Creator has enjoined? Are not many merchants, manufacturers, bankers, solicitors, and others, to whom letters and parcels are delivered, as well as their clerks and assistants, induced to attend to their worldly callings, and tempted to disregard the commandment of God concerning His Sabbath "in it thou shalt not do any work?"—whilst trifling or distressing intelligence, contained in letters received on that day, occupy the thoughts of others. The newspaper is at the same time delivered; and how few have religious principle sufficient to keep it unopened till the Monday, and thereby to stop up this fountain of vain thoughts and unprofitable discourse.

Not only is so great an amount of individual guilt connected with the running of the Royal Mail, but it must also be regarded as a national desecration of the Lord's day, and must be numbered amongst the national sins. The conducting of the Mail for the transmission of letters does not resemble private traffic; for the latter is contrary to our laws. Private travelling and private trading are prohibited, however inefficiently, by the laws of the land; but the management of the Mail is, on the contrary, a public work; it is under the superintendence of a public office, constituted by public statutes; and it is an important source of public profit. Every letter delivered or paid for on the Lord's day is a national act of Sabbath trading, and as such, is a national breach of the fourth commandment. It may almost be said, that persons connected with the Postoffice are, under the authority of Parliament, instructed to break the commandinent of God; are turned aside from the means of grace, and deprived of every opportunity of hearing such words as these: "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." This notorious example of national indifference to the Lord's day must have a most injurious effect upon all classes. Thousands will reason thus: “If the Mail travels, why may not coaches, carts, and all other carriages? If letters and parcels are conveyed, why may we not write letters and make parcels? If the nation trades, why may not individuals? In short, why may not private families be permitted by the law to violate openly the commandments of God, as freely as the great family of the State?"

There is also something peculiarly awful in this mode of desecration of the Lord's day, when we consider that every family in the kingdom participates, either directly or indirectly, in this great offence. The counting-house of the merchant, the chamber of the lawyer, the table of the private gentleman, the hand of almost every householder, the club-room, and the reading-room, display alike on Monday morning (and too frequently even during the Lord's day,) the produce of the Sabbath Mail.

Those who have been long accustomed, without a thought, to make use of the Sabbath Mail, may be tempted to suggest great difficulties in the way of suspending it; but they may rest assured that the difficulties are only imaginary, and not real. No real disadvantage can ever arise to nations from a holy keeping of that rest which the Most High, who "ruleth in the kingdom of men," has ordained. He himself has declared, "Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." Prov. xiv. 34. He also has said, "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." Psalm ix. 17. But we have remarkable proofs before our eyes, that no inconvenience actually arises, but rather comfort and bless ing, from suspending the operations of the Post-office on the Lord's day. Consider the example of London, that great commercial city of the earth. Thanks be to God, no letter is received or sent forth on the Lord's day within her streets. She thus pauses in her commerce; pauses, according to the will of God; and,

doubtless, she finds a blessing more than equal to her consistency. Can any rational being doubt, that the same rule would be equally beneficial to the nation at large?

Let

There is at present, all through the country, one day in every week when no letter is received from London, and one day on which none is sent to London; but, with shame be it spoken, neither of these days is the Lord's day whereas, if the running of the Mail were suspended during the twenty-four hours of the Lord's day, there would still be but one blank day, and that, to the glory of God, would be the Lord's day. the managers of the Post-office arrange, that the Mail shall reach some convenient town, where it may rest, a reasonable time before twelve o'clock on Saturday night; let it resume its journey after twelve at night of the Lord's day, at such a time that no work be done on that day; and it will arrive at the several towns on those days which are now the blank days; while in London the delivery and departure of letters will remain unchanged.

The following scale will explain the matter more fully, as far as Edinburgh is concerned.

There would then be but one blank day all over Great Britain, and that day would be the Lord's day; and the whole population of this kingdom would be placed upon one common Christian footing. The Mail would depart from every place on every day of the week, except the Lord's day, allowing one universal day of rest, in which all men would enjoy an equal opportunity of serving the Lord, of which many are now deprived. The habits of commerce would be rapidly accommodated to this holy order; and, after a few Lord's days had passed away, men would wonder that they had ever opposed so godly and beneficial an arrangement.

