is paramount and supreme. As children we are to honour and obey our parents. But if parental authority contradict the word and will of God, his will is above all others. There is a limit to earthly authority; there is none to the authority of God. When men command according to the commands of God, we obey because he commands. When their authority, however just within its proper limits, opposes his, we are to obey God rather than man. It is " thy will"

above all others.

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Thy will" above all others, because of its perfect distinctness. What is the pleasure and will of others, whom within the limits of their authority we are bound to consult and obey, it is often difficult to ascertain. But God's commands are always clear. Among various paths of mere expediency we may doubt which to pursue; but there can be no necessary mistake in regard to the path of absolute duty as laid down by the will of God. The carnal spirit may shrink from it because it is painful, and endeavour to find some path equally right and less repulsive, but it can never excuse itself from obedience to God's commands, because they were unintelligible and indefinite. If we are disposed to set aside his commands because they seem to require violations of the authority or pleasure of others, still we cannot excuse ourselves upon the ground of their being indistinct. We are at all times, to follow that path of obedience to him, which is always plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge. If doubt or darkness seem for a time to rest upon the commands of God, we are to search the Scriptures for a knowledge of his will. Every man must be held responsible for the knowledge of them to whom the privilege has been granted. He is not to depend upon the interpretation and instruction of others alone, but is to seek the guidance of the Lord's Spirit to lead him by the Scriptures, into a knowledge of his will. In the inspired volume, we find always, clear direction and unerring wisdom. And if we are ready to enquire with an humble spirit, and to follow out its guidance, in entire submission, we need be under no error, as to what the Lord our God requires of us. All obscurity comes from our unwillingness to obey. When the Saviour says, "take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart," we can be under no mistake in regard to what he means. And though pride and anger may wish to qualify the command, we can never run to an excess in the line of obedience; we cannot be too meek, or too lowly, or too benevolent in spirit, in our imitation of Christ. When he commands us, Swear not at all," though we may try to excuse the lawfulness of oaths in certain cases, we cannot doubt that in abstaining entirely, we are right. When we read, "be not drunk with wine wherein is excess ; though we may desire to justify a certain use of intoxicating liquors, which we call moderate, we can never doubt that total abstinence is the certain course of safety and right. There is the same distinctness in every line of duty, and in following out the Lord's will we have but to ask of our Master, Lord, what wouldst thou have me to Thy will," above all others.

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Thy will," above all others, because it is perfectly excellent. The commands of God are the standard of moral perfection among all his creatures. How can the creature be happier than in perfect

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"6 THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.

conformity to him? How can we be happy at all, until his law is written upon our hearts. The commands of men are alway imperfect, sinful, and deficient, at the very best. But even infidels see and acknowledge the purity and excellence of the divine precepts. They are obliged to confess, that the moral principles of the Bible, as they are embodied in the Sermon on the Mount, are highly beautiful and excellent, and that if they were carried out in the universal practice of men, they would make a heaven upon the earth. Obedience to God would indeed be a total transformation of the character and society of man. How truly may his commands be called "that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God!" And how justly does their unequalled excellence minister impression to their authority, upon minds that are desirous, if there be any virtue, or any praise, to think of these things.

