of the face. The circumstance of blood being impelled in more than ordinary quantities into the stomach, is an unfavourable one also; because it is that part of the system which not only admits of the blood being stationary, but is particularly exposed to mortification. The aorta not being at liberty to empty, in the usual free and undisturbed way, the blood which it receives from the left ventricle of the heart is unable to receive its usual quantity. The blood of the lungs therefore is unable to find a free circulation. This general obstruction extends its effects also to the right ventricle; and the consequence is an internal excitement, and exertion, and anxiety, which are more intolerable than the anguish of death itself. All the large vessels about the heart, and all the veins and arteries in that part of the system, on account of the accumulation and pressure of blood, are the sources of inexpressible misery. The degree of misery is gradual in its increase, and the person crucified is able to live under it commonly until the third, and sometimes till the seventh day. Pilate, therefore, being surprised at the speedy termination of our Saviour's life, inquired in respect to the truth of it of the centurion himself, who had the command of the soldiers. (Mark xv. 44).

THE NEW CLOTH AND THE OLD GARMENT. In a recent number of the Independent a request was made by "Candidus" to furnish a few illustrative remarks on the following somewhat obscure passage: "No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.” The subjoined expositions, by Dr. A. Clarke and Dr. Whitby, will perhaps be found to elucidate the meaning, and exhibit the scope of the parable.

"No man putteth a piece of new cloth.-No man putteth a patch of unscoured cloth upon an old garment. This is the most literal translation I can give of this verse, to convey its meaning to those who cannot consult the original. It taketh from the garment. Instead of closing up the rent, it makes a larger, by tearing away the whole breadth of the cloth over

which it was laid; it taketh its fulness or whole breadth from the garment; this I am persuaded is the meaning of the original, well expressed by the Latin, or Itala of the C. BEZÆ, Tollit enim plenitudo ejus de vestimento. 'It takes away its fulness from the garment.' New wine into old bottles.-It is still the custom, in the eastern countries, to make their bottles of goat skins: if these happened to be old, and new wine were put into them, the violence of the fermentation must necessarily burst them and therefore newly made bottles were employed for the purpose of putting that wine in which had not yet gone through its state of fermentation.

"The institutes of Christ and those of the Pharisees could never be brought to accord: an attempt to combine the two systems would be as absurd as it would be destructive. The old covenant made way for the new, which was its completion and its end; but with that old covenant the new cannot be incorporated. Christian prudence requires that the weak and newly converted should be managed with care and tenderness. To impose such duties and mortifications as are not absolutely necessary to salvation, before God has properly prepared the heart by his grace for them, is a conduct as absurd and ruinous as putting a piece of raw unscoured cloth on an old garment; it is, in a word, requiring the person to do the work of a man, while as yet he is but a little child. Preachers of the gospel, and especially those who are instruments in God's hand of many conversions, have need of much heavenly wisdom, that they may know how to watch over, guide, and advise those who are brought to a sense of their sin and danger. How many auspicious beginnings have been ruined by men's proceeding too hastily, endeavouring to make their own designs take place, and to have the honour of that success themselves which is due only to God."

“No man putteth a piece of new cloth to an old garment.—It is the opinion of many fathers and interpreters, that Christ by these two similitudes intended to show he thought it not fit at their first entrance, and before the Holy Spirit was come down upon his disciples, to impose the burden of fasting on them, because they were not fitted to bear it, by reason of their infirmity, and that they might be tempted by such austerities, as were frequent fastings, imposed on them, to fall off from him.

And hence they add, that Christ, by his example, recommends this condescension to weak and infirm consciences to his disciples, and to the ministers of the gospel; viz., not to impose upon them that "weight of ordinances," which they cannot bear: but against this exposition Episcopius objects, that no reason can be assigned, why Christ's disciples should be less able thus to fast than the disciples of the Baptist, or the pharisees. To which objection I answer, that there were among the Jews, not only sects of the essenes and pharisees, who led an austere life, but also schools of the prophets; and those frequently lived in mountains and deserts, and were also many of them Nazarites, and consecrated to the service of God; they had also their academical and private schools, to train up men in discipline; and from these might come disciples to John in the wilderness, and disciples to the pharisees, who might be trained up in those duties; whereas it is certain, that the disciples of our Lord were chosen from their fishing trade, and so came to him wholly unacquainted with and so unfitted for those austerities. His interpretation is therefore this, that it is unfit or unseemly for his disciples to fast, whilst he is present with them, as it is to sew a new piece of cloth to an old garment, or to put new wine into old bottles; in which interpretation I cannot acquiesce, because it is manifest from both these similitudes, that our Lord represents not the unfitness, but the hurt or damage, of doing either of these things, viz., that the doing of the first would make the rent worse; the doing of the second would endanger the breaking the bottles, and the spilling the wine; to which danger the sense given by Episcopius hath no respect."

