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(SEE ENGRAVING ) Tue rude aspects of nature in the neighborhood of Lakes George and Champlain, assort with those stormy scenes of warrior life which have become associated with these rough regions. Here Dieskau, the Frenchman, and Johnson, the commander of the provincial forces, aided by the celebrated Sachem, Hendrick, fought a severe battle in 1755. The Revolutionary conflicts which followed, consecrated the soil and the scenery. And even during the last war a tragic interest was added to all the past by the naval skill of M'Donough, and the heroism of the brave American tars, who destroyed the British fleet, and took undisputed possession of these seas.

Those times are past. We trust in God that the two Christian nations by whose differences the quiet of these seas was disturbed, will learn war no more, and that, instead of such savage conflicts, they will blend their influence in endeavors to spread the Gospel of peace, and advance its dominion over a wicked and perishing world. Such fraternal efforts for the good of mankind might be hailed as a pledge of the approaching reign of the Messiah. May God unite the nations in this work of Christian benevolence! May he call them from carnal conflicts, and gather them, as a great fraternity of sanctified philanthropists, to the battle of the Lord of hosts, and move them by his grace to labor for so great and glorious an end as the introduction of that blessed period, when

“Peace shall visit earth, and truth let in
Her wakening daylight on a world of sin."

The aged patriarch on the mountain stood
And gazed with joy upon the promised land;
Doomed yet to die, before his weary feet
Might bear his toil-worn frame o'er Jordan's wave-
Before, with those he loved, he might enjoy
The promised bliss and long expected rest.
The long, gray locks which floated in the breeze,
The furrow'd check, told that his pilgrimage
On earth had been prolonged, and soon must end;
Yet not one sigh escaped, nor murmur burst
The barrier of his lips, nor did grief wear,
With still, but sure corrodings, life away.
He long had served his God, and well he knew
That what that God enjoined, for him was best.
Calm was his brow-true index of the soul;
Mild dignity had made his face her throne-
His eye beamed love and gratitude and praise,
And on each feature resignation sate.

He bow'd to God and prayed, and in that prayer,
As if the energies of long gone years
Were concentrated for a mighty effort,
He wrestled with Jehovah-scene sublime!
That voice of prayer, like incense pure, ascends,
And heavenly seraphs guard the holy hour!
He prayed for Israel's race,

“ That God would spare
And visit not upon their guilty heads,
Demerit of their crimes; that he would hear
Their cries for succor, and relieve their woes;
Heal their backslidings, and receive them back,
As sons repentant to his heavenly fold.”

EVENING STAR.

VERSIFICATION OF OSSIAN'S ADDRESS.

Hail! glowing orb of dark, descending night!
Fair, in the distant west, thy spotless light!
From forth thy cloud thou lift'st thy unshorn head,
While o'er the hills thy stately steps are led-
Declare what see'st thou on the plain display'd ?
Within their caves the stormy winds are laid-
The murm'ring torrent cometh from afar-
Waves roaring climb the rocks in noisy war-
The evening flies are on their feeble wing,
And with their hum the fields and valleys ring;
But what dost thou behold, thou peerless light?
Thou smilest, and departest with the night;
Then waves around thee haste, in joyous care,
Receive thee in their arms, and bathe thy lovely hair!
Thou silent beam, farewell! let light arise,
And Ossian's soul explore the mystic skies!

Vol. III.-1

He ceased, and gazed in holy confidence,
With vision all undimmed, to yonder sky,
As if he saw his Master through the space-
That Master, who, from Sinai's flaming top,
Had giv'n to him the tables of the law;
By whose high arm supported, he had braved
The threats of Pharaoh, and his minions proud;
By whose almighty guidance he had led
The stiff-necked people through the desert way,
And who, with him alone of mortal men,
Held friendly conversation, face to face.
He sinks—his eye is dim-his voice is hushed !
Thou hast, in thy sepulchral court, 0 Death,
No nobler trophy than his holy clay!
His ransomed spirit hath gone up to heaven,
To take its rank in the celestial host,
And strike its golden harp, and live for ever!

BY THE EDITOR.

