with God; no hope of heaven. With it, in its just associations, the Christian accomplishes every thing, and secures the fruition of all his hopes.

We are led, however, by these strong expressions, to reflect upon the disposition so common in men to exalt particular points to a lofty eminence above others, and to invest one of the mere instruments or means by which an end is attained, with all the power and glory of the co-operating agencies by which alone it becomes efficient. There is often, indeed, great beauty and propriety in the tropical style of expression by which, in substituting a part for the whole, we attain a concentrated energy, and secure a more vivid impression. It is thus, not to Rubens, but to his pencil, that we owe the magnificent paintings of the "Conversion of St. Paul," and the "Descent from the Cross." It is thus, also, to the chisel of Powers, we are to attribute the graceful form of the "Greek Slave." Thus, too, in the scriptures, we are said to be "justified by faith;" to be saved by the foolishness of preaching" to be "sanctified by the truth;" and in the same style, the ancients, "through faith, subdued kingdoms; wrought righteousness; obtained promises; stop ped the mouths of lions, and quenched the violence of fire."

It is, nevertheless, unfortunately the case, that men often either mistake this tropical for a literal style, or that, carried away by an extravagant admiration for a particular fragment of the gospel, they are led to claim for it an independent and inordinate value. There is no trait in the ancient fathers more striking than this. Every where in their writings they manifest this disposition to exalt matters that are subordinate to an undue pre-eminence, and to pluck the brightest ornaments from things of higher claims, in order to construct with them a diadem for some special favorite. This spirit, indeed, has prevailed more or less at all ages in the religious world, and we owe to it those imperfect systems, those partial views of truth, and those distorted representations of the gospel which have so long disturbed society, and which are not only not Christianity, but are not even good imitations of it, having, in many cases, like miserable portraits, only such slight resemblance to it as to enable us to conclude that a likeness was intended.

In no instance, perhaps, is there a more striking proof of a departure from the gospel, than in the very matter of prayer. By a large portion of the religious world it has been wholly disconnected from faith, so that they call upon unbelievers to pray for faith, and to ap proach God devoid of the very principle by which they are to be accepted of Him. They have manifestly so misconceived the mat

ter as to suppose prayer to be possessed of an intrinsic and inherent efficacy, and there is unquestionably a vague and confused notion in the minds of large masses of society, that prayer will, by this inherent and mysterious virtue, act like the potent charm of some magician, and influence even the Supreme Being, as the awful words of an incantation were supposed to control the unseen spirits of enchantment. At least, it is very difficult to explain, on any other principle, the course pursued by multitudes, and that reliance upon the mere formula of prayer which their conduct evinces; as though, disconnected from faith, heedless of the divine will, and unprompted by the spirit of truth, it were able to placate the Deity; to give dig nity to every worldly assemblage; to sanctify the worst ends; to justify the most flagitious acts; and consecrate all ranks and orders of the vast hierarchy of iniquity in their world-wide ministrations.

How careful are the divine writers to prevent misconception in regard to all the doctrines and institutions of the gospel! How particular, even in their use of the synedoche, to connect means with ends, and causes with effects, so as one would think to leave no isolated principle on which any one might attempt to found a sectarian habitation! If they would display the excellency of faith, they fail not to connect it with the works which perfect it; if they dwel upon the beauty of virtue, they associate it with that faith which renders it acceptable to God; and if they laud the efficacy of prayer, and recount the wonders it has wrought, they take pains to state that it is the "prayer of faith" that saves; that it is "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man that avails ;" and that it is when we ask in accordance with the will of God, that we are alone authorized to expect an answer to our petitions.

How important it is, then, that in religion, as well as elsewhere, every thing should have its due place, and that we should never break the divine connexion of things, or distort and derange the perfect system which God has devised for the salvation of the world! R. R.

WHEN you are elevated with reading a work, and your mind is inspired with noble and generous sentiments, seek not for any other rule to judge it by; it is good, and done by a master hand.De la Bruyere.

CHRISTIANITY is not, like ancient piety, the love of religion, but the religion of love.

POPERY UNCHANGING IN ITS CHARACTER.

IT is lamentable to observe how deep a delusion exists in the minds of many Christians respecting the Church of Rome. Talk to some men about Popery, and they tell you that the persecuting temper of the Hierarchy had passed away with the ages of darkness, forgetting that the boast of Romanism is that she is like the Father of lights, having no variableness, nor the shadow of a turn.

The Church of Rome has always been ready to form an alliance with the state, and has employed its sword, which she calls Peter's, to cut off men's ears, regardless of Christ's reproof to Peter-“ Put up thy sword into the sheath; all they that take the sword shall perish by the sword." They pretend that Christ has empowered them to compel men to the gospel feast, though common sense would convince every man that the compulsion which our Lord intended to inculcate in that parable, is such as is employed with friends invited to a feast: that is, earnest invitations which they could not refuse. For who would ever have thought of beating men, much less threatening to kill them, if they did not come and sup with us? Might they not as well have forced those who were at first invited? but as they were allowed to stay away if they were determined, so the persons found in the highways and hedges were only to be compelled by kind entreaties.

