an institution already known. Were any one on a Saturday accidentally to name the morrow for the transaction of business, a by-stander would naturally exclaim, "To-morrow is the Sabbath." If this had been the establishment of a new ordinance, mention would have been made of the great event which it was designed to commemorate. But no explanation is given; no question is asked; it was plainly an understood thing. The regular observance of the Sabbath might have partially ceased during the period of Egyptian bondage; a confused and imperfect reckoning of time among the Hebrews might have rendered some of them doubtful concerning the day; but the institution itself was not forgotten.

The expression contained in verse 29, "The Lord hath given you the Sabbath," may be easily understood. The same phraseology occurs in Neh. ix. 14, and Ezek. xx. 12. It has been said, "What else can given mean than first instituted?" Given does not always mean first instituted. Look at John vii. 28, "Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is of Moses, but of the fathers), and ye on the Sabbath-day circumcise a man." It was Abraham who first practised circumcision, and enjoined it on his descendants; and yet Moses, who did not live till 400 years afterwards, is said to have given it to them. To borrow the words of Dr Wardlaw, "Previously existing institutes and laws might, with no violation of propriety, be spoken of as made known and as given to a particular people, when, with special solemnity, with peculiar sanctions, and in a systematic and embodied form, they were delivered from heaven to that people, and when the possession of them in this form became the distinction of that people from others.

Some may inquire, How is it that no mention is made of the Sabbath during the antediluvian and patriarchal ages of the world? To this it may be answered, Because of the extreme brevity of the history. The inspired penman records only the more remarkable events, and in so doing has no need to make an allusion to the Sabbath. Neither is there any allusion made to it throughout the books of Joshua and Judges; and Dr Dwight proves that it is mentioned but in five places from the time of Moses to the end of the captivity, a period which is dwelt upon much more minutely by the sacred writers than that which elapsed between Adam and Moses. The omission in the book of Genesis, therefore, does not prove its non-existence.

From the similar omission of the mention of circumcision as an existing rite, from the conquest of Canaan to the Christian era, it does not follow that its performance was neglected.

But it is a fact that the book of Genesis contains no implied reference to the observance of the seventh-day rest. The division of time into weeks is plainly alluded to in the history of Noah, 'Gen. vii. 4, 10, viii. 10, 12. In Gen. iv. 3, it is stated that Cain and Abel " in process of time," brought their offerings to the Lord. The phrase, "in process of time," is rendered in the margin, "at the end of the days." The only period of days to which there had been a previous reference was a week. Hence, it appears probable, that by "the end of the days" is intended the last day of the week. Again, Joseph devoted an entire week to mourning for his father, Gen. 1. 10.

It is worthy of notice that a weekly division of time has obtained among all nations from the earliest ages. Dion, the Roman historian, says that the custom originated in Egypt. The Egyptians are supposed by Sir Isaac Newton to have borrowed their learning from the Edomites, who through Esau received the practice from the early patriarchs. Hesiod says, "The seventh day is holy." Philo says, "The seventh day is the birthday of the world." Josephus says, "No city of Greeks or barbarians can be found which does not acknowledge a seventh day's rest from labour."

These various considerations confirm our belief that the appointment of the Sabbath took place at the creation. At the same time, we do not stand in need of the proof they supply. It is pleasing thus to see the harmony that exists in the developments of Providence, and in the revelations of the Divine will. It is delightful to behold how, in admitting one truth, others present themselves in succession, either directly or indirectly, to strengthen our hold of it. But the words of the original institution need only to be read with ordinary attention, and with an unprejudiced mind, to carry with them a full weight of evidence. "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made."-Gen. ii. 1-3.

E.

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR CHRISTIAN PARENTS.

THE son of pious parents was growing up to maturity without evincing religious decision. His father was a minister of the gospel. One Sunday evening he attended his father to the house of God; his mother remained behind, and spent the time devoted to public worship in secret prayer for his salvation. So fervent did she become in these intercessions, that she fell on her face, and remained in fervent supplication till the service had nearly closed. That night her son was deeply impressed by his father's sermon. On returning from the chapel, he retired into a field, and there sought for pardoning mercy. When he entered the house, his mother gazed upon him with an earnest look of inquiry, as if to know whether her prayers had been heard or not. He said nothing to her immediately, but the change in his feelings could not be disguised. Shortly they were knit together in a new bond of Christian fellowship. Great was his mother's joy, when she beheld her son a faithful preacher of the word of life.

