throne;" and you come to commend yourselves afresh to the guardian care of God; approaching with humility, yet "with boldness," the throne of grace, through Him who "ever liveth to make intercession" for us. Should not, then, our seasons of family worship be precious times of refreshment from the presence of the Lord," and thus times of spiritual joy? If we make light of these occasions, we lose blessed opportunities of replenishing our souls out of the storehouse of the riches of God's grace.

Having thus remarked upon the state of mind with which we should strive to enter upon family worship, I will now offer a few hints as to the season and other circumstances suitable for the service.

1. Remember David's determination, O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee." An old author, in recommending Christians to give prayer the first place in the morning, says, Let God have your time from the top of the heap." It should be before the ordinary occupation of the day commence, in order that worldly business may not interfere with its regularity.

2. It is desirable that morning prayer should not be too long; for if your domestics have no relish to the means of grace, a long service is a great temptation to them to "abhor the offering of the Lord," for their minds will be restless at the idea of their unfinished occupations.

3. Where a family is musical, it is cheering to open the service with two or three verses of a psalm or hymn. This tends to comfort the mind, and prepare it for the word of God; in reading which, the master or mistress might make an observation here and there, so as to attract the attention of the family; or use a short and plain commentary, closing the service with prayer. If the prayer is extempore, some allusion might be made to the passage of Scripture just considered.

4. The hour for family worship at night should never be late; for if so, the servants, wearied with their day's work, cannot enjoy it. Besides, a late hour prevents any friend, who may be spending the evening with you, from sharing in the privileges of your domestic altar. Some families, from the fear of man, put off family prayer till the last thing at night, that their worldly acquaintance may not feel obliged to conform to the rules of the house. Where there are children of ten or twelve years of age, an early hour enables them to be present. The exposition at night might be rather longer than that of the morning; not only because the minds of the servants will be more at ease, but their retirement for the night coming soon after, few intervening events will occur, and they may therefore be led to dwell with more profit upon the passage of Scripture which they heard.

5. Great regularity should be arrived at; and be very jealous of any thing which interferes with your established custom.

6. The utmost punctuality should be observed. If a bell rang five minutes before the servants came into the prayer room, it would give them notice to assemble, and prevent their entering into the presence of God in a hurried spirit.

7. It helps to secure attention, if each child and servant has a Bible and Hymn-book with which to follow the service.

8. Servants must be led, if possible, to feel that family worship is not a task, but a privilege; and surely it is a privilege, to unite with the heads of the house in prayer and praise to Him who "looketh not, on the outward appearance."

I would urge upon servants, as well as upon masters (particularly where there is a large establishment), that they should guard against conversing together to the last upon light and indifferent subjects. I have sometimes been led to mourn over this, when passing by a long string of domestics on entering the prayer room.

How rich a blessing might families expect, if their sacred services were performed in a sacred manner. If the flame on the family altar burns bright and clear, the Lord would be honoured with one breath of praise - would be implored with one breath of prayer; and He who declares himself "the God of the families of all the earth," would own such a family as

'His peculiar treasure."

A FELLOW-LABOURER.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FEAR OF GOD; WITH ESPECIAL REFERENCE TO MINISTERS.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

ONE of the first elements in true religion, is the fear of God. It has been so under every dispensation; for this fear was taught and inculcated both before and under the law as a primary principle, and was exhihited as being of so much importance, that the whole of religion went under its name. The main distinction between the righteous and the wicked, is declared to be that those fear God-these not. What is essential to religion can never be changed; especially such a principle as this, which has its origin in the perfections of Him who never changes. He is to be feared, because He is what He is, the great God, whose power and majesty exceed all that can be conceived by the most exalted intelligences, though their capacities should progressively expand during the endless ages of eternity.

