this earth, graciously demonstrated his eternal power and Godhead. By them he shewed himself to be "the Son of God." It was said of him by the officers (ch. xii. 45.) who were sent to apprehend him, "that never man spake like this man;" so we may say, never man acted or did as this man. "My Father," said he "worketh hitherto, and I work. All his miracles were so many divine works becoming God, and giving man an awful view of his power and Godhead, for his works were in fact the works of God. A miracle, we all know, is something done out of the course of nature, and to make it clear and convincing, it must be such as can be fully discovered and understood by any one of the most ordinary capacity. This with respect to the remarkable case recorded in this chapter, our senses are fully competent to know a blind man; and when we know him to be blind, and afterwards know that he has received sight, we readily admit the fact, indeed for a moment we cannot doubt it. Miracles were a chief characteristic by which the Jews expected their Messiah was to be made known to them,-hence they said, "When Christ cometh he will do more miracles than these which this man hath done." ch. vii. 31. Therefore we find Jesus appeals to his miracles as a convincing evidence of his divine mission. "The works that I do in my Father's name they bear witness of me." Again he said, "if the mighty works (or miracles) which were done in you (Chorazin Bethsaida) had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you." In this chapter we have a plain and simple account of a very extraordinary miracle,-a mighty work indeed,-a God like act. A man born blind is cured of blindness by the Son of God-cured without any application made on the part of the blind man, see v. 1 to 8, and even without knowing who he was that had cured him [of this malady or misfortune.] When Jesus spoke or acted, all nature instantly obeyed him, as we read in Mark iv. 39, of his arising and rebuking the wind saying, "Peace! be still!!" and there was a great calm followed this command. The seamen and also those on board the vessel "feared exceedingly and said one to another, what manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" See also, Matt. xiv. 31, 32. The miracle performed on the blind man alluded to in this chapter, immediately became the cause of great astonishment, and of enquiry by all who had known him, as well as those who only heard thereof, who perhaps did not know him personally. They were at a great loss what to think, and became divided in their opinions. After his neighbours had examined the man who had been born blind, and having heard his bona-fide account how he came to see, they then expressed a wish to know where Jesus was.-to which enquiry, the man who had received sight said, "I know not." Then in their ire against Jesus, they brought him that aforetime was blind unto the Pharisees, their zealous doctors of the law, and again they questioned him how he had received sight? He said, "He put clay upon mine Notwith eyes, and I washed, (as instructed by Jesus,) and do see. standing all this they were dissatisfied, and as this miracle was performed on the Sabbath day, the Pharisees said, (for in fact it was a kick at Jesus these Pharisees wanted,) "this man is not of God, because he keepeth not the Sabbath, (not knowing that he was Lord of the Sabbath.) Others said, "How can a man that is a sinner do such a miracle?" Hence there was a division among them. Their reasonings and doubtings in the absence of evidence against Jesus, came to call in question in the interim that the man had not been born blind, that he was an impostor. Therefore they sent for his Parents and after examining them, they acknowledged him who had received sight to be their son, but knew not by what means he now saw, and from what is stated in v. 22, the parents refer them to their son, saying, "he was of age and could speak for himself." They again examined him who had been born blind, saying, "give God the praise -we know this man is a sinner." The man with firmness and candour said, "Whether he be a sinner I know not! one thing I know, that whereas I was blind-now I see! The answer irritated them, and again began they to question him. He however declined to repeat what he had already stated. The result was,-"We know that God spake unto Moses-as for this man, (who gave sight to you) we know not from whence he is. In short, they wished none to confess this fellow was Christ; so we may truly say-Jesus came to his own, but his own received him not. The conduct of the Son of God on this occasion, is what chiefly should occupy our attention. Jesus said, this man was born blind, that the works of God should be made manifest in him. Accordingly he shewed his Divine power in the work of creation, by forming or creating eyes of clay to himmaking him to see. Thus shewing himself to be the same Divine person that formed man out of the dust of the ground, and made him to live; consequently he did this Divine work to manifest himself to be the light of the world-even while he was in the world. When this Divine work was manifested to the Pharisees and Rulers of the Synagogue, the man who had been blind said that the man who opened his eyes was a prophet," and, of course, having communication with God." 66 In opposition to all this the Pharisees counted Jesus a sinner, and knew not whence he was; and carrying out their ire against Jesus, they cast him who had been blind out of the synagogue. The man who had received sight had not known Jesus as the Son of God,-he esteemed him only as a prophet of the greatest reputation, having great favour with God as an Intercessor, and could call him Lord, but believed not on him as the "Son of God," whom to know is life eternal. Many pretend the like regard for Jesus who are ignorant of his true character as being both God and Man. From this we see that when Jesus requires to be believed upon as the Son of God, he demands more regard than this man who had received sight had to pay to him, or of any who doubt of his Godhead can pretend to. As Jesus had given him eyes to see, he (see ver. 35 to end) now proposes to open the eyes of his understanding W to know him as the Son of God, and draws his attention to this most important subject. ver. 35. And the man's answer shews his readiness to believe what he should say of him. Consequently in ver. 37, Jesus shews the man's attention to himself, by saying, "Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. Thus referring to his giving him sight,-shewing himself to be no other person than the Son of God. The result is, Lord, I believe, “and he worshipped him.', Thus this man came to the knowledge of the Son of God, and we see what view they have of Him who thus know Him. "And he worshipped Him," as God. When Thomas the most doubtful of the disciples, was convinced of Christ's resurrection, and of his appearing before him, even speaking with him said, "My Lord and my God." Just as the women did when Jesus met them, (Matt. xxviii. 