miss him; and as to the poor, it would go hard with them if no one sympathized with them more than he did. No, sir, I am sorry to say anything against any man, especially the dead, but I must say that his death, so far as we are concerned, is not much loss." "Was he a miser, then?" inquired I. "Well, sir," said the old man, "I will not say that, but this I must say, that his money was spent exclusively upon himself. We seldom used to see him, except when he rode in his carriage to church on a Sunday, or was seated in his cushioned pew. If a school were to be established, if the cause of God and religion required assistance, if a subscription were being raised to assist the widow or the fatherless, no man that knew him would have thought of ringing at that large gate, so certain would have been a refusal. Curiosity and wonder, sir, may have been excited in our village to-day, but sure I am, that, rich as he was, no relieved widow, no assisted orphan, will weep over his grave, and that I only utter the sentiment of the poor of the neighbourhood concerning him, when I say that his death is not much loss." I could not suspect the old man of slandering the dead, for he seemed unwilling to unveil the faults of the rich and selfish, and there was an extreme mildness and sweetness in his manner, which precluded all suspicion either of prejudice or the love of evil speaking; and thanking him for his information, I thoughtfully resumed my walk. “It is not much loss!" thought I. How unenviable an epitaph to be inscribed on one's grave! How disgraceful to a man endued by God with noble capabilities for usefulness, and, moreover, specially entrusted with wealth and influence, that life should be spent in the pursuit of mere selfish gratifications, without regard either to God or man! How possible it is for men to die too rich, and for the wealth which in this world they regarded as their glory to rise up against them in the next as their shame! How much more desirable it is to be rich in faith and good works than in mere earthly possessions, so that we may be useful while we live, and not altogether unlamented when we die! How much more honourable is it to have the tear of the widow and the orphan dropped on one's osiered grave, than to be carried in tearless pomp to the place of sepulture, with one's titles and possessions graven in marble! "The memory of the just is blessed," says Solomon (Prov. x. 7;) but the useless and the selfish leave few behind them to lament their departure. Let me live, thought I, so usefully among my circle of friends and acquaintance, that whenever God shall see fit to call me, my little circle may feel that some loss has been sustained by them; and let the fear of this undesirable epitaph, "It is not much loss," stimulate me to fresh efforts to glorify God and benefit my fellow-creatures. S. W. P. CHRISTIAN LIBERALITY. ONE of the most remarkable instances of liberality in the middle walks of life, is recorded in the memoirs of the late Normand Smith, of Hartford, Connecticut. Mr. Smith was born, in 1800, of pious parents, and seems himself to have become decided in his religious character at the age of twelve, during a revival. He learned the trade of a saddler, and commenced business himself, at the age of two and twenty, on a small capital lent him by his father. He was remarkably prosperous in business from the first, so that he was soon able to repay this debt. But he did not allow his business to engross his time and thoughts. He frequently visited the poor with a view of inquiring into and relieving their necessities-was a constant sabbath-school teacher, and for a long time was superintendent of a sabbath-school for Africans. In short, he was the foremost to encourage and supBut we port every good undertaking. must let the memoir* speak for itself: "In the early part of 1829, he had great doubts whether it was not his duty to relinquish his business, in part at least, that he might have more time to do good. At that time he called to converse on this subject with the writer. He said that he found his business engrossed too much of his time and attention; he wished to be in a situation more favourable for the cultivation of personal religion and doing good to others; and as he had acquired property enough for himself and family, he felt a desire to retire that he might enjoy more quiet and leisure. In reply it was said to him, The Lord has plainly indicated how you are to glorify him in the world. He has greatly prospered you in Written by his pastor, the Rev. Dr. Hawes, of necticut, one of the most distinguished and useful the First Congregational Church, Hartford, Conministers in America. your business; the channels of wealth are open, and their streams are flowing in upon you, and it would be wrong for you to obstruct or diminish them. Let them rather flow wider and deeper. Only resolve that you will pursue your business from a sense of duty, and use all that God may give you for his glory, and the good of your fellow-men; and your busi ness, like reading the Bible, or worship on the sabbath, will be to you a means of grace; instead of hindering, it will help you in the divine life, and greatly increase your means of usefulness. The effect of the conversation was not known at the time, but from an entry made in a journal | which he began to keep about that period, it appears that the purpose was then formed to continue his business, and to conduct it on the principles recommended. "The Lord,' says he, 'has made the path of duty plain before me. For a year I have been in much doubt as to the duty of continuing my present business. My mind has become settled; I have determined to continue it, and I trust it is not in order to grow rich. "They that will be rich fall into temptation," etc. I believe the Lord has led me, and inclined me to pursue my business, not to increase in riches, but that I may have to give to him that needeth. It is therefore my purpose to engage in my business, that I may serve God in it, and with the expectation of getting to give.' "From that time it was observable by all who knew him, that he made rapid progress in religion. There was a fervour and engagedness of spirit, a purity and elevation of aim, that could not be misunderstood, or concealed. He rose toward heaven like the lark of the morning; his business was kept in its proper place, subordinate to the high purpose of serving God, and he found his path thenceforward