Thy will,' is the will of God by exclusion, in opposition to all others. To take this view, we are called to consider the opposition which is made to the will of God, and the choice which we have necessarily to make between this and everything, which may be opposed to it. We find this opposition often in ourselves; our own wills oppose themselves to the will of God in a direct aversion to his com mands, and the petition then is thy will' in opposition to my own. It is one of the greatest and most uniform obstacles to our obedience which is here noticed. When God calls us to renounce all value of ourselves, and all confidence in ourselves to follow him, there is a spirit of pride within us, which makes many objections to the divine requirements. The temper of the unrenewed man rebels exceedingly against the severe and unyielding standard, as it is considered, by which he must be governed, and pleads for the indulgence of the tendencies and dispositions of its own nature. It was of this that St. Paul says, he "conferred not with flesh and blood," when it pleased God to call him by his grace, but immediately submitted himself to the divine commandments. Without weighing the value of worldly expectations and ease, or the worth of anything which he was to sacrifice for Christ, he readily counted all but loss for Christ, and rejoiced that he was permitted to win Christ upon any terms. This is our only course, when the will of God is opposed by our own. We We are to submit ourselves to him without murmuring or complaining, and his will is to be done, while our own is to be rejected and subdued. Another shape in which this opposing will within us presents itself, is in the way of explanation of divine commands. The hostility of man to the direct authority of God, leads him to lower as much as possible the meaning of God's commandments, that they may be better suited to his taste. When God commands men to come out from an evil world, and to be separate from its sins, how hard it is to bring them to accept and adopt the direct meaning of his precepts. They are ready to say, The Scriptures are very figurative in their language; they speak in much stronger terms than they mean to be understood; we are to adapt them to the circumstances in which we are placed,' &c. Thus, in a thousand instances, with which we are familiar, men take their own wills to qualify and explain the will of God. They would bring down the holy standard of the Gospel, to suit the corruptions and infirmities of their own sinful natures. They

plead that these strict and unyielding commands were not meant for persons situated as they are, immersed in business, surrounded with temptations, distracted by cares. They would rather make the law of God a changing one, adapting itself to the circumstances and convenience of man. But all this is merely a qualified opposition to the will of God. We must take the word of God as it is, and abide by its commands. And whatever be the spirit, or the argument of opposition which we find within ourselves, we are still to say, "thy will " in opposition to our own.

No one

'Thy will' in opposition to the will of others around us, can set out in the attempt to do the will of God without finding this opposition. The various directions which the worldly gives to one who asks the way to peace, one sending him to the pride of selfrighteousness, and another to the heedlessness of indifference, and another to the giddiness of earthly folly, all show out this opposition to the will of God. Let him come back to the Bible, and there all is clear and intelligible. "My son, give me thy heart," is perfectly distinct. There is no doubt as to what God means. There are no obscurities, no contradictions here. But if dissatisfied with this, he will have some one explain away the command of God for him, because it seems too strict, or unreasonable: this is taking the will of others in opposition to the will of God. The Bible says, "Ye must be born again." This is the will of God. But what does this mean? When conscience, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, gives the interpretation, it is plain enough. While a sense of guilt and corruption presses there, and the holiness of the character which God requires, shines before it, there is no doubt as to what God means. But how many find the demand too repulsive for rebellious nature, and desire to know if there is not some explanation of the terms which will lower their meaning! And in obedience to this spirit, some say it means merely the conversion of heathens to Christianity, or it means the change of profession which is made in baptism. But what is all this, but following the will of others in opposition to the will of God!

These illustrations are sufficient for my purpose. We pray that the will of God may be done above all others, and in exclusion of all others. He has given us a rule of conduct perfectly distinct and plain, and by it we are through his grace to walk. We are to choose his commands as the only light and guide to our feet, and make it our single purpose to ask what the Lord our God hath spoken concerning

us.

If our own corrupt nature, or the vain imaginations of others furnish objections, we are to turn a deaf ear to them all, and resolve to walk in the strait and narrow way which the Lord has opened. And in this petition we ask that this may be the plan adopted and carried out by ourselves, and by other men. Thus may we all walk with God, to the rest which remaineth for his people.

THE ADVANTAGE OF EARLY RELIGIOUS

EDUCATION.

