C.-But did the people call God Baali? gracious promises relating to our Lord. The first that we meet with is in the P.-Baali means Lord, and they had second chapter, from the first to the called him Lord. C.-What, then, does Ishi mean? C.-That she called him lord. And so wives were accustomed to do, in acknowledgment of their subjection; but the name of husband was more affectionate. God therefore condescends to promise that he will not be Baali, Lord, to Israel, but Ishi, husband to them. Are there any places in the New Testament in which Christ is represented as a Husband? C.-I do not remember any. P.-John the Baptist calls him the Bridegroom, saying, "He that hath the bride is the bridegroom," John iii. 29; and he represents himself as "the son of a certain king, for whom his father made a marriage," Matt. xxii. 2. Saint Paul also says to his converts, "I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ," 2 Cor. xi. 2. Again; he says, "The husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church and he is the saviour of the body. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the church," Ephes. v. 23-32. The church is also called "the Bride, the Lamb's wife," Rev. xxi. 9; and they are said to be "blessed which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb," Rev. xix. 9. B. C. 760. THE EIGHTEENTH PROMISE OF fifth verses. Read them over, and we will consider how they refer to our Saviour. C.-What are the last times? P. The expression means the times of the Gospel, or of that more perfect dispensation which God was to send after that of Moses, and of which the Mosaic was only preparatory. Paul says, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these latter times spoken unto us by his Son," Heb. i. 1, 2. C.-What is the mountain of the Lord's house? P.-It means the mountain on which the temple at Jerusalem was, What mountain was that? C.-Mount Sion. P.-Then it means that Mount Sion was to be exalted above all mountains and hills. C. And how could this happen? P.-Not exactly according to the letter; for what is here spoken is only a figure or image representing what was to be done. The meaning is this: idolaters chose "every high hill, and all the tops of the mountains, to offer sweet savour to their idols on," Ezek. vi. 13; no doubt vainly fancying that because they were high on the earth they must be nearer to heaven, where they thought that their gods dwelt ; but the mountain of the Lord's house was to be set above them all; that is, the true religion of Jesus Christ was in the end to overcome all other religions, and to reign supreme in the earth, for all nations were to flow unto it. Now of whom is it here said that this shall be done? C. Of the God of Jacob. P.-And how is it said that he should do it? C.-He will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. P. And by whom was this fulfilled? C.-By Jesus Christ. P.-Yes, and in Luke xxiv. 27, and tions, and shall rebuke many people: 45-47, you will find two beautiful and they shall beat their swords into illustrations of his doing so very ex-ploughshares, and their spears into actly. In the first to the two disciples pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift at Emmaus, "beginning at Moses and up sword against nation, neither shall all the prophets, he expounded unto they learn war any more." them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself;" and in the second, "He opened the understanding of his disciples, that they might understand the Scriptures; and said unto them, thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Thus did the law, and the word of the Lord go forth from Jerusalem, Jesus himself being the LAWGIVER. What does the prophet tell us was to be the character of his laws? C.-"He shall judge among the na P.-The characteristic then of his law was, "Peace upon earth, and goodwill toward men," Luke ii. 14. Accordingly the new commandment he gave them was to "love one another," John xiii. 34. But there was even a better "peace upon earth" than that between men and men which he came to esta blish, and that is peace between God and men, "the peace of God which passeth all understanding." Thus as Isaiah says elsewhere, "the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver," xxxiii. 22; and James assures us that "there is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy," James iv. 12. THE PASTOR AND TEACHERS. A.-Really these facts are very striking; but allow me to ask, Is there, sir, no other origin to which they may plausibly be ascribed, but the primeval institution of the Sabbath? Minister. The inquiry is a very important one, and well worthy of consideration; for if the facts in questions can be assigned to no other origin than that we have adverted to, then the primeval institution of the Sabbath is placed beyond dispute, and this point once established, its perpetual obligation will follow as a matter of course. I answer, then, there is no other origin for the universal prevalence of the hebdomadal division of time, nor for the sanctity ascribed by heathen nations to the seventh day, but the scriptural origin. All customs must have some * Weekly. origin. A universal custom must have a common origin. A custom of the greatest antiquity as well as of the greatest universality, must have one common origin of the greatest antiquity. Now, while no custom is more universal, none is so ancient as the hebdomadal division of time. Of this origin there is no event in profane history which even pretends to furnish any account. There is not, that I am aware, any attempt to account for it by referring it to any event within the history of any nation. The Bible alone furnishes the record in question, and that record is stamped with incontrovertible truth. How remarkable that the custom should prevail in almost all nations, both ancient and modern! Though kingdoms have risen and fallen; though empires which once flourished have become obliterated, the traces of e primitive Sabbath are still legie and imperishable. God has not ft himself without witness. Philosophy is as silent as profane story in reference to the hebdoadal division of time. That divion cannot arise from astronomy, r there are no revolutions in the avenly bodies, and no periodical pearances in nature, which corspond to such a division. The riodical revolution of the earth in r orbit, affords a natural reason r the division of time into years. he revolution of the moon in her -bit, affords a natural reason for e division of the year into months; ad the diurnal rotation of the earth n her axis, is a natural reason for ividing time into days; but for the ivision of time into periods of even days, there is no natural reaon in any visible motions or appearances which we could conceive ikely to suggest it to man. At the same time it is certain that such a division is not convenient for arithmetical purposes, nor does it conform to the custom which all nations have adopted in their calculations. In all countries men have adopted a decade*-the number ten-as the revolving number; and it is probable that all nations would have adopted the same method of reckoning days by tens instead