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streets, which ran thro the streets, each fifteen miles in mounted by a vast number were designed both for orn I was surrounded on the outs bricks and filled with wate which the city walls were b of course the ditch must h A branch of the river Eup middle of the city, from nor parts. On each side of the city, was a high wall of the city. In these walls, oppo river, were gates of brass, v to the river.

We have given but a s magnificence of this great merely to show how weak for military defence, again significant, when Divine bring about the destruction

When Cyrus, king of Per twenty years provisions wit vast strength and fortification number of people within, pr Babylonians great confidence the top of their walls, and la quer them. The apparent city, lulled them into perfect nation, who had acquired grea ing many nations, who had r power, through blood and sla arms had exalted her pride and whose sacrilegious robberies an almost bid defiance to the thron ful scenes of debauchery, obsce had sunk her to the lowest depth feel the frowns of Divine justice. her boasted power, and the va greatness and military glory.

As the taking of Babylon, and were remarkable events in histor predicted by the Jewish prophe took place, it may be proper able passages in the predicti how exactly they were ac

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But while these omits well upon the judgments
inflicted upon the ancist heathen nations, as proots in favor
of Christianity, because these things had been predicted by the
Jewish prophets, and yet leave this same Christianity con-
ted with the dire passions of war, and all its attend-
ptions, which were the very causes of those ju
far from reflecting any honor upon Christianity,
yality degrace it, by sinking it to a level with lies

For the heathen wars were perfectly consistant
with the principles of their religion; but the true principles
Christianligare utterly incompatible withian,

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the subject be examined still further
dern warfare be contrasted with
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he same nature. It will also be found that the princiof war are equally subversive of moral virtue, and equally to multiply crimes, increase human depravity, spread corruption and violence through the land.

it not indeed a melancholy truth, that crimes of every ription are invariably multiplied in a nation, in proporas that nation devotes itself to the principles of war? if the same warlike policy, attended with the same 1 depravity, will produce the same effects, what can this nation, or indeed any nation, which maintains the iples and cultivates the arts of war, from the frowns of ne Justice, at the present day? Have they any greater ance of Divine favor or protection than the ancient pahad? Do they not pursue the same practices? Nay -do they not in practice violate their own better light, reject the pacific doctrines of the Prince of peace, se divine authority they profess to acknowledge

not also violate the best principles of the christian ren, in which they profess to believe? This the ancient ns did not do: for the christian religion had not then revealed to man.

the destruction of Babylon, the advocates of war may a powerful lesson of instruction. It affords a most ing instance of the short-sighted policy-nay, the madand folly of a nation's relying on military forces, markill, or any of the warlike preparations or means of ce generally resorted to, either in war or peace, for ction and safety against invading armies. Why then varring rulers and military chieftains never learn wis

Why will they exhaust the treasures, and sacrifice res of nations in support of a fallacious principle which, event, has always proved their ruin.

Babylon, this favorite principle of the warrior was ried, and utterly failed. Here military power and art arations and defences-strength and fortifications nd ramparts-pomp and splendor, were all carried to hest pitch-to the very zenith of human abilities; hat was the result? Was Babylon protected or deby these means? Did not her confident, but foolish on these means prove her destruction, instead of her ? This certainly cannot be disputed. And such has en the fate of nations who have cultivated wars, and trust in military defences.

other countries, and her barbarous cruelties towards their inhabitants, excited in them a spirit of retaliation.

The Medes and Persians, combined with various other nations, and united under Cyrus, king of Persia, a nation comparatively small in view of the Chaldeans, besieged the city, Altho the Babylonians, confident of security, ridiculed the attempts of Cyrus to reduce the city; yet, in contempt of their boasted security, and contrary to all their expectations, he laid his plans and disposed his forces in a manner that insured complete success. He had information of a great festival that was to take place in Babylon, on a particular day, and knew that the Babylonians, on such occasions, were accustomed to pass the whole night in drunkenness and debauchery. A particular account of this feast is given in the fifth chapter of Daniel; with the circumstance of the hand writing upon the wall, and the consequences that followed.

Cyrus having made preparations for turning the branch of the river, which ran through the city, out of its course, accomplished his object by opening the sluices into another channel, and stopping the passage of the river through the city. Having previously posted his forces at the proper points, on each side of the city, they had only to wait till the water was sufficiently drawn off, so as to render the bed of the river passable, when they marched in, under the walls of the city, through the bed of the river. The two divisions of the army met, in the dead hour of night, in the central part of the city, opposite the king's palace.

