portion of time which answered to the first day among the Jews, difficulties of considerable moment might have risen from the geographical situation of different kingdoms, the commence. ment and close of the day being earlier or later, as the countries lay east or west of the land of Judea: but the general way in which the time is noticed, leaves no perplexity of that nature; while the frequent mention of the first day, should leave no doubt as to the obligation of devoting it to God and religion. power; but the far greater won- | universal obligation, binding upders of redemption, and espe- on all nations; had therefore, a cially that great part of the all-positive precept appointed that wonderful work, which presents the Saviour as rising from the dead, are subjects which, on the Sabbath, should engage, and purify, and elevate, and fill the | heart. This deeply interesting event explains and justifies the alteration of the day; nor does it less fix and appropriate its grand object. The resurrection of Christ from the dead is of supreme importance, it authenticates the divinity of his mission, and the efficacy of his sacrifice; is, at the same time, a public proof that the offering up of himself had been accepted, and an The Sabbath, from its name, indubitable pledge of a future is to be a season of repose, of and general resurrection; it is rest to the body and the mind, that link in the chain of the Sa- not from, but in the engagements viour's redemption which con- | of piety. The divine approprianects his humiliation with his tion of the seventh portion of exaltation, his sufferings and time, combines in it what is death with the glory which shall characteristic of the Christian follow. This fact so well esta | dispensation, the union of duty blished, and this truth so con- | and privilege, regard both to the fessedly great, stamps a sacred | body and the mind, an immeimportance on the Sabbath, and diate reference to the best inteleads the reflective and pious rests of time, and the high conmind to contemplate him who cerns of eternity: in this appoint“ liveth, and was dead, and is ment may also be distinctly realive for evermore." cognized, the wisdom and kindness of God, blending their operations with his authority; and thus, by a constitution of things, regular, uniform, and inviolable, the welfare of man arises out of obedience to the divine will. "Godliness is profitable for all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” The Christian Sabbath is, indeed, marked with mercy, bears upon its nature the superscription of heaven, and wherever observed, carries with it its divine credentials. Armed with the force of law it demands attention, nor can it be slighted | | It is admitted there is no express precept respecting the change of the day, contained in the New Testament; the seventh is not verbally forbidden; the first is not specially commanded; yet it is clear the disciples met on the first day for religious services, and their example in this, as in other cases, must be considered as having the force of authority. The silent manner in which the change took place is worthy of notice, and is illus | trative of the wisdom of God. The observance of the Christian Sabbath was designed to be of pre by the examples of godliness and holiness which are brought into notice, iniquity is put to the blush, sin is checked in its guilty career, the empire of Satan is weakened, and his subjects lessened: on this day the seed of the kingdom is widely sown, serious mind, and souls are saved with an everlasting salvation: yes, it cannot be doubted, that every Sabbath, not a few who begin the day in thoughtlessness and in guilt, end it at the footstool of grace, praying for mercy; though in the morning of the day they resembled the prodigal son wasting his substance in riotous living, in the evening of it, they resemble him when returning to his father's house with confession and petition. A day marked with such wonders of mercy, and achieving conquests of so splendid and glorious a nature, should be prized and esteemed the best of all the seven. A day so sacred in the authority which enjoins it, so benevolent in the objects it realizes, should be spent in a manner corresponding to its cha with impunity; and exhibiting | parted to the thousands of chilitself under the aspect of bene-dren in the Sabbath schools, and volence and love, it should be welcomed with gratitude, improved with diligence, spent in piety, and then it will be closed with cheerfulness and hope. Was there no Sabbath, there would be no cessation from labour, no day of rest from civil occupations; life itself would be ren-impressions are made on the dered one incessant toil, one unbroken scene of anxiety, of exertion, and of fatigue; the vigour of the body would sooner be exhausted, and the energy of the mind blunted; the animal spirits would more quickly lose their activity, and old age, with its long train of infirmities and debilities, sooner overtake us; the contracted span of life would be reduced to a still less size, and the grave more early receive its crowded victims. But beneficial as is the Sabbath in man's sent condition, its chief advantages must be viewed in the moral effect produced by it. In the absence of the Sabbath, with its varied