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my heart strike me, that I hide myself from a man, and all the time God see me behind the bush. I thought the ground would open and swallow me up; I get so 'fraid, that at last I tremble. It was just as if God look upon me behind the bush. I at last fell upon my knees, and prayed that the Lord Jesus Christ would have mercy upon me. I got up-you had passed, I say, 'Good bye' to my country-people, and went home; but since I had no rest and now I come and tell you that you may know what bad I do. I feel no peace, I am 'fraid God will not receive me now.' I told him to leave his former companions, or he would always be exposed to temptations like these. He faithfully promised not to meddle with them any more. I could not help pitying him, poor man; and so I do every young Christian, when I consider the various snares to which they are exposed. Nothing but grace will prevent and keep them from falling.

"Walking, one Saturday afternoon in my piazza, I saw a school-girl a communicant, about seventeen years old, generally very steady, coming up the hill, with another girl, rather thoughtlessly, laughing and talking which is unusual, as most of the people, at that time, when they have got every thing ready for Sunday, sit down and read their Bibles. When she had passed my house, I called to her, and said, Mary, what day is it tomorrow? She made a full stop-cast her eyes to the groundpaused awhile; and then looked up with a sad countenance, and said, 'The Lord's day, Sir.' Seeing that she was sufficiently reproved, I resumed my walk. When I turned about, I saw Mary standing at the other end of the piazza, and tears rolling down her black cheeks. When I came near, she made a low curtsey, and said, 'I thank you, Sir;' and then turned about and went to the school-house, and I have no doubt, fell on her knees, and turned to her Bible.

"At the celebration of the Lord's Supper, on one occasion, a woman was frightened away from the table from having, as she supposed, no peace with her husband. They had family prayer at nine o'clock, and their breakfast was ready about ten, when the bell rung for Church. The man, being afraid that he should be too late, left his breakfast, dressed himself, and went away; saying, Ann, you might have got the rice cooked a little sooner.' The woman did not answer; but was so alarmed during divine service, that she was tempted to go home, and not partake of the Lord's Supper. The husband was alarmed at this; and came and told me after service, saying, that he had thought no harm, but was troubled very much; and had he known that his wife had gone home, he should have gone also. He was now afraid that he had

received the Lord's Supper unworthily. I sent for the woman and reproved her, but found that it was really a tender conscience which had kept her away. Both were sorry and really grieved, on account of what had happened. They went home in peace.

"I admitted one who had been excommunicated two years before, and who, to all appearance,had become quite hardened. He did not attend Church, because what he heard made him uneasy; but lived according to his evil inclinations. When one of our communicants was buried, he went out of curiosity to the burialground; and endeavoured to prevent my sceing him, by standing behind me. While I was addressing the people, he tried to engage his thoughts with something else; but, as he now told me, while speaking I turned my head and said-'What dost thou say, backslider, about meeting with thy God? art thou prepared?' The poor man said, 'I thought you looked me in the face, and it was as if somebody had knocked me on the head; I went home, but them words followed me every where; and I have no rest day or night. I been go too far, that is what I fear; but one word which you spoke in the Church, comfort me a little, it is, I will love them freely, I will heal their backslidings, for my anger is turned away from him.' I cannot stay away any longer, I pray that God may turn me; that prayer is always in my heart, Turn me, O Lord, and I shall be turned.' I beg you, Sir, pray for me; I am afraid I shall sink into hell. Oh may the Lord Jesus Christ have mercy upon me, a poor backslider.' I admonished, and readmitted him.

"On a particular occasion before the day appointed for administering the Lord's Supper, I gave orders that communicants should meet me in the church. Having observed a coldness in them, I was desirous to exhort them previous to the administration; but as it rained very much, only half came. As this did not satisfy my mind, I appointed the following morning, at nine o'clock, for all who intended to come to the Lord's table, to be in the Church. Accordingly, when the clock struck nine, the whole, except the sick, came in twelve different parties, according to the division of the town, to Church. My heart did rejoice when I saw this scene. When they had entered the Church, the church-wardens came and told me, that all who were well had come. I went, and as some had been readmitted, I read and explained such passages of Scripture as were suited to humble them; and exhorted them to carefulness and watchfulness. also read and explained the commination service, and concluded by urging them to self-examination and repentance; and when my conscience was satisfied, I concluded with prayer. Two young

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men then came forward, and said, that they had quarrelled, and desired to make peace with each other before they came to Lord's Supper this was soon effected, as each said that he was in the wrong. A woman said to me, that she had spoken ill behind another woman's back, and wished to beg her pardon, which of course I advised her to do; she went and did so, and the offended woman forgave her with cheerfulness. I was so delighted with the simple mode in which they thus dealt with one another, that I scarcely could forbear shedding a tear of joy on seeing that my children walk in truth; O that these beloved people may continue in their simplicity! The bell was then rung, and the church was then opened for the rest of the people. I went to my house again, and saw the people come in every direction; but it was perceptible that the salt' and the 'light,' (Matt. v. 13, 14.) were inside the church. I read prayers and preached on Luke xviii. 13, "God be merciful to me a sinner!" As the consciences of the people had been previously wounded, the words of the text seemed to make such a deep impression, that an awful silence, with the greatest attention, was observed during the service."(pp. 159-163.)

