secret to his brethren.-When Jesus declared the presence of a traitor, the rest of the disciples wondered of whom he spake. But to the divine prescience of the Lord, he was already fallen. In the eyes of how many at Jerusalem did Judas probably pass for an irreproachable character, perhaps among the disciples themselves.

"The catastrophe of Dr. Dodd, in 1777, furnishes a further striking illustration of our positions. This person, in early life, was an associate of Bishop Horne, Jones of Nayland, and, we believe, of Mr. Romaine, and other religious persons of that age; and it was hoped that he would have continued in fellowship with them and their connexions. But he yielded to the seductions of the world, became giddy with popular applause, sought and obtained admission within the circles of high life, gained preferment and royal favor, and eventually was a stranger among the companions of his better days. He was conscious of this desertion, and, on one occasion-we quote from memory the anecdote in Jones' life of Horne,-meeting with a lady who belonged to the relinquished party, he asked her, what his former associates thought of him: she only answered, "Demas hath forsaken us, having loved this present world"-a reply which, at the moment, deeply affected its object. Dr. Dodd, however, pursued his career; and finally endeavoring, and with success, to defraud his former pupil, Lord Chesterfield, for into his society and confidence he had ventured, was convicted and executed.

"All who have read this man's melancholy story, will recollect the extraordinary, and, as many thought, merciless determination of his late majesty, in refusing to hear the universal prayer of the nation in his behalf. They will also call to mind the exertions of Dr. Johnson, and various other eminent men, in favor of the culprit.

"But we remember to have heard, many years ago, from a cotemporary of Dodd, that the king persevered in his resolution, not merely because of the act of forgery, but from having been personally acquainted with the forger's previous conduct in many flagrant instances. When the king first heard of the fraud on Lord Chesterfield, it happened to be mentioned when the queen was also present; to whom his majesty instantly turned and said, "Why, this is the man who embezzled your charity funds;" the fact being, that Dodd, who was one of the Royal Chaplains, had been trusted by the queen as a private almoner. It was also then recollected, that he had offered anonymously a large sum of money to a lady of some political influence, if she would procure for him the living of St. George's, Hanover Square; for which conduct, indeed, on being discovered, he had been dismissed from the office of king's chaplain. When, therefore, it is said, that Dr. Dodd was hanged for forgery, this is literally true; but it was not true, that this was an insulated act of criminality, perpetrated by a man who, up to a moment of delusion had lived a stainless and honorable life-but by an offender, who having at length committed a deed cognizable by law as worthy of death, was delivered to the executioner, to pay the forfeit of his life, after many years of secret depravity. We have recurred to the case of Dr. Dodd as confirmatory of the view we have taken of the cause of men's being permitted to adventure into the snares of sin till they are fatally entangled, and perish; and especially, if they have been previously acquainted with religious principles. Blessed is the man that feareth always!"

VIEWS OF UNITARIANS RESPECTING THE SABBATH.

The last number of the Christian Examiner contains a long article on " Associations," in which "the General Union for promoting the observance of the Christian Sabbath" is spoken of in terms of strong disapprobation. As the views of Unitarians respecting the Sabbath are in this article pretty fully expressed, we have thought it might be interesting to our readers to be furnished with some extracts. Comment will be unnecessary.

"We know that it is confidently affirmed, that God, at an earlier period than the Jewish law, enjoined the Sabbath as a perpetual, universal, irrepealable law

for the whole human race. But can this position be sustained? For ourselves, we cannot see a trace of it in the Scriptures, those only sure records of God's revelation to mankind." pp. 128, 129.

"We maintain that the Christian world have in practice disowned the obliga tion of the Sabbath established by the fourth commandment. There is indeed a body of Christians, called Sabbatarians, who strictly and religiously observe the fourth commandment. But they are a handful; they are lost, swallowed up, in the immense majority of Christians, who have for ages ceased to observe the Sabbath prescribed from Sinai. True, Christians have their sacred day, which they call a Sabbath. But is it in truth the ancient Sabbath? We say, no; and we call attention to this point. The ancient Sabbath, as we have seen, was the last day of the week, set apart for rest, in commemoration of God's resting on that day. And is the first day of the week, a day observed in remenbrance of Christ's resurrection from the dead, the same institution with this? Can broader marks between two ordinances be conceived? Is it possible that they can be confounded? Is not the ancient Sabbath renounced by the Christian world? Have we not thus the testimony of the Christian world to its having passed away? Who of us can consistently plead for it as a universal and perpetual law?" pp. 131, 132.

