these are it is difficult exactly to say. At all events, they may generally be described as proceeding from the body. If they are parts of its substance, they suggest the most marvellous reflections as to the inconceivably minute divisions of which matter is capable. A small piece of camphor, for instance, will, without any perceptible diminution of its substance, for hours and days, fill a large room. A quantity altogether inappreciable by any means we can employ is yet expanded into a space containing millions of cubic inches; and into how many parts may not every one of these inches be divided? But we can only say, so it was appointed to be; and to the almighty Creator what is there impossible? He has willed that man should perceive certain objects by means of odours; and He has endowed the object with the property, and given to certain nerves the power, of conveying this order of sensation to the indwelling mind. And, as in the sense of taste, so in that of smell, we see both wisdom and goodness. There are unpleasant odours which prove the object to be unfit for food; pleasant ones which prove that it is suitable. And thus have we an additional class of pleasures. Why are the rose and the violet fragrant? The purposes of their existence might have been accomplished without them. But, no. Over and above what of usefulness is connected with these and many others, (these are merely mentioned as instances,) they are made to minister to human gratification. And in many cases this is obviously the only reason of their existence. For all else they are superfluous. And to show this, there are many odourless substances; so that odour does not necessarily belong to matter. There are flowers which have none; plants which have none. And are the daisy and the oak less useful, less perfect, that they are not like the rose, or the sweet-brier?

The nervous arrangement giving this power of sensation is found in the nostrils, the cavities of which are lined with what anatomists term the pituitary or Schneiderian membrane, which is very soft, highly vascular, and secretes mucus by which it is constantly lubricated. To these mucous surfaces the odoriferous particles adhere, and are thus applied to the extremities of the olfactory nerves, and so the sensation is

conveyed to the brain. In some respects this sense is connected with that of taste; as, if the nostrils be perfectly closed, the flavours of objects are for the time not perceived. Indeed, the position of the organ shows that one design of its existence was to assist in marking the properties of substances taken as food. In some animals it is remarkably strong, and is evidently intended to guide them to their food. The hound following the hare by scent is an instance of this; while the facts, that man has no such power, and that the greyhound, whose sight is so keen, has not this sense, prove that the power is superadded to the nerve by the mere will of the Creator. All such facts, as before has been observed, (and the observation will again be suggested,) utterly disprove the doctrine of physical necessity, bringing before us an intelligent Designer, distributing to the same substances various powers and properties according to his own will, that will being associated at once with goodness, and wisdom, and power. “O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy riches."

IPSE DIXIT.

WE have already explained the meaning of this saying, and given its original. We now subjoin one or two brief observations.

First. Man begins to learn by taking much upon trust. He cannot avoid this. He is not born capable of at once, and perfectly, perceiving truth. The child is curious, and inquires. And he is at first disposed to believe what is told him. But as he grows older he discovers that there are persons who are ignorant and mistaken, and who deceive him in consequence; and that others are not honest, and these, too, deceive him. He has, therefore, to exercise his own judgment, so that he may only receive the testimony of the honest, and the wise; the wise, so far as the subject of inquiry is concerned.

Second. Much truth, as he passes through life, can only be learned through the medium of testimony. But here, too, the judgment must be exercised. That we may take

the word of a testifier, we must have reason to be satisfied on two points, his honesty, and his competency.

Third. Two opposite errors are to be guarded against:First, credulity, the habit of believing in a hurry. Some are credulous generally; chiefly through a mixture of foolish curiosity, wishing to know everything that comes in the way; and indolence, not being willing to take the trouble of learning. And some are credulous in particular cases; willing to believe whatever some favourite teacher says. When people become partisans, they will believe whatever the organs of their own party say, and reject all that is said on the opposite side. How many, in this day of superficial reading, and political party, believe whatever they read in their own newspaper! As to refusing to believe what the opposite paper says, they do not take the pains to go so far: they do not even read it. Their opinions are all onesided, and supported by one-sided testimony. And then there is an opposite error,―incredulity, scepticism. Persons of this sort will believe nothing. They must have a reason before they believe, sufficient to satisfy them; and as this sufficiency depends on their own will, they can always say they are not satisfied, and so their unbelief continues. Or they must have every objection answered. But in this imperfect state there is no truth to which pride, prejudice, passion, and such dispositions as these, may not furnish objections. Objections are endless where a man is determined to object.

