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and deformed by superstition. It were well, if a more exalted and enlightened faith, in chasing away the darkness and phantoms of an idolatrous age, should retain an equal hold on the heart and affections of its professed votaries.

TENTH WEEK-TUESDAY.

ARCHITECTURE.-ITS ANCIENT HISTORY AND PRACTICEINDIA-TEMPLES ON THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND.

I HAVE mentioned that the temples of India, which are erected on the surface of the ground, are of various forms, sometimes assuming the character of a pyramid, at other times that of an extensive enclosure, and at others again, taking the outline of a circle or a cross. Of places of worship, in the form of enclosures, the largest is that of Seringham, situated near Tritchinopoly, which is composed of seven square enclosures, one within another, of the outermost of which, each side faces one of the cardinal points, and is a mile in length, making the whole four miles in circumference.

Of the Pagodas, in the form of a cross, there is one at Benares, in the city of Casi, which, from the earliest times, was devoted to Indian religion and science. It has a cupola, terminated by a pyramid in the centre, and a tower at each extremity of the cross. Within the temple, immediately under the central cupola, there is an altar, eight feet in length, and six in breadth, covered sometimes with tapestry, sometimes with cloth of gold and silver. Tavernier saw several idols, one in particular, six feet high, having its neck decorated with a chain of precious stones. The head and neck only were visible, the body being covered with a robe. On the right of the altar was a golden figure, composed of an elephant, a horse, and a mule, on which the Deity was

supposed to take his journeys in his guardian care of his votaries.

Of the circular places of worship, Sonnerat thinks that the Temple of Juggernaut is the most ancient in India, and says that it was erected on the coast of Orissa, by the first king of the Brahmins, who lived four thousand eight hundred years ago. Its plan is a perfect circle of immense size. Juggernaut is said to be only another name for the god Mahadeo, who is represented by the figure of a great bull, which projects out of the eastern side of the edifice. The image of the god stands in the centre of the building, on an elevated altar, surrounded by an iron railing. Mr Hamilton describes the idol as being an irregular pyramidal black stone; and says that the temple derives no light from the sun, but is illuminated by a hundred lamps. This place is the residence of the Arch Brahmin of all India; and the sacred dominions are said to yield pasturage for twenty thousand cows. A most unholy secular policy has induced the British government in India to take this temple under its special protection, and to lend its aid in the collection of its revenues, thus compromising Christian principle, and confounding the distinction between truth and falsehood;between the Divine revelation of the gospel, and the impure and bloody rites of a horrid superstition.

Near to Juggernaut anciently stood the Temple of the Sun, the last relict, in India, of a superstition which appears at one time to have been nearly universal, and which is by no means unnatural to an uncultured mind. The Ayeen Akbery relates that, in constructing it, the whole revenue of the Orissa was, for twelve years, entirely expended. The wall which surrounded the whole was said to be 150 cubits high, and 19 cubits thick. There were three entrances. At the eastern gate were two elephants, each with a man on his trunk; on the west were two figures of horsemen, completely armed; and, over the northern gate, were two tigers sitting upon two dead elephants; in front of the gate was a pillar of

black stone, of an octagonal form, fifty cubits high. On ascending nine flights of steps, you entered an extensive enclosure, where there was a large cupola, constructed of stone, and decorated with sculptures of the sun and stars, surrounded by a border, composed of a variety of human figures, some kneeling, some prostrate, with their faces on the earth, and some representing minstrels, as well as a number of imaginary animals. Of this splendid temple not a vestige is now to be found.

I need say nothing of the Indian Pyramids, except that, in many particulars, they resemble, in outward form, those of Egypt; but I must not leave this subject without noticing the pyramidal temples of Gadama, in the Burman empire. These are of solid brick-work, placed upon an elevated terrace. The base of a great pyramid is frequently encompassed by a double row of small ones, while its summit is terminated by an umbrella, made of iron bars, and formed into a kind of filigree work, adorned with bells. Many of these pyramids are from 300 to 500 feet high. In the larger temples, the umbrella, with at least the upper part, sometimes the whole of the pyramid, is entirely covered with gold. Dr Buchanan saw at Ava, an image of one block of pure alabaster, of so large a size that one of its fingers appeared about the length and thickness of a large man's thigh and leg. If this colossal image was tolerably proportioned, it must have been about 50 feet high.

