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surely it is highly ridiculous and sinful to vent your spleen by disobeying the commands of the Almighty, and blaspheming his name. Perhaps you will say it is want of thought, or that you never are guilty of this vice but when under the influence of anger. If it be want of thought merely, you are the more silly; you have thinking faculties-why not exert them in common with your other attributes? Let us warn you to leave off this degrading, this presumptuous habit. Remember the words of Jesus Christ, who was a model in his life of every thing great and good, "swear not at all." Remember also that you will never be thought well of by men of sense, for no swearer can be respectable or respected.

ELEVENTH EPISTLE.

AIMING AT HEAVEN, "remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day; six days shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt do no manner of work, thou, thy son nor daughter, thy man servant, thy maid servant nor the stranger that is within thy gates."

It is we think pretty evident, that the gospel has freed us from the trammels of the ceremonial law, yet all the moral precepts of the law must ever remain in full force; since true morality is founded on the will of God, which is perfectly just, holy and true, and consonant to the nature of things. Throughout the whole of this law, the observance of the sabbath is strongly insisted upon. We are not informed in the Old Testament, that God has abrogated any of the ten commandments; and Christ expressly declares that he came, not to destroy, but to fulfil the law. That is, not to lessen its obligations, but to show them its extent and spirituality.

Most individuals allow that it is sinful and indecorous, to be seen doing any kind of worldly, or commercial business on the sabbath. A man who shall open his counting-house or shop for full business on that day, would be thought insane. A man found, let the urgency be ever so great, busied

with his account books, would be immediately set down as a great sinner. By this we see that all acknowledge, to a certain extent, the necessity of sabbath-sanctification. Now, we contend, that as far as it is possible for him to do so, every individual ought to obey the letter of the law. Human laws, between which and the irrevocable decrees of Jehovah there is a wide difference, are enforced, and must, by those who wish to keep them, be followed, with the strictest rigidity. Yet how many are there who, though they would shrink from the idea of attending to their business on the sabbath,-make it a day of pleasure, dissipation or riot. Moral virtues are frequently estimated by their effects; and if this should be taken as a criterion, to judge of the occupation of the sabbath, it would be found that a true regard to it, constitutes one of the highest moral virtues. The business and employments of life, if not given up at stated periods, would banish all thoughts of religion from the world: but while a seventh part of time is appropriated to his service, people will be reminded that there is a God who created the world, and who ought to be worshipped. It is not sufficient that people cease on a Sunday from their general employments, they should abstain as much as possible, from "all manner of work," and not cause their servants or dependants to do more than is necessary. He that can allow himself to do one part of his work on the sabbath, will not have much scruple in doing another;

and so on, till every day is given to labour or pleasure, and all appointed times for the worship of God disregarded. It would be easy to show from past and recent facts, the shocking consequences resulting from the neglect of the duties of the sabbath; but as we fancy our readers must be acquainted with many instances of a nature sufficiently obvious, we will conclude by requesting them, if they wish to enjoy peace of mind, and to attain to eternal happiness, to pay due attention to the duties of the sabbath; and for their encouragement let them remember, that "Blessed is the man that doeth this; that keepeth the sabbath day from polluting it, and his hands from doing any evil: even him will I bring to my holy mountain, and make him joyful in the house of prayer."

TWELFTH EPISTLE.

- AIMING AT HEAVEN. "For in six days THE LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day. Wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."

"And all the people saw the thundering and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed and stood afar off; and they said unto Moses, speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, fear not, for God is come to prove you, that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not." sin not." When God manifested himself on mount Sinai, he came down in thunder and lightning: and if now, he had appeared in thunder and lightning;-if now, he had been guarded by an innumerable company of angels, all having their swords of justice drawn, well might poor souls have trembled, and have run into corners: for who could ever be able to endure his coming in this way? But God is come down in a temple of flesh; he hath made his appearance as a man-as one of us; and there is not (in this respect) the least distance between him and us. Surely, this is fuel for joy to feed upon! O why should God come down, so suitably, so lowly as in our nature, if he would have the poor soul to be afraid of him? Does not this very

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