A dissipated youth went one day to his pious mother, and said, "Mother, let me have my best clothes, I am going to a ball to-night." She expostulated with him, but in vain. She urged him not to go by every argument in her power, but all his answer was, "Mother, let me have my clothes; I will go, and it is useless to say anything about it." She said to him with tears, "My child, while you are dancing with your gay companions in the ball-room, I shall be in yonder wilderness praying to the Lord to convert your soul." He went the ball commenced-gloom filled the heart of the young man, and communicated itself to his companions. No one could laugh. No one could sing. One said, "I wish we had not come, we have no life." Another said, "I cannot think what is the matter." The son of the pious mother burst into tears, and said, "I know well what is the matter; my poor old mother is now praying for me in yonder wilderness." He took up his hat and left the house, adding, "Never again will I seek happiness in the pleasures of sin." Whither did he bend his steps? To the throne of mercy. There he found forgiveness and peace. His mother lifted her weeping eyes to heaven, and gave utter

ance to the voice of praise: "This my son was dead and is alive again he was lost, and is found."

Christian mothers, who are longing to behold your children consecrate themselves unto the Lord, are you praying, and watching unto prayer? Is not God every day answering the prayers of parents on behalf of their children? Hear Abraham of old, exclaiming, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before Thee!" And what was the answer of God to him? "As for Ishmael, I have heard thee. Behold I have blessed him." He who heard the prayer of Hannah, which she offered to him in the bitterness of her spirit, will fulfil your petition, when you ask Him for the new and spiritual birth of the son whom he has given you.

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"Arise, He calleth thee." By prayer and supplication make known your requests unto God." 'Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, or his ear heavy that it cannot hear." Pour out your soul before the Lord, and a greater than Eli, even the high priest of our profession, who is "set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens," shall say unto thee, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition, that thou hast asked of him."

E.

THE VARIOUS NAMES OF PALESTINE. VARIOUS names have been given to Palestine, derived from the nations occupying it, or from some incident connected with its history.

1. THE LAND OF CANAAN (Lev. xxv. 38; Ps. cv. 11); from Canaan, the youngest son of Ham, who settled here shortly after the dispersion of Babel, and divided the country between his eleven sons (Gen. x. 15—19). It bore this title up to the time of its occupation by the Israelites: after which it was called

2. THE LAND OF ISRAEL; which comprehended all that tract of country which God gave for an inheritance to the children of Israel. This term frequently occurs in the Old Testament, and occasionally in the New (Matt. ii. 20, 21).

3. THE LAND OF PROMISE (Heb. xi. 9); from the promise made to Abraham, that his posterity should possess it (Gen. xii. 7, and xiii. 15).

4. THE LAND OF THE HEBREWS (Gen. xl. 15); because for

many ages they were the occupiers and possessors of it. It was emphatically "their own land" and, although at present exiled from it, they have the promise of recovering possession of it, when the term of the curse expires.

5. THE LAND OF JUDAH.-Under this designation was at first comprised only that tract of country which was allotted by Joshua to the tribe of Judah (Deut. xxxiv. 2). It was subsequently applied to the whole of Palestine (Isa. xix. 17; Ruth i. 7). After the secession of the ten tribes, that portion which belonged to the tribes of Benjamin and Judah was distinguished by the appellation-the land of Judah, or Judæa (Ps. lxxvi. 1; Jer. xxxix. 10, and xliv. 9). After the Babylonian captivity, the term again recovered its application, denoting the whole of the land of Canaan.

6. THE HOLY LAND (Zech. ii. 12).-It was probably so termed on account of the holy associations connected with its history. But, more especially, the term was used in contradistinction from the lands of the Gentiles. The ancient Jews divided the world into two parts-the "land of Israel,” and the land out of Israel, that is, all the countries inhabited by the Gentiles. All the rest of the world were accounted by the Jews profane, polluted, or unclean (Isa. xxxv. 8, lii. 1; Joel iii. 17; Amos viii. 17); but theirs was the Holy Land, and they were a holy nation. It is styled by Hosea—

7. THE LORD'S LAND, OR THE LAND OF JEHOVAH (Hos. ix. 3), and in other places "the land of God," intimating, probably, that God was, in a special manner, the proprietor of it, and that it was a land which, above all others, he delighted to honour. See Levit. xxv. 23; 2 Chron. vii. 20; Isa. xiv. 25,

8. PALESTINE was a name given to this country in the time of Moses (Exod. xv. 14; Isa. xiv. 29, 31). It was derived from the Philistines, who settled themselves in the south-west part of the country, on the borders of the Mediterranean. Although they only occupied a narrow slip of country on the sea-coast, in the course of time they became of sufficient importance to give their name to the whole of the land of Canaan. Palestine signifies the land of the Philistines.

9. IMMANUEL'S LAND (Isa. viii. 3)—the land of his birth, and of his death-the scene of his labours and his sorrows-and where he will again plant his kingdom, and reign with accumulated glory.

D.