of his flock. From the narrative, and also from what we have read respecting the sense, in which Moses must have known that the Jews would naturally understand his words, it appears that they "brought" their offerings to some appointed, or usual, place. God accepted Abel's offering, but did not respect Cain's. The sacred historian intimates the reason, for which Cain's offering was rejected. It was evidently from the omission of something which God required, or the addition of something which God disapproved and desired him to amend, if he would be accepted. But, whatsoever might be the omission or addition, Cain, instead of repenting and attending to the expostulation of God, to do what the Lord ordained to render his offering acceptable, chose to follow the dictates of what he thought to be his right of private judgment, but what was in fact the dictation of his pride and passion. He leaned to his own understanding and will; and, because God's ways did not accommodate themselves to these, he rejected them. The scripture says, that, instead of obeying in faith and repenting-Cain was wroth, and his countenance fell-(Gen., Iv., 5.) His stubborn disobedience led to other guilt. He turned his malice and envy against his innocent brother, who (therein representing the Church of "the faithful") had in humble faith complied in all respects with the Lord's ordinances, and therefore was accepted. As, in every age from that day to the present, those who have dissented from the Church, and set up their own imaginations and pride against her doctrines and ordinances, have gone from one sin to another; and become first schismatics and separatists, and then persecutors, so it was with Cain- He first is disobedient against God's ordinances; then, upon being rebuked for his fault, he is wroth, and at length he ends in malice and cruelty towards him, who has been faithful. He hated his brother and then mur

dered him, and made him the first martyr for righteousness. (Matt., XXIII., 35. Luke, XI., 5.) In this awful tragedy God appears clearly as ordering the religious affairs of the family of Adam. Not only is his knowledge of the offering, and its connexion with His will and service, directly declared, but he also remonstrates with Cain evidently upon the ground, that the rejection of his offering arose from circumstances respecting that ordinance, which were clearly revealed to him and fully understood. God Himself spake to Cain (as He afterwards authorised His Church and ministers to speak to sinners, and schismatics) to declare the path of safety, to warn him against departure from it, and finally denounce the punishment of self-will and disobedience. (Gen., IV., 6, 7.)

Though every part of this history, is in fact a history of the Church of God and of the remarkable persons connected with it, in this its infant state, we have no particular note of its formation into a distinct society till after the birth of Enos, the son of Seth. Yet in giving the name of Seth, Eve had in view the record, and the perpetuating of the testimony, of the great charter of mercy-the seed that should bruise the serpent's head." (Gen., III., 15.) For the meaning of the name Seth is, appointed or substituted. This is expressly declared to be the reason, for which the name was chosen by his mother. "For God, said she, bath appointed me another seed, instead of Abel whom Cain slew." (Gen., IV., By which she referred to a son through whom, instead of the murdered Abel, or the murderer Cain, the promised seed should come into the world. In the days of Seth, after the birth of his son Enos, the sacred historian states that "men began to call upon the name of the Lord," (Gen. III, 26.) or rather as it has been translated in the Margin, to "call themselves by the name of the Lord." This has been

25.)

understood as meaning that the family of Seth formed themselves into a religious society, calling themselves by the name of the Lord-that is the people or Church of God, as distinguished from those, who had forsaken God, or given themselves up more or less to man's errors or devices, and to that corruption and wickedness, which came to its beight in the days of Noah and brought on the world the destruction of the Deluge. In the preservation of the faithful Noah and his family from that tremendous visitation, God's immediate and personal direction and superintendence are plainly declared, His covenant with His Church is renewed (Gen., vI., 18.) and the Ark is made (as upon the authority of St. Peter, (I. Peter, III., 20, 21.) our baptismal office appropriately reminds us) a type of the refuge which, by means of the Sacrament of Baptism, is prepared for the faithful in the Ark of the Church. This refuge for those, who sought it as God ordained, is thus described by an eloquent Divine of our branch of the Holy catholic Church.

"When the earth was defiled by the abominations of its inhabitants, when the sins of men had burst the fountain of the great deep, and opened the windows of heaven, and called forth a deluge to cleanse her from her corruptions; when neither the riches of the wealthy, nor the power of the mighty, nor the wisdom of the wise, could save them a single moment from the hand of death; then appeared the inestimable privileges of the faithful, the incomparable pre-eminence of the church. Small and contemptible as she then seemed, being reduced to the holy family in the ark, yet, safe in the protection of her God, she weathered the storm which laid the world in ruins, and rode in triumph over the wreck of universal nature. New heavens, as it were, and a new earth arose, for her sake, out of the confusion of the old; the covenant was renewed; she was bid

to look upon the rainbow, and remember the promise; the morning stars once more sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy."

(To be continued.)

REMARKS ON THE ACCOUNT OF JOHN HIIL.

(See pages 9, and 42.)

We do not bring any narrative before our readers for the mere purpose of amusing them. We shall be very glad to afford them amusement, but they must remember that this will not be our chief aim. That will be always edification and improvement. Now, therefore, let us raise a few reflections upon John Hill's life and death. Here is a respectably attested history of an unlearned and humble individual, one reclaimed from a state of savage ignorance and darkness, and brought unto the knowledge and light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What a difference, what a rise in the scale of intellectual and spiritual society, does this change occasion to him and his family. See this lowly servant of Christ's Church; bringing up his children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord-laying up in his heart, and shewing forth in his conduct—the peace, the love, the consolations, the hope, the strength, the joy, of God's grace and the Redeemer's power. What happiness, what honour, could the savage life, nay the highest and most refined privileges of civilized life, confer, to be compared with those with which John Hill shewed himself to have been blessed. The way to institute a fair comparison will be to place John Hill, and those who have been thought the most honoured, (sometimes most envied) and favoured in the world's estimation, in the same circumstances, and then

calmly judge, by the light of "Common Sense", which is possessed of the most substantial happiness, and the most enduring and highest honours. Let us place each party in that position, in which all false appearances and deceitful glare are shut off, and objects are seen in their true light, and estimated according to their real, and their seeming worth-not according to their glitter, but their weight and purity. Place each party on the BED OF DEATH. Let the mighty monarch be laid low-let his crown be a burden to his aching and burning brow; let bis feverish limbs be tossing to and fro upon his silken and perfumed couch; let his groans and sighs echo amongst gems, and gold, and rich tapestries; let his weary and apprehensive soul, seeking comfort and support, see them offered by the anxious looks, or formal condolences of assembled courtiers. What then! Death's hard and unrelenting gripe, is gathering up his heartstrings and preparing to snap the cords, which bind him to these pomps, and to the world to which they belong. What strength, what peace, what hope, what usefulness do all these present. Compare him with JOHN HILL, also on his death-bed. Compare him, with the humble tenant of a log cottage-the lowly occupier of a coarse and rough pallet--but at the same time the heir of the hopes that are in Jesus-the faithful member of Christwho has continued in the ark of his Church on earth, and whose spirit rises, as the body sinks, at the prospect of the fast approaching glories of the Church in Heaven. See him surrounded, not indeed by pomp and courtiers, but by the Minister of the Church, and unaffected friends, dear and dutiful children, and faithful partakers of his hope! Can we ask to which of these, in the sight of "COMMON SENSE" must be given the preference; which has gained the palm of victory? Even before death, the monarch has found vanity-the holy catehist-glory.