the more ordinary matters of truthfulness or literary accuracy should be proved. If a person claiming credit for some superexcellent traits of moral character could not defend himself against charges of a want of common honesty, then his higher claims would be far from strong; so, we think, the defence of the historical accuracy of Scripture is of importance as bearing indirectly on its higher claims of Divine authority.

The cumulative force of these evidences is very strong and conclusive. There is scarcely an instance in which the history of the Jews impinges upon that of neighbouring nations, which is not illustrated by these contemporary inscriptions recorded by other nations, extending as they do from the time of Abraham, recorded in Genesis, down to the end of the latest historical books. There is much cause for rejoicing on the part of every lover of the Bible and of truth that, just as the cry had been raised by several writers of this age as to the "unhistorical character" of the Old Testament records, these monuments and inscriptions have been disentombed and deciphered to prove the Bible the most reliable of all historical books.

There are remaining other historical difficulties in the Scriptures not yet cleared up by contemporary records; but, we submit, the evidence supplied by recent explorations should secure, at least, the neutrality of adverse critics as to those remaining; as, in the past, many doubts as to the historical accuracy of certain portions have proved to be without real foundation, further charges of that nature should not be lightly made, or without the strongest presumption in favour of their truth.

These antiquarian researches to which we have directed attention are still being carried on in various directions, and, judging from the results of past efforts, future explorations of this kind may reasonably be expected to yield still further aid in the exposition and defence of the Holy Scriptures. THOMAS PARKER.

ART. VIII. SECRET THINGS.

"THE secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed, belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law."-Deut. xxix. 29.

HIS rebukes a propensity which many indulge in, to dive into

pay close attention to understandable truth, and to the acknowledged duties of life and religion. A speculative turn of mind, laudable when kept in subordination to practical ends, may be cherished to a damaging extent. It is injurious when any one gives

himself up to it so fully that he neither has time nor desire for the cultivation of plain, useful knowledge, and takes no delight in the practice of religious duty. The evil effect of this may be shown in a picture. Imagine a man of this perverted disposition ascending a mountain side for the purpose of prospecting! He has an ambition to reach the highest possible stand-point. We quite commend his purpose, and advise him to go well up. The higher the ascent, the wider the survey. The sphere of vision expands in the ratio of the elevation. After a long and weary climb, he gains the crown of the mountain, and begins his observations. Right and left, before and behind, a fine landscape presents itself to his eye, varied with hill and dale and flowing stream. The view is dotted with hall, and castle, and cottage; here an extensive level, and there and yonder gentle undulations, with all the forms and shapes which easy-working nature throws off with such luxuriance. If this elevated observer have anything like taste or appreciation of natural scenery, he ought to be gratified. Such a grand outspread inviting his observation should repay his painful ascent. But instead of taking notes on objects within easy range, he directs his attention at once to the distant horizon marked by a few dim, hazy spots that show no clear outline. It is his wish to descry them distinctly, and give full report of them on his return to the lower world. His steady and earnest gaze is not equal to the task; not even with the help of his pocket glass is he able to decipher them. If it were possible, he would like to give them shape in his mind, and to know what lies just on the farther side of them. Between that distant point and where he stands there are intermediate objects quite discernible and noteworthy that would please a simpler mind. But then he is above vulgar tastes! He delights in remoteness, in depth and abtruseness. So he descends from his elevation baffled and dissatisfied, because he could not acquire the knowledge he sought. A more reasonable man would have had a feast where his morbid appetite turned away with disgust.

The application of this is easy. Near-hand truth is valuable. The surface of theology is rich with what is both useful and pleasant. If we have a disposition to look far and dig deep, and aim at the whole circle of truth, it is laudable. Only let us begin with what is at hand, and enlarge as occasion offers. What is nearest should be learnt first. The verse in hand is a good monitor. indicates-

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The state of mind due to secret things.-It is needful to distinguish between things that are simply unknown, and things that are strictly secret. What is a secret to one person is perfectly open to another. A man knows much of which a child is ignorant. Childhood is on the dark side of mature life, and can only come to thorough acquaintance by actual experience and much observation.

A learned man is abreast of several things that are as a sealed book to the illiterate and unscientific. A believer in Christ, who has bread to eat that the world knows not of, is acquainted with what is mystery to the ungodly world. Yet these are not properly secrets belonging to God, and bearing interdict against inquiry. Time or application, or both, will lay them open and make them matters of clear knowledge, or at least of intelligent faith. The child will grow to a man and be in the secret of advanced life. The untutored and unlettered may become acquainted with books and familiar with science, and reap the advantage of such acquirements. It is at their option to improve, and is a worthy aim. The careless world, dark about Christian experience, may come into the light of the Lord, and be in His secret with them that fear Him. Throwing off all matters that are within the possibility of knowledge, but are not attained by some on account of tender age, or mental imbecility, or want of application, or lack of experience, there still remain others under seal, which men do not know, and cannot, and ought not to attempt. God knows more than men know. He knows what they know, and much beside. There are secrets that belong to Him only, incommunicable secrets, that men can no more know than they can be God.

