stations, and imparted that regularity of motion, the pro. ducer of successive times and seasons. We reflect on the almighty energy exerted to give them those amazing impulses, which enable them to maintain their prodigious celerity without hinderance, without being retarded in their journies, or manifesting the least deviation from their prescribed courses. We conceive of countless numbers of stars, as of various points, around which move thousands and millions of planetary worlds, some probably revolving in the vast expanse with accelerated velocities, while, with respect to ourselves, others may proceed with less rapidity; that these systems of worlds complete their various orbits, without invading any foreign spheres of influence and attraction, to accomplish which, they are placed at most immense distances from each other, and that probably they have been performing their circuits from all eternity, or, at any rate, from a period of time the duration of which the mind cannot comprehend;* and that Objections to such expansive delineations of creation, are occasionally advanced by steady textuaries, pre-determined to explain literally every passage which they find in the Bible; and who, therefore, amongst many other things equally clear, pertinaciously advocate as a doctrine of in spiration, consequently essential to salvation, the cosmogony of Moses, who, according to the account which bears his name, reduces the age of the world, and of all creation, to less than 6000 years. To this, let it be again replied, that the Messengers and Prophets of God, had more important missions than simply to give mankind a few lessons in natural philosophy; that they spoke to men in current language, and alluded to prevalent opinions in support of their arguments, without stopping to inquire whether those opinions were strictly true. Nor is it material, whether Moses was literally correct or not, in his narratives of the creation. Those narratives could not be furnished by contemporaries of the event. They may rather be viewed as the floating traditions gathered together by him. But of the age of the world, he affords no evidence. "In the beginning" is a sentence as vague and indefinite, with respect to time, as could possibly be penned; and that beginning may be 60, or 600, or 600,000 years ago, for any proof which Moses affords to the contrary. He describes, not an original creation of the earth from nothing, but its renovation from chaotic confusion, the probable wreck of a former scene of animation, to its present order, constitution, and arrangement. It was rather a re-modification, a re-organization, than a new creation. Thus, the present state of things, the world, in contradistinction to the earth, cannot boast an antiquity of 6000 years, whilst its frame-work, its matter, its primary atoms or particles, may date their origin from a period long antecedent. This, Cavier and other natural philosophers, have endeavoured to prove from now existing appearances. And this view of the subject will account for all those fossil remains and marine strata, which well-meaning theologians, but unsound geologists, have vainly attempted to ascribe to the effects of the Deluge, and which sceptics and unbelievers have triumphantly adduced, as a sufficient apology for those sneers and sarcasms against Revelation, in which they have indecorously indulged. they continue to exist and to revolve, as long as the Almighty wills them to be, and the all-powerful arm of Omnipotence is stretched out for their support-of Him who is the first and the last, whose hand hath laid the foundations of the earth, and whose right hand hath spanned the heavens. It is, farther, a reasonable conclusion, that every created world is adapted to, and fitted for, the support of animated existence-is peopled with living beings, with creatures depending on the great Father of all for preservation and support, and who receive from his beneficent hand, favours, mercies, blessings. This conclusion is derived from analogy. If we believe that God is omniscient, we must admit that some definite object was to be accomplished in every thing created; in other words, that nothing was created in vain. As far as our experience leads us, upon this earth we find this evidently the case. The earth is formed for the support of, and is peopled with, living beings. We discover other immense globes, which we have every reason to believe are similar to our own, traversing space, and we infer that these likewise are inhabited. We find upon our own earth an infinite gradation. From unorganized matter we proceed, step by step, and link by link, until we perceive traces of animal life; thence ascending the scale of existence, by imperceptible degrees, we arrive at man. Here we apparently stop. But do we hence suppose that here creation ceases?-that there are no intermediate orders of beings between man and that Infinite Mind, who is the origin of all, the One Supreme?-that that wide, that vast immensity remains unoccupied, unapplied? Avaunt the degrading thought. Looking beneath us, we find in every spot, creationthe power of the Almighty every where visible. We perceive an infinite variety even in this fraction of creative power. We discover life in every place. The polar snows are not destitute, and the burning plains of the tropics swarm with existence. The most minute grain of sand is inhabited. A drop of water hanging at a needle's point, can boast its multitudes. And must we can we-suppose, that all above us is not alike full? that the agency of Divine power is circumscribed to our earth alone? No. The immensity of creation is interminable. That Almighty God whom the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain, He created the Universe. Systems upon systems of worlds, all peopled with different orders of beings, probably varying in corporeal mechanism, as well as in intellectual rank and capabilities; but all obedient, all subject to the power of Jehovah, by whose fiat they were created, who spake the word and they existed. Here, then, let the Christian take his stand, and view the works of the greatest and the best of beings-of his Creator and his Father. In the vast contemplation, his imagination will confess her feebleness; his most vivid conceptions will not be commensurate with the extent of their object, inasmuch, as finite minds cannot embrace infinite operations, nor limited powers fully comprehend unbounded attributes. "Come, then, expressive silence, muse his praise." (To be Continued.) REVIEW. The State of Society in the Age of Homer. By William Bruce, D. D. Belfast.