chief element our being conformed to the righ ness of God.

I need not here refer to the obvious impo of using God's Word as a guide in self-exami But as I am speaking at present with special reference to the Communion, it ma proper to remark that, in order to our f warranted to engage in that ordinance, it i necessary that the result of our self-examin should be to leave us satisfied with our condition, or even, indeed, free from doubts fears. To the former result a candid self-ex nation can never conduct any sincere mind in present imperfect world. As regards the latte we have a real desire to be delivered from doubts and fears which distress us, and from unbelief and those sins which lead to them, only are we at liberty, but we ought, to use thankfulness the gracious institution provided our comfort, and refreshing, and encouragem The Sacrament is not a seal of perfection, an instrument thereunto; and to come to Lord's Table is not to declare that we are satis with ourselves, but that we repent of our sins, place our trust in Christ, and desire the increase our Christian graces.

SELF-EXAMINATION.

169

There is nothing I feel it necessary to add, except that our self-examination should be accompanied with humble prayer to Almighty God, who alone can render any of the exercises of the spiritual life truly beneficial to our souls.

MATTHEW xii. 8-"The Son of man is Lord even Sabbath-day."

THE Scriptures, especially the New Testament S tures, leave a great deal to the good sense and feeling of their readers. They do not give us det rules as to every particular of our duty, but are tent to furnish instructions of a more general. leaving it to Christian intelligence to apply then itself, under that guidance from above which is mised to all who are sincerely desirous to do the of God. They do not shew us always the e course we are to follow, but they point out the r or quicksands on either side, and leave it to ourse to steer our way through the channel of deep w between. Thus, in the Sermon on the Mount, t is a beacon set upon the rock of ostentation, w we are told that in giving our alms we ought no let our left hand know what our right hand do and on the other side there is another beacon pla

upon the quicksand of false modesty, when we are directed to let our light shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven. Between the two extremes it is left to our own understanding and sense of propriety to take the course which may be best according to varying circumstances.

It seems to me that these remarks are not without a bearing on the subject of Sunday observance. I believe that in this matter also not a little is left, under the New Testament dispensation, to the intelligence and right feeling of Christian people.

The practice of observing one day in seven as a sacred day did not owe its origin to the law of Moses. It existed before the law, and the law only adopted it, and laid down regulations, in harmony with the rest of the Jewish system, as to the mode in which the day ought to be kept. Accordingly, it does not follow that when the law was abolished, this institution was abolished too. As it existed before the law and independently of the law, it did not necessarily fall with the abrogation of the law. Perhaps the force of this argument will be all the more readily admitted when we keep in mind that it is exactly analogous to one of those which St

Paul uses in his Epistle to the Galatians, on the great subject of the admission of the Gentiles to gospel privilege. The true children of Abraham (so he reasons) are those who partake in the faith of Abraham, for it was through faith that Abraham received the promise of the covenant into which it pleased God to enter with him; and, adds the Apostle, this covenant thus confirmed with Abraham, "the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, could not disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect." This, it is evident, is virtually the same mode of reasoning which applies in the case of the day of rest.

We farther learn from Scripture and the universal tradition of the Christian Church, that the first day of the week has been observed as a sacred day among Christians from the earliest times, the principle of one day in seven having been retained, though the day was changed, for well-known reasons, from the seventh to the first.

If to these considerations there be added the usefulness of the institution as furnishing a day of rest from secular labour, and also the great value of the day as affording opportunity for religious exercises, the reasons for its observance seem conclusive. It may be said that to the Christian, living under a