their ground, but, in every instance, they were to be joined only with those of their own species. This precept embraced at once the benefit of the tribes and the comfort of their cattle. The benevolent Legislator would not have animals of unequal strength and of discordant habits and dispositions, forced into a union to which they are naturally averse, and where the labour could not be equally divided. But Jehovah, whose care extends to the happiness even of an ox or an ass, had certainly a higher object in view. He meant, by this prohibition, to instruct his people to preserve with solicitude the unaffected simplicity of the patriarchal ages, in their manner of living; to avoid unnatural associations among themselves, and undue familiarity with the idolatrous nations around them, by contracting marriages with them, entering into alliances, or engaging in extensive mercantile transactions-still more, by joining in the impure rites of their worship. To this moral aspect of the law the great Apostle of the Gentiles evidently refers in his charge to the Corinthians: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"

After the ass had assisted in gathering the crop into the garner, he was often sent, in primitive times, to drive the millstone, which was to convert it into meal. To this kind of labour the Lord Jesus undoubtedly alludes, in his declaration to the disciples: "It is impossible but that offences will come; but woe unto him through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones." The original phrase, mulos on ikos, signifies a millstone so large that it cannot be turned about by the hand, according to the more common way of grinding corn in the East, but must be driven by an ass. How various and important are the services which this humble creature renders to his master! He serves him for riding, for bearing his burdens, drawing the plough, treading the grain into the flooded soil, turning the millstone; and to all these services, the female adds the nutritious beverage of her milk. To the poor man, therefore, a single ass might prove an invaluable treasure. In many cases it was the principal means of support to himself and his family; a circumstance which accounts for the energetic language respecting this animal in some passages of Scripture. To drive away the ass of the fatherless," Job denounces as a deed of atrocity which none but a proud and unfeeling oppressor could be guilty of perpetrating.

The services of this useful animal were not sufficient, even in times of primitive simplicity, to save him from every kind of abuse. At one time he suffers from neglect; at another from oppressive labour; and seldom experiences from ungrateful man the kindness and indulgence to which he is fairly entitled. From the watchful care of his Creator, however, he has not been excluded; even to his subsistence, comfort, and ease, the gracious attention of Heaven has been directed. And while he admits that he made him for the benefit of man, and protects his owner in the quiet possession of him, as a valuable part of his property, by the awful sanctions of the moral law, he makes it an imperative duty to treat him as a sentient being, capable of suffering and of enjoyment. It is accordingly assigned as one reason for the strict observance of the Sabbath: "That thine ox and thine ass may rest." But it is not sufficient to suspend his usual toil during that holy day; he must neither be resigned to want, nor exposed to harsh or inhuman treatment. The compassion of God requires to loose him from the stall, and lead him away to watering;" and should he fall into a pit,

straightway to pull him out. Nor must the fault of the master be visited upon his unoffending servant; the Israelite was commanded, under pain of divine anger, to bring back the ass of his greatest enemy, which he found going astray, and to assist in raising him up when fallen under his load. In these admirable precepts, the God of mercy regards the or and the ass with equal indulgence; and, as the latter was more exposed to injurious treatment, he conde scends to secure his safety and comfort by additional and particular enactments; exhibiting an example of tender concern for the happiness of the meanest of his creatures, which can hardly be too frequently contemplated, and certainly never too closely imitated.

The man of benevolence, who treats even his as with kindness, shall not lose his reward. Besides the approbation of God and his own conscience, he shall be attended with the strong and affectionate attachment of the animal himself. Dull and stupid as he is, the ass, according to Buffon, smells his mas ter at a distance, searches the places and roads which he used to frequent, and easily distinguishes him from the rest of mankind. An equal degree of gra titude is not always to be found among rational beings towards their greatest and best benefactor. The ass, although destitute of reason, and even duller than many other animals, although commonly hard wrought, and unkindly treated, discovers an attachment to his master, which the people of Israel did not feel for the living God, who daily loaded them with his benefits. This trait in his character gives uncommon poignancy to the prophet's reproof: The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib"-they are not insensible to the kindness of their benefactors; "but Israel doth not know" the God of his salvation; "my people doth not consider" from whose hand they receive all their blessings, nor what return they owe to him for his unmerited kindness.