Here the project of Cyrus would have been frustrated, if the gates of the inner walls, on the sides of the river, had been closed. But the Babylonians, in the excesses of that fatal night, had neglected these gates; and the soldiers of Cyrus, finding them all open, marched directly up into the city, where they found no power to oppose them, the army and the inhabitants being all buried in drunkenness and debauchery. The soldiers rushed into the royal palace, and slew Belshazzar and his lords, in the very place where they had just been profaning the sacred vessels of the sanctuary, which Nebuchadnezzar had pillaged from the temple at Jerusalem. The victory of Cyrus was complete. The city was taken, and the destruction of lives was immense.

Tho the city of Babylon stood many years after this; yet it was in subjection to the Medes and Persians. But the Babylonians at length rebelling against their conquerors, the city was again taken and reduced by Darius, and was finally

destroyed; and so complete was the destruction of this great city, that it was at length deserted by those of the inhabitants who had escaped the sword of the conquerors. And, agreeable to the predictions of the forementioned prophets, it became a habitation for wild beasts, and venomous creatures of every description; and in this situation it still remains.

Such was the fate of the great city of Babylon, which was once thought to be impregnable to a world in arms. In the manner of her destruction, we may see the predictions of the prophets fully accomplished; and with her ruin and desolation, the Chaldean empire and nation were completely blotted out from under heaven.

A FEW REFLECTIONS.

It is worthy of remark that many writers have commented largely upon the overthrow of Egypt, Assyria and Babylon, as striking proofs in favor of Divine revelation; because their destruction was so expressly foretold by the Jewish prophets, and so completely fulfilled in the event. But have they made the best use of these extraordinary events, in favor of pure and undefiled religion? Why have they never drawn arguments from these premises, to show the awful and destructive nature and effects of those malignant principles and passions from whence wars originate? Why have they not drawn illustrations from these events, to show the fatal tendency of maintaining the principles and cultivating the science of war, and to point out the abominable corruptions and moral depravity which invariably spring from these principles, when carried into practice by a nation? And why have they not shown their utter inconsistency with the principles of genuine Christianity, by a just comparison? If they would do this, the horrid rudiments and practices of these haughty, impious and bloodshedding pagans would appear in their real deformity, when placed in contrast with the meek, harmless and benevolent principles and practice of the Prince of peace and the primitive Christians.

Had the writers in defence of Christianity pursued this course, they might have displayed the nature of war, and the nature of the Christian religion, in their true colors, and thereby produced the most important and undeniable proofs in favor of genuine Christianity. They might have proved its beneficial tendency to the souls and bodies of mankind,

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by showing that it is for their best good, both here and hereafter. They might also have shown how infinitely the true principles of Christianity exceed, in beauty, glory and happiness, the highly extolled maxims of those mighty men of war, those renowned heroes and boasted philosophers, whose lives are stained with blood and carnage.

But while these commentators dwell upon the judgments inflicted upon the ancient heathen nations, as proofs in favor of Christianity, because these things had been predicted by the Jewish prophets, and yet leave this same Christianity contaminated with the dire passions of war, and all its attendant corruptions, which were the very causes of those judgments; so far from reflecting any honor upon Christianity, they in reality disgrace it, by sinking it to a level with heathenism. For those heathen wars were perfectly consistent with the principles of their religion; but the true principles of the Christian religion are utterly incompatible with war, and every thing pertaining to it. The fulfilment of these prophecies may indeed be adduced as proofs against Atheism; because both the prediction and accomplishment clearly show the existence of a power and intelligence infinitely superior to any thing pertaining to human nature. But they prove nothing more in favor of what is generally called Christianity, than in favor of any other religion which is, in like manner, connected with the principles of war.

But let these prophecies be viewed in the light of divine truth, and then it will be clearly seen, that the corrupt principles and practices by which those nations were actuated, being so offensive to Divine Justice, and so contrary to moral virtue, were, in reality, the efficient and sole causes of these judgments. Let the subject be examined still further, and let the principles of modern warfare be contrasted with the benign religion of the Prince of peace who, by precept and example, inculcated the benevolent principles of "peace on earth and good will towards men ;" and who forbid his followers to render evil for evil; and it will then be seen whether those modern nations, who profess to live under the light of the gospel, and to be governed by milder principles, are not still actuated by the same maxims of military glory, and quite as ambitious of martial fame, as were the ancient pagans.

If the laws of war, at the present day, are, in some respects, less barbarous than those of ancient times, still it will be found that the principles of modern warfare, which require the warrior to shed the blood of his fellow men, are

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