the situation of lord of the admiralty, and on the death of Fox, to that of secretary of state for foreign affairs. On the dissolution of the whig administra. tion, he went out of office, and, in 1807, took his seat in the upper house, in consequence of the death of his father. In 1812, there was a chance of his coming once more into power, in conjunction with Lord Grenville; but the circumstance which Mr. Moore, in his "Life of Sheridan," has detailed, frustrated the design. In 1827, he proudly stood aloof, and, I may say, alone, from Canning's half-measures cabinet, and defeated the stratagems by which it was endeavored to link him to that party. Thus it was, by his unbending integrity, he forced the sovereign into his mea. sures, and is obtaining for the people all those privileges which their ancestors have ever enjoy. ed.

Earl Grey has an appearance peculiarly youthful; and is an elegant man in his person: his usual dress is tight and trim, bordering upon priggism. When he sits, there is a querulous and hectic air about him, which would induce one to believe that he feels sore both in body and mind; and when he first rises to speak, you would feel a kind of mixed sensation that never comes across one upon first observing such a public man as Mr. O'Connell.-During the first sentence or two, it seemed as if the subject had been too great for his bodily strength, and too little for his mental feelings, -as though he had risen to perform an act of duty to which his strength was unequal, and to do a

deed of condescension by which his notion of himself was to be humbled. This impression, however, by degrees wore off; and he had not proceeded far, when his strength appeared more than commensurate to the task. His voice, which had at first seemed the voice of a man ready to gasp or faint through feebleness, caught a peculiar manliness of emphasis, which is in no way diminished by its slightly guttural tone: his language, though simple, and never strained after gaudy ornaments, seems, nevertheless, to be a perfect model of elegance; while in his air and his gestures, there is so much of genteel dignity and polished loftiness, that you could soon see a reason for his being looked up to as now decidedly the first orator in the upper house. R. New York, June 16, 1831.

From the N. Y. Observer. THE SABBATH.

Among other evidences of an increasing attention among our fellow-citizens to the value and the duties of the Christian sabbath, we notice with peculiar pleasure the many valuable publications on the subject, which are coming from the press. The following, for instance, are now before us:

"Essays upon the perpetuity, change, and sanctification of the Sabbath." By Heman Humphrey, D. D., President of Amherst College. 12mo. pp. 106.

"An Essay on the subject of the Transportation of the Mail

on the Sabbath." By the Hon. Thomas H. Baird, of Pennsylvania. 12mo. pp. 16.

"Evils which threaten our Country." A Fast Sermon, by the Rev. Royal Washburn, of Amherst, Mass. 8vo. pp. 22.

"The Sabbath. A Discourse on the duty of Civil Government in relation to the sanctification of the Lord's Day." By James R. Wilson, D. D. 8vo. pp. 48. The essays of Dr. Humphrey are a very able and complete discussion of the whole subject, and ought to be read in every family.

Judge Baird's essay was first published in a newspaper, and does honor to its author as Christian magistrate.

a

The subject of Mr. Washburn's sermon is more general. The evils which threaten our country and the means of avoid. ing them are pointed out and illustrated by facts. It would be well if clergymen were more often to "meddle with politics" by preaching such sermons.

Dr. Wilson, after discussing the duty of civil government to keep the sabbath holy, applies his argument to the transportation of the mail, &c. on Sunday, and exposes the fallacy of Mr. John. son's report.

TO THE HUMANE.

In the late destructive fire in this city, "a Mrs. Murray, with her daughter, Mrs. Barclay, and her grandson, William Barclay, perished in the flames. Mrs. Murray was aged about 70

years; and after she had escaped on the first alarm, she rushed back to see that her four grand children were awake-she met them running out; and in despite of the entreaties of her friends, she again entered the burning house with a view of rescuing some part of the property ;-she had no sooner done so, than her daughter, Mrs. Barclay, followed in to bring her out in safety; and as the danger became more apparent every instant, the grandson, a fine young lad, who attained his 15th year on the preceding day, rushed in to the rescue of both. At the same moment the side and roof of the adjoining and flame-enwrapped building fell, and buried beneath it in the fire the three unfortunate vic. tims."

Mrs. Barclay has left four children between the ages of three and ten, who are thrown upon the charity of the world for support and protection, and we indulge a hope that an appeal to the sympathies of our fellow-citizens will not be in vain. What renders this appeal more necessary, is the fact that their having a father (a sailor now away from the city, and at no time very considerate of their welfare) prevents their being received into the Orphan's Asylum.

Donations forwarded to the following named gentlemen will be properly attended to, viz. : Robert Buloid, 199 Broadway; Nathaniel Paulding, 168 Front st.; Bogert & Penfold, 216 do. ; John Duncan, 407 Broadway; John Brown, 205 Walker st., or Joseph McKee, corner of Broome and Eldridge streets.

CHRIST A SURETY FOR SINNERS.

Heb. vii. 22. By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

Man is naturally under a law, for obligation to obedience necessarily arises from his relation to God. A moral agent must be held accountable for his manner of life. Sin is a transgression of the divine law, and it has to the justice of the legislator the relation of a crime; but God did, by positive institution, appoint an additional relation between him. self and man. The law of nature was reduced to a covenant form, and a positive precept was annexed; to this man voluntarily assented, and the treaty was sanctioned, with threatening to the party liable to failure from the party incapable of change. Of this covenant, commonly call. ed the covenant of works, sin is a breach; and it has, of course, to justice the relation of a debt. It is a debt of a public nature, the unconditional remission of which would be an implication of the honor of the character to whom it is due. We are all sin ners, and punished we must be, unless our criminal debt be paid.

