between ME and you, and thy virtue of Christ's death, make seed after thee; every man child some, if not all these children, among you, (viz. in Abraham's the children of the promise; and family, or the families of his seed that at all events he would raise after him,) shall be circumcised. up a spiritual seed to Abraham, Gen. xvii. 10. The whole na- so that the Church should be tion of Israel were accounted the continued. children of the promise, i. e. the Thus circumcision was God's visible Church, until they cruci- token of the Church's perpetuity, fied and slew the Purifier; by-God's assurance, that the gates which act they denied the pro- of hell should not prevail against mise, and forfeited their church-her. In this view infant circumstanding. cision was of the last importance, As therefore the command of as confirmatory of faith on the circumcision is restricted to those part of believers. They saw, in who were the offspring of Abra- this rite, the pledge, that their ham and his seed, i. e. the visible places would be filled by others Church-the children of the pro- professing their faith, and walkmise, it is evident the ground of ing in their ways. Their feelings infant circumcision was a cove-were also enlisted by this rite to nant relation to God-or a rela-supplicate God's grace, that their tion to God, as their God in circumcised children might be the Christ. This relation they could heirs of the promise. Nay, more, not express by their profession of the token of the covenant, admifaith. It was unfolded in the pro- nistered in the flesh of the chilmise of God to their parents, that dren, obligated those children to he would be their God, and the obey God, and trust in Christ, God of those who, like them, be- the purifier. Their circumcision lieved in the Purifier. Nay, did not bring them into a covenant more, the promise assured them relation with God. Such relation that there ever would be those was previously necessary. Abrawho cherished the hope which ham believed before he was cirthey did, and acted under the in- cumcised-they, in his family. fluence of their faith. who were circumcised, belonged This promise then was the to his family before the rite was ground on which God commanded administered. Because he bechildren to be circumcised, not lieved he received the sign of the only those born to believing pa- covenant; and because they were rents, but those bought with their related to him, who believed, money, or born of the servants in they were circumcised. He was his house. The promise secured related to God by his faith-they the perpetuity of the visible by the promise which God made Church. Circumcision being to them who believe. Both were God's token of the promise, and related-but each in a different administered to the children of way. He, a believer-they, as his people, guaranteed to them, the children and family of a benot that every circumcised child liever. Both, therefore, were should be a child of the promise, circumcised by the command of but that God could and would, by God. On that command the rite rested; for it was positive in its | nature. As such God could direct its administration in such a way, and on such persons, as he saw fit. He did give directions on this subject, so as to prevent confusion and mistake. DR. ABEEL'S JOURNAL. [Continued from page 401.]. Wednesday, Jan. 9. FOR this day or two past I have to acknowledge the goodness We have thus endeavoured to of my Lord, in relieving me from explain the nature of circum- the great lassitude into which I cision, and of the Abrahamic co- bad fallen, and that irritation of venant. To sum up the whole, the lungs which produced a conin a few propositions, we have tinual hicking, and frequently endeavoured to show, violent coughing. I perspire at 1. That the covenant, with night, but it is not that hectick sweat which I had begun to apAbraham, as it is called, is one prehend. My rest is refreshing, dispensation of the covenant of although I sometimes count all grace. the watches of the night. During these intervals of wakefulness the body is not restless, and the mind is commonly lucid and sweetly composed. I shall often recollect my songs in the night on board the Triton. The water 2. That by this dispensation of the covenant of grace the visible Church was restricted to Abraham and his seed, i. e. the children of the promise. 3. That a new token, or seal of the covenant of grace, was given under this dispensation, viz. cir whirling about her rudder, and rolling along her side produce the same effect which you experience at night in the vicinity of a cumcision. 4. That this token was com-cataract, or the surf of the ocean. manded to be administered in the flesh of Abram and his seed. 5. That by Abram and his seed were meant the company of believers-the visible Church. 