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ease could not be met, and the liberty desired by Carlile, Taylor, and the infidel faction which prompt and aid them, be accorded, unless the whole form of our laws and government were dissolved. These recognise the belief of a God, and a future state of punishment, and public morality as essentially connected with these great principles, and Christianity as the only effective and authenticated manifestation of them. We must, therefore, to meet such speculators, begin anew, and construct a government which holds no connexion with religion; which can administer no oath of conscience; and which can avail itself in nothing, nor strengthen its influence over the very morals of society, (for the preservation of which government itself is constituted,) by the fear of a Supreme Being, and a sense of responsibility in a future world. In one word, we are by such reasoners invited to try an experiment which no ancient or modern legislator ever dared to make,-(except for a short time by the French republicans,) to form a state, and a body of law, without religion. This experiment, thank God, is not likely to be made in our own country; and no man in his senses wishes it to be made. It becomes, therefore, a solemn part of the duty of every Christian man, to support that wise, and just, and scriptural application of the power of the magistrate, by which he is made "a terror to evil doers, and a praise to them that do well ;" and in our judgment, the very worst kind of "evil doers" are those who teach that part of society who are most easily misled and corrupted, that there is no authorized rule for virtue and vice; that there is no God to judge the world; that good and evil are ideal distinctions, and that there is no future world.

An attempt has been made in various publications, we perceive, to create a sympathy in favour of that wretched man, who has last been convicted of blasphemy, by eulogizing his talents and his firmness; in some instances, for the insidious purpose of drawing attention to his opinions; though, as to others, we would charge them rather upon an affectation of liberality, with the syren song of which so many have, in these times, been seduced. That this apostate Clergyman has education, and some talent, may be granted; but his guilt is heightened by the wilful prostitution of both: for that prostitution is the less palliable in him, than in those whose want of mental discipline might have rendered their minds less sensible of those wilful departures from argumentative fairness and honesty, of which he has been so grossly guilty. For what shall be thought of the man of education and talent, who has asserted, in what he calls, "The Manifesto of the Christian Evidence Society," and which

be desired might be read at his trial that there

tory for this assertion, but was uttering a m wilful and gross untruth, intended to dece by its very impudence. What shall be thoug of this man of "education and talent," w takes an assertion of an obscure author, whi he had never heard of had he not seen it in t work of a learned Divine, (Dr. Lardner,) tl the Emperor Anastasius ordered the Gosp to be written anew, thereby correcting "t illiterate Evangelists;" and from this scrap authority teaches the people, that our prese Evangelic History is spurious? For if this sertion were true, and not a mere version the Emperor's obtaining more exact copies certain manuscripts, which, before the inve tion of printing, were liable to some mistak in transcribing, a man of "education" and r flection must have known, that all the copi which Anastasius could command, were few comparison of those which were circulate among all the churches of Christ; and that was impossible that he, though an Emperor, y with very limited powers in ecclesiastical ma ters, could prevail upon all the sects and partic then existing throughout the world, and beyon the bounds of his empire, to part with their of copies, and take his altered ones. But furthe a "man of education" must have known, the no indications of this transformation into a be ter style exists in the present received text and that in the original it still bears the fu impress of having been written by men not p lished in language, or following any classic model. What shall we say of a man of ed cation," who affirms that Lanfranc, Archbisho of Canterbury, effected a general alteration the Scriptures, and accommodated them to th orthodox faith; but that he knew this to false, and impossible? False, because the fa which he perverts to this wicked purpose, w that honourable act of Lanfranc, by which, b fore printing was invented, and when all copi of the Scriptures were written by hand, h with the assistance of learned men, careful noted and corrected the errors of the Scrib in the copies within his reach;* and impossib unless Lanfranc could have obtained posse sion of all the copies of the Scriptures, d fused in distant parts of the world, to whic in those ages, there was much less access tha at present. And how, again, ought that "ma of education" to be esteemed, who quotes Bea sobre, a Christian critic, as his authority f this; when Beausobre, neither in the pla to which Taylor refers, nor any where els says any thing of the kind? Again, what sha that "man of education" appear, but a crimin and a wilful seducer of the ignorant, who quot from the Unitarian version the number of t various readings which are found in the MS of the New Testament, and yet suppresses t

