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other which will rationally and satisfactorily solve the problem.

Christianity exists! Christianity is established, to a great extent, and is every day spreading its triumphs in heathen lands. Let the infidel account for this phenomenon, consistently with the acknowledged principles of right reason. We feel that this is a task, altogether beyond his power to accomplish. We feel that even the cursory glance we have taken at the only conceivable circumstances, by which a religious system, not deriving its origin and support from Heaven, could be successfully advanced, and the total absence of all these circumstances, in the case of Christianity, is abundantly sufficient to shew, that the very existence of the Christian religion in the world, is an unanswerable evidence of its having come down from Heavensince nothing but its divine original can adequately account for such a religion, attended by such circumstances as accompanied its commencement, having even been established upon earth...

Should these observations meet the eye of any individual, who has plunged into the depths, or is tottering on the brink of infidelity, I would affectionately entreat of that individual to weigh calmly and candidly the foregoing considerations, and to reflect how impossible it is to account for the establishment of Christianity unless by the admission of the divine. original. Were I admitted to hold converse with him, I would thus address him-"Remember Christianity purports to be a revelation from the God of Heaven, and to make known to you a sinner, the only method, by which you can obtain his forgiveness and favour, and thus escape eternal misery, and enjoy eternal happiness. I assume that you acknowledge what reason and revelation alike proclaim, the immortality of the soul, and a state of endless existence beyond the grave. You will admit therefore that, inasmuch as it is a matter of infinite im. portance to yourself, whether you are to be eternally happy or eternally miserable, it is unquestionably incumbent on you, as a rational creature, to examine most carefully the claims of a system, which purports to be a revelation from that God, at whose dis>posal your eternal destiny exclusively is placed, and to discover to you the only possible way of being rescued from an eternity of misery and shame, and of securing an eternity of blessedness and glory. You cannot but perceive, that if Christianity be true, if it contain a message from the God of Heaven, announcing the only terms on which He will consent to pardon your sins, to deliver you from an eternity of punishment, and to bestow on you an immortality of bliss, and you reject this message, and refuse those terms, not merely must you forfeit that immortality of bliss, but you must also incur that eternity of punishment." Now, in the name of reason and common sense, I would appeal to you÷+ Does not this consideration stamp on the enquiry into the truth of Christianity a character of infinite importance to yourself? Does it not imperatively call on you to investigate its claims, with the most

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dispassionate, profound, and persevering attention? Does it not invest a prejudiced, superficial, and burried investigation with a character of actual insanity? Does it not demand from you a concentration of all the faculties of your mind-the most importunate supplications for guidance to that God in whom you profess to believe, (for I do not suppose you to be that monstrous compound of absurdity and impiety-an atheist!)-the most patient study of the scriptures themselves, and such works,* on the Evidences of Christianity, as are within your reach, the assistance of such ministers of the gospel, or Christian friends as you can consult, to answer objections, and solve doubts, and in fire the adoption of every means, of which you can avail yourself, by which you can arrive at a safe and satisfactory conclusion in this matter. Ever keep in your remembrance, that your own everlasting welfare is the object, about which you are interested in conducting this enquiry. Since your rejection of Christianity, if it be a divinely revealed religion, inevitably involves your eternal condemnation. The unequivocal declaration of the Founder of the Christian faith, is that he that believeth not on Him, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth and must for ever abide on him." Unbelief of the gospel necessarily excludes the individual, who rejects its invitations of redeeming love, from all participation in its inestimably precious blessings, and exposes him to the everlasting wrath of that God, whose message and mercy he has despised. Yes, everlasting wrath, most fearfully aggravated by the stupendous manifestation of divine love, which is thus contemptuously slighted and spurned away."

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I cannot forbear particularly pressing on your most serious consideration this view of the gospel scheme, because it so imperatively calls you to canvass its claims, with the most unprejudiced and patient investigation. For, 'since it pnrports not only to deliver a solemn message to your soul from the God of Heaven, but also to unfold a revelation of His love, the most amazing that can be conceived, indeed one that surpasseth all understanding or imagination. You must at once perceive, that to pour contempt on such a display of the love of God as the gospel (if it be true) unfolds, must involve grief of the very deepest dye, the basest the most insulting ingratitude, and consequently must expose you to the most aggravated condemnation.

