From fear of the enemy, they close out the favour of God, is a day of the doors and darken the windows. evil, in which, one must say, there Silence and terror reign.

The is no pleasure. noise of the grinding, that once de- To complete this highly wrought noted plenty, is now low; the mel- picture, several striking images are ody of all the daughters of song is introduced alluding to the near aphushed, and now the notes of the proach of death.—The parting of harmless sparrow causes them to the silver chain or chord, by which, start with trepidation. No circum- at oriental feasts, the chandeliers stances could have been selected, were suspended from the ceiling, better adapted to produce in the with the consequent destruction mind a lively conception of the of the golden oil vessel ; and the gloom and helplessness of a cita- breaking of the wheel and the buckdel thus deprived of its defenders, et, by which water was drawn from exhausted of its resources, and fill- their fountains or cisterns, repre. ed with consternation. The de. sent the destruction of life and the scription is characterized through- dissolution of the body; by a figure out by a most expressive speciality : similar to that which modern writhere is nothing general, nothing ters use, when they say “the lamp unnecessary. But this whole de. of life is extinguished.” scription, elegant and forcible as it

Youth, then, says the sacred wriis, has been not unfrequently de- ter, is the fittest season to enter graded by interpreters, in their at- into the service of God, and secure tempts to force its several parts in- his favour ; when all is light and to symbols of some portion of the cheerful, and every power is in full human body, or of some special vigour. Delay not till old age apfeature of old age. How perfect. proaches with its complicated evils; ; ly dignified and natural does it ap- --then is all dark and gloomy, as pear, when we regard it in a gen- when dark clouds, constantly reeral view ; considering the gloom, turning, shut qut the light of the and helplessness, and exhaustion sun, and the moon, and the stars : of advanced years!

--then all is weakness, despondThe writer now proceeds to a ency and terrour, as in a besieged literal enumeration of some of the fortress, when its defenders trem. characteristics of the aged. That ble, its strong menare bowed down, which is high is feared, and ter- its doors and windows are closed rours are in the way: that is, their and barred, the noise of merriment, feebleness caused them to shrink and even of necessary occupations back from their effort: to walk, is silenced, and the chirping of an especially to ascend an eminence, innocent sparrow excites alarm ; seems to them an arduous task. --then strength and appetite fail : " I remember the time,” said one -man is about to go to bis eternal who had attained the great age of home, and the mourners are about 136 years," when those high moun- to pass in procession through the tains seemed to me but mole hills.” streets; the silver chain will soon

– Their appetite for food has also be parted, and the golden cup forsaken them. The almond once dashed in pieces; the wheel and the so highly esteemed, is now loath- urn at the fountain will soon be bro.

The locust, a species of ken: the dust must return to earth which is considered as a delicious as it was, and the spirit unto God food by the oriental nations, has who gave it. become disgusting. And those Happy they who listen to the condiments, which once had pow. persuasive eloquence of this beau: er to sharpen the appetite, are now tiful portion of the sacred writings ! ineffectual. Surely old age, with- who devote the freshness and vig

take away;

of prey,

PROPHECY.

our of their youthful days to the When there is a clear heat from the service of their Creator ! Thus he

When there is a cloud of dew in harvest will be their friend. His love will

[time. beam upon their souls, when the 5 But before the harvest, storms of adversity and darkness of When the blossom is completed, age overtake them. When nature And the crude grape has become a rin is despondent, and sinks from in

pening grape,

He will cut off the twigs with pruning firmity, a light from heaven will

hooks, cheer them. And though the And the branches he will thoroughly earthly house of their tabernacle be dissolved, they have a building 6 They shall be left for the mountain birde of God, a house not made with

And for the beasts of the land ; hands, eternal in the heavens.

On them the birds of prey shall spend

the summer, And all the beasts shall winter on them. 7 At that time,

A present shall be brought to Jehovak TRANSLATION OF ISAIAN XVII. 12 ro of hosts XVIII. 7 ; WITH A BRIEF EXPLAN

By a nation strong and courageous,

By a people terrible more distant still, ATION OF THE MEANING OF THIS

By a nation mighty to crush,
Whose land rivers intersect-

To the dwelling of Jehovah of hosts,
CHAPTER Xvu. 12-14.

To mount Zion, 12 Wo! a multitude of many nations!