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in so great a variety of languages, is truly as- | tonishing, and demonstrates the veneration in which the Scriptures were held, and the great care which was taken in transcribing them." This, as a man of education, he knew, as every man of education knows; and also that very few indeed of these readings affect the sense of any passage; and that their number has been swelled only by the care to mark every little deviation of orthography, or the substitution of one equivalent word for another, and the omission and insertion of the article, and such comparatively trifling differences in the copies.

It was for a sinister and obviously malignant intent, therefore, that the number of readings was held up to mislead the ignorant, and to produce an impression as to the uncertainty of the meaning of the text; which, with the exception of exceedingly few passages, and those containing no doctrine but what is found in passages about which there is no dispute, he knew did not exist. Finally, what shall we conclude as to this man of "education and talent," who, finding in the writings of Christian Divines, who of course had no motive to conceal so unimportant a fact, that some manuscripts from which the Complutensian edition of the New Testament was formed in 1514, at Alcala, in Spain, were afterwards sold by an ignorant librarian to a rocket-maker, asserts from this the impudent falsehood, that the manuscripts from which the received texts was taken, were thus destroyed. If this man did not know, that manuscripts of the whole or parts of the New Testament Scripture are to be found, of all ages up to the fifth century; that there are no less than five hundred MSS. of the Greek Testament in existence; besides the Ancient Versions formed from still more ancient copies, and substantially agreeing with those which now exist; and that, up to the age of the Apostles, there are writings extant abounding in quotations from the New Testament, where are his pretensions to such a degree of knowledge as to qualify him to speak at all on such subjects? And if he had that knowledge, he stands convicted of gross falsehood, which he dared not to have uttered, but in the ears of those whom he knew could not correct him, or on whom he could depend to hiss down any man who should go into his lecture-room to brand him with the falsehood? Every attempt therefore to create sympathy for such a wilful and malignant perverter, is worse than ridiculous: it is in a degree a participation of his crime. It is indeed alleged, that he is insane; and some curious instances occur of his having retracted his infidelity, and of having professed himself again a Christian. Whether these be signs of hypocrisy, or of aberration of mind, we cannot determine; but that there is "method in his madness," is clear enough; and he who can plot and lie to corrupt men's minds, knows enough to make him accountable to God and

to man.

The stale argument has been resorted to, that these prosecutions diffuse the evil, which would otherwise die away. The first branch of the argument is true: so all prosecutions for

criminal acts diffuse the knowledge of vice

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WEEP not for those whose race is ru

Their prize is gain'd, their toil is p To them the power of grief is done, And misery's storm has frown'd its They sleep in Christ the sleep of pe

Unflush'd by dreams of earthly sor Till earthly days and nights shall cea Before a bright and glorious morr But weep for those, who yet remain,

The feverish weight of life sustain The frown of scorn, the sting of pai

And secret anguish uncomplaining Weep for the living-they who rest Within their last and happiest dw Are senseless of the vain bequest

Of tears, and sighs successive sw Weep o'er the cradle-not the tomb!

