from hill to valley, from Dan even to Beersheba: congratulating every Israelite on the joyful occasion, and carrying to his dwelling the benedictions of a whole nation, and their kind wishes that the new year might be to him a year of peace, joy, and prosperity.

This day was distinguished not merely by a solemn and joyful convocation, but by offerings peculiar to itself. Of these there were a burnt-offering, a meat-offering, and a sin-offering, in addition to the oridnary offerings for other new moons and for every day in the year. And in after times, to give more solemnity and joy to the occasion, the 81st Psalm was chanted in every dwelling; when, from the doors of the Temple, the two silver trumpets announced the appearance of the new moon, aided by myriads of rams' horns, which carried the sympathy to every inhabitant of the Holy Land.

The psalm seems to have been written for the occasion. It begins with these appropriate words :-"Sing aloud to God our strength; make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Take a psalm and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery. Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast-day, For this is a statute of Israel, a law of the God of Jacob. This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony when he went out through the land of Egypt, when I heard a language that I understood not," &c. &c. Thus the civil year was introduced by the feast of trumpets.

The ecclesiastic year, which commencee in Nisan, at the time, or near the time of the vernal equinox, seems to have been ordained! with special reference to religious solemnities. On the 14th day of the first month was the PASSOVER; on the 15th commenced the FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD, which continued for seven days; then in the third month, fifty days from the Passover, was the FEAST Of WEEKS, or the Pentecost, which was arranged to commemorate the giving of the law on Sinai, as well as to acknowledge the kind providence of God in the seasons, by waving in the air a loaf, the first fruits of the wheat harvest. On the 15th day of the seventh month was the feast of INGATHERING, at the close of the vintage and wheat harvest; more usually called the FEAST OF TABERNACLES, because Israel dwelt in booths for one week, in commemoration of their sojourning forty years in the wilderness. This feast also continued seven days. These three great annual national festivals occupied in all sixteen days, besides the time of coming and going and the other necessary preparations for the services. There was also the feast of the 10th of the seventh month, the great national expiation or atonement. The feast of Purim, or the Lots, in the twelfth month, in commemoration of a great national salvation by Esther, from the

* Numbers xxix. 1-6.

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intrigue and knavery of Haman, was also superadded. This feast continued three days.

Now, if we allow only thirty days for the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Pentecostian Festival, the Feast of Tabernacles, the National Expiation, and the Feast of Purim, which would be a reasonable allowance, then, including the twelve New Moon Festivals and fifty-two Sabbaths, we find no less than ninety-four days in every year consecrated to religious improvement.

Still this is not a full view of the whole provision for moral culture amongst this peculiar people, even as respects time. There was a morning, and there was an evening sacrifice for every day in the year. These seasons were sacred to devotion, and demanded about one-twelfth part of the day. And, superadded to all this, every seventh was a Sabbatical year, a year of rest to the land and to the people. The seventh year was a prolonged Sabbath, affording the happiest season for social enjoyment and moral improvement. Thus when we subtract ninety-four days from the year, and one-twelfth and one-seventh of the remainder, we find that God mercifully gave his ancient people more than an average of one hundred and fiftyfive days per annum for moral and religious instruction and improvement. To this might be added the free-will offerings of time, for private and personal devotion, which would, amongst the more religious portions of the community, fully make out about half the year! From these premises may it not be safely affirmed that a pious Jew devoted one half his time to intellectual and religious culture and enjoyment, as respected himself, family, and society? What an admonition this appropriation of Jewish time to those Christians whose constant apology for want of personal and family improvement, is,-"We have not time." Is the Lord less gracious to Christians than to Jews? or are we more enslaved to time and sense than even Israel according to the flesh?

But to complete a full age and to perfect that system, there was moreover the consecration of the fiftieth year. As after seven Sabbatical weeks came the Pentecost, or the feast of weeks, the first fruits of the season, on the fiftieth day; so, after seven Sabbatical years, came the Jubilee, the fiftieth year, sacred to the restoration of inheritances, the free discharge of all debtors, and general emancipation. The land it seems had rest also during this year, or so much of it as ran out into the ecclesiastic year; for it was upon the tenth day of the seventh month of the sacred year, but the first month of the civil year, that the Jubilee trumpets were heard throughout the land. The time when the proclamation of release was made was the

• Not universal; for only Hebrews, Israelites by birth or proselytism, partook of the blessings of that day; typical no doubt, that none but the trye Israel of God can share the eternal redemption when the day of final release shall come.

most appropriate imaginable. After the most solemn fast and penances of the day of annual redemption and reconciliation, when a full expiation of the sins of the year was accomplished, and every true Israelite experienced the sweets of forgiveness, it was divinely ordained that immediately after the benedictions of that day a full discharge of all debts-a remission of all penalties-a release from personal bondage and servitude-a plenary restoration of all family inheritances, should be proclaimed by sound of trumpet from the gates of the Temple to the humblest dwelling in all the precincts of the twelve tribes.

The sound of this trumpt, like that of the archangel, was to be heard by every ear in all the land of Judea. It was indeed a joyful sound only to those who anxiously waited for it. But to them no sound was more transportingly joyful. To have witnessed such a scene, which, however, generally occurred but once in the active and observant lifetime of an Israelite, must have been superlatively interesting. To describe the varied expressions of gladness beaming from eye to eye, while the unfortunate bankrupt received by a single blast of the trumpet of God's appointment, a full discharge from all his obligations--the servant sold for debt, an immediate emancipation from his master-and the various unfortunates, long exiled from their paternal homes and fields, a welcome to those delectable scenes of former years, the scenes of a thousand pleasing associa tions; I say, to describe in suitable style such scenes, were for him who actually saw, and much more for us who can only imagine them, wholly impossible. We shall not, therefore, attempt it.