But the Church of Rome, having become a harlot to the state, has employed the power of the world to execute her decrees, and has burned men for conscience sake, with all the horrors of her infernal Inquisition. Infernal! The tribunal of the Inquisition is ten thousand times worse than hell. For in the abode of the damned, punishment is inflicted by Almighty justice, according to the sentence of wisdom and equity. But in the court of the Inquisition which the Church of Rome has established to punish those whom she terms heretics, all equity is renounced, and the most iniquitous modes of torture are employed to make men confess themselves guilty, in order to form a plausible pretext for burning them alive. Thus Rome has shed more blood than would float the largest ship of war in our navy, and has added so many martyrs for truth, that no ordinary volume would contain the catalogue. This we should not think it right to mention, did not the church itself justify her bloody deeds; for many of her murders were committed in an age in which all denominations seem to think it lawful to burn their neighbor for the love of their Maker. Calvin and Socinus, by words or deeds; but they who now condemn the deeds of their forefathers should not bear the reproach of their sins. The Church of Rome, however, has never renounced the doctrine of persecution.

A truly Catholic-Popery would be a solecism. The claim of right to rule the consciences of men is so interwoven into the very nature of this false religion, that the late events in France and Spain have shown that Popery is unchanged; as all who have closely studied its genius, must pronounce it unchangeable. Spain, delivered up to its priests and monks, again groans under the infamous burden of the Inquisition. France has but yesterday displayed the horrors of

the dark ages. A nation that boasts of its refinement and gallantry has shown itself Popish again, by violating the modesty of the defenceless sex, and whipping to death naked women in her streets. The plunder, banishment and murder of the Protestants, teach us that the harlot still loves to get drunk with the blood of the saints and martyrs of Jesus. Who would not exclaim with the dying Patriarch: "Instruments of cruelty are in their habitations; O, my soul, come not thou unto their assembly, mine honor be thou not united, for in their honor they slew a man, and in their self-will they digged down a wall; cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel?"-Boston Visiter.

THE VALUE OF A RELIGIOUS PAPER.

AN INCIDENT.

SOMETIME in the year 183-, far out in the wilds of the Cherokee Nation, a solitary missionary wended his way to an obscure post office, seeking only a letter or perchance a paper from friends whom he had left far away. While there, said the Postmaster, in a careless tone,"Parson -, here is a number of some kind of a religious paper-(looking at it)" Millennial Harbinger," and as the man to whom it has been sent has left the country, if you'll pay the postage you may have it." The preacher looked at it a few mo ments Very good. I'll take it." He took it home and read it carefully, for he was a man who thought as he read, and laid it away. Regularly, month after month came the paper, and regularly did the thoughtful missionary peruse it. A year rolled away, and deeper and deeper grew the interest of the missionary. He took it out the second year; but long ere that second year closed, the missionary was a convinced man. He could no longer love the dogmas and formulas of a sect. He had tasted of the fountain of religious liberty. He must himself be free; and free, indeed, he soon became. Disowning all allegiance to the party with which he had been identified, he was immersed, on confession of his faith in Jesus Christ, and thenceforward plead the primitive gospel, as delivered to the saints.

His efforts, at first, were met with that peculiarly bitter opposi. tion which usually asssils the independent advocate of truth, where truth is not yet known. But he persevered. He formed a little church on the gospel model, and gradually his labors were blessed.

In a few years he moved to a neighboring State. As opportunities offered he still continued to preach, and scores, through his instrumentality, were convinced of the truth, and reverently obeyed it. Many years have since elapsed. He has preached on, more and more faithfully, till hundreds, nay, more than a thousand of his fellow-travelers to eternity has he immersed, and still the work goes

on, and not a year does he preach that the Lord does not bless his labors with more than a hundred precious seals, and his brethren his footsteps with more than thousands of blessings.

Reader, think of this man and then think of that stray leaf from the far off Bethany, that fell into his hands in the country post office, and which, by the blessing of God, was the cause of so many happy results.-Christian Magazine.

THE BLASPHEMER'S DEATH.

THERE is something so terribly startling in the following facts, and so fearfully exemplifying the grievous sin and extreme peril of blaspheming the name of the Eternal, that had we not made minute inquiry, even among the very haunts of those living where the occurrence took place, we should have believed it to be an exaggerated rumor of some ordinary and every day casualty, rather than the awfully true narrative. Sunday last, a married woman, residing in the Friar's Fields, named Sarah Morgan, was observed with an infant in her arms, near her own house, disputing with a woman named Elizabeth Volan. A quarrel of a very violent character, so far as words went, shortly afterwards ensued, and in reply to an observation made by the other woman, Sarah Morgan exclaimed she hoped that God Almighty would strike her blind, deaf, dumb and stiff, if she did not revenge herself upon her in a particular manner. Almost directly she staggered, let her child fall from her arms to the ground, and would herself apparently have fallen but that her neighbors immediately assisted her into the house.

Dr. Stack was promptly in attendance, who, we need scarcely remark, continued to render her every assistance which medical skill and humanity could suggest. From the moment that she was thus mysteriously stricken to the hour of her death, at half-past one o'clock on Wednesday morning, the only words she uttered, and just after she was borne in, were, Lord, have mercy on my poor soulhave mercy on my children!' and then her voice failed her, and she became dumb, her sense of hearing was destroyed, her eyes became glassy and sightless, and in about sixty hours from the moment in which she was struck down, Death placed his icy hand upon her, and she became a corpse. This fearful event has produced a painful sensation even among the abandoned creatures of the locality in which it occurred.-Monmouth (Eng.) Merlin.

WITH the world began a struggle that will end only with the world-that of man against nature; mind against matter; liberty against fatality. History is but the narrative of this interminable struggle.-Vico.