Lament the dawn, and not the end Of that tempestuous day of gloom, Whose sun is bright but when des Weep for the bands who still mainta

The strife with labour undiminish Departed saints-their death is gain Their spoils are reap'd, their confli

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the present day. In this last-mentioned respect, Montgomery is deserving of profound and peculiar regard. He prefers the most valid and powerful claims to public approbation; and, if he could confide in nothing else, this would be amply sufficient to secure him a large and an honourable meed of fame. As a writer of devotional poetry, or of poetry adapted to devotional purposes, Montgomery advances transcendently beyond the tame, commonplace, and lifeless versifier. He writes with the utmost freshness and spirit; there is all the play, vivacity, and energy of life; and there are all the lovely and pre-eminent qualities of a genuine poet, finely and most luminously exhibited. He often disposes an intelligent reader of his poetry, and one of congenial feeling, to institute a comparison between him and Cowper, and, in this respect, Montgomery would not suffer materially by the comparison. There is much of Cowper's sweetness-simplicitybeauty-energy-and devotional fervour. There is no cant; no indelicate or inappropriate language; no employment of what may be termed luscious epithets or phrases; there are no bold and improper allusions: no mysticisms; all is plain, solemn, pathetic, beauteous, and devotional, as hymns and spiritual songs" should be. Hymns for divine worship should be exquisitely simple and unaffected. What can be more admirable for their plainness and appropriateness than the following lines from "A Sabbath Hymn;"

"While thy ministers proclaim
Peace and pardon in thy name,
Through their voice, by faith, may I
Hear thee speaking through the sky.
From thine house when I return,
May my heart within me burn;

And at evening let me say,

'I have walked with God to-day."

Can any thing be finer or more impressive, as a devotional and gratulatory hymn, than that beautiful and glowing effusion, the 66th in Russell's Collection? I have always regarded the following verse as exquisite for its beauteous simplicity:

"Sages! leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great desire of nations,
Ye have seen his natal star;
Come and worship,

Worship Christ, the new-born King." What beautiful sentiments, most sweetly and admirably expressed, are those contained in the following lines:

"Poor mortals, blind and weak below Pursue the phantom bliss in vain; The world's a wilderness of wo,

into a Christian's feelings! A stanza so cle and impressive, for its simple exhibition evangelical truth, and for the announceme of the only medium of joyful and secure acce to God.

"Between the Cherubim of old
Thy glory was express'd;

But God in Christ we now behold
In flesh made manifest:
Through him who all our sickness felt,
Who all our sorrows bare;
Through him, in whom thy fulness dwelt,
We offer up our prayer."

The subjoined lines strike sweetly upon th troubled ear, and diffuse the most soothing an delightful tranquillity through the agitated an suffering spirit.

"O where shall rest be found,

Rest for the weary soul?
"Twere vain the ocean's depths to sound,
Or pierce to either pole.
The world can never give

The bliss for which we sigh;
'Tis not the whole of life to live,
Nor all of death to die.
Beyond this vale of tears

There is a life above,
Unmeasur'd by the flight of years,
And all that life is love."

Could any thing be more majestic in it march, or mellifluous in its flow, than that in imitable effusion which commences with the following lines:

"Hark! the song of jubilee,

Loud as mighty thunders roar, Or the fulness of the sea,

When it breaks upon the shore:-Hallelujah! for the Lord

God omnipotent shall reign; Hallelujah!-let the word

Echo round the earth and main."

Though these, however, are so interesting and charming in themselves, and convey s clear and impressive an exhibition of the en lightened and fervid piety, the refined taste the pure, classical, and rich imagination of the writer, I cannot help expressing my decided partiality towards two hymns which have uni formly appeared to me pre-eminently beautiful The first is termed the "The Three Moun which has imparted exquisite and the pures tains," so delightfully familiar to hundreds tranquillity to thousands, and which is, in it self, a hymn of striking and peculiar merit. shall never have the pleasing impressions obli terated, which were produced on a certain oc casion, when it was sung with the utmost pa

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"Here I would for ever stay,

Weep and gaze my soul away;
Thou art heaven on earth to me,
Lovely, mournful Calvary."

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more simply, more clearly, more eloquently, and more impressively exhibited. It rises to the true sublime of devotion. The following lines can scarcely be lauded too enthusiastically:

:

"Prayer is the burthen of a sigh,
The falling of a tear;
The upward glancing of an eye,
When none but God is near.

