operating upon the human mind as powerful motives to virtue, as if the believer was no better at heart than the unbeliever, yet we are far from admitting that belief does not often affect the very heart-the disposition, and the mind. Whatever might have been the first motives to virtuous ac tions, they become habitual when continued in, and modify and assimilate all the affections of the soul. No one can tell without much attention to the subject, what effect may be produced upon the mind and feelings by the frequent contemplation of that great and good Being. As profane and blasphemous expressions tend to vitiate and corrupt the heart, so on the other hand, pious and devout reflections tend to purify, improve, and enrich it. By serious meditations on his greatness, his justice, his goodness, his unbounded and everlasting love, and all the glories of divine perfection, the mind gradually harmonizes with these bright and lovely attributes. And ever looking forward to its resplendent and glorious object, the mind presses on with ever growing and never tiring purpose to an humble imitation of the divine goodness. Our dispositions and habits have always a tendency to coalesce with those of the persons with whom we associate, especially when we hold them in high estimation. The humble and devotional believer in God so often communes with him, meditates so happily upon his amiable perfections, and dwells with such fervid and vivid emotion upon the bright image of moral loveliness, that he is drawn imperceptibly to admire and love every thing that resembles God. Would it not be an advantage to a young person to be permitted to associate with one venerable for wisdom and moral worth? Most certainly. For as vicious associations tend to contaminate the whole circle, so virtuous associations tend also to strengthen and enlarge the sphere of excellence. The believer in God, therefore, need not be alone. He has at all times access to the fountain of all good. There he may improve his character, " grow in grace," soften and hu

manize his heart, chasten and elevate his affections, and approximate toward the perfection of that high and holy Being, till all meaner desires shall be absorbed in pure and spontaneous devotion to the will and law of God. It is this that has raised millions of our fallen race almost above all the elements of sin and all the evil propensities of the heart. This has imparted to believers a fortitude in sickness, wretchedness, and pain, that sustained the triumphant soul. Animated and supported with this, they have met the frowns of tyrants undismayed. They have gone with undaunted firmness to gloomy dungeons-to be laid in massy irons within the dark vaults of cold and dreary walls. They have felt the unutterable pangs of the inquisition and the Auto da fe without a groan; and they have been broiled alive, to satiate the vengeance of unthinking and unfeeling bigotry and blind infatuation, while with unearthly transports, they glorified God that they were accounted worthy to suffer in attestation of eternal truth! These things are facts. And they prove that a belief in the Deity has a powerful influence on the actions and characters of men. Admit, that false religion has done the most evil of any thing-this only proves that true religion has power to do the most good.

Let our readers here pause and seriously reflect on the subject of these hints. We have not yet done; but if we have a reader, who doubts the truth or utility of religion, let such at least reflect, whether he has examined the evidences of religion without previous judgement, and without an unwillingness to be convinced. Probably no important objection has ever been conceived by any infidel that we have not considered; we have considered the arguments too in favour of religion, and think them entirely unanswerable, overwhelming and conclusive.

III. The subject of a revelation, considered.-The people of our country may be divided into three classes, atheists, deists, and christians. Atheists believe in no God; deists

believe in a God, but not in the scriptures; and christians believe in a God, and the scriptures which unfold the Patriarchal, Mosaick, and Christian dispensations. It is evident that all the great geniuses, who in their literary madness, have written against religion, were really atheists, though some of them have partially concealed it under the appearance of deism. Deism is in fact a perfect anomaly. No philosopher has ever been able to systemize it. They could only give to "airy nothing a local habitation and a name." It is only a kind of milk and water infidelity, (if we may so speak,) designed for weak, moderate, and timid disciples of the system, and such as are but just initiated. It is the twilight between the light of religious truth, and the darkness of atheism. It is but the intermediate step between errour and truth.

Mr. A. Kneeland, a universalist preacher, who stood among the first for erudition, strength of mind, and interesting manners, became a deist. But here he could no more rest, than a falling stone could stop before it comes to the ground. He became an atheist! Some censured him and accused him of bad motives: even some of his universalist brethren questioned his integrity. We did not like this at the time. We loved him when in his right mind, and had not the heart to persecute him in his misfortunes. We thought him a good and great man, that his motives were always good, but his unbounded thirst for knowledge, his ardent and inquisitive disposition to extend his researches far beyond human limits, at last broke down his giant intellect, and laid the fair, moral and mental fabrick in ruins, no more to be admired, but to moulder away in sunless, starless, and joyless oblivion.

But to return from this digression,-there is no middle course; we must be atheists or christians. Admit a God, and the whole system of christianity is or may as well be admitted. All mysteries are resolved into the will and purposes of Jehovah. Deism supposes there is a God, but

that he has made no revelation except through the medium of nature. That he never acts except through the fixed laws of nature. That he has no special agency or providence in the things of the world. Now who does not see that this is in effect atheism? If deism has a God it might as well have none, since it assigns him nothing to do; and thinks it an insult to offer him worship. If God does not act, it is the same to us as though he did not exist. If he never interposes his power to arrest, suspend, or direct the course of nature, then what avails it that he exists? According to such theory, men live, and act, and die without his notice, and of course have no rewards to expect, nor punishments to fear, but are left to dodge, and snatch up what little crumbs of comfort they can by all the cunning and art they possess while here, and then be annihilated. Deists sometimes talk of their exalted ideas of God-of his being far above the little things contained in the Biblethat he is far above any thing like a miracle or special providence that he is far above any special agency in the little affairs of the world. Now must not their God be vastly great and glorious to make a world, and people it with rational beings and never take any further notice of it!What a grand and sublime character, to fill the world with intelligencies, and take no further notice of their actions, or their destinies! The deist's God seems to be great indeed, since he is too great to take any notice of his own works, or have any agency in the concerns of his own creation. Do they really think he is like some great men among us, too much a gentleman to engage in any useful business? Although the idea is rather sarcastick, it does really seem that they have some such conceptions of the Divine Being! Else why suppose, since there is a God, that he should not be present to manage every thing and do every thing that justly ought to be done?

1. It must be admitted by deists that God is able to make a special revelation. That he could do this if he pleased.

That he could not only reveal truth to the human mind, but could make that mind sensible that such truth was a revelation from him. For if he could make man capable of communicating his thoughts to his fellow man, he must have power to make a revelation.

2. If God have power to do it, he would do it if it were necessary, provided he were wise and good. The deist infers from the order and harmony of nature, and the abundance of benificent tokens, poured forth upon all things, that the author of all things must be wise and good, therefore, they must admit that a revelation could and would have been made, had it been necessary.

We intend to ad

duce arguments to prove that it was necessary, but we must suspend them for the present, for the purpose of presenting some further general considerations on the subject.

Before attempting to prove a special revelation necessary, we would prepare the way by answering some objections which have at times obtruded themselves upon our peace.

1. If God designed to make a revelation to men, why did he not make it to each and every person, since he could do it as easy, and not oblige almost the whole world to trust to the veracity of a few for a revelation?

Now suppose we were to reply to this, "we do not know," would that be any argument that God had not revealed divine truth in the Bible? Does not the deist see and believe thousands of things in the works of God which are inexplicable to him? Can the deist tell us why all things are to be found in his book of nature which he sees there? But God undoubtedly has good reasons for making a revelation as he did. We might ask, why did not God make all men perfectly wise and good the moment they were born? Why did he not build them houses, prepare their clothes, and spread out in every house fine furniture, and a rich table laden with all varieties of food richly cooked? Why did he not clear us farms, lay us out gardens,