Can you reflect on this and not shudder at the prospect of that meeting with God, which you must ere long encounter, when you will be charged with the appalling guilt of having rejected, without adequate examination-(for no one ever impartially rejected them) what challenged your most grateful and reverential reception, as purporting to reveal to you

* Such, for example, as Leslie's Short Method with the Deists; Faber's Difficulties of Infidelity; Doddridge's, Chalmer's, and Paley's Evidences; Keith on Fulfilled Prophecy; Bishop Sumner's Evidences; Butler's Analogy between Natural and Revealed Religion; Lyttleton's Conversion of St. Paul.

the stupendous love of God, our Saviour-and the only way by which you can secure an immortality of bliss and glory, You know what powerful proofs of her celestial birth Christianity puts forward. You know her bold appeal to miracles and prophecy. You know what a mighty demonstration of her divine original is supplied by the purity, the holiness, of the doctrines she unfolds, and the precepts she enforces. You know that her morality, even by the admission of her adversaries, bears legibly stamped on it the impress of Heaven.

[To be continued. J

The Bookseller of Allerton, or Practical Piety.
(Continued from paje 121.)

ESTHER now felt deeply sensible of sin, but she was favoured in having heard of a Saviour to whom she could look and be saved." Thus the act by which she might - have unwittingly inspired the soul of another was made a blessing to her own. Her first design was to speak to her husband of the change that had taken place in her -mind, but the more she thought of this the more unwilling she felt to do so.

Walter's confession of faith had formerly been quite satisfactory to her, for he had given her to understand he believed every thing that she believed; but now Esther began to doubt if this sort of faith was strong enough to produce the practical change she wished to effect, or whether it partook indeed at all of the nature of that which can abide "the loss of all things;" and her deliberate and reflective mind foresaw that that expression in its preatical signification might be applicble to them, should their religion become too practical for the tastes of their customers.

She had discovered that almost the entire of his business lay in that line which was adapted to the people among whom they dwelt; that town being at the time one of the most ungodly of our country; and the difficulty of removing into another town without altogether changing his business presented itselffully to her; as to the latter plan she did not wish it, and knew that he would not adopt it, for in the first place he knew nothing of any other trade, and in the next his whole heart was set upon rising in his present one.

Esther's conscience was uneasy under silence, yet fear forbade her to speak; her countenance assumed a very thoughtful cast, it had always been composed but not exactly grave in its expression; there was now at times a doubting expression in the abstractive gaze with which she regarded her husband when he joined her in the evenings after closing his little shop, and this attracted his attention, and at length made him abruptly demand

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Esther, what is the matter that you look so at ine ?" Esther cast down her eyes and colored, and then grew almost pale.

"I am sure something is wrong," he said hastily.

Yes, William, I fear something is wrong, and I wished to tell you so before this, do'nt be frightened however, for nothing has happened amiss."

"Thank God!" Walters exclaimed with fervour, for he had been alarmed and terrible apprehensions

of some approaching calamity were crowding oa his

mind.

"We have much to thank Him for," Esther added. resolved now to proceed as rapidly as possible to ta "I trust He has turned us from dark troubled point.

ness to light, but if He has given us more light than others are we not responsible for the use we make of it? It was this I meant when I said I feared there was some thing wrong, for our Lord has commanded us to lei our light so shine before men, that they may see car good works and glorify our Father in Heaven."