means of instruction, vice would march forth with a bolder front; and, with a sadly accelerated step, to an almost unlimited extent, spread its de-racter. teriorating influence, and with the progressive ravages of iniquity, melancholy in the extreme would be the consequences on the human character. The Sabbath throws heavy impediments in the way of sin, and casts stumbling blocks of the most formidable nature in the path of transgression. By the services of public worship, by the faithful sermons preached, and the awakening addresses pointed to the conscience of the sinner; by the fervent supplications presented to the Father of mercies; by the scriptural instructions im "In holy duties let the day In holy pleasures pass away, ADDRESS TO MINISTERS. DEAR BRETHREN, MANY of your pastoral visits have, doubtless, been extremely painful duties, made painful by the disorder and insubordination which you have beheld in the houses of some of your dearest friends. This want of domestic structed into their duty from the pulpit, nor from thence reproved or warned for disobedience to parental authority, they consider obedience and disobedience as rather discretionary and indifferent things." May it not be worth while for us seriously to investigate how far my friend's opinion is correct? God, who has not thought it beneath his administration to give, on the subject referred to, line upon line, and precept upon precept, can take no offence that you follow HIS own example. Christ, whose ministers you are, will never charge you with want of zeal for his glory, because you endeavour to amend the morals where his Spirit does not evangelize the soul. It may possibly be said, The taste of the present day is unfavourable to a full discussion of such subjects. This is granted. But may not the neglect charged on the ministry have contributed to the formation of this taste? and should it not be cor discipline may be accounted for in several ways; in some cases the parents, who have ruling authority, were themselves never under good regulation in early life, and being without this high fundamental advantage, they have power, but not wisdom to apply it to its proper use. In other instances, we justly impute this deplorable evil to the extreme depravity of the minor branches of the family, who have learnt to despise precept, punishment, and even good example. Happening to call the other day on a serious friend, whom I had supposed, like Abraham, was concerned to order his house after him, and there witnessing some confusion, I could not avoid manifesting much surprise. The worthy man, filled with distress, replied to the following effect. (The reply will account for the want of good regulations in our families on a somewhat new principle.) My friend, my house is not so with God as my heart desires: I have some chil-rected as a disease, rather than indren which are a comfort to me, others of them have most ungovernable dispositions. I am aware that, as a parent, my defects and imperfections are numerous; I will impute the weakness of my authority, in some measure, to these causes; yet I have long supposed that our dear pastors afford us too little assistance on the subject of domestic government. The evangelical truths of our holy religion are constantly, fully, and affectionately exhibited before us; this we approve: but is there not an evident disinclination in our ministers to introduce, with frequency, amplitude, and distinctness, those precepts which are the measure of our duty in social and domestic life? My children, Sir, being neither in dulged? When the injunctions and prohibitions of masters and parents are explained and supported by the authority of the ministry, they will be likely to have more consideration and regard. In this connection, ministers may not only expect the dwellings of their friends to be "peaceable habitations and quiet resting places," but enjoy the felicity of knowing that they have laboured to make them such. Then let them "enter the garden, and eat their pleasant fruits." THE PLANET VESTA. WITH those persons who are familiar with the starry heavens, it is doubtless a desirable object will indeed, at that time, be very to ascertain the exact situation of near a small star called O Virginis, any of the new planets that have with which Vesta's place may be been discovered since the com- compared on different evenings, mencement of the present century. as she will be perceived to pass And perhaps some occasional from the eastern side of the star communications respecting any to the western.