revelation which He has made of himself to man. Take from the Scriptures their character of veracity, and they lose all their authority: the moral obligation to receive and obey them ceases. In human society also, men have no proper hold of each other where truth is disregarded. The mere semblance of it keeps the world together; for no sooner is the counterfeit discovered than confidence ceases, and the tie, if not actually broken, is held so loosely that the connexion is with difficulty maintained. And, besides this public injury, the most serious mischief is done to the mind of the individual when once truth is disregarded; for a door is opened to vanity, to selfishness, to dissimulation, to slander, to fraud, to licentiousness, in short, to a "seared conscience," and a disregard of the authority of God. But how are we to instil a reve rence for this sacred principle into the minds of the young, who, as soon as their powers of observation are brought into exercise, are daily, perhaps, witnessing the allowed breach of it in the world around them. How is the natural tendency of the fallen mind itself to be counteracted? This is indeed a matter of serious difficulty, and not ever to be fully accomplished but by a Divine power operating upon the mind itself. Still, the endeavour must be made, in dependence on the blessing promised on the diligent use of means: it must be made early, and unceasingly, and be enforced by the best of all teaching, example. Persons more frequently, perhaps, act falsehoods than speak them. Every instance of insincerity in conduct which a child sees, is a practical untruth, and is more likely to foster a habit of falsehood than the utterance of one. Every false appearance to the world, either as it respects our rank in life, our fortune, our attainments, our education, our connexions, is a falsehood acted, and makes impressions which are not the less dangerous for being unperceived. Every relation, however true the circumstances which form the basis, if embellished (as it is called) to give a zest to the history, is a breach of truth little attended to, but very influential in rendering truth less an object of veneration, and less a habit of the mind. But, it may be said, if so great strictness is to be observed in all our social intercourse, the spirit of conversation will be lost, and a gloomy monotony be substituted in its stead. But for this there is no necessity. The world affords sufficient diversity of character to enliven human intercourse-nor needs embellishment be denied where the story or relation is stated from the first to be fabulous-it is only where such things are mentioned as truth, that all but the truth should be banished. Indeed, this principle of mixing up falsity with truth, when applied to transactions of business, or the reputation of our neighbour, becomes more dangerous even than the utterance of a direct mistatement; because it lulls suspicion asleep, so as that the falsehood insinuated is not detected. truth, though without the addition The suppression of a part of the of falsehood, is another most dangerous species of deceit; and the frequent occurrence of it renders it the more important to be adduced. It is the frequency of all these kinds of falsehood that forms the evil habit complained of; and it is also that frequency which causes it to pass unobserved when attention is awakened to the subject. Parents, therefore, and all who have influence in society, should be doubly earnest in the inculcation, both by precept and example, of the importance of declare plainly the offensiveness to a strict regard to truth. Let them God of any thing contrary to it, either in word or action; the opposition of falsehood and insincerity, to all which the Bible inculcates, and the danger into which the soul is brought by fostering such habits ; and let them exert their utmost care and watchfulness, that they as teachers of others become constant The words in the original are חטאים and רשעים .examples of what they inculcate In a state of society in which courteousness is too often but another name for insincerity, and where a line of conduct differing from the common practice would subject a person so acting to the charge of hypocrisy, affected singularity, or over-scrupulousness, it requires great prudence to avoid giving offence. Still, by doing all we do, and saying all we say, in a spirit of Christian love, humility, and meekness; this may, in a great measure, be accomplished, and we may have the satisfaction of casting our mite into the treasury of truth, that treasury which has God for its Founder, the Bible for its support, and which only requires steady individual encouragement to make it flourish, and enrich every rank in society*. H. C. Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer, In your Number for July 1825, you have inserted a letter under the signature N. I. B., containing some remarks on a passage in Bishop Jebb's "Sacred Literature." In the forty-first page of his work, the Bishop had quoted Psalm i. 1, as an example of "a gradual rise in each line, not merely in the general sense, but especially in each line of the triplet;" and, to prove the correctness of his positions, he gives the following explanation of the terms used: "The ungodly, negatively wicked; sinners, positively wicked; the scornful, at the very name or notion of piety and godliness." Your correspondent, doubting the accuracy of this distinction, says; The reader who wishes to become acquainted with the various kinds of falsehood in current use, will do well to consult a very interesting work lately