Prayer is the simplest form of speech,
That infant lips can try;
Prayer, the sublimest strains that reach
The majesty on high.

Prayer is the Christian's vital breath,
The Christian's native air;
His watch-word at the gates of death,
He enters heaven with prayer."

Who can read this lovely hymn without feeling deeply affected? What Christian can peruse it without being powerfully interested with its commanding and fascinating loveliness? I admire the hymn so highly, that I scarcely think a superior, as it regards simplicity, appropriateness, and power, ever has been, or could be perused; and it ought to be committed to memory by every Christian, or else the fine and momentous principles which it embodies ought to be most indelibly engraven on the heart. If Montgomery had never written any thing but this small devotional piece, it would have been sufficient, in the estimation of every man of cultivated mind, and of enlightened and genuine piety, to have stamped him most unequivocally with the honourable and enviable How animating appellation of a true poet. and delightful is it, when powerful and transcendent talent is thus given to God; when the rich and mighty resources of intellect are laid at the feet of Christ; when commanding genius adorns the noblest and most hallowed themes, or rather is adorned by them; and when the powers are at once cultivated, aroused, and concentrated, so that the God of love may be honoured the Prince of Peace be exalted the spirit of all wisdom and truth be magnified -and the piety, the happiness, and the usefulness of Christians be most effectively promoted.

To such

"Sweet poesy

Let me live true votary;
skell lead me by the hand,

From the Evangelical Magazin

ELIJAH'S JOURNEY.
THROUGH the infirmity of human
and the trying circumstances in wh
men are placed, we find them in some
failing in the exercise of those graces
they are most eminent. Thus Abraha
ther of the faithful, was, through the a
sion of danger, led to deal insincerely
melech. Thus Peter, though of a bol
dent temper, and though he alone ve
attack the armed band which came to
Master, was induced to deny him, by
And th
mises of the maid-servant.
so famous for his zeal and courage, w
mayed by the threats of Jezebel, tha
to the wilderness for security, inste
maining in Israel, to encourage the
remnant by his counsels, and to aw
gate court by his warnings and rebu
the care of heaven did not desert him
did the angel of the Lord touch him
on him to arise and to eat the bread
the water which he had provided for
in the strength of that food he journ
days and forty nights, till he came
the Mount of God, where he rece
displays of the divine glory, as qua
for the undaunted discharge of the pu
which he had yet to perform. This
the prophet's history suggests many
instructions.

1. Good men have, like Elijah,
before them. This world is not th
they are travelling through it lik
and strangers, and their life must b
with the graces and duties in which t
ness for heaven is formed. Some are
ing this journey, and are asking t
Zion with their faces thitherward;
made considerable progress in it;
have advanced so far, that they ca
am now ready to be offered, and the
departure is at hand." With that h
in view where the journey closes,
seem its toils, how easy its sacri
perils are encountered with the cou
ed by hope, and its burdens are born
tience which it strengthens. It is m
able that so few, comparatively, are
this journey; for "strait is the ga
row is the way that leadeth to li

there be that find it."

2. To this journey we require to
up. Exhausted by fatigue of body
of mind, Elijah laid himself down
it was necessary that he should b
prosecute his journey. And goo
sometimes so discouraged by the d
the ways, so overpowered by sloth,
by the fascinating objects which pr
selves to their view, or are so in
the hints of those who tell them th
is necessary, that they are disposed
hands to sleep. But God will r
and if softer methods are not effec
try others of a more alarming
Thrice did our Lord's disciples slu
his agony, and thrice did he rouse
4 could ve not watch

of the substance to which they looked for worldly comfort; the disappointment which plunges you in sorrow at the moment when hope was highest, and the sickness which threa tens to tear from you the relative whose presence you feel to be the charm of life, and whose care is the blessing of your dwelling, are the voice of God scattering the presumptuous fancies which were whispering, "Sleep on now and take your rest;" and calling upon you to watch, and to be sober, and to gird up the loins of your minds. What a melancholy view of our nature is it, that we should need to be stirred up to go to heaven! Let us, therefore, fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of us should seem to come short of it.

