never-dying principle which has to learn the business of two worlds in the few years allowed it on earth. Bring it into contact with God's word, the entrance of which alone can give it light-can shew its dark, rebellious, ruined, helpless, hopeless state, by nature; and how it must be tutored for glory, honor, and immortality! In connexion with these reflections, I naturally called to mind, the trite but true saying— 2. Knowledge is power. The shopkeeper, by means of that modicum of shrewdness he possessed, acquired a wonderful control over the poor unlettered countryman. But you must at once see, that he might have turned his power to a mischievous account. Had he been wickedly disposed to jest with the poor man's feelings, he might have sent him in an opposite direction, and then have enjoyed a cruel laugh at the thought of his turnings and twistings before he got into the right road again. And it is just thus with all who possess knowledge: they have the power of doing harm as well as good; and many who are loudest in the praise of knowledge, and apparently most anxious that others should possess it, are thus spreading mischief instead of benefiting their fellow-creatures. It is clear, therefore, that something more is wanted-something to precede this power in the mind, and shew us how to use it. And what can this be? I turned it over for a moment in my thoughts, and the answer presented itself to me in this form 3. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Then why, said I to myself-why should senators, and legislators, and especially divines, regard this question as still open to debate? Surely there is nothing so very ambiguous in the phrase, "the fear of the Lord:" and still less can it be doubted, that the beginning of wisdom must come before the end can be attained. The very first principles of instruction, then, consist in practically knowing something of the nature and character of God, and of our position with regard to him. There must be, not a mere theoretical idea in the head, but power in the heart; a fear of His displeasure; a holy dread of disobedience to His wishes; a child-like acquiescence in His pure and perfect will. a transforming And what is this but the beginning of a "religious education." No form of words, however excellent, will do instead; no "parrotizing" discipline; no nominal creed; no catechetical sleight of hand; nothing but this wholesome fear itself, infused by those who have themselves 'felt it;' who have themselves lived under its influence; carrying it into every pursuit, and evidencing it in every relation; who have, in fact, tasted of the grace of Christ, and possess all the vitality and power of real godliness in the heart. None but a christian can educate christians. I do not say that the fear of the Lord constitutes all the lawful education of a christian. God has given to him, if to any, all things richly to enjoy. Acquaint thyself with God, if thou wouldst taste And wheels His throne upon the rolling worlds. Cowper. No one cultivates science with half the relish that a christian does. He has the heartwork to sweeten the headwork; and that which others follow from extraneous motives, he loves, and loves dearly, for its own, or rather for its Author's sake. The objects of his studies are all seen in God: the apparatus of his own mind, by which he scans them, is cherished as amongst his Father's choicest gifts, and the means by which he combines, arranges, and applies all this mental machinery are, each and all, sources of exuberant and grateful joy. I then fell into a train of musing on the comparative value of reading and thinking, and presently moulded my conclusion into this sentence G g 4. The mind is the poor man's book. Nay; it is the poor man's library; for no one volume contains half the treasures it is capable of furnishing. The poor wagoner, perhaps, had never been taught to think. "If I were to pray," says Sir John Herschell, "for a taste that should stand me in stead, under every variety of circumstances, and be a source of happiness and cheerfulness to me through life, and a shield against its ills, however things may go amiss, and the world frown on me, it would be, a taste for reading." I am disposed to say, quite as much, or more, in favor of a habit of thinking. It was either by an act of memory, or reason-faculties common to the human family- that the tradesman, at his shop-door, knew how to direct the gaping wagoner. The first of these required no talent: the second, very little. He thought that the tanner used oak-bark in large quantities, and as most tanners lived at Bermondsey, he drew the very natural inference, that the load was going there. These were but very humble efforts of the mind; but, humble as they were, they were too vast for the poor countrymanperhaps, they are beyond the efforts of some amongst my readers? These were general reflections; but, before I quitted them, I tried to bring the subject nearer home, by asking— : 5. Am I in the right road? It was an easy, and in fact, a pleasant matter to stand by, and see the little passage in everyday life, which I have attempted to describe. The countryman was going