will be great beyond conception. St. James says, "Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth." When we apply this to one who comes to us and says he has a message from God to us, and lulls us by his own hatred of the truth into an unconcerned, stupid state, and by this influence the infection spreads from generation to generation, we see how awfully dreadful and undesirable the case of one is who holds the truth in unrighteousness, or preaches contrary to the word of God.

I must of necessity draw to a close. One question as in the light of eternity I would ask. Does your preaching have that effect which the preaching of the first age of the church had? Do those who profess to love your preaching evince that humility which holy men of old did and do they live for God? Do you go to the word of God with that willingness to hear, and believe, and obey, and preach, which God requires? "There is a way that seemeth good to a man, but the end thereof is death!" That you may love God's Holy Word, and believe in the Savior Immanuel (God with us) to the saving of your soul from selfishness and sin in this world, thus from the harvest of sin in the eternal state to which we are rapidly hastening, and be the means of the sound conversion and salvation of many hell-deserving sinners like myself, is the humble prayer of him who has taken the liberty thus to write. I am an obscure individual, a young man, a fraternal brother. I really believe there is glorious news to the captives, but if we reject and stay in spiritual Babylon till death, I cannot find any more ground to expect ever to arrive at the New Jerusalem, than the rich man had when one drop of water was denied him.

I shall not subscribe my name. I would further mention that no one advised me to do thus. A desire for your good prompted me to send these Tracts, and to be thus free. Adieu.

ANSWER TO THE FOREGOING LETTER OF A FRIEND WHO DOES NOT SUBSCRIBE HIS NAME.

DEAR SIR,

Should this ever meet the notice of your eye, you will please accept the thanks of your friend for the favor you have done him, in sending him nine religious Tracts. Your letter is given to the public, as above, which is taking much more notice of you, than you undoubtedly anticipated. Be assured, Sir, that altho your friend has been a preacher of the Universal Restoration about 15 years, he has not become so lost to a sense of gratitude, as not to appreciate the favor of the learned Tracts which came safely to his hand; nor would he neglect to acknowledge the expressions of "a desire" for his "good" which he found in your letter. Some of your Tracts, I have read, and the others, Deo volente, shall have a careful perusal. But how came you, my young friend, to think that my case was so extremely alarming? Have you learned that I have lived a very wicked life? Has any one told you that there have been no conversions under my ministry? Why am I made the subject of your reprehension? I suppose it is because I preach "the grace of God, which bringeth salvation unto all

men."

I learn from a remark in your letter that you are calculating for the ministry; for you express a hope that you shall "be the instrument of the deliverance of many others from the voluntary slavery of satan and sin." must apprise you, that in this case, you have not begun like a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Remember, my

young friend, that Ahab who disguised himself in battle, lost his life. For altho the enemy was to fight with none but the king of Israel, "a certain man drew a bow at venture, and smote the king of Israel through the joints

of the harness." 1 Kings xxii. 34. The apostles accounted all things but loss for Christ; their names, their fortunes, their all was exposed to the calumnies of a wicked and ungrateful world. Young men, therefore, who touch this cause with a trembling hand, endeavoring to shield themselves under the cover of secrecy, without doubt, had better stay at Jericho, until their beards be grown.

Permit me, sir, to tell you that I deem your letter extravagant in two things. It assumes, in the first place, the prerogative of judging that I am wrong and you are right. Now, for a moment, apply the Savior's golden rule. Suppose for instance, that some Universalist youth had addressed an experienced Congregational minister as you have addressed me, should you not think it assuming, in the highest degree? No doubt, you would. The second thing which I deem extravagance, is the representation of yourself, as a hell-deserving sinner. What do you mean by this, when at the same time, you come forth as an exhorter of others? Do you suppose that I am any MORE than a hell-deserving sinner? What reliance can I place on the words of an unknown exhorter, who tells me he is a hell-deserving sinner? How do I know but what he is a thief, a liar, or a drunkard? To be sure, I hope none of these things. But I confess I see more inconsistency in your letter, than matter that convinces me of error, in the general pursuit of my life.

Again you come to question me, "as in the light of eternity." "Does your preaching have that effect which the preaching of the first age of the church had ?" Ah, my kind friend, I confess I do not speak with tongues as the apostles did; neither can I perform miracles. I work in my little sphere, and am fully persuaded that the Lord often blesses my labors to the spiritual good of his children.

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One question more. "Do those who profess to love your preaching evince that humility which holy men of old did P and do they live for God ?" Here again, I confess is a hard question. I believe the holy men of old were not without "a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of satan to buffet" them. And I confess, I have often thought that some who profess a love to hear me preach, were not so humble as I wished they were. But let me ask, Can the preachers of other denominations boast a reformation in all their admirers? Or can the preachers of any one denomination thus boast? Not every one that saith, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. This is the language of the Savior, and the light of ages bears testimony to its truth.

The language of the apostle Peter to Cornelius I think is worthy of particular notice, who said, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness is accepted with him." Acts x. 34, 35.

To conclude, I here state, that I not only profess, but feel that I am a lover of the sacred records. To them I look for truth, and for a directory to pursue the path of life. In them I repose confidence, as containing the revealed will of my heavenly Father. From them I seek the rich resources of spiritual wisdom. The scriptures I recommend to all my friends.

Very respectfully to my unknown friend,

SAMUEL C. LOVELAND.

Reading, July 24, 1827.

From the Telescope and Miscellany.

ON SLANDER.

We select the following from passages of inspiration for the consideration of the reader, and in this subject they are important.

“Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor: I am the Lord."-Lev. xix. 16. "A tale-bearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter."-Prov. xi. 13. “He that goeth about as a tale bearer revealeth secrets; therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.”—Prov. xx. 19. "Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out; so where there is no tale-bearer, the strife ceaseth. As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife. The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down unto the innermost parts of the belly."-Prov. xxvi. 20, 21, 22.

It appears that the Turks consider tale-bearing as highly disgraceful. "It is the custom in Turkey, by way of reproach, to black the front of those houses whose inhabitants are notorious for tale-bearing, propagating falsehoods, &c. If that were the case with us, what & dismal figure some of our houses would make." When we consider the real nature and character of slander, how mean, insignificant; yea, how devoid of common sense must that person be who delights in retailing out such obscene materials from place to place; it is as bad, yea, in some respects, worse, than for a vagrant pedlar to steal his commodities, and then have him go from place to place and dispose of his articles for the cash, and then, tells every one he trades with, that he sold them cheaper than he purchased them.

Slander will not maintain people, nor support their credit, nor prove those, who use it, as workers of righteousness. Slanderers are always known and despised, and marked as troublesome as well as disagreeable, among those of respectability, and who do not wish to partake of their sins. When a person has not sense enough, or no other occupation to engage the mind, but tittle tattle about the faults of his neighbors, he or she, or whoever it may be, ought to be esteemed as little above the brutes—for the beasts of the field, the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea, do act a more laudable