earnest prayer and holy expectation by the means of the ordinary and standing means of grace. Is this to keep a feast unto the Lord? Again, have not many who have professed to observe these days, done so partially and with some reluctance. They have been unwilling to lose reputation in a matter supported by general consent; but they have been backward also to uphold it with the full force of their example. It has indeed been seriously and frequently maintained, that it is impossible for men in business to consecrate a whole day to such purposes. Thus the poor have been left to become poorer still in giving the day to the Lord, while the rich have managed dextrously to balance the interests of the Exchange with those of the Sanctuary, so that at least no temporal engagement might suffer. This

has gone so far, that the arrangements of the day have been made subservient to it. The prime of it has been given up to worldly pursuits; and the early and closing portions of it only given to its avowed purposes. The consequences may readily be seen. Apart from lowering the importance and solemnity of the engagement altogether, the day, which should be eminently one of calm and deliberate reflection, becomes one of more than common haste and bustle. The merchant hastens to an early prayer-meeting, and hastens also to leave it. He expresses a hope that it will not be protracted beyond a certain hour, for otherwise he will be too late for his morning letters. The ministers engaging are not perhaps prepared to consider the importance of his claims, and the service runs on beyond the time he has assigned His mind is restless: when he is released, he hastens to re

to it.

deem what has been lost; he plunges into the full tide of commercial occupations; rescues himself from it as the day closes; joins his family; partakes the usual meal; hastens again to the Sanctuary, and unites in its solemn services with sentiments similar to what he would possess in the ordinary weekly Lecture. Is this to keep a day unto the Lord? Is this to keep it as our Fathers (of blessed memory) kept it?

say

Let it not be said, that this is stated without sufficient allowance to the real difficulties with which men of business have to contend. It is readily allowed that there are many difficulties, and that occasionally they are insurmountable. But generally, it is maintained, in a full view of the case, that these difficulties are not impracticable, but may be dealt with and disposed of under the force of ordinary resolution. Do not these very persons manage to give whole weeks to recreation? Are any so immersed in business as not to rescue some days in the year, and devote them to pleasure? Who shall that there is any thing like an impossibility in the way of dedicating a single day to the high purposes of devotion? In ordinary circumstances, then, the ground must be abandoned; and the plea must resolve itself into nothing better than disinclination. The writer is persuaded, from what he has seen, that it is better not to observe the day at all, than to observe it thus partially and in haste. The intention is to separate us wholly from the world, and to raise us to a fresh and higher tone of religious feeling; and if we do blend the claims of the world with its solemnities, we do a violence to our habits and conscience, from which it may be hard to recover. Το trifle with ordinary means is suffi

ciently evil, but to trifle with extraordinary means is still worse; it is to place ourselves in the condition of a man who has tried the best remedies, and whose disease has united their influence.

Finally-may not our past exercises on these otherwise delightful occasions become to us a copious source of humiliation. That so few have attended these services in comparison with the numbers who had the opportunity; that so many who have attended them have done so with such partial interest, and defective motives; and that those who have given them their best attention, have not profited more abundantly; is surely cause for present abasement and confusion. Our holy things condemn us, "Our prayers need praying over again, and our very tears need washing in the atoning blood of our Saviour."

Then, as to the present time, it may be said, without the fear of starting objection, that our circumstances are such as to make a special service eminently necessary and deeply interesting.

Our country is placed in a most critical situation. Questions of the deepest moment are now in agitation, which, as they shall be determined, will have a conservative or ruinous influence on the whole frame of society. MeanMeantime, there is reason to fear that our sins may provoke the hand of Providence to dispose of them rather in judgment than mercy. Its direction is not sought, and it may justly be withheld. Our Sabbaths are daringly profaned; the name of God insulted and blasphemed; the common decencies of life are outraged; the incendiary has carried the fire-brand into his neighbour's possession, and destroyed the bread of life; vice has assumed new and monstrous appearances,

and man has slain his brother-man, not in revenge for injury, but in cold blood, and for a morsel of bread. The whole frame and form of society is shaken, and all things are out of place. Luxury and penury, intemperance and want, oppression and resentment, infidelity and fanaticism, indifference and presumption, are found together, but are found in conflict. The hand of God is evidently stretched out over the land, that we may see it and take warning! Distress has pressed heavily on every class of society, and dried up the resources of industry, while pestilence, like a spectre of death, stands on our shores, only waiting to be let loose to destroy a people too well prepared for destruction. Alas for the land! it mourneth, but not after a godly sort. It is brought low, but it is in circumstance, not in humiliation.There are those indeed who pray for its salvation, and who support their prayer by strenuous exertions; but hitherto they have been inadequate to the occasion. The mighty and turbid tide of corruption rolls on to its destination, and all the efforts of all the good, seem only as the gentle rain from heaven falling on and slightly disturbing its surface, but neither changing its nature nor checking its force. "Is not this a time to call upon the Lord ?"

