admiration and reverence of mankind.

But it was in connexion with one subject that they were always most vividly exhibited. This was, The Gospel. Indeed, here they all converged. Hence the gospel facts and doctrines are the brightest display of the divine attributes that men or angels ever saw. No one can believe the gospel facts unless he believes in them; and he who denies the first, to a great extent denies the latter. (1 John, v. 9, 10.) The Apostles, therefore, stood like pillars of fire around the facts. Being clad in the armour of the omnipotent God they kept close watch in his church-the heavenly Jerusalem. All who would not fully acknowledge that Christ, the Son of the Blessed, died for their sins; that he was buried, and rose again for their justification; were refused an entrance. And if any within the city denied or perverted these facts, they were banished: and, in those days, they who were expelled from the church were regarded as driven from the presence of the Lord, and as cut off from all participation in his spiritual blessings. Reader! then there were no Christians in the world—they were all in the church. And as determined were these representatives of the Saviour in refusing to hold communion with any who would not obey the moral commands. These explicitly unfold and enjoin the actions by which we are to manifest the principle of love towards God and man. He who practised lewdness, drunkenness, or pursued any other pleasure of the world, proved that "the love of the Father was not in him." All such persons the Apostles avoided, (2 Tim. iii. 4, 5.) So they did the man who was an extortioner, a liar, or a practiser of other kindred works; for he openly declared that he did not love either his neighbour or Christian brother.

The promises which are the glory of the gospel, are those which are to be realized in the future state: and these constitute the hope of the gospel-They are, a resurrection of the body, a transformation of it, by which it shall be made to resemble the glorious body of Christ, (Phil. iii. 21,) so that, by consequence, it shall flourish in immortal bloom, and a bestowal of bliss overflowing and joy never-dying upon the new born being. When sorrows flung their grappling irons into the souls of the Apostles, this hope was their anchor which prevented them from being dragged into the whirlpool of deep despair :-it gave them joy and peace amid the horrid tempests which men and devils raised against them. Strange, then, would it have been, had they regarded that doctrine with complacency which denied the existence of such hope, or aimed to destroy one of its component parts. Hymeneus and Philetus denied the resurrection, and they were delivered unto Satan. (2 Tim. ii. 17.)

Neither could the Apostles be charitable towards those who refused an obedience to the institutions. We place, 1st. The reading of the Scriptures. John, the beloved, said, "he that knoweth God,

heareth us; he that is not of God, heareth not us." The venerable Apostle meant, not that it was simply requisite to lend an attentive ear to the sound of their lips; but to give devout attention to their precepts, whether commanded by word or writing. The New Testament Scriptures contain their expositions of the Christian religion in all its parts. He, therefore, who refuses to receive and read them as the oracles of Heaven-as the only guides to life and happiness-and as the only tribunal at which all religious controversies must be tried-has no fellowship with the Apostles, and, as a consequence, has no communion with God. (1 John i. 3.)

2. Baptism for the remission of sins. It is an immersion in water of a believing subject, in order to receive that blessing which was purchased by the death of Christ. (Mark xvi. 16; Rom. vi. 4; Acts ii. 39.) This being part of the commission which they had received from their sovereign Lord, let the candid reader judge, whether, as faithful servants, they would have exercised charity towards that doctrine which attempted to destroy or pervert it.

3. Fellowship. This was the contribution made every first day by the saints, for the relief of the poor, and the maintenance of the cause of Christ. No wonder that the Saviour ordained this institution, for he himself was the noblest example of benevolence that ever existed for the imitation of mankind. Although the beasts were sheltered better than he-for" the foxes had holes, and the birds of the air had nests; but the Son of Man had not where to lay his head "—yet out of his deep poverty he gave relief to the poor and wretched. (John xiii. 23.) Every principle of Christianity is brought systematically into action, and so governed in all its operations. Hence this institution is the appointed medium through which our benevolence is to work. In Acts ii. 42, it is stated as being instituted by the Apostles; and from 1 Cor. xvi. 1, it is evident it was attended to every first day. They were the vicegerents of Christ, and consequently were bound by love and duty not only to appoint this ordinance, but also to preserve its existence and purity.

4. Breaking of bread. The manner in which this was observed is explicitly stated in 1 Cor. xi. 23 verse to the end. And in Acts xx. 7, that the time of observance was on the first day. In the first-named chapter Paul describes this institution in so solemn a manner, that no pious Christian can read the description without being impressed with the importance of the ordinance. It argues either great impiety or ignorance to disregard it, or in any way detract from its value. No institution has the seal of Jehovah more deeply stamped upon it. The Holy Twelve would never have forborne with the man who had attempted to efface the impression.

5. Prayer is a supplicatory address to the Divine Being offered in

the name of Jesus Christ, with the lifting up of holy hands without wrath and doubting. (John xv. 16; 1 Tim. ii. 8.) These are the essential attributes of this highly requisite and solemn ordinance. Woe to theman who removes one! He attempts to block up the path of commu nication which God has made between heaven and earth.

6. Singing is a poetical exaltation of the attributes and deeds of God and his Son, harmoniously uttered with understanding and gratitude. (1 Cor. xiv. 15; Col. iii. 16.) Angels pour their melody at the footstool of the Eternal. Nature unceasingly sings a song of praise to Him. Thanks to our God for making it an institution in his church! The voice of angels and Apostles, of the church and of nature, denounce the man who would deprive Christians of this joy-inspiring gift.

