the mind, than what is presented as an object of faith; and hence there is every reason to believe, that those who witnessed the miracles of Jesus and his apostles, or who were the subjects of them, were impressed by them more deeply than it is possible they should be, who only contemplate the record of these events after the lapse of many ages. But though the impression may be deeper in the one case than in the other, the real force of the argument is not after all diminished by distance of time; for the evidence that these miracles were performed at the time when they claim to have been is complete; and though it may be less impressive than if it had been addressed to our senses, yet when weighed in the balance of sober judgment, it will not be found wanting in any thing that is necessary to entitle it to full credit. The question, whether the miracles which are recorded in the New Testament were actually performed, being once settled in the affirmative, (and we venture to say that the argument which proves this is as conclusive as the nature of the case will admit, allowing them to have been thus performed,) the evidence from this source in favor of the divinity of the Gospel becomes, to all practical purposes, as strong as it was in the apostolic age. There is evidence enough on this subject addressed to our faith, to establish a conviction as complete and operative, though perhaps less vivid, than if we had actually heard the winds die away, and seen the dead come forth from their graves, and felt the languid pulse quicken into a tone of health and vigor, at the bidding of Jesus.

The hints which we have already thrown out in respect to the general character of the evidence by which the claims of Christianity are supported, fairly suggest the inference, that the diligent contemplation and study of this subject is adapted to quicken and elevate the powers of the mind and the feelings of the heart. Any thing, which brings the intellectual faculties into vigorous exercise, contributes of course to their improvement; but the more elevated and important the subject on which they are employed, the more valuable will be the culture which results from such exercise. But the subject which we are contemplating is, in its various bearings and rela tions, the noblest that can come within the range of human thought; of course he who gives his faculties to it in a proper manner may expect that they will be quickened, and brightened and elevated under its influence. Besides, he who

studies the evidences of Christianity intelligently, is necessarily carried out into other departments of knowledge, than that in which he would seem to be mainly occupied. For instance, in examining the argument from the prophecies, if he will do it to the best advantage, he must search deep into the history both of ancient and modern times, and must diligently compare the recorded predictions with the recorded facts; and he must connect the events of different ages with each other, and ascertain, as far as possible, their various relations in the system of Providence. In examining the internal evidence, especially that branch of it which relates to ancient and local usages, he will find constant occasion to refer to the geography, the history, the laws of the countries in which the Scriptures were written; and this must of course open before him the broad field of ancient learning. In investigating that branch of the evidence, which respects the adaptation of Christianity to the intellectual and moral character of man, he will be led of course to analyze, as far as he can, the mysterious mechanism of the human mind, and thus to make himself acquainted with the noblest kind of philosophy. In short, there is scarcely any department of science or learning, which may not be turned to useful account in a close investigation of the truth of Christianity; and whoever sets about this work and perseveres in it with a determination to be master of the whole subject, will almost of course in the end find himself accomplished in many other departments of useful knowledge.

It should be borne in mind, also, in estimating the intellectual and moral influence of the study of this subject, that an investigation of the truths which the Bible contains, at least to some extent, is essential to a view of the complete evidence of its divine authority. The external evidences may indeed be understood and appreciated, where there is little known of what the Bible actually contains; but the internal evidence, being built in a great measure on the nature and harmony of the truths which it reveals, can never be even tolerably apprehended, where these truths have not been diligently contemplated and compared. Hence it is, that the study of this branch of the evidences leads to an acquaintance with the doctrines of the Bible; and there is so much of grandeur and divinity belonging to them, that it is impossible they should be studied with a right spirit, without purifying and elevating the moral feelings.

It is a law of human nature, that the objects upon which our thoughts are employed help to form our characters; and that the views and feelings of an individual will be elevated or grovelling, in a great measure, according to the objects and associations with which he is most conversant. Since, then, Christianity brings the mind into contact with such only as are worthy of its noble powers and the dignity of its immortal existence, its tendency must be to lift the soul into a purer and better atmosphere, and to impress upon it the living image of moral beauty. And happily we are not left to form our conclusions on this subject, independently of the light which is furnished by facts; for we may safely and confidently appeal both to history and observation for evidence, that the sublimest models of moral character which the world has seen have been formed in the diligent and devout contemplation of the great facts and precepts of the Bible. In proportion as this sacred book is studied, its evidences and truths understood, and its legitimate influence felt, we confidently expect that the standard of intellectual and moral character will rise, and a spirit of reform and renovation will diffuse itself over the world.

