(1 Tim. iv. 7); and so far as Timothy was personally concerned in the matter, these were doubtless the "Jewish myths" which St. Paul similarly orders Titus to reject (Titus i. 14; cf. 1 Tim. i. 4), the enormous net of idle legend and invention which even then enveloped almost the entire Old Testament, its histories and commands. But in the apostle's second letter we meet with these myths again, and in a form which deeply concerns us in the present time. He says: "There shall be a time when they [the people of the period referred to] will not bear with healthy [vyaurobons. With the Greeks hygiea was a concept representing health in the widest sense, the "mens sana in corpore sano personified] teaching; but in accordance with their own inclinations they shall accumulate teachers, having an itching in the ear" for novelties, like the Athenians. (Acts xvii. 21.) "And from the truth they shall turn away the ear, and shall be turned unto myths." (2 Tim. iv. 3, 4.) And now in connection with this very remarkable prediction let me call attention to the recent work of the learned Hungarian savant Dr. Ignaz Goldziher, Mythology among the Hebrews, a translation of which by Mr. Russell Martineau, of the British Musuem, appeared in February last. This work, which has naturally been much criticised (Vide Atheneum and Academy, March 10th, 1877), bids fair to make an epoch in the treatment of the subject. It is no superficial, vulgar attack on Christianity such as past times have so frequently produced, but is as temperate in expression as it is profoundly learned in character. Dr. Goldziher is an admirable Semitic scholar, familiar also with the modern scientific literature of Germany, Holland, France, Italy, and England; he has very carefully and closely studied the Old Testament, and at what result has he arrived? Simply at this, that until the time of Samuel or thereabouts we have in reality no earthly history recorded in its pages. What have we then? Nothing, save the childlike views of archaic man on the ordinary phenomena of nature. Adam and Edom the "Red," signify the sun; Abram, the " High Father," is the nocturnal heaven; his wife is Sarah, the "Princess of Heaven," i.e., the Moon; their son is Isaac, the "Laugher," the rejoicing sun which follows the night, and who in his turn is sire to Jacob, the "Follower," i.e., the Dark Sky of Night which follows the bright day. Joseph is the Rain; Rachel, his mother, the Cloud; Noah is the Sun at Noon; Naphtali the Dawn; Samson the Sun whose eye is put out at night; Shem, the Heaven; Zebulon, the Setting Sun; Barak, the Lightning; Deborah or the "Bee," the Rain Cloud; Dan, the "Moving," i.e., the sun. Any one entirely unacquainted with the progress of the science of comparative mythology, and who has not studied such writers as Prof. Max Müller, Dr. Tylor, the Rev. G. W. Cox, Profs. Kuhn and Steinthal, and Signor Angelo de Gubernatis (Zoological Mythology) may be inclined to treat such views as mere "midsummer madness;" but a brief investigation of the subject will suffice to convince a far seeing mind that a profound chain of argument against the plain truths and declarations of Holy Scripture is being manufactured by an artizan of no ordinary ability. It may easily be supposed that with opinions such as these Dr. Goldziher practically denies the inspiration of Scripture and the very existence of the supernatural. Thus that Elijah ascended to heaven in a chariot of fire is merely a childish or poetical way of saying that the sun rises, and other miracles receive corresponding explanations. Dr. Goldziher is also of opinion that the religious belief of man has been produced by an exceedingly slow evolution, that there is no innate and instinctive monotheistic idea in the human race, but that all monotheism is developed out of polytheism. According to this view all present religion is founded on the lowest germs of religious instinct or feeling, on the grossest fetishism and nature-worship. His chief English critics who have yet spoken deal with him very tenderly; his ideas are exceedingly able, they say; many of his views are undoubtedly correct but he goes somewhat too far. How such theories, if true, may affect the New Testament and Christian belief in general is too paltry a question for such superior beings to notice. Now, while firmly believing that Dr. Goldziher's theory is utterly baseless, and would be condemned as surely by true scientific tests as it is by the undoubted declarations and entire teaching of the Bible, it is certainly not my intention in the pages of this Magazine to enter into any arguments on the subject; that I shall assume to be quite unnecessary so far as the readers of the RAINBOW are concerned, although the defenders of the once delivered faith will undoubtedly have to grapple with the question and with the whole vast assumption of religious evolution elsewhere. What I desire here is simply to call the attention of the students of unfulfilled prophecy to the solemn declaration of the apostle and to a prominent literary event of the time. In a work published only five days before Dr. Goldziher's, I wrote, "One of the vastest questions that can be submitted to the mind-a question, moreover, which is rapidly coming to the front in the great debates of the age-is, Whether religion and all that it entails sprang from man's unaided cogitations upon himself and the material world around." (The Great Dionysiak Myth, vol. i., preface. Longmans, 1877.) I was aware that the question would soon be formally raised, but hardly expected it so very speedily. It is connected with the baseless theory of evolution, so thoroughly destroyed by Dr. Elam in his admirable work, Winds of Doctrine,-a theory for which not a particle of real evidence has ever been produced, a most arbitrary and unwarranted hypothesis. Dr. Goldziher's work even now does not stand alone, and is only a precursor of a cloud of similar productions. Far and near the trumpet note of attack upon the Christian faith resounds. The author of Supernatural Religion has just completed in a final volume his laborious assault. Viscount Amberley in a brief life laboured hard on the same side, as his large work, the Analysis of Religious Belief demonstrates. Dr. Colenso is stated