eyes in joyful amazement on the fair creation; when the stormy waters and tempestuous winds were awed into stillness; when the dead started from the grave, again to be revived with tides of life and voices of human sympathy.

In all these instances the miracles were so manifest, that all reasonable ground of controversy or suspicion was at once annihilated, and the people testified their convictions in such language as the following:

But when the multitude saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God who had given such power unto men."

"And many spread their garments in the way, and others cut down branches from the trees and strewed them in the way; and they that went before and they that followed, cried, saying. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest."

"And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this, for with authority and power, he commandeth even the unclean spirits and they obey him."

"Then he arose and rebuked the raging of the wind and the water, and they ceased, and there was a calm, and he said unto them, Where is your faith? and they being afraid, wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this, for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him ?"

"And when he had said these things all his adversaries were ashamed, and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.'

"Then those men when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force to make him a king, he departed into a mountain himself alone."

But not to multiply too many citations on this subject, we may adduce as the last and the most remarkable, the language and spirit of the centurion, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof, but speak the word only and my servant shall be healed, for I also am a man under authority having soldiers under me, and I say to this man Go, and he goeth; and to another Come, and he cometh, and to my servant Do this, and he doeth it." This language beautifully reveals both the humility and elevation

of his character, and likewise his profound apprehension of the dignity of the Son of God. He conceived of him as having all the laws and energies of nature under absolute control. All the ministers of creation were but servants or slaves, to whom he might say, Go or Come, with the assurance that obedience would follow.

V.-PUBLIC.

By public, I mean performed before credible witnesses. Subjected to the scrutiny of friends, enemies, and neutrals. 1. The publicity of the miracles may be argued from the places where they transpired. The fields, valleys, and mountains, of popular resort. The streets and thoroughfares, the houses, synagogues, and temple, all bore witness to the stupendous proofs of his power and mercy. Scarcely a spot but what was hallowed by some demonstration, in which majesty and tenderness were sweetly blended.

2. It is worthy of remark, that all the miracles performed arose so naturally out of transpiring facts, were so intimately interwoven with passing events, that any thing like collusion was utterly impossible. Had there existed any such design, the nature of the subjects to be operated upon, and the company and character of the spectators, would always have prevented the realization of imposture.

3. Publicity was secured in another striking way in a large class of the miracles. The agitated waters that once subsided into tranquillity, would return again to their usual alternations of placidity or tumult. The bread that was multiplied would be decomposed and assimilated by the ordinary process of nature. In these and other cases which might be adduced, though the evidence of testimony remained in all its strength, yet the subjects operated upon had no voices of perpetuity on the question. But in the cases of those who had been blind, maimed, diseased, possessed by demons, or swallowed by the grave, there was, for a great length of time, double evidence. The subjects were continued monuments of the deeds, for in passing from place to place, they were subjected to the deliberate scrutiny of those who had known them under different circumstances, and could still identify them though marvellously changed.

4. Publicity may be further argued from the masses of virulent enemies who were continual spectators. The

Pharisees and Sadducees, the Lawyers and Scribes, being baulked in their sanguine calculations of political glory, and rebuked for their venality, hypocrisy, and cruelty, had conceived against the Son of God the most deadly hatred. Consequently, they would glare upon all his works with acuteness heightened by ferocity. Their rancorous hostility ministered increasing keenness to the faculties already well cultivated. That they were not able to discover anything defective in the evidence, is manifest from the channels into which their wrath foamed and boiled after it had ebbed upon themselves. They could only accuse him of borrowing his energy from the Prince of Hell.

(To be concluded in our next.)

SCRIPTURE DIFFICULTIES.-No. XIII.

"I WILL, therefore, that men pray every where."-1 Tim. ii. 8.

