filed which I cast out before you. And the land is defiled: THEREFORE I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants." (v. 27, &c.) "For all these abominations have the men of the land done which were before you, and the land is defiled; that the land spew not you out also, when you defile it, as it spewed out the nations that were before you." I will now ask every honest man, was there any crime in punishing such people? Did not such barbarous conduct deserve punishment? Did dot the welfare of the other nations of the earth require the extermination of such people? And if so, where was the impropriety, where was the injustice, the barbarity of Jehovah, in ordering them to be exterminated? The benefit to mankind at large-the probable contamination of millions, and thousands of millions, by such a degenerated and depraved people, far overbalanced the act of their extermination. Who would think it cruel to amputate a finger, if affected with a disease, that might contaminate the whole system? Who thinks it cruel to remove from society an individual, by whose ungovernable conduct, the safety and peace of that society are endangered? The cases are exactly parallel.

For a further description of the heathen world, read the first chapter of Paul's Epistle to the Romans, from the 18th to the 32d verse, and then put your hand on your heart, and say, can I, as an honest man, condemn the act of exterminating such people? The Heathen authors fully confirm these descriptions. See Morality.

CYRENIUS, Governor of Syria. It is written in Luke, ii. 2, "that taxing was first made when Cyrenius was Governor of Syria." The word first, in this verse, evidently implies that the writer had more than one

The literal

As we

census, or enrolment, in contemplation. translation of the passage is, "this was the first assessment, (or enrolment,) of Cyrenius, Governor of Syria." The words "Governor of Syria” being the title of Cyrenius, which he received after this enrolment. might now say of the battle of New Orleans, this was the last battle fought by Andrew Jackson, President of the United States, though he was not President for about fourteen years afterwards; but is now President, that is, while I am writing. The case is simply this; there had been two enrolments or taxings; the first about ten years before Cyrenius was governor of Syria, and on which business it is highly probable Cyrenius was sent, (as an ambassador,) into Judea; and this is the one which corresponds with Christ's birth. (Josephus, Ant. xvii. c. 2, sect. 6.) The second was made shortly after his appointment as governor, that is about ten years after the first one.

CURSES. A Divine command is, "bless and curse not." Whatever, therefore, may appear like human curses or imprecations in the Scriptures, we may rest assured, are not so, directly nor indirectly. The servants of God often pronounced," in the name," (that is by the authority or command,) "of the Lord," His, (that is God's,) curses against sinners. Moreover, many of the Psalms which appear to consist of nothing else than imprecations, are purely prophetic; the writer announcing what God would bring upon the wicked. We know, that, even in the Latin language, the future tense is as often translated by "will," as by "shall." When we recollect the innumerable commands in the Bible, against revenge, malice, cursing, &c., and recommendatory of "forgiveness," "patience," "doing good for

evil," &c., we cannot, without the most palpable injustice, give the above passages an imprecative sense. See Elisha. Language.

DAN.

D.

The name of one of the Jewish tribes-also of a town which was first called Laish-also of one of the two rivers which formed Jordan. Hence it was this river, and not the town of that name, which interrupted the pursuit of Abram, mentioned in Gen. xiv. 14. The idea that a town or village, composed of perhaps, at that time, a few tents, prevented a pursuing army, is absurd. Whereas, nothing more probable than that a river without a bridge did so. See Jordan.

DANIEL was one of the family of David, who, when young, was carried captive to Babylon, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and in the year of the world, 3398. By the order of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Daniel was instructed in the language and learning of the Chaldeans; and was chosen with three of his Jewish friends, (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,) to reside in the king's palace. (Dan. i. 6, 7.) The faithfulness of these servants of the Most High God-their patience their persecutions-their trials—and their miraculous deliverances, are briefly related in the first six chapters of the book of Daniel; and the perusal of which will sufficiently compensate, (even by way of amusement,) the infidel, for the ten or fifteen minutes, he would consume in reading them. But it is the remarkable prophecy of this Daniel, respecting the exact time when Christ should appear, that commands attention. It was

delivered no less than 538 years before the Christian era; and although it is called Daniel's prophecy, yet it is in fact the Angel's communication to him. The ninth chapter in which this is contained, begins by Daniel's informing us that in the first year of the reign of Darius, king of the Chaldeans, he (Daniel) understanding the length of time which had been predicted by Jeremiah the Prophet, (Jer. xxv. 8. 14; xix. 10, 11,) that his brethren, the Jews, should remain in captivity, was nearly expired, set himself to address God on their behalf. (ver. 1, 2, 3.) The following sixteen verses contain his supplication, (to the candid perusal of which the infidel is hereby earnestly entreated.) Verse 22 relates how the Angel Gabriel addressed him; and in verse 24, the prophetic part of the communication commences thus, "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thy Holy City, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and the prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. Know, therefore, and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment, to restore, and to build Jerusalem, UNTO THE MESSIAH THE PRINCE, shall be seven weeks, and three-score and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after three-score and two weeks, shall MESSIAH, (CHRIST,) be cut off, but not for himself!" (vers. 24, 25, 26.) In order to perceive how this prophecy was literally fulfilled, the reader must recollect that a prophetic day amongst the Jews was equivalent to a year. (Levit. xxv. 8. Numb. xiv. 34. Ezek. iv. 6.) To begin then. In Dan. ix. 24, 25, 26, it is written;

So far refers to the Messiah; and it is not to be forgotten, that Tacitus, Suetonius, Josephus, and Philo, (none of whom were Christians,) who lived in the first Century-actual cotemporaries of the Apostles-never denied the previous existence of these prophecies; but stated that there was in their days a general expectation of some GREAT ONE appearing on the earth! The other predictions of Daniel respecting the great kingdoms of the earth, were so literally fulfilled, that the only way infidels of ancient times, could get over them, was by pretending that they were written after the events occurred; but, as has been wisely observed, this is the very strongest testimony of their truth; for they were fulfilled with