unleavened bread, it follows, that he did not eat it till after those two days; that is, at the time when the disciples knew it was to be eaten according to the law.

3dly, The day following our Saviour's eating the passover was a feast-day; for Barabbas, it is said, was released at the feast, Matt. xxvii. 15, 26; Mark xv. 6, 15. Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread, in which a holy convocation was held, was the day after the eating the passover, Lev. xxiii. 4, et seq.

4thly, As Christ was “ made under the law," which continued in full force till after his resurrection, He could not have kept the passover the day before the law prescribed it; nor before the rest of the Jews observed it, according to their interpretation of the law, without their censure, which He does not appear to have incurred; nor can it be imagined his disciples would have come to Him with that question, "Where wilt thou that we prepare to eat the passover ?" before the time which the law appointed, or which was usual for eating it.

5thly, The paschal lamb could not be slain, except "in the place which God had chosen to put his name there," Deut. xvi. 6; that is, in the tabernacle or temple. Now it cannot be supposed that the priests would have killed the paschal lamb for our Lord, or have suffered it to have been killed in the temple, before the day which the law prescribed; namely, the fourteenth day of the month Nisan, when they killed it for all the people, or before the day which was observed according to their rules of interpreting the law.

These reasons seem to prove unanswerably, that Christ eat the passover at the usual time, when the rest of the Jews did. Let us then inquire, how the passages alleged to the contrary are to be understood..

1. Bishop Kidder, and Lightfoot

and Whitby, are of opinion, that the supper spoken of in the thirteenth chapter of St. John was not the passover, but another supper at Bethany some nights before; but the contrary is proved by Dr. Doddridge and Dr. Guyse. As for the phrase "before the feast of the passover," ver. 1, it needs only to be understood to mean before the feast began, or before they sat down to supper; and δειπνε γενομενε, which, in our version, is " supper being ended," ver. 2, may be better rendered " supper being come." Πρωίας γενομένης, signifies “when morning was come," John xxi. 4; ημερας γενομένης, "when day was come," Acts xii. 18; xvi. 35; aɩyns γενομενης, "when silence was made," chap. xxi. 40.

As to Judas buying things against the feast, it is easy to be understood of the sacrifices, and whatever they would need to celebrate the ensuing festival, or the feast of unleavened bread.

2. The passage in the eighteenth chapter of St. John, relating to the solicitude which the Jews expressed, not to be defiled on the day of our Lord's crucifixion, in order that they might eat the passover, ver. 28, may be understood of the sacrifices which were offered on the feast of unleavened bread, otherwise called the passover.

3. As for the παρασκευή το πασχα, or preparation of the passover spoken of in the nineteenth chapter of St. John, ver. 14, as being the day of our Lord's crucifixion, it signifies the preparation for the paschal Sabbath, or the Sabbath which fell in the paschal week, and was observed with some peculiar solemnity; for it was esteemed to be as it is expressly styled, ver. 31, "an high day," or the great day of the feast.

It may be doubtful whether those readers who have been accustomed to speak of the slaying of the paschal lamb and the crucifixion of our Lord as synchronous, not only as to the hour but the day,

will think these arguments for the contrary opinion convincing; but at least they deserve consideration before the reverse is maintained either in conversation or the pulpit. On points like these it is not so material that we should satisfy our minds either for the nega

tive or the affirmative, as that we should forbear citing as a fact what we are not reasonably assured is such, for the sake of some inference, however pleasing or useful, that we purpose to ground upon it. A. B. C.

Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer. In the introduction to my former paper, on some of the elementary principles of language in general, I suggested that the language of signs and gestures, as employed in the instruction of the deaf and dumb, might be usefully employed as an auxiliary in the intercourse of Christian missionaries with the heathen. I now send you my thoughts somewhat at large on the subject, only premising, as in my former paper, in order to prevent misconception, that I consider signs and gestures, merely as auxiliary to the acquisition of oral language, and not as a substitute for it. In this subordinate capacity, as before remarked, its employment appears to me useful and important; for should my theory prove true, what a vast field is there for its practical application among the tribes of our fellow-men who have no written or printed language, but to whom every Christian mind must be deeply anxious to convey, not only every species of useful secular information, but, above all, the knowledge of" the only true God, and of Jesus Christ whom he hath sent !"

ignorant of the English language that he could not express in it his most common wants. The prin cipal of the asylum invited the stranger to spend an evening within its walls, and introduced him to Mr. Laurent Clerc, the celebrated deaf-and-dumb pupil of the Abbé Sicard, and at that time an assist ant teacher in the asylum. The object of this introduction was, to ascertain to what extent Mr. Clerc, who was entirely ignorant of the Chinese language, could conduct an intelligible conversation with the foreigner, by signs and gestures merely. The result of the experiment surprised all who were present. Mr. Clerc learned from the Chinese many interesting facts respecting the place of his nativity, his parents and their family, his former pursuits in his own country, his residence in the United States, and his notions concerning God and a future state. By the aid of appropriate signs, also, Mr. Clerc ascertained the meaning of about twenty Chinese words. When the conversation began, the stranger appeared to be bewildered with amazement at the novel kind of language that was addressed to him. Soon, however, he became deeply interested in the very ex

LIARY TO THE CHRISTIAN MIS-
SIONARY.