"The change of Sunday into a working day, we should condemn as earnestly as any of our brethren. Yet at the same time, we feel, that in this particular i Jewish rigor is not to be imposed on Christians, and that there are exigences justifying toil on the first day, which must be left to individual judgement. The great purposes of this festival may certainly be accomplished without that scru pulous, anxious shunning of every kind of work, which marked a Jewish Sab bath, and which, however proper under a servile dispensation and in an age of darkness, would in us be superstition. We do not, for example, think Chris tians bound to prepare on Saturday every meal for the following day, or to study through the week how to remove the necessity of every bodily exertion on the approaching Sunday. We think, too, that cases may occur, which justify severe toil on this day; and we should judge a man unfaithful to himself and his family, ungrateful to Providence, and superstitious, who should lose a crop rather than harvest it during the portion of time ordinarily set apart for Chris tian worship. On these points Christianity has left us free. The individual must be his own judge, and we deprecate the attempts of Societies to legislate on this indefinite subject, for their fellow Christians." pp. 135, 136.

"In such a community as ours, how many persons may be found on every Sunday, the state of whose health, the state of whose families, the state whose affairs, may require them to travel. It may happen, that another's property confided to our care may be lost, that a good object may fail, that some dying or departing friend may go from us unseen, if on this day we will not be gin or pursue a journey. How often is it difficult for the traveller to find an inn, the quiet and comforts of which make it a fit residence for Sunday. An Asso ciation against travelling on Sunday, seems to us a very hazardous expedient, and its members, we think, will be fortunate if they escape the guilt of censoriousness and dictation, on a subject which Providence has plainly exempted from human legislation." p. 136.

"We apprehend that some, and not a small party, have a vague, instinctive feeling, that the kind of Christianity which they embrace, requires for its diffu sion a gloomy Sabbath, the Puritan Sabbath; and we incline to believe that they are desirous to separate the Lord's-day as much as possible from all other days, to make it a season of rigid restraint, that it may be a preparation for a system of theology, which the mind, in a natural, free, and cheerful state, can never receive. The Sabbath of the Puritans and their Calvinistic peculiarities go together. Now we wish the return of neither." p. 137.

"In these remarks we have expressed our reverence for the Lord's-day. To us it is a more important day, and consecrated to nobler purposes, than the an cient Sabbath. We are bound, however, to state, that we cannot acquiesce in the distinctions which are often made between this and other days; for they seem to us at once ungrounded and pernicious. We sometimes hear, for example, that the Lord's-day is set apart from our common lives to religion. What! Are not all days equally set apart to religion? Has religion more to do with Sunday than with any other portion of time? Is there any season, over which piety should not preside?-So the day is sometimes distinguished as 'holy.' What!

Is there stronger obligations to holiness on one day than on another? Is it more holy to pray in the church than to pray in the closet, or than to withstand temptation in common life? The true distinction of Sunday is, that it is consecrated to certain means or direct acts of religion. But these are not holier than other duties. They are certainly not more important than their end, which is a virtuous life. There is, we fear, a superstition on this point, unworthy of the illumination of Christianity." pp. 138, 139.

EXAMINATION AT ANDOVER.

THE annual examination of the Theological Seminary at Andover took place on Wednesday, the 23d of September, when more than thirty young gentlemen left the institution, and went forth to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. The exercises on the occasion were highly interesting, not only as literary compositions, but (what in our view is of much greater importance) as scriptural, evangelical discussions. They were fitted to leave, and did leave, a very serious impression upon a crowded auditory-the impression that the work to which the speakers were destined, and for which they had been pursuing the necessary qualifications, was regarded by them as a vastly solemn and responsible work. We were glad to see, in many of the performances, the great doctrines of the Gospel so clearly recognized, and in all, a disposition to deal faithfully with the conscience, and to make religion a home concern.

