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influence, reason says, “ Thou must give thy first¬ 
born for thy transgression—the fruit of thy body for 
the sin of thy soul.” Revelation interposes with the 
injunction*—“ Thou shalt not kill;” proving, that 
with such sacrifices God is not well pleased. 
How long the custom of exposing their children to 
certain destruction has existed in Madagascar, is not 
recordedbut it is the most dreadful of all the evils 
that superstition has entailed upon that island, and is 
the true reason why it is so thinly inhabited, although 
one of the largest and most fertile islands in the world. 
The condemnation of these little innocents is deter¬ 
mined by the Ombiasses, who, for private emolument, 
contemplate the aspect of the planets at the time of 
* It is, however, hardly a question, we presume, whether the 
idea of sacrificing children was first suggested by the circum¬ 
stance (recorded in the 22d chapter of Genesis) of Abraham’s 
intended sacrifice of Isaac, in obedience to the command of 
God: but the adoption of it as a precedent, shows how little 
reason alone can do for us, in discerning the will of God. One 
great inference to be drawn from that extraordinary history is, that 
such unnatural sacrifices are totally uncalled for on our part, 
and are in direct opposition to the divine will. The main object 
undoubtedly was, to typify the sacrifice of Christ, by shewing that 
such a sacrifice was necessary, in order to put away sin:—The 
second object, that it is not the province of man to make such a 
sacrifice ; and Abraham appears to have referred to this, when 
he said, “ God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering:” 
as if the Almighty had said, “ I have now tried thy faith, 
and found it equal to the most difficult occasion. Behold at 
hand, an inferior animal for sacrifice; and learn from hence, 
that while I have created these for thy use, the life of thine own 
species is not required of thee; for no sacrifice of thine, which 
involves its destruction, is acceptable to me.” 