But not only does the experience of London manifest the advantage of suspending the running of the Mail on the Lord's day, but already do many of the largest manufacturers and most respectable professional men, in various parts of the kingdom, abstain from employing the Post in any way during the Lord's day. Individuals and families have been induced to abstain altogether from receiving their letters on the Lord's day; preferring to leave them that day in the Postoffice, rather than follow a multitude to do evil. Other improvements might in many cases be adopted. Thus, where villages and country-houses are at a short distance from a post-town, and it is usual for a person to go to the town daily for letters, this should be discontinued on the Lord's day, and the letters remain in the office till the Monday. Even when members of the family, or of the village, necessarily pass the Post-office in the course of the Lord's day, and thus no work appears to be occasioned by their bringing the letters with them, yet still let them remain till the Monday; not only for conscience' sake, but for the sake of example; for the sake of doing what lies in our power to render the Sabbath Mail a useless incumbrance; for the sake of openly protesting against it, and hastening the time when, through the grace of God, an abounding faith shall produce an advanced tone of public morals, and the evil shall be abolished; for the sake also of our neighbour, (that the post-master and his servants " may rest, as well as thou.") It is even possible, that in some post-towns a general compact might be entered into, with a view to keeping the offices

closed, and letters undelivered during the Lord's day. The surrounding villages might be admitted into the compact. All such steps are important, not only as a present diminution of evil, but as going to prove the practicability of suppressing the Sabbath Mail, and to show how readily the nation would accommodate itself to the change.

It is easy to perceive how much may thus be accomplished by private effort, if each man would follow the words of Joshua: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Yet it is needful to observe, that it is also a peculiar feature in this evil, that the interference of Parliament is necessary, in order to afford a complete remedy to the mischief; for though we may, as we are bound to do, individually wash our hands of a direct participation in the sin, it is not in the power of individuals absolutely to prevent the running of the Mail. It is therefore proper to remind all men, that in this country our God has invested us with rights and privileges, which it becomes us to use to His glory. Our God has given us the right and privilege to petition our King, Lords, and Commons, on every question of national concern: it therefore well becomes us as Christians, in addition to our other efforts, to implore our rulers to discontinue this unholy traffic, in the guilt of which we feel ourselves involved, as members of the same common country, and as all, directly or indirectly,

partakers of the sin.

We, therefore, entreat all who regard the will of God as their rule of life, and who desire that their fellow-men should retain one of their highest privileges the enjoyment of the Lord's day-not to seek to please themselves, or to look every man to his own convenience in this matter; but to deny themselves, for Christ's sake and for the sake of their brethren, in this, which is, after all, but a small matter. Let them imitate the example of Nehemiah and his companions, in discountenancing and preventing, by their conduct and resolution, the desecration of the Sabbath, (Neh. x. 31.) Let them manifest the same holy principle, and the same desire to obey the law of God, by abstaining from employing the Post themselves on that day, and by uniting with others who are similarly inclined; and thus strengthen one another's hands in the work of faith, and labour which proceedeth of love.

ANECDOTE OF THE LATE

REV. DR BALFOUR, OF GLASGOW.
BY THE REV. JOHN THOMSON,
Minister of Dysart, Fifeshire.

DR. BALFOUR was distinguished for the happy union of great and amiable qualities. He was a man of deep piety. This appeared not only in the discharge of his official duties, but also in his intercourse with Christian friends. Wherever he was, he uniformly maintained a deportment becoming an ambassador of Christ. Nor was there ought formidable or repulsive in his manners. On the contrary, his piety was cheerful, and he evinced such real kindness of heart, such warm and enlarged charity, that his society was a source of peculiar delight to all who were privileged to enjoy it.