The passage selected for our meditations supposes a disposition in some to meddle with the secret sphere, and venture into the crypt where mysteries are stored up. No doubt we are all more or less tainted with this, unless we have been cured of it by experience and discipline. It is a hereditary propensity. We have it from our common mother. The strength of the temptation to eat the forbidden fruit was less in its beautiful appearance to the eye or in the promise of gratification to the palate, than in its boasted power to bring god-like penetration to the intellect. It was "a tree to be desired to make one wise." To be freed from the trammels of human ignorance, and to take in knowledge like higher intelligences, was the strongest inducement that was offered. Some of Eve's descendants, both sons and daughters, have so much lawless curiosity about them that they would repeat their mother's fault if by so doing they could have the secret world laid open to them. A large amount of wickedness and mischief lurks under this. It involves a charge against God for having reserved certain things to Himself. Just because He has limited us, it insinuates that He has scanted us. It is a false insinuation. A whole paradise of knowledge lies open to us, with some specified exceptions. There is sufficient to occupy us for the whole term of our brief probation. We live so short a time that our stock of knowledge can never be very great, if we did nothing else but seek it, which we cannot afford, as we have urgent duties to perform. As we are limited in our leisure, and weighty consequences hinge upon life, what is

more proper than to make practical truth our grand aim? It is not wise to weary ourselves and waste our time and energy in attempting to master mysteries clean out of reach, whilst much overtakable truth invites our attention. There are limits to thought, secrets of which God gives no account to any one. These limits may not be very sharply defined, yet anyone cultivating a reverent spirit and a practical aim, will be likely to stop short of the forbidden ground.

In the domain of nature there is reverence due. Is there nothing in physical science puzzling and overmastering? Are there not secrets about which the keenest and cleverest scientists are in the dark? There are sealed crypts with stones of hinderance rolled against them that no might of man has yet availed to remove. No doubt scientific ardour and skill have brought to light things once unknown, or, if known, forgotten and lost, for which the world owes to men of science its thanks. It would be a practical blunder to forbid enquiry or put out the eyes of investigation, if, indeed, we could do it. Natural phenomena are fairly open to discussion and research. Let science do its work. Yet it might suffer the word of exhortation, not to be rude and irreverent in its questionings, nor hasty in its conclusions. Some of its votaries have been bold and ruthless. In their attempt to account for everything by natural law, there has been a manifest disposition to alienate the great worker, from the universe he has made. It is a false assumption to begin with, that everything is knowable, and ought to be known. The Beginner is himself secret, and the mode of his working is hidden. Thoughtless men would manipulate him, bring him within the range of sense, and try upon him the evidence of mathematics! My soul, come not thou into their secret! It would do them good to read and ponder some of the closing chapters in the book of Job. "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof." Job xxxviii. 2-6.

me.

Within the sphere of revelation the same reverence is in demand. True it is the Bible is made to unfold and reveal things, not to shroud them up in dark concealment. This is its acknowledged office. It is by no means sparing or scant, but free and liberal in its disclosures. Yet it is discriminating, and observes measure and proportion, setting forth most abundantly that which is of practical importance. There are matters which a speculative mind would moot, about which it says nothing. Several things

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which it touches upon it leaves half unfolded, and intimates that their dark side is to be left unexplored. Particularly it frowns upon the attempt to make the Deity the subject of exact science. His moral relations to us, which it is of paramount importance we should know, are well defined. If we will gratify our curiosity by pushing into the arcana of his nature, the Scripture rebukes our impertinence. "Such knowledge is too wonderful." It is high; we cannot mount to it. The book is dogmatic in many of its declarations, as it ought to be. It tells us that in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. If we ask when the beginning was, and why it was not sooner, or why not later, the book treats us with solemn silence. It tells us the way of salvation, and dwells on it with considerable amplitude and detail. But if we want to know how many will be saved, and how many lost, it represses our curiosity and bids us "strive to enter in." It foretells a day of judgment. But if we wish to know when it will commence, how long the solemn sessions will continue, and what results will be reached, it makes no response to our idle questions. The oracle knows what interrogations to respect and answer. distinguishes between what is useful and necessary, and what injurious and irrelevant. The necessary truth is told with emphasis. Useful knowledge, though not severely necessary, is freely vouchsafed. The rest is veiled. The state of the dead is under seal. It is forbidden to search the secrets of Hades. Moses and the prophets, Jesus and the apostles, have spoken sufficient to keep us out of the place of torment without spirit-agency or dim, ghostly apparitions. Unfulfilled prophecy, also, lies out of our way, and demands patient waiting till the time comes. It is not to be forestalled by conjectures about dates and circumstantial details which God has reserved in his own hand. The benefit of prophecy is mainly posterior to its fulfilment. It may act in a healthy way upon hope beforehand; but it strengthens faith afterward. This is its chief benefit. "And now I have told you before it came to pass, that when it is come to pass, ye might believe.”—John xiv. 29. After the seals are open, it is proper to "come and see." When the angels' trumpets are blown, and the vials are poured out on the earth, then let good men sing "Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou king of saints."-Rev' xv. 3. It is no work of ours to tear the seals open or to seize the angel-trumpets. Leave the Lamb to open the seals, and the angels to blow when they are bidden. Our anxieties and activities must take a different direction. Let us see How we should act in relation to Revealed Things." Those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." Things that are open or openable are lawful subjects of thought. We understand