might be convinced by their own eyes and ears that I am indeed the Christ. If John had come like a soft and voluptuous courtier, promising you honours and carnal pleasures, you would have some reason for not believing on me, and for not believing on John; for John can give you no such things, and the things I have to bestow are of quite a different nature. But John came like a despiser of pomp and pleasure, and his preaching was of repentance, and of newness of life. If John had given you reason to expect me to be an earthly king, you might justly stumble at my poor appearance; but John did no such thing. He told you I was the Messiah ; why do you doubt? John spoke truth; he was a prophet, and more than any prophet that ever went before him, and yet you hesitate to obey his word. Beware lest judgments come upon you for your selfishness and unbelief. And then Jesus began to upbraid the cities in which most of his mighty works had been done, because they repented not.

APPAREL.

EXCESS in apparel is a costly folly. The very trimming of the vain world would clothe all the naked one.

Choose thy clothes by thine own eyes, not another's. The more plain and simple they are, the better. Have them neither unshapely nor fantastical; and let them be for use and decency, and not for pride.

If thou art clean and warm it is sufficient; for more doth but rob the poor, and please the wanton.

It is said of the true church, the King's daughter is all glorious within: let our care, therefore, be about our minds more than our bodies, if we would be of her communion.

We are told with truth, that meekness and modesty are the richest attire of the soul: and the plainer the dress, the more distinctly, and with the greater lustre, doth their beauty shine.

It is a great pity that such beauties are so scarce, and that those of Jezebel's forehead are so common: whose dresses are incentives to crime, and hinderances instead of motives, to love and virtue.

Whatever the world may do, professors of religion ought to dress in the fear of God, and with a regard to the great end for which they were brought into existence.

**It is a lamentable sight to see any that profess to be rational creatures, anxious about the form and colour of their dress; but to see those who profess to be followers of Christ eager to be in the fashion, is more lamentable still,

And yet, there are many professors of religion that spend more money in useless clothes, than they give for the conversion of the world; and that spend more time in dressing, than they do in reading and prayer.

1 do not pretend to know how much people ought to spend in dress, but I am sure if they love their neighbours as themselves, they will spend no more than they can help, until they see their neighbours better off.

Nor do I pretend to know what shape a person's dress should be, but I am persuaded that the faithful followers of Jesus Christ would never give up an old fashion, until they had found a better. When changes in the fashion require extra expense, Christians should be especially careful not to change, without some powerful reason.

But most of the changes in women's dresses that have come up of late, have not had one advantage to recommend them; while the ugliness of the shapes, the waste of stuff, and the inconveniencies of the size, have all united to render them disgusting.

Witness the changes that have taken place in the shape of a gown sleeve; and yet every change has been sufficient to prove those who have adopted it, slaves of the world instead of servants of God.

If professors of Christianity believe the Scriptures, they must know that costly and fanciful apparel is a sin; and if they do not believe the Scriptures, why do they profess to be Christians?

A Christian should be willing to lay down his life for the good of his fellow-men; then how can they be Christians, who will not forego a ribbon or a yard of satin to send the Gospel to the heathen, or to spread religion at home?

The religion of those who follow the fashions of the day must be very blind, or else very insincere. If they do not know that the Gospel forbids such things, and that common sense condemns them, they must be blind indeed; and if they know that to follow the fashions of the world is wrong, and yet run after them, how great must be their hypocrisy.

And the conduct of those who minister to the fashions appears still more opposed to the religion of Christ. Let any one look at the shop windows of tailors, dress-makers; let him read the cir culars which they send round the country to their customers, and let him hearken to the conversation at the counter, and then let him say if he can possibly believe them the sincere followers of Jesus Christ.

There is a woman exhibiting a box of artificial flowers, -now she holds up a pink, and then a lily, and then again a forgetme-not; now she fixes them between her hair and her cap, then on her customer's bonnet, and all the while she talks away about its excellence and beauty. Is that woman serving God, or the Devil? Is she promoting humility and heavenliness of mind, or earthliness and pride? Let her own conscience answer. The Scriptures exhort us, "whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do,

to do all to the glory of God;" but can people buy and sell artificial flowers to God's glory? I cannot see how it is possible.

Can that woman who has spent the day in exhibiting and commending artificial flowers, engage in prayer? What will she pray for? Will she pray that God would convert her neighbours, and teach them to set their affection on things above? Then she must pray for her business to be broken up. Will she pray for God to follow with his blessing the labours of the day? How can God do that? To suppose persons can be Christians and follow such business is madness.

Let my readers examine the following circular, and tell me whether they think the person who drew it up and sent it round the country was treading in the steps of Jesus Christ:

(CIRCULAR.)

"Madam,-Permit us to inform you that we have just returned from London, with a choice selection of beautiful millinery, in the newest and best styles, and which WE HAVE SPARED NO EXPENSE in procuring.

"From our long acquaintance with the trade we have been enabled to get the latest and MOST FASHIONABLE DESIGNS, which are not easily accessible to persons of less experience.