The object of such exhibitions, it should be kept in mind by all interested, is not mere literary display, or to gratify a vain curiosity. The speakers are supposed to be men of prayer, and of true piety. They have been studying with a view to prepare themselves to preach the everlasting Gospel; and their auditors have assembled, not to be amused, but to judge of their qualifications for this noble work. The occasion should always be a serious one. And the exercises, if appropriate, will be scriptural, practical, full of evangelical truth, and presenting in a variety of attitudes and lights the great doctrine of redemption by the blood of Christ.-We are happy to bear our testimony to the recent exercises at Andover, that they were of this high and appropriate character.

NOTICES OF RECENT PUBLICATIONS.

1. Objections against the Gospel Refuted. A Sermon preached March 4, 1829, at the Installation of the Rev. John Brown, D. D. as Pastor of Pine-street Church, Boston. By DANIEL DANA, D. D. Pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church, Newburyport. Boston: T. R. Marvin. pp. 24.

The object of this discourse, as its title imports, is "to suggest and refute some of those objections which have been raised in every age against the Gospel, particularly in regions of learning and refinement." These objections are "the unparalleled simplicity of the Gospel;" "its mysteries;" its "humbling character and tendency;"" its unyielding, unassimilating character;" its "rigid, impracticable" requisitions; and its tendency to " enthusiasm." To

say that Dr. Dana has removed these objections, or shown them in some instances to be no objections at all, would be saying very little. He has taken occasion from them to unfold the high character and claims of the Gospel, to present it in its own attractive colors, and to urge it as worthy of all acceptation. We have seldom seen a discourse with which we have been more gratified, both as it respects matter, manner and spirit. The two following extracts are no more than a fair specimen.

"In commercial and populous cities, accumulated wealth never fails to induce luxury, dissipation, and an excessive rage for amusement. Pleasure spreads her snares, and is pursued through all her varied haunts. With thousands, amusement becomes the habitual pursuit, and the grand end of life. The Gospel comes and speaks to these triflers, of death, of judgement, of interminable joys and woes. It reminds them that they were not sent into the world to be amused; but to serve God and man, and to prepare for the high destinies of eternity. It warns them that a life of levity is a life of guilt; that many of their chosen pleasures poliute the imagination, and corrupt the heart; and that the most innocent, if pursued as a business, enervate the mind, banish serious thought, and close the soul against God and religion. And it faithfully warns them of the folly, the madness, the ruin of dreaming away those precious, fleeting moments on which their salvation depends. But in thus calling them off from the mere phantoms of enjoyment, it does not leave them without It invites them to the fountain of pure and everlasting felicity. It bids them possess pleasures real, rational, elevated, unfailing the unknown delight of opening the heart in love to God, and love to man—the luxury of doing good-the joy of an approving conscience-the transport of Christian hope the sublime, heart thrilling anticipation of happiness beyond the grave.”

resource.

In answer to the question, whether, " amidst the improvements of art, and the not less astonishing revolutions of science, religion alone must remain stationary," Dr. D. replies,

"The arts and sciences are inventions of man. What man invents, as it is of course imperfect, he may improve; and he may improve without end. Religion is a revelation from God. Like its Author, it is perfect, and is incapable of improvement. It admits no change, no progress, no diminution, no addition. Christianity was complete and consummate in its very infancy. Or rather, it had no infancy. Like the first parent of the human race, it came from the hand of its Author, mature in all its faculties; perfect in all its attributes. B every past attempt to improve it, it has only been deteriorated and debased. Nor is anything better to be anticipated for the future. Far sooner might weak, aspiring mortals hope to add lustre to the sun, or beauty and order to this fair and well adjusted creation, than to improve, by the refinements of learning and philosophy, that religion which has come to us direct from heaven, and which, in all its features, bears the impress of its perfect and divine Author.”

