"go in peace." And in all this, our Lord acted agreeably to his great design, which was to bring sinful men to repentance; and he faithfully discharged the important commission, that had been given him, which was "to seek and to save, that which was lost."

But it cannot be reasonably supposed, that he would admit such a person, as he did Mary Magdalene, into the number of his stated attendants. And I believe, that they, who attentively observe our Lord's history, as recorded in the gospels, may perceive his life to have been an example of admirable wisdom and prudence, as well as of the strictest virtue, and the most generous goodness and compassion.

Let us now sum up the evidence, so far as we have gone. -Mary of Magdala was a woman of distinction, and very easy in her worldly circumstances. For a while, she had labored under some bodily indisposition, which our Lord miraculously healed; for which benefit she was ever after very thankful. So far as we know, her conduct was always very regular and free from censure; and we may reasonably believe, that after her acquaintance with our Saviour it was edifying and exemplaryI conceive of her as a woman of fine understanding and known virtue and discretion, with a dignity of behaviour, becoming her age, her wisdom, and high station. She followed our Lord as her Master and benefactor; she shewed him great respect in his life, at his death, and after it; and as appears from three of the evangelists, she was one of those, to whom he first showed himself after his resurrection."

Dr. Lardner then proceeds to some more particular evidence to the same effect, supported by the opinions of several other learned theologians, and concludes as follows.

"After this long argument and so many good authorities, I may leave you to consider, whether they have not some good reason for their judgment, who dislike the denomination or inscription, taken notice of at the beginning of this letter "A Magdalen house for penitent women."

"It appears to me a great abuse of the name of a truly honourable, and I think, truly excellent woman. If Mary's shame had been manifest, and upon record, she could not have been worse stigmatized; whereas the disadvantageous opinion concerning the former part of her life is founded only in an uncertain and conjectural deduction. And if the notion that she was the woman in Luke seventh, be no more than a vulgar error, it ought to be abandoned by wise men, and not propagated and perpetuated."

THE following verses have been republished in our country; but we be lieve will be new to many of our readers. They breathe throughout a strain of sentiment, wild, melancholy and solemn, the interest of which is heightened by the circumstances mentioned respecting their author. The versification too is peculiar, and adds to the general effect.

66

From the West of England Journal.

LINES WRITTEN IN A CHURCH YARD.

BY A SCHOOL BOY-SINCE DECEASED.

It is good for us to be here; if thou wilt, let us make three Tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.” MATT. XVI. 14.

METHINKS, it is good to be here :

If thou wilt, let us build-but for whom?

Nor Elias nor Moses appear;

But the shadows of eve that encompass the gloom;

The abode of the dead and the place of the tomb.

Shall we build to ambition? ah no!
Affrighted he shrinketh away;

For see they would pin him below

In a small narrow cave, and begirt with cold clay,
To the meanest of reptiles, a peer and a prey.

To beauty? ah no! she forgets

The charms which she wielded before;

Nor knows the foul worm, that he frets

The skin which but yesterday fools could adore,

For the smoothness it held, or the tint which it wore.

Shall we build to the purple of pride;

The trappings which dizen the proud?

Alas! they are all laid aside;

And here's neither dress nor adornment allow'd,

But the long winding sheet, and the fringe of the shroud!

To riches? alas ! 'tis in vain,

Who hid in their turns have been hid;

The treasures are squandered again;

But here in the grave are all metals forbid,

But the tinsel that shone on thé dark coffin lid.

To the pleasures which mirth can afford,
To the revel, the laugh, and the jeer?

Ah! here is a plentiful board!

But the guests are all mute at the pitiful cheer,
And none but the worm is a reveller here.

Shall we build to affection and love?
Ah no! they have wither'd and died,
Or fled with the spirit above:

Friends, brothers and sisters are laid side by side,
Yet none have saluted, and none have replied.

Unto sorrow? the dead cannot grievé,
Not a sob, not a sigh meets mine ear,
Which compassion itself could relieve!

Ah! sweetly they slumber, nor hope, love nor fear,
Peace, peace, is the watch word, the only one here.

Unto death, to whom monarchs must bow?

Ah no for his empire is known,

And here there are trophies enow,

Beneath the cold dead! and around the dark stone ;
Are the signs of a sceptre that none may disown.

Then the first unto Hope we will build;
And look for the sleepers around us to rise!
The second to Faith, which ensures it fulfill'd;

And the third to the lamb of the great sacrifice,

Who bequeath'd us them both when he rose to the skies.

HERBERT.

REVIEW.

ARTICLE VIII.

