claim to that office, and his consequent authority. In doing this he was compelled to boast, which would have been folly had he been what his opponents represented him, or as they actually were. Let no man, says he," (ver. 16,) "think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little. That which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting." Then referring to those who assumed the character of apostles, he adds, (ver. 23,) "Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool," or with the appearance of folly, " I am more," as if he had said, ' not being under any necessity of vindicating my claim to the apostleship, it may seem folly that I should do so; yet if I must speak, though I should speak like a fool, I will do it; and for the honor of Christ, and the gospel, magnify my office.' R. C.

Absolution and Extreme Unction.

Dear Sir,—Will you allow me through the medium of your Enquirer to request an explanation of James v. 15, "And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him."

The promise appears to apply more particularly to those who had been visited with sickness as a punishment for their sins, (as was the case with those Corinthians who ate unworthily of the Lord's Supper.) But it is deserving of special notice that no power either of healing or of absolution is given by it even to the elders of the apostolic church, who are the parties spoken of. Whilst they are authorized to pray over and anoint the sufferer, it is reserved to "the Lord" alone to raise him up, and pardon his offences.

It may be remarked farther, that although the Romanists build their doctrine of extreme unction upon this text, they never use that rite as a means of cure, but of preparation for death, which is the very reverse of what the passage inculcates.

The Deluge.

SIR,-Will you kindly favor a constant reader of your valuable magazine, with an answer to the following enquiry:-Do the Scrip

tures, properly interpreted, teach a local, or a universal deluge; and what view is best sustained by the facts of science

As I am much perplexed with the subject, any advice or instruction from your correspondents will be most thankfully received by

Your obliged and grateful Servant,

J. N.

The Scriptures teach a universal Deluge, (see Gen. vi. 13, 17, vii. 18-23.)

There are no facts' in science opposed to this interpretation, though some have held opinions at variance with it. The subject is treated of more fully in our volume for 1842, pp. 205, 236.

Supplemented words in Scripture.

In the study of the Bible, I frequently find that many of the words are printed in Italics, and I have understood that the reason is, because the words thus printed, are not in the original language, but were added in our Bibles by our translators; and though in many places the sense would be imperfect without them, yet if this be the case, how can such words be received as inspired? S. K.

S. K. is perfectly right respecting the Italics used in the sacred Scriptures; with all deference to the translators, it must be admitted, that although, in many places, they supply the words omitted, yet in others they obscure and weaken the force of the text. As they are the production of men uninspired, and who did not even pretend to inspiration, they are not to be received as authority; the reader must, of course, be left to his own judgment in using them. The ancient languages, especially the Hebrew, instead of being diffuse, are elliptical, and often require words to be added to complete the sense: in public reading I never use the italic words, except there is an absolute necessity. R. C.

Judicial Blindness.

SIR, Will you, or one of your correspondents, favor me with an explanation of Ezekiel xiv. 9, as I cannot understand how God in jus

tice shall deceive, and yet punish the deceiver.

Yours,

THOMAS.

The prophet of whom this is spoken, is a false prophet, whose words the infatuated people wished to hear; for they desired the prophets to prophesy smooth things; and, as a punishment for their sin and their aversion from the truth, the Lord permitted the false prophet to deceive them. The words are therefore to be regarded as expressing a judgment upon them, in the same manner as we read, (Acts xxviii. 26, 27,) “ Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” As they wilfully rejected the gospel, God in awful judgment said, Let it be so, let them be blind, and deaf, and insensible to their danger. Compare Isaiah vi. 9, 10.

It is frequent in the Scriptures for God to be represented as the Author of that which he permits. Thus it is said, (Exod. vii. 13,) "The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart;" whereas it is distinctly said, "Pharaoh hardened his heart." (Exod. viii. 32.)

The text might be thus paraphrased, "If the false prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet, by so ordering the course of events, that they have proved contrary to his prophecy; and for his sin in prophesying falsely, I will stretch out my hand upon him, and destroy him." R. C.

THE OUTER WORLD.

