The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-05 00:00:00

SANCTITY.

The third character of the Sabbath's excellence is the un-
speakable blessings which it brings along with it. It is a time
of refreshing both to the wearied body and burdened spirit of
man. And oh ! in how amiable a light does the appointment
of this rest place the Father of all our mercies ! Those in par-
ticular who are much and laboriously employed during the
week, are perhaps little aware of the momentous importance
of this day of rest, both to their souls and bodies. It is in con-
sequence of this most ancient and holy institution, that the
work of restoration is at this moment going on through your
frames, and that your secret nerves and fibres are regaining
that strength and energy, which during the week they may
have been wasting. And so it is with the spirits of all those
who rightly and conscientiously employ the privileges of this
most blessed festival. On this day, to those of you who truly
sanctify it, things unseen and eternal are recovering that
power and conviction on your minds, which during the last
week must needs have been dimmed and weakened by the in-
fluence of the things that are seen and temporal. The springs
of the various Christian graces, such as faith, love, gratitude,
hope and patience, which may have been too far strained and
exerted by the trials and contentions of the week, are, this
day, we trust, regaining their force, and advancing to still
greater strength, beneath the secret influence of that Al-
mighty Comforter, who works His will both in the bodies and
souls of His people, as in His living temple.
The sermon concludes with an earnest exhortation
to all to venerate the Sabbath, and to keep holy the
sanctuary, as commanded by God himself, as a day
and a place set apart for the worship of God. As
already stated, the sermon is eminently practical in its
teaching, and gives evidence of a mind well tutored
in religious truth.
Blackwood's Magazine. Edinburgh: Blackwoods.
Whilst a great many of the magazines which once
held a good place in the popular literature of the day
have been rapidly declining in the scale of merit, so
as to diminish the interest which once attached to
monthly publications, Blackwood's Magazine not only
maintains its well-earned reputation at the head of the
magazines, but is fully equal, if not superior, to any of
the preceding numbers. That for this present month
of February opens with an article on " Modern Light
Literature," the subject being poetry, which in this
hard matter-of-fact, age is difficult to treat of with any
thing like eulogy. We have then a conclusion of "A
Military Adventure in the Pyrenees," which the writer
has related with a considerable degree of humour and
dramatic effect. " The Wondrous Age" contains many
home truths which it would be as well should be borne
in mind by those new lights who would attribute all
the blessings we enjoy through the bounty of Provi-
dence to the wisdom and foresight of human intelli-
gence. It is a vice of the age to elevate the intellect
of the creature above the goodness of the Creator, and
we require occasionally reminding of our own nothing-
ness in comparison. •In this respect Blackwood has
done good service, and should be appreciated accord-
ingly. " Public Lectures—Mr. Warren on Labour,"
is a review of an address recently delivered to the
Mechanics' Institute at Hull, by Mr. Samuel Warren,
on Labour; its rights, difficulties, dignity, and conso-
lations,—a subject which can never be without its
interest, and particularly when treated by so able a
writer as the author of the " Diary of a Late Physician."
In the succeeding article, " Touching Oxford," we have
a letter to Professor Nebel by Tlepolemus, on the im-
portant subject of the mode of instruction pursued at
the University of Oxford, with sundry suggestions of
improvements, many of them eminently deserving of
attentive consideration. A paper on " The Ancient
Coins of Greece," reviewing a work on the subject, by
Mr. Martin .Leake, will be read with some interest,
particularly by antiquaries. " Tickler among the
Thieves," is the commencement of an extract from an
autobiography, by the Old Contributor, we presume,
who afforded us such an entertaining description of his
retreat by the sea-side, on the coast of France, during
last summer. " The Drama," in a humorous com-
mentary on the intellectual absurdities which afford
amusement to modern Londoners, gives a not very
flattering picture of metropolitan intelligence or refine-
ment. After an article entitled " Lessons from the
War," containing some valuable suggestions, the
number concludes with a brief review on the royally-
patronised sermon on "Religion in Common Life."