he should do this great wickedness?" And he afterwards went home and murdered his master. They may tremble with Felix at the preaching of the word, and put away from them the salvation of the soul. Like Agrippa they may be almost Christians, and yet be lost for not being altogether Christians. Like Ananias and Sapphira they may give part of their possions to the Church of God, and still after all be cast-aways for lying against the Holy Ghost. All this is practical infidelity. The sad effects of unbelief are misery, pain, sickness, disappointment, poverty, and death here, and everlasting and inexpressible torments in hell hereafter. Behold the sad effects of unbelief! In conclusion I would address all real Christians, and say in the name of the Lord, in order to be saved believe in the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart. Repent truly of your sins. By God's grace lead a new life. Believe in, read, pray, and study your Bibles. Watch against sin, be diligent in prayer, quench not the Spirit, attend God's house, seek the daily application of his blood, the imputation of his righteousness, the sanctification of his Spirit, and the comfort of the salvation of your souls. Do not mix any thing of your own with the merits of Christ. You are justified by faith without the deeds of the law in the sight of God. Attend to every precept, live in a spirit of prayer, and be as careful to frame your lives to God's word, as if heaven were the reward of merit alone; and yet after all, acknowledge yourselves and your performances as too defective to save your souls; that there is not one perfect principle or feeling about you of your own, but that whatsoever good you may have is the fruit of faith, and be persuaded to depend altogether on Jesus Christ, with your hearts unto righteousness, and you shall finally be saved. Let Christ be your only hope and stay; live daily by faith on his precious promises. May you be blessed here with heavenly light, and hereafter with a crown of glory. Amen. HINTS RELATIVE TO RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES. Among the many questions which agitate the Christian world at the present moment, one refers to the expediency or non-expediency of aiding, through the medium of Societies, the diffusion of divine truth throughout the world. That the object is beneficent in itself, and calculated to promote the highest interests of mankind, no soberminded Christian can deny; but that what is really good in its primary intention is associated with a certain portion of evil is also equally true; for, alas, fallibility attaches to everything human, and there is no perfection in anything beneath the sun. Whether the Societies generally are now conducted upon that principle with which they commenced is a question; their aim then was simply to benefit man, and glorify God; their labour of love was gratuitous, and no secular feeling or motive could be laid to the charge of the first promoters of Bible or Missionary Societies. It seldom happens, however, that any institution retains for any length of time the purity of its first principles; with its increase and extension innovations creep in, and symptoms of degeneracy are but too visible. This is surely applicable to even professedly religious institutions, and it may also be fairly deduced, that activity in a cause, however benevolent and godlike in its principle, is no just criterion of personal piety. Many, it is to be feared (the reflection is indeed appalling), who labour hard to raise the scaffolding will have no part in the spiritual building. O may we be led, each one and all, seriously to scrutinize the motives that induced us to engage in a work which involves such great responsibility. To any one who has just reason to conclude that singlemindedness is the main-spring of action, and that love to perishing sinners (which cannot be unconnected with the glory of God) constrains them to such, we would say, "Go forward, and may the blessing of the Most High rest upon your labours." There cannot be a question as to the expediency of the work; God, in the accomplishment of his own purposes, condescends to make use of human agency. If it were not so ordained, what need have we, or any other nation, of the preached Word? If it is still needful in a land favoured beyond any other with Gospel privileges, surely heathen countries are not to be left uninstructed and destitute of the means of grace. In obedience to the command of your Saviour, therefore, " go and preach the Gospel to every creature." He has a people to be called and saved out of every nation, kindred, and tribe under Heaven; his elect are to be gathered from the four corners of the earth, and we dare not meddle with the secret decrees of God, and say who are and who are not to be called. The standard of the Gospel is to be lifted up to all, and while duty is ours we must leave the event to Him. This is obviously the procedure of every society modified on Gospel principles, it savours not of enthusiasm if rightly apprehended; one is to sow and another to water, but God alone can give the increase. Let no undue stress, therefore, be laid on human effort, where this is the case little will be effected. God is jealous of his own honour, and his glory will he not give to another; such unhallowed means he never will bless: human dependence is a baseless fabric to build upon, whatever is reared upon it will be levelled to the dust; God's work alone will stand, and where he revokes who can hinder? The origin, rise, and progress of the British and Foreign Bible Society is a great work; it surely emanated from him who is the giver of every good and perfect gift. Great and important are the benefits which result from benevolent institutions, but the eternal welfare of mankind in the estimation of every real Christian is of primary moment; this world with its short-lived interests is rapidly passing away, but the soul is destined to live through the countless ages of eternity. We may, therefore, challenge the inquiry, and the question may be solemnly put to each individual, "What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" How