es wings to prayer. Every idol we give up gives buoyanc , and inspiration to prayer. Give alms of such things possess, and all things shall be clean unto you; the faith cle heart clean, the character and principles pure, and the tality bright and blessed!

"rue conversion reaches the possessions, as well as the af s. When we experienced religion, the fact extended to perty. Our goods and estates came into the church with we climbed up some other way. Where our treasures a

e we are, or our hearts, and our hearts are ourselves, m . If these are outside the church, so are we. To unchur property, therefore, excommunicates ourselves. Our hea possessions go together. If we serve God with either, e him with both. Our property and our piety cannot rated. So the judgment will show.

. Giving has the highest of all sanctions and examples, whi not be said of mere receiving. God gives, but does not r e. Christ gave, but does not receive, except it be our hear offerings; and then, the receiving is all on our side. И the gainers by what we give up; Christ is not enriched b t we renounce, or bestow. All is his now, and we are hi do not give to the Lord, we "render" unto the Lord. ut God has put this service into the form of an ordinance evolence has every element and feature of a fixed ordinanc Heaven. It has a foundation in the fitness of things. Al Α nances have! It is an outward expression of an inward iment. All ordinances are! It has a practical use in it efits to the giver, and to mankind. All ordinances have

And it brings glory to God, as well as good to mortals. Says. Paul," the administration of this service (of giving) not only supplieth the wants of the saints, but abounds by many thanksgivings unto God." This service was an ordinance under the Old Testament. A part of the yearly income of the Jew went directly to the Lord. And in the New Testament it has the same high place. Definite rules are given to regulate it. It is to be systematic. Each one is to lay aside at a certain time. It is to be voluntary and not constrained, "willing of themselves." The gifts are to be brought in, and not gathered in. As to the amount, it is to be as God hath prospered each one. So the poor as well as the rich are to make offerings unto the Lord. And, finally, it is to be with simplicity, not as an eye service, not with covetousness, nor grudging, nor shirking. This ordinance is a part of Christianity. It gives visibility and the proper test to the Christian religion. It cannot be spared from the constellation of Christian ordinances and graces. If it had need to be an ordinance under the old dispensation, where the responsibility of the church was limited to a single nation, how much more under the new dispensation, where the church is set as the light of the world, and is sent forth to evangelize the world. But this ordinance of giving, alas, how neglected, how ignored! But it cannot be spared. The greatest of these is charity. We may better part with baptism than benevolence. That is a sign, this grace. Better spare the communion than the grace that makes us welcome there. That commemorates, this admits to the marriage supper. Better let go the shadow than the substance, the mere symbols than the living spirit. We do not undervalue the Christian ordinances. We only ask that this lost one, this orphan institution, have its own high place among them. We often administer at the Lord's table, where the members all apparently partake. Then follows frequently a supplemental ordinance, for which this other prepares us. It has for its end not commemoration, but communication. It is celebrated not by receiving, but by imparting ; a surer test, indeed, of discipleship. But, alas! how few apparently partake! He that sat over against the treasury, and saw the two mites of the widow, and the rich men's gifts, notices now the noddings of the head, the stiff bolt

church will never become the light of the world, and trument of God in its conversion, till this first lesson istianity is accepted. God so loved that he gave! Chri ed that he gave! What? Whom? Himself! And at? For this world! And we do not follow him, nor e him, nor commemorate him, till we accept this condition cipleship in the form of sacrifice! So may we fill up our m of the sufferings of Christ. If that is an ordinance w ngs Christ to the memory merely, is not that also which h oring Christ himself to the world and the world to him? f, then, we take testimony of ourselves, our consciousness ings; if we interrogate nature and her teachings; if we b matter to the test of true expediency; or to that of sac ciple, or of inspired authority, or of the divine example ction, we find the question settled just as the great Teac 1 Saviour of men has settled it,—that it is more blessed e than to receive.

May the churches soon arise to this high privilege and ca . Then will righteousness rest upon the earth as a crow 1 Christ the Redeemer of men will wear his many crowns, n he shall have the heathen for his inheritance, and the utt st parts of the earth for his possession.

ART. II.-THE HEBREW LAWGIVER.*

REVIEW OF HIS WORK.

In the present article we are to consider Moses as a statesman,as the founder of the Hebrew commonwealth, with an unique code, in which he reduces to practice the principles of government acquired in the court of Egypt.

In the inauguration of the new state, he exhibits a breadth of view and a constructive ability, equalled only by his decision, courage, promptness and humanity, in the executive department, far exceeding any other example of statesmanship. This may appear in part when we consider the MATERIALS out of which he constructed the state.

Here we naturally revert to the condition of the people at the time he took them in charge,-destitute of culture, and degraded by more than two centuries of Egyptian bondage. As a nation, they were a confused, unorganized mass. Yet, strangely too, they had some form of government of their own, by which they controlled their own affairs, as a distinct but subordinate people. In this we find a prophecy of their future institutions.

TRIBE ORGANIZATION.

The families of Israel while in Egypt had separate forms of government, the father being supreme; yet they were so related as to be homogeneous. These formed clans or larger families, and were governed by heads of houses, who were each called "head of the house of their fathers," addressed and spoken of as "Elders of Israel." Under their immediate direction the people were arranged for the exode, five abreast. At that time there were fifty-eight such clan families, exclusive of the family of Levi. Each of these had a chief, higher in grade than the "heads" just alluded to, and to which twelve "princes of tribes" were added, one from a tribe, forming a representative body of seventy, the type of their future senate. Their government, at that time, was similar to that of the descendants of Ishmael, the Edomites

*Authorities,-Exodus, Chronicles, Horne, Wines and others.

el with the family. They were twelve in number, eɛ te, having a specific and local government, inherent rights, ndent, yet related. Each was ruled by its own prince to w iefs of lesser bodies were subordinate. Tribe princes presentative and administrative, engaged for their respe bes, and now conducting them forward to liberty.

FORMATION OF A JUDICIARY.

Before arriving at their destination they are called upo In in selecting a board of counsellors and assistants ch from all the people," good men, fearing God, able and his is the first popular election on record, the officers b osen by vote of representative heads and sanctioned by asses in general assembly. Their responsibilities were spe d various, from "rulers of tens, fifties, hundreds," to "ru thousands." They were graded justices or minor judges nom questions were submitted. Such as the lower grade able to decide were referred to the next higher, and so rough each successive grade. If, finally, any cases remai settled they were left to the decision of Moses.

NUMBER OF JUDGES.

Ruling over thousands there were six hundred; over hundre x thousand; over fifties, twelve thousand; over tens, sixty th nd; seventy-eight thousand and six hundred in all. They w bsequently called "heads over the people," and were to asses and to Moses as our Heads of Departments are to d the president of the United States. On petition or co