the awful moment, we believe, will come when it will be said, "depart from me, ye workers of iniquity; and let him that is filthy, be filthy still." Whilst I have been stating the doctrine of Christianity, and the profession of the society on this very serious subject, my soul is moved within me by a renewed remembrance of the wormwood and the gall; by a fresh sense of the awful impression which I have experienced under the righteous judgments of God, for the sins of my youth. And though may be a digression from the subject, I will here express the tender solicitude I feel, that none may quench the spirit, or evade the holy discipline of the cross of Christ; lest they finally fall, never to rise again into the privilege of salvation. I have before stated, that with the doctrine of rewards and punishments is connected that of the immortality of the soul, and the resurrection both of the just and the unjust. Such a resurrection the society of Friends

believe in, according to the Scriptures I have often marvelled why any discussion or ground of dispute should exist upon this subject; and yet it is one about which much has been said. Here also we resort to the doctrine of the Scriptures,and are satisfied with what we apprehend they teach in the case. Paul has said on this subject, "There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial, but the glory of the celestial is one,and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun,and anoth er glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory,so also in the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corrup tion,it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor,it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." 1 Cor. xv. 40 to 45. And again, in the same chapter, "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incor

ruption." 50. And again, "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." 53, 54. One more passage I shall offer from the Scriptures on this subject, and afterwards leave the reader to his own conclusions. "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." Eccl. xii. 7.

1041

DAYS AND TIMES.

IT is the practice of Friends to unite with other professors of Christianity in setting apart one day in seven for the purpose of divine worship; and they have no doubt of the propriety of it. Under the legal dispensa

tion we observe that it was a divine ordinance, and that the Jews were strictly enjoined to regard it. But when the Messiah came, it is very evident that he had a view to excite new and more important considerations about the observance of days: and find

ing the Pharisees and others very particular, and even superstitious on this subject, he saw occasion frequently to put them upon trial; the first circum

stance I shall notice of this is the following. "And it came to pass that he went through the cornfields on the Sabbath day, and his disciples began as they went to pluck the ears of This circumstance it appears

corn."

did not escape the notice of the Pharisees, who thereupon immediately were willing to find fault with them, and put them in mind of the law. "Behold, why do thy disciples on the Sabbath day that which is not lawful.” Whereupon they were informed, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath." Mark, ii. 23, 24, 27, 28. And as the Saviour did not join the Pharisees in a rebuke of his disciples, we may fairly infer that he had an objection to a superstitious observance

H

of days and times. "One man esteemeth one day above another, another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that re gardeth the day, regardeth unto the Lord, and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it." Rom. xiv. 5, 6. Such we observe was the liberality of that eminent minister of Christ, the apostle Paul, on the subject of days and times; but I do not mean from thence to infer that he was opposed to the devotion of a day to sacred purposes. It is doubt less expedient for the professors of Christianity to separate themselves at least one day in seven from worldly business. Yet that he who created time made it all equally good, and that the bare formal cessation from labour on the first day of the week, though outwardly expedient, and even an accommodation in civil society, is by no means sufficient; and therefore unless we regard the day to the Lord, we do