their persecutors, recorded in Acts 16: 19. Let us give the facts as we might suppose some historians would have given them-Now about this time, there was committed one of the most barbarous outrages ever known at Phillippi. While Paul and Silas were quietly prosecuting their work of preaching the Gospel, they were most unjustly apprehended by certain base men, and most shamefully dragged into the market place before the rulers. Here they were falsely accused of troubling the city by teaching certain offensive Jewish customs to Roman citizens, and without having the privilege of speaking in their own defence, they were striped, and most unmercifully beaten, before the whole multitude. Neither were the blood-hounds satisfied with such acts of attrocity, but made them over to the keeper of the prison, who, with unparalleled brutality, thrust them into its most loathsome apartment, and as if their sufferings had not already been enough, confined their feet with enormous fetters.Does this sound like the cool account of St. Luke? or does it sound more like the language of some modern reformer? Instead of using harsh epithets, the New Testament writers, do sometimes record events with an almost apparently censurable indifference. Who, of our modern apostles, priding themselves in the idea of "turning the world upside down," aim to perform the exploit by as gentle means as those used by their predecessors? True, Christianity is compared to a sword and to fire, but its very violence is a violence of love.. None of its weapons bear any resemblance to such as are carnal, though they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. It does, indeed, contend earnestly, but kindly, and its entire spirit is most beautifully expres-

sed by these words of the psalmist:-"He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth." This, certainly looks much like conservatism.

But in what manner does the conservatism of the Bible evince its truth? It evinces its truth because it finds a perfectly corresponding principle in nature.

1. We have representations of these two principles in the old and the young. The young build their castles in the air. They are full of inventions, and many of their plans are destined to perish in the bud. Other plans, however, succeed, and it is upon such enterprise that the advancement of society depends. But does not the elasticity, the precipitancy of youth, need a check? Most assuredly, for with all its successes, its failures are numerous and great. The needful check is found in the experience of age. How natural and how right, for the gray-headed parent to place his hand upon the arm of the heedy youth, and say, 66 Stop my son-be advised by one who has seen more years than yourself, and who has known very many just such plans as you are now forming to fail. You may succeed, if you will labor to accomplish what is feasible; while your labor to accomplish impossibilities is all lost." The old man may, indeed, hold back too much, as the youth is too much under the influence of the propelling principle, but who can say that the representatives of these two principles do not have a mutually good influence upon each other.

2. We not only find the representatives of the propelling and restraining principles in nature, but nature evinces

the absolute necessity of both, in all her movements. The fastest sailing ship, with the strongest wind, unless directed by the helm, will soon lose the distance it has made; the engine, must be directed, or it will dash itself and all that is attached to it; the regulator of a watch answers a purpose no less important than the main spring; and that force which draws the planets towards the sun, is as important as the force that would propel them in a straight line. Thus wherever we turn our eyes, we find nature full of the conservative, as well as of the propelling principle, to which the same principles in the Bible most fully and beautifully correspond.

3. For the accomplishment of some things in nature time is absolutely essential. Nothing can serve as a substitute for time. No multiplication of force exerted by ingenious machinery, will much hasten the process of making hay, burning brick or tanning leather. Time is requisite, and efforts to hurry nature is sure to injure the material. Just so, there are moral subjects for whose developement time is absolutely requisite, and they will not bear hurrying. Now the Gospel presents us with a system which is admirably adapted to this developement, we see written in every department of nature, in most legible characters.

4. Nature dictates that opposition should be met in such a way that it may be overcome with the least amount of injury.

The best time for plowing, planting, and harvesting, should be chosen, as well as the best time for attacking an enemy. The wind and tide, fair weather and foul, are all

favorable to him who takes advantage of them.

The poisonous reptile may be killed, but it is no time to attack him when you see him coiled around the neck of your sleeping child. In all our works, wisdom is profitable to direct.

The writers of the Bible take precisely the same method for overcoming evil that the wisest of men take in overcoming natural difficulties. They endeavor to do the work at the best time and in the best manner, so as to accomplish the least amount of harm possible. They do not seek unnecessarily to exasperate an enemy. They never aim to tell men all that may in truth be said against them where it will evidently do no good, but when they censure, it is done with all the kindness of which the case will admit, and its ultimate object is to reform. In this, the writers of the Bible act rationally.

5. Finally, nature counts much upon its past gains.

The growth of the trees of the forest is but an addition to the growth of past years, and such is the improvement of human society. Present improvements, whether physical, intellectual or moral, take place on a principle which does not injure, but is only an addition to the improvements of the past.

Such, as has been already intimated, in these lectures, is the system with which the Bible presents us. It demolishes nothing but the bad, and preserves all that is worth preservation. The Bible, thus answering, to a most rational demand of nature evinces its own truthfulness.

LECTURE XX.

THE ADAPTATION OF THE BIBLE TO HUMAN NECESSITIES.

MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE BUT BY EVERY WORD OF GOD.-Luke 4: 4.

The text intimates that the word of God is as well adapted to the mind of man as bread is to his body. Now, if the Bible is as well calculated to satisfy the necessities of the soul, as temporal food is adapted to satisfy the physical system, then the Bible must be the word of God.

We may show such adaptation of the Bible to man's spiritual need: first-From the condition and confessions of men destitute of the Bible; and secondly-From the condition and confessions of men who possess the Bible.

1. Without the Bible, man, in every age, has felt the need of a positive religion. He requires facts and declarations, which shall serve as direction, reproof, warning and encouragement, to induce him to seek his highest interest in another world. We are so constituted and so situated that belief must run greatly in advance of reason. We must believe much, before we can comprehend its reasonableness. The little child, who unhesitatingly relies upon the instructions of his parents, errors and all, is a striking illustration of this doctrine. It is well that he should, for