1. Discourses on the Christian Revelation viewed in connexion with the modern astronomy, together with six sermons embracing the last occasioned by the death of the Princess Charlotte of Wales. By Rev. THOMAS CHALMERS, D. D. minister of the Tron church Glasgow. Andover: Published by Mark Newman. Flagg and Gould printers. 1818.

2. Sermons preached in the Tron Church, Glasgow. By THOMAS CHALMERS, D. D. Glasgow printed. New York, reprinted by Kirk and Mercein. 1819.

DR. Chalmers was first made known to the public by an article entitled "Christianity," which was originally published in the Edinburgh Encyclopædia. This has been very generally, and on many accounts, deservedly admired. He has since given to the world a series of Discourses on the Christian Revelation, viewed in connexion with the modern astrono

my, and various other sermons and addresses of a miscellaneous character, which were principally delivered in the Tron church, Glasgow. It is our present intention to make some remarks on these latter productions, especially on the astronomical Discourses. There are two considerations which induce us to undertake this notice. From the extent of the universe, as made known to us by modern science, an objection has been derived, which is supposed to bear upon the truth of Christianity. This Dr. Chalmers has undertaken to answer, and we think unsuc⚫ cessfully. But as we believe, the whole force of the objec tion is directed against false notions of christianity; we wish to explain our own opinions upon this subject. But beside this, the Discourses of Dr. C., both those in which this objection is discussed, and his other sermons, have gained a popularity, which is so very extraordinary, that we cannot help thinking it worth while to analyze their composition.

Our first concern is with the objection and the answer to it. Dr. C. speaks of it as occurring chiefly in conversation, and as nol occupying a prominent place in treatises of infidelity. It is however stated, by the author of the "Age of Reason" in his strong coarse manner, and has been elaborately, in a manner conformed to his views of Christianity, answered by Andrew Fuller in the " Gospel its own Witness." It consists properly of two parts. First it is alleged, that in the Mosaic account of the creation, there is so "worked up" a belief that the world in which we dwell is the whole of the habitable creation, that to believe otherwise, that is, that there are innumerable worlds, renders the christian system of faith" at once little and ridiculous." The objection that the account of Moses supposes the existence of no other habitable world than our own, which is not noticed by Dr. C., if it have any force, goes to prove that Moses was not inspired as a historian. But it seems to us to be altogether frivolous. For what is the basis of this objection of the unbeliever? It rests entirely on the supposition, that God, provided he intended to give to the Jews such a dispensation as is asserted to have been given would at the same time have conveyed some intimations at least, of the extent of the universe. But is this a fair or a rational supposition? Is it not altogether gratuitous? Shall the unbeliever presume to decide what God ought to have communicated? Should we expect to find in this early message from heaven, any thing but what it was the especial object of that message to communicate? What then was the object of this communication? It was to instruct a particular nation, during the infancy of the world, in the existence, unity, and perfections of the Deity, to banish idolatry, and to prepare the way for the complete revelation which was made by the Son of God.

This was the scope of the Mosaic dispensation, and all this was fully and completely effected. Is it not then irrational to expect to find in such a communication, the results of modern science anticipated, which results had not the slightest connexion with the express object of that communication? Now the antecedent probability that God would have instructed the Jews in the discoveries of modern science, which from their nature require no revelation at all, at the same time that he made a communication to them on a subject entirely different,this antecedent probability is the precise measure of the force of the objection under consideration.

But this objection of the unbeliever seems to us untenable in another view of the subject. The revelations of God to man, it is reasonable to suppose, it is indeed impossible to believe otherwise,-will not only be adapted to the objects for which they are intended, but also they will be adapted to the circumstances, to the degree of understanding and informa tion of the recipients. What then was the intellectual and moral condition of the Jews? They were a people not yet redeemed from a state of the grossest ignorance, requiring grand and striking miracles to awaken them from intellectual torpor, and continual displays of divine power to keep alive in their minds the most obvious truths. It was to such a people, that the unbeliever demands, that a sublime system of astronomy, perfected as it has been, by modern philosophy, should have been given; that is, a communication should have been made to them, which, from the nature of the case, they could not have understood. But why is the objection limited to the fact, that the extent of the material world was not revealed in the earliest times? A parity of reasoning would lead him to demand that all the discoveries of modern science should have been included in the Mosaic dispensation, and in fact that it should contain in embryo the discoveries of all future times ;

"Who asks and reasons thus, will scarce believe
God gives enough, while he has more to give."

But we proceed to consider the second part of the objection against christianity, derived from the extent of the universe. This regards the redemption of the world. Without following the course which Dr. C. has pursued, or adverting to numerous topics which might as well be introduced in a series of discourses on any other subject, we quote the unbeliever's argument as stated by him, where we first find it.

"In the astronomical objection which infidelity has proposed against the truth of the christian revelation, there is first an assertion, and then an