3. This journey cannot be accomplished in our own strength. The saying of the angel is as applicable to us as it was to Elijah, "The journey is too great for thee." It lies through a wilderness infested by wild beasts; under its scorching sun the most vigorous will faint, and over its burning sands the pilgrim will make slow progress, and what he does attain will be effected with pain and difficulty. It is most difficult to maintain spirituality of mind amidst the temptations of the world; to hope in God, when clouds and darkness are round about him; to persist in benefiting the thankless, warning the incorrigible, and expostulating with the thoughtless; to mortify passions which others are indulging, and to sigh for blessings which others are enjoying, who have not waited for them so long, or prayed for them so importunately, as we have done. In the windings of the wilderness we must have a guide, in its perils a protector, and in its necessities a supply from above.

4. The difficulties of this journey are known to our God, and compassionately considered by him. Of them the prophet was warned, and for them he was prepared. By us, few of the difficulties of our journey are foreseen. Fancy sketches before the young, fields all verdant, a sky ever serene, a path always smooth; or, if it anticipates evil, it is light and transient. A temporary storm is all that it forebodes in the sky, a few thorns are all it anticipates in the path. Our friends and guides know not all the evil that is before us. There is much danger for which they cannot arm us, and many sorrows for which they cannot fortify us. But to Jehovah all things are naked and open; and he knows our frame, and remembereth that we are dust. While our enemies may mark the perils which are before us, that they may take advantage of them for our injury, or ruin, God discerns them as the scene where his wisdom will lead the blind in ways they know not, where his compassion shall be shown in helping our infirmities, and his grace shall make

the prophet, so the ministers of religion a made helpers of the believer's joy. TH strength of God's grace, the consolations his Spirit, the light of his countenance, an the animation of his love, he imparts in th ordinances of the Gospel. In seasons, and places, where to human view nothing could b anticipated but pain without relief, fear withon hope, and the sorrow that worketh death, Go hath sent help from his sanctuary, and strengt out of Zion. Let us think of the simplicity this provision. The angel could have brough to Elijah the finest dainties and the most sump tuous fare, but he brings a cake of bread and cruse of water. And the souls of saints ar not nourished by the enticing words of man wisdom, the subtleties of curious speculation or the imagery of a luxuriant fancy; but by the plain truths of the Gospel. O Lord, by these things men live, and in them is the lif of my spirit. Often has it been seen, that by the prayer which came from the heart, thoug expressed in the humblest diction, the sad have been comforted and the tempted have beer relieved. It is also worthy of notice, that i was of the food which had already refreshed him, that Elijah was called to partake a second time; and such is the varied and exhaustles value of the word of God, that the texts which have sustained you formerly, will strengther you now and hereafter, and they will fit you not only for the same, but for other trials.

There

6. Let us mark how the good man continues and closes his journey under the influence of Heaven. Such was the miraculous influence of this food, that the prophet required no new supply for forty days; and there are cases in the spiritual life, in which supplies are vouchsafed, by which faith is strengthened, and hope is animated, for many days to come. have been good men, whose souls have been so enlarged at the communion table, that during succeeding months of sickness the heart has been glad, the glory has rejoiced, and the flesh hath suffered in hope. Promises which were the blessing of youth, have been the solace of age and the last hope of the dying. He that drinketh of this well shall never thirst, but it shall be in him a well of living water, springing up into everlasting life.

Elijah took forty days to accomplish his journey to Horeb. It was but a journey of four or five days from the spot where he was refreshed by the angel, but he went through byways, for fear of being pursued, and took time to rest in different places. Your journey may be longer than you anticipate; but goodness and mercy shall follow all the days of your life, and you shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. During the bright days of prosperity, and the dark nights of affliction, the righteous shall hold on his way, and he

that both clean bands shall way stronger

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