Esther paused, and Walters in his brief manner told her to go on: she continued, and told him ton she had discovered that her own religion consisted much more in what she professed to believe thes in what she really practised. Her husband heard her with deep attention, and when she conclu ied said thoughtfully "I wish I had known this be fore." Esther's mind was just in the state to put on construction on this speech; she thought he meant to say that if he had been fully aware of her sentiment he would not have wished her to be his wife. StWillia you, sighed and answered" I could not tell what I did not know myself: I thought all was rig with me because I did not, like many others, look fr salvation from the deeds of the Law, by which seriture says no man living can be justified, but only throug the merits of Jesus Christ; but it is only just of late ths: 1 began to think these doctrines which are right an true rested more in my head than in my heart, because, they never came very much in the way of what I did; and now I have been taught that faith without works is dead, that is I think, that unless it influence all or conduct it is of no use, it dwells only in the head a. 1 does not reach the heart, and that the religion that not practical is in the name only, and not in deed and truth, and now I find"-and Esther here sighed aga a— "that it is very easy to agree with all men in religios matters when our practice is not much concerned wit faith."

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"And who do you think you will disagree with now. Esther?" said Walters, who seemed to have guess. the meaning of her sigh.

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Esther looked up and saw he was regarding her wi a look of affection and quiet pleasure; she could notsav as she was going candidly to say-" With you”— disagreements with others were of little conseque so Esther silently thanked God and took courage. know how the case is," her husband continued, y have found out that you were too easily satisfied & my religious state, and therefore you think it may b been the same with myself: but, Esther, many a str mind my gle you never suspected has gone thro since that time, and, strange to say, you who seemoi know more of religion than any one I ever met, ka been the greatest stumbling-block in my way."

It was now Esther's turn to listen in mute surpris while Walters briefly glanced over the state of his mis during the greater part of the past year, and shewhow as an anxious enquirer after truth he had b stopped as it were on its threshold, by perceiving o far she fell in practice below the precepts of that gos which she professed entirely to believe,

Walters had been awakened to real concern about eternal things; there was none to guide him among those he was acquainted with, except his wife, and he could not think her altogether right at times oppressed with a sense of the shortness and uncertainty of life, the duration of eternity, and a feeling of accountability, the zeal of the Romanist or self-devotion of the Hindoo appeared to him the more proportionate to the object to be attained; he saw his wife with the same object in view proceeding in a diametrically opposite path; he was perplexed, but Esther unknown to herself had been of use to him in leading him to the Bible; he wished to rest in the fulness and freedom of the atonement for sin therein set forth, but hesitated to accept of salvation that was "of grace and not of debt," be· cause from her example he feared it was a doctrine too congenial to the heart, by setting men free from the difficulty of working out their own salvation with fear and trembling." His error lay in looking to the creature without approaching closely to the Word of God: for from that he would have found that when the Apostle desired Christians, to work out their own salvation, he concluded by holding out the encouragement -"for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his own good pleasure ;" "without me ye can do nothing," says the Saviour, and-"this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you," says the Apos

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even your sanctification." Walters had read and often thought of that striking passage-"I beseech you brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto the Lord, which is your reasonable service, and be not conformed to this world." How that his wife knew more of religion than most persons Walters was persuaded; that she was also in most respects very different and far better than most of her neighbours, he likewise rejoiced to think, that if she attempted to obey this precept which was forced by so tender a consideration as that of the mercies of God-of Him who so loved the world as to give is only Son a sacrifice for its sin, the certainty appeared to find little diflicuity in what seemed to him to demand a constant and every day struggle in order how to evidence a desire to obey. Thus Walters did not go on to perfection" in matters of faith, because there was an instance of imperfection constantly before his eyes, and he looked at that, and forgot that when David had "seen an end of all perfection" his mind turned to its only true source, and he adled but thy commandment is exceeding good." Esther however had experienced the fulfilment of those blessed promises concerning the Holy Spirit which Christ left to his Church- When he is come he shall teach you all things--He shall receive of mine and shew them unto you-He shall guide you into all truth." That best teacher had "expounded to her the way of God more perfectly," and having once seen what Christian duty and Christian responsibility are, she was most sincerely anxious to have as far as lay in her power," a conscience void of offence toward God and toward man.”