~On the evening one of these planets may be the of the 16th, and on five or six of more acceptable, as the places the following evenings, she will be they respectively and successive-near two other small stars of the ly occupy in the heavens have Virgin which lie between Omicron not yet been specified in our Al-Virginis and O Virginis. They manacks. lie indeed rather to the south of a direct line, and are about six degrees from Omicron, or the star nearest the Balance, and four degrees from O Virginis. In this instance, as well as in the forementioned one, the planet Vesta will be seen first on the eastern side, and will be perceived every evening to have made some advances towards the west. One of the most interesting of the new planets is Vesta, which bas now been carefully observed during two of her revolutions in her orbit, so that a general basis has been laid for the construction of appropriate Astronomical Tables, which have been recently published in France. After examining these tables, therefore, and making corrections wherever any obvious errors presented themselves, calculations have been made of the course that will be pursued by the forementioned planet in this and the following months. Vesta will be in opposition to the sun on the 9th of April; and consequently she will be seen to the best advantage about that time. It may be well however to trace her during several weeks before that period, and several weeks after it, as we shall then perceive her motion with respect to the fixed stars, and thus obtain the fullest satisfaction of the reality that the object we see is certainly a planet. On the first of this month the planet Vesta rises about nine in the evening, and comes to the meridian about three in the morning. She will therefore be suf ficiently high to be seen by ten o'clock, and as the month advances, she will be seen considerably earlier. It may also be remarked, that this planet may be seen without the aid of a telescope, provided the moon be ab sent and the twilight ended. This circumstance, therefore, gives an interest to this planet which is not excited to an equal degree by the three other new planets; nor with respect to ap parent magnitude is it equalled by that remote planet of our system which was discovered in the last century. J. F. At present Vesta is in the constellation of the Virgin, and her motion is retrograde. At the end of the month she will be in a direct line between Spica Virginis and Arcturus, and will be about fifteen degrees from Spica Virginis, and about eighteen degrees THE present year is distinfrom the other star. The planet guished by the earliest Easter REFLECTIONS ON EASTER, that can possibly happen, ac- | Book of Common Prayer, which cording to the regulations adopt-comprises the directions for deed for determining that period in termining the times of all the this country. Upon investigation moveable feasts; and the rule for it will be found, that the year finding Easter is thus expressed: 1761 has been the only year in" Easter day is always the first modern times in which Easter Sunday after the full moon which has happened as early as it does happens upon or next after the in this year, 1818; and, with twenty-first day of March; and regard to the future, the first in- if the full moon happens upon a stance in which Easter-day will Sunday, Easter-day is the Sunday happen on the 22d of March, is after." One expression here must in the year 2285. So that the be accurately understood, as present Easter is the earliest that otherwise a mistake may arise in has occurred for 57 years, and the application of this rule. For the earliest that will happen for instance, in the present year, if 467 years. The latest Easter by the full moon we were to unthat can happen is on the 25th derstand the true full moon, of April, on which day it last Easter-day would be assigned to happened in the year 1736. But the 29th of March, as the full as this instance was before the moon happens on Sunday, the change of style, the occurrence 22d, at two in the afternoon. of Easter-day in that year cor- Or, if by the full moon we were responds with the 7th of May in to understand the mean full moon, the year on which we have now we should still be led to the same entered, or three days before conclusion, as the mean full moon Whit-Sunday. In the present is on the same day, about two century, Easter will once happen in the morning. But the exemon the 25th of April, namely, in plification of the aforesaid rule in the year 1886. The variation of the Prayer Book itself abunEaster, therefore, is comprised dantly shows, that by the full within 34 days, though, taking moon we are to understand the the old style into account, the ecclesiastical full moon, or such variation is extended to 46 days. an approximation to the mean It does not unfrequently hap- full moon as will admit of a repen, that the Jewish passover, as gular recurrence on the same observed in the present day, days of any particular month nearly coincides in point of time every nineteen years; at the end with the observance of Easter. of which period, it is well known, But, in the present year, there that the real full moons also fall will be a month's difference be- again on the same days of the tween them, as the first day of respective months, or nearly so. the Jewish month Nisan an- The fact, therefore, is, that swers to April 7, and as the first Easter is regulated by the lunar day of the passover must happen cycle of nineteen years, a cycle on Tuesday, April the 21st. invented by Meton, an Athenian, about 430 years before the Christian æra, and which was originally applied to the regulation of the Grecian festivals. At the Council of Nice, held in the year 325, this cycle was adopted on account of its convenience and With respect to the determining of Easter, however, recourse must always be had to the particular rules laid down for that specific purpose in any country where the observance of the festival obtains. Thus we are led to the VOL. X. |