We intended at the beginning of this article to have given a brief analysis of Dr. McIlvaine's book, but as our remarks have already run beyond the limit we had proposed, we must refer our readers to the book itself for a knowledge of its contents. It will not supersede other works of the same kind which are in existence; and it would be unfortunate if it should; but it is worthy of an extensive circulation, and we have no doubt is destined to great usefulness. It is a favorable circumstance attending it, that it is not only distinguished throughout by sound and perspicuous reasoning, and in many instances by eloquence of a high order, but also that it is pervaded by the amiable, pure and generous spirit which Christianity inspires. May the benevolent wish of its author be accomplished, in its becoming instrumental in confirming the faith and elevating the views especially of our young men, in whose intellectual and moral character may be bound up the destinies of our country though successive ages!

ART. IV.-History of Philadelphia.

Annals of Philadelphia, being a Collection of Memoirs, Anecdotes, and Incidents of the City and its Inhabi

tants, from the Days of the Pilgrim Founders. By JOHN F. WATSON. Philadelphia. 1830.

Could we persuade ourselves by any effort of imagination that the Rev. Micah Balwhidder was still among the living, we should have no doubts respecting the authorship of this work, notwithstanding the name it bears. We see in it the same absence of perspective in the view, the same deceptio visus, by which the little object before his eye exceeded in magnitude the whole earth and heaven; and, above all, the same triumph of art, by which he contrived, without one spark of egotism, to give a full length portrait of his own simplehearted character, while intent upon describing his favorite city. It is really refreshing to a reviewer, who is compelled to look upon so much display, effort, and pretension, to encounter such a page in the history of human nature; there is nothing like it, except perhaps the century sermons of some of our New England divines, who, in giving the annals of their village, paint with laborious finish every leaf on the genealogical tree. We regret that the work has not fallen under our observation before; but we hasten to make atonement for our seeming neglect, though we cannot promise to notice 'all and singular' the events here recorded. The work is certainly rather long even now, though the author takes praise to himself for the forbearance which has restricted it to a single volume of not more than eight hundred pages, he directs us to notice particularly, that in most cases of recital from others, a smaller type has been used than the common text. We give him credit for his moderation; but, in this last instance, it reminds us of a student in one of our colleges, who, on submitting a poem to his professor, was told that some of the lines were too long by several syllables for the heroic measure; he replied that he was fully aware of the objection, and intended to obviate it by writing the lines in question in a smaller hand.

Though there is something which tempts one to smile both in the design and execution of this work, we can easily conceive that its minuteness may increase its value to many in

habitants of the beautiful city which it describes. The author candidly admits, that it may be deemed sui generis in its execution; but, says he, it has powers to please apart from its style and composition,' inasmuch as it is a treasury of reminiscences, which no one else would have thought of collecting. He had determined, as he says, to rescue them from the 'ebbing tide of oblivion:' and it is no small consolation to us to learn from one whose attention has been devoted to the subject, that the above mentioned tide is actually falling: we had supposed that it was gaining fast, at least upon the literary world. However it may be with the fugitive facts,' which were the objects of his pursuit, we know that many works, which go forth like gallant barks, are constantly sinking where no diving-bell can reach them; but, if his philosophy be true, we need not mourn for them, our own among the number, as irrecoverably lost to mankind. On the whole, it is well that there are men who can engage with all their hearts in such labors as this; the local changes which they describe interest many beside those who were born among the scenes of their description, because they are signs of a mightier change which has been going on beyond their borders. The growth of a single place like Philadelphia, from the wilderness to the village, and from the village to the city, gives a concentrated and powerful impression of the vastness and rapidity of those changes from glory to glory, which our whole nation has hurried through. These fugitive facts, also, help to fill up the broad outlines drawn by the biographer and historian, which are often too indefinite to fix themselves in the mind; and answer the same purpose for one class of readers, which the imaginations of the poet and novelist serve for another, giving a local habitation' and reality to recollections, which would otherwise soon die away. But this writer claims too much for his undertaking, when he believes that it will transfer back the mind to scenes before: ' which, as we understand it, is a kind of retrospective forecast not within the reach even of prophetic inspiration.

Every Philadelphian has a right to be proud both of the founder and the foundation of his state. Never was an enterprise more wisely and happily conducted; and its success must be ascribed to the disinterestedness and judgment of Penn, since the circumstances were no more favorable than in other cases, where the first results were discouraging. It was the first time the world had ever seen an individual of com