Perhaps there never was any one to whom the disposition was given to ask as Saul of Tarsus-" Lord what wouldest thou haye me to do?" to whom the an

swer was in some manner given-" it shall be showed thee what thou must do." Esther's husband had for some time felt as desirous to know his duty as she had felt to do it; and Esther had discovered it for him, and now was to be the means of pointing it out to him; but in doing this she felt great difficulty, for she was aware that to touch Walters' little business was to touch the apple of his eye.

"I have been thinking, William," she said after a pretty long pause which succeeded previous conversation, "that we make a very ill return to our good God for all he has done for us."

"I often think so too, Esther, but I believe the cause is that the heart is, as the Bible says, naturally unthankful and unholy."

"Yes, I am sure of that; but should we not strive both against its unthoughtfulness and unholiness; and when we see our sin do you not think we ought to forsake it?"

"Certainly."

Encouraged by the decisive tone in which the word was uttered Esther proceeded to relate the circumstances already detailed; at the introduction of the affairs of the shop Walter's whole interest was aroused, and when his wife briefly demanded" Now, William, do you think it is right to sell such books as these ?" he looked steadily in her face for a moment, got up, threw back his chair, walked twice across the room, and retired to his seat again.

"Esther, what do you want me to do?" he enquired after some silence..

"I do not want you to do any thing, I leave it all to your own conscience." This was an arbiter Walters did not much like, but his wife went on, "Not to mention the injury done to others by giving them what is just like poison to their souls, now how contrary it is to the command to do to others what we would have them to do to us; only just suppose that you had a good kind friend who had been bountiful to you, had done every thing for you, even to the establishing you in business, and was still doing you good, supporting you in business and ready to help you whenever you needed, and suppose some enemies wished to injure him, and to ill fame his character, to prove that all you said or thought in his favour was false, and with a view to load people with error, and that they wrote wicked libels against him and sent them to you, would you assist in circulating these libels ?"

"Come and help me," said Walters, rising hastily. "Help you with what, William?" Esther demanded, rather alarmed.

"No matter, come, at once, while we are disposed to it?"

Esther followed him silently to the shop where he pulled down pile after pile of the pamphlets, tracts, songs, and small books of which his stock consisted, consigned them in part to her and placing the rest on his arm, preceded her back to the room they had left, and when the whole were laid on the table he stood looking at them with a thoughtful eye.

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My dear, what are you going to do?" Esther asked in a voice that had something of solemnity in its tone.

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"To burn them," was the reply.

Esther was not prepared for this; her prudent and cautious mind was naturally startled at the idea of the loss to be sustained; she was ready to ask could not they be exchanged, but directly perceiv ed that this would still be giving them circulation in some way. She did not immediately speak, for Esther was one whose words seldom preceded thought; in this interval such passages as these- "Whoso will lose his life for my sake shall find it-For whom I suffer the loss of all things that I may win Christ-Whosoever forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be my disciple"came to her mind and she felt quite willing herself to bear the meditated loss, but she feared her husband's resolution being apparently a hasty one might be repented of.

"Will you wait until morning, William?" she said. "If I do perhaps I may wait longer," he answered. "If you are quite persuaded you are right, I should think you would find no greater difficulty than now."

"I believe you would not, but I am of a different disposition, and I fear if they remained on that table till to-morrow, and I was to go down and see an empty shop, I might be tempted to put them back, at least till others came in their place-and that," he added with a sigh-" might not be just yet."

"And perhaps you will be sorry when it is done?" Esther hesitatingly said,

"No, with the help of God, I hope not: the temptation will be over at all events."

"Well, William, one word more," said Esther, laying her hand on his arm as he extended it to a packet of the papers, "before do this ask God to give you grace not to repent of it."

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"Amen,' he replied; and for a few minutes husband and wife prayed in their hearts that they might be enabled to devote themselves unto the Lord, and all they had or did to His service. When without another word pile after pile of papers was flung on the fire until the whole was cunsumed.