of by sevens, had they not been guided by a Divine precept. You will re The universal custom of reckoning by ten as the revolving number, as 10, 20, 30, 40, &c., probably had its origin in the number of our fingers. Most children, when learning to count, make use of their fingers. The same custom still obtains among some savage tribes; when counting a definite number, they use their fingers, and when they wish to express a very large number for which they have no definite term, they refer to the hairs of their head. member that when infidel France wished to obliterate Christianity, she adopted a decade week instead of a septenary period. This is certainly more simple and convenient for purposes of calculation; and there can be no reason why all men should have determined a mode of numbering days different from their mode of numbering all other objects, except this one reason,-they were led to it by the command of God himself from the very dawn of man's existence. This universal and ancient custom, then, of dividing time into periods of seven days, joined with the fact that the seventh day was held more sacred than all the rest, irresistibly carries us to the original Sabbatic institution on the bright morn when creation's work was completed, and the sons of God shouted for joy at the sight of a new and glorious universe. Superintendent.-I thank you sincerely for this explanation, which to my mind is perfectly conclusive and satisfactory. With one voice all concurred in expressions of thanks to their respected pastor, and acknowledged that they had listened with the greatest interest and delight to his instructive observations, and hoped in future they should read the Holy Scriptures with deeper interest and pleasure, assured that every part thereof was fraught with instruction and profit, and that the evidence for the primeval institution of the Sabbath was clear as the noon-day sun. Minister.-I am glad you are so well satisfied; but I feel it due to state, that what has been said, is only a tittle of what he adduced in confirmation of this doctrine. Superintendent.-Have the kindness, sir, to proceed. PROMOTIONS. Correspondence. SIR,-The evil which "A Young Teacher" complains of, must, I am afraid, be classed among necessary evils; for a well-conducted Sundayschool, any more than a day-school, could not be carried on without a system of promotion. Indeed, I am almost inclined to think whether systems of promotion are not productive of more benefit than harm. I conceive that in the lowest or youngest class, it is the duty of the teacher, as he learns them the a,b,c, which is the key that shall finally unlock to them the treasures of literature; so he instils into them the first principles of religion, which being hereafter expanded, by the blessing of God, upon the waterer in the higher classes, shall bring forth fruit an hundred-fold. Thus, while in the elementary class the scholar learns the simple truths, "God is a Spirit," "God is everywhere," and so on; a step or two higher it would be explained to him that all men are sinners, and of the inestimable love of God in sending his Son into the world to save a lost and ruined world: still higher, and the New Testament reading would more fully explain and impress this all-important truth upon his mind. Next, would the connection between Old and New Testament writings be expounded and im proved; and, lastly, in the senior class, while the temptations and dangers of his future career would be faithfully pointed out, he would be affectionately directed to that Saviour, from whence alone salvation cometh. And is there not a great advantage in this mode of tuition? Does not each teacher prepare that particular kind of in SIR,-In a late Number of The Sunday-school Magazine, "A Young Teacher" alludes to the system of promotions as being an evil in the Sabbath-schools, and in his opinion going very far to destroy their good effect. I think so too; and I would suggest, as an improvement, the system followed in the Wesleyan Sunday-school, at Lausanne, Swit zerland, when I was superintendent there. We found, a few years ago, that it was impossible to transfer scholars from one class to another. Some children were so much attached to r teachers that they left the | ool altogether, when it was atpted to remove them even to a mer class. On the other hand, teachers did not like losing When a boy is brought to the r best scholars, and have to be- school for the first time, of course I afresh with others; so that we ascertain which class he is best quae obliged to have no promotions lified to enter, and for illustration's ll, except out of the infant-class, sake say that he is put amongst the lphabet-class, and in the senior-children reading in the third-class SIR,-Your correspondent, W. S. S., asks for a fuller explanation of the plan suggested by me in your May Number, for changing classes. s. It was taken for granted, s a teacher in earnest would e as much progress as his olars; and experience has proved supposition to be correct. The dren have not improved less being with the same teachers, ause these have improved in the e proportion. Our classes were numbered; therefore, from the est to the highest, but distinshed from each other by the cher's name. The last class was fact the class which had been st lately formed with new olars: at the end of a few months se scholars had so much im-left behind to go through another oved, that it was necessary to course in the class which succeeds m another class for new comers, to the books of the one promoted. der the direction of a new teacher, perhaps of the head teacher, ose scholars had passed into the nior-class, or left to go to service. us it might be said in one sense, at we had promotions, but the chers were promoted with the olars, and each instructor might ve in his turn, after a rotation of few years, the most advanced book; in the course of a few months the whole of that class, (if teacher and scholars have been alike diligent,) ought to be able to read well in the Testament; and if on examination it proves so, the class is made a Testament class, the teacher remaining with it, and in course of time it becomes in like manner a Bible-class. Thus there is a gradual and steady rise of the entire classes with their teachers attached throughout the school; and instead of the teachers from time to time losing their best boys, it is the dull boy of the class who is occasionally This plan furnishes an inducement to the teacher to exert himself with his boys that they may all rise together, and keep their standing in the progressive movement which is steadily taking place throughout the school. I would take this opportunity of calling the attention of teachers to the propriety of substituting Bibles for use in many of the classes where Testaments are now usedBibles are now so cheap that the mere cost can hardly be any object; a boy who is able to read in the one, can read in the other; and why should the teachers and children be deprived of the pleasure of taking their lessons from those beautiful narratives which abound in the Old Testament? Nothing is more calculated to make deep im |