plain and unobstructed. "One subject seemed to engross his mind, that of doing good; and much good did God enable him to do. Besides many large donations made in aid of various objects previous to his death, he bequeathed at his decease nearly 30,000 dollars to the various benevolent societies of the day. The amount designated for these societies in his will was 13,200 dollars. But they were also made residuary legatees of property which he would have distributed while living had it been practicable, without loss, to withdraw it from his business. To a brother, on his dying-bed, he said: Do good with your substance while living, and as you have opportunity; otherwise, when you come to die, you will be at a loss to know what distribution it is best to make of it. The trouble and care of such a distribution in a dying hour,' he thought, should be avoided by every Christian, by disposing of his property while in life and health, as the Lord should prosper him and present opportunities of doing good.' Sound advice. Strange that Christians should so often hold on upon their property till they come to die; then, as if to snatch it from the hands of death, giving it in their last will to be distributed when they are gone. "From the period above referred to, it became his established rule to use for benevolent distribution all the means which he could take from his business, and still prosecute it successfully, and to the best advantage. Hence, after making a moderate provision for his family, what property he had left became available only by the closing of his business. What were his customary contributions to benevolent societies, and to various objects of charity to which his attention was directed, it is impossible to tell. He was usually secret in regard to donations of a private or personal nature. A memorandum which he kept three or four years before his death, lest he should think that he gave more than he did,' shows that his gifts were numerous anď large -sufficiently so to prove, that he adhered to his principle of holding all as consecrated to the Lord. A slip of paper taken from his vest-pocket after his death, mentions the amount of his contributions at the monthly prayer-meeting for missions among the heathen, to have been thirty dollars; or 360 dollars a year. "In establishing a new church for the more destitute population of the city, and procuring a place of worship, he bore an active and generous part, and contributed largely of his means for its support, besides consecrating to it his devoted and prayerful efforts as one of its officers. "In giving he was always careful to see that what he gave was needed; never bestowing charity in a way to release any from a sense of obligation to exert themselves to the utmost. He would give to encourage exertion, but never to relax it. In this respect he studied caution, as every one ought; judging rightly, that a man does better for the life that now is, and for that which is to come, by being im pelled to put forth his own highest efforts. 66 "In personal and domestic expendi- | is to exalt and aggrandize the Romish ture he studied Christian economy. While church. All the splendid collections and he denied himself no reasonable comfort, rich specimens of the fine arts in the it was his habit to consider what things Vatican, are designed to adorn, beautify, he might dispense with, that he might and encircle with a halo of glory, the have the more to give for charitable pur- skeleton of Popery. There is another poses. Modest and unassuming in his consideration, which makes the papal renatural character, he thought it not con- ligion assume an air and attitude of imsistent with the simplicity of the gospel portance and dignity here-it is the court for one professing godliness to follow the religion. No one can expect any civil customs and fashions of the world. While honours or offices, or any favour from others were enlarging their expenditures, the crown, who is not a zealous adherent he studied retrenchment in all things. to Popery. The Romish church is the As an example-the house in which he very prop and pillar of the civil governlived would not have been thought extra- ment of the Papal States. The pope is vagant, considering his means; but he their civil, as well as ecclesiastical sovefelt that his influence as a Christian would reign, by virtue of the peculiar relation be impaired if he should be suspected of he holds to the Romish church. He is imitating the extravagance into which the king of the land through all the Papal multitudes have been lured by prosperity. States, as well as the head of the church. This led him to the determination to sell The road to power and political influence his house, and for some time previous to is through the church, and the favour of his death he held it at the disposal of Pro- those who guide its affairs and guard its vidence, using it, while in his hands, for interest. The same motives which lead entertaining God's servants,* and for re- men in America to resort to popular ligious meetings. arts to please the people and gain political influence, lead them at Rome to become zealous Catholics. If the truth were known, I expect it would be found that the pope himself values his civil, quite as much as his spiritual sceptre. Of course, the church is the pillar of his hopes, the great apparatus by which he gulls and hoodwinks the people; and as long as he loves temporal power, he will maintain his professed priestly supremacy, and seek to perpetuate the reign of superstition and darkness. Every one who has at all examined the subject, will see that there are prodigious incitements in the papal church to unsanctified ambition. The most obscure monk, clad in the coarsest robe, girded with a flaxen rope, and shod with wooden sandals, may, by tact and cunning, and a certain course of management, attain a cardinal's hat, ride in a princely chariot, roll in splendour, and ultimately sit in the papal chair. The now reigning pope rose to his present station, from an obscure monk of the order of St. Gregory. J. A. Clarke's Rome: its Wonders and Worship, p. 130. Though kind and amiable in his disposition, he was not naturally disposed to be liberal or free in the use of property. When he set out in the world, it was with the purpose to be rich. But grace opened his heart, and taught him that the only valuable use of money is to do good with it; a lesson which he emphatically exemplified in