FINE MAXIM OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD. A BEAUTIFUL SENTIMENT. Ir is a part of our creed, that provided a man's soul be lost, it will be of little OBEDIENCE is our heaven, and sin the consequence, in eternity, whether he has only hell we know below.-Ibid. DOCILITY. Ir people were but willing to learn, the work of the teacher were half done.— M. Henry. gone down to the bottomless pit through the Gothic arches of a cathedral, or from beneath the thatched mud-wall cottage. On the other hand, it is of equally little consequence, provided a soul be saved, ❘ whether it be led to the realms of glory by the hand of a prelate, or by that of a humble itinerant in one of our villages. The great question is, whether the soul be saved or lost!-James. A THOUGHT WORTHY OF REMEMBRANCE. Ir is with communities, as with individuals, put them in a position where they can be indolent, and luxuriate, and they are indolent, and they do luxuriate, and bad consequences invariably follow. But put them in a position where they are obliged to brace themselves for thought and effort, and you find that this is the healthiest condition in which Providence could place them.-Vaughan. THE WAY TO MEET THE DAY OF TROUBLE. MEET it with calmness, reposing simple confidence in God. Meet it with prayer, soliciting God to appear for you. Meet it with resignation, submitting to all the Divine allotments. Meet it with faith, believing that God will appear for you, and that all will be well.-Anon. THE LAW OF KINDNESS. TRY the slight word first, and proceed delicately to a stronger expression, before you attempt, as a parent or teacher, to show the dark brow, and displeased countenance.-Anon. KNOWLEDGE OF CHARACTER. KNOWLEDGE of character is the key of the heart; and when you know what the heart contains, you may, in a great degree, influence it in the way you desire. -Anon. THE SERVICE OF THE DEVIL. WHAT! is the devil a master good enough for a soul that has God for its maker? Is feeding swine,-making provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof,-work good enough for a soul that is capable of glorifying and enjoying God? Are husks, the food of swine, proper provision for a soul that is capable of being feasted with angels' food? What a disparagement is it to a soul to serve its enemies, that tyrannise over it, and seek its ruin!-Henry. THE CONSCIENCE OF THE SINNER. THERE is the evil conscience. It wields its scorpions. The foreboding of punishment often suffices ere it strike. "My punishment is greater than I can bear!" was the cry of Cain, when, really, there was only the mark which secured him from present punishment as yet upon him. There is "a disquietness of the soul" which no judicial inflictions can overtake when the heart "meditates terror." No symbols of vengeance could horrify that mood-nor can any argument lie against this retribution, because of its distance from the period of transgression. To say nothing of its inherence in memory and consciousness, it is a principle of all legislation, that man is answerable for his acts after the longest possible interval.—R. W. Hamilton. USEFUL LESSON FROM SATAN HIMSELF. Ir is said of the devil, that "he is come down upon the earth, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath of time allowed be an argument with but a short time." Now, if the shortness him for labouring hard to destroy our souls, surely it ought to be one with us for labouring as hard to save them; especially if we consider what that work is, and the difficulty of accomplishing it.-Bishop Ilorne. THE VALUE OF TIME ON A DYING BED. How precious will the hours then seem that have formerly been thrown away on trifles! How many worlds shall we then be ready to offer for one of them! And who can say that it will be granted? Think on those wretched spirits who misspent their time, while in the body, and are, therefore, now entered upon their portion of everlasting sorrow. What would they give for the opportunity vouchsafed us of being reconciled to God, and bringing forth fruits meet for repentance? Could any of them be released from their prison-house, and sent back into the world for one year, in how holy and heavenly a manner would they spend it! How deeply would they mourn for their sins! How fervently would they pray for pardon! What, therefore, they would do to be delivered from the bitter pains of eternal death, let us do to avoid falling into them!-Bishop Horne. UPSILON. THE OLNEY THRESHER. ANECDOTES. I WELL remember, though many years ago, after an evening's prayer-meeting, on conversing with my poor hard-working friend, that he mentioned what a severe conflict he had met with in the morning. He was unable to procure anything better for his breakfast than barley-bread and water. "But," said he, "my rebellious heart, aided by the temptation of Satan, would not submit to this poor fare. So, after arguing the matter over with myself, and praying to the Lord to strengthen me, I resolved to punish my proud stomach by keeping on my threshing till I became hungry and thankful; and then, between eleven and twelve o'clock, I could enjoy my breakfast, and bless the Lord for my barley-bread and water!' Let "the poor of the flock," who may be