9.) "They held him by the feet, and worshipped him." The thief on the cross, too, paid him the highest worship that man could pay him, when he said, " Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." Hence all those who are taught to know him as the Son of God, will be led to worship Him as the Lord Jehovah-the Righteousness of his people. EXISTING EVIDENCES OF THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE HISTORY "MR Macfarlane, in his description of the present condition of the Seven Churches of Asia, whose several fates are predicted in the apocalypse, mentions, that the modern Thyatira is still celebrated for the excellency of its dyes; realizing its ancient character, when 'Lydia, a dealer in purple,' dwelt there, and authenticated by the fragment of stone found among its ancient ruins, with this inscription The Dyers.' The late Dr. Edward Daniel Clarke, of Cambridge, remarks, that at Nazareth, he observed the same description of sandal as may be recognized on some antique Greek statues; and Mr. Rich, in the mines d' Orient,' has given the figure of a spade copied from a brick obtained by himself among the ruins of Babylon, and identical with that used by the Arabs at the present day. The modern Egyptians stain the nails, and other parts of their hands and feet with the Henneh, as in the days of old, of which we have sufficient evidence in the mummies, where the same process has been adopted, and the same materials employed. Vineyards were watered in ancient times by a pole and bucket, the shadoof of the present day. We recognized,' say Michaud and Poujoulat, in the features of the females of Castro, the same features we found on the marbles and the bronzes of ancient Mitylene.' There is indeed in the costumes and topographical scenes of these wonderful lands, a perpetuity and immutability commensurate and coincident with the awful and everlasting things they are designed to commemorate. Even the destroying Arab, as if spell-bound, dares not obliterate them. Nature has stamped her signet of security on these memorable climes; change rolls not the cycle of her mutations Keviews and Criticism. Religious Scepticism and Infidelity, &c. BY JOHN ALFRED LANGFORD. (continued from page 144.) By referring to the syllabus of the work before us, which we gave in our last number, our readers will see the second chapter is on modern Rome. After some preliminary remarks on the nature and present aspect of Christianity, in which there are a few expressions we do not much admire; the writer proceeds to describe the first germ of the Apostacy. He observes,— "Till Constantine patronized Christianity, and used it as a poiitical engine for aiding his own ambitious designs, it was in a struggling and subordinate condition: yet were these its palmiest and most glorious of days, All that our faith can do in purifying the heart, in elimanating the virtues of charity. forbearance, and love, was then most powerfully displayed. All that Christ gave as the characterictic of his followers was clearly discerned in their lives and deeds. They were faithful, and "kindly affectioned towards one another," and to the poor wondering pagans who were their persecutors. All they did was done for the "dear love of the Lord; and they have left the world a fine evidence of the high capabilities of the human heart, when actuated by the love of divine truth. A model of a Christian community for all times and all ages were they. Constantine came, gave them wealth, built them ornate temples, gave the Holy Spirit another Shekinah than the soul of man, and all was soon changed-all was speedily adulterated with the dust and dirt of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Other spirits than that of their holy founder soon acquired power; and saddest of all things, the history of the past had to be again repeated. Men became false to their ideal; matter overcame spirit, and the kingdom of this world gained firmer hold of the minds of men than the kingdom of heaven. Strife, division, schism, sectarianism, came with prosperity and riches, and with them came infidelity. The character and pretensions of the church of Rome is then adverted the church of Rome is then adverted to, and the true state of matters in regard to religion, during the dominance of that church for several centuries are well described. "It is usual to suppose (says Mr. Lang ford) that during the dominance of the Romish Church division was unheard of, and infidelity had no existence. Their historians have endeavoured to make it so appear, Never was a supposition more baseless; never was an assertion more unsupported by the truth. Immediately after its foundation it began to be divided in doctrine, and molested by opposers. An apparent unity in its one acknowledged head it had. chief teachers mostly taught different and varie But its varied doctrines, and much of its boasted unity was of the kind described by our own Jeremy Taylor; whilst from within and without it continually had to defend itself against the attacks of freethinkers and sceptics, Now attacked openly by the pen of the honest-hearted, and truth-loving opposer; now sapped and undermined by the practical infidelity of her own hierarchs and priests, whose lip-profession supported her creeds and her canons, while their lives daily belied, and their private discourse and speculations entirely abnegated their massday, Sunday, and holy festival preaching. Many and mighty were the blows given to the existence of her dominancy before Luther gave that from which she never has and never can recover. Our brief narrative will afford us many examples of this. We cannot resist the temptation of presenting our readers with the vivid delineation of the decline of religion, and the corresponding advancement of worldliness in the church of the second and third century. We believe that an intimate acquaintance with the ecclesiastical history of this period, would do more towards counteracting the errors and influence of Popery, than cart loads of controversial theology. A comparatively slight acquaintance with the state of things in the so-called christian church, during the second and two or three following centuries, would, if rightly applied, dissipate from the imagination of every sober-minded theology, or the "antiquities of person, all veneration for patristic the Christian Church." Let us hear our author on this head. After many changes from imperial persecutions to imperial favours; many divisions |