of the Commandments themselves, as given on Mount Sinai. With him, the observations of the Sabbath did not consist in mere outward for ms, or simply in attendance on public worship; the private and family exercises of religion were, in his estimation, of no less importance, and not less essential to its right observance. Such passages as, all that the Redeemer has done and suffered for us, by hating and avoiding it in all its degrees and under all its forms. In an especial manner, let us beware of slumbering on in a course of vicious indulgence or of profane ungodliness, and deluding ourselves all the while with unwarranted hopes of the Divine mercy. For it clearly appears, from the mysterious fact of the Redeemer's agony, that the justice of God'If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabis equally infinite with any of His other attributes; that it is most urgent and peremptory in its demands; and that it will compel the strict fulfilment of every tittle of the law, both in its letter and in its spirit, both in its precepts and in its sanctions. Happy are they who derive instruction from the warning lessons of Scripture, and are taught by them to forsake every sinful practice-to pray for the renewing influence of the Holy Spirit and to aim, with unceasing diligence, after the moral perfection of the Christian character. To be continued. N. HOW AN OLD DIVINE OBSERVED WE cannot but here notice particularly his strict observation of the Lord's day. This was a marked feature in his character. He had none of those lax notions in regard to Sabbath sanctification, which prevail so much in the present day, not only among men of the world, but among many professors of religion. He was never able to bring himself to believe that nine out of the Ten Commandments, given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai with so much solemnity, were of moral and permanent obligation, but that the other-that in reference to the Sabbath -was little better than a mere Judaical institution, and that its observation, under the Christian dispensation, was little more than a matter of expediency, and that man might cut and carve upon it just as suited his dispositions or convenience. Though he would, no doubt, admit that there were precepts in the laws of Moses, in reference to the Sabbath, which had a special reference to the Israelites, just as there were precepts in reference to some other parts of the Decalogue, which were peculiar to them; yet he did not consider that these affected the substance and spirit bath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father,' and 'I was in the spirit on the Lord's day' (understanding these words as expressive of a spiritual state of mind), he considered as showing the manner in which the Sabbath should still be observed. To talk of worldly matters, of the public news, or common occurrences, or even of the external affairs of the Church, he considered sinful; and as he would not allow himself, in saying or doing what he deemed inconsistent with Sabbath sanctification, he endeavoured to restrain all within his house from such practices. His views and practice, in regard to the Sabbath, were of a truly spiritual nature; and, while we are persuaded of their Scripturalness, they have also the recommendation of consistency throughout. Unless we draw a strong and marked line of demarcation between the Sabbath and the other six days of the week-such a line as is drawn in the Fourth Commandment— we shall find it difficult, if not impossible, to draw any line at all. If, for example, we may talk of worldly matters, or of common news, why may we not read the newspapers? And if the newspapers, why not history, ancient or modern, civil or ecclesiastical? And if history, why not works in philosophy, or works of imagination? In short, why not in the whole range of science and literature?—thus destroying all distinction between the Sabbath and the other days of the week. Of the importance and value of the Sabbath, he had a deep yet not too strong a conviction. Though the outward observance of it is no proof of inward piety, either in a nation or an individual, yet it is favourable to the production and cultivation of inward piety; while, on the other hand, the neglect of the Sabbath, if not a proof of the absolute want of piety in a nation or an individual, will generally be found to be an indication of a low state of piety, and will certainly lead to its still further decline. Of this, the state of religion among the nations of the Continent, Protestant as well as Popish, is a melancholy example.-Brown. MY JESUS. Mr Jesus, I on Thee do lean- Conduct me through this wilderness Unnumber'd snares around are spread; My Jesus, Thou'rt my All-in-All— And brave the tiger's foaming rage— Still trusting on the peerless power My Jesus, when the scorching sun Doth beat upon my fainting head, Thou dost refresh And soothe me with Thy verdant shade; My Jesus, when my spirits fail- Thou leadest me, with tenderest care, My Jesus, 'mid life's barren waste In life, in death, my only hope, My Jesus, in Thy sweet embrace Sustain me in Thy arms of love Say, 'Fear not, it is I.' Waft, waft me safe to yonder shore, D. J. SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATED BY SCIENCE. IT will not be denied, that modern Science has corrected the opinions of men in regard to very many natural phenomena. The same term that conveyed one idea to an ancient reader, or hearer, of the Bible, often conveys an opposite meaning to a modern ear. Yet that term may be very proper to use in modern times, if understood to express only apparent, and not real truth. The Jew understood it to mean the latter; and it would seem as if we might employ modern scientific discovery, to enable us to decide in which sense the Bible did use the term. For if we admit the Jew to have been correct in his interpretation, then we bring Revelation into direct collision with the demonstrations of Physics. But facts are vastly more satisfactory in deciding this question than reasoning; and I shall proceed to adduce some examples, in which modern scientific discovery has thrown light upon the meaning of the Bible. In the Book of Proverbs, it is said, 'As vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart.' We should expect from this statement, that when we put vinegar upon what we call nitre, it would produce some commotion analagous to the excitement of song-singing. But