these mysteries, but seems to answer, "wide as is our flow, deep and exhaustless as our resources, this world of waters' cannot wash away one sin. Commerce spreads her sail upon our surface, the fisher draws supplies from beneath our waves, the invalid finds health in our breezes, and the admirer of nature pleasure on our shores; but, sinner, we have nought to offer thee; thou must go to another fountain which knows no ebb, but pours its healing waters in one continuous flow for every one who feels his need: there wash and be clean.”

We might almost wonder to find so many allusions to the sea, in the psalms of one who like David was born and passed the principal portion of life amidst far different scenes; but we can go to no place where the imagery, like the religion of the Bible is not applicable. David had a keen perception of the beauties of God's varied works, and in listening to the ocean evidently felt, that it rolled a "ceaseless diapason" in nature's hymn of praise. He felt also that its resistless power made it a meet emblem of affliction, and often can the mourner's heart respond to his complaint-All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me;" but let us remember that affliction, like the sea, is His, and, like its emblem, sent in power and mercy. We trust ourselves in a frail bark upon the deep, knowing its perils yet confiding in the skill of our helmsman; and when our course lies across the sea of trouble, shall we not confide in Him who rules the stormy waters by a word, curbs their billows "by a rope of sand?" "Fear ye not me?" saith the Lord. Alas, we fear the billows more, and look from side to side for help, forgetting that He who placed the sand' as a barrier against which the roaring waters dash in vain, can make trifling events so efficient as to stem the tide of trouble, or send a favoring gale and waft our bark into the haven where it would be.

Nor let us forget, that the sea is His, as an instrument of chastisement. "Fear ye not me," seems written in legible characters upon the rocks, whose riven and upturned surfaces bear testimony to that awful deluge, with which God avenged his broken laws upon a sinful world. The sea was then God's minister to execute his "strange work," and calling up its overwhelming forces, poured destruction on the shrinking earth. Often since then has the voice of the sea spoken in terror; the merchant has seen the earnings of years swept away in a moment; human science and exertion have beheld their labours foiled as if in mockery; and affection has watched and wept till fear has deepened into anguish,

for "to thee the love of woman hath gone down," and the treasure of man's heart been lost in ocean's caverns.

Once more will the sea conjoin with all the elements as God's ministers of wrath; for when the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll, the roaring of the sea will mingle in that fearful tumult, before which men's hearts will fail for fear. Awful preparations for a more awful scene, when the secrets of all hearts shall be made manifest, and by those the righteous Judge will pronounce an eternal doom. Oh! may we all keep in mind that we, as individuals, shall be there, each for himself to render an account. Let us watch, and pray, and strive, that when the books are opened, and that precious volume, the Lamb's book of life, is unclosed, our sins may be found blotted out by the Redeemer's blood, and our names discovered there written with the pencil of eternity. Aberystwith. META RILEY.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND SOCIETIES.-No. XI.

THE SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING THE DUE OBSERVANCE OF THE

LORD'S-DAY.

THE Sabbath-day was the first day after the creation was finished, and it was blessed by our gracious Creator for the good of his creatures. He commanded it to be sanctified and kept holy. Wherever this command has been obeyed, both temporal and spiritual prosperity have followed; and where ever the Sabbath has been profaned, individual and national judgments have been poured out by the Judge of all the earth.

How lamentable, therefore, is it that any rational being should neglect to avail himself of the blessings of the Sabbath! Yet, alas! there are thousands, even in this nation, the land of Gospel light, who do not observe the Lord's-day. Our legislators, as the guardians of the people, have wisely and benevolently framed laws to punish Sabbathbreaking; but laws frequently are eluded, and punishment sometimes only hardens offenders; hence it has been found needful to form a "Society for Promoting the Due Observance of the Lord's-day," a short account of which we shall now present to our readers :

The Society was formed in London, February 8, 1831; the objects of which are

1. To diffuse information as widely as possible on the subject, by the publication and circulation of books and tracts

on the divine authority of the Institution—on the objections raised against it-on its practical duties-its unnumbered benefits the prevailing violations of it-the new inroads made on its sanctity-the best means of abating those evils, and promoting the sanctification of the day-and on similar topics.

2. To adopt all such measures, consistent with Scriptural principles, as may appear best adapted to lead to a due observance of the Lord's-day in the metropolis, and throughout the empire.

3. To open a correspondence, and to form local associations. 4. To aid, if funds allow, local associations.

5. To promote Petitions to the Legislature for the enactment of such laws as may be necessary for repressing the open violation of the Lord's-day, and for protecting the Christian worshipper in the peaceful exercise of his duties.

