God, without which, though giants in wealth and dignity, we are but dwarfs and pigmies in humanity, and may hold a pitiful rank in that triple division of mankind, heroes, men, and beasts. For though human souls are said to be equal, yet, is there no small inequality in their operations; some maintain the allowable station of men, many are far below it; and some have been so divine as to approach the apogeum of their natures, and to be in the very confinium of spirits."

Leaving the obscure frontiers and uncertain boundaries of doubtful speculations, we gladly re-enter the clearer atmosphere and reascend to the brighter scenes and more brilliant prospects which belong to the ethereal region of a satisfying belief and the sublimer decisions of the metaphysics of a biblical faith-recalled and re-animated by the exciting expostulation of St. Paul's glorious interrogatory, realizing the promise of our hope, the foundation of our faith, the perfection of holiness, and the victory of Redemption. Why should it be thought incredible with you, that God should raise the dead ?-or the thrilling and magnanimous challenge of the valiant warrior, the apostolic champion of the MYSTIC CROSS. Where is the wise, where is the scribe, where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after all 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.

NOTE. We ought not to attempt to draw down or submit the mysteries of God to our reason, by contrariwise to raise and advance our reason to divine truth.-LORD BACON, Advancement of Learning.

Nothing contributes more to prove the spirituality of man, than the exalted delight which he is able to derive from the operations of his intellect or his fancy.—KNOX, Winter Evenings.

By spiritualizing the corporeal works of God, there may accrue to the pious soul uses far more valuable than they can afford the body.-BOYLE.

The annexed particulars have been selected from Allen's Modern Judaism ;-a most entertaining and instructive work, displaying an elaborate and extensive research into rabbinical literature, and a familiar acquaintance with Jewish traditions;-on account of the very extraordinary fictions, and representations and discrepancies which they embrace respecting the creation, other circumstances and events of the angelical world.

TRADITIONARY AND ANECDOTICAL.

"The rabbinical writings abound with traditions concerning angels. Of the time of their creation different accounts are given by different rabbies; who have endeavored to support their respective statements by the citation of texts of Scripture, which they wish their readers to accept as decisive proofs of what they have taken upon themselves to affirm. To the question, When were the angels created?' Rabbi Jochanan answered, 'The angels were created on the second day; this is what is written ;' 'who layeth the beams of chambers in the waters; who maketh the clouds his chariot; who walketh upon the wings of the wind; who maketh his angels spirits.'-Psalm civ. 3, 4. Rabbi Chanina said, 'The angels were created on the fifth day; this is what is found written.' And fowl that may

fly about the earth;' and, with twain, he did fly.'—Gen. i. 20, Isaiah vi. 2. Rabbi Luliani maintains the orthodoxy of both these statements. They who follow the opinion of Rabbi Chanina, and those who adhere to that of Rabbi Jochanan, all agree that the angels were not created on the first day, that it might not be said Michael spread out the firmament in the south, Gabriel in the north, and the holy and blessed God in the middle; but "I am the Lord that maketh all things, that stretcheth forth the heavens above, that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself."-Isaiah xxiv. 24. Rabbi Bechai harmonizes them.

