times. Christians, be intreated, with the new year, to address yourselves with new and prayerful affection to that sacred volume which alone can make you wise unto salvation. "Most wondrous book! bright candle of the Lord! Star of eternity! the only star By which the bark of man could navigate Neither do we want a new ministry.This, indeed, may be numbered among our perils. We deprecate the attempt to transform the pulpit into a chair of philosophy and to substitute the essay for the sermon. It is quite true that the Christian ministry should seek to keep abreast with the age, and that the preacher should set as high an estimate on knowledge as the lecturer. But we must not extol reason at the expence of revelation, nor amuse our hearers with the theories of science to the neglect of the truths of salvation; nor are we to be denounced as behind our age, if we sound an alarm against the would-be philosophical transcendentalism which is threatening by its mysticisms to envelop and obscure the "truth as it is in Jesus." May the Spirit of God preserve us from a ministerial apostacy which without avowedly abandoning the common salvation" would veil it in the drapery of human eloquence, or overlay its saving doctrines with the superincumbency of "science falsely so called." 66 Nor, as congregationalists, do we need a new organization. Many of our churches within the last few years have been more or less assailed by "brethren," who have denounced what they designate our "one man system," as opposed to the unity of the church. They grievously lament that there are so many sections in the Christian church, and modestly propose to remedy the evil by adding another! Now we have diligently in quired touching all the boasted advantages of their new organization, and the result is, that of their most vaunted excellencies, there is not one, if really good, but may be enjoyed by congregationalists. The sincere piety of many who have been seduced from our communion, we do not question; but it is for a lamentation, that under pretence of exalted spirituality and pre-eminent charity, Christians of this new way have become the most sectarian and exclusive of all denominations. We, therefore, humbly submit that we "hold fast that we have received," after the manner of "the saints which were at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons." And that not merely on account of the scripturalness of our order, but because the spirituality we need is so apart from all externalism, as to be no more essentially dependent on our church polity than on our church architecture. Both alike being considerations immeasurably beneath the higher matter of the life and power of godliness in the heart. Yet though we want neither a new bible, a new ministry, nor a new organization, there are wants of which it may be well for us to be reminded at this season. I. We want more of the unction of the Holy Spirit. We have evidence enough of the truth of revelation; for, as Pascal says, "There is light enough for those who sincerely wish to see, though there is obscurity enough to confound those who wish to oppose." We, therefore, have light enough; but we need more warmth. That is, as individual Christians we want, with the new year, such a new and large vouchsafement of divine influence as shall infuse new life into our private and public devotions. For what is prayer without unction ? a solemn mockery. Continuing through the year this round of formal ity we m. v be left to or idols, and falling away om our profession be a bye-word and a ma for the scorner; or, retaining our profession, be as lifeless and as useless as an Egyptian mummy, too many of which may already be seen in the museum of the church. For as one has said, "God looks not at the oratory of your prayers, how eloquent they are; nor at their geometry, how long they are; nor at their arithmetic, how many they are; nor at their logic, how methodical they are; but he looks at their sincerity, how spiritual they are." We need not amplify to show how much we need a new unction with regard to all the other and varied exercises of piety, because if we get holy oil to the wheels of our prayers, then our reading, hearing, giving, and holy living, will all be so sublimated that we shall exclaim, “Or ever I was aware my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib." Failing this, the end of the year will not leave us where it found us. Our coldness will be increasing with every month, and as Foster somewhere expresses it, "We shall be receding, degree after degree, from the warm and hopeful zone; till at last we shall enter the arctic circle, and become fixed in relentless and eternal ice." May it not also be affirmed, that members of churches want more spiritual mutual intercourse? And if the suggestion at the commencement of a new year should awaken attention to this desideratum, and lead to any practical measures for -its observance, it is believed the result would be beneficial. It surely must be acknowledged that we are below the standard of scriptural requirement in this matter. When we read, "How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" and are directed to "behold” it, it is not merely that we may gaze upon it