The Maynooth Grant.-The proposition for increasing the parliamentary grant, to the popish college of Maynooth, from £9,000. to £30,000. was brought before the House of Commons on the evening of Thursday, the 3rd April, and carried by a majority of 102. Since the great educational project of 1843, no measure has had to encounter so strenuous an opposition, from protestants of all denominations; but more particularly those of the establishment. Sir Robert Peel, in introducing the resolution, intimated that the Government had the choice of three propositions-they might continue the present inadequate grant of £9,000. "a sum just enough to paralyze voluntary exertion;" they might withdraw it altogether, if they were prepared to

do the same with all grants in Ireland and the Colonies, to presbyterians and others who professed a faith different from that of the established church; or they might, in a liberal and friendly spirit, adopt the institution, as one necessary for making adequate spiritual provision for millions of their fellow-countrymen.

As we have ever kept aloof from politics, we give no opinion upon these points, though we must raise our protest as strongly as we are able against that ultra-liberality, which regards "all religion" as a means of promoting morality and virtue, to say nothing of that spirituality, which is the life of Christianity. To urge that the endowment of popery will provide for the spiritual wants of Ireland, is just as absurd, as to assert, that the annual grant to the British Museum, will prevent our agricultural laborers from starvation; it is, in plain English, a gross, palpable, notorious untruth. It will provide board, lodging, and the means of a partial and dangerous system of education, for embryo emissaries of mischief, whose special business it will be to deceive souls and traffic in damnable heresies. Whether such a disposal of the public money can be justified or not, it is not our purpose to enquire; we only know, that it ought not to be voted, on the plea that it will advance the spiritual religion of the gospel, since that very gospel denounces in the strongest possible terms, the system it is intended to support and advance. We should be sorry to see the extension of such a "spiritual" work as that alluded to at pages 141 and 185 of our present volume, under the heads of "Unaltered and Unalterable" and "Romanism in Italy."

Church bells.-The day does not seem far distant when the bells of our churches will be again baptized. On raising a new one to the turret of St. John's Chapel, Gravesend, the old custom of placing an inscription upon it was revived, and papers were circulated in the town, containing "The legend and scroll of the new bell of St. John's, next Gravesend, weighed and raised on the morrow of St. Michael, 1843.” The inscription, which is in monkish latin, may be thus Englished

Good man, hither come, and fleetly-
Hence, ungodly one, away!
Be it mine to vibrate sweetly,

Your's, to GOD to pray!

Thomas cast me with his hand;

William placed me where I stand;

In the year of CHRIST the LORD,

Eighteen hundred, forty-three;
Be His holy name adored;

GOD, THE LORD, PRAISE YE!

POETRY.

239

DOST THOU WELL TO BE ANGRY.-Jonah xiv. 9.
(From the German.)

SAY, dost thou well to murmur when thy sky is overcast ?
Rather bend in meek submission till the darkening cloud be past;
Watch the bird when first imprisoned, in its fright and fruitless rage,
How its struggles cause but anguish, as it beats against the cage.
And thus it is with mourners, every wild and sinful thought,
Only deepens the affliction into which they may be brought;
While, did they bear it calmly, and go trusting on their way,
Strength from heaven would be given, to support them, as their day.
When the flowers of life are round us, and our sky is clear and
Faith is an easy duty, and sorrow seemeth light; [bright,

But should life's storms awaken; should they scatter all our
In murmurs for the present, we forget past happy hours. [flowers
Death hath power to render desolate, and friendship will decay;
All bright and blissful things of earth must change and pass away;
But weary not in patience, nor a murmurer become―

For trials are our heritage, while in a mortal home.

Have you ever looked on nature, when all is fair and good,
And marked how every season bringeth man his needful food?
Yet nature hath her changes-she is not always gay,

Her spring and summer, like our own, must also pass away.
The earth looks drear and desolate when winter's storms rage high,
And nature wears an ice-bound vest, beneath the sunless sky;
Yet her life is only hidden, greater beauty to prepare,

When the soft wind and the sunlight, shall bid her charms app ear
So should it be with christians, their sun again will shine,
Their hidden life will re-appear, as earthly things decline;
In the winter of their sorrow, they will higher strength attain,
Till the voice of love and mercy, bid their hearts rejoice again.
Be patient, then, and steadfast, for chastening is from God;
Be still, and thou shalt suffer less beneath affliction's rod;
Be hopeful; place thy trust on high, remembering there is One
Who cannot err in his decrees, then let His will be done.
Montpelier.

H. D. H.