L. B.

Ego quidem, charissime, quantum, Domino gratuitam gratiam largiente, modulum possum propriæ parvitatis agnoscere, sub ILLO UNO DOMINO ATQUE MAGISTRO, in ejus schola positus, non fratrum meorum vocari Magister, aut Doctor, affecto, quorum in veritate condiscipulus semper esse desidero. Quapropter hoc ab ILLO VERO DOMINO AC MAGISTRO nostro, postulare non desino, ut ea me, sive per eloquia scripturarum suarum, seu per sermocinationem fratrum condiscipulorumque meorum, sive etiam per inspirationis suæ internam suavioremque doctrinam (ubi sine sonis sermonum, et sine elementis literarum, eo dulcius, quo secretius, VERITAS loquitur) ea me docere dignatur, quæ sic proponam, sic asseram, ut in propositionibus atque assertionibus meis, VERITATI (quæ nec fallit nec fallitur) semper inhæream, semper obediens, consentiensque, reperiar. Quoniam ut VERITATI obedire, atque consentire, valeam, IPSA VERITAS illuminat, ipsa adjuvat, ipsa confirmat, ab IPSA postulo doceri multa plura quæ nescio, a qua accepi pauca quæ scio. IPSAM rogo ut, præveniente ac subsequente misericordia, quæcumque salubriter scienda nescio, doceat me: in his, quæ vera novi, custodiat me: in quibus ut homo fallor corrigat me: in quibus veris titubo confirmet me: et a falsis ac noxiis eripiat me; ut in cogitationibus, ac sermonibus meis, quod salubriter donat, inveniat: et ea faciat de ore meo procedere quæ sint coram IPSA principaliter grata; et sic fiant fidelibus cunetis accepta."-Fulgentius ad Monimum. Lib. 1. c. iv.

ESSAY I.

ON THE NATURE AND OBJECT OF REVELATION.

Modes of Revelation-it relates only to this world and the world to come-its great subject, the fall and recovery of man-is it a duty to study what is unfulfilled?

SO far as any act of God has relation to intelligent beings, it is a revelation of himself; but when we use the word Revelation, we generally mean that manifestation of his nature, of his moral government, and of his purposes, which he has given to man. This also is generally still farther restricted to that revelation of himself which God has been pleased to make by his written Word. Thus, we commonly find the epithet "natural" applied to religion, in contradistinction to the epithet "revealed;" although what a man learns from the works of God is as truly learned by revelation,

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as what he comes to know by means of the written Word of God. I do not mean to cavil at the conventional use of words, or to object to any words being used in any manner that is understood; but I apprehend that it would be more correct to speak of the Revelation of God, as consisting of four parts; or rather, as made in four modes.

1. That revelation which is made by his works of CREATION; or that manifestation of his nature and will, which is offered to man by means of "the things which do appear" in the visible universe.

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2. That revelation which is made by the manifestation of himself as the Governor of created things; by miracles, or sensible interpositions of his PROVIDENCE.

3. That revelation which is directly made to the spirit of man, by the SPIRit of God.

4. That revelation which forms, and exists only as, a written BOOK.

The knowledge of God which may be derived from the first of these sources, has generally been considered as belonging to what is termed "natural" religion. It is, however, as I have already said, a matter of pure revelation; and it is a revelation absolutely necessary to our

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understanding the written Word of God. I do not say that this necessity is essential; because, no doubt, the written Word of God might have been so framed as to be intelligible to those who had not knowledge derived from the works of God. But, in fact, it has pleased God so to connect these two modes of revelation together, as that his written Word would be unintelligible to any being who was wholly ignorant of his works.

Again, in the foregoing statement I have mentioned the "works of creation," and "miracles," as distinct modes of revelation, because, since it cannot be proved that God has Created any thing since what we call the crea

ion, these modes are, as it regards us, distinct. They are, however, essentially the same; and if it should please God at this time suddenly to create a new race of animals, or a new genus of plants, on the earth, it would be miraculous, in our common acceptation of the term; though, in itself, nothing more than what took place when all the races and genera with which we are acquainted, were created. The real difference between these two modes, as it regards us, is, that the one is a revelation by effects, the other by processes the one by

demonstrations of past action, the other by present agency.

It is obvious that these modes do not differ much in their nature; but for the reason which I have stated, they do differ as it regards us; and I notice this difference because I think we are apt to consider it as greater than it really is-so great as that we call one mode natural, and the other supernatural; and this too in a sense amounting almost, if not quite, to unnatural, or contrary to nature.

It will be equally clear to the reader that whatever revelation it has pleased God to make by any one of these modes, it has been inseparably linked with one or more of the others; and, without intending to pursue the subject in detail, I have just premised these brief hints on the various modes of revelation, and their connexion with each other, in order that the reader may be prepared to consider the written Word of God (that mode of revelation of which I propose to speak), as a part only of a system.

One remark, however, I will premise which is applicable to all these modes of revelation. Their only subject is "this world" and "the world to come." They give us not a glimpse of light as to the history of that long eternity