more given to him than understanding and will, commands, persuasions, invitations, and threatenings, with freedom of choice, in order to render him inexcusable, and therefore justly punishable for not believing the gospel. Both parties, unless, through ignorance and the imperfection of language, I do not comprehend their meaning, express themselves just as if man's obligation to conform all his thoughts, words, and actions to the Holy Law of God, was in some degree lessened by that blindness, stupidity, and indisposition to obedience, which is the effect of transgression. One party therefore speak of a remedial law, as if God had lowered the standard which he originally set to the actions of men, and as if He would be tyrannical in requiring men unceasingly to obey that law, which He required Adam to obey, i. e. if any of God's creatures impiously think themselves wiser than their Maker, by supposing they shall benefit themselves through transgressing His holy, just, and good commandment, then God must relax His requirements, and not expect from them all that which he did before. In other words, when through a depraved disposition and habit, we have rendered ourselves incapable of obeying the law of our Creator and Governor, then he ceases to have a claim to our obedience. The other party object to the election of individuals to faith, justification, and eternal life, as a doctrine contravening God's justice. What can they mean by this objection, but that since man is through his sinful nature and habit indisposed to do what God requires, therefore God is bound to remove this indisposition, before man can be accountable and punishable. If this be not meant, then they must acknowledge that when God removes this hindrance by regenerating any person, he performs a gracious act, that is, an act which God might, without any injustice done to his creature, have not performed. "Therefore hath He mercy on whom He will." Conceiving that these observations are not altogether undeserving of the perusal of your readers, and that they have some bearing on the object for which the Christian Guardian is published, I submit them to your judgment, and am, Mr. Editor, Yours, &c. EPHORUS TACITUS. IRISH CLERGY AND EDUCATION. DEAR SIR,-Ireland owes a debt of gratitude to England which she can never fully repay. Repeatedly has the distress of my countrymen been relieved promptly and munificently by British liberality; and-what should not be forgotten (however unfashionable it may appear to modern liberalism)-- Irish Romanists have been preserved from the horrors of starvation by English protestants. At this present moment another class of persons of a very different description, impelled by dire necessity has been obliged to seek relief-the clergy of the Established Church in Ireland;--and perhaps upon no occasion has the cry of distress been more cheerfully or kindly responded to. They deeply feel the sympathy which has reached them and their families in positive acts of kindness, by which many have been kept from enduring the pangs of actual want. To depict the distress of great numbers of them is beyond my power. This is not my object in penning this letter, and to do so would be quite unnecessary, for Christian benevolence is running in a deep and rapid stream, and it requires not a fresh stimulus. May all who have participated in it, be greatly humbled, and, under a grateful sense of the loving kindness of the Lord, be enabled to "fulfil the ministry which they have received of the Lord Jesus, and to testify the gospel of the grace of God." But what are all our losses and privations, as far as it respects temporal things, when put in competition with the establishment of a Board of Education, which, whatever may be said to the contrary, directly opposes the general and unrestricted circulation of God's word-the Bible; refuses aid to the Protestants, without a sacrifice of their principles; and altogether shuts out the poor Roman Catholics from the book, which, thousands of them are anxious to possess. Even this is not sufficient. We are now threatened with the removal of ten of our bishops, without even being asked a question upon the subject. Our judgments, our feelings, and our experience are alike disregarded. In this crisis, which is so awful and portentous, we would say to our brethren and friends in England, “PRAY FOR US." Pray that we may stand in the evil day against the assaults of every adversary. Pray that no terror may influence us to deny our Lord, and that no specious lure may induce us to betray the cause of truth. Pray that while we would "contend earnestly for the faith once delivered unto the saints," we may, upon all occasions, evince the patience and submission of those who serve a meek and lowly master, and are looking forward to "the glory which shall be revealed." Pray that our sufferings may be of the Lord's appointment, and not of our own procuring. Pray that while in the furnace, we may enjoy the presence of our Lord, and par take of his "comforts which can refresh" the most sorrowful soul. Pray that our faith, not standing in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God, may be found unto praise, and honour, and glory; so that those who thirst for the entire spoliation of our temporalities, and for the destruction of our church, may recognize in us the influence of "pure and undefiled religion." Pray that " patience may have its perfect work" in us, and that we may never render "evil for evil, nor railing for railing, but contrariwise, blessing." Pray for us that we may possess the love that casteth out fear and that with serenity of mind we may look down as from a lofty eminence upon the mists and exhalations of the valley which extends below, while we ourselves breathe a pure air, and enjoy the light of an unclouded sun. Pray that as our earthly props and stays are removed, we may lean with constancy upon the almighty arm of