What were Walter's sensation on entering his shop next morning when thus stripped of its stock, I undertake not to say; they were not made known to her who was the partner at least of his joys, although Walters was a man of that peculiar temperament who ..usually keep the greater part of their cares and sorrows to themselves, and Esther was one of those formed characters who with the most affectionate hearts pursues that happy composure of mind that bears them unruffled through incidents that disturb and distress more sensible dispositions; more calm and deliberate than her husband, she looked forward into the consequences of his recent conduct; but she was far better able to bear the consequences than he was. She believed that conduct was right, and therefore the consequences of it she quietly left to the guidance of Hin who hath declared that " though the young lions," the offspring of them who are most able to procure sustenance for their young-" should lack and suffer hunger, they that fear the Lord shall not want any good thing."

(To be continued.)

The Ancient People of God.

AMONG the many reasons given for neglecting the conversion of the Jews, perhaps the one in which indifference wraps herself within the closest folds in the most subtle guise, is that which is sometimes urgedthat it is not right to seek their conversion, it is usurp ing the prerogative of God,- that they are to be and that therefore they will be converted, and man must not exalt himself by taking into his own hands the work which the Almighty will accomplish.

Were the indolent, the thoughtless, and the worldly to unravel their motives, and sift their reasons through, they would soon find that dislike of exertion, utter unconcern, and the preference to objects wholly earthly, which may forward their earthly schemes, or raise their earthly state, were the true causes of their advancing such sentiments, and following them up by entire neg lect; and from such persons to hear reasons of this. kind given, it can be only said is in perfect character in strict accordance with their conduct in other respects, and that they are consistent worldly characters, living for the world, and seeking in it their good, their happi ness; but to hear the Christian, he who advances the welfare of other benighted mortals, the active and benevolent Christian bring forward such reasons for neglect ing them is matter of surprise and enquiry, and we may justly doubt if it is not caused by a want of that which is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

To a want of faith we must trace such sentiments Man must labour, though God may or may not bless his endeavours as may seem best to Him, and if without the instrumentality of man, all were to be converted bow is it that in every past age since their dispersion a remnant has been gathered to our faith, and that in the last and hitherto in the present century so many have been? Was it that they might be left without aid from man that our Saviour said " go ye first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel;" and again, "go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature;" was there an exception made to any, still less that to this chosen race, inan has to hold his exertions to lead them to the belief in the Son of God, was it not rather go first to the house of Israel?

In the wisdom which dictated the preaching of mat to his fellow man, mercy was exhibited though justic was still to be felt; hand in hand they have reigned it every age, and condemned by God for their crim without a parallel in the history of the world, unparal leled was to be their punishment, but mercy was to b shewn; the voice of the mourning Israelite was still t be heard, and his prayers and repentance accepted, neither were all to be eternally lost until the time for all to be converted, and restored to their ancient pri vileges, but mercy ordained that from their fellowmet were they to be taught the way of pardon, and fron them to learn the paths of peace.

Does our treatment of this suffering race shew tha we consider them of too high an origin, too lofty ż their present state, and their future hopes too glorious for Gentiles to seek to aid them, and that so much be neath them in every respect, we must leave to God t work His will without our humble efforts? will the

unhappy wanderers dwelling in our land, whose wounds long given still refuse to heal under our treatment, accord with this supposition? will not those suffering people abiding here as strangers, without a country or government from which to seek redress for their injuries, tell us they were not treated by this or any other Gentile nation as a people too high to be interfered with? will not the frequent accounts of the treatment of those who have sought an asylum in our own country, give a very different statement even in this day of civilization, and exhibit still in many cases a painful spectacle of oppression, injury, and insult?

Was it presumption in the early days of Christianity to preach to this people, and can it be now; that salvation is of the Jews Christianity avows, but that that faith is to be withheld from them by us we find no where enjoined in that Book which is to guide us in our conduct to them?

Is it presumption to save the life of any fellow creature in imminent peril, can it therefore be so to seek to rescue him from eternal death; and it may be enquired do we really think so very humbly of ourselves as to consider we are unworthy to make known our privileges to this people 2

Are the Christian's hopes and privileges so much lower, or so much higher now than they were in the times following his Saviour's abode on earth, that he must not observe the command of that Saviour who enjoined His name to be preached to all, of every class, of every clime, learned or, unlearned, Barbarian, Scythian, or Jew?

