national covenant.

The day upon which our Lord gave the promise of Paradise to the dying penitent, was his last-within a few hours, at most, of his expiring. To him, the time of recording the promise would be of no consequence: the time of its fulfilment was every thing. Understood of the one, the word is unsusceptible of emphasis -notwithstanding all the ingenuity which Mr. Noel has employed to make it seem emphatic. Understood of what should take place that very day-that day, of which the last sands were running out that day of preternatural darkness about to close, to the redeemed malefactor, in the glories of Paradise-it is more than emphatic.* Take away this word from the declaration to which it so essentially belongs, and the promise becomes vague, distant, and shadowy as the millennial dream which our author would substitute for the strong consolation of being, when absent from the body, present with the Lord.

"We cannot dismiss the note which has so long detained us, without strongly reprobating the insinuation conveyed in the following paragraph:

"As the doctrine of the intermediate state of happiness to the righteous between death and the resurrection, has been the received opinion of the Christian church, and as this doctrine, comprising the terrific engine of Purgatory, was peculiarly dear to the Roman church, I think it ought not to surprise any reader to find, that every manuscript and version since the present mode of punctuation was adopted, should contain the pause before the word onμepov, and not after it. Hence the agreement of manuscripts and versions.'-P. 303.

*"The strong influence of prepossession can alone account for ou author's citing Mark xiv. 30, as an instance of the collocation of the adverb supporting his criticism-ὅτι σήμερον, iv Tỹ vUxTì Taúry, &c. How striking," he remarks, is the effort made to arrest the mind of Peter to this very day! few hours would only elapse, and all his resolutions of allegiance and love would fail. A few hours only were to elapse, in the case of the malefactor, before the fulfilment of the prophecy; and the collocation, except the suppression of the particle, is the same. Could the parallel be more striking?”

VOL. XIII.

"The assertion, that this doctrine was dear to the Roman church—that very church by which the doctrine of an immediate entrance upon the rest and blessedness of the righteous has been boldly impugned, and a fictitious Purgatory substituted for the Paradise of God-is so grossly erroneous, that we shall not spend many words in exposing what we must term the disingenuousness of the representation. So far from including the terrific engine of Purgatory, it precludes it altogether; and Calvin, in commenting upon the very passage we have been considering, points out how fatal it is to the Romish doctrine of penal satisfaction. ·Itaque facessat putidum illud sophistarum commentum de pœnæ retentione, cum culpa remittitur: quia videmus ut Christus quem à reatu absolvit, simul à pœna liberet.' That a scriptural doctrine should include a pernicious error, and sanction a terrific engine of corruption and spiritual tyranny, is impossible; and Mr. Noel ought to have felt very strongly assured that he was not misled by a false hypothesis, before he hazarded the declaration. But the fact is, that he might as justly have said, that any truth includes its opposite. Besides, it is the first time that we have ever heard it suspected, that the influence of the Romish church had extended to the punctuation of Greek manuscripts and independent versions. For our own parts, without wishing to impose any shackles upon the legitimate freedom of religious inquiry, we cannot but think, that, when we have in favour of a doctrine, the received opinion of the church—we mean of the Church of Christ, the congregation of the faithful-as well as the established punctuation of manuscripts, and the concurrent verdict of the soundest critics of every denomination as to the import of the sacred text--we have a mass of evidence to which some little deference is due."

Eclectic Review, Sept. 1828, p. 206, 8.

To the Editors of the Christian Journal. Messrs. EDITORS,

IT is some time since I first saw a copy of the Prospectus of the Maga

2

$ zines about to be published under the auspices of our General Sunday School Union. I have waited impatiently for some notice of the plan in the religious publications of our church, but in vain. Having an intimacy with some of the members of the Executive Committee of the Union, I have learned their plans with relation to the proposed works, and cannet but think them in the highest degree important to every -member of our church. Their useful ness is not, as some may expect, to be confined to a limited class of persons. They are to assist in rearing up our youth as true Christians and Protestant Episcopalians, and for that purpose will be adapted for circulation in families as well as Sunday schools. Much of their contents will be directly serviceable to parents and guardians of youth, and no small proportion of the remainder will be devoted to the religious instruction of the young of every age and class. It seems to me that no true churchman should suffer his family to be without one or both of these publications. If he wishes his family to be trained in the knowledge and fear of God, in the true faith in Christ, and in the principles of our apostolic church, he cannot use a more effectual mean than furnishing them with such instruction as will be imparted in these Magazines. Their cheapness (only one dollar yearly for the largest, and twenty-five cents for that for children) will put them completely within the reach of all. I have subscribed myself for both, and am anxiously expecting the appearance of the first numbers, which, judging from the publications of the Union already issued, I have no doubt will abundantly justify my hopes, and secure the undivided patronage of those who claim the character of

AN EPISCOPALIAN.

interesting events recorded in the Bible, introduced topographically, from the best authorities. Originally delineated by Mr. F. T. Assheton, London. Now greatly improved, and furnished with a complete Geographical Index, showing the situation, latitude, and longitude, of every place, and con'taining Explanatory References to all the vignettes, emblems, &c.; a Sketch of the history and present state of the country, and its principal districts and cities; a Calendar of Palestine, &c. &c.; by Joseph W. Ingraham. BosWait and Ingraham. 1828.”

ton.

