hebrews, who did not venerate such creatures, were saved from this plague their cattle were spared. Thus, the whole system of brute worship was proved to be a delusion:-the people who worshipped them, saw them perish at the rebuke of Jehovah; while the people who ridiculed the very idea of such worship had their cattle all spared to them.

:

Herodotus also makes special mention of the worship of Isis, and Osiris, among the Egyptians.

"All Egyptians do not worship the same gods alike, excepting Isis, and Osiris, whom they call Bacchus! these they all worship alike." Euterpe 41. "Isis is the Egyptian for Ceres." Euterpe, 156. He give several particulars of the worship of these two favourite Egyptian deities, some of which, however, are too gross to be repeated in our pages. Osiris, the Grecian Bacchus, and Isis, the Grecian Ceres, were supposed to have the control of the seasons, and of the heavenly bodies, and of the fruits of the earth.

These facts give the reason of the two plagues of the hail and thunder and lightning, and of the thick darkness. Both these plagues were aimed at the same deities. (Exod. ix. 22-35; and Exod. x. 21-23.) The tremendous and long continued storm of hail and thunder and lightning, which raged in spite of all

the frantic cries to Isis and Osiris of the people of Egypt; and the fearful and total darkness which reigned for three days and three nights, proved to demonstration that Jehovah of hosts was mightier than Isis and Osiris combined. Thus the multiform idolaters of Egypt received another rebuke. And as Isis and Osiris were, like the Nile, among the chief deities of the land, two plagues were aimed against their worship, as against the worship of the sacred river.

Of the priests of Egypt, Herodotus says, "They enjoy no slight advantages; they consume none of their private property, are exposed to no expense; sacred bread is baked for them; a good supply of beef and geese is furnished to each every day; and wine from the grape is allowed them; fish they must not touch." Euterpe 37. How exactly this passage agrees with Gen. xlvii. 22. "Only the land of the priests Joseph bought not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them; wherefore they sold not their lands."

Herodotus gives the following information respecting the fiery winged serpents of Arabia Petraea.

"Close to the environs of Buto, there is a spot belonging to Arabia, which I visited, in consequence of information I received concerning some winged serpents. On my arrival there, I beheld such quantities of prickly bones as it would be impossible to describe, &c. The spot where the bones are accumulated, may be thus described it is a gorge between two steep mountains, and leads to a wide plain, which is connected with the Egyptian plain. And report says, that with the spring, the winged serpents fly out of Arabia, toward Egypt, but the ibis, a sort of bird, takes his post at the defile, opposes the passage of the serpents, and destroys them. The winged serpent is similar in shape to the water snake, his wings are not covered with feathers, but completely similar to those of the bat." Euterpe, 74. "These winged serpents are seen in Arabia, and nowhere else; there they exist in great numbers." Thalia, 109. A great deal that Herodotus say about these creatures is manifestly fabulous. Thalia, 109. Still the fact of their existence in such numbers in those times and districts, helps us

in the explanation of Num. xxi. 4-9 ; Isa. xiv. 29; and John iii. 14, 15. Let the reader turn to those passages and read them in the light thrown upon them by the last quotations from Herodotus.

Herodotus gives several details of the erection of the great public works of Egypt, in some of which doubtless the children of Israel engaged. Among other things, he mentions that, in visiting one of the pyramids, be observed as follows:

66

"On the pyramid, an inscription in Egyptian letters, shews how much was expended in supplying the workmen with radishes, onions, and garlic; and I recollect perfectly the interpreters reading to me the inscription, and saying the amount was one thousand six hundred silver talents." How forcibly this passage reminds us of the carnal lamentation of the Hebrews, we remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick." Num. xi. 5. We do not affirm, that this particular pyramid was built by the Hebrews, but the probabilities are that such was the case. Be that as it may, the two passages illustrate each other in many respects, and give us an idea of the diet, &c., of the slaves employed in Egypt.

Herodotus mentions a very remarkable circumstance which occurred according to the records of the Egyptian historians, in the reign of Sethon, who was a priest of Vulcan before ascending the throne.

"A short time after, Sennacherib, king of the Arabians and Assyrians, led a mighty host against Egypt; in this emergency the Egyptian warriors would not come forward: but the priest, thus beset with difficulties, entered the temple, and in front of the sacred image, poured forth his wailings at the danger he was exposed to. After making this complaint, sleep came upon him, and in a vision he fancied the deity was standing by and cheering him, assuring him that he should suffer no discomfiture in facing the Arabian hosts; for he himself would send assistance to him. Having arrived at Pelusium, (the entrance into Egypt) the field-mice poured in legions against the foe during the night, and devoured the quivers and the bows of the enemy, together with the shield thongs; so that on the following day, a multitude of the