year will fall short of that of last year by more than a million. And that if the revenue suffers no diminution, there will be a bona fide and effective sinking fund of three millions. These facts serve to strengthen the opinion which we have already expressed respecting the stability of our financial system. A particular class of the community may suffer from the low price of their produce; or a particular branch of our manufactures may be destroyed by foreign competition; but while consumption goes on in creasing, and public credit flourishes, and the great mass of the population are employed and paid, nothing can well be more absurd than to speak of the country as ruined. In deference to the petitions of the agriculturists, the tax upon husbandry horses has been repeal ed; and under all the circumstances of the case, the repeal seems prudent and proper. Both landlords and farmers are suffering, and must continue to suffer, from the return to a regular standard and a metallic currency. And their sufferings cannot be effectually relieved but by an increased demand for agricultural produce, and a gradual fall in the price of labour. But of this fact it is not to be supposed that the majority will ever be convinced, all they know is, that they are in distress; and all they ask is, that somehow or other they may be relieved. Into the principles and details of the Report from the Committee of the House of Commons, we cannot now enter. We believe, however, that their general soundness is unanimously admitted, and that their circulation through the country will be attended with considerable advantage. And the only real question is whether the forementioned repeal be consistent with former determinations of the legislature, and with good faith to the public creditor. It appears at first very easy to de. fend the negative side of this inquiry. But on the whole, we believe that the affirmative may be fairly made out. The repeal has been consented to as a relief to the agriculturists. Manufacturers have frequently been relieved in a simi lar manner. Money has been lent to them on easy terms at the treasury, when they could procure it no where else; and the money so lent had been previously borrowed by government at considerable inconvenience and expence. We see no reason therefore why some sacrifice should not now be made in aid of the farmers and landlords, and it is evidently better to assist them by taking off a small tax, than by advancing a sum of money, of which the interest would be charged to the public at large, and defrayed out of some future impost. The bill for amending the poor laws is postponed to next session; and the criminal laws amendment bill has been rejected in the House of Lords; both of these events were confidently anticipated by the country-but we do not despair of seeing some effectual improvements adopted in the course of next year. The attention of Parliament has also been called to the conduct of our continental Allies-to the Bishop of Peterborough's mode of examining Candidates for Orders-and to the plan of education adopted by Mr. Owen of Lanark. On the last we shall find an opportunity of commenting hereafter. With the second, as it is a theological and ecclesiastical question, our readers are already acquainted; but we trust that the reception which the subject has met with in the House of Lords will save them from ever hearing of it again as a matter of parliamentary complaint. The petition was rejected without a division, as referring to a subject with which the House had no concern. The conduct of the Emperors of Austria and Russia appeared to be a more promising subject, though it may be doubted whether the English Parliament is any more able to controul their majesties, than to realize the Utopian nonsense of Mr. Owen, or to assume the office of Bishop's chaplain, and superintend examinations for Orders. Lord Londonderry admits that the principles avowed by our Allies, are principles to which an English minister cannot give his assent; but at the same time he assures the country that he has seen no desire of aggrandizement or usurpation on the part of the continental powers, and he properly reminds them that it would be the height of chivalrous folly to quarrel with every potentate who publishes an ill-written state paper. We believe that this is a fair representation of the case, and that the public in general are disposed to acquiesce in its correctness. The event of the campaign against Naples has completely proved that the revolution in that country was not the work of the people, but was effected by a few intriguing and factious indivi"duals, who contrived to upset a weak and inefficient government. The same individuals loudly threatened their Austrian neighbours; and were employed in preparing to drive them out of Italy. We cannot see, therefore, that the Allies were to blame for interfering; and if they seriously endeavour to im prove the condition of Naples and Sicily, and to make their present occupation of those countries a permanent blessing to the inhabitants, they are, to say the least, more likely to effect such an object than all the Carbonari in the world. In this case it will only remain to hope that when they next undertake to compose a manifesto, they may be so fortunate as to have the assistance of a better