STAGE-COACH DISCUSSION.

In the month of October, 1838, a company of travellers were passing in a stage-coach from Vicksburg to Clinton, in the state of Mississippi. Among the passengers was a minister of the gospel, and a gentleman who was then a member of the legislature of that state; a senator, I believe. And now, for a number of years past, he has been a senator from Mississippi, in the congress of the United States.

The free and desultory conversation in the stage turned at length on the subject of religion. When the following dialogue, in substance, took place : —

Senator. I understand that you are a minister of the gospel.

Minister. Yes, sir.

Senator. There are some things in the Bible which to me appear difficult of comprehension.

I should be pleased to hear your explanation, if you have no objections.

Minister. None at all.
None at all. But let me ask, have you

studied the Bible?

Senator. Well.

I should have done.

Minister. Are you

why — perhaps not so much as

not then unreasonable?

That

book relates to eternity. It treats of subjects of immeasurable importance. You have given it but little

attention, and yet wonder that you do not comprehend all that it contains. You act not thus in other matters. Here is a man who never spent one half week of his life in attempting to acquire a knowledge of mathematics. He takes up a volume of Euclid; he looks into it for a little time, and then objects,-"Here are points, lines, angles, circles, triangles, &c. I cannot comprehend their meaning." You would say to him, "Sir, you have not given that book the attention which its importance demands. It is not strange, therefore, that you do not comprehend its contents. If you will turn your thoughts to it, and bestow upon it the proper amount of study and of time, you will behold truth, beauty, grandeur, in those very figures that now appear unmeaning and mysterious."

"But, perhaps," said the minister to the senator, "you were going to specify the particular difficulty that you have encountered in the Bible."

Senator.

I was about to mention the passage in the book of Joshua, where Joshua commands the sun and moon to stand still.

Minister.

there?

Senator.

And what is the particular difficulty

To speak of the sun standing still, is not good philosophy; for we know it is the diurnal revolution of the earth that gives to the sun, and the moon, and the stars, their apparent motions.

Minister. Certainly, sir; and Sir Isaac Newton understood that altogether as well as we; and yet he would speak of the sun rising, and the sun setting, the moon rising, and the moon going down; and all philosophers talk thus when they wish to be understood. The Bible uses the language common to man.

It was designed to be understood.

Allow me to say,

sir, that you do yourself injustice in bringing forward an objection like this. It is not worthy of a philosopher. On the same ground, you would reject every almanac published in Europe and America. For all these almanacs not only speak of the rising and the setting of the sun and the moon, but they are very careful to point out the exact minute, when these unphilosophical absurdities take place.

Senator. I did not intend to insist on this objection. I have another, of a character more serious. Would not such a suspension of the rotary motion of the earth have introduced confusion, derangement, and ruin into the entire solar system?

Minister. Your question is this: When the master workman has completed every wheel, spring, lever, and minuter part of the perfect watch or clock, and put the machine together, and set it in motion, can he now stop the minute hand and the hour hand, for one half day, or one whole day, without introducing confusion and ruin into the entire structure? Joshua "spake to the Lord in that day," and the miracle was performed by that hand which built the stupendous frame of nature. Surely the divine Architect can control the work of his hands as easily as an earthly mechanic.

Senator. Yet the narrative has something about it that strikes my mind as strange and incredible.

Minister. That is owing to our limited and imperfect knowledge in the present life. In the early history of what has been called the far west, there was a steamboat built, by the order of the government, for the purpose of exploring the Missouri River. The

figure-head of that boat was fashioned like the head of an enormous serpent. It projected some distance in front of the boat, and then the body of the serpent seemed to wind down under the boat till it was lost from view in the water. The head and body of this serpent were painted with bright colors, red, green, yellow,― in long streaks, so as to give it a very frightful appearance. The machinery was so constructed, that when the fires were kindled up and the vessel was in motion, the steam, smoke, and sparks were thrown out at the mouth of this serpent. In this style it moved up the Missouri Rivera monstrous serpent, carrying the great boat on its back, breathing out steam, smoke, and fire in its progress. Indians, of the various tribes along the river, would come to the top of the bluffs that overlook the stream. They would gaze a moment or two in terror at the moving monster, then wheel and yell, and run for their lives.

Now, how perfectly mysterious, to one of these untutored Indians, was the fact, that a skilful engineer, by simply turning a screw, can stop the action of that mighty machinery that throws the boat with such speed against the current of the rapid river, and by giving that screw a turn the other way, can put it all in motion again.

The present life is but our birthday. We but "know in part," we but "see through a glass darkly.” In a future state, no doubt, we shall see clearly how a mighty angel could stop the rotary motion of the earth; or take off the fury of the flame of Nebuchadnezzar's furnace, so that Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego could walk through the midst of it, without having a hair of their head singed, or the smell of fire upon their

raiment; or stop the mouths of the lions, so that Daniel could stay all night unhurt in their den. Indeed, there are beings above and around us now to whom these matters are just as plain as the mode of managing a mighty engine is to a skilful engineer. You remember, doubtless, the beautiful lines of Pope

"Superior beings, when of late they saw
A mortal man unfold all nature's law,
Admired such wisdom in an earthly shape,
And showed a Newton as we show an ape."

Senator. But my great difficulty is yet untouched. I can't see that it was worthy of the great God to perform such a miracle as this, merely to give one nation the advantage over another in battle. Can it be shown that this miracle, at that time, and in that connection, was worthy of the great God?

Minister. That is indeed the most important question that has yet been brought up. And I assure you that it admits of a most satisfactory answer.

Senator. I shall be much gratified to hear a conclusive answer.

Minister. I think that three points can be established to your entire satisfaction.

1. That there was then a critical juncture in the affairs of men, which rendered it worthy of God to interpose and perform that miracle; that the miracle itself was timely, appropriate, and highly instructive.

2. That traditions have come down among heathen nations which show that such an event certainly took place.

3. That the whole matter is in perfect unison with the elevated and sublime spirit of Bible religion.