called to endure many privations, think of this anecdote in the hour of trial, and it may surely do them good. "Behold," says the apostle James, "we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." THE OLNEY WASHERWOMAN. In a season of general distress, I happened to know, from my previous visits, something of the poverty of this poor but pious widow, with her two or three young A THOUGHT. (From the Halifax Guardian.) THE sky is Nature's Bible; That blue, unsullied scroll, Contains the rules and guidances For every flow'ret's soul: children. She dwelt in a poor cottage in "The deep abyss of Silver End," as Cowper called the vicinity of his own lofty old mansion, and one of her windows gave her a peep into the poet's garden and summer-house. Having, after our usual weekly prayermeeting, mentioned this good woman's seeming destitution, we collected some small sums for her relief, and which, on the next evening, I hastened to convey to her. I was most agreeably surprised just after a hard day's work at her washing, to hear her exclaim, "I am glad indeed to see you, to tell you how happy I have been in my soul all the day; for I have had no food myself to-day, having given my poor children all I had in the house before I sent them to school for the day. Then I prayed to the Lord to support me, either by sending me food, or taking away my appetite; and so my soul has been very happy in thinking over the promises and consolations of the Gospel, that I have really not wanted any food for my poor body. Bless the Lord, who has answered my poor prayers." "And now, my dear friend," said I, joyfully, "the Lord has sent you relief for your bodily wants;" handing over the sum I had collected for her. I need scarcely add, that this very opportune visit was speedily closed by an act of devout prayer and thanksgiving. Nov, 1848, Poetry. J. R. It teaches them, when night comes on, The trees look up to Heaven, The streamlet woos the firmament With leaves of varied kind: From the stars' unnumber'd train. Oh! man might learn obedience From Nature's children mute, Obedience, which might bud and bloom, And ripen into fruit. That Bible gains a homage, From the rivers, trees, and flowers, Which we reflecting, deathless souls, Have never paid to ours! A SONG OF DEGREES. M. J. K. How beauteous their feet, on the dark mountain's brow, Who publish salvation and peace To rebels, involved in destruction and woe, When all their rebellions shall cease! Yet lovelier still is yon listening crowd Who gaze through warm showers of tears, While Faith paints her rainbow on every dark cloud, Surcharged with their sorrows and fears. But lovelier far when, allured by thy grace, And joy in thy triumphs most sweet. The storm-clouds of terror and sorrow then fly On wind's swiftest pinions away, And Mercy spreads o'er them her fairest blue sky, And love prompts them all to obey. Abergavenny, Nov. 5, 1848. Review of Books. A TRIBUTE for the NEGRO: being a Vindication of the Moral, Intellectual, and Religious Capabilities of the Coloured portion of Mankind; with particular reference to the African race. Illustrated by numerous biographical sketches, facts, anecdotes, &c., and many superior portraits and engravings. By WILSON ARMISTEAD. 8vo., pp. 598. Charles Gilpin, Bishopsgate-street. If the world were so meliorated as that the Negro race had nowhere to endure the oppressions of bygone ages of darkness and crime, it would, nevertheless, be a duty devolving upon the virtuous and good, to tell the tale of their past woes, for the humiliation and warning of mankind. But when the awful facts stare us in the face, that the slave-trade still exists, in some of its most hideous forms, and that slavery lifts up its scowling brow under the sanction of a nation boasting more of freedom than any other country in the civilized world, it is incumbent on all who would lay claim to a good conscience, and who would perform their obligations to suffering humanity, that they should never cease to protest against this "abomination that maketh desolate," until it has been driven with shame and indignation from the face of the earth, and until it shall be as much loathed and execrated as any other iniquity in the long catalogue of crime. The volume before us is a valuable contribution towards the ultimate annihilation of slavery and slave institutions. The first part, occupying a hundred and eighty-eight pages, is devoted to "An Inquiry into the Claims of the Negro Race to Humanity, and a Vindication of their Original Equality with the other portions of Mankind; with a few Observations on the Inalienable Rights of Man: the Sin of Slavery," &c., &c. This interesting inquiry is gone into in a thoroughly searching and philosophical manner; and, by arguments, sustained by facts, extending over fifteen chapters, every little prop on which slavery has attempted to perch itself, is utterly and for ever demolished. The sinthe awful sin-of enslaving, or keeping in slavery, a single being made in the image of God, is placed, without compromise, in its true light,—the light in which Christian morality, to say nothing of mere humanity, must ever fix it, and hold it up to the just scorn and derision of all who have the slightest pretence