Jehovah; and remembering that we have no continuing city here, we may arise and depart' in spirit, denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following Jesus. Hitherto the Lord hath helped us," and as he is faithful and true, we have no reason to doubt of the continuance of his love; but "the flesh is weak," and in our weakness we feel solicitous that his 66 66 strength may be perfected." I would still urge the request upon the servants of Christ in England, that when they approach the throne of grace, whether in secret-in the family in the social circle-or in the congregation, they would remember their Irish brethren, who may truly be said to "sojourn in Mesech," and to "dwell in the tents of Kedar." Ps. cxx. 5. Ever your's, dear Sir, with true regard, PETER ROE. St. Mary's Glebe, Kilkenny, Review of Books. DISCOURSES ON THE SABBATH. BY RALPH WARDLAW, D. D. 12mo. Pp. 295. Glasgow, 1832. Nine THE REPORT of the Select Committee of the House of Commons, on the It is with peculiar satisfaction that we notice another production of Dr. Wardlaw. Of all the subjects on which his pen has been employed, to the edification and delight of the Christian public, we could not point to any one of more lively interest, and of deeper importance than that which stands at the head of this article. The due observance of the Sabbath lies at the root of every other Christian duty and privilege; the spirit in which its holy exercises are entered on, forms one of the most correct tests by which we can judge of the progress of the divine life in the soul of individual believers; while the general laxity or strictness of its celebration, is a never-failing indication of the prevailing character of national religion. In fact, the SABBATH is the fundamental re2 ligious institution of the patriarchal, the Jewish, and the Christian dispensation. The subject derives an additional interest at the present moment, from the circumstance that, during the last Session of Parliament, our legislators deemed it advisable to appoint a select committee, to inquire into the laws and practices relating to the observance of the Lord's Day, and to report their observations thereupon to the house.' This is a very encouraging fact, and we think there is good reason to hope that, while Parliament is engaged upon the difficult, but important business of a Reform in the National Establishment, it will not omit to enact those regulations which are so urgently needed, and so loudly called for by Christians of all denomina tions, with regard to the better observance of a day which is at present so lamentably profaned. Dr. Wardlaw's Discourses' had their origin in the following circumstances. Several successive meetings had been held in Glasgow, by a number of ministers and private Christians, for the purpose of conversing on the subject of the profanation of the sabbath, and of consulting as to the most desirable means of counteracting the progress of this growing evil. Among other proposals it was resolved, that the ministers of Christ, of all denominations, in Glasgow and its neighbourhood, should be requested to call the attention of their congregations to the subject simultaneously, in order that by this concurrent and cotemporaneous testimony, a general impulse might be given to the public mind. We should be glad to find that a similar method of exciting attention to the subject, were adopted in populous places in England. In his first discourse, Dr. Wardlaw enters on the question, Was the sabbath merely a Jewish institution, or was it a moral duty of universal and permanent obligation? In opposition to Dr. Paley, and other less eminent writers, he maintains, by incontrovertible arguments, that the observance of a day of rest was a command given to the progenitors of our race, and so obligatory on all the race, alike in all succeeding generations. The only wonder is, that any other conclusion should ever have been drawn from the simple language of Scripture, (Gen. ii. 1-3.) The very nature of the thing, brings us to the same point-the sabbath being expressly stated to be a day commemorative of God's work of creation. The same is implied in the language of the Apostle, (Heb. iv. 3-5.) language utterly inconsistent with any other hypothesis, than that the sabbath was instituted, when" the works were finished," i. e. from the foundation of the world." Subsidiary arguments are found in the septenary division of weeks, and in the terms in which the first mention of the sabbath is made by the inspired historian of the Exodus, and by the divine lawgiver himself, in the fourth precept of the decalogue. The Sabbatical law just mentioned, (Exod. xx. 3-11.) is deservedly considered as of sufficient importance to form the subject of discussion in a separate discourse. Dr. W. strenuously and successfully opposes the notion, (we can call it by no better name) of some writers, that the law of the two tables has no obligation under the Christian economy; a notion which, we regret to say, has received a popular currency from the loose opinions on the subject recently promulgated in the writings of the present Archbishop of Dublin. Mr. Hallett, however, is the writer principally opposed by Dr. W. in this part of his treatise. Our author abandons, for a time, the exclusive consideration of the immediate subject of his little work, and goes at considerable length into the discussion of the general question respecting the continued obligation of the decalogue.' This discussion is conducted with admirable point, and an acuteness worthy of the writer; to our minds it is most conclusive; we venture, however, to think that it forms rather too long a digression (in so small a volume) from the main topic, and might have been introduced more appropriately into a separate work, for which it affords ample materials. We thankfully accept it, however, in the place which the judgment of Dr. Wardlaw has assigned to it, and