The explanation of this propheLike the roaring of the sea do they roar! The tumult of many people? cy is to be found by a reference to Like the rushing of mighty waters do historical facts. Some years bethey rush.

fore it was uttered, (which was 13 The nations rush like the rushing of many waters—But he (Jehovah] will probably in the fourteenth year

of the reign of Hezekiah,) Ahaz, rehuke them, and they shall flee far away; they shall be driven away as for purposes of security, had enthe mountain chaff before the wind; tered into a league with the Asand as the dust before the whirl-wind.

syrian king against Syria ; and 14 At evening behold terrour!

to accomplish this he had become Before the morning they are

tributary to him. When Hezekiah Such is the portion of those who spoil came to the throne of Judah, he

refused to recognise the stipulation The lot of those who rob us.

made by his father Ahaz. Upon

this, Sennacherib king of Assyria, CHAPTER xvu. 1-7. 1 Ho! land of rustling wings,

threatened him with an invasion. Which lies beyond the rivers of Ethi. Having extended his conquests opia ;

no

more.

us;

prepares his forces and advances Judah, the joyful intelligence retowards Jerusalem intent upon its specting the promised defeat of ruin.

The prophet in the three the common enemy. Who the first verses I have read, alludes to people were which the prophet adthese movements of the Assyrian dresses, is known from the political army, and predicts its subsequent state of the times. Not Egypt overthrow. As if he saw them alone, nor exclusively Ethiopia, approaching he exclaims; Wo—an but, as Gesenius says, they are the

!-a expression not of commination people and kingdom of Tirhakah, against the advancing enemy, but which comprised, besides Ethioof condolence on account of the pia, part of Egypt and probably evils that were threatening Judah. Upper Egypt, whose king was at Wo! a multitude of many nations war with the Assyrians, and whom coming to invade Jerusalem. The Sennacherib so much dreaded that noise of their impetuous forces, he the rumour of his approach sent resembles to the mighty waters of him

back into Assyria. The annun

him the sea ; a figure common in the ciation commences thus, “Ho!”scriptures, and one that very for- a call for all to listen—"Ho! land of cibly represents the noise of rush- rustling wings ;” wings is used by ing armies as the roaring of the Isaiah (viii. 8) tropically for army sea they roar--as the rushing of wings. So here the rustling of many waters they rush.

wings means the clangor or noise Next follows a short prediction of armour. Without a figure : of their sudden overthrow. “ But Ho! land of rustling armies, beJehovah will rebuke them, and yond the rivers of Ethiopia, or in they shall flee far away, they shall distant Ethiopia. Now these nabe driven away as the mountain tions, seeing the situation of the chaff before the wind.” The metal Jews, prepare to join them as allies phor of the chaff is drawn from the against the invading army; but the common practice then prevalent, prophet announces to the messenof placing winning machines upongers that their assistance is not mountains eminences where needed ; that Jehovah himself has there might be a more full expo- promised to destroy the common sure to the wind. In this view the enemy; away, ye swift messengers, expression becomes one of great to a nation strong and courageous; strength. They shall be driven a nation mighty to crush ; whose away as the mountain chaff before country rivers intersect ; that is, the wind; and to use another ex- return home to Ethiopia and conpression more forcible still, he vey the tidings. He then calls adds, and as the dust before the upon them and upon all that dwell whirlwind.

on the earth, when the standard is The prophet proceeds : At eve- raised, and the trumpet sounded, ning, behold terrour ;-at that is, when the signals of the ning consternation shall fall upon enemies' approach are given, to the Assyrian army ;-Before morn. observe--to stand still and see the ing they shall be no more ; that is, salvation of God.(3) Nest, he shall be cut off. Such is the por represents the destruction of the tion of those who spoil us ; the Assyrian army under the image of lot of those who rob us ; that is, the destruction of a vineyard (4,5). such a destruction awaits our inva- Jehovah looks calmly down from ders.

his throne, and beholds undisturbThe prophet then, in the nexted the proud rage of the enemy, chapter, announces to all nations, A bright and warm sunshine and and especially to the Ethiopians, the refreshing nightly dews, both who were at this time allies of requisite to a fruitful harvest,

or

eve

to prosper the vintage of the ene- his assistance is not needed, that my; but before the blossoms ripen Jehovah had promised to destroy into grapes, he cuts off all at once the common enemy. Hearing of and casts away the vines. Drop- this wondrous work of Jehovah, ping the figure---Jehovah looks this mighty people would present calmly on the commencement of thank-offerings to him at mount the enemies' undertaking, but be- Zion. fore their plans ripen into execu- I cannot forbear remarking how tion he brings them to nought.(6) much more simple and satisfactory The tidings of this surprising ca- this explanation appears, than the tastrophe would induce these dis- laboured and forced ones that have tant confederate nations to bring often been given. As now explainsacrifices to Jehovah of hosts to ed, all is founded in historical fact; mount Zion, giving glory to his all is intelligible, and pertinent;

worthy of the prophet who uttered This appears to be the proper it, and of the God who inspired it. explanation of this prophecy. The In a word, it is a piece of compoargument of the whole is simply sition sublime, beautiful, indeed this. Assyrian armies invade Pal- exquisite in its nature ; and we estine : The Ethiopian king, in fear not to challenge the whole this extremity offers to assist the heathen world to produce any thing Jews. To this friend and ally of which will compare with it. Israel, the prophet declares that

name.

