Second Samuel, chap. xxiv. ver. 1. "And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and HE moved David against them to say, go number Israel and Judah." (In first Chronicles, chap. xxi. ver. 1, it stated, "and SATAN stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.") And having thus instigated David to do what is good policy in a king, God, of his infinite mercy, said unto David by his prophet Gad, David's seer, (an officer of the household in those days), "I offer thee three things: shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land, or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, or that there be three days pestilence in thy land ?" And David having chosen the latter, "the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel, and there died of the people 70,000 men ;" but the Lord is ever merciful, for, "when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, it is enough, stay thou thine hand." Delirant reges,

plectuntur Achivi.

1 Kings, chap. ii. David being upon his death-bed, having made peace with God, and purified his heart, called Solomon to him and gave him his last charge. As to Joab, the son of Zeruiah, he said, "do according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace,-and behold thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, which cursed me, but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put thee to death by the sword; now, therefore, (proceeds the man after God's own heart), hold him not guiltless; for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him, but his

hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood." Solomon having succeeded his father, the first act of his reign was to put to death his brother Adonijah; but, 1 Kings, chap. xi. ver. 4, "Solomon's heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father, for it came to pass, that, when he was old, his wives turned his heart after other gods."

But why go through such barbarous details? All along we find imprecations against those who despise the prophets, and praises lavished upon murderers, traitors, and assassins. This is the people "selected by the wisdom of God, that they might witness to the whole world in successive ages his existence and attributes, that they might be an instrument of subverting idolatry, of declaring the name of the God of Israel throughout the whole earth;" a people, who" are to us witnesses of the existence, and of the moral government of God."-This is the Old Testament, which you presume to say afforded matter for the laws of Solon, and a foundation for the philosophy of Plato, -which has been admired and venerated for its piety, its sublimity, its veracity, by all who are able to read and understand it!!! This is the God who maketh the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, who is all perfection, all wise, and all powerful, and whose mercy is above all his other attributes."

THE END.

A Chinese Tale,

FOUND IN THE PORTFOLIO

OF A

PORTUGUESE FRIAR.

Hear, O prodigy! O Tenderness! O Mystery !---He has just drowned the Fathers ;---and now he will die for the Children!

VOLTAIRE.

LONDON:

PRINTED & PUBLISHED BY R. CARLILE, 55, FLEET STREET.

CHRISTIAN

MYSTERY,

&c. &c.

COMMERCIAL affairs had engaged me to make a sea voyage. I had got far from the shores of my native country, when a dreadful tempest threw me on an unknown coast; however, I fell into the hands of a very humane people, and soon found they had brought the arts to great perfection, that they practised many virtues, and appeared to me in a state as enlightened as humanity could attain.

My admiration of them equalled my gratitude, but, alas! it is but too true, that man always discovers by some failing the weakness of his being.

These people shewed as much friendship towards me as I could possibly do to them; their mildness and civility entirely gained my affection. They said to me one day, "Of what religion are you? The question surprised me; I asked them if there were two religions, at which they smiled, and I saw they were astonished at my ignorance. My friend," said one of them, "give thanks to God for having conducted you amongst us to be instructed in our holy religion. You do not know then that God has made himself a man?" I assured them it was the first time I had heard of it, and asked them why he had become a man? Know, continued they, that the first man eat an apple which God had forbidden him, in consequence of which all his posterity were condemned to eternal punishment. At another time men became so crimi