however, is not conclusive that he lived and died under the divine displeasure. The passage (Heb. xii. 17) which says, "When he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears," has no bearing on his final state at all. The repentance which he sought, and could not find, was a change he desired in the mind of his father. He could produce no change in his father's mind to cause him to reverse the blessing he had given to Jacob, and to transfer it to him. His history, as given in Genesis, shows some hopeful features of character. To make him a reprobate, on the strength of anything the record contains about him, betrays a theological bias, strangely at variance with candour and fair interpretation. A satisfactory explanation of this passage can be given without dragging in upon it the revolting idea, that the fate of these two babes was decided when they were as yet in embryo, and incapable of moral action or desert. If such a conclusion be valid, it would be just as fair to infer that the personal and final condition of their respective posterities was disposed of in the same way, and at the same time. And then we cross the very purpose of the writer, whose aim it is to prove that the children of the flesh are not the children of God. By comparing the passage with the history it leans on, we are shut up to the conclusion that the everlasting state of men is not at all the subject decided upon, but certain temporary advantages, and that Jacob and Esau, as individuals, were not concerned-but their posterities. Bring Genesis to bear on Romans, and-"Let there be light." The anxious mother, successor to Sarah in the sacred line, had her patience tried by long barrenness; and now that she is hopeful, she is sorely exercised about her condition. In her solicitude she has recourse to the divine oracle. The answer she receives runs in these terms:- "Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels, and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger." Gen. xxv. 23. terms nations and people so clearly point out communities as to fore-close all supplication of what is predicated to the two brothers themselves, as individuals. Moreover, nothing is said about salvation or damnation. The future state was not at that time brought much into view at all. The oracle satisfied Rebecca on the subject of her inquiry, and revealed that her twin sons would be head men in two several political corporations, and that the elder brother's people should be servant to the people of the second-born. The personal history of the two men would not agree to the other idea. Esau never was the servant of Jacob, nor at all dependant on him, as a man. In all common matters he was quite his equal; indeed, he had the upper hand

The

of him so far, that at a certain critical point, Jacob was in mortal dread of him, and was so weak-handed that his only defence against his apprehended anger was in prayer to God, and the device of a kindly present sent to him, on the dictate of fear rather than of love. Esau was a rich man, with means so ample that a large present was worth nothing to him, except as an expression of fraternal regard; besides, he had at least four hundred military retainers. Jacob was small in comparison. In Esau's life-time there was no subjection. Over-reaching, wrongdoing, and, by consequence, strife, appeared between them, in which Esau maks a much better figure than his brother. There is certainly no succumbing or servitude on his part. The serving which the oracle foretold was postponed till the days of David, when Idumea was laid under tribute, and held under strong military guard: "And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons; and all they of Edom became David's servants." 2 Sam. viii. 14. Then it was that the elder served the younger. This explanation is strengthened by bringing into view another oracular statement to the same effect in Isaac's blessing (Gen. xxvii. 40): "And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass, when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck." All this came to pass. The subjection of Edom was temporary and intermittent, the yoke being now off, now on, till the struggle ceased by their incorporation with Judaism, in the time of the Maccabees. With so easy and natural an explanation of the relative positions of these two brothers, it seems quite gratuitous of theological disputants to hang upon the passage the future state of the individual men, about which there is not even a whisper.

We complete this exercise by taking in the quotation from Malachi, which, though more harsh in expression than anything else in the section, is quite as easy of explanation as any part of it: ver. 13. "AS IT IS WRITTEN JACOB HAVE I LOVED, BUT ESAU HAVE I HATED." On turning to the opening of the book of Malachi, we find certain severe denunciations against a people, not against a single man; which denunciations are not against the souls of that people, but against their mountains and heritage and erections. It is proverbially an unsafe rule to infer the future fate of men from the aspects of their temporal affairs. The Galileans slaughtered by Pilate's soldiery when in the act of a religious sacrifice, and the eighteen unfortunates who were crushed among the ruins of the fallen tower in Siloam must not be adjudged to perdition. "No man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them." Eccles. ix. 1. As to the terms "loved" and "hated," all who are conversant with Scripture usage know, that when two persons are respectively so regarded in comparison no malignity is understood,

but simply a preference without any positive enmity to the individual less intensely loved. Thus Jacob loved Rachael more than Leah, and on this account it is said he hated Leah, which however is resolved into less love. Gen. xxix. 30-33. A similar passage is Deut. xxi. 15-17, which see. Conformably to this distinction we are directed by Christ to hate ourselves and our friends and love him, which taken openly, and ignoring the rhetorical usage of the language, would be a harsh and unnatural demand. Thus Luke expresses it, "If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." Luke xiv. 26. The first Evangelist gives the same thought in softer words, but per fectly equivalent, "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." Matt. x. 37. Let the passage under consideration have the benefit of this usus loquendi, and its severity is softened as much as is required to meet what we plead for. At the same time it fully answers the Apostle's purpose, which was to show that the casting off of a portion of Abraham's posterity, was no infraction of covenant engagement, for the covenant was not made with all the children of the flesh, nor indeed with any of them simply as such. The first clause of the sixth verse is the pivot on which the argument turns. A fraction of Israelites, yea, a considerable fraction, may pass out of divine favour, and the truth of God be not in the least dishonoured. It is as if Paul had said-If such a thing should occur now it is only in harmony with what has palpably taken place before, and is agreeable to righteousness.