with admiration, VOL. XIII-FOURTH SERIES. but that we may be charmed to imitation. Again, when we read, "They that feared the Lord spake often one to another," and turn to the apostolic injunction, "Speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs," we feel that our ordinary meetings in the house of God, or at the table of the Lord, do not realize the close and spiritual intercourse indicated in these and kindred passages of holy writ. It is quite true that the energies required in all the pursuits of professional and industrial life, in the present age, may render it difficult to multiply religious meetings. But could not a Christian church be classed out into convenient numbers and localities, and meet once a month, as Christians and fellow members? each one contributing a "psalm or hymn," a portion of scripture, or some remark or inquiry of an experimental kind, which would elicit observations and friendly conversation; that would awaken mutual sympathy, and "provoke one another to love and good works." It cannot be denied that in many large churches, if not in smaller ones, there is a want of reciprocity and almost of recognition among those who have professedly united themselves in a bond of holy fraternity, which should be the type of a world where "all the air is love." Now, just to the extent to which this defection exists, church fellowship must be confessed to be a shadow, a fiction, a delusion. Nor can it be said to realize the inspired illustration of its oneness, or its sympathy-" For the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body." Therefore, "The members should have the same care one for another, and if one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or if one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it," 1 Cor. xii. If, therefore, these remarks are just, C ..an in and more spiritual fellowship is admitted | missionar) associations, Chri to be among the wants of the church, struction als sick societie, &c., &c., to let us seek to supply it, by the appoint- furnish work fo. allearts and hands. ment of such meetings of the members, We live in an earnest age, and the as, under the divine blessing, may pro- church must not be behind the world. mote so desirable an object. And the But it will be so, if its members conend of the year will justify the chang-tent themselves with saying or thinking ing of our tone from that of reluctant the church must be in earnest, instead complaint to grateful acknowledgment. of saying, "I must be in earnest, for I The other want to which we may am a part of the church." It is, doubtbriefly advert, is, a universal recognition | less, one of Satan's devices to turn our of the importance of individual effort. mental eyes away from our individual "O Christ! I freely have from thee It really would be of no small service for many old members of our churches to learn again their nursery rhymes, which sang of "the little busy bee"to remind them that a church of Christ should be like the active hive, in which no drones are permitted to nestle. The anatomy of the human body shows that every member and every organ has some important function to perform, and that a paralysis of any one of these will derange and impede the healthful"For if these things be in us, and operation of the whole. In an active church the drones must be without excuse, and our pastors should be careful, by promoting sabbath, and day, and ragged schools, bible classes, tract distribution, village preaching, juvenile abound, we shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ;" and we may then expect to enjoy, in the highest and best sense of the words, A HAPPY NEW YEAR. Bury St. Edmunds. souls by their righteousness." Yet it appears that the thanksgivings of these men were no less powerful than their prayers. Thus, numerous and fervent as Noah's prayers were, no one of them brought down from heaven a promise of seed-time and harvest till time itself shall cease. But when Noah virtually said, "What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits?" and, in a grateful spirit, multiplied such authorized burnt-offerings as typified Christ's giving himself a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour, we behold an unprecedented result. For in Gen. viii. 20, 21, it is said, "Noah builded an altar unto the Lord, and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake.” A thinking man may learn from every circumstance; and a fact lately reported to the writer may set us thinking about the cause of some apparent mysteries in God's providence. A gentleman some time ago, when passing through one of the wards in St. Luke's, had his attention directed to one of the inmates of that lunatic asylum, who startled him with this question :-"Sir, did you ever bless God for your reason?" The visitor, astounded at the question, said, "No, I never did." "Nor did I," said the afflicted inmate," and God took it from me." Let us then believe that thanksgiving will preserve some mercies and add others. Thus let us bless God for all our mercies, and especially cherish habitual thankfulness for our recent preservation, when the arrows of death flew thick in every direction. Yea, as repentance has an essential