secretary of state. NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS. W. will oblige us by furnishing a direction under which a letter may be addressed to him. Cler. Gloc. Oxon. and Philo-Sabbatos shall appear. G. I. M. and Cler. Cest. have been received, and are under con sideration. Adjutor's hint shall be remembered. The letter of Exoros was accidentally mislaid. The report of the case Parham against Templer is deferred from want Similar communications will be thankfully received. of room. cannot be denied that it IT has been frequently lamented by good men, that the perpetual recurrence of the same religious services has a tendency to produce an insensibility to impression. It is. equally true, that the force even of probable proofs is diminished by familiarity, and that moral reasoning, when addressed to the will, as well as to the understanding, becomes less cogent and persuasive the more frequently it is repeated. He who has been long conversant with theological subjects, and whose constant employment in life has been public instruction, will readily acknowledge, that the same truths, by which he was once powerfully convinced, or deeply affected, have, by frequent repetition, lost much of their efficacy on his mind. He may still re. tain an unshaken conviction of the certainty of those truths; and of the necessity of preaching them to mankind with sincerity, faithfulness, and zeal. But still his perceptions may be less vivid and distinct, and his affections less strongly and frequently excited. He may see things, as Lord Bacon says, in a dry light. His understanding may be satisfied, but his heart may remain unmoved. Now there is always a danger lest this diminution of inpression on the mind should produce a correspond. ing diminution of vigilance and ac tivity in the performance of moral and religious duties. That this ef fect has followed, in many instances, REMEMBRANcer, No. 32. But there is another disadvantage, against which we who minister in sacred things, have constantly to contend-a disadvantage arising, like those we have already mentioned, from the very nature of our employment. When we compose for the pulpit, and when we deliver those compositions, we have, or ought to have, two objects, similar indeed, but yet distinct, continually in view; the edification of others, and the improvement of ourselves. The first of these two objects is the most prominent and attractive-the other we regard as subordinate, and sometimes, it is to be feared, entirely overlook. "The consequence of repetition," says Paley," will be felt more sensibly by us, who are in the habit of directing our arguments to others: for it always requires a second, a separate, and an unusual effort of the mind to bring back the conclusion upon ourselves. In constructing, in expressing, in delivering our arguments, in all the thoughts and study which we employ upon them, what we are apt to hold continually in view, is the effect they may produce upon those who hear or read them. The further and best use of our meditations, their influence upon our own hearts and consciences, is lost in the presence of 3 M the other. In philosophy itself, it is not always the same thing to study a subject in order to understand, and in order to teach it. In morals and religion, the power of persuasion is cultivated by those whose employ. ment is public instruction; but their wishes are fulfilled, and their care exhausted, in promoting the success of their endeavours upon others. The secret duty of turning truly and in earnest their attention upon themselves is suspended, not to say forgotten, amidst the labours, the engagements, the popularity of their public ministry, and in the best disposed minds, is interrupted by the anxiety, or even by the satisfaction, with which their public services are performed." We well know our Lord's denunciations against those who " said, and did not," and who "bound heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and laid them on men's shoulders; but they themselves would not move them with one of their fingers." We all feel, and readily confess, that what we preach to others, we ought to preach also to ourselves. But do we actually thus preach? Do we examine our own hearts and conduct to ascertain their conformity to those rules which we ourselves have publicly laid down? If this conformity does not exist, and if there is no endeavour to produce it, it is surely an awful consideration, that while we preach to others, we ourselves may become cast-aways; and that before the tribunal of Christ many, whom we have followed with private or public exhortations, will rise to testify against us; and to declare the everlasting benefits they have derived from those instructions, which we, while we delivered them, undervalued and neglected. At that solemn hour it would indeed be dreadful to be addressed with those ever memorable words, "Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant." Where is the man, who upon the reperusal of his discourses after some lapse of time, has not abundant reason for humiliation and self-abasement, while he contemplates the neglect of duties which he once warmly recommended, or the commission of sins, which he formerly with vehemence condemned? The fact is, that we must all plead guilty to frequent forgetfulness, and