reckoned a people. And he adduces another witness also to this account: 27. Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant (only) shall be saved. 28. For a short word will the Lord make upon the earth (ch. x. 22, 23). Most opportunely has he brought forward this evidence, to show that, of old, the God of all foresaw both those who had attached themselves to the faith, and those who had sunk beneath the disease of infidelity. For as the Jews alleged that but few of them had accepted the gospel, and all the rest had turned away from it as a deception, he proves that all this had long ago been predicted, and that although they should exceed the power of numbers in multitude, and equal the sand of the sea, not all, but such (only) as were furnished with faith, should obtain salvation. For faith is what he calls the short word, because what the law taught in many commandments, while yet unable to afford complete salvation, that confession in Christ has accomplished, while engendering faith. And this is short, and needs not multiplied periods, being evidenced by the disposition of the heart, and published by the tongue. 29. And as Esaias had said before (ch. i. 9), Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrah. Those whom above he spoke of as a "remnant," the same he here calls a seed, through whom the prophet declares that the Jews suffered not the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, for they had undergone a total destruction. Having thus taught that the God of all things looks not to the mere relationship of birth, but seeks for a community of faith, he shows yet more clearly by what means the Jews had fallen from their ancestral excellence, and the Gentiles on the other hand had obtained salvation. 30. What shall we say then? We must read this interrogatively, putting a stop here: and then what follows as the That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained unto the law of righteousness. Know, says he, that faith is the cause of these blessings to the Gentiles, for it has rendered them meet to receive the righteousness which is of grace, them who formerly wandered about in error, and neither possessed, nor even wished to seek after, righteousness; while Israel, on the other hand, although possessing the law, and following after the righteousness which is of the law, hath failed of the mark, and not obtained righteousness. And then, again, interrogatively, 32. Wherefore? the reason of this, says he, do you desire to know? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. They imagined that the living under the law was sufficient to secure righteousness to them, and they despised faith; wherefore they neither obtained the gifts of faith, nor gained the righteousness arising from living under its covenant. And then he teaches through what cause they enjoyed not the blessings of faith; For they stumbled at that stumbling-stone. 33. As it is written (Isa. viii. 28), Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone and rock of offence; and whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. They are wont to stumble who turn their attention elsewhere, and do not choose to look at their path. This had been

answer.

* Διαθέσει ψυχῆς κρινομένη. See next ch. ver. 10. - Ε.Β.

the case with the Jews. For, being intent on the veriest minutiæ* of the law, they chose not to see the stone foretold by the prophets, although they had distinctly predicted, that whosoever trusted in Him should obtain the greatest blessings; for this is what he means by shall not be ashamed, such as hope, and then fail in their expectations being ashamed. Having thus gently touched them, again he exhibits the feelings he entertained towards them, lest his arguments should assume the appearance of arising from hostility, for he has kept the heavier censures for the last. (To be continued.)

THE GENERAL LIFE AND INVALID ASSURANCE ASSOCIA

TION.

We think it an important duty to direct the attention of our clerical friends to the above admirable association. Its objects will, perhaps, be best understood by a reference to the advertisement, which will be found in its appropriate place in the present Number; but a few words will not be thrown away upon an inquiry into the principles upon which it is based. "Benefit Societies" have, we believe, generally received the patronage and support of the Clergy and gentlemen generally in whose neighbourhoods they may have been established; and unquestionably, in many instances, great benefits have accrued to the subscribers; but this association offers all the advantages enjoyed by the former, together with many peculiar to itself.

The Life Assurance department, in its main features, resembles that of similar establishments, and the rates are as moderate as a safe office would venture to receive. But the Invalid Assurances, for securing the payment of from 17. to 5l. a week during sickness, and from 100!. to 4000l. at death, demand especial notice.

Every clergyman of any standing in the church, especially if he has had the charge of a large parish, must frequently have been called upon to notice, with pain, the utter destitution in which families have been left at the decease of a parent, upon whose life and health all their earthly hopes rested. This crying evil is completely remedied by the present plan; and the poor man, by paying less than a shilling a week, may secure 10s. a week in sickness, and 30l. at his death; or 15s. a week in sickness, and 107. at his death, at his own option.

