that was a post of great usefulness. His office merely furnished a medium through which his energetic mind, and his warm love to God and man, were enabled to act on the christian coinmunity. It was a kind of observatory, from which he could look abroad on the wants and interests of the churches, and from which, with telegraphic rapidity, he could spread among them the kindling emanations of his own and other minds. Though his immediate object was the distribution of tracts, yet there was no exclusiveness in his aims and efforts. He regarded the cause of the Saviour as one, combining, indeed, many interests, which may be advantageously separated and pursued individually, with concentrated force; yet he viewed that cause like the rainbow, in which the several rays of light are blended, and the prism through which he, in his official character, contemplated it, only presented its colors to his eye, in a more beautiful and distinct relation to each other. Missions, Education, Sabbath Schools, the distribution of the Bible, all modes of benevolent enterprise, held a place in his heart, and claimed a share of his efforts, while he was directly toiling in the great cause of tracts.

He never sunk into a mere Agent. In the pulpit he preached with the zeal of a Missionary, and the free hearted affection of a pastor. At a missionary meeting, he would plead for the heathen with an expansion of thought and feeling which stretched beyond the comparatively little space in which he was laboring, to the wide limits of the great field, the world. Those who attended the session of the Boston Association, in 1829, will not soon forget the spirit stirring eloquence with which he urged the necessity of efforts to increase the number and the qualifications of our ministers. It is worth mentioning here, as an illustration of the zeal and liberality of his heart, that, at the Association, when a subscription was commenced, to aid the Massachusetts Baptist Education Society, he rose and offered his watch, as a contribution to the funds.

He is gone.—Let us, who remain a while longer, gird ourselves for increased diligence, " looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”

K.

MR. TRAIN'S LETTER ON THE SABBATH.

It is worthy of note, that the theme of the Circular Letters of the Warren, Boston, and Old Colony Associations, should, this year, have been the Sabbath. It is a pleasing and striking coincidence, and shows us that the importance of the suitable observance of this sacred day, is fixing itself on the mind of the christian public.

Many of our readers, we know, must have been highly gratified in reading the Letter of the Boston Association, written by Rev. Mr. Train, of Framingham, and we know they will excuse us for filling two or three of our pages from it, so that its influence may be extended far beyond the circulation of the Minutes of our Association. This Letter presents the subject in such a convincing form, that we wish we had room to give it an entire insertion. But we must content ourselves with presenting the following extracts, feeling persuaded that every reader in perusing them, will find his heart more intent in hallowing the Sabbath-day:

The subject rises to an immeasurable importance, as history and our own observation teach us, that the declensions of nations, and the impiety of individuals, owe their origin, in a great measure, to a violation of the sanctions of this holy day. The character of individuals may be estimated by the manner in which they spená the Sabbath ; and as their future welfare is so intimately connected with its requirements, we are the more anxious to diffuse the sentiments of this Letter. Our opinion of it is supported by a gentleman in high political standing, belonging to one of the Middle States, who has lately written to his friend in Boston, thus : " Dear Sir,

“I received your kind favor this afternoon, as also the enclosed document, being the Minutes of the 19th Anniversary of the Boston Baptist Association. Its Circular to the churches, on the sanctification of the Lord's-day, I have just read with great interest and pleasure. I rejoice, my dear Sir, that God has inclined the hearts of his people to come out in such clear and decided terins. I regard this movement as a very hopeful indication of the gracious designs of the Lord of the Sabbath towards this sacred and hallowed day. If all our churches will rise and provoke one another to love and good works in this great concern, and raise their united cry to Him who heareth prayer, then may we indeed expect the standard to be raised against the enemy as he comes in like a flood.”

After an appropriate introduction to the subject, Mr. Train observes :

“The sanctification of a weekly Sabbath was one of the first laws prescribed by Deity for the regulation of human conduct. The simple fact, that such a law was given to man previous to his apostacy, speaks volumes in favour of its fitness and necessity, of its universal and perpetual obligation. The very first day of human existence was devoted to holy rest; to holy contemplation, adoration, and praise! Such were then the spontaneous feelings of the human beart; and such are the holy affections which God has ever required, and must ever require, of all his accountable creatures. Although man afterwards became rebellious, and his descendants have sought out many inventions to gratify their evil passions, to palliate their sins, and 'excuse themselves for neglect of duty, God has sustained no change; nor has the moral law sustained a change in any of its essential features. From the first to the last moment of moral agency, every human heart ought to beat in perfect unison with that law, which says, Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