Possessing these qualities, this highly honoured minister of the Gospel, when called upon to testify his displeasure at the conduct of transgressors, was eminently successful in tendering reproof. This is a very difficult, as well as a painful duty. If a rebuke be administered under the influence of passion, if it be illtimed, or out of place, if, in short, it be given in circumstances calculated to irritate, and not to humble and reform the offender, it is manifestly worse than

useless. Hence the necessity of a sound judgment to seize upon the time and mode befitting a matter of so much delicacy, and also of genuine benevolence, combined with unbending fidelity, to convey to the delinquent, in the most effective manner, a just sense of the enormity of his crime. In those requisites Dr Balfour excelled. He was truly a judicious reprover. A few words from him spoke volumes. And the following anecdote, which I received from more than one highly respectable quarter, shows that his endeavours to reclaim heaven-daring sinners were not unavailing :—

On one occasion, when Dr and Mrs Balfour were on their way home from Glasgow to Stirling, they had for their fellow-passengers, in the stage-coach, three gentlemen who were proceeding to India. Two of these and were about to embark in quest of wealth or of were young lads, who had just left their native homes, fame, to that sultry clime. Probably to allay the pangs of separation from their beloved parents and relatives, they, like many others in similar circumstances, allowed their minds to dwell on golden prospects. Dear youths! who would not feel interested in their condition, just setting out in the journey of life, heedless, perhaps, of the spiritual privations to which they should be subjected, and of the countless dangers to which they were exposed? How important is it, therefore, that our young men, ere they leave the domestic circle, be thoroughly instructed in the principles of our holy faith, and be impressed with the conviction that the fear of God is the only effectual guard against the corruptions and allurements of a world lying in wickedness! Alas! in the present instance, it was the misfortune of these inexperienced youths to be placed under the protection of one who, instead of acting, as he was in duty bound to do, the part of a father and a friend, set before them an example of so unhallowed a character that, if followed, would tend inevitably to ruin their immortal souls. Awful to relate! their elder companion, the third party, was a profane swearer! This soon became manifest from his conversation. Ever and anon he took the name of God in vain. Nor did he seem to be in the least abashed at his own profanity. He gloried in his shame. So hardened was he in sin! So habituated was he to transgression!

We can easily conceive how painful it must have been to the godly minister to witness such daring profanation of that sacred name, every mention of which demands the most profound reverence. He saw, however, that directly to reprove the transgressor in such a place would serve no good end. But to testify his displeasure at his impious conduct, Dr Balfour availed himself of the first opportunity of withdrawing from the company of the profane man, by taking a seat on the outside of the coach. This was a silent but a very expressive reproof. Nor was it altogether without effect. A guilty conscience is always jealous. And the remark, addressed by the delinquent to Mrs Balfour, I suppose that is a parson?" told that all was not at ease within. Happily for him who used this contemptuous term, that " parson" was faithful to his office, and therefore worthy of the unfeigned respect of all who value moral worth, or who have any regard for the highest and best interests of mankind.

Dr Balfour felt great pity for the profane swearer, and also for the young gentlemen under his charge.

We doubt not, he lifted up his heart to God in prayer in their behalf. But he resolved to do something more. It was of the utmost consequence to have a private interview with the offender, in order, if possible, to bring him to a sense of his perilous condition, and to prevail upon him to "flee from the wrath to come." Accordingly, when they arrived at the next stage, the Doctor went into the inn, and requested the said violater of the divine law to accompany him. There, when alone, he told him his design in soliciting an interview. He brought the painful subject of his recent profanation directly and fully before him. He unfolded the nature of his sin, the heinousness of his guilt, and the tremendous consequences to which it exposed his never-dying soul. He appealed to the understanding, the heart, and the conscience of the delinquent, in a manner becoming the end in view. And, considering how commanding were his talents, and how solemn and melting the tones of his voice, and how influential his Christian tenderness and fidelity, we may well believe that nought was awanting, on his part, to render the reproof available. What passed between them we cannot farther particularize. But this much we know, that the delinquent not only listened attentively to what was addressed to him, but felt grateful for the kindness, as well as the faithfulness, evinced by his reprover. He was evidently affected. "Sir," said he, "I feel much obliged to you for the delicate manner in which you have conveyed your reproof. For had you reproved me in the coach, in presence of these young men, in all probability my evil passions would have been roused, and I would have insulted you." How instructive is the fact, and how impressively does it remind us of the necessity of being "wise as serpents and harmless as doves."