published by Mrs. Opie, entitled "Illustrations of Lying." It is a work of great utility, especially for young persons, to whom the amusing character of its tales will render it peculiarly agreeable. CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 291. The former, translated" ungodly," certainly implies positive wickedness, and answers το πονηρος, ασεβης, impious. The word translated "sinners,"" is derived from a verb sig nifying to miss the mark, and answers to the Greek word αμαρτανω; and, although very frequently used to denote positive sin, signifies less heinous sin, and is certainly inferior in degree to the former verb." On reading these observations, I referred to Bythner's Lyra Prophetica, where u is rendered improbus, inquietus, turbulentus. Leigh, in his Critica Sacra, says, "The Hebrew Rashangh signifieth restlessnesse, and is opposed to quietnesse, Job xxxiv. 29;" and Poole, in his Synopsis, explains D'y in these words; "Qui variis cupiditatibus quasi æstibus agitantur, et huc illuc perpetuo discurrant, ut sequantur quod nunquam assequantur, aliquid scil. in quo conquiescant," which agrees with Henry's com ment on the word: "The word, which we translate ungodly,' signifies such as are unsettled; aim at no certain end, and walk by no certain rule; but are at the command of every lust, and at the beck of every temptation." Bythner renders DR, "habituales peccatores, qui in quovis opere faciendo delinquunt, sed maximè in religionem peccant." Poole observes, "Vox perpetuum actum designat Non dicuntur, quando cordis impietas in actiones externas erumpit, ut omnis vita ipsorum plena sit sceleret, &c. Est enim a secundâ conjugatione vox deducta, in quâ vocis significatio intenditur." Bythner has also a similar remark; and Henry says, "The word for sin ners signifies such as are determined for the practice of sin, and set it up as their trade.": These observations appear to me confirmatory of the Bishop's position; and I beg leave to submit them for the consideration of your readers. I. O Z. T Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer. IN the 7th chapter of the Acts, verse 59, by the introduction of the word "God," our venerable translators have greatly weakened the antisocinian testimony of the first martyr's prayer. "And they stoned Stephen calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." The last prayer of Stephen was evidently directed to that blessed Saviour whose love for man he deeply felt, and whom now he saw seated on the right hand of power, interceding for him. To him, as to the equal and omnipotent second Person in the Trinity, he addressed his petition; thus most clearly condemning the Socinian heresy. The translators of the Bible, never doubting the Godhead of the Saviour, did not perceive the pretext which they were affording for a misrepresentation of the passage, by their introduction, unauthorised by the original text, of that name which is, when standing alone, generally applied exclusively to the first person in the blessed Trinity. J. E. O. E. particularly elucidates is the awful This, however, being well known, a question may occur, how the oil was applied to such an instrument, or luminary, as a torch. "Now, what occurs in India presents us with a ready answer. When we are going to travel at night, through unfrequented places in that country, where keeping up a light is very important, we do not trust ourselves to a lantern, as in a town or station; but a man is hired, who carries in his right hand a kind of torch, having a large head of tow, or other bibulous substance; and in his left a vessel, (the alyεior. Matt. xxv. 4.) out of which he keeps occasionally pouring oil upon the lighted tow. This makes a large strong flame, much stronger than that of the wick of a lamp. The blaze brightens the whole path, and defies the power of rain or wind to extinguish it. "Before I was set to thinking, by observing this, I remember sometimes inaccurately quoting holy Scripture, by exhorting the people of a congregation to have oil in their lamps. I believe I was not singular: whereas, if we look into St. Matt. we find no such expression; but it is there, "Oil in their vessels with their lamps." "The principal use of this criticism is, that it rescues the figure of this awful parable from a great de gradation to which, in the present form, it is subject, from the misapprehension that a mere English reader has of it. We know that it is the will of our blessed Lord and of the Holy Spirit, in other parts of the Scriptures, to picture that terrible event in some of the grandest descriptions that can strike upon the feelings of the hearer or the reader; as in Matt. xxv. 31, &c.; 1 Thess. iv. 26; 2 Thess. i. 7-9. If, then, we imagine the persons to be lying down, as is usual in those countries, with the dress they happened to have on, in order to take some sleep, and all at once the great cry or shout of many voices to be set up, and ten such torches to be ignited together, making whole streets, and the houses in them, to reverberate their light, and these joined, as I conclude, by others of the bridegroom's friends; here is a striking scene, of such a kind as must have forced the attention, and thrilled the nerves, of the hearer who understood the allusion. The whole representation is in harmony with the grand descriptions of the same subject in the holy word. "There is a passage in a profane writer, to which these critical remarks apply; namely, in the Agamemnon of Eschylus, v. 91, et seq. where Clytemnestra has been lighting up the city, and the chorus wonders what it means, and says, Αλλη δ ̓ ἄλλοθεν ουρανομήκης Λαμπὰς ἀνίσχει, Θαρμασσομένη χρίσματος ἀγνῶ Μαλακαις ἀδόλοσι παρηγορίαις, Πελάνῳ μυχόθεν βασίλεια. This is exactly the process used with our Indian torch; only here the oil is enriched into a chrism, either for scent or finer light, by the solution of some preparation kept in the royal store for this purpose. But the μadakaι Tapmyopia, or cherishing revivals, with which the instrument is anointed, answer remarkably to our application of the oil." Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer. HAVING paid considerable attention to the Penitential Psalms, I am desirous of ascertaining by whom the selection was made, and the time when they were classed as they now stand. Augustine is said, in his last sickness, to have desired these Psalms to be placed within the curtains of his bed, that he might die in holy meditation upon them; and most Christians, in every age of the church, have found these Divine compositions peculiarly suited to the expression of their necessities and feelings. If any of your readers will afford an answer to the above inquiry, they will much oblige JOHANNES. FAMILY SERMONS.-No. CCVII. Romans viii. 12, 13.-We are debtors not to the flesh, to live. after the flesh for if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. THE great majority of mankind live in a state either of utter carelessness or proud independence, as respects their obligations to God, as though they were subject to no accountableness for their actions. Judging from their conduct, death, and judgment, and eternity, would appear to be but vain terrors: we could not suppose that they seriously believed that there is an Almighty Governor of the world, to whom they must one day render an account of their actions; a Creator to whom they owe all they have, and who has a right to their undivided service; an all-seeing Judge, who will place them before his tribunal, to undergo his award of eternal happiness or misery, "according to their deeds." They live as though their time, their property, their powers of mind and body, were their own, beyond the reach of interference or control. They reflect not upon that awful hour when they must render up their stewardship, when they must account for every talent committed to their care, and receive either that welcome greeting, "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord," or that awful sentence, "Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." In truth, instead of thus considering themselves debtors to God, Owing to him the perfect service of their heart, and soul, and mind, and strength, men live as the willing şervants of sin and satan: they sell themselves captives to work iniquity; and to witness the eagerness with which they follow their own ways, without any inquiry what God demands from them, and with perfect unconcern respecting "the end of those things, which is death," we might suppose that they thought themselves following the proper end of their creation-that they considered it their duty to live in the world and for the world; heedless of the will of God, and placing all their pleasure in these things which in their baptismal vows they had promised to renounce. But whatever may be the actual practice of mankind, God has not left himself without a witness in their hearts. We especially, who have enjoyed the opportunities of instruction afforded to us in this enlightened Christian age and country, must be fully sensible that the conduct which has been described is highly sinful and rebellious against God. More particularly, as professed disciples of Christ, we well know that it is our duty to live for far higher purposes than worldly business or gratification; and that the service of our God and Saviour demands the best affections of our hearts, and the most devoted energies of our lives, "We are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh; but to God, that we may live after In order the more fully to understand these important truths, we shall consider, first, the obligation under which we are placed; and, secondly, the consequence of our neglect or discharge of it. First, then, it is intimated in the text, that we lie under a solemn obligation, the nature of which is implied in the declaration, "We are debtors, not to the flesh." By inquiring, first, what this obligation is not, we shall be the better able to understand what it is. We are not, then, “debtors to the flesh." We were not sent into the world merely for the purposes of this life, or to gratify our appetites and inclinations, unmindful of higher and holier objects. The whole Bible shews us that there were very diffe rent ends to these to be accomplish ed by our creation. So far from this life being the whole or the chief part of our existence, it is always spoken of in Scripture as only preparatory to another state of being, to an eternal world of happiness or misery. Instead, therefore, of living a life of self-indulgence, or eager pursuit after the things of this world, we are commanded to mortify our members which are upon the earth to crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts; to put off anger, and wrath, and malice, and blasphemy, and filthy communications; to avoid covetousness, which is idolatry, and fleshly lusts which war against the soul. We are taught that we are not our own; that we are the property of God; his by creation, and his also by redemption, being bought with the price of the blood of his beloved Son. By the word "flesh" in the text, and in other parts of the New Testament, we are to understand not merely the grosser appetites of our |