But, seeing in this most wise and humane institution, a strong and vivid reference to the acceptable year of the Lord, the gospel day of grace; we think it expedient, because greatly instructive, to consider not only the Jubilee institution, but the figurative redemption which accompanied, or rather preceded it in the adumbrations, types, and figures of the antecedent economy. It requires time, much time, as the large appropriations already noted clearly show, to understand all these sublime matters fully; and therefore we shall consider, and give our readers time to consider, the Scriptural doctrine of redemption till another moon.

LOOKING TO JESUS.

A. C.

THE whole Scripture, Old and New Testament, may be called "the Word of Christ." He is the substance of the predictions, promises, and ordinances of the most ancient times. We are expressly told, that Moses wrote of him," that the Law had "a shadow of good things to come;" and that "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." The prophets, priests, and kings of old, were types or emblems of

Christ, in mediatorial offices. Their numerous offerings prefigured that one sacrifice which he made of himself on the cross, by which he "put away sin," and brought in everlasting righteousness. And the more enlightened of the Old Testament saints looked forward to the advent of Christ, with faith and delight. Abraham eagerly desired to see "his day, and he saw it and was glad." Moses prayed, "I beseech thee show me thy glory," and was gratified with a view of it. He had such knowledge of the expected Saviour, that "he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt." Isaiah had a vision of the Lord of hosts in the temple, and the New Testament assures us that it was "the glory of Christ" which he saw. The Spirit of Christ, inspiring the Prophets, "testified before hand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow;" and our Lord when reasoning with his two disciples after his resurrection, referred to their writings" and beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, he expounded to them in all the Scriptures, the things concerning himself.”

It is still more evident that Jesus is the substance of the gospel; for it is "the gospel of Christ." "Preach the gospel," was originally the same with "preaching Christ," or "preaching the Cross." He was not the occasional subject of the primitive ministry (as of some modern divines,) but "daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus Christ," and one of these preachers declares that he would preach nothing else. "I determined," said he to the Corinthians, "not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

"Look unto me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth," said Jehovah by the prophet Isaiah; where Christ is plainly spoken of, as" the Lord our righteousness;" and where the calling of the Gentiles is predicted, (Isa. Ixv. 1,) it is written, "I said, Behold me, behold me, to a nation that was not called by my name." What is this but the genuine language of the gospel, and which John, the Harbinger of Christ, actually used, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world?" No doubt the faithful among the Jews, looked further than to the altar, and the victim burning upon it; they looked for the redemption of Israel," extending their believing views to the great propitiation of the Son of God. For this reason they were commanded, whenever they prayed, to direct their eyes towards the temple of Jerusalem; because that glorious edifice, was the type of the infinitely more glorious Redeemer, the true temple of indwelling Deity, who is the advocate and intercessor of all his believing followers. It was to the Saviour, signified by the temple, to whom they directed the eye of faith; they looked and were delivered. Our Saviour interprets the ordinance of the brazen serpent in the wilderness, to which the wounded Israelites looked and

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were healed, as a type of himself; for said he, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up." Thus he declares himself to be the object presented by the gospel, and faith in him is looking upon that object; for he adds, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Looking to Jesus, is the only cure for a wounded spirit. This is one of the plainest and most encouraging illustrations of the nature and effects of faith. Faith, strictly speaking, is believing the divine testimony, believing the truth, believing the gospel, (1 Cor. xv. 1-6.) The gospel presents to our minds Jesus as an all-sufficient Saviour. Faith credits the report and the promises of the gospel concerning him; and in consequence thereof, turns away from every other object of confidence, and looks to Jesus, hoping for mercy, pardon, grace, and everlasting life through him.

Burder.

ADDRESS TO THE BRETHREN OF THE

REFORMATION.-No. I.

Beloved brethren in the Lord: Favour, mercy, and peace from God our Father, and from Jesus Christ our Lord, be multiplied to you! THERE are three things to which we most affectionately and devoutly invite the attention of all our brethren in the kingdom of the Messiah. These are, the religious training of their families-the order, worship, and discipline of the congregation-and the conver sion of the world. What do you more than others, brethren, in these three great objects of Christian care and enterprize? We honour the Bible as sufficient not only to make us wise to salvation. but as divinely adapted to accomplish the man of God for every good word and work. Do we use it thus in our daily practice, and in the education of our families? Do we teach it to our children and those under our care, as we teach them the learning, the science, and business of this world; or do we rather devote our thoughts and efforts as if we valued the acquisitions of this life as the pearl of great value, and the things of the life to come as of inferior importance? Are our families nurseries for Christ and heaven, or are they schools for training our children to live according to the flesh, according to the course of this deceitful world, the fashion of which passes away? These are questions which the word of God and conscience constrain every head of a family to propose to himself.

Again, are the congregations walking in the admonition and consolations of the Apostles' teaching? Do they continue steadfast in the teaching, in the breaking of the loaf, in the fellowship, and prayers of the Apostles? Do the brethren meet regularly, timeously. and zealously on every first day, as health and opportunity permit;