Original.

the sins of many; and unto them that look for him THE MILLENIUM.

shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Here the judgment and the “second coming”

are connected, in a way that precludes the millenial The word millenium, signifies a thousand years. In advent. theology it denotes a coming period, of the universal 3. The passage in Revelation xx, 4, speaks not of spread and prevalence of holiness. As to its manner, the bodies, but of the souls of the martyrs. “I saw there are two differing opinions. The first is, that Christ the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of will reign personally on the earth, and that the martyrs Jesus, and for the word of God; and they lived and and eminent Christians will rise from the dead, and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” How natural share in his terrestrial reign. Others argue that Christ to interpret this as denoting the restoration to the will not appear in person, but will come by the power Church, in her millenial state, of the purity and zeal of the Holy Spirit, and that the resurrection of the which glowed in the hearts of her ancient confessors. martyred saints denotes only the restoration of their , As Elijah was restored to the world in the person of holy, self-denying tempers to the hearts of Christians. John the Baptist, of whom the Savior said, “ Elias hath

The former opinion has been embraced by thousands already come;" so the ancient witnesses will return in of learned and pious men. Justin Martyr, who wrote the persons of many holy ministers, who shall not count in the second century, earnestly supports it. He claims their lives dear unto them, if they may but minister as that in his day it was the commonly received opinion. becomes the Gospel, and finish their course with joy. In modern times, Dr. Gill, Bishop Newton, Mr. Kett, || Happy Church, and blessed period, when a martyr's and others of equal eminence, adopted this view of the spirit shall glow in' every pious bosom! And “the time subject. Recently, some of the most respectable divines is at hand." There are signs which none need to misin Europe and America have become converts to the take, of the near approach of the Savior's universal same faith. It is said that in England, such men as dominion. He shall soon " take to himself his great Baptiste Noel and Bickersteth are its firm adherents. power, and reign King of nations, as he is King of The opinion is gaining advocates amongst learned Amer- saints." ican divines.

As to the commencement of this happy period, we If we are correctly informed, Mr. Wollf, the convert- liave little to say concerning it. It is near at hand. ed Jew, now a presbyter of the Church of England, Of this there can be no doubt. How near-whether and a sincere and zealous minister of Christ, has exten- at the door, or one, twenty-five, or one hundred and sively propagated this view of the millenium in the fifty-eight years distant, can be of little consequence. English Church. To him, more than to any other, Too much may have been written already on this point. may its present currency be traced. It is said that he It is important to believe firmly that it is near; but deems this view of the prophecies important in regard what practical benefit could result from knowing the to the conversion of the Jews.

day or the year? Some of the ablest living expositors of Scripture in It seems to us unadvised to draw the attention of the the west agree with this opinion. A few openly advo-Church to what may properly be called curious and cate it. Whether it gains or loses ground amongst unlearned questions. And have we not done it in the clergy, we cannot say. Our clerical acquaintances regard to the millenium? Its exact period, its mode of hold for the most part, that the millenium will be a pe- commencing, its implications as it regards the personal riod of unexampled religious prosperity, in which Christ coming of Christ, are of no great practical moment, or will have spiritual dominion from sea to sea, and from they would have been revealed so clearly as not to admit the rivers to the ends of the earth. This is our own of pros and cons. These are unlearned questions—that opinion, and for the following reasons.

is, they are unleornable, not being set forth with cer1. The prophecies which relate to Christ's millenial | tainty in the Scriptures. The fact that they are not, reign are highly figurative in their style. This is the is a hint to man. He should let them alone, or at least case with the Book of Revelation. To interpret the touch them lightly and diffidently. Over and above fourth verse of the twentieth chapter as simply imply- mere hints, we are admonished to "avoid” them. “It ing a restoration of the spirit of the martyrs to the is not for us to know the times and seasons which God Church, seems to us a warrantable license, taking into hath put in his own power.” Creatures cannot tell us view the genius of the Apocalypse. Should we insist the when of these things, nor the how in any precise on the literal sense of this text, why not also on the detail. Why should we, launching on the sea of God's passages which describe the binding of Satan with a providence, attempt to navigate regions which the chart great chain, or the flight of the woman into the wilder, he has given does not cover ? Let us explore where

he offers pilotage and anchorage. Let us bear away 2. The personal reign of Jesus on earth is hardly from courses uninvited and unwarranted, and betake consistent with some portions of Scripture, especially ourselves to the voyage on which he sends us. He those texts which speak of his second advent. “And commissions us to sail in the regions of repentance, it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this and afterwards in the regions of faith and love. When the judgment; so Christ was once offered to bear ll we have circumnavigated these fields, and have no more

ness.

discoveries to make or depths to sound, let us strive One thing is certain. Ours will be a day of conflict. how many we can take in convoy over the regions we The Scriptures which admonish us of perilous times, have so thoroughly explored. When we have the world are so near being fulfilled, that the event begins to interin our wake, and not a craft on its surface is heading pret the prophecy. The millenium, as is generally suptowards perdition, then—no, not even then may we posed, may be near—that is, within two centuries of launch beyond the limits of our commission! Then us. But in the meantime, there are waiting for sudden we will cast anchor, and wait for farther orders. development the elements of fiercer persecutions than