And

Now we would ask, is there a single minister of the gospel, who has been accustomed to visit the chamber of sickness, and the bed of death, who has not found the pangs of approaching dissolution heightened, and the sorrows of surviving friends deepened, by fears of utter destitution, in which the wife and children or friends are about to be left? therefore, is it not clearly the duty of the ministers to inculcate upon their flocks the importance, nay, the absolute and bounden duty of every individual over whom they are appointed to watch, of preparing against the evil day?

• Tà ñeρittà Toû vóμov. The external observances and ceremonies, its shadows and types, &c.-E.B.

We are, moreover, perfectly satisfied that the serenity of mind arising from the consciousness of having made such provision, would in most cases prove beneficial to the health of the invalid, and become a material assistant to the physician's prescription; and, what is of higher and holier moment, the soul, in the last trying scene, would be able to lift up itself from earth to heaven, cast aside its yearnings for the things that are below, and raise itself, untrammelled by the fetters of worldly cares, on the wings of faith and hope, to the throne of everlasting mercy.

NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA.-No. II.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE CHRISTIAN REMEMBRANCER.

Darling Hurst, near Sidney, Wooloo Mooloo,
June 14, 1839.

2. CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.-We reached the Cape at a time of great sickness, on the 22d of March. Owing to the influence of the quarantine laws, measles had been excluded for thirty-two years. This year it came in, however, despite those laws; and as the children had not taken the complaint as in England, it affected persons of all ages and every rank, and six thousand cases were gazetted the day before we arrived. Of course, this had a bad effect on all classes of the community; to say nothing of deaths (in one case a father, mother, and all the children of a family, were lying dead together), trade suffered. The tradesmen had no workmen to execute orders: the farmers would not come in from the country, and meat accordingly rose, as well as flour, in price. Every thing was extravagantly dear, and nothing was good. The air was full of infection, and all was gloom around. I know not whether it be worth mentioning, but the seasons at Cape Town are said to have recently changed, the weather becoming colder, and the working days more numerous. All, however, agree, that the climate is most unhealthy. On Good Friday, we had a furious south-easter, filling the air with dust, and making it very unpleasant to go abroad. There had not been one for many months. Under the circumstances, of course, but little could be done in the way of picking up useful information. I was enabled, however, before I was taken ill, to make some inquiries respecting the religious state of the colony. I wish I could report favourably of it. Religion is nominally honoured there, but it has taken no deep root. I should say, that it thrives best among the Lutherans and Dissenters. The Church of England is episcopal, and requires episcopal support. At the Cape it is left to get on as it can; and it has little to assist it there, but the voluntary contributions of its real friends, which are but a small proportion of the population. There is a very handsome English church in Cape Town, capable of holding nearly two thousand persons; I saw there, on Good Friday, about three hundred; on the previous Sunday, perhaps four hundred. At Wynberg, a beautiful village about eight or nine miles from Cape Town, near Constantine, I attended service, on Easter Sunday, in the School-house, where the sacrament was administered by the Rev. Mr. Fry and Dr. Oakes, the former recently appointed by the S. P. G. as

chaplain of Wynberg and Rondebasch, in which latter place a small chapel is nearly completed. The congregation in the school-house consisted of about sixty persons, chiefly officers of the Indian civil service and army, and their attendants, who reside at Wynberg. Amongst the most attentive were two young girls, nearly black, who sang very sweetly. One of them, I heard, had been a slave, and when the emancipation bill was passed and she became free, she refused to leave her old service-a trait honourable alike to mistress and maid. She was pointed out to me as a singular exception to the character of the emancipated slaves.

Emancipation has done much for the Cape slaves. I was informed by several persons of credit, that there had been cases where slaves had become mothers, and their female children had been sold for something worse by their own fathers! I believe it to be perfectly true, that the greater part of the young females who were slaves, are as bad in their moral character as they can well be; and the dashing appearance they make in the streets, leads to the conclusion against them. The population at Cape Town is a very varied one. There are African blacks from the Guinea coast, who had been taken out of slavers and set free; the natives of the Mozambique and Madagascar coasts, Bengal coolies, half-castes, quarter-castes, every shade of yellow-brown, Malays and Dutch-born people, English and Dutch-English, foreigners of all countries under the sun, sailors and soldiers, Caffres and Hottentots, Bushmen and Boors, promiscuously mingling in the streets and public places, crowding each other on the jetty, and dwelling together in the same town. Of course, there are as many religions professed there as there are natives; and from the Mahomedan mosque to the Jewish synagogue, you may find temples of every kind and character.

