of the nations; they gratify man's taste for the beautiful and great; the tides bring the fish into the net for the benefit of man; and in innumerable ways the sea ministers to man's good. The waves speak to us of (8) God's immensity. How numberless and unending are the waves! We walk down to the shore and lay our hand upon its waters, and we feel as if we touched the feet of Jehovah; as if we saw the very fields of immensity and eternity, and held within our grasp the lines' that bound us to another life. And it is this that helps to give to the sea its majesty and might; that it is fraught with these divine elements; that it is charged with these spiritual suggestions; that it is the symbol of Infinity and Eternity.

John, in his exile at Patmos, was told that in heaven there would be " no more sea." This would convey to him the comforting assurance that there, there would be no more banishment, unrest, or sin; for the former things will have passed away. Happy Land! Let us press toward that shore through rude and stormy scenes. and the Life.

Jesus is the way, the truth,

Bristol.

F. W. BROWN.

Subject: The Best Acquirement.

"For by it the elders obtained a good report."—HEB. xi. 2. HAT is "by faith," by a life of filial confidence in, and of loving obedience to, God, "the elders," the patriarchs and prophets, the leaders and teachers of antiquity, "obtained a good report," made to themselves a name,—at once venerated by men, regarded by Truth, and respected by God Himself.

This is verily "much in little," a volume compressed into a line, a whole biography written in a sentence, a compendious memoir it is true, but one worth publishing, perusing, and envying. Much as we all love life, we could well afford to quit it to-morrow, if we were only sure of this eulogy—“a good report obtained by faith."

This is none other than character indeed. There is a so

called "report" that should be clearly distinguished from character; for what a man is, and what he is said to be, may be essentially different things. The world has often given a good report to a bad man, and a bad report to a good man. However, let character be taken care of, and report left to take care of itself.

We observe that

All obtain some kind of report.

It would scarcely be correct to say that everybody has a character. For is it not true, alas! that, strictly speaking, there are many who should be called, with greater propriety, just characterless? Yet, in society, all enjoy some kind of repute, or else disrepute, if it were right to speak of enjoying such a thing; and certainly, in the sight of God, all are classified either with the righteous or the wicked-those that serve Him or those that serve Him not. This is the one distinction recognized by Heaven.

Some obtain a great report.

A legion, to wit, of whom be it said, to the credit of the world or not, that their report, great as it may be, is utterly destitute of those elements that go to make a good report. Nimrods in the earth, who were only mighty as hunters, in doing violence and shedding blood, have been monumented all over the land, while genuine philanthropists and true benefactors of the race have been allowed to lie in silence. However, a good report is as independent of a great one, as a great report is of a good one. Accidents and circumstances con

tribute to the former, worth and merit to the latter.

All may obtain a good report.

To the generality of men there are many heights which must be called inaccessible. Aspirants for social status, commercial eminence, political distinction, and literary fame may meet with discouragement; but to candidates for moral excellency all restrictions are removed out of the way. Monopoly is not known here; it is the realm of free trade-a fair field and no favour. Under these kindly auspices, we say, all ought to endeavour to obtain a good report.

Let the man of no means put forth every honest effort to obtain competence; let the man of no letters strain every faculty to obtain learning; let the sick long after health; and let the oppressed strive for liberty. It is perfectly right for them so to do. But to them all we would say, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." Above everything else, endeavour to obtain a good report by faith. "Covet earnestly the best gifts." Only be it observed, that a good report is a thing to be obtained.

It is not so much to be bestowed as to be acquired. It is not one of the many good and perfect gifts that came down from the Father of lights, but a thing that springs up out of one's own personal conduct. Parents have it not in their power to make a legacy of it to their offspring. It cannot be transmitted to posterity, but must be made by the parties themselves, as Solomon says, "If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself." It is decidedly a personal acquirement. In this respect none are born with the silver spoon of wisdom in their mouths.

A good report is not easily and at once obtained.