6. That they, and they only, that is the visible Church, believers in Christ, could receive this token of God's covenant. It lulls us; but inspires thought. I hear the watchman walk his round upon deck; I hear each half hour announced to him by the helmsman, who turns the glass; and while to those on the forecastle he, in his turn, cries strike the bell one; or if four, hold the reel, pump the ship; and at eight bells, that is, every four hours, ring the bell and call 7. That in this visible Church the watch. During the intervals the children of believers were in- of silence my thoughts are often cluded with their parents, be-with- or with my God. cause to them the token of the Last night, they ran much upon a covenant was commanded to be fact related by John, in the 23d administered. Receiving the seal verse of the 13th chapter of his therefore, by divine command, Gospel. Now there was leaning they must have been considered on Jesus's bosom one of his discias standing related to him, whose ples, whom Jesus loved. What token they received. Ζητα. repose must that disciple bave love concerning us. Here, while we see the value of the privilege, we have the great inducement to lean on the bosom of Jesus. Thursday, Jan. 10. enjoyed! What an enviable privilege! To lean on the bosom of an earthly friend in this posture, to hold sweet converse, to pour out the heart that has been loaded and oppressed with secret sorrow; to receive assurances of As you have never been placed sympathy and support, afford no in circumstances like mine, you small satisfaction and relief. Yet, will often wonder how I employ what friend, if he be sincere, and the time, so as to prevent it from remain faithful and willing, even becoming irksome. It requires at the hazard of life, or all that less ingenuity than I had apprerenders it valuable, must not, un-hended. Instead of being under der innumerable circumstances, the necessity of inventing reprove impotent and wholly in-sources of improvement and competent to succour or console amusement, the great difficulty is us, must not sometimes in the at-to occupy and seize those which tempt to relieve, swell the floods, present themselves. They may which already threaten to over- be arranged under the heads of whelm us. books. Of these companions, Cease from man-there is a who, though dead, yet speak, I measure of confidence in him, have no small number. And here, which is not only vain but wicked. in choosing company, one has a It weakens, if it is not opposed, peculiar advantage. However -trust in God. obscure himself, he can at any there But lean on the bosom of Jesus-time command into his presence will repose in joy, the greatest and the best of men, when on every other pillow she employ their wit and pleasantry, finds a thorn. This was not the their sentiments and reasonings, exclusive privilege of John. Mil- the products of the most brilliant lions besides him have leaned imaginations or vigorous intelupon this bosom ; it is continually lects, for his entertainment and filled with tenderness and com- improvement-of men who, when passion, and unequalled love. living, would not have deigned to We have not a high Priest who keep his company, or made a cannot be touched with the feel-single effort for his amusement. ing of our infirmities; but one Here I have Addison, and Swift, who was tempted in all things and Goldsmith, with the immortal like as we are, and yet without classic host, associated too with sin. O what a Saviour does the the genius of antiquity, from whom Gospel reveal; exactly such an they drew much of their spirit high Priest as became us. A and their taste, all in their best hufriend, an elder brother, a sub-mour and highest efforts to please. stitute when we were condemned Here the poets, without the painto suffer the sentence of a righte- ful sympathy produced by their ous law! A sacrifice when we poverty, or disgust by their perwere increasing the severity of sonal eccentricities; the greatest that justice which demanded it. divines, without that intimacy A God, who has power to accom- which has often detracted from plish the whole purpose of his the authority of their instructions. And Johnson himself, the prince | figure of the storm-waves runof moralists, without his morose-ning mountains high. The rapid ness and literary pride. Here too motion of the ship has beat up a the ingenious, the heavenly-foam all around us, and illumiminded Cowper, writing like a nated her course, by stirring up divine, a poet, a satirist, or, if I those luminous particles which please, as merry as when John are either phosphoric producGilpin dropped from his pen, tions of the sea, or electric fluid, without being a painful witness of or animalculæ, or something inthat morbid melancholly which herent in the water itself; but I wrung the hearts of his intimates. have never seen the whole mass so filled with these as to appear Friday, Jan. 11. like liquid fire or blood. We had When fatigued with reading, I expected to take the trade-winds can resort to facts and occur- in about the latitude of 30° north, rences, or rather these constantly where they are said to commence, force themselves upon the atten- and to