Miscellaneous.

A

To the Editor of the Christian Spectator. within him by the actual passing of

the scene before his sense3.-The NOBLE EXAMPLE."

boat leaves at four or five in the THE Christian public does not afternoon, at which time the stages need to be informed that two of arrive from Boston; which is also the steam-boat companies in Con- about the time the people leave the necticut, have, in the course of the house of worship. Thus the sapresent season, run their boats on cred season of public devotion is the Sabbath-one on the Connect- immediately followed by the most icut river, and the other on the open profanation of the day. Let Thames. The Hartford company, the Christian reader look at this it seems, after a short experiment, the stillness of holy rest suddenly finding the public sentiment too broken by the rattling of stagestrong against them, judged it coaches, the jingling of a steamexpedient to alter their arrange- boat bell, the hissing of steam esments. The Norwich boat still caping from its funnel, and the continues running, or at least did flocking of people, some to emtwo Sabbaths since, when I had the bark, some to see their friends on painful opportunity of witnessing board, and some

as lookers-on, her departure. I had seen these while children and servants, and things noticed in the papers and heads of families too, are gazing lamented their existence ; but ono out from their doors and windows ! may read a silent paragraph and The effect on the morals of the feel very little of the grief and in- place need not be described. But dignation which will be stirred up this is not all. The mischief is

a

not confined to the village from lic by a body of clergymen holds which this disturber of the peace the following language and sevetakes her departure. She carries ral editors of religious journals profanation and disturbance with have spoken in similar terms. Afher to the river's mouth. I do not ter expressing the great pleasure speak of the thoughtless company they had felt at the prompt comon board, but of the groups that pliance” of the proprietors and meet her at her various landing pla- captain of the Hartford boat with ces. and of the bold example she the wishes of the citizens, the auexhibits to numerous eyes that thors of the appeal add, - Here is notice her as she passes on her a noble example for all other citi. way.

zens, and for all other persons and Such is the scene which occurs companies interested and employed weekly-not in some moral Sahara in the management of steam-boats, of the South or West, but in a part packets, public stages, and private of the country planted by the Pu- carriages, for the conveyance of ritans, in the presence of three passengers.” In the subsequent worshipping congregations, and in part of the appeal the authors do express violation of existing stat indeed speak in a more decided utes.-But where are the magis- tone to professors of religion ; but trates, whose oath of office requires the style of this paragraph is too them to notice these doings—the tame to suit the occasion and the justices, the grand-jurors, the characters which called it forth. . tithing-men, or other informing of- How does it read by the side of ficers, if there be such? Do they the following bold advertisement, sit in their own doors, so absorbed which appears in the same public in the contemplation of what I have newspaper with the appeal, and is been describing as to forget that made conspicuous with a picture they have held up their right hands and capitals ? “ Steam-boat Fan. before the Most High? Are they ny,

-, master, (1 forbear themselves steam-boat proprietors ? to write the master's name.) leaves Did they take their oaths with a Norwich on Sundays and Wednesmental reservation, engaging to days at 4 o'clock, P. M., for Newperform their duty if they might York, touching at New-London do it without incurring odium, or and Groton.”-A noble example! sustaining injury? A witness in a What is the import of this lancourt of justice swears that he will guage? Why, certain gentlemen tell the truth ; but being convicted in the good city of Hartford, fearof untruth, the justice on the ing not God nor regarding man, or bench sets a mark upon him as a else being ignorant of the fourth perjured man. The justice swears commandment and of their duty to that he will faithfully enforce the obey it, did presume to heat their laws, but notoriously suffers them boilers and set their enginery in to be broken with impunity. What motion on the Lord's day, to the then? Is he perjured? Is he great annoyance of their pious disfranchised and cast out ? By neighbours; but at the pressing no means. He is again elected to instance of the latter, did desiat office, and repeats his unregarded from their unlawful doings, did oath.

politely cease from outraging the These violations of the Sabbath, Christian community by their open however, I am happy to see have violations of the laws of God and not been wholly unrebuked. Yet man—herein setting an example of the rebuke itself is after such a

courtesy worthy of all imitation, sort as, I had almost said, to need yea and of commendation. cebuko. A late appeal to the pub- So instead of rebuke and shame.

a