and which must be awakened in connexion with the experience and history of every intelligent and sincere Christian. It is a pertinent and significant inquiry, which we should do well, at this season, to ponder, in the most serious manner: "How should the First Sabbath in the Year be spent?" It is a special period: it, therefore, involves special duties should induce a special train of thought and feeling-and should be connected with the formation, and carrying out, of special resolves. The First Sabbath in the Year should be spent, I. In the exercise of Careful and Solemn Retrospection. Recollection-diligent, comprehensive, and minute-should be brought into exercise. We must look back. There must be a survey taken of our past history, and especially during the preceding twelve months. We must review the conduct of an infinitely wise and gracious Providence towards us. We must attentively observe the path in which the Lord our God has been leading us; and, if the retrospection of our history for the past year be appropriately pursued, what thoughts will be elicited! what emotions will be inspired what impressions, deep and most advantageous, will be induced! How many circumstances and events will occur to us—of wants supplied-of light shed-of direction furnished-of strength vouchsafed-of support in trial administered—of deliverance from imminent and formidable peril bestowed -of special answers to prayer in the closet and the family granted! So that the review will be most consolatory, impressive, and beneficial; while the mind is informed, counselled, and stimulated, the heart will be sensibly and powerfully affected. Let, therefore, the first Sabbath in the year be a season of spontaneous and most grateful retrospection, and it will be one not only properly spent, but of great and lasting benefit. The First Sabbath in the Year should be entered on, In a II. With deep Humility. All pride must be checked, all self-complacency must be discountenanced. All self-confidence must be brought down. word, all boasting must be excluded. When we look back, and review our history, during the brief period of twelve months, how much is there to humble us! How much to occasion shame and self-mortification! There is, confessedly, no room for selfpraise; no ground for self-conceit or exultation. Quite the reverse. We can only place our hand on our lips, and our mouths in the dust, while selfprostration, and complete self-humiliation, are indulged before God. During the past year, how many things has the Lord seen within us, and in connexion with us, which have been most unworthy and most improper! How many circumstances have we, if any of us are real Christians, seriously and bitterly to deplore! What coldness in religion! What indifference in prayer! What deficiencies in love! What worldliness of thought and feeling! What mixture of motive in celebrating Divine worship! How little profit derived from the means of grace! What defective zeal! What partial and flagging obedience! What feeble and trifling efforts made to glorify the Saviour! How little self-consecration to the noblest and best of beings! Is this an erroneous statement? Is it an exaggerated representation? By no means. Every believer in Christ Jesus, when dwelling on his past conduct and history, observes, -"the thousandth part cannot be told. The sins of omission alone, during one year, are not merely great and accumulated, they are perfectly boundless." The First Sabbath in the Year should be spent,— III. In the exercise of unaffected and lively gratitude. No temper, at such a season, is more becoming and beautiful. No disposition, moreover, is more important and indispensable. And, we would add, is there any spirit, at such a period particularly, which should be more natural for us to unfold? On the first Sabbath in the year every disciple of Christ, every child of Providence, every Christian pilgrim, should be busily employed in raising his "pillar of memorial" to Heaven, and in engraving on it the memorable inscription -“Ebenezer!” singing, joyously and thankfully," Hitherto has the Lord helped me!" If we are not grateful, at the close of the year, and at its commencement, we spontaneously inquire,When ought we to be grateful, and when shall we be grateful? Let, then, the first Sabbath in the year be one marked by peculiarly preeminent gratitude. Let the altar be early raised; let the offering be readily placed on it; let the flame of love and devotion ascend to heaven; and let the shout of joy and thanksgiving be heard. This is the temper which God will approve. This is the spirit which the Saviour will appreciate and honour. This is the conduct which the Holy Spirit will ratify and bless. Take up your harps, therefore, ye servants of the Most High, on the first Sabbath morning in the year, and on them, in the sweetest and loudest strains, celebrate the praises of the Lord God of Israel! changes have we ourselves experienced! What alternations in our domestic history! What sorrows have we felt! What losses have we sustained! What bereavements, perchance, have we realized! What tears have we shed! What strange vicissitudes have we undergone! and yet, amidst all, how kindly have we been succoured! how wondrously have we been comforted and preserved! We go to our seat in the sanctuary, on the first Sabbath morning in the year, and look around, but how much is there to affect us! How much to call forth deep and pensive emotion! There may be another minister in the pulpit ; the voice of our late beloved teacher and guide may be silent in the grave. We survey the congregation, and cannot but observe what changes death has effected in the short period of one year! We look for some dear Christian friends and associates, who used to sit near us, and commune with us at the Lord's table; but they are gone: their bodies are mouldering in the gravetheir spirits are with God. We may even miss