It is by no means correct to suppose that because the Gospel has brought another principle into prominence, the first is superseded, or has sunk into insignificance. There is no setting aside, but an addition. The original principle is so far from being invalidated, that it has been more firmly established. It has been elevated and made more conspicuous by the additional light which has been received. The introduction of love, as one of the chief elements of religion, has not displaced fear, in its proper sense of a religious feeling; inasmuch as God is still the same in greatness and power, notwithstanding the astonishing manifestation He has made of His love. But love has ever been inculcated as a main principle under every dispensation, though fear had evidently the ascendancy prior to the promulgation of the Gospel. The character of religion is in accordance with the extent of revelation. The feelings which creatures may have towards their Creator, cannot, when right, but be commensurate with the disclosures which He may make to them of Himself. The first were principally those of power and greatness-combined, indeed, with manifold declarations of His love and mercy, which were confirmed by various instances of gracious interposition. At the appointed time God revealed His unspeakable love; not indeed with the view of superseding, but of adding to, the glory of His manifested power; so that He is still to be feared as much as we cannot say more than ever; though love is to be the ascendant, and should possess the most prevailing influence.

It behoves us, therefore, while we contemplate the perfections of God, not to overlook or neglect the evidences given us of His infinite

majesty; nor think fear unimportant, while we allot to love its proper place of eminence. The combined influences of these two principles may not unaptly be compared to the double force by which the planetary system is affirmed to be governed, and preserved in due order and regularity. The force which is said to impel the planets in a straight line-which, if not counteracted, would carry them away from the centre of light-is an apt similitude of fear; the force which attracts them to the great luminary of day, the type of Him who is the light of heaven of love. Were either of these forces removed, the regular motion would be destroyed. In the one case, the planets would be driven to the cold and dreary regions of space in the other, they would, it is supposed, fall into the sun. But the two forces, co operating, produce harmony and order.

sure ;

The same thing is true respecting the two principles of fear and love. They are the forces by which the hearts of men are to be mainly governed. Let them exercise a combined influence, and harmony and regularity will be the consequence; but if one predominate so that the influence of the other is not felt, an irregular motion will inevitably follow, and the proper track of duty will be forsaken. Fear, unaccompanied by love (which is not evangelical fear), drives men away from God, and generates cold dread and apprehensions of displeaand love, without fear (which would not be evangelical love), would introduce vain confidence, boldness, and familiarity, which are wholly incompatible with the awful majesty of heaven, and inconsistent with the nothingness of a creature and the unworthiness of a sinner. But let them exert their combined influence, and these two opposite evils will be prevented. As fear, in the religion of the ancients, was the predominant principle, though not unaccompanied with love, they seemed to move at a greater distance from the centre of spiritual light, than we are now privileged to do. But under the Gospel, the influence of love has increased, not that the other has decreased; so that our orbit, so to speak, is become nearer the fountain of light and glory. It is, however, still necessary that fear should exert its proper influence in connection with love; otherwise disorder will inevitably ensue.

It becomes Christians seriously to inquire whether this fear occupies that place in their hearts, and ministers that place in their ministrations, which it deserves. It is a mistake of frequent occurrence, that undue prominence is given to one point of doctrine, while other points of equal, and sometimes of greater, importance, are overlooked, or placed far below the station which they ought to occupy. When this is the case, even on subjects of inferior moment, injury is done, and some defect in the religious character will be the probable consequence. But when it occurs in regard to subjects of high importance, the injury or defect will be considerable.

But it may be said, that mistakes of this kind are unavoidable; that they arise from the limited capacities of the human mind, and are inseparable from the present imperfect state of our nature; the mind of man being not capable of including within its view any very great number of objects, and its vision being always in some measure clouded by sin and prejudice. This is true to a certain extent; but there are other sources from which the evil arises, and they are fruitful causes of error. We are apt to attach undue importance to those particular views through which we ourselves may have received our first good. We are too much in the habit of viewing divine truths, also, as they are reduced by men into systems, and not

as they are delivered to us in the oracles of Divine wisdom. Were we to examine impartially our creed, we should probably find that we have derived some of its most prominent, and in our view most important, articles, not from the perusal of God's word, but from the writings of men. And further, we are ever liable, by avoiding one extreme, to run into another, especially when we meet with opposition. The only remedy for these evils is to be found in a close and scrupulous adherence to every portion of inspired writ. Every truth should be weighed, not in the balance of human invention, but in that of the sanctuary. Its gage and measurement must be taken by the rule and line of the Divine word. No portion of it should be overlooked or depreciated. It is then only that we are right, when we give that prominency and importance to every doctrine, which is given to it in the oracles of Heaven. And if we fear, or feel, a reluctance to view, or to speak of, any truth as it is there set forth, we may be certain that there is some defect in our sentiments; and that our creed is in some things erroneous. There are many passages in Scripture which neither the Calvinist nor the Arminian can possibly explain upon any exclusive humanly-adjusted system.