practice, and which made him an instrument of good, the extent of which can never be known till it is revealed at the last day." Such is the simple and yet interesting notice, given by his biographer, of Mr. Smith's views of the use of money proper for a Christian to make, and which he so admirably exemplified in his practice. Baird's America. AIM OF ROMANISTS. Ir must be obvious to the most casual visitor of Rome, says the Rev. J. A. Clark, that the great aim of those in power here In no part of the United States will Christian families allow ministers of the gospel to remain at hotels. When these have occasion to travel, or to visit places even in their own neighbourhood, they are seldom allowed to stop, for any time at least, at inns, hospitable families being everywhere to be found who account it a privilege and a pleasure to entertain them at their houses. Meetings for prayer, reading the Scriptures and exhortation, are often held in all parts of the country, in private houses, as being more comfortable in winter, or more convenient for assembling persons in the neighbourhood. ANECDOTE. A CERTAIN noble lord arrived at Windsor one Saturday night, at a late hour. On being introduced to the queen, he said, "I have brought down for your 256 THE MEANS AND THE END-THE SCHOOLMEN. sence of a single particle of matter, foreign to the experiment, is often sufficient to vitiate the whole process. Christ proposes the great moral process of drawing the world to himself; the Christian "To-church is the apparatus to be employed; and worldly selfishness, or sin, the object to be operated on. Do we not see the vital importance, that not a particle of the thing to be destroyed should adhere to the instrument employed to destroy it? Do we not see the nature of the fitness we need-perfect contrast to the world? and that this fitness is indispensable to success? Oh! for such an instrumentality. We ask not that it should consist at first of many Christians-their success would not depend on their number, but of men, penetrated, possessed with the conviction, that Christian consistency, and entire devotedness to the world's recovery are one and the same thing; that without such intense devotedness to that one object, nothing morally great has ever been achieved; men who feel that they are not their own as intensely as if their persons were marked and sprinkled with the blood of Christ; and who, in the spirit of that self-consecration, should resolve, that, by God's help, the world should feel their influence before they die. Oh! for such an instrumentality! the church should be converted, and the world too.-Dr. Harris. majesty's inspection some documents of 66 THE MEANS AND THE END. WHEN a great experiment is to be tried in natural philosophy, the preparation of the apparatus to be employed will often occupy a longer time than the experiment itself. The uninitiated spectator is surprised at the patient and laborious anxiety evinced by the experimenter, to bring his instruments into a state of working perfection. But well he knows, from many a previous failure, that the pre THE SCHOOLMEN. AMONG the most eminent of the scho lastic divines, were Peter Lombard, known after the name of his chief work, as the Master of the Sentences; Thomas Aquinas, a disciple, whose fame eclipsed that of his master, and to whom were given the titles of the Universal and the Angelic Doctor; and Bonaventure also acquired almost equal renown. And yet, it has been truly said that they employed themselves "in an ostentatious display of ingenuity, in which axioms assumed without examination, distinctions without any real difference, and terms without any precise meaning, were made use of as weapons of assault and defence, in controversies about abstruse questions, which, after endless skirmishes, it was impossible to bring to any issue, and which, notwithstanding all the violence of the contest, it was of no importance to determine." ENGLISH HISTORY. JAMES II. THE leading divines of the Established Church had, for some time, inculcated passive obedience; but the dangers now gathering round them awakened many to consider the subject farther. The result was a determined opposition to the Popish measures of James II. The king sought to subdue this by reviving a power, even stronger than that wielded by Laud. An ecclesiastical commission was formed, with authority to carry out what was deemed expedient, "notwithstanding any law to the contrary." The worthies to whom this power was committed were bishops Cartwright, Crewe, and Sprat; with Sunderland, Rochester, Jeffreys, and Herbert. Archbishop Sancroft declined to act in this illegal commission. The bishop of London was ordered to suspend Sharp, who had preached against Popery, but refused to do what he considered contrary to law. On this James directed the commission to suspend the bishop; and Rochester, who opposed these measures, was dismissed. Other acts of severity followed, with such eager efforts to proselytize, that even the Pope's nuncio condemned the king's haste. The new converts were not many; the profligate poet Dryden was one; but Kirk, when pressed by the king, is said to have re plied, that if he changed his religion, he had pledged himself to the emperor of Morocco to become a Mohammedan. Several monastic establishments were formed, and attempts were made to set up Romish seminaries, and to control those already in existence. Magdalen College, Oxford, was ordered to elect a Popish head; most of the fellows were expelled, and Romanists put in their places, because they resisted. A contest with Cambridge arose, on the king ordering that honorary degrees should be conferred on some known Papists. This being refused the vice-chancellor was summoned to appear before the ecclesiastical commission, deprived of his office, and suspended from the mastership of his college. These arbitrary efforts to establish Popery were preceded by a royal declaration for liberty of conscience. The principle was indeed unexceptionable, but the means for carrying it into effect, namely, the dispensing power; and the object in view-the establishment of Popery, at once showed that what was really intended was any thing but true and effective toleration. The Nonconformists availed themselves of this opportunity to worship with less secrecy than before; but for the most part they bore powerful testimony against the Papal religion, under which they knew no Protestant would be spared; |