wrong, but did not know it; though the by-stander did the goods he was in charge of, let out the secret. What wares do I carry, and where are they marketable? Am I loaded with goods that have no value but in this poor world of change and vanity? Have I heaped up treasure that is current only here? Are there no curious questioners standing at the corners of the streets, by which I pass upon my worldly pilgrimage? And can they see, what I do not, that the merchandize in which I traffic, will only fetch its price on earth? Does my employ betray my destination; does the freight I carry, tell them whither I am hastening? My dear young friends, are you in danger of becoming entangled with the things of this world; think a moment on the curious strangers that surround your path. They can see farther than you do; they know where you are going; and few will have the good-will to set you right. Rather will they glory in the grand mistake you may be making; or with a wicked, though specious smile, affect to pity you, and let you pass. O! if there be any thing which shews your course is wrong to them that are without, break off from it at once, by God's help, and walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise! But the worldling has always, though unwittingly, paid this compliment to christian professors-he has expected consistency in their conduct, whilst he pretends to question the sanctifying tendency of their creed. And, therefore, he will, most probably, tell you, when he thinks you wrong, though he wants the charity to set you right. But you must not wait for this: you have a more sure word of prophecy, and if God's Spirit give you light to read it, as he will for asking, strange indeed will it be, if, whilst bound for heaven, you are found cumbered with those things alone which perish with the using. S. A. THE ART OF WASTING BREATH. WHEN Mr. Whitefield was in Scotland, attempts were sometimes made to draw him into controversy respecting what he considered the non-essentials of religion. He used to say that he was too busy about matters of greater importance to concern himself with them; and when it was replied, that " every pin of the tabernacle was precious," he said that in every building there were outside and inside workmen; that the latter at present was his province, and that if they thought themselves called to the former, they might proceed in their own way, and he would proceed in his. Describing the preaching of one of these controversialists, he observes, "I attended, but the good-man so spent himself in the former part of his sermon, in talking against prelacy, the common prayer book, the surplice, the rose in the hat, and such like externals, that when he came to the latter part of his text, to invite poor sinners to Jesus Christ, his breath was so gone, that he could scarce be heard." "What a pity!" adds this great man, with his characteristic shrewdness-"that the last was not first; and the first, last!" RESERVE. JUSTIFICATION by faith-this great doctrine of the Gospel and of our church-justification by CHRIST's merits alone, is at the very foundation of our religion, the ground and pillar of a Christian church. If this be lost, all is lost; if this be suppressed, all our power for good is gone. We must not allow ourselves, to be kept back from preaching this, however we may be tempted by the writing and by the example of men of name and character in past days, or by the opinions upon this subject which are advocated in our own days. CHRIST CRUCIFIED was the first great object of the teaching of the first ministers of the Gospel-forgiveness of sins through him was the message committed to them-it was their message of salvation; the gracious influence of the Spirit accompanied the word, and prepared the souls of the converts for their eternal inheritance. The preacher must still show the same way of salvation-there is no other; and in our preaching there must be, I repeat, a full and faithful statement of this great truth of the Gospel; there must be no reserve in clearly and fully delivering the message, as it has been delivered to us. I should say the same, if we had heard nothing of that teaching which has of late been openly advised, of reserve in communicating religious knowledge, for there has long been this reserve. It has been many years weakening our church. There is nothing new in this, I lament to say, although no precept had, till of late, been set forth openly to recommend it. It was, I believe, this reserve in proclaiming the great doctrine of the Atonement, which, in years not long gone by, thinned, or almost emptied our churches; yes, emptied them of their most devout worshippers; and those few who remained received but little spiritual benefit as far as the church's instructions were concerned. And even then many a talented and highly educated man, and one who was speaking the truth too, but suppressing the chief truth, the number of his hearers diminishing, for there was little in his teaching that could in any way interest the minds of those who were intent upon the salvation of their souls, and were hungefing after the bread of life.-Bishop of Peterborough. saw |