low comparatively does every thing connected with this life sink when contrasted with the awful realities of the future. The Bible contains the revealed will of God, it unfolds the plan of salvation to a lost guilty world, it is the medium through which we are led to the knowledge of a crucified Redeemer, and accompanied with the divine blessing it proves an infallible guide to the paths of holiness and peace. Would it not, therefore, be deemed unnecessary to enter into any lengthened detail of the advantages resulting from a general diffusion of the Sacred Volume; surely it would only be a repetition of an undeniable truth, that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." This blessed book contains instruction appropriate to all classes, conditions, and circumstances. It comes to every rational and responsible being with demands upon his attention and obedience with which he cannot refuse or neglect to comply without involving himself in the deepest guilt and danger; and who, may we ask, would conscientiously withdraw their aid from a society whose sole and exclusive object is the circulation of the Bible throughout every land and in every tongue, unless there were some improper association connected therewith? The pressure of the times has been felt by all classes, more or less, this has acted upon the lesser associations and affected the greater, but while many sacrifices are and must be made on the score of principle, surely something may also be curtailed to promote an object so truly calculated to bless the recipients of its bounty. The entrance of thy word, says David, giveth light, it giveth understanding to the simple. Through this society the light of divine truth is communicated to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. May it ever rank high in the estimation of all who love God's holy word; let no weapon formed against it prosper; may it never become so secularized as to lose sight of the great end for which it was designed and instituted; may labourers come forth from time to time, ready to every good word and work, willing to devote themselves, their time, talents, and their property, as far as circumstances will admit, to the glorious cause. Let the collector of the humble pence and the subscriber of a larger sum cast alike their offerings into the sacred treasury. And may all who are officially connected with these societies bear in mind the responsible situation in which they stand, as stewards and almoners of those means which the Christian world at large has placed at their disposal. May they be men of prayer and of sound wisdom, coveting no man's gold or silver, nor seeking human applause, but zealously discharging the high and sacred duties which devolve upon them as men and as Christians.* CORRESPONDENCE. March 24. REV. SIR, I take the liberty of sending you the enclosed New Church Catechism, which I believe now is being circulated in opposition to our Scriptural Church Catechisın, hoping if it is not too much to ask of you to review this Catechism in your excellent periodical, the "Gospel Magazine, or Church of England Advocate." What a different lesson do Dissenters teach in this day to what their forefathers taught,-I allude to Matthew Henry, Baxter, Dodridge,—who, instead of poisoning the minds of the peo *The above was written previous to it being generally known or believed, that Socinians were connected with the British and Foreign Bible Society. It is sincerely hoped that an alteration will be made in its present constitution. ple against the Church of England established in this land, said they held all their religious privileges by it; but the only remedy for this great evil is to extend, by every possible means, the National Church. I remain, Sir, your humble servant, A CONSTANT READER, T. H. A LITTLE WESLEYAN FOX DETECTED WITH HIS HEAD TOWARD THE CHURCH OF ROME, AND HIS TAIL LASHING THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. Bexley, Kent, March 27, 1840. REVEREND GENTLEMEN. This morning a Wesleyan local preacher (whose arguments like himself are cold as WINTER) distinctly and deliberately stated to me, that "he would rather become a Roman Catholic than believe the doctrines of election and reprobation, and the other doctrines contained in the thirty-nine articles of the Church of England; and also that those articles were the cause of the unusefulness of the Church of England." As I consider it is my duty, at all times and in all places, to defend according to my ability, the doctrines contained in the Articles and Creeds of the Church of England, I attacked the ir-reverend Wesleyan with quotations from the Holy Scriptures, but he was angry, and walked from me. I now declare, that had I the tongue of an angel with a voice like thunder, I should be delighted in declaring those doctrines which the Wesleyan despised, and that I had rather serve as a deacon of the Church of England than I would reign as Pope of Rome, or an elder of the Wesleyan Dissenters. I am, rev. gentlemen, A THOROUGH-BRED EVANGELICAL TERRIER. To the Editors of the "Gospel Magazine, or Church of England Advocate." POETRY. No. 5. ON OUR OWN IMPERFECTIONS. WHILE in the flesh, I often feel Infirmities arise: And, in my heart, temptations steal, What feebleness at duty's call! Deep wars my inward members fire, My closet hears me, when retire, Like Peter on the surface calm, Then doubts arise with dread alarm, Lord teach me to depend on thee, ON THE INTERCESSION OF CHRIST. DEAR Saviour, thou hast made me know, To save my soul from hell: Thou diedst that I might live with thee, Thy wond'rous love to tell. O grant me full assurance here; Lord take thy servant's cause in hand, And tho' in heaven above thou art, O holy Spirit, heav'nly dove, To sanctify my heart: Let grace expel the tyrant quite, And shed sweet rays of cheering light,— Dear spirit ne'er depart. A HYMN FOR THE SABBATH DAY. HAIL! hallow'd Sabbath, day's sweet dawn, And Jesus rose, the tomb's first born, This day the saints rejoice to meet, The word of grace delights their hearts, And worships Christ the God of heav'n. |