blow from the north-east. tion, and occupy some portion of Our captain was so confident in each day. The sight of a sail, the expectation, that he incauthe phenomena which appear in tiously said, when we get there the ocean, the atmosphere, and we should thank no one for a good the heavens ; our continual wind. Yet there it blew so much change of place and of climate, from the south that we were unour daily progress, the means by der serious apprehensions of which we ascertain these changes, making sufficient easting to weaand the degree of our progress, ther Cape St. Rock. In 23° N. even to a mile or less, together lat. we took, after being almost with incidents on board, among becalmed for a day or two, what about twenty souls, may employ might be properly called the much time, and not unprofitably. trade-wind, yet still it was so far Contemplation can never exhaust to the south as to pinch us in our itself here. So that they who go course. In lat. 6° N., after being down to the sea in ships may al- becalmed for four or five days, ways see the wonders of God. we were favoured with a return never turn my thoughts to the of the same wind, which has confirmament, or the waves, without tinued with little variation till we finding the truth of what the have now arrived at 10° 49 S. Psalmist says. But I confess, lat. and opposite to St. Salvadore. that from the relations of all the We begin to find that the wind is voyages I have met with, I had influenced by the land. We took expected, after sailing about six two porpoises the first week after thousand miles, more, much we sailed; one young shark near more, to excite wonder and gra- the line; and a flying-fish was tify curiosity than has appeared. found one morning in the chains. We have had the wind raised to a gale, and been compelled to scud before it, but it did not roar quite As nothing remarkable has ocas loud as thunder. We have had curred this day, I proceed in the a high and boisterous sea; but enumeration which I have begun, nothing to justify the common and mention the social entertain Saturday, Jan. 12. " Monday, Jan. 14. We are now in about 18° 27 ment derived from company; for find myself at such times more I have already told you, that there inclined to thought, and to think are upwards of twenty of us float- with more sprightliness and viing together, and however des-gour. My meditation ran much picable companions some of these upon the fifth verse of the 42d poor tars might be thought on Psalm. Why art thou cast down, shore, there is not one of them O my soul? Why? Is there not with whom I do not find it either sufficient cause for dejection? profitable to him, or satisfactory to myself, to converse occasionally. A better opportunity of affording them what, of all classes S. lat. and 34° W. long. making of men, they need the most, and for the Brazil coast as fast as is get the least-instruction and ad- prudent, and begin to consider vice, could not offer. And the our voyage as drawing to a close. condescension, as some would This night the firmament was unthink, is not unfrequently repaid usually brilliant. I thought I had by the narrative of a shipwreck, never before seen so many stars. and of a life of hardships, priva- In this region there appears in tions, and changes, which, with the heavens a very singular pheall the simplicity and coarseness nomenon: two small clouds, which of the relation, proves highly in-are called Magellan's cloudsteresting and affecting. they are stationary. The one seems to occupy a space of about Lord's day, Jan. 13. eight or ten square feet, the other As usual on this day, we as-about half as much. From their sembled in the cabin, at twelve luminous appearance bearing a o'clock. I read a chapter and a resemblance to tracts of the gahymn, and prayed. Mr. I. at my laxy, I suppose they must be nerequest, read one of Knox's ser- bulæ of stars-a cluster of worlds. It is not one of the class mons. Tuesday, Jan. 15. which I should have selected, where I could have a choice, but| The appearance of the water it was among the best which were began to change, but no soundon board. Having felt feverish ings. There was floating on the and weak for several days past, surface of the water a yellow, my mind has painfully evinced its oily substance, which at a small connexion with the body. There distance gave the resemblance of have been such languor and de- very shallow water. It was called jection as to unfit me for every Whale-path, and said to be the thing but moping and lounging. product of that fish. I rather I have been unable to read, write, suppose this to be a vulgar error, talk, or even to think, without and view it as the product of injury to this crazy, shattered some river or shore. I was frame; and yet, whether it be greatly indisposed the whole of owing to the inscrutable con- this day. nexion between nervous excitement and mental elevation, or the febrile impulse of the blood to the brain, or some other cause, Iltinued. Wednesday, Jan. 16. |