We congratulate our readers upon the appearance of this most complete introduction to a knowledge of the Holy Land, which has been anxiously expected for more than two years by all who are desirous to study the Sacred History accurately and understandingly. The full title sufficiently expresses the character of the work, of which we need only say, that its execution fully accords with its pretensions. The Map is beautifully engraved, and with, we believe, the most perfect accuracy. Its size is 45 by 30 inches. The Vignettes and Emblems are spirited and appropriate, and cannot fail to excite a high degree of interest in youth, while they may be serviceable even to the well informed adult, in recalling to recollection events in sacred history, and permanently fixing their location in his memory. The Index, a neat pamphlet of 96 pages, we regard as peculiarly valuable, and highly creditable to its industrious compiler. The most advanced biblical scholar might not disdain to avail himself of its various information, while every reader of the sacred word will find it of daily

use.

On Self-denial.

"CHRIST not compelling, but freely counselling every man to seek a perfect life, saith, Let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.” Let us then deny ourselves in whatever we have made ourselves by sin, and such as we are made by grace, let us continue. If a proud man be converted to Christ, and is made humble, he hath denied himself. If a covetous

hour, should have the same wages--is not in unregenerate human nature; and and the regenerate* too often fail here. Sorrow is selfish; it concentrates the affections upon our own interests. It may teach us to sympathize with others' griefs; but, that others do grieve, is something like consolation to the sorrowful. Sorrow cannot sympathize with happiness, and therefore heaven cannot admit of it, for envy would enter with it. Happiness will 'not only be the fruit of holiness in another world, but the perfection of it, since it is that native state in which alone the soul attains the full develop ment of its affections, so as to take part, without a jarring fibre, in the universal harmony.

"It is necessary to trace envy to some of its unsuspected sources, and to detect its more latent influence, in order to be on our guard against the workings of a passion which is generally deemed too malignant a thing in the abstract, to exist in an amiable mind. But envy is, we must maintain, a most reputable and orthodox vice, a regular church-going sin, one which often dresses like virtue, and talks like her, Envy has a great zeal for religion, a keen sense of public justice, and is much shocked at the inconsistences of good people. It exults when a hypocrite is unmasked, and says, I always suspected him. It is also most benevolent, and when wholesome adversity overtakes a brother, prays that it may be the means of promoting his humility and Christian graces. It is, moreover, a great reformer, and has lately been very active in setting to rights our great religious societies. It has taken its degree."

Eclectic Review, Oct. 1828.

For the Christian Journal. REMINISCENCES-No. X. Extracts from Humphrey's History of the Society (in England) for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.

SOUTH-CAROLINA. "THE parish of St. George was formerly a part of St. Andrew's, and

* We would substitute the terms unrenewed and renewed.-Ed. C. J.

taken out of that by an act of assembly in the year 1717.-A church was begun to be built in the year 1719, and in the year following the out-work was completed; it is a brick building, 50 feet long and 30 broad, besides the chancel. There is also a very good brick parsonage house built, not half a mile distant from the church, situate on a very pleasant spot of ground near Ashley River, with a glebe of 75 acres of land.

"The Rev. Mr. Peter Tustian was appointed missionary here by the society in the year 1719; but, upon his arrival, he found the country so disordered with party divisions, that he soon removed to Maryland.

"The Rev. Mr. Varnod succeeded him; he arrived there in 1723, and was very kindly received by his parishioners. They were so well inclined to the church of England communion, that they constantly attended divine service, and so few absented themselves, that the church began soon to be too small for the congregation. A year after his arrival, at Christmas, he had more communicants than ever were known to meet at that place, near 50 persons, and what was still remarkable, 17 negroes. He baptized several grown persons, besides children and negroes, belonging to Alexander Skeene, esq.; Mr. Varnod extended his labours beyond his own parish. He sometimes used to preach at a neighbouring French congregation, much to their edification. His own parishioners were also well satisfied with him. He continues still in his mission with good

success.

"The parish of St. James, Santee, consists chiefly of French refugees, conforming to the church of England. It contains upwards of 100 French families, and 60 English, besides free Indians and negro slaves. Their minister hath only the salary of the country, and some occasional gratuities, the whole making but a very scanty support. The Rev. Mr. Philip de Richbourg was their first minister, and approved himself in all respects a worthy man. Upon his dying, in 1717, the parish was a long time without a minister. In 1720, the Rev. Mr.