SOME years since, a gentleman, passing through an obscure alley in London, on a Sunday morning, distributed religious tracts as he went along. A woman with whom he left one of the little publications, informed him that she had a lodger who would feel pleased if he would pay him a visit. He instantly complied with the request, and was introduced to a room, where upon a miserable bed he perceived a fine young man, in the last stage of emaciation and decay. The gentleman entered into conversation with him, and was pleased to discover that the unhappy sufferer was not only fully prepared to receive his instructions, but that he appeared to be truly impressed with the character of his state, and acquainted with the system of salvation through the crucified Saviour. He confessed he had been brought up in respectability, that he had received a religious education, that he had fallen a victim to vice, that he had abandoned his parental home, that his constitution had been ruined by excess, and that his present condition had resulted from his own depravity. He then proceeded to describe how in his misery, like the prodigal son in the parable, he had come to himself, how all the impressions of early life had been revived by an influence from above, how earnestly and penitently he had cast himself before the throne of grace, and how at last he was enabled to indulge in some expectations of final forgiveness and acceptance beyond the grave. When the gentleman kindly enquired if he could do any thing for him, the young man with considerable hesitation, but yet with absorbing earnestness, said, I hope I have obtained the forgiveness of God, would that I could receive that of my father!' The gentleman, whose feelings were very strongly excited, offered his services, enquired the parent's address; and as the situation of the young man admitted of no delay, he immediately repaired to the residence of the father, whom he found at home, and to whom he was introduced. Some embarrassment followed. At length the gentleman said, I believe, sir, you have a son.' The old man became violently affected, burst into a flood of tears, and sufficiently exemplified how much the conduct of the child had agonized his heart. The gentleman, after some delay, proceeded, with as much caution as he could exercise, to narrate the circumstance which had transpired in the morning, and concluded by offering his services to conduct the parent to an interview with his erring but penitent child. A silent assent having been given, they proceeded to the house where the young man was lodging. They soon arrived at the place. The gentleman first entered the apartment. The young man when he saw him faintly smiled with pleasure; and then, looking further, he perceived the grey hairs and well-known countenance of his father. With all his remaining strength he uttered the most pathetic entreaties for forgiveness: the whole affection of his father was aroused; and, according to the description in the parable before quoted, he ran, took his son in his arms, and gave him the most endearing assurances that he was pardoned. The young man had put his arms round the neck of his father, who suddenly felt the filial embrace relaxed he looked through his tears, and found that he held the corpse of his child! The effort and the emotion had proved too much for his strength, and his spirit had fled to the presence of its God.

Review of Books.

A COMPARATIVE VIEW OF THE CONSTITUTIONS OF GREAT BRITAIN, AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. In Six Lectures. By P. F. AIKEN, Advocate. Pp. viii. and 192. London. Longman, and Co. 1842.

IT is seldom that we read a book of this description without meeting with some political, moral, or religious sentiments with which we do not agree. After a careful perusal, however, of this little volume, we cannot recal one sentiment which has not our entire concurrence. This declaration may seem strong; but we are willing to stake our character as reviewers on the recommendation implied in it. We consider ourselves much indebted to Mr. Aiken for acceding to the 'request' of his Bristol audience, by publishing his Lectures, as well as to that audience for making the request. Their sound judgment and good taste are, in our opinion, clearly shown by their due appreciation of such a Lecturer as Mr. Aiken.

We almost wish that the book had had another title, since the present one does not, at first sight at least, convey any adequate idea of the vast number of interesting and important subjects treated of in the Lectures. We cordially agree with our author's sentiment in his Preface on this head;

'The subject has an intrinsic claim to attention. It embraces a variety of topics, both entertaining and important, and historical truths of immense practical value, concerning which the people are deeply interested, and too often misled.'

The style in which the Lectures are written is at once simple, pleasing, and forcible, and sometimes eloquent. The last is arrived at by no strained efforts, but is rather the natural product of a welltrained mind, thoroughly acquainted with all the bearings of the subject on which it treats, deeply interested in it, and desirous of conveying at the same time just information and kindred interest to those whom it addresses.

Forming our judgment from this work-which is the only one we have ever had the pleasure of reading from the pen of Mr. Aiken-we should say that his religious principles are those of a sincere Christian and a sound evangelical Churchman. His moral sentiments are the genuine fruit of his religious principles; and his politics are founded on the basis of Scripture, guided by sound reason and judgment, and established by observation and experience. Decision and moderation are strikingly combined throughout. He writes like a man who feels a perfect confidence in the rectitude of the sentiments which he advocates, having embraced them after the most mature consideration; and who knows at the same time the absurdity and uselessness of attempting to dragoon others into the adoption of kindred opinions. His whole tone and manner is remarkably calculated at once to assure a friend, and disarm an enemy. At times, indeed, he manifests somewhat of a righteous indignation against what he considers to be crying evils. An instance of this is to be found in his remarks on American Slavery. And truly we think it would be at once unworthy of a APRIL, 1843.

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