It must be willingly granted by all Christians that this people will be converted, and the whole converted by the power of God, (still more that man in his endeavours for their conversión, has but been the instrument employed to shew the power and mercy of God to them) and the searcher into prophecy may believe that that state of things cannot be far off, but in every a remnant has been received, and usually converted by means of the efforts of man, a remnant which Isaiah informs us shall at their final restoration be brought as a "present unto the Lord of hosts, from a people scattered and peeled, terrible from their beginning hitherto;" and those who have already embraced our faith will tell us they deem it no presumption for a Christian to have preached to them, although they are of the high tribes of the house of Israel.

But let us consider for a moment, if we deem it is presumption to offer our faith to the people to whom as descendants of those immediately concerned in the dark guilt of their nation, we would decline to shew the way of pardon, we need not on that account decline to be come interested in showing the way of peace to all of that people, there are enough of the Hebrews who are not implicated in the great guilt of their nation but who are still in darkness as to the kingdom of the Saviour; and though the enquiry has been for centuries where these tribes are scattered, and though the enquiry must still remain unanswered as to where the whole of these may be, yet we have just course to conclude where some of them are, and the Societies for the conversion of the Hebrews profess not to seek that of the two tribes alone, but of the ten also, even of the

whole body of the Jewish nation, from the descendants of Israel scattered far off, to those of Judah wandering in our own land, both are in darkness, both need our help, and to both it is offered, whether belonging to the tribes of Israel or Judah, and both in many thousand cases have never even heard that there is a written history of our Saviour, are in entire ignorance of His miracles, and the fulfilment by Him of the prophecies. in the Old Testament, and to these unhappy people can there be greater presumption in seek their weifare than in seeking that of the heathen?

But the times are not those for hesitation as to any aid we can render to this nation; the horizon of their fortunes, so long in darkness is now brightened by the dawn of light, their years of mourning almost ended, their weary wandering hastening to its close.

Their minds intently fixed upon some great event at hand; belief in the dense mass of their traditions shaken, and many very many of their people, seeking an asylum in their long desolated land. Their riches increased in the last few years to an amount supposed never before to have been equalled, and unencumbered with possessions of land to be disposed of ere they can depart, and with the exception of some among the converted unconnected with the people among whom they dwell, they are ready to proceed to their ancient land at almost a moment's notice, accompanied by those they value most on earth, carrying with them their wealth, and having in few cases any cause to look with regret upon the countries they leave behind.

But there is an hour, and one which comes to all the fallen race of man, when the value of our efforts for this people is felt more than at another time; in that awful hour when the spirit winging its flight to the world unseen ascends to the kingdom of its God, or becomes partaker of the misery of the lost hovering on the confines of Eternity, in whom is it to repose for safety in that unknown world? If he who deems it presumption to seek the welfare of this people, who has seen the peace and serenity of the last hours of the faithful Christian, when the spirit with full confidence in its Redeemer, had transferred his guilt to Him who is as able as He is willing to bear it, could such a one from being a spectator of the Christian triumph over the last enemy turn and view the deathbed of the unhappy Israelite, no tears of presumption no earthly motives would induce him to neglect their welfare, suffering with us from the wrath of the Almighty for original sin the fear of the tremendous wrath of our offended God, without a Saviour to redeem, is seen in all its awful reality; then the unhappy sufferer on the confines of another world has none to intercede for him with our offended God, no Intercessor to plead for him at the throne of mercy; and on the point of rush ing into the presence of its Maker, unclothed in the rightousness of a Saviour, the sufferer tarns in vain to his own good works to assure him or the words of the Rabbies to comfort him. Then the Israelite knows not whither he is tending, save that it is into an abode of suffering, for a space longer or less as his evil deeds may require for purgatory, and can but hope for that period to be shortened by the prayers of those he leaves behind, and where can he find any ground for believing

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