1847.] General Analogy between the Deluge and Baptism. 743

"the renewing of the mind" produced by the " Holy Ghost shed forth abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour."

This good conscience is said to be "by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." The resurrection of Christ is the grand proof of the divinity of his mission, the truth of his doctrine, and especially of the efficacy of his atoning sacrifice. It is truth regarding these, apprehended in its meaning and evidence under the influence of the Holy Spirit which produces the good conscience towards God. "I trust in God, seeing he has brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus; I love him who gave his Son for my offences and who raised him again for my justification."

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Of this good conscience, of a mind at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and a heart with the love of God shed abroad in it, the converted Jew or Pagan made a profession when in obedience to the command of Christ he submitted to baptism. Thus confessing by an external act what he believed in his heart that God had raised Christ from the dead, he was saved. In this way, in this way alone can it be said that "baptism saves us."

Much ingenuity has been discovered in attempting to trace the analogy between the waters of the deluge saving Noah's family, and the water of baptism saving those who in it make an enlightened profession of a "good conscience towards God through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ." I apprehend we are not to seek anything more than that general analogy which we have already illustrated. The following illustration is at any rate ingenious and the sentiment it conveys indubitably true and fearfully important. “The flood of waters displayed the divine indignation, and executed the threatened vengeance against the wickedness of an ungodly world while they yet bore up in safety the eight persons enclosed in the ark, so the blood of Christ shed for sin emblematically represented in baptism, while it has effected the eternal redemption and salvation of all in Him, 'the remnant according to the election of grace,' is at the same time the most dreadful manifestation of the righteous judgment of God, as well as the surest pledge of its execution against the world which lieth under the wicked one."

Though I do not think we have been able to clear the difficult passage we have been considering of all its obscurity, I think we have succeeded to a considerable extent, and I am sure we have made it plain enough, that what Paul says of all Scripture given by divine inspiration is true of this. "It is profitable for doctrine,

'John Walker.

for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." I shall notice only one very important practical conclusion to which it very directly leads us,-the folly and danger of trusting in the mere external rite of baptism or in anything that is external. Happily we are not taught the soul-deluding doctrine of the efficacy of the sacraments, as they are called, and of baptismal regeneration as a part of the general dogma. On the contrary we are taught that "the sacraments become effectual means of salvation not from any virtue in those, or in them who administer them, but only by the blessing of Christ and the working of his Spirit in them that by faith receive them," and that no baptism saves but that which is connected with "engrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace," and that it is an "engagement to be the Lord's."

But though we are thus taught, and I believe few of us would call these principles in question, yet there is a natural tendency in the human mind to rest in what is external. Let us beware then of supposing that we are safe because we have been baptized, whether in infancy or on our personal profession of faith. The apostle Paul's declaration respecting circumcision and Judaism is equally true of baptism and Christianity. He is not a true Christian who is one outwardly, neither is that saving baptism which consists merely in the application of water to the body. He is a Christian who is one inwardly, who has a good conscience towards God, and saving baptism is the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost.' Let all remember, that if they would be saved, if they would "enter in the kingdom of God," they "must be born again," "born not of water only but of the Spirit ;" and let all who have profession of a good conscience remember that where there is a good conscience there will be a good conversation, and that if a "man is in Christ a new creature" he will "put off the old man who is corrupt in his deeds, and put on the new man who after Christ Jesus is renewed in knowledge and in true holiness." Professing to be saved from the fiery deluge which is coming on the unbelieving, disobedient world, by the blood of Christ represented in baptism, he will show that he is delivered from that world's power; redeemed by the same "precious blood" from the " vain conversation" received by tradition from his fathers, and freed from spiritual captivity, he will walk at liberty; brought into a new world, "all old things will pass away," and "all things will become new."

1 Westminster Shorter Catechism.

1847.]

Languages of Africa.

745

ARTICLE VI.

LANGUAGES OF AFRICA. COMPARISON BETWEEN THE MANDINGO, GREBO AND MPONGWE DIALECTS.

By Rev. John Leighton Wilson, American Missionary at the Gaboon river, Western Africa.

[THE following paper from the pen of Mr. Wilson is inserted, partly, on account of its intrinsic importance, and partly from its relation to the foreign missionary enterprise. It communicates a variety of facts respecting the languages of Western Africa, which will be deeply interesting, alike to the Christian and the philologist. The phenomena, adduced by Mr. Wilson, are a striking confirmation of the scientific value of Christian missions. Though an indirect and undesigned effect, it will of itself amply repay all the cost which is incurred. The missionary is, in this way, coöperating most efficiently, and without interference with his great spiritual work, with the learned scholars and philanthropists of Christendom, in extending the boundaries of knowledge and civilization. We will only add, should any apology for the insertion of this piece be needed, that there are subscribers and readers of the Bibliotheca Sacra at all the missionary stations of our principal Foreign Missionary Society, and at some of the stations of other societies.-EDS.]

