and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them."* Two inferences have generally been drawn from this brief statement, viz. that God specially commissioned the bears to seize the offenders, in fulfilment of Elisha's oral curse; and that the children were killed-literally torn in pieces, limb from limb. This was the way in which the story was told in my listening ear, as long ago as I am enabled to recollect anything with distinctness. Neither of these two inferred particulars are positively stated, however, in the scriptural account; though we may reasonably suppose that the first-the idea that God sent the bears, directly—was intended to be implied by the writer, because the mention of their coming forth from the wood immediately follows the statement that the prophet turned and cursed the children in the name of the Lord.

I shall not soon forget the emotions of dread which this story inspired in my mind, at the tender period of early childhood. I somehow supposed it must all be true, just as it was represented to me; and it exerted a somewhat controlling influence when used as a bugbear to deter me from laughing or whistling on Sundays: yet, despite all this despite that regard for the Bible as veracious in all its parts, which was sought to be instilled into my young mind, I always had a strong feeling of oppugnancy to the idea, that God Almighty, the source of all loveliness-who fills all space with his glory, *2 Kings, ii. 23, 24.

and who is never swayed, as man is, by the impulse of passion-suddenly fell into a rage with forty-two "little children," (for such the account states them to be) and sent two infuriated bears to rend and lacerate them cruelly, if not to destroy them outright,-and all this, simply because they cried out, in mirthful derision of an old gentleman, who exhibited, no doubt, a singular appearance; resembling, perhaps, with his long beard and grotesque visage, the celebrated Lorenzo Dow, or Elder Lamson, the Mormon-preacher! And then how absurd is it, to suppose that a real prophet of the true God-a man commissioned from Heaven, to teach truth and. goodness, both by his words and by his actions-would turn, and malevolently breathe a curse upon more than two scores of children, merely for some taunting words which they, in their childish simplicity, had repeated! Not so did JESUS, the greatest of the prophets! He invokel, not curses, but the richest blessing, even on his bitterest enemies-they who had nailed him to a rack of torture, and then mocked him in his agony! a mockery more keenly piercing than all which the children could possibly have heaped upon Elisha. Verily, were bears the chosen instruments for avenging the insults cast in the face of God's prophets now-a-days, I fear that all the dens in every forest of the known world would be depopulated!

Whatever may have been the original design of this tragical anecdote of the wild beasts and the children, it certainly is a rock of offence in the way of those who

think it true to the very letter-their attempts to reconcile it with their sense of justice, to the contrary notwithstanding. As an incidental occurrence, it involves no impossibilities. Bears may have assaulted children. in the way, and to the extent, described. We know that similar events have happened. But were I to say, or tacitly pretend, that I believed the event recorded was an instance of special, divine interposition, my conscience would say to me, Thou hypocrite!

THE books of CHRONICLES, upon which we will now offer a few words, are two in number. The Jews reckon them as one book, and call them the "Words of Days," meaning Journals or Diaries; and they say that they were written, after the captivity in Babylon, by Ezra, assisted by Zechariah and Haggai. Calmet makes the following remarks, in relation to them :"The writer of these books was neither a contemporary nor an original writer; but a compiler and abridger. He had before him ancient memoirs, genealogies, annals, registers, and other pieces which he often quotes or abridges. It seems that the chief design of the author was to exhibit correctly the genealogies, the rank, the functions, and the order of the priests and Levites; that, after the captivity, they might more easily resume their proper ranks, and re-assume their ministries."

THE book called EZRA is generally believed, by both Jewish and Christian historians, to have proceeded from

the distinguished individual who bore that name; and it is quite probable, from all that can be learned, that such is the fact. In the VULGATE (the old Latin translation of the Bible, made by Jerome, in the fourth century) there are four books designated by the title of Ezra. The one in our English version is the first in Jerome's edition; the second is termed Nehemiah in our Bible; and the third and fourth are rejected, as being wholly, or in part, spurious. The Jews everywhere have a high veneration for Ezra: they regard him as second to none but him of Mount Sinai; and they declare, that "if the law had not been given by Moses, Ezra would have deserved to have been their legislator." This Ezra, as I have more than once remarked heretofore, was the transcriber and editor of the Old Testament.

NEHEMIAH, so termed, is a book supposed to have been compiled, after the death of the individual who bore that name, from some memoirs written by him, which are alluded to in the Apocrypha.* Nehemiah was a cup-bearer to king Artaxerxes. As such, he is alluded to, in Rollin's Ancient History.

THE historical sketch called ESTHER, is attributed to different authors. It was thought by Clemens of Alexandria, one of the early Christian fathers, and by some Jewish rabbins, that Mordecai originally composed the work; and in this opinion many commentators have ac

* 2 Maccabees, ii. 13.

quiesced. Some, however, believe that Ezra was the author of it. It contains the very instructive account of Haman and Mordecai. The Greek, Hebrew and Latin translations of the books, which are all very ancient, are said to differ from each other: but I do not consider the points of disagreement of sufficient interest to be particularly discussed here.

We have arrived now at the most splendid production in the Bible-a work which, as respects the grandeur and sublimity of its style, is surpassed by very few writings in the world. It is the book of JOB. Different opinions have prevailed in regard to its origin, as well as its aim and intent. Some view it as a sober relation of facts, portraying the character of a real personage, and describing the scenes and vicissitudes through which he passed. But it has been shown demonstrably-to my satisfaction, at least that the book is a dramatic poem; an this opinion is fast gaining ground among liberal sects, and also among thinkers who belong to no sect. It is a metrical composition, and should properly be arranged (as it is in some printed editions of the Bible) in blank verse. In the form in which we have it, it is said to be altered from the original copy, which is unanimously believed, among historians, to have been very ancient. It is conjectured that the language in which it was first composed was either the Hebrew or the Arabic. By some, it has been thought that its original draft was made even before the