Fourth. Much of what a man learns from an honest and competent witness, he afterwards, as his own improvement proceeds, learns from other sources, by proper study.

Fifth. As to human knowledge, one or two practical considerations may be useful to the young student. He does not need to know everything. Let him be content to know what he can, and what will do him good. Yet let him not be slothful, and content with ignorance. Let him read good books, and inquire of honest and competent men; let him be industrious and patient. One truth shall make way for another. He who cannot get to the top of the ladder at once, may get there step by step. Let him not be too proud

to learn from those whom he has reason to believe to be honest and competent. Because they are so, he must take their ipse dixit. He may take the word of a man like Sir Isaac Newton in astronomy. By and by he may be able to make the proper calculations himself, and may not need it. But the great lesson the young have to learn is, to find the happy middle path. There it is that they will go safely. They must be modest, and independent; willing to be ignorant, anxious to learn; thankful for instruction from others, and industrious in using their own powers: in a word, neither slothful nor presumptuous; neither credulous nor sceptical.

Sixth. The great point is to have a heart right with God. He cannot deceive. His wisdom is infinite. Here we throw away the heathen ipse dixit, and come to divine inspiration, "Thus saith the Lord." Where He speaks, the case is decided. And He has spoken in the Scriptures. All Christians believe this. Their work is to ascertain the meaning of Scripture. Does the young student desire this? We give a few plain rules. First, let him cherish an unconquerable love of truth and holiness. Second, let him pray for the sacred influences of the Holy Spirit to illuminate, sanctify, and strengthen his mind. Third, let him read the Scriptures frequently, regularly, devoutly, thoughtfully. Fourth, let his great object be the saving knowledge of God and his will. Much in the Bible is not directly connected with this; and he may not fully understand it, and yet be truly wise unto salvation. Much, for instance, requires an extensive acquaintance with ancient history, ancient geography, and similar sciences. Fifth. As he has time and opportunity, let him seek to know as much even of these subjects as shall be in his power: commentaries, and other useful books, will here help him. But, sixth, the knowledge of experimental and practical religion being the great object, let him devoutly, and most conscientiously, attend the ministry of the word. This is God's own ordinance. The faithful Minister labours to make his discourses such as that his hearers shall be found, by means of them, increasing in the knowledge of God. And where there is a devout attendance on his own ordinance, God will give his Holy Spirit. And thus shall the light of

divine revelation on earth, prepare for the unveiled effulgence of divine glory in heaven.

VISIT TO THE CHINESE COLLECTION, LONDON. No IV.

We hope that our readers are not tired of accompanying us in our perambulations in the only China which we or they (or, at all events, 'most of them) are ever likely to see. We only wish that we possessed more of the power of vivid description, so that we might be able to communicate to our readers at a distance a clear idea of all which we ourselves witnessed, that they might more largely share in the pleasure which we have derived from our visits.

We now pass on from the Mandarins, to case No. II. Only let it be remembered that these cases are, though, of course, not so large as apartments, yet sufficiently large to represent them, and enable the beholder to have more than a good guess at the sort of rooms in which these Chinese gentlemen and ladies are accustomed to sit. In the one before which we now place ourselves are six figures: (as large as life, we remind our young fellow-travellers :) two Priests; a gentleman, in complete mourning; his servant, also in mourning; a Chinese soldier, with matchlock; and an archer, of the Tartar tribe, belonging to the imperial army. The Priests belong to the sects of Fuh, or Buddha, and Taou. The latter, it seems, are a sort of rationalists; while the former are more metaphysical. The followers of Confucius appear to constitute a sect of moral philosophers. Perhaps in no part of the world is religion so vague and indistinct as in China. The gods of the Greeks and Romans were presented as having personal existence, and personal characteristics; but in China, as we have seen, it is rather heaven than God. For this reason their moral systems, while they make frequent reference to virtue, furnish no proper idea of holiness. If comparison might be used to illustrate the subject, it is as though the solid truths of religion had been so generalized and refined by an inflated, childish philosophy, as to be brought into a state analogous to that of