6. To form an union with others, in every part of the world, towards this great object.

A select Committee of the House of Commons was appointed, in July, 1832, to enquire into the laws and practices relating to the observance of the Lord's-day, and to report their observations. This Committee entered upon their labours, and obtained evidence from magistrates, ministers, policemen, constables, churchwardens, coachmen, bakers, innkeepers, drivers, carriers, traders, boatmen, and from many other classes of the community, detailing an awful state of things, and proving the absolute necessity of some means to counteract the evil.

The Society circulated extracts from these minutes of evidence throughout the country, for the purpose of giving information, and rousing the energies of the people to second the plans of the Legislature.

Meetings were also held and sermons preached in various parts of the kingdom, with a view of extending the operations of the Society.

The ninth annual meeting was held in Freemason's Hall, Great Queen-street, London, on Friday, May 8, 1840, and from the report then adopted it appears that the Society is carrying on its objects with great usefulness to the country, as far as its means enable it. The sum raised from subscriptions, donations, &c. during the year has been 854l. 11s. 7d. The number of publications issued in the same period have been 152,750, a great portion of which has been gratuitously distributed.

Prefixed to the report is a very excellent sermon on

Ezekiel xx. 20, preached before the Society, by the Rev. Hugh Stowell, M.A., of Manchester.

There are auxiliary societies in Manchester, Liverpool, Lancaster, Birmingham, Bath, Bedford, Reading, Chester, Derby, Exeter, Plymouth, Bristol, Hereford, Leicester, Northampton, Wolverhampton, Brighton, Worcester, York, Bradford, Leeds, Hull, Ripon, and in several other cities and towns in England, Scotland, and Ireland.

The annual sermon and report, as also the tracts issued from the Society, may be had at the office, 12 Exeter Hall, London. Several clergymen and laymen are on the Committee, and the secretary is Joseph Wilson, Esq.

The readers of The Village Churchman will see from the above account that there is a great work for the Society to do, and that every individual in the kingdom may assist in the object of the Institution. We may all pray for its success. We may, as heads of families, use our influence to promote the observance of the Sabbath. We may all set a good example. We may circulate tracts. We may form a small Society in every village to consult together the best means to be useful in the cause. In short, let us consider what we can do, and "if there be a will there will be a way" to do something, so that by the combination of efforts on the part of all Christians some of the evils of Sabbath breaking may, by God's blessing, be removed, and some of the blessings arising from a due observance of the Lord's-day secured to us and to our posterity.

Oct. 6, 1840.

W. M.

THE BIBLE.

DEUTERONOMY.

THIS Word Deuteronomy, signifies the law repeated. It may be considered as a spiritual commentary on the four preceding books. It briefly touches on many former circumstances, strongly urges the people to obedience, describes the glory of Canaan, and contains an account of the death of Moses, which is supposed to have been added by his successor, Joshua. (See chap. xxxiv.) This book has been called by an old writer, "the faithful monitor." In chap xviii. 18, there is a very plain prophecy of Christ. (See Acts iii. 22.) The period of time comprised in this book, is five lunar weeks, or, according to some chronologers, about two months; viz. from

the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year after the exodus of Israel from Egypt, to the eleventh day of the twelfth month of the same year, A.M. 2553, B.C. 1451. It is worthy of remark, that when our Saviour would answer the temptations of Satan with, "It is written," each of his quotations were drawn out of this book. (See Matt. iv. 4, 7, 10.) In three ways this book of Deuteronomy was magnified and made honourable. First. The king was to write a copy of it with his own hand, and to read therein all the days of his life (xvii. 18,19). Second. It was to be written upon great stones plastered at their passing over Jordan (xxvii. 2, 3.) Third. It was to be read publicly every seventh year, at the feast of tabernacles, by the priests, in the audience of all Israel (xxxi. 9), &c.

This book comprises four parts, viz:

Part I. A repetition of the history related in the preceding books. (i.-iv.)

Part II. A repetition of the moral, ceremonial, and judicial law. (v.-xxvi.)

Part III. The confirmation of the law. (xxvii.-xxx.)

Part IV. The personal history of Moses. (xxxi.-xxxiii.), Passages in Deuteronomy referred to in the New Testa

[From Wheatley's Remarks on the Common Prayer.]

Of the Order of Morning and Evening Prayer Daily throughout the Year.

OF THE OCCASIONAL PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS.

Sect. III.-Of the Prayer that may be said after any of the former.

THIS prayer was first added in Queen Elizabeth's Common Prayer-book. It is joined to the ancient Litanies of the Christian Church; and since sin is the cause of all the fore