In the case of ministers, defects or errors of doctrine are peculiarly serious; as they will usually be followed by defects or errors in the religion of those who attend their ministry. The case is similar to that of a man who takes a view of a wide country. The impressions on his mind, the emotions of his heart, and afterwards the language of his lips, will correspond with the number and importance of those points which he may have particularly noticed. If he takes but a cursory view, a passing glance-if he observes minutely but one or two objects of interest, and neglects to direct his attention to others equally prominent, he will have but a partial and defective notion of the whole scenery, and can never do justice to it by his descriptions, for his impressions and delineations will be in accordance with the accuracy and extent of his observations.

How necessary, then, is it for those who teach others, to possess minute as well as enlarged views of Divine truth! How incumbent it is on them to examine the whole of the wide field of observation displayed before them in the sacred Scriptures, instead of allowing their attention to be directed exclusively to a few favourite points, while others of equal, and perhaps of greater importance, are overlooked and neglected. The blemishes and mistakes of religious men may perhaps be attributed in the main to the want of impartial attention to all divine truths; and of such attention as their respective importance demands: for most of us, and all of us in a degree, exalt some things above their proper station, and depreciate others; and as ministers communicate to others their own impressions, while guiding and helping them to obtain correct views of the truths of revelation, if their representations are partial and defective, though correct so far as they go, there will, according to the usual course of things, be a corresponding deficiency in the spiritual attainments of their people. This consideration-and it is an awful one-should quicken them to use great care and diligence in examining, with constant prayer, the records of Divine truth; and to pursue every inquiry under the mighty safeguard of the fear of God. I will endeavour to point out some of the blessed effects of this principle, more especially with regard to those who are the dispensers of Divine truth.

(To be continued.)

[We insert the following papers on Scriptural Geology; and having done so, we must request a respite on the subject.]

DR. BUCKLAND'S GEOLOGICAL SERMON.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

I HAVE (doubtless in common with thousands) been startled and astonished at Dr. Buckland's recent " Sermon " on Death.

I willingly give the worthy author every credit for good intentions, and am quite sure he would not advertently minister to the cause of scepticism and infidelity. It cannot, however, be denied that his strange and romantic visions are calculated to undermine the faith of numbers.

Modern geologists, in their wild and eccentric speculations, seem entirely regardless of consequences; and I have been even told, that we have nothing to do with the tendency of such aberrations. If this referred to matter of fact, and the progress of truth, I would be the last to impose a veto, either on their present advance or future triumphs; but when unwarrantable assumptions assail the bulwarks of the Christian faith, silence would seem indifference, and indifference be a crime.

In adverting to this extraordinary production, the "Times" newspaper rightly states that Dr. Buckland has omitted to quote two of the principal passages of Scripture which had a direct reference to this subject; and the "Sun," in a complimentary strain, by extending the limit at which Dr. B. pauses, lays the axe at once to the root of revelation, and boldly questions altogether the penal nature of death, even relative to man. Our estimable author may indeed exclaim, "Save me from my friends;" but, ".Quis tulerit Gracchos?" his own indiscretion is to blame. It is only Dr. Buckland's assumption eliminated; and I will frankly confess it is not evident to me, how he can make his escape from the horns of the dilemma.

It is "not a light thing" to tamper with the records of heavenly truth, and stretch the dicta of revelation on the rack of fancy. Truth is immutable, like its Almighty Source; and such conduct is a bold inversion of the principles of induction. No doubt I shall be reminded of the "Starry Gallileo," but the parallel fails in the question at issue. The statics and formularies of astronomical science are nowhere taught in the sacred narrative; but the creation of the world at a specific period of past time, the fall of man, and the infliction of death as the penalty due to his transgression, together with an universal deluge, (certainly not a local inundation),-these facts are clearly and unequivocally taught in the records of Revelation, and no man may contravene them; and yet they are virtually repudiated by modern geological speculations. "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" Are the Protean forms and chameleon hues of a constantly changing science, to be made the test and touchstone of immutable truth? It is quite true, Weissenborn of Weimar talks about "a shortsighted interpretation of a symbolical tradition," quite upon a par with a metaphorical flood and a moral deluge! I cannot think, however, that though