Our humble conclusion is, that there is nothing in this section of holy Scripture to warrant the twin doctrines of personal election to eternal life, and personal reprobation to eternal misery, or of simple preterition, a term contended for as less offensive. No dark purpose in the bosom of infinite love forbids us to seek the salvation of any person. We are free to use our best efforts to bring all men, Jews or Gentiles, within the fold of grace. And in doing so, we are fighting against no decree. We are but acting out the purposes of God, "who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." 1 Tim. ii. 4. We do well to entertain broad views of God's love, and to testify the honesty of our faith by correspondent efforts to bring the world to the faith of Christ.

T. G.

ART. IV.-DAY SCHOOLS UNDER GOVERNMENT SUPERVISION: THEIR PRESENT WORKING, AND

PROBABLE RESULTS.

Report of the Committee of Council on Education; with Appendix. 1864-65. Presented to both Houses of Parliament by command of Her Majesty.

THE THE education of a people is so immediately important, that anything which seriously affects its progress, favourably or otherwise, ought to awaken deep and general interest. That the course pursued by government in reference to popular education, during the past twenty years, has been attended with important results will not be doubted by any one. Whether the influence exerted by government in the education of the people is good or evil, may to some degree be made apparent in the course of the present inquiry. To Primitive Methodists the subject is seasonable, as will be seen by the following extract from the Minutes of the last Conference :-"Question. What shall be done in reference to receiving government aid for our Day Schools? Answer.-The Conference deeming it inexpedient to come to a decision on this question at present, directs that the subject be submitted to the next March Quarterly Meeting of each station by the respective superintendents thereof, and the said meeting shall be desired to express its opinions to the district meeting, and the district meeting of each district shall report thereon to the next Conference." p. 39. It will be seen, therefore, that next Conference, is expected to decide whether as a body we shall accept government grants to connexional day schools. The decision, whichever way it may fall, will doubtless greatly affect the progress of education among us. How important that it should be a right decision. But this can hardly be hoped for unless connexional officials qualify themselves for the consideration of the question by making themselves well acquainted with it. To assist them in obtaining such qualifications, if only in a humble degree, is the object of the present paper.

The bulky BLUE BOOK, named at the head of this article, however dry and uninviting it may be to the general reader, will serve to bring the matter fairly before us. Here we find six hundred and fifty-eight pages, octavo size, containing Minutes of the Committee of Council on Education-the Revised CodeMinutes respecting the Inspection and Examination of the various

kinds of Elementary Schools-Tables of Expenditure from Education Grants-detailed reports from the various Inspectorsreports of Normal Schools, &c., &c., by careful attention to which a tolerably good knowledge of the system may be obtained."

It must be obvious that a system which requires so lengthened an annual report is a vast and comprehensive one. That it is so, will appear from the fact that, in 1864, the inspectors visited 11,818 daily schools, and found actually present in them 1,133,291 children; 10,193 certificated teachers; 608 assistant teachers; and the large number of 11,712 pupil teachers or apprentices. The staff of inspectors, to whom was committed the examination of the above, consisted of 62, besides 14 assistants* When it is remembered that the mighty organization has been created almost entirely since the year 1846, we can hardly refrain from expressions of astonishment and pleasure at the progress of popular education in this country during the last twenty years. In the light furnished by this report let us now hasten to view the present working of this mighty educational system, and to consider its probable results to the nation at large and to our own denomination in particular.

And where shall we commence our investigations but in the school edifices where the work is wrought? These are all required to be well situated, both in regard to healthfulness, quietude, and distance from the homes of the children; they must be properly lighted, ventilated, and drained; and supplied with offices, and contain eighty cubical feet of internal space for each child in average attendance. They must also have proper furniture, books, maps, and other apparatus for elementary instruction. And to assist in providing such school buildings, where there is a sufficient labouring population to require them, and where they are likely to be efficiently sustained, government proposes to make grants of money for building, enlarging, improving, or fitting up, to a sum not exceeding the amount raised by voluntary contributions, and not exceeding half-a crown for every square foot of internal area provided. Towards a teacher's residence government will not give more than £65. The following restriction should be noted: no grants are made for rooms proposed to be used on Sundays only; nor for the erection of school-rooms under places of worship; (government schools may be taught in such buildings, however, providing the inspector report them as suitable ;) nor to pay off debts of buildings, nor for maintaining nor repairing them; nor for improving any building that has already received the maximum allowance. It will hence appear that no debts are allowed to

*The Royal Commissioners of 1858 estimated that upwards of half a million children of the poorer classes were educated in private schools. (p. viii.)