not nations alone, but either individuals, or, individuals and government. The cause of peace is not encumbered with such cases, but confines itself to the single purpose of abolishing the custom of war.

ted labors of all would be one of the finest collections of christian eloquence, and of enlightened morals, and of sound political philosophy, that ever was presented to the world. I could not fasten on another cause more fitted to call forth

such a variety of talent, and to rally arround it so many of the generous and accomplished sons of humanity, and to give each of them a devotedness and a power far beyond whatever could be sent into the hearts of enthusiasts by the mere impulse of literary ambition."

It is high time," says John Angell James,

It is by a very simple process we hope, under God, to reach this result-by the influence of the gospel RIGHTLY APPLIED TO THE CASE, and bringing public sentiment into accordance with its pacific principles. The gospel alone can abolish war; but for this, as for every other purpose, it must be duly applied; and the application requisite in this case, is such as shall chris-" for the followers of the meek and lowly Jesus tianize men's modes of reasoning on the subject. Public opinion, in the long run, governs the world; and if we can once revolutionize the warsentiments of mankind, and bring the custom under their universal ban, it must of necessity cease every where, and give place to rational, peaceful, substitutes, more effectual for all purposes of protection and redress, than the sword ever was, or ever can be.

Ecclesiastical bodies, representing nearly every Christian denomination in our country have borne their testimony to this cause- Congregationalists, both Unitarian and Orthodox, Baptists, Presbyterians, Dutch Reformed, Methodists, Free-will Baptists, and Christians. They "commend this cause to the Christian community as worthy of a place among the benevelent enterprises of the age," and regard "the American Peace Society as eminently entitled to the cordial co-operation and support of all the churches of Christ." They deem it "the duty of ministers to preach in favor of the cause of peace as a prominent part of the gospel, and of Christians to pray for the spread of peace through the world." They think, also, "that the subject of peace, being in its strictly evangelical principles and bearings a part of the gospel, ought to be discussed in the pulpit on the Sabbath, just like other principles of the Bible;" and that "ministers should continue to preach, Christians to pray, and all to contribute in favor of universal and permanent peace." A multitude of such resolves might be quoted.

to study the genius of their religion. A hatred of war is an essential feature of practical Christianity; and it is a shame upon what is called the Christian world, that it has not long since borne universal testimony against that enormous evil which still rages not merely among savages, but among scholars, philosophers, Christians, and divines. Real Christians should come out from the world on this subject, and touch not the unclean thing. Let them act upon their own principles, and become not only the friends, but the advocates of peace. Let ministers from the pulpit, writers from the press, and private Christians in their intercourse with each other and the world, inculcate a fixed and irreconcilable abhorrence of war."

"Would to God," exclaims Bishop Watson, "that the spirit of the Christian religion would exert its influence over the hearts of individuals in their public capacity, as much as, we trust, it does over their conduct in private life! Then there would be no war. When the spirit of Christianity shall exert its proper influence over the minds of individuals, and especially over the minds of public men in their public capacities, war will cease throughout the Christian world.”

How strange that such a cause should ever have been neglected by those who consider themselves the followers of the Prince of Peace! Yet it has been to an extent almost incredible. Not one in a thousand, through Christendom, has yet done any thing for it; most of them hardly know what is meant by this cause, and take little or no pains to inquire how they might promote it, or why they should. On the continent of Europe, probably not one religious teacher in a thousand has ever pleaded its claims; and even in England and the United States, it is doubtful whether one pulpit in fifty has yet undertaken its spontaneous advocacy in earnest. How small a portion of Christians or Christian ministers ever take the trouble seriously to inquire what it deserves at their hands.

"Much may be done," says Chalmers, "to accelerate the advent of perpetual and universal peace, by a distinct body of men embarking their every talent, and their every acquirement, in the prosecution of this as a distinct object. This was the way in which the British public were gained over to the cause of Africa. This is the way in which some of the other prophecies of the Bible are at this moment hastening to their accomplishment; and it is in this way, I apprehend, that the prophecy of peace may be indebted for its speedier fulfilment to the agency How shall we account for such neglect and apaof men selecting this as the assigned field on thy? Not from the nature of the case; for there which their philanthropy shall expatiate. Were is scarce an argument in behalf of any benevoeach individual member of such a scheme to pro- lent enterprise, that might not be applied to this secute his own work, and come forward with his with equal propriety and force. Not from any own peculiar contribution, the fruit of the uni-special difficulties of the task: for it is far less

sions, of the tract or the Bible society, and therefore wish to inquire no more into their claims upon us, or the ways in which we can best promote their success.' No; a heart-felt interest in any enterprise makes them desirous of learning all they can about it; and if really a friend of peace, you will necessarily wish to have its leading facts, arguments and motives as full and fresh as possible in your mind. It is mainly for the want of such information that the mass of Christians still sleep so profoundly on this subject; and never will they wake in