2. A Sermon preached at West Springfield, at the Resignation of the Author's Pastoral Charge, July 26, 1829. By WILLIAM B. SPRAGUE. Boston: T. R. Marvin. pp. 40.

This discourse, unlike many on similar occasions, is not a mere gush of feeling; it is replete with instruction-and instruction which we hesitate not to characterise as appropriate and excellent. Says the author, in his introduction, "I would fain crowd into these fleeting moments as much of counsel and warning as I can." The aim to do this was doubtless sincere, and the object aimed at is suc cessfully accomplished. We have room but for a single extract, and we select this, not because it is the most eloquent, but because we

think the sentiment of great importance, especially to a destitute people, when laboring for the re-settlement of the gospel ministry.

"Do not consider it essential that your minister should be of the highest order, either of intellect or cultivation. In both these particulars, he ought certainly to be respectable he should be a scribe well instructed; apt to teach; able rightly to divide the word of truth: but anything far beyond this, I verily believe, ought not to be an object of pursuit, or even of desire. And I have two reasons for this opinion. The first is, that men of very high intellectual endowments are rarely to be met with; and if you should aspire to obtain such an one, it is more than probable that you would fail of your object; and even if you should suppose that you had succeeded, possibly a more thorough knowledge of him might reveal to you the mortifying fact that you had been deceived. The other reason is, that you can feel no assurance that such a man will make you the most useful minister. It admits of no question, that other things being equal, the man of distinguished intellectual powers can accomplish more, in any sphere of usefulness, than one of humbler endowments: but it happens, in very many cases, that great eccentricity is the companion of fine genius; and the counteracting influence of the former upon the latter, reduces the actual measure of usefulness below that of many less gifted minds. And I appeal to the history of the church for proof of the fact, that those ministers whose labors have been most richly blest, especially within their own immediate charge, have generally been men-respectable indeed-but not highly distinguished for their mental powers;-men, characterized rather by what is sober and solid, than by what is striking and brilliant. Far too much stress is often laid upon a preacher's manner. That it should be free from gross faults, ought perhaps to be considered indispensable; that it should possess a good degree of interest, is certainly desirable; but everything above this, when you become familiar with it, ceases to be of any great importance. A fascinating manner may hide a multitude of faults for a time; but it will not be long before discerning people, at least, will see through the covering. Should a man highly gifted in this respect come among you, you ought to be satisfied that, along with this attractive talent, he possesses those more solid and enduring qualities, on which his usefulness and your edification must chiefly depend."

3. Qualifications and Faithfulness of a Minister. A Sermon preached at Danbury, Conn. April 23, 1829, at the Ordination of the Rev. Anson Rood. By HEMAN ROOD, Pastor of the Centre Congregational Church Gilmantown, N. H. New Haven: Baldwin and Treadway, pp. 28.

This is a very good discourse, on "the necessary qualifications of a gospel minister," and "on the manner in which faithfulness requires him to discharge the responsible duties of his office." We refer to one of the qualifications here insisted "on—“ an acquaintance with the true evidence of piety"—because we think it has been urged less frequently than its relative importance demands.

"By him his people are to try their hearts in the momentous concerns of eternity. The church are to be guided by him, in deciding who are qualified to be admitted to its sacred privileges. In private conversation also, he is to instruct and guide souls; to comfort the desponding disciple of Jesus; to detect and expose the heart of the hypocrite; and to check the self-righteous and heaven-daring who are ready to rush, uncalled, into the sacred portals of the church. To do this faithfully, so that the blood of souls will not hereafter be found in his skirts, requires a thorough knowledge of his own heart; an intimate acquaintance with Christian experience; and with the scriptural standard of piety. If I mistake not, a greater prominence ought to be given to this point in our schools of theology. Some of the old divines, Baxter, and Doddridge, and Flavel, and especially Edwards on the affections, ought to be carefully studied and made familiar. To distinguish the true from the false evidences of gracious affections, is one of the most difficult and responsible duties of a minister. At the same time, it is attended with vital interest to the church, and with everlasting importance to the salvation of souls."