support from other ways than those which he sanctions with his blessing; if he sees us encouraging and cherishing a taste for amusements which are at variance with his will, he must be jealous of this perversion of our affections. If he sees us cold in his service, while we are warm and earnest in other pursuits; if he sees us dead and indifferent to the consolation of his promises, while we are cheered and intoxicated by the notice we receive from men, he may well be jealous of the preference shewn to them. If he sees us hesitating as to the expediency of giving ourselves up to his service, doubting his sufficiency to provide for our wants and to support our spirits, he may surely be jealous of this want of confidence in him that we betray. If he sees us pleasing ourselves in the society of those who are his enemies, lending ourselves to their views, mixing freely in their society, he may well be jealous of the sincerity of those professions which we make at other times.

From considering the attribute of jealousy in God, we may well appreciate the danger of what is commonly called the world. The world sees the justice of God, and fears it, or at least knows that it is to be feared, and therefore it is cautious of advising any thing which may seem to contradict or to provoke it. And men who are living wholly under the influence of a worldly mind, may still regulate their lives with such attention to the mere letter of the law, that they may be ready to say with the young ruler in the Gospel, "All these things have I kept from my youth up ;" while they are in their hearts as averse from the spiritual life of the Gospel, and as unfit for the service of Christ as he was. For the world, looking only to the justice of God, and forgetting his jealousy, teaches us to regard it as a matter of indifference, where our hearts and affections are fixed, so that outward obedience is preserved. But if the

Lord our God be "a consuming fire, even a jealous God," whatare the terrors even of his justice-if we may presume to speak of the Divine attributes thus disjoined― compared with those of his jealousy? Justice comes slowly and maturely; it may be pleaded with; it may be retarded or mollified: but jealousy is like fire. It comes to act, to consume, to revenge; and little has the world gained for its votaries by teaching them to try not to offend the justice of God, while it leads and encourages them daily to provoke his jealousy.

Let us close this subject with considering the degree in which we ourselves may be in danger of experiencing its exercise.

If jealousy, which arises from love, is to be in proportion to that love which it proceeds from; what jealousy can be compared to that with which God is jealous towards his people? In our dealings with our fellow-creatures, we naturally estimate this feeling, from the relations which exist, or from the affections which have already been exercised; and the closer the connexion, or the greater the kindness which has been bestowed, the more lively is the jealousy which watches the return of regard or of gratitude. But no love was ever felt by man like that which has been shewn to us in the person and ministry of our Lord; and no benefits were ever conferred which bear any competition with those which are offered to us all in the Gospel. "Greater love hath no man than this," said our Lord, in reference to his own mediation, "that a man lay down his life for his friends." "God commendeth his love towards us," says the Apostle, "in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." And we are conscious that language fails us, as inadequate to the subject, whenever we begin to dilate on the mercy and love included in the work of redemption.

But it is not reasonable to suppose that one who has so loved us,

should be indifferent to the manner in which his love is received; nor is it possible that such a degree of love should exist without a proportionate anxiety and watchfulness as to the return by which it is met. It would rather be natural to infer, that no other service than that of love could be endured; that the most correct obedience would be rejected, if it were merely an obedience of fear, or an obedience of form; and that the jealousy of such affection would turn away with pain and disgust from the listless pretence at devotion which was not felt, or the unsteady allegiance of a divided heart.