Q.

GOD THE TEMPLE OF THE HEAVENLY CITY. A temple, builded of Godhead, its walls his attributes, its roof his majesty, its gates his eternity! And to worship in this temple, to live in this temple, to worship God in God! there is a wonderfulness here which is not to be overtaken by all our strivings; for who can imagine to himself the everlasting Creator condescending to become as a sanctuary to the children of men, the gorgeous cathedral into whose recesses they may penetrate, and at whose altars they may do homage ?-Melvill.

REVIEWS.

Errors and Omissions of the Church Catechism: a Lecture by Edward White, Hereford.

Our young friends will do well to purchase this lecture; it reviews in a very forcible, lucid, and serious style the dreadful errors contained in the church catechism; it serves as an excellent manual to provide the young nonconformist with an abundance of reasons why he ought to oppose, with all his "heart and soul and strength," the introduction of this meagre and wretched little book of errors into any system of national education. So much poison could not, we should have thought, have been condensed into so small a space. But Mr. White not only notices all the errors of the catechism, but points out its omissions. Is it possible that our statesmen can ever have dreamt of putting a catechism into the hands of our poor children which is "destitute of a plain intelligible statement of the necessity and nature of repentance and conversion”—which is chargeable with "a total omission of that which is emphatically the doctrine of christianity, justification by faith-which leaves out the "doctrine of the intercession of Christ"-which contains no allusion whatever to the supreme authority of the holy scriptures," and which substitutes for these "mournful omissions" a catalogue of lies about baptismal regeneration, transubstantiation and sponsorship? Is it any relief to be told, when we complain of the spiritual starvation of our poor children-that their name is M. or N.-that their foolish god-fathers and god-mothers promised and vowed three things in their names and that "the body and blood of Christ are verily and indeed taken and received" at the Lord's supper?

Must it not have made the heart of every conscientious dissenting parent throb with indignation to see a number of grave statesmen, standing up in the House of Commons, and solemnly propounding this Roman Catholic abortion as the great universal remedy of the ills of our pauperized and insulted population? Will not this egregious trifling with the crying wants of the poor this cruel attempt to satisfy the aching void of thousands with a stone-open the eyes of all thinking persons to the palpable and astounding incapacity of politicians to legislate in

religious matters at all? We do trust that dissenters will not be contented with their late exertions in attempting nobly to defeat this accursed bill. Let them push on. Let them examine further all other religious measures connected with government: let them cry down with one indignant burst of execration the regium donum-let some influential minister and congregation set the example of petitioning against a church establishment -let the cry be caught up and sent forth from mouth to mouth till every village in the uttermost parts of Cornwall and Northumberland hear it "the establishment-the Babylon-curse of England-shall fall.”

We would earnestly ask any of our readers, whose means enable them, to purchase a number of these lectures for gratuitous distribution: let ministers give out that on a fixed day they will be exposed for sale in the vestry or at some shop. Thus they will very essentially serve the cause of truth, and encourage a very worthy young minister of the right sort, whose past attempt to castigate a Lord Bishop, and whose present effort to enlighten us all, are beyond all praise.

Memoirs of the Life of the Rev. John Williams. By Ebenezer Prout. Second Notice.

We gladly return to this enchanting volume, which will be read with the deepest interest by tens of thousands.

It is exceedingly affecting to notice the strong attachment towards Mr. Williams, evinced by the natives. The following scene which was witnessed a few weeks before his embarkation for England, exhibits the feelings of the people of Raiatea in the most striking manner.

"A short time subsequent to my arrival, I found that a meeting had been convened, which I was requested to attend. I knew not its object, until the king's speaker arose, and told me that they had met to request me to abandon my intention of visiting England. After many interesting addresses, a chief stood up, and with great gravity said: 'Mr. Williams, I have been reading to-day what Paul wrote to the Philippians, 'I am in a strait between two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better: nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.' Now we all know that you must wish to see your friends, and visit your native country, after so long an absence. This is very reasonable. But