Too little is as yet known of the numerous and diversified dialects of Africa to determine with certainty the precise number of families which they form. The Mountains of the Moon, which divide this great continent into two nearly equal portions, also form an important dividing line between two great branches of the negro race, who, it is probable, emigrated to Africa at remote periods from each other and from different parts of the old world.

In the northern half of the continent, or that part of it occupied by the black race, the number of languages is very great, the different families of which show very little if any affinity for each other; while in the southern division one great family prevails over the whole even to the Cape of Good Hope. As there is a tendency to the multiplication of dialects in all countries where there are no written standards, the above fact furnishes a presumptive argument, in favor of the opinion, that the northern portion of the continent must have been settled by the negro race at

a much earlier period than the southern; or, that the present inhabitants of this portion of the country overran and rooted out its original occupants at no very remote period. However this may be, the languages spoken on the opposite sides of these mountains, show as conclusively, as any argument drawn from this source can, that these two families of blacks, whatever physical resemblances there may be, must have had different origins.

In the northern half of the continent, the number of dialects is incredibly great. Those spoken along the western coast, i. e. between the river Senegal and the Cameroons in the Bight of Biafra, which is no doubt the western termination of the Mountains of the Moon, may be grouped into five distinct families, the boundaries of which are not inaccurately defined by the estab lished geographical divisions of the country.

The Mandingo, including the Jaloof, the Foulah, the Soosoo and other kindred dialects, may be regarded as forming one of these principal families. Those of the natives who speak these dialects are Mohammedans, and no doubt a less or greater number of Moorish or Arabic words has been incorporated with all of them. These dialects are spoken along the coast from Senegal to Sierra Leone, and in the interior as far as the head waters of the Niger.

From Sierra Leone or Cape Messurado to the mouth of the Ni ger, in what is called Upper Guinea, a distance coastwise of twelve or fifteen hundred miles, there are four distinct families, showing very little if any affinity for each other. The first extends from Basa to St. Andrews, embracing the Basa, Kru, Grebo and other dialects, all of which belong to one general family called the Mena or Mandoo language. The natives, who speak these dialects, are pagans, and though physically considered, they are one of the finest races in Africa, they are less intellectual than the generality of tribes along the coast.

From Frisco to Dick's Cove, along what is called the Ivory Coast, we have another language, usually called the Kwakwa, which possesses no traceable affinity for any other language along the The inhabitants of this part of the coast are a fine, athletic race and occupy an important part of the coast in a commercial point of view, but like the tribes above and below are pagans of the lowest order.

coast.

From Dick's Cove to Badagri we have the Fanti, as called by the natives themselves Fantyipim, which includes the Ashanti, Dahomey, Popo, Accra and other dialects. Among the dialects

1847.]

Languages South of the Mountains of the Moon. 747

of this family there is more diversity than among those of either of the preceding. The natives here discover considerable mechanical skill and much more versatility of character than the inhabitants of the Grain Coast.

On the great rivers of the Gulf of Benin, Bonny, Benin and Calibar, we find another distinct family of languages, possessing some striking peculiarities, entirely unknown to any of the dialects either west or south.

How nearly related these different families along the sea coast may be to those of Central and Northern Africa is not known. While there is a constant tendency to a multiplication of the dialects of the same family, the different families themselves have preserved their distinctive features without essential change or modification. The want of written standards accounts for the first of these facts, while the fixed habits of the natives, in opposition to the roving character of most barbarous nations, account for the other.

Crossing the Mountains of the Moon we find one great family of languages extending itself over the whole of the southern division of the continent. The dialects of this family, though they differ essentially as dialects, have too many striking affinities for each other, to allow any doubt of their having a common origin.

Many of these dialects, especially those spoken along the seacoast, have incorporated with themselves a less or greater number of foreign words, according as the tribes have had less or more commercial intercourse with foreign nations. Those along the western coast have borrowed largely from the Portuguese-those in the vicinity of the Cape of Good Hope, it is probable, have borrowed from the English and Dutch-those of Mozambique have adopted many words from the Madagascar people as well as the Portuguese, with both of whom the nations have had long and extensive intercourse; while those still higher up the coast have drawn quite as freely from the Arabic. The Sooahelee language, spoken by the aboriginal inhabitants of Zanzibar, is very nearly allied to the Mpongwe, which is spoken on the western coast in very nearly the same parallel of latitude. One fifth of the words of these two dialects are either the same or so nearly so that they may easily be traced to the same root.

This great family of languages, if the Mpongwe dialect may be taken as a specimen, is remarkable for its beauty, elegance and perfectly philosophical arrangements, as well as for its almost