connexion with "fruits meet for repentance," so let our thankfulness to God be acted out in suitable works of faith and labours of love. In some cases, too, thanksgiving may be more powerful than prayer. Thus in Luke xvii. 13, we have recorded such a prayer of ten lepers as issued in a temporal salvation, while one out of the ten, adding thanksgiving, is addressed by the Saviour as an heir of eternal salvation. For though the Saviour's words in Luke xvii. 19, are rendered, "Thy faith hath made thee whole," the very same words in Luke vii. 50, are translated, "Thy faith hath saved thee." In fact, if cleansing from the leprosy had been all the Saviour intended when addressing him who added thanksgiving to prayer, the meaning would have been, "Thy faith hath made thee as the other nine." But the language of Jesus was, "Were there not ten cleansed, but where are the nine? There are none found that returned to give glory to God except this alien." And he said unto him, "Arise, go thy way; thy faith hath saved thee.” In thanksgiving, therefore, we act wisely for the future, and bring down upon the earth the days of heaven, where the redeemed cast their crowns before the throne, blessing Him whose mercy endureth for ever, and singing, "Worthy the Lamb." Maryland Point, Stratford, Essex. TRANSFERRED WORDS IN THE COMMON ENGLISH TESTAMENT. NO. I.-DEACON. THE Word DIAKONOS occurs in the instances rendered servant, in twenty Greek Testament thirty times. In the minister, and in the remaining three common English version, it is in seven it is merely Anglicised in form and written deacon. It is used in reference to the persons who drew the water which our Lord turned into wine; in reference to a civil magistrate, when it is said, "he is the minister of God to thee for good;" in reference to our Lord himself, when he is called "a minister of the circumcision;" in reference to Paul, Apollos, Tychicus, Timothy, Phoebe, and others, who were engaged in the service of Christ and his churches. All these are, for some cause or other, described as 66 deacons." 66 use between a DIAKONOS and a DOULOS, thus :-"In the proper and primitive sense of diakovos (DIAKONOS), it is a servant who attends his master, waits on him at table, and is always near his person to obey his orders, which was accounted a more creditable kind of service. By the word douλos (DOULOS), is not only meant a servant in general (whatever kind of work he be employed in), but also a slave. It is solely from the scope and connexion that we must judge, when it should be rendered in the one way, and when in the other. In the passage before us "[Matthew xx. 26, 27, which this eminent critic renders, "Whosoever would become great amongst you, let him be your servant; and whosoever would be chief amongst you, let him be your slave,”— "the view in both verses is to signify that the true dignity of the Christian will arise more from the service he does to others, than the power he possesses over them. We are to judge, therefore, of the value of the words from the import of those they are contrasted with. And as desiring to be great is a more moderate ambition than desiring to be chief, we naturally conclude, that as the word opposed to the former should be expressive of some of the inferior stations in life, that opposed to the latter must be expressive of the lowest. When this sufficiently suits the ordinary signification of the words, there can hardly remain any doubt. As this is manifestly the case here, I did not know any words in our language by which I could better express a difference of degree, so clearly intended, than the words servant and slave. The word minister is now appropriated to the servants, not of private masters, but of the public. It is from the distinctions in private life, well known at the time, that our Lord's illustrations are borrowed." The cognate word DIAKONIA is in like manner rendered, in different passages of the English Testament, by the words, service, serving, ministry, ministration, ministering, administration, relief, office. The verb DIAKONEO is rendered serve, minister unto, administer, and in two instances (1 Tim. iii. 10 and 15) the office of a deacon;" where, if the version had been as literal as in many other passages, it would have been, "then let them serve, being found blameless," "they that have served well purchase to themselves a good degree." Whatever ecclesiastical associations may be connected with the meaning of the word DIAKONOS, in the minds of modern readers it is evident that its use was not confined originally to church officers, or religious persons. The epithet was applied by the Greeks to those who waited on them at table. The deacons of Satan are mentioned by Paul in contrast with the deacons of righteousness. In the parable of the wedding garment, the king is represented as commanding his deacons to bind the offending guest, and carry him Peter's wife's mother arose away. after her cure, and used the office of a deacon to our Lord, and to those who were with him; and Martha complained of Mary that she had left her to use the office of a deacon alone. A deacon, in truth, is one who serves. Dr. George Campbell distinguishes The following is a list of the instances |