to be the followers of the holy and benevolent Redeemer. The second part of Mr. Armistead's Tribute is an admirable sequel to the first; and consists in a series of "Biographical Sketches of Africans, or their Descendants; with Testimonies of Travellers, Missionaries, &c., respecting them." Here the author, by a long and well-sustained induction of authentic facts, proves to a demonstration that the Negro race is susceptible of all the moral feeling, intellectual culture, and social elevation of any other portion of the human race. The biographies, now for the first time collected in this volume, from a vast variety of sources, will be read with amazing interest by all who have benevolence enough to feel for the African race, so long trampled upon by nations calling themselves Christian. We sincerely thank the author for this valuable and unique contribution to the stock of our philanthropic literature. He has well performed his task, and has reared a monument to a down-trodden section of the human family, which will entitle him to live in the remembrance of all who have struggled, or may yet struggle, to break the arm of oppression, and to say to the captive, everywhere, "Go free." APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION, as taught by Tractarians and Romanists, opposed to Holy Scripture, Primitive Antiquity, and the Fathers and Founders of the Church of England; A Lecture delivered at the Presbyterian Church, River Terrace, Islington, on Sabbath Evening, 22nd Oct., 1848. By the Rev. JOHN WEIR, Minister of the Church. In reply to a widelycirculated Publication, entitled "Church Tracts," No. I., a reprint of which is prefixed. 12mo., pp. 36. N. H. Cotes, Cheapside. THE "Church Tract," to which Mr. Weir's Lecture is a reply, is such a miserable failure, in logic and everything else, that it is by no means entitled to the grave notice it has received at the hands of our Presbyterian Brother. This is like setting up a steam-engine to kill a gnat. If Churchof-England people are such weaklings as to believe the wretched trash contained in this copalians, may do great good. We should hope that Presbyterians and Independents "have not so learned Christ," as to need to be warned against the fond conceits of a succession which includes all popish Priests, and all Episcopally-ordained men, however anti-Christian their doctrines, or however godless their lives. If we must have apostles still, which we do not believe, we must subject them to Paul's test:-" Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." For our part, we are determined to cling to the dead apostles, and to reject the living ones. There is some certainty in this rule; none whatever in accrediting men who have no inspiration, who can work no miracles, who have nothing extraordinary about them, save the monstrous presumption of saying that they are successors of the apostles, while they abandon their spirit is very simple :-" By their fruits ye shall and trample on their doctrine. The canon know them;" but the ecclesiastical housethat-Jack-built, called Apostolic Succession, is so puzzling a thing, that we promise, across a table, to make any man uneasy about it in ten minutes. It has been too gravely dealt with; for it is, verily, a fig ment. With Portrait The VILLAGE GARLAND. THE author of these Poems is no common man. He is an original. Poetry is natural to him. "He sings in numbers; for the numbers come." He can soar high and glory in the Author of his being, and hymn his Redeemer and everlasting things; and anon he condescends to describe the reasonings of a peasant, and to make poetical some of the incidents of this passing life. In him religion is an attribute; and everything is made subservient to his great object-doing good. Whether he is grave or gay, he moralizes. With the young as well as with the good and wise, we pronounce that "The Village Garland" will be a great favourite. Tract, they are most sincerely to be pitied. It must have been intended by its author to draw largely upon the credulity of the public; and we can only say, that if the succession contended for rests on such a flimsy basis, it is a poor thing, of which all Episcopalians ought to be ashamed. We could have said something better for it ourselves, though we verily believe that it is a thing which Scripture, common sense, and history alike teach us to discard. If the argument of the poor blind writer of The following is from the poem, entitled, the Tract were true, it would go far to "in-"The Temperance Memento," in reference dorse" all the horrible miscreants who ever had the hands of an Episcopal bishop upon their heads. We are indebted, however, to Mr. Weir for a very able exposure of the Successiondoctrine of certain High Churchmen of the Tractarian party. He has succeeded in producing a Tract, which, if read by Epis To enable the reader to form some judgment of the abilities of the author, we present him with three or four quotations from the work. to the Temperance Hall, erected at Leighton Buzzard, at the expense of two distinguished members of the Society of Friends: "And thus, as time is rolling by, And opens many a tomb, May thousands, born to weep and sigh, 'Tis temperance will bloom!" "-p. 6. |