Among the Jews, the ass was considered as an unclean animal, because it neither divides the hoof ner chews the cud. It could neither be used as food nor offered in sacrifice. The firstling of an ass, like those of camels, horses, and other unclean animals, was to be redeemed with the sacrifice of a lamb, or deprived of life. In cases of extreme want, however, this law was disregarded; for when the Syrian armies be sieged Samaria, the inhabitants were so reduced, that "an ass's head," though a species of food dis agreeable, and commonly reckoned pernicious, “ sold for fourscore pieces of silver." Some writers, however, contend that the term hamor does not signify an ass in this passage, but is the same as komer, a certain measure of grain. But this view of the passage cannot be admitted. We know what is meant by the head of an ass, but the head of a homer, or measure of wheat or barley, is quite unintelligible. Nor could the sacred writer say with propriety, that the city was suffering by a 'great famine," while a homer of grain was sold for eighty pieces of silver; for in the next chapter he informs us that, after the flight of the Syrians, and provisions of every kind, by the sudden return of plenty, were reduced to the lowest price, "a measure of fine flour (which is the thirtieth part of a homer), was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria." Besides, had the historian intended a measure of corn, he would not have said indefinitely, a homer was sold for eighty pieces of silver; but, a homer of wheat, or of barley, or of oats, which are not of the same value. The prophet accordingly says, in the beginning of the next chapter: "A measure of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel." And John, in the Book of Re velation: "A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny." Our trans

looks upon Him whom he hath pierced, he mourns and is in bitterness, even as one mourneth for an only child. And that is repentance-the repentance that

breaks the heart of stone- the repentance that

worketh unto salvation not to be repented of.

It is God

Hence repentance has been described as a saving grace; that is to say, it is not a thing inherent in ourselves, or which we ourselves can originate. It is a gift a free gift—a gift of divine love. himself that gives it. It comes from him just as truly as faith does. For thus it is written in regard to Christ: "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins." To give repentance ! Not merely the forgiveness of sins, which we readily admit to be the gift of God, but repentance also, or the godly sorrow which, within the interior of our own hearts, worketh unto salvation not to be repented of. The latter, no less than the former, is the gift of God through our Lord Jesus Christthe penitence as well as the pardon-the godly sorrow as well as the remission of sin. To divine grace,

and to divine grace alone, the believing and the repenting sinner is indebted for them both; and the more thoroughly he is taught that in himself there dwelleth no good thing, and that, consequently, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, the more heartily will he now magnify the riches of the Saviour's grace, and the better fitted will he be hereafter for joining with the countless throng who are casting their crowns at the Saviour's feet, and ascribing, not unto themselves, but unto Him who hath loved them, and washed them from their sins in his own blood, all the wisdom, and the glory, and the honour, and the thanksgiving, and the power, and the victory, for ever and ever. Amen.

HOW DANIEL PRAYED, AND WHY? IT is evident that Daniel had stated times for prayer. And if we would derive the full advantage which may be obtained from prayer, we would do well to have stated times for this exercise. Formality in religion is to be avoided, but regularity ought to be cultivated. Without order in our worldly affairs, although we be always busy, we will be always in confusion. It is of more importance still to be orderly in our religious exercises. If we have no stated times for these, the affairs of the world will, in all likelihood, exclude them; or natural fickleness will postpone them, or unforeseen occurrences will cause them to be shut up in a corner, and performed in a hurried manner-which is worse even than neglect. Regularity will, in due time, ripen into habit, and habit, though it may occasionally degenerate into custom, is an important safeguard upon a good principle and a good practice. Many individuals may consider it quite impossible that they can spare time to set apart for this purpose. It is admitted that all have not equal facilities; but if there be first a willing mind, it is wonderful what can be done. It is presumed that few have a better excuse than Daniel. He had all the affairs of an empire to manage, and yet he found time for his stated seasons of calling on the name of God.