we should try the experiment in vain; for no effect whatever would be produced. Again, it is said by the Prophet Jeremiah, "Though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord.' Here, too, we should expect that the use of the nitre would increase the purifying power of the soap; but the experiment would prove rather the reverse. The chemist, however, informs us that there is a substance, These gentle words would swell my heart- namely, the carbonate of soda, which, if A glow of thrilling joy impart To every string. My Jesus, through life's chequer'd path When Jordan's swelling water's roar, substituted for the nitre, would effervesce with vinegar, and aid the purifying power of soap; and thus strikingly illustrate the thought both of Solomon and Jeremiah. And on recurring to the Original, we find that the Hebrew term-'nether,' nitrum, natron-does not necessarily mean the salt which we call nitre, but rather a fossil alkali, the natron of the ancients, and the carbonate of soda of the moderns. Next, It is probably the prevailing opinion among intelligent Christians at this time, and has been the opinion of many Commentators, that when Peter describes the future destruction of the world, he means that its solid substance, and indeed that of the whole material universe, will be utterly consumed or annihilated by fire. This opinion rests upon the common belief, that such is the effect of combustion. But chemistry informs us, that no case of combustion, how fiercely soever the fire may rage, annihilates the least particle of matter; and that fire only changes the form of substances. Nay, there is no reason whatever to suppose, that one particle of matter has been annihilated since the world began. The chemist, moreover, asserts, that all the solid parts of the globe have already undergone combustion, and that although heat may melt them, it cannot burn them. Nor is there any thing upon or within the earth capable of combustion, but vegetables, and animals, and a few gases. Has Peter, then, made a mistake, because he did not understand modern chemistry? We have only to examine his language carefully, in order to be satisfied that he means only, that whatsoever upon, or with, the earth, is combustible, will be burned up at the final conflagration; and that the whole globe, 'the elements, will melt with fervent heat.' He nowhere asserts, or implies, that one particle of matter will be annihilated by that catastrophe. Thus science, instead of proving his statements to be erroneous, only enables us more correctly to understand them. Again, Scarcely any truth seems more clearly taught in the Bible than the future resurrection of the body. Yet, this doctrine has always been met by a most formidable objection. It is said that the body laid in the grave is ere long decomposed into its elements, which are scattered over the face of the earth, and enter into new combinations, even forming a part of other human bodies. Hence, not even Omnipotence can raise from the grave the identical body laid there, because the particles may enter, successively, into a multitude of other human bodies. I am not aware that any successful reply has ever been given to this objection, until chemistry and natural history taught us the true nature of bodily identity; and until recently the objector has felt sure that he had triumphed. But these sciences teach us, that the identity of the body consists, not in a sameness of particles, but in the same kinds of elementary matter, combined in the same proportion, and having the same form and structure. Hence, it is not necessary that the resurrection body should contain a single particle of the matter laid in the grave, in order to be the same body; which it will be if it consist of the same kinds of matter combined in the same proportions, and has the same form and structure. For the particles of our bodies are often totally changed during our lives; yet no one imagines that the old man has not the same body as in infancy. What but the principles of Science could have thus vindicated a precious doctrine of Revelation? In the description which Paul gives of the spiritual body, a naturalist (and I fancy no one but a naturalist) will discover its specific identity. By this I mean, that it will possess peculiarities that distinguish it from every thing else, but which are so closely related to the characteristics of the natural body in this world, from which it was derived, that one acquainted with the latter would recognise the former. Hence the Christian's friends may be recognised by him in another world by their external characters, just as we identify the plants and animals of spring with those that seemed to perish in the preceding autumn. Another example may be taken from meteorology. It was the opinion of the ancients, that the earth, at a certain height, was surrounded with a transparent sphere of solid matter, which they called the firmament. When rain descended, they supposed it was through windows, or holes, made in this crystalline curtain suspended in mid heaven. To these notions the language of the Bible is frequently conformed. In the account of the creation, in Genesis, we have a description of the formation of this firmament, and how it divided the waters below it, namely, the ocean, lakes, and rivers, from the waters above it, namely, the clouds. Again, in the account of the deluge, the windows of heaven are said to have been opened. But it is hardly thou wilt be afraid to apply to Him, and to make use of His strength; and till thou dost use it, all thy enemies will triumph over thee. O, then, beg of God to increase thy faith, that thou mayest be fully convinced of thy union with Christ, and mayest live in Him safe, and on Him happy. Hear and read His Word, and pray for the effectual working of the Lord the Spirit in thee, and that faith may finally settled without doubt or wavering, come and grow by hearing, until it be that Christ is thine, and thou art His. FAITH. necessary to say, that meteorology has shown that no such solid firmament exists over our heads; that, in fact, nothing but one homogeneous, transparent, atmosphere encloses the earth, in which the clouds float at different altitudes at different times. Are we then to suppose, that the Sacred Writers meant to teach as certain truth, the fiction of a solid firmament? Or, that on this subject they conformed their language to the prevailing belief, because it was not their object to teach philosophy, meaning neither to assert nor deny the existence of a solid firmament, but using language that was optically, although not physically, correct, and which, therefore, conformed to the general belief? It is doubtful whether any thing but scientific discovery could enable us to decide this question. But, since it is certain that the solid firmament does not exist, we must admit that the Bible did not intend to teachings freely given to him in Christ, and its existence, or allow it to teach a falsehood; and since we know that it does often speak, in natural things, according to apparent, and not real truth, it is most reasonable to give such a construction to its language in the present instance.