difficult than the vast work of a world's evangel-, saying, we are friends of Temperance, of Misization, to which the church is now so zealously devoted. Certainly not from the gospel itself; for its principles and aims, its very genius and spirit, all unite to enforce the claims of peace. What then are the reasons? A chief one is found in the war-degeneracy of the church; a degeneracy begun even before the time of Constantine the Great, early in the fourth century, and since become, by a wide and fatal conspiracy of malign influences, so complete that she seems hardly conscious of it, and most of her members stoutly contend to this day for the war-creed as the real doctrine of Christ, the faith once deliver-earnest to the cause, until they duly examine its ed to the saints! No wonder they are so indifferent, and some of them opposed to the cause of

peace.

The mischief, too, is much aggravated by their ignorance of the subject. How little do the mass of them understand of the terrible evil we combat, or of what we propose for its cure! How little do they know what war is, or what it does! How little of its camps or war-ships; of its battles, its sieges, or its hospitals; of the property it wastes, or the life it sacrifices; of the crimes it perpetrates, or the calamities and sufferings it inflicts; its sack of cities, its conflagration of villages, or its devastation of whole provinces and empires; the wide sweep of its demoralizing influences, its wholesale havoc of immortal souls, or the manifold obstructions it opposes to the spread of Christianity, and the salvation of a lost world! Indeed, they have as yet learned hardly the alphabet of this cause; and, until they come to understand it better, we can have little hope of their responding aright to its claims.

Would to God we could induce them to examine these claims in earnest; but, alas! too many are not disposed to examine them at all. Invite them to a peace lecture, or offer them a peace publication, and they will perhaps tell you, 'they understand the matter well enough already, and care not to hear or read any more about it. They are enemies of war, quite as much as you are; and no further light on the subject can make them at all better friends of peace.' They do not reason thus upon any other subject. Press them to read or hear the gospel, and they will not retort, 'we understand it well enough already, and don't wish to hear or read any more about it. We believe the whole Bible; and nothing we can read or hear, will alter our views of its truths, or make us any better Christians than we now are. Let us alone; go to pagans abroad, or to impenitent men at home.' What would you think of a professed Christian who should argue thus? Yet will nine Christians in ten reason in just this way about one part of the gospel, its pacific principles and duties, which they understand not half so well as they do the common truths they take so much pains to keep continually before their minds. They treat no other cause in this way. You never hear them

claims for themselves. It is amazing that they should be at all reluctant, or need the least urging, to engage in such an inquiry; and if, disciple of the Prince of Peace, you have a particle of his spirit on this subject, we cannot believe you will either refuse or neglect to investigate it for yourself, but will take every opportunity to learn what He would have you do for this blessed cause.-Advocate of Peace.

INUNDATION OF THE NILE.

We hear so much of the regularity of the overflow of the Nile, that we are apt to forget that it may fail, or to contemplate the consequences in such a case.

It is true, we read of the seven years of famine in Joseph's time; but we think of that as a kind of miracle, and do not ask whether such a misfortune ever happened again, when a less sagacious and politic minister than Joseph was at the head of affairs. There is some information extant about this; and it may be of sufficient interest to justify us in dwelling upon it a little. *

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One is filled with astonishment at the constancy of the overflow, and the regularity of its amount, when one learns what are the consequences of a small diminution or excess of the ordinary quantities; and perhaps it is as perplexing to men of science as to other people, that such regularity should accrue from such sources as those to which the inundation of the Nile has been attributed. If the Messrs. Abbadie should return in safety to Europe, to tell what they believe they have discovered respecting the fountains of the Nile, we may know something ere long which may relieve our perplexity. Meantime it appears to us one of the chief wonders of the natural world that the mountains of Abyssinia should so punctually gather the clouds about them and entice the rains, as to send out streams of the same force, which shall water two thousand miles of country to within a few inches of the same height, and a few hours of the same time, year by year, for as many ages as are known to man.

The highest point reached by the inundation, and very rarely reached, is a little above nineteen cubits. In this case, much cultivable land

when the sun had entered Aries, the air had become corrupt; pestilence and a mortal contagion began to be felt; and the poor, pressed by a continually increasing famine, ate carrion, corpses, dogs, and the dung of animals. They went further, even devouring little children.