Dr. Adamson, the minister of the Scotch church, and professor in the college at Cape Town, a very praiseworthy man, has been successful in several instances in christianizing the Mahomedans. But the Malay priests are a great obstacle to his exertions, and he stands (shame so to say!) nearly alone. Amongst philanthropists, however, we must not omit to mention the well-known physician, Dr. Abercrombie. The labours of Dr. Philip, of the London Missionary Society, are too well known to need comment; though it has been said, that the young man whom he carried to England as a reformed Hottentot, was a native of Cape Town, and a half-caste only. Dr. Philip has, like other men, his enemies, and this may be false. To me he was particularly attentive; and I heard from him, on the Sunday evening, an excellent and wellarranged discourse.

The College is an institution founded for the purpose of giving school and college instruction to the youths of the colony. I went over the buildings and inspected the museum, which has been nearly altogether under the care of Dr. Adamson. The system of instruction embraces classical and mathematical study, and a few of the branches of natural history. The numbers there at present are comparatively few, but this is attributed to deaths amongst the Dutch families; and it is a singular fact, that these are gradually perishing, whilst English names occupy the places in the list once belonging to the Hollanders. The Cape is thus every day becoming more and more an English colony. But what

has England done to keep up there her Anglican church? One chaplain at Cape Town, the Rev. Mr. Hough; and one at Wynberg, the Rev. Mr. Fry! The better class of people, not English, complain of neglect on her part; and none feels it more than Mr. Faure, the enlightened Dutch clergyman. The government has lately appointed Mr. Innes, a professor in the college, Minister of Instruction at the Cape. It is a pity, that they do not send out another kind of minister, either archdeacon or bishop: if the Church of England were so supported there, much of the present difficulty would be removed, and many strange anomalies would be prevented. It is an extraordinary fact, but nevertheless a fact, that there are living at Wynberg, and in its vicinity, a number of officers of the Indian services, who profess to be members of the Church of England; and yet take on themselves the offices of preachers and ministers of the sacraments. They did not assemble in the school-house on Good Friday, but they met together, went through a form of devotion, and actually administered to each other the Lord's Supper! My informant was an Indian officer, who, decidedly attached to our apostolic church, refused to join in such vagaries, though he occasionally met them to read and discuss the Scriptures. With irreligion on the one hand, and fanaticism on the other, never was there a place where a superintending, overseer-like care was so much wanted as in the colony of the Cape; and it would be a duty to lay the matter seriously before the Church Societies, through whom so much good has been done abroad; and without whom the Church of England would die in the foreign soils wherein her offsets are transplanted. If the English colonies are worth keeping, they are surely worth keeping as English, in religion as well as in commerce: if the church prospers, it is in strengthening her stakes and enlarging her tent, that she will find her prosperity. As the Dutch families disappear from the Cape, which they are fast doing, the English name will gain ground; and the time is come, when England might plant a bishop in South Africa with credit to herself, love to her children, and justice to her profession. The colonists all complain of neglect from the powers at home. Amongst other things, they say, that as soon as a governor has got acquainted with the state of things about him, he is removed to make way for a stranger who knows nothing about the colony, and perhaps cares less. Sir B. d'Urban was universally well-spoken of, and his loss much regretted. He was at church at Wynberg on Easter Sunday, and is always regular. If the CHRISTIAN REMEMBRANCER will keep up the argument for a Cape bishop, it will be doing good service to the cause it so strongly and constantly espouses. "Good luck have thou with

thine honour!"

W. B. C.

CHURCH SOCIETIES.

MR. EDITOR,-The Upper Clapton plan comprehends so much that is wise and excellent, that I must request you to afford me space to notice several of its prominent features.