-Hitch cock. THE CABINET. 'GROUNDED IN THE FAITH.' REARDER! if thou art an awakened person, convinced of sin by the Word and Spirit of God, all thy enemies will try to keep thee from the clear knowledge of thy union with Christ. The reason is plain: because then thou wilt not be able to depend upon Christ's promised strength, and to make use of it by faith, which is almighty to defeat them all. Hearken not, therefore, to any suggestion, nor be afraid of any opposition, which would hinder thee from seeking to be fully convinced of thy interest in Christ, and of thy being a branch in the True Vine. Satan will use all his wiles and fiery darts, and all carnal professors will be on his side, and they will have close allies in thy own heart, in thy unbelief, in thy legal spirit, and in thy corruptions. Consider, why do these enemies fight so hard against thy being safely settled, and comfortably grounded on Christ by living faith? Is it not, because thou wilt then be an overmatch for them, through the strength of Jesus? And does not this plainly show thee the absolute necessity of knowing, that Christ and thou are one? Till this be known, THERE are two things spoken of faith in Scripture, which highly deserve the attenstate of safety, in which he is placed by tion of every true believer. The first is, a Christ, and is delivered from every evil and danger in time and eternity, to which sin had justly exposed him. The second is, the happiness of this state, consisting in an abundant supply of all spiritual bless Every received as they are wanted, by the hand OBLIGATIONS TO THE BIBLE. OUR knowledge of those unseen objects, God and eternity, however limited and superficial, compared to what it might be, yet, compared with the dim and deformed notions of the heathen, is open vision: compared even with the clearest and loftiest discoveries of human philosophy, it is so; for the world, even by wisdom, 'knew not God.' Infidel philosophers may boast of sitting at the feet of Plato and Socrates; but if Plato and Socrates were the men they are said to have been, and alive now, they would give their own palm to a welleducated child in a Sunday-School. mean, in matters of religion: for such ideas I as, God is love—God is a Father-God is just, and yet a Saviour, never dawned upon their mighty minds, as facts or conjectures. This, however, is the light in which God appears to us; in which we think and speak of Him. In some form or other, we are as familiar with the idea of His being a Father, as of His being a Judge. Why is this? To what are we indebted for this superior knowledge of God and eternity? The light of men on these subjects is now perfect day, compared with the brightest periods of the light of nature. created the difference? You are ready to say, the Bible. Revelation has unveiled What the true character of God: 'life and im mortality are brought to light by the Gospel.' All the true light in the world has shone from the Oracles of God. PROVIDENCE. JUST as a mother, with sweet pious face, Yearns towards her little children from her seat, Gives one a kiss, another an embrace; She learns their feelings, and their various will, To this a look, to that a word dispenses, And whether stern or smiling, loves them still; So providence for us, high, infinite, And e'en if it denies what seems our right, ETERNAL LIFE. THE promise of the gift of eternal life through Christ, was the light of our first parents, and of the first families of mankind. The religious knowledge which cheered and encouraged them in a world of sin and death, was not the lingering twilight of the sun which set in Eden, but the predicted rising of the Sun of Righteousness: was not what the first Adam recollected of God and glory, but the revelation of what the last Adam should do. Their lights shone, not from the wrecks of the Eden Economy, nor from a new system of laws; but from the promise of eternal life by Christ. THE RESISTING SINNER. WHAT a horrid spectacle is a careless man ! The Father beseeching; the Son bleeding; the Spirit striving; and yet the sinner resisting, and smiling at the ease with which he can take the matter. Heaven open in all its glory; hell uncovered in all its gloom; and yet the sinner standing as unmoved, as if he were an idiot, or 'HE ordaineth His arrows against the persecutors:' He makes His arrows burning. It was customary in sieges to wrap combustible matter round arrows, and to shoot them when kindled. To this custom there is an obvious allusion in the following expression of the Apostle Paul: 'Wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.' THE heart, like a watch, will be apt to go down; and, therefore, must be ever and anon wound up by prayer and meditation. A TRUE saint is a divine landscape, where all the true beauties of Christ are portrayed and drawn forth. HE that cannot forgive others, breaks down the bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man hath need to be forgiven. He is a wise man who learns from every one; he is powerful who governs his passions; and he is rich who is content. LOVELINESS of heart is real dignity, and humility is the brightest jewel in the Christian's crown. OPPORTUNITY is the flower of time; and as the stalk may remain when the flower is cut off, so time may remain with us when opportunity is gone. THE flower of Christian graces grows only under the shade of the cross, and the root of them all is humility. HE is the safest who is farthest from danger: gunpowder must not stand near the fire. defend it against many temptations to STATED times are a hedge to duty, and omission. GOD hears the heart, though without words; but He never hears words without the heart. THOMAS GRANT, PRINTER, EDINBURGH. |