It may be considered somewhat strange, that a portion of Scripture regarded by almost every one as simply an enforcement of the injunction, " Pray without ceasing," should be selected as a case of difficulty. One use made of this passage is, to urge from it, as a text, that as danger and need are every where, and as God is every where, and listens to his people any where, so prayers should ascend in every place at home; abroad; in private; in public; at liberty; in captivity; on sea; on shore; in the closet; in the family; in the world; 66 every where.' Another use is, as an argument to prove that the disciples of Jesus ought every where to unite in prayer with religious people; in their public assemblies, in their family worship, and at their beds of sickness— on the alledged ground, that unless we can prove these places to be "nowhere," they must be included in the command, Pray every where." Both uses assume, that the words are to be strictly and literally followed. Usually, however, two difficulties which arise from such literal construction, are hidden from observation by clouds of charitable words. These difficulties are, 1st. The positive command that MEN are to pray, implies that women are NOT to pray. But females are to join in prayer with their heads covered. 2nd. Men are to pray 66 every where," consequently, in every minute of every day and night through life, wherever they

may be but this has not been done, nor can it be done by any human being. Now, it will be admitted by the candid, that the correctness of an interpretation which involves two such difficulties, may well be doubted.

It may here be remarked, that nearly all those who theoretically press the argument for indiscriminate prayer, practically place for themselves a limit to their charity at some point. One cannot join with a pious Roman Catholic family in prayer to the holy virgin. Another cannot unite in the petitions of devout Unitarians. A third stops at this peculiarity, a fourth at that, until, in fact, the "every where" of each of these pleaders for universality in prayer, is made to mean a few selected places or persons only.

To the question, What is the apostle's object in this part of his letter? the manifest answer is, to instruct his beloved Timothy how he and all disciples "ought to behave " in the house-the church of God. The mere mention of this opens before us the Divine intention in the above words, which are spoken of the church, not of the world, and of men as contrasted with women. The apostle is not here saying what each individual should do, wherever he is, or whoever he may be with, but is directing what should be done, how, done, and by whom, in the church assemblies " every where." We thus learn that eloquent persuasives to universality of prayer, not only find no foundation in these divine words but are misapplications of them.

Infinite wisdom has, then, for the good of all, here given directions, that in the assemblies of the Lord's people" every where," the men shall pray; that is, the prayers there shall be uttered by the men-not by the women. The woman can join in these prayers, can lift her confiding and grateful heart in the petitions, supplications, and thanksgivings to the Heavenly Father, through the "one Mediator;" but she is to do this in "silence." Such is the Divine will. In the assembled church the men only are to speak in prayer and teaching; females are not to speak; their part is to adorn themselves with modest apparel, and with good works, and to "learn in silence."

Many good reasons might be adduced in proof of the propriety and wisdom of this direction. The following only are given by the Holy Spirit: "Adam was first formed, then Eve:" Eve was deceived; Adam was not. But the wise

and good will not require many arguments; the will of the Lord is, to them, enough. They delight most in sitting at Jesus' feet, and hearing his word. To him, female affection is still dear as when his well-known voice pronounced the thrilling sound, "Mary," at the sepulchre ! J. D.

DR. CARSON.

To the Rev. Archibald Maclay, D.D. New York.

DEAR SIR.-Your letter of the 5th July last, to the late Dr. Carson, now lies before me; as his hand is cold in death, and his sons are greatly afflicted, it becomes my duty, as a student of his, to acknowledge your favour.

As I know that you, and many others of our American brethren, will be anxious to learn where and how he died, I shall endeavour to furnish you with a true though brief

account.

He went over to England in July, to advocate the cause of the Baptist Missionary Society. He travelled through many parts of England, and, I believe, most of Wales. When returning, about the end of August, he was waiting in Liverpool for the time of the sailing of the Belfast steamer; it was nightfall, and in taking out his watch to ascertain the hour, he approached, unawares, to the edge of the dock, and was immediately precipitated into the water where it was twenty-five feet deep. Providentially there were persons near at the time, who, with the aid of a ladder, succeeded in rescuing him from a watery grave. His shoulder having been dislocated by the fall, he got it set, and came on to Belfast in the steamer. There he became dangerously ill; and though he had the aid of the Belfast physicians, together with that of his son and son-in-law, Drs. Carson and Clarke, of Coleraine, it was all in vain, he must go to his rest, and receive what he often termed "the reward of grace."

On Saturday, August 25th, he departed in peace. His remains were taken, for interment, to his residence at Tubermore. Oh! could you have seen all the tears that were shed, and the voices that lamented the dear departed warrior! Never was there such an exhibition of sorrow in this country before. It would have pierced the soul of any one to have