his method prevented any very serious mistake. Instead of leaving it to the discretion of the priests to add an intercalary month, he provided that it should be regularly done as follows:

The first moon of the sacred year, answering nearly to our April was the harvest moon of Palestine. Moses called it the ear-moon; and required that on the sixteenth day, at the time of the full-moon, ripe ears of barley should be offered as first-fruits to God. At the end of the second or third year, therefore, a thirteenth month was added to the year. This answered sufficiently well whilst the Jews resided in their own land; but afterwards, when removed to other countries, it was found necessary to adopt an astronomical rule. Hence at length a lunar cycle, or circle of years, was adopted. It was thus formed. Suppose that the moon should be full on a particular day in January, it would not be full again on the same day of the month, the same day of the week, and at the same hour of the day, under nineteen years. This, therefore, is called the lunar cycle, because it brings back the moon on the same day of the week and hour of the day, to the place from whence she started at the commencement. This is called the golden number, because of its great value in regulating Jewish and other festivals. In this cycle the intercalary month is seven times introduced for the purpose of rendering the average duration of the year quite or nearly correct.

Hot disputes have arisen in past ages concerning these questions! Since the cessation of the Jewish economy by the destruction of Jerusalem, the observance of annual festivals has been no longer obligatory; yet professing Christian churches have anathematized each other for a difference of calculation concerning Easter and other festivals. A superstitious regard to such things is reprehended by the Apostle Paul. "Ye observe days and months, and years. I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. Let us take heed that we become not entangled in such a yoke of bondage to the elements of the world."

But there was yet an error in the calculation of the solar year. This was in part discovered by observing the first appearance af Sirius, or the dog-star, in the heavens after having been hidden for a season in the light of the sun. The Egyptians "found that the risings of this brilliant star were advancing from the sun at the rate of a day in four years, which in the course of a century made a serious derangement of dates and calculations." The length of the solar year was thus discovered to be about 365 days and a quarter. The nominal new year's day came a day too soon in four years. Julius Cæsar by the aid of the best astronomers in his day, found that the Roman calendar was two months out of the proper reckoning. He, therefore, added two months to the then current year, which was called the "year of confusion." To provide in future for the extra six hours, which amounted in four years to a day, he established the observance of leap-year, placing the extra day, as we do now, in the month of February every fourth year. Thus it was thought the calendar was set perfectly to rights. The clock had been too slow, and the astronomers had put it forward to true time. But whereas the year had been too short, Cæsar made it a little too long; and more accurate measurement shows us "that the true year wants eleven minutes and ten seconds of 365 days six hours. This amounts only to a day in 130 years; and Cæsar's calendar had been in use more than 1500 years before it was detected. The clock now wanted to be put back-it had gone too fast. Pope Gregory, therefore, commanded that ten days should be struck out in October, 1582. This style was not adopted in England until the year 1752. In Russia and other countries it was not adopted until about twenty years ago. reason has been, that coming from the Pope, it was looked upon with suspicion as intended to support the pretensions of the Romish church, rather than as a necessary result of correct astronomical knowledge. When the new style was adopted in this country, eleven days were necessary to be struck out of the year, which was also like that of Julius Cæsar's, called "the year of confusion."

The

The men of science upon whom Pope Gregory relied, not only restored the seasons to their place, but provided against recurrence of the difficulty. The excess being a day in 130 years, it has been ordained that in three centuries out of four, the last year shall be a common year. Thus 1600 was a leap-year, but 1700, 1800, and 1900 are common years, this brings the matter very nearly right; the only variation remaining amounting to a day in 3000 years, which need not give us much concern, and may safely be left to those who shall live in the year 4835. But, oh! how long before such a date as this shall every one of us be in eternity. We are hastening on with more than railway speed towards the grave. And what will be our condition after death?

"Shall we our everlasting days,

With fiends or angels spend? "1

66 swear

It is not for us to know the times and seasons which God hath put in his own power; yet long ere such a correction of the calendar may be required, the angel of God, as described in the book of Revelation, may by Him that liveth for ever, that time shall be no more." The purposes of God concerning this world may be accomplished, the archangel's trumpet may sound, and the dead, great and small, come forth both from sea and land, to stand at the judgment seat of Christ. O then, let us spend our fleeting years in seeking and maintaining a preparation for the kingdom of heaven.

