general balance and view) appears to have been about the time of the reign of Augustus Cæsar; when the Roman power, literaturę, science, civilization, and grandeur, were at the height, or zenith, or in the equilibrium of the balance; and in token of this general and auspicious equilibrium, the temple of JANUS was SHUT, during a short period, as a symbol of universal peace for an equilibrium, as I have explained in the consideration of the analogies of the magnetic needle, denotes a cessation of the contentions of opposite scales, in the absolute rest of the centre. The powers being equal on both sides, and amicably blended in the central point, the result is a perfect though temporary peace and unity. The same period and the same intellectual truths, were equally denoted by the settlement of the Roman government in the MONARCHAL, or RATIONAL, from the DEMOCRATIC, or PUERILE, or rather from the ARISTOCRATIC, or YOUTHFUL form. Therefore as the temperate zone is the symbolical manhood of the terraqueous globe, and the Augustan age was the intellectual and politically moral manhood of the temperate zone; so this remarkable era seems to determine precisely the meridianal point of perfect intellectual manhood, of the carnal reason and wisdom, of the entire globe, upon a general balance.

This consideration is important, because it reflects back light on the page of divine revelation, and like every other thing in nature and in man, does, if carefully examined, and faithfully applied, bear witness to the divine inspiration of the sacred Scriptures.

We understand from St. Paul, that our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ was ordained before the foundation of the world, to be its great Redeemer from sin and death; but that He was not revealed in the flesh, until the fulness of the times was accomplished. Thus in the.

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epistle to the Galatians he says, Now, I say, that the HEIR, so long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be LORD of all; but is under tutors and governors, until the time appointed by the Father. Even so, we, when we were children were in bondage under THE ELEMENTS of this world: but when the fulness of the times was come, GOD sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. *

* The word elements used by the apostle, shows the analogy between the natural elements, and the moral and spiritual ones; for he evidently means the wisdom and virtue, as well as vice and folly of the unregenerate world, which are all mere images of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone; the work of men's hands, and not the work of the spirit of truth.

The above declaration of St. Paul has (as it appears to this essayist) a striking and pointed connexion and harmony, or rather unity, or unison with the general analogy of nature, as explained in this essay. It may seem therefore that the period of the first advent of our LORD, was the time of the world's ripe manhood, of natural carnal reason; a time which a philosopher would suppose to be the most proper for a man, or a nation, or a world, to receive the light of divine and spiritual truth! But what was the actual fact? The actual fact was this, that this ripeness and fulness of CARNAL REASON, was the very precise cause why His person and doctrine were generally rejected by the world! It was in fact, received at first, only by a few ignorant persons of the lowest classes of society; and even they were only enabled to receive it, by being enabled (like the woman in Revelations xii., who being clothed with the sun of divine revelation trampled the moon under her feet) through a divine power, to lay aside and renounce the pride and dominion of CARNAL REASON, the moral MOON of man, which from the time of the fall to the end of time, is " enmity against GOD." Romans viii. For it is a standard given to man, whereby to measure his own things, and his own stature, and he constantly applies it to measure the stature of the "LORD GOD, omnipotent."

Hence it appears, that though this was the proper time for the glorious advent of the light of Christ, yet not as most friendly, most congenial, most auxiliary to it of all others; but as the most decidedly hostile and contrary to it of any! If it is asked, wherefore should it be so ordained? the only reply that this worm can venture to offer is this. "The LORD of Hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory; and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth." Isaiah xxiii. 9.

The foregoing, or preceding verse, gives a key and clue to the one just quoted; but it is one of those keys so common in scripture, which themselves require a key; viz. verse viii. "Who hath taken this counsel against TYRE, THE CROWNING CITY, whose MERCHANTS are PRINCES, whose TRAFFICKERS are THE HONOURABLE OF THE EARTH." According to prophetic analogy, as new Jerusalem typifies evangelical religion, so Tyre typifies natural religion, or as it was anciently called philosophy, which is the offspring of human reason, which by nature is carnal reason.* Hence it appears to this analogist, that by the above dispensation, it was intended to exalt evangelical faith above the

* See the quarrel between natural or philosophical, or legal religion, and evangelical religion, in the 26th chapter of Ezekiel, under the names of Tyrus and Jerusalem. See also the 27th and 28th chapter.

pride of human carnal reason and philosophy: because "the foolishness of GOD, is wiser than men, and the weakness of GOD is stronger than men." Because "GOD hath made foolish the wisdom of this world; for after that in the wisdom of GOD, the world by wisdom knew not GOD, it pleased GOD by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe." Because "GOD hath chosen the foolish things of the world, to confound the wise; and GOD hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised hath GOD chosen; yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things which are; that no flesh should glory in HIS presence. presence." 1 Cor.

The general garment of ice which covers the face of the waters in winter, in the northern high latitudes, and particularly in the frigid zone, is highly emblematic, not only of the selfish, though smooth and polished coldness of the human mind in cold dispositions, and especially in advanced age generally, from experience and knowledge of the world, or in other words, near the close of the year of human life; but also of the slippiness and danger which accompanies men walking in these paths of deceit, which require so nice a balance; on which so many fall, some with broken bones, and some never to rise again, if the system breaks under their weight. The dexterity, plea