So the elders found it, and so must all find it—a slow, difficult acquirement, only to be won by the dint of hard and constant labour. None of the elders found themselves in possession of "a good report" without knowing how they got it. If we are ambitious of it, we must set ourselves to work in right earnest, and not think that possibly there may be a "royal road" to it. The illustrious elders, stationed high up on the pinnacles of the temple of Fame, shout down to us, and assure us that there is no other way of ascent than patient, diligent, and persistent climbing. Climb on-climb ever. we hope to fashion for ourselves a noble character, we should commence soon, remembering that it will require much chiselling and carving,.adding touch to touch and stroke upon stroke, before the whole is sculptured out and finally polished. All the elders began early, and laid the foundation upon a firm and sure basis, believing that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;" and that "to depart from evil is under

If

standing." A character so established will tower forth in sublime majesty upon its immovable pedestal when the pillars of the universe will totter together.

A good report is the best of all things that can be obtained. We are willing that many other things should be called good, such as food and raiment, lands and houses, riches and honours; but we claim that " a good report obtained by faith" is infinitely better than any and than all of them together. According to the wisest of men, a good name is better than precious ointment." However valuable that might be, here is something more so. And the same person says that "it is rather to be chosen than great riches." To despise riches would be affectation, though to love riches would be sin; yet we say, Choose riches if you like, and get riches if you can, but remember that you have left the best thing unchosen. "Wisdom is the principal thing, it is better than rubies, and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it." Riches may take to themselves wings, and fly away. But this is an enduring substance and a better one, if only on that account. Houses shall not continue for ever, nor dwelling-places to all generations, but a good report will flourish throughout eternity. When a man dieth, he shall thing away. True; but a good report is not what he had, but what he was, and there is no separating this. Though his glory shall not descend after him, his good report will; God will not allow it to see corruption. The name of the wicked shall rot, but the memory of the just is blessed, and the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance." Then acquire his best thing. Seek it as silver. It is the only passport to heaven. Search for it as for hid treasure. It is the only im. perishable possession. Amen.

Portsea.

carry

D. THOMAS.

no

CREEDS.-A human creed can no more represent the Gospel, than a smoking lamp can represent the great orb that rules the day and kindles up the stars of night.

Biblical Criticism.

Subject: A Discourse on the First Eleven Chapters of Genesis.

T the twelfth chapter of Genesis commences the history of Abraham and his descendants, which runs through the whole volume of the Old Testament to the end, relating the wonderful things God did in the preparation for the coming of the Saviour of the world. The first eleven chapters may be regarded, therefore, as the first introduction to the rest of Scripture, the brief history of the world before the days of Abraham, and are a most precious relic of antiquity and treasure of divine revelation.

I. As an HISTORICAL DOCUMENT this portion of Scripture stands unrivalled, as no other history in any nation under heaven can come near it in point of antiquity. The duration of the human race may be divided into three nearly equal portions of 2000 years each :-from Adam's creation to the time of Abraham is about 2000 years: from Abraham to the birth of Christ, 2000 years: from Christ to the present day, nearly the same. As we ascend the scale backwards from the present day, we possess the history of some branches of the human race through the last of these periods up to Christ, and of Greece and Rome through one quarter only of the second or middle period; but it is Scripture alone which supplies any authentic or intelligible account of the long vista of years up to the beginning of this middle period, while in reference to the whole of the first period of 2000 years, antiquity is profoundly silent; no vestige of history is to be found, except this sacred record to which I am now directing attention. We see then its great value in a merely historical point of view.

II. But these chapters give us information concerning various most important matters. For example, the ORIGIN OF THE WORLD. How many conjectures and guesses on this subject do we find among the ancient philosophers of Greece and Rome, and also in the East! And yet how important it is to have some certain information regarding the relation of the Creator to the universe, that we may know our own position and our own duty. One class of Greek philosophers conjectured that matter is eternal; that all the order and harmony we see in nature is the result of chance; and that the Gods take no concern in the affairs of the world.

The ancient Persians, before the change in their tenets brought in by Zoroaster, conceived that there were two independent first causes,-the one light, or the good god, who was the author of all good, and the other darkness, or the evil god, who was the author of all evil,—and that from the action of these two in continual struggle with each other all things