Daniel not only prayed daily he prayed three times a-day. This condemns those persons in whose houses

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prayer is never heard except in a time of distress. It also condemns such as never have prayer in their houses except on Sabbath, and those who, with perfect opportunity, worship God only once in the day. Business, I am aware, is the great excuse; but the more we have to do, we have the more need to pray. It is, in some respects, a greater sin in a busy man to be prayerless than it is in one who is unemployed. He who has most to do has most need of divine assistance; and the rule is: "In all thy ways acknowledge thou Him, and He will direct thy steps." Along with his prayers, it was Daniel's usual custom to mingle thanksgivings to the Father of mercies. In presenting these addresses to the Majesty of heaven, he kneeled upon his knees, in order to express the holy awe and reverence which he felt in the presence of God. He had also been in the habit of praying with "his windows open toward Jerusalem." This he did, not from ostentation, and far less from a superstitious belief that prayer directed to a certain quarter was more acceptable to Him who filleth heaven and earth. By kneeling with his face towards Jerusalem, he at once expressed his belief that the captives would be restored and the temple rebuilt, and complied with the inspired suggestions contained in Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple: "If they sin against thee (for there is no man that sinneth not), and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy far or near; yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; and so return unto thee with all their

heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name: then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and thy dwelling-place, and maintain their cause, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them."

came.

Daniel had been a praying man all his days, and this prepared him to stand the trial when the trial "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house, and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a-day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime."

With the full knowledge that the edict was signed, he continued his ordinary practice. He added nothing from a spirit of defiance he omitted nothing from a fear of danger. On the one hand, he did nothing to court martyrdom; on the other hand, he took no precautions to escape it. He did in all respects as he had done aforetime. He had been accustomed to pray, and he continued to pray. He had been in the habit of praying three times a-day, and he continued to pray three times a-day. He had been accustomed to kneel when he prayed, and he still "kneeled upon his knees." He had been accustomed to pray with his windows open toward Jerusalem, and he opened them toward Jerusalem as he had done aforetime. He had been accustomed to mingle thanksgiving with prayer, and though he is now exposed to a lion's den, he sees still abundant cause of thankfulness. God had spared him long, he had loaded him with benefits, he had enabled him to maintain his purity of character amid many temptations, and now, in extreme old

age, he not only counted him worthy to suffer for the divine name, but enabled him to meet the perils which beset him with a calm and courageous mind. Daniel, therefore, not only prays, "he gives thanks, as he had done aforetime."

Two questions may be raised, respecting the propriety of Daniel's conduct. It may be said, in the first place, that Daniel was chargeable with rebellion, because, knowingly and avowedly, he violated a law which had been passed by the highest legislative power in the country. In reply to this we shall simply state, at present, that God is the supreme lawgiver, that all the authority which man possesses over man is derived from God, and limited by the divine law, and, therefore, the laws of man only bind when they are not inconsistent with the law of God. But the moment that they command what God has forbidden, or forbid what God has commanded, they cease to be obligatory upon conscience; and in such cases, so far from being sinful to disobey them, to do so is a solemn duty. The edict of Darius being palpably opposed to the plainest commands of God, Daniel, in refusing to observe such a law, only acted the part which was incumbent on every loyal subject of the Most High.