some from the very pew in which we have long worshipped; perhaps, some choice friend-some valued relative; it may be, a husband-a wife -a brother-a sister-or a child. What a tale of vicissitudes in our congrega The First Sabbath in the Year should tions the circumstances and events of be spent, IV. Under the influence of pensive and tender emotions. If the mind be properly constituted, and if the heart be suitably influenced and affected, these, at such a season especially, will be awakened. At such a time, if at any period at all, reflection will be induced, memory will be exercised, and the heart will be "made soft." The close and the beginning of the year arc, commonly, seasons of deep pensiveness-not, perhaps, gloomy or melancholy-but quiet, gentle, profound, and beneficial. When we rise on the first Sabbath morning in the year, and survey the events of the past twelve months, how much is there to render the mind pensive! What every year will furnish! and, therefore, we cannot wonder that pensive and deep emotion, at such a period as the first Sabbath in the year, is spontaneously awakened. If we think and feel aright, we cannot be cold, careless, flippant, then. Even the very lapse of time itself is enough to make us all pensive and serious. The First Sabbath in the Year should be spent, V. In the spirit of prayer. It should be entered on under the influence of a devotional temper; and, during the whole of the day, this disposition should be specially cultivated. At no time is fervid prayer more becoming — moro valuable-more necessary thau a. this; and, if ever we "wrestle" with | tenderness, and love, during the ensu The First Sabbath in the Year should be spent,— VI. Under the influence of strong and holy confidence in God. It This temper should peculiarly mark and beautify us at such a season. will meet with an ample recompense. It will be associated with all that can enrich, ennoble, and honour. Our confidence in God must be vigorous, enlightened, unfaltering, There must be no mistake, no hesitancy, no deviation. God will have our full reliance, if we are to receive a large blessing. "the angel of the covenant" for a bless- ing days, weeks, and months of the ing a large, rich, full blessing-for a year; but, if there be little prayer at blessing on ourselves our families this season-if our petitions be few, our ministers-our respective churches cold, feeble-what can we expect our country· the cause of God throughout the year but a blight-a throughout Europe and the world-moral and spiritual blight? we ought to do so on the first Sabbath morning in the year. What necessities will require to be supplied! What wisdom shall we need! What strength shall we demand! What guidance, consolation, succour, and deliverance shall we find indispensable during the year! To what duties shall we be called-in what situations shall we be placed-by what dangers shall we be surrounded-in what perplexities shall we be involved -to what temptations shall we be exposed-through what accumulated and extraordinary trials may numbers have to pass before the year reaches its close! and, therefore, dear readers, if ever you pray believingly, earnestly, affection--especially at the beginning of the ately, confidingly, importunately, do so at the beginning of the year. Let your special petitions be directed to heaven for clearer views of the gospel -for stronger faith in Christ-for-your daily sorrows be mitigatedwarmer love to the Saviour-for more glowing zeal in the service of Immanuel -for more complete victory over the world-for readier and more unfaltering obedience-for more affectionate and entire consecration to the Lord of glory. Let there be special supplications offered at the commencement of the year, that your families may be crowned with the tokens of Divine regard-that all your children may "live before God." Let the Church of Christ be peculiarly remembered. Pray warmly that its light may increase-that its dross may be removed-that its value may be more appreciated-that its power may be more felt-that its influence may be more widely extended —that its blessings may be more richly enjoyed. Real prayer-fervent, continued, acceptable, successful prayer-on the first Sabbath in the year, will carry along with it signal tokens of Divine care, Put, then, your entire trust in the Omnipotent, the All-sufficient Jehovah year! Repose strong confidence in Him, that your daily bread will be given-your daily raiment be supplied your daily comforts be continued your daily prayers be heard. Can you withhold this confidence at such a period? It will be impossible, if you think and feel as you should. It will be exercised with all that simplicity, affectionateness, and strong faith, which distinguish the children of God. Let your motto, on the first Sabbath in the year, be the following-you cannot have one more suitable or expressive:"I will trust, and not be afraid!" 66 The First Sabbath in the Year should be spent, VII. With an enlightened and vigorous determination in relation to the future. There must be intelligent and holy resolves formed at such a period; and, in reliance on Divine agency, they must be carried out; practically and conscientiously exemplified during the year. And there must be one determination, in particular, which each Christian must, on this first Sabbath Begin, therefore, dear readers, the year well. Let it not be commenced without much meditation much prayer-and much simplicity and firmness of resolve; and especially be determined humbly to walk with God, and before God; then the days, the weeks, the months of the year, as they revolve, will bring to you rich and heavenly blessings; you will be prepared for every duty; you will be fitted for every change; and, whether you live or die during the year, you will be safe; you will be happy; all, in relation to eternity, will be secure; all will be well. Improve, improve, we beseech