most earnestly recommend it to those of our readers, whose minds may have been at all unhinged on the question, as the most valuable discussion we have met with, in so comprehensive a form, on the important subject it embraces. We are brought back, in the third discourse, to the immediate consideration of the law of the Sabbath in the fourth commandment; and here again Dr. Wardlaw is compelled to take up the matter as a controversialist, in opposition to those writers who-whilst they do not question the permanence of the moral law generally-are disposed to regard the Sabbath as an exception to the general principle, and to consider it as belonging to the class of positive (and therefore possibly temporary) institutions, rather than of moral precepts, and therefore necessarily of permanent obligation. This is Abp. Whately's express assertion. It is justly remarked, that the commandment is of a mixed character. It is a positive and arbitrary institution, as respects the precise portion of time authoritatively demanded for divine worship. God might have created the world in seven, eight, nine, or any other number of days, and have made the succeeding day commemorative. But this admission cannot nullify the moral nature of the precept; for the worship of God is the first and highest of our moral duties. It is time, however, that we should present our readers with a specimen of Dr. Wardlaw's manner of treating this interesting subject. The following extract will shew how beautifully he intermingles remarks of a spiritual character, with the controversial matter to which his discussion of necessity conducts him. With reference to those heartless professors of the Christian name, who endeavour to shut up Sabbath duties in the smallest possible space, and who fancy that the whole amount of obligation connected with the Day of Rest consists in the duty of believers to meet on that day for worship in commemoration of the work of their Master, considering the remainder of the day as their own, he observes : Professors of the faith of Christ would do well to examine closely the principle, or the state of heart from which such a sentiment springs, -the disposition by which they are induced to argue away the observance of the Sabbath as an entire day of sacred rest and religious exercise. It is true, that we live under a new and more spiritual dispensation. But surely, never was implied argument more unfortunate and self-destructive-never were premises more fatal to the conclusion they were brought to support. We live under a spiritual dispensation and is the secu larizing of the Sabbath more befitting a spiritual dispensation than the religious observance of it?-more calculated to promote the divine life in the soul, than the dedication of it to the exercises of devotion and the means of heavenly mindedness? Is a spiritual dispensation, a dispensation of release from spiritual exercises? Or is there any one divine institution more eminently fitted for the advancement of spirituality of mind, than the day of God when duly observed?.... When I consider the spiritual constitution of the Sabbath, and its adaptation to spiritual improvement, and the fearfully antiscriptural consequences of its cessation, I cannot bring myself to imagine that such an institution should be ranked by the inspired Apostle among the worldly rites of a transitory ceremonial....O! is there a child of God that would feel this a privilege?-a privilege to be released from the duty of consecrating so large a portion of his time as one day in seven to the service of God, to self-examination, and to the cultivation of fellowship with the world to come!.... That a Christian should be solicitous to add as much more of his time, for the cultivation of the principles and affections of godliness, as he can redeem from the necessary engagements of the world, I can readily understand. But that a man under the full influence of the spirit of evangelical piety, can listen with complacency to reasonings that would deprive him of a portion of his spiritual enjoyment, and abridge the instituted means of his advancement in grace,' demands a doubt.' I could not desire a more convincing proof that a man's heart is not right with God,-that there is a secret spiritual declension, a leaving of the first love," than the discovery of a disposition to insinuate doubts about the obligation of the Sabbath, and to do this with a listless sang-froid, and without any apparent shrinking or trembling of heart at the conclusion; nor can I fancy a clearer evidence of a church having a name to live while it is dead," or a more ominous symptom of its approaching darkness and desolation, than the prevalence of such a spirit,—the rise and progress of a tendency to speculate about the abrogation, or even about the curtailment of the Sabbath.-Pp. 94-96. The duty of observing the Christian Sabbath is thus deduced by Dr. Wardlaw, as by most writers on the subject; First, From the primitive institution of the Day of Rest, at the creation, being necessarily of a permanent character; Secondly, From the continued obligation of the express law on the subject which forms the fourth precept of the Decalogue; and Thirdly, From some passages in the New Testament, from which the fact of the celebration of the Lord's Day may be inferentially gathered. Upon such grounds the duty is most satisfactorily established. Still it may be asked, is there no passage in the New Testament, in which the permanence of this institution under the gospel dispensation is expressly stated or recognized? He well remarks that, ' although there were not, we should not at all admit the conclusion itself to be the less valid, or the duty the less imperative.' He thinks, however, that we have a preceptive injunction of an express and positive description, in Heb. iv. 9, 10; in which the privilege of the Christian Sabbath is stated, together with the additional ground |