The interview was soon brought to a close. And they who were, so unexpectedly, brought together on a subject of eternal moment, parted, who could tell if ever more to meet on this side of the grave? But it was the Lord's will that this should not be their last interview. The reproved traveller, with his interesting charge, set out for a distant region, where, till of late, scarcely a ray of divine light shone on the deluded inhabitants. But even in that land of heathenism God does not leave himself without a witness. There he is essentially present, and there, too, his sovereign grace has recently achieved many a splendid triumph. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. He follows them with the language of tender expostulation, saying, "Turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die?" He did so, in the instance under our consideration. The profane man who, in God's adorable providence, was brought, as it were accidentally, for a few moments, into contact with a faithful servant of Christ in Scotland, was raised up, in idolatrous India, to bear a living testimony to the truth that "the word of the Lord shall not return unto him void." His conscience was evidently touched. He felt the justness of the reproof. He felt the overpowering tenderness that marked the expostulation of the Christian minister. That occurrence he could not forget: wherever he went, the arrow of conviction stuck fast in his inner man, and troubled his hours of repose. A feeling of remorse haunted him by night and by day. At length he was effectually roused to a heartfelt sense of his guilt and danger, in the sight of that great and holy God, who

66

"is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity." And that Holy Spirit, who then visited him with strong and abiding convictions of sin, discovered to him, in due time, the only sure remedy, and prevailed upon him to cast himself as a perishing sinner on the mercy of the divine Redeemer, who "came to seek and to save that which is lost." What a wondrous change! The proud blasphemer is now become a devout and affectionate worshipper of that God whom he had so long and so daringly offended; and he who despised the blessings of Christ's salvation, now feels that, in comparison of these, every thing else sinks into utter insignificance. Behold, he is now "a new creature," a monument of sovereign mercy, a brand plucked from the fire." It is often the lot of faithful ministers not to know, in this world, the good effects which, through the blessing of God, result from their instructions, their reproofs and warnings, and their exhortations and prayers. But it pleased God, in the present instance, to rejoice the soul of his servant, by an exhibition of the fruit of the interview above detailed. After the lapse of several years, a gentleman called on Dr Balfour at Glasgow. Having introduced himself, and perceiving that the Doctor did not recognize him, he asked if he remembered the interview that took place between them on their way to Stirling. The Doctor presently recollected the occurrence. "Well," said the stranger, "I am the person whom you then reproved, and I am come now to tell you that your reproof has had the desired effect, and that you have been the instrument of my conversion to God." O how intensely interesting the scene! There stood the reprover and the reproved, in circumstances that called for the liveliest gratitude to the God of all grace and consolation, both rejoicing in the marvellous change, and both animated by the hope of a blissful immortality. And, after such an example of usefulness, what Christian need despair? him know that he who converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."

THE PARABLE OF THE FIG-TREE:

A DISCOURSE.

BY THE REV. JOHN PAUL,

"Let

One of the Ministers of St. Cuthbert's Parish, Edinburgh. "He spake also this parable; A certain man had a figtree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none," &c.-LUKE xiii. 6-10.

THE parable now read was originally delivered and applied by our Lord to the nation of the Jews. It was designed to represent, in reference to them, the many and peculiar privileges which God had bestowed on them, the account which they were at last to be called upon to render of them, and the severe judgments which they were bringing on themselves, inasmuch as hitherto they had failed to bear and to bring forth any answerable fruit. He had given to them almost every testimony of his regard. He had chosen them as his own, and ever termed and treated them as his peculiar people. He had prospered them with blessings far exceeding what they were able