“That divine command which requires the religious observance of the Sabbath, like the others of the moral law, has its foundation in the nature and fitness of things. Man has an animal and an inn- , mortal nature. Duty requires that just regard be paid to both. If six days out of seven be allowed to the former, can one be thought too much to be appropriated to the latter ? Especially, when it is considered, that the proper sanctification of the Sabbath is conducive to our worldly interests, is refreshing and invigorating to our animal as well as our immortal nature ? Experience teaches, that the animal system cannot long endure unremitting toil without exhaustion. Even to those patient beasts, whose strong muscular powers man calls to his aid, the rest of the Sabbath is a merciful provisjon; and those who unnecessarily deprive them of it, are unmerciful men. The mere man of the world ought to know, that no substantial benefit is to be gained by a disregard to the laws of nature and of God. But the benevolent author of the Sabbath blessed it, and makes it a special blessing to those who religiously observe it. Godliness with contentment, is our greatest and best gain.

“ The design of this hallowed day, is not merely to afford a respite from worldly care and toil, but to preserve and extend the knowledge of God; to give all classes of society an opportunity to search, with prayerful attention, the Holy Scriptures; to meditate upon heavenly things; to unite in public worship; to maintain and enjoy those means of religious instruction and comfort, without which the devout affections of the saints are liable to languish ; and without which multitudes must almost necessarily live and die in sin. How can they call on him of whom they have not heard ? Ilow can they hear without a preacher ? And how can they preach, except they be sent? We can easily imagine what would have been the moral condition of men, without the Sabbath, by considering what actually is the condition of many, with the Sabbath. Worse than pagan darkness would this moment brood over the whole face of the earth, if God had not, in his wisdom and mercy, appointed the holy Sabbath, and raised up preachers. of righteousness to proclaim his revealed will. Wherever a few faithful brethren are united in Christian love, the Lord's day brings them together for mutual edification. A banner is displayed because of the truth. Others, more or less seriously inclined, assemble with them for the worship of God, hear the word, and live. But abolish this sacred day, and its religious privileges, and the churches of Christ could not long stem the tide of intidelity and inoral corruption.

“This sacred day assembles inillions of praying souls, who meet for social worship; hundreds of thousands of Sabbath School children, and tens of thousands of Sabbath School Teachers, to study the word of life, and learn the way to heaven.

Such are the privileges and blessings connected with the Christian Sabbath, Who can estimate the amount of sacred and saving influence, which this hallowed day has shed on multitudes, who otherwise had never heard, and never learnt the song of redeeming love.

“A further design of the Sabbath, as the prophet informs us, was to be a sign between God and his chosen people. “I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them. Aud hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.” Does one require a sign, and another seek after wisdom? Let them remember, that to know the statutes of the Lord is true wisdom, and that the proper sanctification of the Sabbath furnishes certain evidence that God has a people in the world. The whole system of revealed religion is established upon a few simple facts. The sanctification of a weekly Sabbath by the people of God from the creation until now, is one of those facts, which infidels must look full in the face, before they can overthrow the institutions of religion. The Sabbath is an emblem of heavenly rest, and the resurrection is the sure pledge of it. That Christ, the stone which the builders refused, arose from the dead, and became the first fruits of them that slept, is indeed wonderful; and that his diseiples, converted from Judaism and Heatbenist, should, with one consent, sanctify the first day of the week, as the Lori's day, or Christian Sabbath, is scareely less wonderful When we consider, that the different denominations of Christians, so strangely divided as they have been, and still are. upon almost every other subject, are so remarkably united in sanctifying the first day of the week as the Christian Sabbath, we must say—This thing is from the Lont and marvellous in our eyes.

- Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," is as obligatory on us, as it was upon the Jews, and as mueb more so as our ligbt and privileges are greater. That edition of the moral law given by Moses, became necessary only by human dezeberaey; and although committed to the special charge of the Hebrews, and strietly guanied among them by the special provisions of their eeremonial law, it deals out its righteous retributions to all impenitent transgressors of every age and nation. [nder the legal dispersanoa, the ceremonial law was obligatory upon the Jews, their servants, and strangers within their gates. What could more foreibly impress the human mind with the sacred obligations of the Sabbath, than the severe and exemplary punishment wbieb, under that dispensation, was inflicted upon delinquents? Has the moral law, which stil requires the sanctification or a weekly Sabbath, become less bols, since the abrogation of the Jewish ceremonial law? Is the reinicis obsert. anee of the Sabbath less necessary, and ot less importance to mankint! With the vastly superior light and privileges of tbe gospel dispensation, are men onder less obligations to be boly, and to bocour God by Christian obedience? If an actual protarason of the Sabbach among the Jews was a capital ctfence, what must be the future puoistinent of those who, under the present dispersatico of mercy, are in hezrt opposed to any part or portion of God's boly and immutabie lawEspecially, since the gospel ot our Loni and Savicur is the ministry of recceiliation, in woreh, by all the agonies of the cross, by all the blessedness of bearen, and by all the formers of ererlasting despair, he beseeebes men to be reconcued unto Goi.