Let us also bear in mind, who are the specific objects of his jealousy, and to whom these truths are most immediately applicable. It is not the nations that have not known God. It is not those who are now living in heathen ignorance, or savage ferocity; but it is those who call themselves his people. Yes, we who acknowledge his name, who profess his service, who rejoice in his promises; we, who talk of his love as our dependence, and name him as our Father; we, in the confidence of our privileges, in the fulness of our knowledge, in the hopes and consolations of our connexion with him; we are the specific objects of this keen, this active quality, compared with which even justice may be said to be cold and languid. That covenant relation in which we stand, which is the source of so many comforts, and which is indeed the ground of all our hopes, includes a connexion with God which bears on every part of it the stamp

of love. But with the blessings, it has also the sensibilities of affection; and that same Gospel which makes us heirs of the love of God in Jesus Christ, exposes us likewise to the jealousy of our heavenly Father. In persons so related, coldness, indifference, and disaffection, cannot be endured. The wanderings of our hearts and affections, our want of trust in his providence, and our leaning upon worldly things for support; our fondness for sensual objects, and our fear of man; all these include offences against the love of God, which must make us objects of his jealousy. And it well becomes us to consider, that that very hope in which we stand, those privileges in which we rejoice, have brought with them calls of another kind, and have raised us within the region of a purer, more devoted sort of service, by bringing us nearer to God.

But let us not shrink from a distinction which forms, in fact, the blessedness, the glory of our state. The service of God still is perfect freedom. The love of God has no terrors for a faithful and devoted spirit. Let the disloyal and ungrateful tremble at hearing of the jealousy which watches over their departures; but what is jealousy to those whose hearts are clear, and whose affections are decided? "Perfect love casteth out fear;" and the jealousy of God, instead of being the cause of fear to the true believer, is the assurance of his hope, as it is the token of the love of God towards his people.

REMARKS ON THREE YEARS IN ITALY."

Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer.

In looking over your January Number for this year, I am arrested by your extracts from "Three Years in Italy." It must be confessed by every pious traveller on the continent, that there is an awful contempt of the Sabbath displayed through all Popish countries. With deep humility must we also confess that our own countrymen and countrywomen too generally fall more or less into the same sin; and many truly pious Christians, and even ministers, would tremble, if they knew how much they have themselves inadvertently conduced by their example to augment this aggregate of evil. I will cite only one instance. A lady was once urged to join a party in an excursion from Paris, to see the grand display of waters playing at Versailles; which never takes place but on Sundays. This invitation she peremptorily declined; and on her conduct being afterwards commented upon, a neigh bour remarked, with an air that seemed to indicate an unanswerable reply, "Why, the Rev. went when he was here." In vain did she attempt to make his example less injurious by pointing out that, as he was on the spot, and she resided ten miles off, this made a great difference in the way in which each would have passed the remainder of the Sunday: it was sufficient that a clergyman of so established a religious character was seen among the spectators on that day. The world is severe on the conduct of those who profess to be not of the world; and will take advantage of their inadvertences to justify their own most flagrant breaches of the Fourth Commandment.

After these remarks, your readers will perceive what has distressed my mind in "Three Years in Italy." In the affecting narrative there given of the last hours of a lovely and pious child, how painful is it to hear her, in the review of past occurrences, exclaiming, "Oh mamma, why did you let me go on Sunday to the musical entertainment given to the king of Naples !" And how unsatisfactory is what follows! "My sister having explained the particular circumstances to her, she recovered her composure." She might indeed thus silence, rather than satisfy, the doubts of the dying child; but the law of God is not so easily satisfied. I must also confess that I was much distressed, at finding our authoress and her family in attendance on all the parades of Romish idolatry, almost through a whole Christian Sabbath; and then concluding the day with a visit to St. Peter's to see the illumination; and afterwards to the castle of St. Angelo to witness the display of fireworks. It is true that throughout the continent the most striking spectacles are to be seen only on Sundays, and more particularly in Italy, where these sights are connected with, and indeed form a part of, their religious festivals; but is this a sufficient reason for a British Protestant to violate his conscience? No view of expediency, much less of mere pleasure, can justify a departure from the plain commandments of God. In proof of this, let us only cite from the Gospels two instances; for I will not go back to Jewish times, as some, strange to say, fancy that their moral law is less binding on us than it was on them. Our Lord says, "Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, nor on the Sabbathday." The other instance is equally striking; "They prepared spices