you, the first Sabbath in the current year, and let your devout and appropriate petition be the following: in the year, deliberately utter, grate- | fixed-their destiny sealed for everfully and joyfully renew-"I will walk yes, for ever! before the Lord in the land of the living." I will live as in His presence. I will conduct myself as being under His immediate inspection. I will place myself under His control. I will devotedly implore His guidance. I will so walk, as that, by Divine grace, I may approve myself before Him. Every day, and every hour, throughout the year, this fine resolve should be carried out. For who knows what may happen during the year? what clouds may gather! what enemies may assail! what perils may environ! what changes may occur! How completely is the future concealed from us! Besides, the present year may be the last to some-indeed, to many-who read these pages. Prior, and, it may be, long prior to its termination, they may be in eternity, and be made acquainted with the secrets, with the solemn, the awful disclosures, of the invisible, the eternal world. Their state may be : "Where Thou shalt settle mine abode, THE HEBREW WRITERS:-THEIR CHARACTERISTICS AND No study, to the intelligent and holy siderable variety of compositions, as distinct and distinguishable from each other, by their subject and style, as the admired, the classic productions of Greece and Rome, or even those of more recent periods. Yet, with all this variety, which, as we should naturally expect, is found to exist among the numerous compositions of Hebrew literature that have come down to us, it is obvious that they are characterised by a similarity of manner, and have a peculiarity of thought and expression, which are perfectly distinct from the literature of the Grecks or Romans. It is interesting and instructive to mark this distinction and dissimilarity; though, it must be acknowledged, the sacred character of the Books of the Old Testament may have, in a considerable degree, repressed that spirit of inquiry which considers them, not as the expressions and embodiments of Divine wisdom, but simply as examples of literary compositions, whether poetic, didactic, or historical. And, yet, it does not appear to the enlightened and rightly-balanced mind that such investigations would, in the least, derogate from that sacredness to which their sentiments, and the revelations they unfold, so pre-eminently entitle them. Regarded as the dictates, the communications, of Divine wisdom, the Books of the Old Testament give rise to inquiries and disquisitions of a very different order from those which relate to the progress of literature in connexion with any country, or the characteristics of the literature of Ancient Greece or Rome, when placed in comparison: yet, as specimens of literature, they are full of interest; and merit, in respect of character and style, the deepest attention, and most discriminating regard. And, when recurring to them, even confining our attention to the simple, luminous, impressive narrative of Moses alone, we never think of comparing with the writings of the inspired historian the compositions of Xenophon, with all their elegance, those of Livy, with all their vigour and richness, or those of our own Milton, with all their splendour, elevation, and sublimity. They stand alone, in all their truth, beauty, and grandeur. There is a stamp impressed on them which we find engraven on no other writings. The style of the Hebrew writers is, pre-eminently, marked by its simplicity. Nothing is more palpable than this. It is one of the most obvious, and, certainly, most striking features. By their simplicity, we do not refer merely to the absence of literary ornament and decoration, or the inartificial arrangement of words, which fall into their places, apparently, without design. There are several Hebrew compositions which wear the most splendid character. They are invested with decorations of the richest, the grandest order. Still, admitting this, the Hebrew authors are peculiarly worthy of the appellation of simple writers. Their language may be bold and daring—their style may be elevated and highly metaphorical; but, as has been justly remarked, "It is their subject, and not themselves, which elevates their phraseology; and their figures, even when most crowded, seem to rise up spontaneously without effort, to embody their conceptions, and to animate their narrative." Indeed, the more we study the inspired compositions of the Hebrew writers the more we perceive, that their characteristic simplicity is most broadly and beautifully unfolded, in their noblest descriptions in their most joyous and rapturous effusions. It is readily allowed, that their language is then peculiarly forcible and signiticant, and is marked by all the dignity appropriate to the magnificence of the theme, and yet, their terms-their allusions-their figures—all their illustrations, are uniformly derived from the common intercourse of life. They never appear to be introduced with art, or worked up with care and effort. Quite the reverse. There is no parade-no elaborateness-no artifice-no approach to anything like mere finery. Look at the narratives of the Old Testament: what can be more beautiful and striking than their direct and impressive simplicity? and, even in the lyrical effusions of the Book of Psalms, what can be more charming than the simplicity by which they are marked and ennobled, and rendered, in consequence, so touching and powerful? The style of the Hebrew writers, morcover, and especially their poetic compositions, is strongly characterised by the recurrence of allusion and metaphor. This is a distinguishing and universal feature. A considerable part of their diction, indeed, is often constituted of these modes of expression. It is allusive throughout. Their trains of thought and instructive sentiment are frequently spread out under all the va |