7. Church government. This consists of a watchful care for the house of God; a ruling of it in love and knowledge; and feeding it with the food which God has given. These duties are performed by preserving a pure worship-by maintaining a scriptural attendance upon the ordinances and by a right administration of the laws of discipline which Christ and his chosen twelve enacted. These essentials of church government are to be strictly observed and brought into action by the elders of the congregation, who are to be chosen out from among their brethren according to apostolic command and precedent. (See Acts xiv. 23; xx. 17, to the end; and 1 Tim. iii. throughout.)

These, then, were the doctrines and institutions advocated and defended by the Apostles. Gentle and forbearing though they were, yet they became bold, vigorous, and determined, when any of these were controverted. We wish to engrave one truth most deeply upon the reader's mind-viz, that every one of the doctrines and ordinances has certain definite blessings attached to a belief and practice of it: so that he who believes and obeys them, not only obtains the smile and approbation of God, but besides this, also secures the needed mercies which the Divine Being has treasured in them. Thus, faith in the attributes of Jehovah, is a first cause of holiness, and, as a consequence, of happiness in the believer. This is but one of the many blessings which spring from it. Every one of the doctrines and institutions perform a part in the great work of raising man from the depths of sin and sorrow, and of elevating him to the regions of purity and peaceso that the Apostles proved their love for men by refusing to spare those who attempted to destroy any of these media of life and bliss. Indeed, it would have been wicked, and misanthropic in the highest degree, had they looked on with complacency and indifference, while men, blind to their own interest, had abstracted one constituent from Christianity. But they ever manifested charity towards those who had embraced the Christian faith, but who had not a clear conception that the Christian religion alone possessed the truth and power to save

from sin and sorrow-if such persons did not trouble the church with schismatic sentiments. It was impossible that individuals, who from childhood had been educated in Heathenism and Judaism, could immediately disentangle themselves from the meshes of those systems, and banish their influences from their minds. Some would be able to perform this arduous work sooner than others. It would depend upon their mental constitution. Some have larger consciences than intellects; and others have larger intellects than consciences. Persons of the first class have great difficulty in subduing their consciences to a new faith, although their understandings may, to a great extent, perceive its truth; while those of the latter class, in a short time after they have discovered the truth of a system, are able to compel their conscience to acquiesce to its doctrines. Now the Apostles ever acted with forbearance to the individuals of the first class-and commanded those of the latter, to do so likewise. Thus in the church at Corinth, there were persons who had not a full belief that there was but one God. This was not strange, for they had been educated in the belief that thirty thousand deities presided over the world. Be it understood, that they considered the God of Israel to be superior to all in the attributes of deity, but yet their conscience was bound to the idols-they could not as yet banish the idea of their divinity, but still regarded them with religious awe and veneration. (1 Cor. viii.) Every Bible-reader knows, that the majority of Jewish converts had not an implicit faith in the facts of the gospel-although, by becoming obedient unto it, they proved that they considered them to be the foundation of glory, honour, and immortality. Towards all such persons the Apostles were charitable, so long as they did not disturb the church with adverse doctrines. For these adepts in human nature knew, that the truth, by being taught and practised, would, in time, dispel their doubts, uproot their prejudices, and illumine their minds and consciences with a perfect knowledge of the Divine counsels.

We shall continue the subject in our next.

EDITOR.

HOW THE REFORMATION WAS EFFECTED.

"I AM ready to preach, argue, write," said Luther, "but I will not constrain any one for faith is a voluntary act. Call to mind what I have already done. I stood up against the pope, indulgences, and papists; but without violence or tumult. I brought forward God's word. I preached-and there I stopped. And whilst I laid me down and slept, the word I had preached brought down the power of the pope to the ground, so that never prince or emperor had dealt it such a blow."

MORNING DEVOTION.

THE morning is the time for devotion, not only from its relation to the past night, but considered as the introduction of a new day. To a thinking mind, how natural at this hour are such reflections as the following:-I am now to enter on a new period of my life, to start afresh in my course. I am to return to that world, where I have often gone astray; to receive impressions which may never be effaced; to perform actions which will never be forgotten; to strengthen a character which will fit me for heaven or hell. I am this day to meet temptations which have often subdued me; I am to be entrusted again with opportunities of usefulness, which I have often neglected. I am to influence the minds of others, to help in moulding their characters, and deciding the happiness of their present and future life! How uncertain is this day! What unseen dangers are before me! It may be my last day! It will certainly bring me nearer to death and judgment! Now, when entering on a period of life so important, yet so uncertain, how fit and natural it is, before we take the first step, to seek the favour of that Being on whom the lot of every day depends, to commit all our interests to his almighty and wise providences, to seek his blessing on our labours and his succour in temptation, and to consecrate to his service the day which he raises upon us. C.

SOLILOQUY.

MEDITATION is a species of soliloquy, inasmuch as when we meditate or reflect. especially on serious subjects, we rather converse with ourselves. Some persons, when deeply engaged in meditation, talk aloud, and not unfrequently argue and debate with themselves. Thus I have, when alone, frequently found myself carrying on a dialogue betwixt myself and some personified opinion, virtue, vice, or opposing interest. Some of these soliloquys I could have wished to have had written down immediately on coming to a close, for in them I have sometimes had the best views of things, and heard the strongest arguments, pro and con, on some subjects of importance. A few I have penned down, and may now and then submit one to the examination of my readers. The following brief soliloquy originated from a temptation to be on the strong side:

How happy are they who sail with wind and tide down the stream of popular esteem, having the banks of the stream on which they are embarked lined with admiring crowds, waving their hats and bowing their heads in sign of approbation and admiration. How tranquilly they glide along. When the sun shines and all is calm, how easy and happy their When storms arise, they betake themselves to the shore, and

voyage.