Such is the experience of the real missionary,-the man who leaves his native land, not from a love of adventure, but a love of souls. How different, this, from the picture we have just had before us, in which the chief characteristic is wanting, throughout the history, and the only real consolation, at the close.

THE THEOLOGY OF THOMAS ARNOLD,-its importance and bearing on the present State of the Church. By Dr. AUGUSTUS NEANDER. (Translated.) Cambridge: Macmillan. 1846.

WE seized upon this little work with eagerness, supposing that we were about to obtain,-what we have long desired and sought, -a distinct and plain account of Dr. Arnold's system. We much longed for this, because we were aware, that an idea was entertained in various quarters, of getting up a new party, to be called by Arnold's name, and intended to leaven the world with his principles. Very naturally, therefore, we felt exceedingly anxious to gain some clear idea of the principles, the system, for the assertion and propagation of which, this party was to be founded.

Our disappointment, however, was extreme. Or perhaps we should rather say, that we rose from the perusal of this little tract, more convinced than ever of the impossibility of such a scheme. We do not believe that the desired " new party" can be formed, even for the most evanescent existence ;-because we cannot discover, in any of the proclamations it puts forth, the least approach towards a definite outline,-an intelligible declaration of principles. There is much of self-complacent imagining;--much of scorn or pity for all that is past, and for all that now exists;there is, sometimes, (as in the present case) sufficient ground to believe that these new teachers will retain enough of "the old Theology" to save their own souls;-but amidst the whole, while we sometimes learn what they mean to reject, we are scarcely ever allowed to know, what their own distinctive principles are to be. The tract now before us will furnish an excellent example of all that we have just said. In it we find :—

1. Much pity and scorn for the past, and a very complacent idea of the superiority of the anticipated " New Theology." Take the following opening passage :

"Our own intention at present is not to discuss at length the growth and peculiar features of Arnold's life and character, but only to bring before our readers the consideration, that, regarded as the representative of a new Theology, admitting of a freer growth, and arising in the very land where the old order of things is shaken to its base, and where a rigid and narrow system at best has hitherto prevailed, his peculiar characteristics afford a remarkable sign of the times, not only in reference to the history of Theology and the Church in England, but further, by reason of the connection which subsists between all phenomena indicative of the dawn of a brighter futurea sign of the times also in reference to the history of Theology and the Church in general. As we were compelled in a recent review, to enter the lists

against an upholder of the narrow views based on Tradition, and to defend the freedom of our German Theology from his attacks, it gives us the greater pleasure to be able to point out in England also, a mind akin to the scientific method of Germany, who would be heart and soul on our side in this controversy. And we consider this an important sign of the times; it is the breath of a spirit which has already passed over Germany, and is destined to produce a revolution of thought still more extensive. When kindred movements of the human mind display themselves in countries widely different in mental culture, they are always to be looked upon in history as omens of a new world of thought in process of formation. Truths such as those uttered by this wise and excellent man, cannot prove ineffectual. And he has in fact left behind him a numerous body of scholars; while the repeated editions which this engrossing work has gone through in a few years, bear witness to the deep interest it has excited in his own country. If it be asked to what we must attribute the greater freedom in Theological investigation which we recognize in these volumes, we cannot undertake, from the documents before us, to pronounce with certainty to what extent Arnold, induced as he was to study German for the sake of Niebuhr's work on Roman History, was influenced by an acquaintance with the productions of German Theology. At all events, a large portion of his system seems to have been formed in a peculiar manner out of his own scientific and Theological development. Several distinet qualifications, ever calculated to exert a healthy influence on the growth of Theology, appear to have been united in him: a mind formed and harmonized by the study of the Ancients; a familiarity with scientific criticism in its applications to other departments of knowledge; a deeply Christian temper, that necessary opponent of rigid narrow-mindedness; in fine, the genuine spirit of the gospel, which is one of freedom. Nor will it be unprofitable for our German countrymen to listen to an exposition of truths, which even among ourselves at this day find opponents in the upholders of antiquated modes of thinking."-(pp. 6-8.)

And again

"We must also notice in our delineation of this remarkable man, that he rose above dogmatic intolerance and a narrow sectarian spirit, and considered the peculiar essence of Christianity to consist in this-that the temper of mind which regards Christ as the Saviour and the Source of the divine life, the principle by which our whole life in thought and action is to be determined, forms a bond of union which admits of subordinate differences. Consequently he could recognize the element of Christianity in different systems, -he could deliver a more accurate judgment on Unitarianism, and distinguish the Unitarianism which is chiefly engaged with dogmatic notions, from that which undermines the Christian life itself. He saw that this was the true ground of a higher Christian union, advancing onwards to the outward expression of an inward principle, whilst the striving after dogmatic agreement and uniformity could only introduce divisions, and lead men back to a new Judaism. And thus in Arnold we recognize a man fitted to be the herald of a purer and more enlightened Church of the Future.'"'-(pp. 14, 15.)

2. But, next, we are happy to observe sufficient grounds for a confident hope and belief, that Arnold, (and with him Neander) retained enough of the "antiquated Theology" to save their own souls. There are various passages, written by Arnold, and quoted with pleasure by Neander, scattered up and down this tract, which betoken the real Christian,-the man spiritually joined to Christ, and therefore SAVED. For instance, Arnold says,-

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