In the second place, it may be said that Daniel might have prayed unto God in the heart, in despite of his enemies, and God would have heard him; or, if he wished to pray unto him with the lips, he ought to have retired into some secret place; or at least, if he prayed in his own chamber, he should have allowed the windows to remain closed during these thirty days. Was it not, therefore, sinful in him to pray so ostentatiously as he did? Was not this unnecessarily to expose his life to danger? Was it not to forget that God is a spirit, and to place too much dependence upon that bodily service which profiteth little? It ought, however, to be remarked, that while the Scriptures assert that bodily service profiteth little, they nowhere assert that it profiteth nothing. On the contrary, we are commanded to glorify God in our bodies, as well as in our spirits, which are his. And there are occasions when bodily exercise profiteth much-in which it is even a better test of a person's devotedness to God than the inward frame of his mind. When God calls upon us to believe with the heart unto righteousness, no outward action, such as fasting, or praying with an audible voice, or the giving of our goods to feed the poor, or even the giving of our bodies to be burned, will be accepted by him as a substitute for faith. On the contrary, when God, in his adorable providence, calls upon us to make confession of him before men, no inward frame of spirit, neither faith, nor love, nor selfdenial, nor heavenliness of mind, will be accepted by him as a substitute for our open and visible adherence to the cause of his truth and of his glory. In a time of trial, a testing-time, it is not the inward feeling of loyalty to God-it is the outward manifestation of this; it is not the image of God in the heart, it is his "name upon the forehead," which proves an individual to belong to "the called, and chosen, and faithful." Let us apply these remarks to the case in hand. Praying to God in the spirit was not prohibited, but only such prayer as came under the observation of men. Persons were not interdicted from believing in God, but only from rendering to him the outward acts of homage that were due unto his name. The point, therefore, on which the authority of God and man came into collision was about the external acts of divine worship. God had said: "In all thy ways acknowledge thou me, and I will direct thy steps." Darius and his nobles, on the other hand, said: Thou shalt not ask a petition of God for thirty days. In the present instance, therefore, loyalty to God could not be evi

denced by what was inward, but only by what was outward; not by believing with the heart, but by confessing with the lips. The attitude of Daniel's body while praying, nay, the position of the windows of his chamber, was as important in the sight of God as the inward devotion of his soul. If he had shut his windows, if he had ceased to kneel, if he had ceased to speak unto God with the lips, and rested content with the utterances of the heart, this would have been to homologate the impious decree, and to deny God before men. That edict invaded the rights of Jehovah, not by prohibiting men from worshipping him in their hearts, but by forbidding them to worship him with their bodies. Bodily service was therefore the only evidence of heart-loyalty to God, and worship that was purely spiritual would have been looked upon as the homage of a coward and a traitor of a man who wished to serve two masters. -White's "Providence, Prophecy, and Popery."

AN ILLUSTRATION OF INTOLERANCE. M. PACHE, of the village of Morges, in Switzerland, a minister of the Gospel, and a member of one of the most respectable families of the whole country, was sojourning, during the summer, for his health, at the baths of Aix, in Savoy. He was so ill that he was often shut up in his chamber, and obliged to keep his bed. An old woman had the care of him as his nurse, a creature as cunning and malicious as she was bigoted. She soon observed, by his conversation and manner of life, that M. Pache was a religious man, although, knowing the jealousy of the priests, he had prudently abstained from giving her either Bibles or tracts. This, however, did not prevent the old woman from going to her priest, and telling him, it is said at the confessional, all that she had seen or heard of her patient's heresy.

The priest took the alarm, but M. Pache could not be arrested without some plausible pretext; and how should that be gained? Under guidance of her confessor, the old woman pretended to her patient to be filled with a very sincere and earnest desire to be instructed as to the interests of her soul. She entered into conversation with M. Pache, and finished by begging him to give her one or two of the religious tracts which she had seen upon his table. The siek man yielded to her request; for who, not knowing her wicked league with the priest, could have refused it?

Soon as the old woman had got possession of the tracts, she ran in triumph to carry them to the priest. M. Pache was at once arrested and conducted to prison. Some influential friends exerted themselves to obtain his liberation, but in vain; they were told that M. Pache must wait in prison the issuing of his judgment. The prisoner next addressed a petition to the King of Sardinia, with whom he had been parsonally acquainted-had lived with hini at Geneva had dwelt in the same house with him, and studied in the same school. He received for answer, the assurance that the king remembered him very well, but that he could not hinder the free course of justice.

At length, after having waited a long time in vain for his sentence in prison-all bail being refused to him he was brought before the Senate of Chambery. and there condemned to a year's further imprisonment, a fine of one hundred pieces of gold, and to pay. besides, the expenses of the process. The infamous treatment would have been still worse, had it not been for his personal relations with the king and the interference of some persons of high rank.

The treatment which this minister of the Gospel received while in prison was severe and cruel. They only who may have visited the interior of a prison in a Romish country, and especially in Italy, can ima gine what M. Pache must have suffered. During