*Our obligation to sapetity the first day of the week appears more evideni from the fact that this is the day on which our Lord arose from the dead, and became the bead-stone of the corner. In the language of the Hebrew propbet. "Teis is the day wash the Lord bath made." It is his and is acccrdirzly deccarinated tie Lori's dry. This is therefore, the Christian Sabbath : commemorates the resurrection of Christ, and the wonderful work of rede titvo. Although the original law of the Sabbath be mora, and uziversary ob lizatory. yet a change from the seventh to the erst day of the wees, Do more atreets the general nature, design, and a setion of tee Saba bath, than a change in the manner of an orizit. To suppose that the original law of the Sabbath is abolished, wou be prepezer as: beeause Christ eame not to destroy the law and the proptecs but filfil.

- The first day of the week, or Christian Sabbath, is the day wbieh the Apostles and prinitive Christians boecern bs being ss. seinbled with one accord in one place, and wastag in the progue et the Father. This is the day which our ascended Lord bored by that most extraordinary etisive of the Holy Spirit by which three

thousand souls were converted to the Christian faith. This was such a day as the church of God had never before witnessed! On this memorable day there was, indeed, joy and the voice of salvation in the tabernacles of the righteous. This is the day on which the inspired Apostles, and the churches, planted and watered by their special agency, continued to celebrate the Christian Sabbath ; and we, who profess to adhere so strictly to apostolic example in other particulars, should be the last to desert them in this.

“This is the day which the great body of Christians have sanctified ever since. The hand of the Lord is evidently in this ;that the whole body of Christian disciples, with comparatively few exceptions, from the days of the Apostles until now, have religiously observed the Lord's day. Subject to the constant action of worldly influence as the church of God has ever been, and wofully divided in sentiments as Christians are in other respects, such remarkable unaninity in relation to the sanctification of the Lord's day, is a subject for devout thankfulness to the great llead of the church. It shows that he has taken special care of the Christian Sabbath for the spiritual benefit of his

chosen, and for the universal spread of gospel truth. Indeed, a Christian church, or a Christian community of any description, which disregards the Christian Sabbath, is a solecism in terms. Abolish the religious observance of this day,and we cease to exist as a Christian community. The church languishes, the cross ceaseth, piety weeps, Christian hope expires, and infidelity triumphs. Heathen darkness, and heathen practices return! This is no idle conjecture; no mere flourish of words; but the words of truth and soberness, which have been too often verified, for the honour of the Christian name. And when weconsider how little the'people of God have thought, and felt, and said, and done, in relation to this subject, especially within the last half century; and how extensively and openly the Lord's day is disregarded in our land, no wonder that many in different parts of our country begin to feel alarmed. We have reason to be alarmed, when we see the enemy coming in like a food, and which, unless the Lord lift up a standard against it, will subvert the Sabbath, and with it all that is dear to the best hopes of man. These fears are not at all allayed by the recent response from our national government to the numerous and respectful memorials, touching this subject. We have too much respect for our rulers to suppose, that they would knowingly, and under the cloak of liberty, open upon us the floodgates of error and infidelity. We do believe, and must believe, that those who were adverse to the prayer of the Memorialists, inistook the views of the petitioners. All that was desired is, that Congress would modify a certain law, which authorizes, or requires thousands of our citizens to violate the Lord's day. Congress have no authority to enact a law, requiring our citizens, or any part of them, to disregard the Lord's day; because the sovereign people have no right to delegate such authority. Government has no authority to pass a law, requiring us to violate the Lord's day ; neither has Government a right to require us by law to sanctify the Lord's day; and all we request of our rulers is, that they will do peither. We do hope that the time will arrive, when Congress will yet again look at this subject with candour, and a spirit of kindness. Here, as good and peaceful citizens, we for the present rost it.” Dec. 1830.

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