either to enumerate or to express, and had furnished them with every argument and every incentive to use them well. He had favoured them with opportunities of knowing and of serving him, which he conferred upon no others, and he expected that they would walk in the steady course of their improvement, that their hearts would be so warmed and wrought upon by his love, as that they would strive to excel, and labour to distinguish themselves by attainments bearing at least some proportion to their advantages, and by degrees of spiritual perfection eminent like their gifts. But they blasted all such expectations, and became notorious for their abuse of God's richest talents. A spirit of idleness and ingratitude seemed to animate the whole people, and though he did not allow even that at once to alienate his affections, but tried to melt them by additional exercises and expressions of his goodness, yet, instead of being mollified by these, they became more exasperated, and the longer he attempted to soften their hearts, the harder they grew. In consequence of this, therefore, God justly determined to punish them, to call them to a reckoning for their continued perversion of his blessings, to whet his glittering sword in order to revenge their provocations, and to convince them that it was in vain to ask for fresh mercies and further favours, when they were so insensible of, and so ungrateful for, those they had already received. Upon the appearance and intercession of Jesus Christ, however, he afforded to them another opportunity, by a conscientious use of his mercies, of being received anew to the admission of his favour. As a last effort, he sent to them his Son. In spite of all the manifestations of their rebellion, he made a trial of them, as it were, another year, by the preaching and parables of Christ and his apostles. He assured them that he would endure, pass over, even forget their insults and indignities, if now they would but comply with his invitations; and he told them, in language too obvious to be misunderstood, that if still they should continue to presume upon his kindness, and delude themselves with the conceit that their dignities and distinctions, as his chosen people, would protect them from the penalty of perverting his gifts, and secure for them the profits and preferments of his kingdom, all their hopes should be struck dead at once, and their expectations irremediably cut off for ever. And, accordingly, we know that though some of the people were effectually gained upon, and did bring forth fruit, yet the gross body of the people remained in their impenitency, disregarded and even derided the threatenings which were denounced, did resist being either melted by indulgence or subdued by authority, and about forty years afterwards, they were given up to the execution of that sentence, that was not more justly decreed against, than it was plainly declared to them.

But, my brethren, the parable, though originally applicable to the case and circumstances of

the Jews, is not applicable to their case and to their circumstances alone. They were an insensible, an ungrateful, an incorrigible people. But are they the only people that are insensible, or ungrateful, or incorrigible? The parable is intended to be of general use; to serve a purpose common to all men; to awaken the attention of every one of us who are blessed with so many mercies, necessarily requiring and highly deserving that attention; to excite our self-examination as to the activity and application that we have brought to them, and the personal improvement to which they have been turned; and to stir us up to take heed that we have it impressed upon our minds and our memories, that to whomsoever much has been given, of them the more will be required.

That we are favoured with many talents, is clear; that we are not exempted from the care and charge of them, is also clear; that we are bound to do nothing otherwise than in subordination to their improvement, is just as evident a truth. But, my brethren, it is one thing to believe this truth, and quite another thing to realize this truth. It is one thing for this truth to maintain an ascendancy in the convictions of the understanding, and quite another thing for it to be acted upon with all the affections of the heart. The improvement of the talents committed to us should be a matter of the greatest concernment with us all. It is a service worthy of all the time and all the labour that can be spent upon it, and the more deeply that we feel its obligation as a duty, the more compunctions will we be stricken with at the deficiency and the disproportion of our observance of it.

With the view, therefore, and in the hope, of being excited to diligence in our different callings in life, and stirred up to remember what it is that our great Master requires of us, what it is that we are to do and to practise ere we can receive the recompense of faithful servants, let us attend to the particulars of the parable which is now before us, which, without being too minute in our application of it, we may consider as instructing us in the following truths. It instructs us,

I. That God has bestowed great advantages upon his Church, and upon his people, and upon every one of us.

II. That, from these advantages, he looks for a suitable return.

III. That, when men fail to make this return, sentence of condemnation is ready to go forth against them. And,

IV. That the Almighty allows of the intercession of Jesus Christ to lengthen out our season of trial.

In the present Discourse we shall confine cur remarks to the illustration of the two first points, reserving the illustration of the remaining heads for another Discourse.

I. God has bestowed upon his Church, and upon his people, and upon every one of us, many and peculiar advantages.

This is intimated by the situation of the figtree mentioned in the sixth verse. It was planted in a vineyard; not by the wayside, destitute of care, and exposed to the rude touch of every passing traveller; not in a wilderness, overrun with weeds, apt to be choked by briars, or hurt by venomous beasts, but in a fenced and favoured spot, where it had all the advantages which a kindly soil could give it, where it was supplied with the means of sustenance and shelter, and was the object of even the partial affection of One who spared no pains in nursing and in cherishing it.