There are some angels who continue forever, namely,

those who were created on the second day but others perish, according to the explanation of our rabbies of blessed memory, who say that the holy and the blessed God created daily a multitude of angels who sing an anthem to his praise and glory, and then perish; and they are those who were created on the fifth day.' Another rabbi contradicts them all. 'Before the creation of the world, the blessed God created the shape of the holy angels, who were the beginning of all created beings, and were derived from a glance of his glory.' The description of Daniel, A fiery stream issued and came forth before him ;' 'thousand thousands minister unto him,' is supposed by Jaechiades to represent angels as emanations from the divine essence. He means to say, that they are of the very substance of that divine light which is of the same nature with the throne of glory; and because they are supporters of the throne, which is flaming fire, that is, pure light; though there can be no doubt, but that the light of the throne is a more transcendent light, because it is with God, himself, and emanated from him the first of any; whereas the angels were created afterwards, being seraphs, and a stream of fire, that is, light drawn from the first light.' But this comment is at variance with the Talmud, which from the same text had extracted the doctrine of a daily creation of angels who immediately sing an anthem and then expire; that standard of Jewish orthodoxy not confirming this production of celestial ephemera to one particular day, as Rabbi Bechia does, but extending it to every day. Every day ministering angels are created out of the river Dinor or fiery stream, Daniel vii. 10, and they sing an anthem and cease to exist; as it is written; "They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. Lam. iii. 23. One book of high authority asserts all angels to be short-lived creatures of a single day. "The emperor Adrian (let his bones be pounded) once asked Rabbi Joshua, the son of Chanina: you say that none of the multitude of angels above do praise God twice, but the holy and blessed God creates every day in heaven, a multitude of angels

who sing an anthem before him and then perish." And Rabbi Joshua answered him; "yea, we do say so." Another represents some angels as exempted from this fate. The holy and blessed God creates every day a multitude of angels, and they sing a hymn; except Michael and Gabriel and the princes of the chariot and the Metraton and Sandalphon, and their equals, who remain in their glory with which they were invested in the six days' creation of the world, and their names are never changed. After their hymn of praise the "ephemeral angels return again to the river Dinor, which is the place of their creation, and is derived from the sweat of those animals which are under the throne of glory, which sweat because they carry the throne of God." Some angels are said to be created from fire; others from water; others from wind; but from the sixth verse of the thirty-third psalm, Rabbi Jonathan inferred that there is an angel created by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." Angels are described as differing greatly in magnitude and stature. The Talmud declares one angel to be taller than another by as many miles as a man would travel in a journey of five hundred years. One rabbi affirms, "that four classes of ministering angels sing praises in the presence of the holy and blessed God. The first class, at the head of which is Michael, is on the right hand; the second, under Gabriel, on the left; the third, under Uriel, before him; the fourth, under Raphael, behind him; and the divine Majesty is in the midst, seated on a throne high and lifted up." The distance at which the angels stand from the divine Majesty, is pretended to be stated by the famous Rabbi Akiba, almost with the geometrical exactness of an actual admeasurement. High rabbinical authority affirms that angels were consulted respecting the creation of man; that they divided into two parties, some strongly recommending his creation, and others loudly protesting against it; that while they were in a fierce pursuit on the subject God made Adam without their knowledge, and then informed them that their contentions were useless, for that man was already created.

Whatever satisfaction or dissatisfaction was produced in the angelic council by this decision, it was, long after, arranged at the bar of rabbinical scrutiny, and judgment was formally pronounced against the Creator. The following anecdote of piety and sapience is recorded in the Talmud. "The wise men say that for a number of years the school of Shammai and the school of Hillel disputed amongst themselves; some asserting that it would have been better if man had not been created d; others contending that it was better for man to have been created. The votes being at length collected and counted, the majority were of opinion that it would have been better if man had not been created; but that now since he had been created, it was his duty to lead a virtuous life. Another rabbinical author asserts that the angels were previously consulted about the creation of the world. Among the Jews it is a received opinion, that the world was created on the first day of the month Tisri, and that on this day God sits in judgment on mankind; when three books are opened, of the righteous who observe the precepts, of the middling, and presumptuously wicked. The righteous are instantly written to everlasting life, and the wicked assigned to the burning fire. Those whose works are equal, remain in a state of suspense till the day of atonement. If, however, they forsake their evil works, and manifest repentance, their portion, ultimately, will be with the righteous; but if reformation do not intervene, death will be their destination."

The following additional traditionary and anecdotical statement of the diverse opinions and strange speculations which have been entertained by various writers, together with some curious particulars respecting the formation of the world, the creation and intercourse of angels, the first pair, the apostasy, Paradise, the nature of the soul, &c., may not be regarded as altogether uninteresting.

Some have imagined that the angels were created at the