this also originated the names of Clufus and Patulcius, which were given to this copy of Noah, who alone fhut up the filt, and opened the fecond world. On this account he was fuppofed to prefide over Gates, comings in and goings out, from whence his Latin name Janus was derived, viz. from Janua a gate and that of January also because it opens the year.

The whole of the above is properly applicable to Adam and Noah, the fit and fecond heads of the human race; which fable has confounded, as it does Janus with Saturn, whofe Greek name is Chronos, i. e. Time, because the time which commenced with Adam appeared to have a new beginning with Noah, with whom God renewed his law, and his promife for the order of day and night, fummer and winter, feed time and harveft.

Eupolemus in Eufebius relates, that according to the tradition of the Babylonians, there was a firft Belus, called alfo Saturn, who had another Belus to his fon, and Chanaan who was father of the Phenicians: this fecond Belus was probably Nimrod, the grandfon of Noah, or according to them of Saturn, whom they called Bel or Baal. This was a tradition of the Babylo nians, in the very country where Noah had for fome time fojourned.

From what is faid in the fcriptures concerning Noah's fpreading the human race over the whole univerfe by means of his three fons, of his cultivating the earth, and teaching the means of rendering it fruitful; of his planting the vine, drinking of and being inebriated by the liquor, &c. from this I fay, has been attributed to Saturn the honour of having firft infructed men how to cultivate and manure the earth, in order to render it fruitful, after the univerfe had been divided between his three fons: he has been alfo ftiled the God of fruits, and fuppofed to prefide over Agriculture. At Rome he was worfhipped under the name of Stercutius, i. e. he who teaches how to manure the earth. They have alfo attributed to him the honour of having firft planted the vine and taught the cultivation

thereof;

thereof; and in memory of Noah's inebriation they celebrate the Saturnalia (i. e. the feats of Saturn) with revelling and drunkenness.

Because Noah when in this eftate lay uncovered in his tent, and his fon Cham difcovered his nakednefs with malicious mockery, and brought on himself thereby the curfe of being fervant to his brethren; his worshippers celebrate the Saturnalia in extreme licenciousness, especially the Slaves, who lived during the feast days independant. This also caused them to attribute to Saturn a law, which prohibited, on pain of punishment, the looking on the Gods naked.

The fable, which fuppofes Saturn to have been caftrated by his fon Jupiter, is found scattered through the poets, who have alfo fuppofed that Saturn did the fame by his father Calum; but this has been rejected by the Romans, as being unworthy (because of its great absurdity) of being liflened to, as Dionyfius Halycarnaffus relates, lib. 2. page 49.

Berofus, a Chaldean fays, that in his time there was fill seen the remains of the ark on the mountain of the Cordians in Armenia. Jofephus relates (lib. 1, ch. 3.) that many authors both Egyptian and Phanician have spoke of the fame. And St. Cyril employs the teftimonies of Alexander Polyhiftor and of Alcydenus on the fame fubject. vid. his book against Julian.

A SERMON preached at the SYNOD of LOTHIAN and TWEEDALE, November 1, 1726.

By the Rev. ARCHIBALD LUNDI E,

On MATTHEW V. 13.

[Continued from page 143.]

UT it is not enough that we endeavour to acquit ourselves of these duties, which properly belong to our function as minifters; but even in our ordinary and common conversation, we must carry on the fame design, and do the best we can to convey a ferious fenfe of God and religion into the minds of all we converse with; and to minifter a feasonable antidote against the poisonous maxims of the world, that are fo openly vented almost in all companies. We must remember our character, when we are out of the pulpit, as well as when we are in it. Our converfation must be grave and ferious, not light and frothy, or vain and trifling. Our fpeech ought always to be with grace, feafoned with falt. No corrupt communication fhould at any time proceed out of our mouth, but that which is good to the ufe of edifying, that it may minifler grace unto the hearers. We are carefully to avoid all talking and jefting which are not convenient, remembring, that of every idle word we must give an account in the day of judgment. O let us beware of hardening the hearts of worldly men, or opening the mouths of the profane, by taking any freedom in converfation, which becomes not our character. In a fpecial manner, let us take care that we utter not the least word, which may favour of the love of this prefent world, or exprefs a fond efteem of worldly things, of riches, honours or pleasures; fince our great bufinefs is to call men off from the pursuit of these vanities and fhadows here below, that they may feek their true reft where alone it is to be found, in God and things eternal. Let

us

us endeavour ftill to drop fomewhat in every company, that may contribute to make them wifer and better. In other men, this perhaps might be looked on as a piece of impertinent affectation, but our character will bear us out in it. It is what others expect from us, and therefore we are the more inexcu fable, if we neglect it.

The

But it will be to little purpofe for us to recommend religion to others by our good words, either in public or private, if we do not enforce all by the exemplary holiness of our lives. We cannot be the falt of the earth, if we are not careful to do, as well as to teach the things that are good. We mu make it appear, when we prefs the neceffity of a holy life, that we are convinced by our own reasons; which we can never do, if our practice is not of a piece with our doctrine. obfervation is not more common than true, that example is of much greater force than counfel or command. If then we wish that our fermons and exhortations may have their due effect, let us take care to fecond and fupport them by the good example of our lives. Let us not only tell our people what manner of perfons they ought to be, but let us fhew it in our own life and conduct. Let us fet them the pattern, be able to address them in the words of the blessed Apoftle Paul, Be ye followers of us, even as we also are of Chrift. This would give a mighty ftrength and force to our fermons. Every word we speak, every good advice we offer, would then be of great weight, and apt to command a due regard from others, while they fee we have a juft regard to it ourfelves in our own practice. It is a foolish thing to imagine that we can do good to others by our fermons or advices, though never fo ferious in appearance, if they are openly con tradicted by our lives. They that are thoughtful and fagacious will obferve our conduct and behaviour; and if that is much the fame, or little better than their own, they cannot be much moved by any thing we fay to them. In vain do we preach against pride or covetousness, if our common conversation and

that we may

practice

In vain do we re

practice fhew us to be proud or covetous. commend any duty to others, if we go on in the habitual neglect of it ourselves. If we defire that our fermons may be effectual to answer their true defign, our lives must be one conflant fermon. We muft not only be careful to avoid thefe irregularities and diforders that are offenfive and scandalous; but we must fhine as lights in the world, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jefus Chrift unto the glory and praife of God. Then may we hope for better fuccefs, in our endeavours to feafon others with true piety and folid

virtue.

But this is not all, for when we have done our utmost, both by our doctrine and example, to feafon our people, we muft, as the falt of the earth, endeavour to preferve them from corruption. It concerns us then to watch over our flocks, that they be not infected with the hurtful errors that abound in this loofe and giddy age; but especially thofe fatal errors that strike at the fundamental articles of the chriftian faith, or directly oppofe all revealed religion, which are now fo induftriously propagated among us, and alas! with greater fuccefs than we feem to be aware of. Thefe dangerous errors we are zealously to oppose, that our people may be well founded in the knowledge and belief of the oppofite truths, which we must often inculcate, and fet in the cleareft light we can.

We are alfo with great care to caution them against these pernicious errors, that have a tendency to corrupt their lives and manners, to choak the good feed, and render it unfruitful; to leffen the fenfe of their obligations to the fludy of holinefs, to footh them in their fins, and give them falfe and prefumptuous hopes of heaven; to flatter corrupt nature and indulge the fielh inftead of crucifying it. Thefe errors are of dangerous confequence, and the more fo, because they are greedily swallowed down by a great many, who love the eafieft and fmootheft accounts of their duty, and would fain go to heaven by the broad Therefore we are to furnish them with proper antidotes against

way.