"There day without night,

We may feast with delight,
And eternity seem as a day."

New Year's day is generally esteemed a season of rejoicing, and many customs have prevailed to hail it into being. The manner in which the Jews celebrate their festival of "Rosh-Hashana," may teach us how we ought to offer up our prayers for the speedy approaches of the latter-day glory. The day is ushered in by the sounding of the shopher or cornet (every kind of horn being allowed, excepting that of a cow). The horn is blown all day, from sunrise to sunset, at intervals. Its design is (1) To proclaim the king and his day

of judgment. 1 Kings i. 39; Joel ii. 1. "On the feast of the New Year, all human beings pass like lambs before God's throne in order to be judged; so says the Mishna. (2) To commemorate the giving of the law. Exod. xix. 16. (3) To express thanksgiving and praise. Ps. cl. 3. (4) To denote the freedom from error and transgression which is to follow the universal aknowledgment of the kingdom of God. So the Jews understand Lev. xxv. 9, 10, to refer to spiritual blessings. (5) It denotes the restoration of Israel. Is. xxvii. 13. In the morning the Jewish people go to the synagogue clothed in white, as an emblem of purification. They use many prayers for a happy year, and for pardon of sins, with thanksgiving for past favours. The prayers which it is the duty of every Israelite to recite on this festival, enumerate such verses of the Sacred Scriptures as relate to the supreme reign of the Deity, to his Omniscience and Providence, and to the trumpet which is to proclaim the liberation, and express the grateful joy of mankind. A principal part of the commemorative service of the day is to commemorate the covenant made with Abraham on Mount Moriah; and by an appeal to that covenant to implore mercy for a sinful race. At home they serve up at the table, honey with leavened bread, sweet fruits, various herbs, and every thing that may serve to presage a fertile year. They eat small fishes and pomegranates, praying that their merits and good works may be multiplied as fishes in the waters, and as the seeds in the pomegranates. They salute each other on meeting with, "Be thou written in a good year, ;" and spend the day in devotion and hearing sermons.

Among the collects used by the Jews on the festival of Rosh-Hashana, or New Year's Day, are the following"And now, O Lord our God, deign to extend the fear of thee to all thy works, and dread of thee to all thy creatures; that all that is made may fear thee, and all that is created may bow unto thee, and become one body to obey thy will in singleness of heart. For well we know, O Lord our God, that all dominon is before thee, majesty is in thy power, might is in thy right hand, and thy name is to be feared by all that thou hast created." Our God! God of our

fathers! Reign over the universe in thy glory. Exalt thyself over all the earth in thy splendour; and shine forth in the excellence of thy supreme majesty over all that dwelleth on thy terrestrial globe; that all which thou hast created may know that thou hast created it; and that every being may understand that thou hast formed it; and all that lives and breathes may exclaim, 'The Lord God of Israel is king, and his supreme power ruleth through the universe."" "Our God! God of our fathers! sound the great trumpet of our liberation; raise the standard to collect us that are exiled; assemble us that are scattered among the nations; and gather us from the bounds of the carth. Bring us to Zion in triumph, and to Jerusalem, the temple of thy holiness, in everlasting joy; that we may there present to thee the offerings of our duty, as we are commanded in thy law through Moses thy servant."

We may properly unite in many of these petitions; but let us most earnestly pray that God's ancient people, the Jews, may speedily be brought to believe in Jesus as the true Messiah; that both Jew and Gentile may unite together in ascribing to him honour, and glory, and praise, for ever. In the meantime, let us employ every means in our power to do good to all men, and then every new year shall more speedily advance the millennial glory of the Saviour of men. S. X.

AN AUTHENTIC AMERICAN NARRATIVE. “TRAVELLING lately through the western part of Virginia, I was much interested in hearing an aged and highly respectable clergyman give the following account of a Jew, with whom he had recently become acquainted.

"He was preaching to a large and interesting audience, when his attention was arrested by seeing a man enter the house, the lineaments of whose countenance had every appearance of a Jew. The stranger was well-dressedhis countenance was noble, although its expression seemed to indicate that his heart had lately been the habitation of deep sorrow. He took his seat, and was absorbed in attention to the sermon. After the service was over, the clergyman was too much interested in the stranger, to