Some think these things are revealed. If revealed, ever yet raged on earth. These the Church must enwhy so much labored argument? why so many and dure, and she should be making ready for the travail. differing opinions? If revealed, they are facts, and Is this unwelcome intelligence? It ought to be most should be presented as clearly as the facts of history. welcome. Persecutions are precursory of the millenWhat orthodox couplet of high or low Churchmen ever|ium. “In the last days, perilous times shall come.” debated whether there shall be a resurrection and a And if perils are to herald the reign of the Messiah, judgment—whether there is a heaven or a hell? These shall we dread their approach? They are graves which are Gospel postulates with all but infidels. So is the lie between us and the augured triumphs of the cross. millenium; but not its period, nor the manner of Christ's They are shadows which we are assured must gather coming to dwell among his saints; whether in person, around us, that out of their deepest gloom may spring, or by the presence of the Comforter. Let us hold on to our transport, the intense, abiding light. Shall we to the postulate then, and make good use of it, but lament the trials, which however they involve us, are leave all else where God is pleased to leave it. Let us harbingers of Zion's universal conquests? No. We hold on to the postulates, that courage and zeal may hail the era of persecution. If we must pass through not be wanting in the warfare whose issues involve this this strait gate to the millenium, thank God that we holy, blessed millenium.

begin to feel its pressure. Let the enemy exult upon Some other things are revealed which it deeply con- us--let the kindling fires burst forth—let blood flow cerns us to ponder. We should know that perilous like rivers. These violences are the throes of a new times are at hand. Dread darkness will go before the birth, and shall result in the regeneration of a world. sunrise of the millenium. This is told us for a warn- But in the meantime, what should be the attitude of ing. Shall we stir curious questions, and pass admoni-the Church? It should be boldly offensive. No effort tions by ? Ile would be a reckless officer, who should should be relaxed, no emprise of charity abandoned. disregard the reports of faithful spies. “An ambusha," Otherwise, her zeal and toil should be increased a thoussay they, “is in your van. A fearful foe lurks in the and-fold. She should be above past example a praying, fastnesses of yonder heights, at the base of which you laboring, suffering witness for Jesus and his truth. are leading your thronging legions." The commander First, she should be a praying witness. We continhears, calls a halt, draws up his troops, and when they ually forget the power of prayer; or if not, we are inwait to hear a spirit-stirring appeal to their courage and dolent and worldly, and do not apply this power to help ambition, and warnings to beware, their General enter- on the conquests of Zion. If you were now called tains them with lively and graphic descriptions of the upon to select the most efficient of Christ's militant folcities they shall conquer, and the booty they shall win. | lowers, to whom more than to any others, Zion is inIs this the way to triumph? It is the way to disaster debted for her advances and her victories, where would and defeat. Is it not our way? What, sing and shout | you look for them? In the pulpit? You might misin millenial tones, while ambuscades are thickening all take. Would you fix your eye on a public-spirited around us, and shutting Zion in on every side! An professor, who gives ten thousand dollars to a college, army of formalists presses her on one side, and hosts ten thousand to a theological seminary, ten thousand to of errorists on the other side. These mix and sweeten the missions, and ten thousand to the Bible society ? poisons to destroy her—those waft upon her the spirit You might greatly err. I would not go to the pulpit, of slumber. Under both, she nods and sickens. And or the lists of charities to make this selection; but I shall we fall to and entertain her drowsy, enfeebled would go to the closet. Give me access to the devosenses, with things sweet and savory to her palate ? tions of the closet, and power to ascertain who spends She wants music. Give it to her; but let it be none most time in secret prayer, and wrestles with most faith of your soft, cozening symphonies about a “millenium and fervor for God's blessing on a perishing world, and at hand.” Sound an alarm in God's holy mountain. I will, with bold assurance, point out the most efficient The foe! the foe! should be exclaimed by all her watch-of Christ's militant followers. The humblest subaltern men along the extended walls of Jerusalem. Yet shein Zion's armies may be the bravest of her warring is putting off her armor, as though her enemy were bands—her champion in God's sight who seeth not as finally and for ever repulsed. Repulsed! There never man seeth-who judges not from the outward or formal was an hour in fifteen centuries so full of brooding organization of the Church, but looketh on the heart. mischief to the Church, as is this very hour. Her own Probably such a champion might be found in some unzeal has inspirited her foes, and her own providence has distinguished mother in Israel, who for fifty years has taught them. Would to God that she could profit by been drawing nearer and nearer to God, and now with her own experience, as they do by her example! almost open vision, a faith clear as sight, wrestles day

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The Ladies' Repository, Volume 3