In the summer of 1818, a Chinese young man passed through Hartford, Connecticut, in which place there is an asylum for the education of the deaf and dumb. He was so

which Mr. Clerc used to make himself understood; and, before one hour had expired, a very quick and lively interchange of thought took place between these so lately entire strangers to each other. The Chinese himself began to catch the

spirit of his new deaf-and-dumb acquaintance, and to employ the language of the countenance and gestures with considerable effect to make himself understood.

About a year afterwards the principal of the asylum visited Cornwall, a small village in Connecticut, where upwards of twenty heathen youths are receiving edu cation under the patronage of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. With the consent of the principal of that institution, the principal of the asylum one evening gathered round him several of these interesting strangers, from the islands of the South Sea, and from different tribes of the North-American Indians. The object of the interview was, to ascertain how far a conversation could be conducted with them merely by signs and gestures. The result was similar to that in the case of Mr. Clerc's intercourse with the Chinese. Questions were proposed to them on a variety of topics relating to their own individual history and that of their families, to the state of manners and morals in their respective countries, and to their early religious knowledge. For example, Thomas Hoopoo, a native of Owhyhee, was asked if his parents were living; how many brothers and sisters he had; when he left his native shores; whether his countrymen worshipped idols, and sacrificed human victims; how the women were treated by the men; what was the climate of his country; what its productions; with many inquiries of a similar nature, all of which he well comprehended, and to many of which he replied by signs. The meaning, too, of a number of Owhyhean words was ascertained by signs merely, and found to correspond with the import which had been previously assigned to them in a dictionary which had been for some time preparing in the school; and indeed, in a variety of instances, the most correct meaning of such words was established, by the CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 298.

medium of signs, in a more satisfactory way than had been previously attempted. Throughout this conversation the heathen youths appeared to take a deep interest, and to have a peculiar aptitude, both in comprehending the signs which were proposed to them, and in inventing such as were necessary for a reply.

On the testimony of several of the South-Sea islanders, it ap peared, that not a few of the signs employed in the instruction of the deaf and dumb, are precisely the same which their countrymen use to supply the deficiency of, or to give emphasis to, their own comparatively barren language;—a fact which had indeed been anticipated, from the singular circumstance so often observed by the teachers of the deaf and dumb among their pupils, that mutes who meet for the first time are able to understand each other fully on many common topics; the Author of nature having laid the foundation in the very constitution of our species, and in the structure and processes of the visible creation, for a uni versal expression of the same ideas, on a vast variety of subjects, by similar signs.

Now, I would ask, can the Christian philosopher make any important practical use of these singular and interesting phenomena ? In this age of wonderful experiment may they not furnish data from which successful principles may be derived and applied with reference to the instruction of those heathen nations who have no written or printed language? May not this curious language of signs and gestures be made subservient to the speedy acquisition of the oral language of such a people by the Christian missionary, or to the communication to them of his own language, or to their mutual intercourse with each other, not only on ordinary but on the most momentous topics, even while they are entirely ignorant of each other's 4 G

spoken language? Who that is acquainted with the propensity of all rude nations to use signs and hieroglyphic symbols in their intercourse with each other, and in the preservation of their simple historical annals; or who, that has read the narratives of voyagers who have discovered unknown islands or countries; and the great difficulties they have to encounter in their intercourse with the natives, and the continual necessity which they mutually feel of resorting to signs and gestures, when every other expedient has failed, can deem it an expectation too sanguine to be indulged, that a knowledge of that matured and systematized language of signs and gestures which is employed in unfolding the latent intellectual and moral powers of one part of our species who are deprived of the organs of hearing, and consequently of the power of speech, might be employed with equal success among that other part of our species who are deaf to the words of our language, and who are dumb to us in attempting to make us understand the import of theirs? To sum up this inquiry in a few words, Of what use would the language of signs and gestures be to the missionary who is sent to a heathen people, possessing only an oral language of which he is entirely ignorant, while they are equally ignorant of his ?