Holy Brethren! ye who are constrained to stand between the nation and her ruin, let us unite to keep a day unto the Lord, under the persuasion that a people's prayers may do more for their salvation than a people's counsels, since the one appeals only to human, the other to divine wisdom. us seek more of the spirit of prayer, that our prayers may assume the urgent character of our circumstances. Let us pray in faith and in

Let

hope, for there is much to encourage these graces, while there is every thing to promote unfeigned contrition. Let us mourn apart, and mourn together, for apart and together we have sinned. Let us make sacrifices, and show a readiness to dedicate the entire day to God, and not discourage others, by giving part to the church and part to the world. Let the merchant lay aside his merchandize, the scholar his books, the mechanic his handicraft, and the child his toys, and let us all appear before the Lord, acknowledging our sins in the dust, and by one consent let us offer, from innumerable congregations, our fervent believing prayer for ourselves, our country, and the world. Who can tell? the Lord may hear and turn-and forgive, for he is very pitiful and of great mercy.

Especially, let us desire that the proof of our sincerity and profit may be found in carrying out the yows and impressions of the day into future time. Let us see that the tone of principle and piety may not be relaxed; but that we may be more strong in the Lord to meet the crisis of the country, and to seek the redemption of the world. Let it be a time of inquisition for sin, and let every "easily besetting sin" be exposed and sacrificed at the foot of the cross. Let us take fresh hold of the righteousness of the Son of God, and, "as we live in the Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit" also.

Let us yield ourselves unto God, as alive from the dead," conscious that after all our professions we have not yet been entirely his. Let us resolve to oppose ourselves to vice of every form as the vicious themselves support it by day and by night, and with the whole soul. Let us sub

due extravagance by our sobriety; inflame indifference by our zeal; conciliate contention by our charity; and confound infidelity by a living exemplification of the power of God in the Gospel of his Son. Let us raise our protest every where against national iniquity, and insist that the slave be emancipated-that education be universal —that the poor find reward for their labour, and, that men be taught to "fear God," as well as to honour the king' Would God destroy a people in which such a church was found?

Above all, whatever may be the destinies of our land, let us habitually feel that we have interests dearer to us than any it can present to us, dear, unspeakably dear, as they are. Let us look steadily to the sanctity, the ingathering, and advancement of the Church amongst all people. Let us seek to be prepared to rise above local attachments and worldly advantages, so that, should the kingdoms of the earth perish, we may rejoice in that kingdom in whose dominion and blessedness there shall be no end. Fearful as the evils may be which we may be called to suffer, let us regard the evil as transitory, the good as permanent; and, by the strong perception of faith, let us steadfastly look to the period, so surely promised, in which the world of mankind shall be restored to the favour and enriched by the blessing of God.Thus shall we " dwell under the shadow of the Almighty," and He will"hide us in the secret of his pavilion!" Hackney.

A. R.*

It is quite certain that Dissenters as well as Churchmen have expressed their approbation of Dr. Blayney's labours on the text of the authorized version of the Bible. For instance, the late Dr. Edward Williams, who, both as a theological tutor and a divine, may be considered as writing from actual knowledge of the subject, has given the following opinion :

"For accuracy of printing, the Oxford edition of 1769, superintended by Dr. BLAYNEY, Regius Professor of Hebrew, at Oxford, is much esteemed. The valued correctness extends not merely to the text, but also to the contents of the chapters, the marginal renderings and references, chronological dates, &c."-(Christian Preacher, p. 415, ed. 1800.)

I state this, not with a view of proving that Dr. Blayney must be right; but to show the propriety of expecting that good reasons should be given before his exertions are set aside as of little value.

The writer of the remarks ob

serves:

"The instructions which Dr. Blayney received, ordered him to collate The folio edition of 1611.' Now it would appear from this, that the delegates imagined that the year 1611 only produced one edition. But when it is recollected that the new translation was to supply the wants of the whole community, the assertion I am about to make will appear very probable, that there were four, if not five distinct editions published, to meet the demands of the public in that year, besides other editions, bearing the dates of 1612 and 1613."

Surely, then, as these editions must have passed under the eyes of the translators themselves, the way to have obtained an accurate standard edition of the authorized version, would have been to have collated these early copies together; but I fear the Oxford doctors had no collection of early editions in their possession, or were forgetful, if not altogether ignorant of these facts."

What facts? We have had only surmises. But admitting, (what has not been proved,) that four or five editions were published in 1011, shall people who lived sixty years ago be lightly spoken of, because they were less knowing in that matter than ourselves?-Shall we, therefore, talk of what the Oxford Doctors of those days may have possessed or forgotten, or been ignorant of? The current opinion has lately been, that two