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remains so long submerged that the sowing can-, not take place; and it is as barren as a desert for that year; while some spots which are ordinarily dry, yield a harvest for once. Of course there is a great destruction of dwellings and of stock in this case. When the rise reaches eighteen cubits there is great rejoicing; for the pro- As for the suburbs and villages, all the inhabduce is then sufficient for two years consumption itants perished, except a small number, of whom after the government dues are paid. When it a portion quitted their abodes to go somewhere reaches sixteen cubits, there is enough produce else. We must scarcely except from what I have for the wants of the year; and this was called, now said, the capitals of the provinces and the in Abdallatif's time, "the Sultan's flood," be- largest villages. A traveller often passed through cause then the Sultan claimed his taxes. Below the largest villages without seeing a single inhabsixteen cubits, there is more or less scarcity. In itant. *** Very often there was a house full such a case the south wind has prevailed; and of furniture, without any one to take possession in good years, the north. of it.***Even at Cairo, the mansions, the houses, and the shops, situated in the heart of the town, and in the best quarters, are for the most part, empty or deserted, so that, in the most frequented parts of this capital, there is a mansion of more than fifty apartments which have all remained empty, except four, where some people are lodged to take care of the place.'

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The lowest Nile ever known seems to have been that of A. D. 966, when the waters rose only to twelve cubits, seventeen digits: and the next lowest was in A. D. 1199, when it rose only four digits higher. For four centuries before the earliest of these dates, the Nile had only six times failed to reach fourteen cubits. The inundation begins about the twenty-fith of June, and reaches its height in three months. It remains stationary about twelve days, and then begins to subside. * In the time of Abdallatif, the people sat watching the rise of the waters, as at this day; and terrible must have been the consternation when it appeared, on the 9th of September, that the scanty flood was already subsiding. Many thousands were watching there who would presently be beyond the reach of mortal hope or fear, listening for the voice of the crier who would never proclaim another inundation. I will give, from Abdallatif, some account of the state of Egypt this year, believing his to be the only detailed history we have of such a season in Egypt; and certain that every one must feel interest in having presented to him such a proof of the blessing that Joseph was to the nation of his time, in preserving them from such horrors as a single year of drought inevitably brings, when no prepara

tion is made for it.

"Under these circumstances," says Abdallatif, "the year presented itself as a monster whose wrath must annihilate all the resources of life, and all the means of subsistence. There was no longer any hope of a further rise of the Nile; and already, therefore, the price of provisions had risen: the provinces were desolated by drought; the inhabitants foresaw an inevitable scarcity; and the fear of famine excited tumultuous commotions among them. The inhabitants of the villages and country estates, repaired to the great provincial towns; large numbers emigrated to Syria, Magreb, Hedjaz, and Yevon, where they dispersed themselves on every hand, as did formerly the descendants of Saba. There was also an infinite number who sought retreat in the towns of Misr and Cairo, where they experienced a frightful famine and mortality; for

As the waters were so low previous to the inundation of this year as to leave the Nilometer completely dry, it is obvious that the flood must be again inadequate, unless a most unusual amount of water came down. And it was inadequate; yet the account of the second year leaves the reader consoled and hopeful; so that I will give a few passages, which are also necessary to the completeness of the narrative.

Not only did the Nile cease to flow at the base of the Nilometer on the Geezah side; it left a long and broad island, where fragments of ancient constructions were observed. The corruption of the waters was very great this year. The inundation took place languidly, sometimes stopping; and once, for three days, when the people gave up all for lost, and prepared themselves for total destruction. This was on the 9th of August. But it rose again, at irregular intervals, till the 4th of September, when it reached fifteen cubits, sixteen digits. It began to sink the same day, before the ground could imbibe much of the benefit, and declined so rapidly that not nearly all the districts felt the inundation, and some of those very scantily. Abdallatiff observes, "One would have said that it was only the phantom of the inundation which had visited them, like those spectres that we imagine we see in a dream, and which immediately vanish. Only the level lands profited by the inundation; and the lower provinces as Garbiyyeh and some others, were sufficiently watered: but the villages were entirely emptied of cultivators and laborers. This text of the Kurán might be applied to them: The next morning nothing was seen of them but their habitations. The rich collected their scattered dependants, and brought together the few laborers who remained to them. Laborers and cattle were so rare that a bull in good condition was

sold for seventy pieces of gold; and one which, of eight hundred cubits. On the 18th of June,

Much do we wonder whether the ancient race was ever thus nearly swept away; whether the priestly watchmen ever looked abroad from the top of their propyla over plains sown with human bones, instead of sprouting seed; and whether they called together the few survivors to sacrifice to Osiris, to bring him back from his absence or displeasure to his favorite valley. Much should we like to know from what depth of ages the greatest of intermittent springs had regularly gushed forth, to give life to an expecting nation, waiting in hope along a line of two thousand miles. The priests who expressed to Herodotus such anxious fears for the Greeks, because of their dependence on the clouds, could hardly have known of any such drought as could parallel that of A. D. 1200, or they would have moderated their boasting, even if they had concealed the fact. Among the few historical notices which remain appended by Manetho to the names of the kings, such as "During this reign" (first king of the Second Dynasty,) “a great landslip took place at Rubastis, and many perished," I am not aware that any relate to a failure of the Nile; or that there is any where a hint of even a tradition of such a famine as Ab