In solving this inquiry, two undeniable positions may be premised; the one, that it is quite practicable to convey by the countenance, signs, and gestures, the import not only of all the terms employed to denote the various objects of nature and art, and the multifarious business and concerns of common life, but also those relating to the process of abstraction and generalization, to the passions and emotions of the heart, and to the powers and faculties of the understanding, or, in other words, that the language of the countenance, signs, and gestures, is an accurate, signi

ficant, and copious medium of thought. The other, that instances have occurred in the instruc. tion of the deaf and dumb, in which, in the space of two years, five thousand words have been taught several intelligent pupils, who were previously entirely ignorant of them, and of all language, excepting that of their own natural signs, together with a command of written language*, which would place them on an equality, with regard to the expression of their ideas, with the most intelligent persons among those heathen nations who have nothing but an oral language.

Keeping these positions in mind, let us proceed to the examination of our subject. Let us suppose a missionary to be landed on one of the islands of the Pacific Ocean, for the purpose of conveying to the minds of its inhabitants the interesting truths of the Gospel. They are entirely ignorant of the English language, and the missionary is supposed to be as ignorant of their's. It is in vain for him to begin with putting a grammar or dictionary of his tongue into their hands, and they cannot furnish him with one of their's. Words either of his or their language must first be learned before they can advance a single step in their intercourse with each other. Under these circumstances the missionary's first attempt will naturally be to learn the language of the island. How is he to do this? He points to the most common objects, and inquires their names; thus he may easily learn the names of every thing which immediately addresses itself to some one of the senses. In all this he learns nothing by the ear,

be more absurd and unnatural, than the Written language; for nothing can quackery of making deaf mutes attempt to articulate oral language,-a practice still retained, for the emolument of individuals Britain and Ireland, long after it has in some of the institutions of Great been exploded by every philosophic mind throughout the world?

excepting indeed the names of the mere sounds of animals, or of nature, or of music: besides these, all his knowledge of this part of the vocabulary of the island is obtained through the medium of the eye. True, the name, or arbitrary sign, for these various objects is an oral one; but this is quite a different thing from the import of this sign, which might as well have been expressed by an appropriate gesture, or by the manual alphabet of the deaf and dumb, or by written cha

racters.

But let us advance a step farther. These objects which are addressed to the senses are not always accessible. He may have forgotten the name of an animal, a tree, a fruit, or an utensil, and may wish to have it repeated. The object must be found, before its name can be revived. But were the missionary familiar with the language of signs, and a little practice would make the native equally so, without stirring from the shade of the tree under which they are conversing, they can, in imagination, gather round them all the objects of the visible world, and fix their names in the memory. These signs, too, being actual portraits of the objects, serve more easily to recal them when the arbitrary sound which denotes them may have escaped from the recollection.

But this is comparatively the least important part of the labour of the missionary. He now wishes to learn the terms which denote the most common actions and affections of the body; for instance, to eat, to drink, to walk, to run, to ride, to sleep. Must he wait till he and the native see some person engaged in these actions; or shall he make a sign descriptive of them? The sign would be easily understood, and the name settled. In this respect he gains

no

new knowledge by the car; whatever he learns is acquired by the eye. He and his companion

are as it were DEAF AND DUMB.

He next is anxious to learn the words which denote some of the familiar occupations of life, perhaps to boil, to bake, to cut, to kindle a fire, to build a hut. Must he go where these processes are actually in progress? He needs not, if he is familiar with the language of signs and gestures. He describes a kettle by signs; he places the wood beneath it; he fills it with water; he kindles the fire; he pourtrays the bubbling of the water; he dips his finger into it, and draws it out suddenly, as if it were scalded. He has before learned the name of water, and what do you call this bubbling water, he inquires; this water which burns my finger? The reply furnishes him with the name he sought, and a sign is also established for the act of boiling, which may be profitably used in various other instances. And in a similar way he may acquire the meaning of all the other terms, descriptive of common transactions. Still it is his eye which teaches him, and not his ear. He is still, as well as his companion, practically DEAF

AND DUMB. The various emotions of the heart, the foundation, let it be remembered, of all moral and religious instruction, perhaps next demand the attention of our missionary. He may utter the words love and hate ten thousand times, and ask as often of the islander what are the corresponding terms in his language, but to no purpose. A mother passes who is caressing her infant with parental tenderness, and two friends soon follow her, who are exhibiting, by their looks and conversation, the emotion of attachment. Now he has something upon which to fix the attention of the native, and inquires by what term he denotes this feeling. The eye, not the ear, is still the medium of intercourse. But he might have pourtrayed a woman by appropriate signs, and the infant whom she caresses, and the friends who were conversing together, without wait