The Jews were represented by this fig-tree. They were long the objects of a seemingly partial affection. They had privileges conferred upon them in the highest degree and to the utmost extent, and had talents put into their hands whose number and whose value were best understood when contrasted with the scanty talents of other men, In the appropriate language of inspiration, "to them belonged the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the promises," and the spiritual kingdom of the

Messiah.

But God has been as beneficent to us as he was to them. His mercies have not been confined within the period of the Old Testament dispensation. Little need be said to demonstrate that they have been as numerous and as great under the New. His gifts, both temporal and spiritual, have been bestowed with a liberal hand upon us all; and though in individual cases they differ in many respects, both as to their magnitude and number, though the talents of one are allowed to be greater than those of another, yet there is not one of us but have had some bestowed, there is not one of us but has his talents assigned to him in the very manner and degree which Supreme Wisdom sees best; and though unworthy to receive the least of his mercies, there is not one of us for whom God has not freely given up his own Son, of all his gifts, without doubt, unspeakably the greatest. But, in point of fact, what are the talents with which God has intrusted us? What are those gifts which he calls upon us so to trade with in this school of probation as that we may multiply and render them more valuable by putting them out to usury? Of these, there are some that we enjoy in common with all mankind, and some of a more peculiar and distinctive character, and some which a few, and but a few, are permitted, as it were, to monopolize. Some of you whom I now address he may have intrusted with the talent of power, commanding you so to exercise it as that it may be a successful instru-, ment of advancing the glory of God, and the best interests of your fellow-men. On others of you he may have been pleased to confer the talent of wealth, that, though not by a lavish, yet by a prudent application of it, you may do good in your day and generation, and lend a helping hand to every proper work. To a few he may have been pleased to communicate more than ordinary

wisdom, that you may exhibit to the world more than ordinary excellence, that, treading in the higher walks, you may set forth a superior model of human character, and by the direct light of your teaching, and the indirect lustre of your example, may lead men on by various and progressive steps to greater measures of improvement and perfection. And, in fine, there may be some of you whom God has seen fit to refresh with the extraordinary visitations of his grace, to whom he has been pleased to impart the larger portions of his Spirit, and for the greater proportion of whose help you are required to evince a proportionably greater advancement.

But, perhaps some of you may say that you are utterly destitute of these advantages; that you have never been favoured with power, nor with wealth, nor with wisdom, nor with any of the extraordinary succours of God's grace; that, so far from having talents to account for, you are in a deserted condition, and that he hath forgotten to be gracious to you. O fools and slow of heart to believe the dealings and declarations of his providence! You may want these particular talents, but what think you of the many others that have been committed to you, of all those gifts of nature which, as men, and all those blessings of grace which, as Christians, and all those hopes of futurity which, as immortal spirits, you enjoy ? Is it nothing that you have life, and health to enjoy life, and liberty to enjoy both? Is it a small matter that you have bodies furnished with senses, and minds with faculties, and hearts with affections, which are all the sources of a thousand enjoyments? Does it signify nothing whose creatures you are, and whose image you wear, that you are, and what you are, that there has been assigned to you a high point in the scale of created existence, that you are not mere inanimate, but that you are living, and that you are not merely living, but rational creatures, and not merely rational, but everlasting? Is it to be forgotten that you are ministered to by the very works of nature; that, like a table well furnished, the surface of the earth is overspread with every thing that is fitted to nourish your bodies and to cure your diseases; that the barren mountains send you down streams of water, indispensable to the support of your lives and the fruitfulness of your lands; that the mighty deep itself is tributary to your existence, supplying the bottles of heaven with waters to refresh the earth; that even the boisterous winds, fulfilling God's word, do yield the most manifold services to you, cleansing the air for your health, and gathering together and spreading abroad those clouds which, as the paths of God, drop fatness upon your pastures? Is it of no moment that you are blessed with a competent portion of the good things of this life; that even the beasts of the field are instrumental to supply your wants with pleasant food and convenient clothing; that you have the means, if not of an affluent, yet of a creditable subsistence, and are daily fed with whatever is necessary for life,