In considering the amazing toil and ingenuity which, in distant ages, have been expended for the sake of religion, in the extensive regions of the British dominions in India, it is melancholy to reflect that these exertions were made, not in support of truth, but of falsehood; not for the real interests and advancement of the human mind, but for riveting the chains of ignorance, superstition, and vice. It was the triumphant work of the powers of darkness. The extent of this malignant influence never appears so tremendous or appalling, as when men are persuaded willingly to labour for their

own enthralment, and to forge the chains which are to bind degradation on their souls. These remarks may be extended to the whole history of antiquity, as connected with architecture, but it comes more home to the bosoms of Britons, in looking at India, than any other quarter of the globe. If, for the emancipation of that important and interesting portion of the globe, from this spiritual tyranny, but half the pains had been taken in these more enlightened times, which, in a dark and fanciful age, were employed for their mental subjugation, what a glorious revolution might have been effected. Assuredly on Christian Britain this obligation lies; or rather to Britain this high privilege belongs. It was not for the mere secular aggrandizement of this highly favoured country, that one hundred and thirty millions of men at the farthest extremity of the world, have been cast on her protection; nor can she acquit herself of the honourable task thus imposed, till the sound of the gospel be echoed from shore to shore over those wide spread plains, and from the pagoda and the mosque, converted into Christian churches, the glad tidings of salvation be borne into the hearts of the people. And the work is begun already: The barriers erected by the distinctions of caste are giving way on every side: The old superstitions are retiring before the increasing light, like the phantoms of darkness at the break of day. Our missionaries are intelligent, zealous, and successful. Their preaching is with the demonstration of the Spirit and of power." But while the harvest truly is ripe, the labourers are few. Let us pray that God may be pleased to send more labourers into his harvest.

TENTH WEEK-WEDNESDAY.

ARCHITECTURE.-ITS ANCIENT HISTORY AND PRACTICE-CENTRAL ASIA-TOWER OF BABEL, OR TEMPLE OF BElus.

*

ON Mount Ararat, in Central Asia, the ark rested which saved the remnant of living beings from the ravages of the Universal Deluge. It was, therefore, in this region that the renovated world was first peopled, and from this, as their common centre, the human race diverged to store the earth with intelligent beings. We should, therefore, look here especially for the earliest specimens of architectural ingenuity and labour; and, in fact, there is at least one remnant of the remotest antiquity in this locality. I allude to what is believed to be the ruined Tower of Babel. On the Plain of Shinar vestiges of this extraordinary edifice, which is connected with so remarkable an era in the history of the human race, are still to be traced. It was, in many a succeeding age, used as a temple of Belus,† the Baal of Scripture, and was, according to the testimony of ancient

* For much of the information contained in this, and some subsequent papers, I am indebted to the indefatigable and judicious labours of Dr Keith, in his excellent work on "Fulfilled Prophecy," a careful perusal of which I earnestly recommend to the youthful student.

In the very short account of the building of the Tower of Babel, which we find in Scripture, the intentions of the builders are, in our translation, rendered in these words, " And they said, go to, let us build us a city, and a tower whose top may reach into heaven, and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad, upon the face of the whole earth," (Gen xi. 40.) The words in italics are not in the original. This clause of the verse, literally rendered, would be, "A tower whose top unto heaven." Some ingenious critics have supposed that the meaning of these obscure words was, that the top of the tower should be devoted to the worship of heaven, or of the sun, the god of heaven. If this criticism do not seem to be overstrained, it will remove much difficulty from the passage, and correspond with what history records of the subsequent use of this immense fabric. The confusion of tongues will then appear to be a judgment on mankind for deserting the worship of the true God.

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