occasional direct violations of our own precepts. Why should we either deny or palliate it? Why should we pretend to an undeviating rectitude, and an immaculate sanctity, of which our nature is not capable? The standard which we are bound to hold up to mankind is high, and holy, and perfect. We cannot entirely reach it; but we must endeavour, we must labour, to reach it. The excellent Skelton has some familiar, but shrewd and judicious, observations on this subject. "A very sensible gentlewoman," says he, "having read the two first volumes of sermons I had the presumption to publish, asked me, If my own life and conversation were strictly conformable to the rules I had laid down in those discourses: Startled at the question, I answered, No; but that I did my best to act as well as I wrote; and that I sometimes read over my own discourses, not that I thought them equal to those of other writers on the same subjects, but to upbraid and excite myself to a greater degree of watchfulness over my own ways. Two of them, I said, had been of singular use to me for this purpose, more than the most excellent performances of Barrow, Tillotson, or Stanhope, could have been; because they stared my own failings in the face, like an additional conscience, with greater sternness than the writings of other men could do." no one sermon I ever preached had I one lesson for myself, and another for my hearers. My heart and con science always made a part of the audience; and the pure word of God ever dictated to me what I delivered to them. Whatever constitutional warmth was mixed with my zeal, and much there certainly was; and how ever earnestly I threatened the terrors of the Lord to obstinate sinners, especially such as preach unsound doctrines to His people, I trembled while I did it, and pushed with an instrument sharp at both ends, that pointed at my own sins, as well as theirs." This is the language of a truly good man, an Israelite indeed, in whom was no guile;" whose life was spent in constant endeavours, both by his preaching and conduct, to "adoru the doctrine of God our Saviour." The practice, which he here mentions, of reading over his own discourses, in order to detect his deviations from his own prccepts, is well worthy of universal imitation. It is a practice calculated to produce the most beneficial effects. It is the best preservative against that insensibility to religious impression which, as has been already observed, is too frequently generated by the repetition of the same services and the same arguments, and by the habit of regarding the edification of others as the principal, and almost the sole, object of our preaching. It is a preservative also against the danger to which we are exposed of "doing the work of the Lord deceitfully," and of falling into that most odious and contemptible of vices, hypocrisy. On the contrary, this prac tice will form and cherish in our hearts humility, sincerity, diligence, and indeed every other Christian virtue. They who have been long habituated to a nightly examination of their daily conduct, know from experience the excellent effects of self-inspection and reminiscence. Such persons will, without difficulty, be persuaded of the advantages of advancing a step further, and of carrying on their examinations into their personal conformity and agreement with their own ministerial instructions. They will not doubt the benefit of appointing some time, either before or after they have preached to their congregations, that they may secretly preach to their own hearts, of at least reading over the applications and hortatory parts of their discourses, and inquir ing of themselves, whether " their own mouths have not testified against them;" whether they have not been guilty of taking God's covenant into their mouths, and casting his words behind them; or whether they have indeed practised those duties, and cultivated those virtues, which they have in public so loudly, and so energetically, prescribed. Example has always more efficacy than precept. Let me then extract a passage from the Life of Dod. dridge to shew the manner in which that excellent man performed the duty of ministerial self-examination. "It will not," says his biographer, "be unpleasing nor unprofitable to the serious reader, if I insert some specimens of the manner in which he preached over his sermons to his own soul; heartily wishing that it may excite ministers to do the like." "July 23, 1727. I this day preached concerning Christ, as the physician of souls, from Jer. viii. 22. and having, among other particulars, addressed those sincere Christians, who through a neglect of the Gospel remedy are in a bad state of spiritual health, it is evident to me, upon a serious review, that I am of that number. I know by experience that my remaining distempers are painful. God knows they are the great affliction of my life; such an affiction, that, methinks, if I were free from it, any worldly circumstances would be more tolerable, and even more delightful, than that full flow of prosperity, by which I am so often ensnared and injured. I know Christ is able to help me, and to restore me to more perfect health than I have ever yet attained; and my experience of his power and grace is a shameful aggravation of my negligence. Therefore with humble shame and sorrow for my former |