taught to look upon the animal appearances exhibited to his view, as representatives of the Gentile Nations; but we have no reason to believe he learned any thing by this vision respecting killing cattle, or eating flesh; or that he was intended to derive any such instruction from the vision.—Peter in common with the rest of the Jews, was prejudiced against the Gentiles; by this vision his prejudice was corrected, for after it he went in to eat sacramentally with men that were uncircumcised, on their becoming Christians,— God having in this way taught him so to do. The rendering of the language to Peter is "Rise Peter consecrate and eat."
"O mortals! from the flesh of beasts abstain,
Nor taint your bodies with a food profane;
While coin and pulse by nature are bestowed,
And planted orchards bend their willing load;
While labored gardens wholesome herbs produce,
And teeming vines afford their gen'rous juice;
Nor tardier fruits of cruder kind are lost,
But tamed by heat or mellowed by the frost:
While kine to pails distended udders bring,
And bees their honey redolent of Spring:
While earth not only pan your needs supply,
Put, lavish of her store, provides for luxury;
A guiltless feast administers with ease,
And without blood, is prodigal to please."
It will also be objected, especially in regard to fish, that our Saviour led the multitude with loaves and fishes; that he ate of a broiled fish and a honey-comb, and that several of his disciples were fishermen. To this we reply with all possible brevity. First, that there are various sorts of fishermen, as pearl fishers, coral fishers, fishers of sub-marine and water-plants of various kinds as well as of the living or animal fish; and secondly, that the term used for fish in the Gospel does not mean fish in its common acceptation. Parkhurst, in his Greek Lexicon says, and his authority will be duly respected, "It seems not very natural to understand the Greek Word opsarion, (John xxi 9) as sig-