-Hunter, London. THIS is an interesting and useful work, and comprises a great deal of information in a little compass. The introduction contains remarks on the age of Homer and Hesiod, on the apparent imitations of Scripture by Homer, on the lives of Homer and Hesiod, and on the poetry of Homer. Our author is of opinion, that the life of Homer attributed to Herodotus, is genuine, there being no assignable motive for fraud. He adduces many strong arguments to show, that Homer copied from Hesiod, and not the latter from the former. There are comparisons of passages of Scripture with the Iliad, from which it appears probable, that Homer must have been acquainted with some of the books of the Old Testament. lived one hundred years after Solomon, he may have had access to the sacred records as far down as the first book of Kings. An extraordinary coincidence is found in the Eleventh Iliad, with Genesis ix. 13, unless we suppose Homer to have seen the first book of Moses: "Jupiter fixed the rainbow in the cloud, as a sign to mortal men." -Homer. "I have set my rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth."-Genesis. As he Section First contains remarks on Astronomy and Chron ology. Geography and Navigation occupy the Second Section. Wonderful, indeed, have been the discoveries and improvements in these sciences, since the time of Homer. A new world has been found, on which, in the time of Homer, the foot of man had not trodden. What a contrast between the Grecian ships, which were hauled on the coast of Troy, and a fleet composed of British men-of-war! Section Third comprises an interesting account of the state of Agriculture. Stern necessity compelled mankind to direct their attention to the cultivation of the soil, and they soon discovered the means of rendering it productive. Rural occupations engaged the thoughts, and employed the hands of princes. They esteemed it no disgrace to descend to hard manual labour, and to perform what modern refinement terms menial offices. Ulysses found his father working in the orchard. We insert the passage from Pope's translation: But all alone the hoary king he found; His habit coarse, but warmly wrapp'd around And clear'd a plant, encumber'd with its wood. Section Fourth, on Civil government, Military affairs, and Religion. "The patriarchal state was the original condition of mankind. The primitive stock speedily split into kindred tribes: the patriarch of a tribe soon passed into a king; and, accordingly, historians are agreed that monarchy was the first form of government. When clans became numerous, contentions ensued, and the stronger party obliged the weaker to seek for settlements where they could have more room." But the power of the kings was very limited. Indeed the sarcastic language of Thersites, the bold and insolent manner in which he was accustomed to assail the leaders of the Grecian army, manifests the prevalence of a democratic spirit. The most important office of a king, was that of a commander-inchief. He led his subjects to battle, and engaged in the thickest of the fight. Another duty of kings, was to administer justice; but he was assisted by judges in the execution of this office. The following description of a sacrifice, will not, we think, be unacceptable to our readers: "It was celebrated by Nestor on the arrival of Telema F chus. Having sent to the ship for the attendants of his guest, and to the field for an ox, and ordered the maidservants to prepare the entertainment within, Nestor proceeded to the sacrifice. The assistants were all ready; the ox came from the field; the crew arrived from the ship; and the goldsmith attended with his implements of brass, a small anvil, a hammer, and forceps. Nestor furnished the gold; and the goldsmith having prepared it, applied it to the horns. Two attendants led the ox; another came from the house, bringing water for washing their hands, in a basin covered with flowers: in the other hand he held the saltcakes: a fourth, his own son, was prepared with a sharp axe to kill the ox; and a fifth held a vessel to receive the blood. Nestor began the ceremony by presenting the water and the sacred cakes, offering prayers to Minerva, cutting the hair from the head of the victim, and throwing it into the fire. After they had prayed, and presented the barley cakes, the son of Nestor struck the victim on the neck, and cut through the tendons. The ox fell, and all the women of the family raised a shout. The men lifted up the carcase from the ground, held it up, and drew back its head, till one of their chief men cut its throat. They then proceeded to strip off the hide, and cut the carcase asunder. They cut out the thighs, and rolled them in fat, and upon these they laid other pieces, which they sprinkled with meal and wine. Nestor applied fire to the billets of cleft-wood, and poured wine on the whole. The young men stood beside him holding five-pronged forks. After the thighs were consumed, and they had tasted the entrails, they cut the remainder into small pieces, fixed them on spits, and roasted them at the fire. When the youngest of Nestor's daughters had bathed and dressed Telemachus, Nestor took his seat, with his young friend beside him; and they partook of an entertainment, consisting of roasted flesh and wine, which was served by the principal servants. They had also a custom of cutting out the tongues of the victims, and burning them; offering, at the same time, libations of wine to the gods, before they retired to rest. Section Fifth gives an account of private life and manners. At their entertainments, the hosts performed many of the menial offices. Thus, at the feast given by Achilles to the deputies from the fleet, Patroclus, the friend of Achilles, placed the pot on the fire, and put in the meat which |