to have been engaged for some years past on a work on Messianic prophecy, and others, whose name is legion, for they are many, armies of doubters, as Bunyan would call them, environ the now desponding Town of Mansoul. And what can Christ's "sheep" and "little children" oppose to these? In themselves, nothing. We are right to say what we can for the truth; to argue, after the example of Paul and Stephen; but, be it ever remembered, that "marvellous things," can be said, and shall still more be said against the God of gods. Our faith is not based on man's wisdom but on God's power. A time is coming when faith will be exposed to such a trial as she has never had from the foundation of the world; but forewarned, forearmed. And here, in order to avoid a possible misunderstanding, let me add a word in favour of the study of the ancient history of the world, especially as revealed by the recent discoveries in the valleys of the Euphrates and the Nile. This field is not only most interesting in itself, but eminently useful in the illustration, and, so far as the human mind is concerned, in the confirmation of the Old Testament history and teaching. Archaic research, far from confirming the theory of religious evolution, shows to demonstration that, in accordance with the statements of the Bible, the earlier phases of religion in Western Asia were the simplest and the best; that there has been no uninterrupted advance in matters religious but an undoubtedly retrograde movement and degeneracy, in which connection let the reader carefully consider the statements of St. Paul in Romans i. ; and lastly, that a merciful God did not leave the ancient world without witness of his grace and glory, but alike in the course of nature and in the heart of man showed himself and drew near to his creature. (Vide Acts xiv. 15-17; xvii. 22-29.) It is the love of the truth which alone can preserve us from being turned away after myths and fables, which alone can save us from bondage to baseless and "unhallowed" ideas that, though they may seem plausible and even profound, shall like the strange fire offered by Nadab and Abihu, at last consume their votaries. Let us by faith lean only on the truth personified. He who makes us free, will keep us so; and our little knowledge can rest with no uncertainty upon God only wise. (To be continued.) R. BROWN, Jun., F.A.S. DIVINE LOVE. MATHER, hast thou no blessing to bestow? Speak thou, my Saviour; calm my restless soul: Is the Almighty man that he should lie? Who seeketh findeth pardon full and free; Thus saith the Scripture-cast thy care on Me. His love, so true, unloosed my load of sin : THE REGENERATION." "Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."MATTHEW xix. 28. THE "regeneration" here spoken of was apparently a familiar subject to our Lord's hearers, and embracing as it does the restoration and government of the twelve tribes, it seems highly probable that it is either identical with, or will be included in, what the Apostle Peter afterwards calls, "The times of restoration of all things." We know that our Lord and his disciples, as well as the Jews in general, were deeply interested in the promised kingdom of Messiah; of which so much had been written in the prophetic Scriptures. It was by far the most prominent subject in the public discourses of our Lord, and in his private instructions to his disciples. It was the topic of conversation at some of the most solemn moments of his life, and many of his most valued promises are associated with it. At the last supper he said: "I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." And after his resurrection, when he was seen of them forty days, he spake "of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." This subject of "the kingdom" was always uppermost in the minds of the disciples, so much so that on one occasion our Lord spoke a parable "because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear." We are in no uncertainty, moreover, as to the manner in which they always understood the promises concerning this kingdom, and their own position in it. Their expectations are clearly indicated in the request of the mother of James and John: "Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom" (or "in thy glory," see Mark x. 37). Seeing how their minds were occupied with expectations of a glorious kingdom and an exalted position therein, we may safely conclude that when our Lord spoke of the regeneration, when he himself would sit on the throne of his glory, and they also would occupy thrones, they would at once understand him to be speaking of his kingdom, and that the regeneration would be one of its characteristics or accompaniments; a conclusion that is greatly strengthened by what he afterwards said to them on this subject: "I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Luke xxii. 29, 30.) It is often said that at this time the Apostles altogether misunderstood the nature of the kingdom of heaven; that they were carnal, and looked for an earthly kingdom. It does not appear, however, that our Lord ever corrected what are supposed to be their erroneous views; neither is there any evidence that their expectations were afterwards changed or even modified. They were in error respecting the time of its manifestation, but as to the nature of the kingdom itself, they were evidently well instructed; for our Lord himself said to them, "to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven ;" and when he had in parables unfolded to them some of the characteristics of it, in reply to his question, "Have ye understood all these things?" they said unto him, "Yea, Lord." After his passion he was "seen of them forty days," and spake "of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God;" but their question, "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel ?" shows that their expectations were unchanged. Nor does the Lord's answer in the least indicate that they were wrong in the views they held. He told them plainly that it was not for them to know the times or the seasons, but he did not warn them that they were cherishing false hopes and expectations which he surely would have done had they been really doing The writings of the apostles show that to the last, the kingdom |