For a discharge from this sentence, the covenant of works made no provision; but there is a better covenant, established upon better promises; and what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God himself hath effected by the mission of his Son, whom he hath VOL. I. SEPT. 1831.

NO. 5.

given for a covenant to the people.

It is the grand object of the Epistle to the Hebrews, to illus. trate the mediatory character of Christ; and of this character an important part is held up to our view in the text. A surety is one who engages to perform to another, instead of a third person, all · the conditions specified in the bond to which he subscribes. Such a surety was Jesus. The certainty of it is expressed in the words, "by so much," referring to the 20th verse: "And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest," by so much he be. came a surety. The former he had demonstrated, and the latter is a necessary inference. The bond to which he subscribed is also specified in the text; it was the better covenant or testament, Alanxn. The Sinai dispensation exhibited the two covenants: the covenant of grace was exhi. bited by types in the gospel given to the Israelites; and of the law of works given to Adam, the knowledge of which had become very limited, a new and a full edition was now published, with accompanying terrific emblems of the divine majesty, from the mount. The covenant of works is from this fact designated the Sinai covenant.-Gal. iv. 24. The New Testament dispensation of grace excels the Old ; and much more is the new cove. nant itself, when compared with the old, the better testament. 21

"For this cause, Jesus is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance."" This covenant, which glorifies God most, and secures the happiness of man best, is the bond which Christ subscribed as surety.

It is designed in this discourse to illustrate the nature of Christ's suretyship, to obviate objections to this doctrine, and to conclude with some practical inferences from the argumentative part of the discourse.

I. Illustrate the nature of Christ's suretyship. It will be necessary, in this illustration, to ascertain to whom and for whom Christ became surety; and secondly, the amount of the debt which he undertook to pay.

1st. Query: For whom did Christ engage as surety?

First. Christ did not become surety for God to sinners. To them the Almighty owes no debt; as a witness, Christ attests the promises, and the lodging of all their fullness in his hand encourages our faith in them; but the character of the promiser excludes the possibility of a greater guaranty for their performance. His veracity is essential to him: "God is truth;" he cannot be deceived in the selection of means for the fulfillment of his promises :-" He knoweth all things." His power to accomplish his resolutions cannot be reasonably questioned: "Faithful is he that promised, and is able also to perform." Jesus is

the evidence and the gift, but not the surety, of the Father's love : "God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Sinners are, however, slow of heart to believe. Such pity as a father hath for his dear children, shows the Lord to his worshipers. He has confirmed his promises by visible seals;-Rom. iv. 11;-by solemn oath ;-by the earnest, yea, the pledge of his Spirit. But the surety mentioned in the text belongs to the priestly office of Messiah, in which he peculiarly transacted with God in our behalf; he is, therefore,

Second. A surety for sinners to God. God condescended to enter into a covenant with man in the person of the first Adam; the condition of this agreement was violated by man; its promises are forfeited, and its penalty is incurred. To enter into another covenant, a mediator was necessary; and without a surety for sinners to God, such an arrangement could be of no avail. It is in the covenant of grace Christ is surety. He is the one mediator between God and men ; and since he cannot be security for God unto us, we must recog. nize him as the surety for sinners to God. If it shall appear from the scriptures that Jesus represented sinners in his covenant with God; that he was really charged with the sins of others; that thus charged, he suffered; and that his obedience and suf ferings have for sinners the place of a ransom for wretched prisoners: it cannot be denied that he

From this induction of particu. lars, the truth of the illustration is confirmed. Jesus, the surety of the better testament, was the public representative of sinners. He was as really charged with their sins, as the indorser of the bond is with its contents. Thus charged, he was esteemed guilty: he was thought worthy of death, and executed. His services and sufferings are the price paid for the ransom of sinners. The elect are, consequently, his peculiar purchased property; and to this truth the ransomed joyfully assent. His suretyship, therefore, must have been for sinners to God.

But, thirdly, Jesus did not undertake to become surety for all sinners. There is a certain definite number specified in the bond to which he entered in their behalf.

acted as surety to God in behalf of sinful men. Christ was a pub. lic representative and spiritual head, as Adam was a public representative and natural head. "There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul, and the last Adam a quickening spirit. The first man is of the earth, earthy the second man is the Lord from heaven. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." The sins of men were imputed to him :-" He was made sin for us who knew no sin." He was consequently esteemed guilty. "He was made a curse for us." Justice re. quires his punishment: "Ought not Christ to have suffered ?" He did suffer with our sins really charged to his account: "Christ also suffered for us-who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree." These sufferings had to our sins the rela. tion of a ransom to a debt."Forasmuch as ye know ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but by the precious blood of Christ." Sinners thus purchased are considered as his property who paid the ransom.-"Ye are no more your own ye are bought with a price." The ransomed of the Lord cheerfully acknowledge this in their songs of praise and shouts of triumphant joy." And they sang a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood."

If the covenant engagement into which Christ entered with God, in the stead of sinners, included a specific number, and that each of these, and none else, shall certainly inherit the purchased possessions, the doctrine of particular redemption cannot reasonably be denied; and this is the scriptural account of the subject.

Christ Jesus is surety in the covenant of grace; this is the better testament; it is the only bond into which he entered with God in our behalf. The debts of, those included in it he has discharged; he has paid nothing for any other. These were designed to be the only partakers of that liberty which he hath purchased in order to make his people free. This covenant has not long since