7 "In FANCY BONNETS, we have a useful variety of the richest materials and MOST NOVEL SHAPES. Our stock of Tuscan and straw bonnets is splendid and unique. Rich embroidered muslin pellerines and collars, baby linen, ribbons, blonds, tulles, French, Scotch, and Norwich shawls, satins, lutestrings, and satinetts, mousseline de laines and fancy dresses, parasols, gloves, stays, flowers, &c. &c., which we have carefully purchased on the best principle, and have determined to offer at particularly low prices.

"WE HAVE ALSO MADE ARRANGEMENTS FOR A CONTINUOUS SUPPLY OF THE VARIOUS FASHIONS, AS WELL AS THE MATERIALS IN VOGUE, AS THEY ARE PRODUCED.

“And we confidently hope for your patronage and preference to our PERIODICAL DISPLAY OF SUMMER FASHIONS, which it will give us great pleasure to submit for your inspection on and the following days, "Your obedient servants,

Can any one who has any regard for God and religion, read this circular without a sigh? It is enough to break a good man's heart to think that while he is spending himself to bring his neighbours to live for God, and for the good of one another, others, professing the same religion, should be filling their hearts with vanity, and beguiling them to ruin.

However mischievous the lectures of Infidels may be, I consider such productions as this circular, sent forth by professors of religion, as still more injurious. The Infidel's attacks on Christianity are understood, and men are put upon their guard as against an enemy; these circulars of fashion enter the heart secretly, and rob it of its treasure unawares.

If such things as these are allowed to be practised by professors unreproved, we may bid farewell to all hopes of seeing the world converted. Devils will laugh at us, and Infidels will know that we are not sincere.

I expect to be censured for this reproof, but I know not how I could do my duty to my readers and to my God, if I suffered the matter to pass by unnoticed. If those who are dissatisfied with this reproof, will show me that the Gospel is against me, I will confess my error, before the whole world.

Every thing in this circular is recommended, not because it is necessary or useful, but because it is NOVEL, UNIQUE, and fanciful. Every word savours of the earth, and the whole circular is as plainly opposite to religion, as Beelzebub to Christ.

Published by I. DAVIS, 22, Grosvenor-street, Stalybridge; Bancks and Co., Exchange-street; Heywood, Oldham-street, Manchester; R. Groombridge, 6, Panyer Alley, Paternoster Row, London; and may be had of all Booksellers. [CAVE and SEVER, Printers, Manchester.]

EVANGELICAL REFORMER,

AND YOUNG MAN'S GUIDE.

BY JOSEPH

BARKER.

Published every Saturday.-Price One Penny, or in Monthly

Parts, price Five-pence.

No. 21.

SATURDAY, MAY 19, 1838.

VOL. I.

SENECA AND JESUS CHRIST.

SOME of my readers have very likely heard the moral sentiments of Seneca spoken of, as equal if not superior to the moral teachings of Jesus Christ. Seneca was a Roman Philosopher, who knew very little, if any thing at all, about the doctrine of Christ, and infidels think that they can lessen our esteem and veneration for the Saviour, if they can prove that he taught no better rule of life than the Heathen Philosphers. A comparison of Seneca's sentiments on moral subjects, with the sentiments of Jesus Christ, will, however, show that the teachings of Christ are infinitely superior to the morality of Paganism, and that if we had been favoured with no better instructions than those of Seneca, we should still have been groping our way in the dark. The first subject treated of in the works of Seneca, is that of doing good on this subject he has written seven books. As this is a subject on which Christ also has spoken at large, we can easily compare the teachings of the two together.

There is a difference between Seneca and Jesus Christ in the spirit in which they speak, the things to which they exhort people, and the motives by which they enforce their exhortations.

There is a difference in the spirit by which they seem to be moved. The spirit by which the Redeemer was always moved, was a spirit of pure and universal bene

volence. He was anxious to see the whole world made happy. He was especially affected with the miseries of the poor and friendless, the neglected and outcast portions of society. He stood and spoke as the advocate of the wretched, and every word was full of tenderness and pity. This spirit is manifest in every part of his history, and runs through all his teachings. But there is nothing of this spirit manifest in the writings of Seneca. He shows no pity, he exhibits no uneasiness at the sorrows of mankind. He never seems to have thought upon the poor, nor is there the slightest appearance of a wish to see them improved. His whole concern appears to be with his rich friends, and his whole anxiety appears to have no other object than to please his kindred or acquaintance. He writes without any feeling of sympathy with the mass of the miserable, and without much affection for any. Christ speaks as the brother of every one in distress; Seneca speaks as one who cares for none but his acquaintance, and not much for them. There is also a great difference between Seneca and Christ, in the sort of benefits to which they exhort their disciples. Seneca recommends things as benefits, which Christ would condemn. To do good, in Seneca's way, is to bestow the freedom of a city on a conqueror, as the Corinthians did on Alexander; to present a sportsman with a hunter's cloak, or a poacher with nets and snares; to make a present to a friend of a vase, a statue, or a set of chimney ornaments; to send to one's landlord a rare production of the soil, such as early ripe fruits, an enormous tumip, a monstrous cabbage; or to give a fine horse, or a beau"tiful flower, or a piece of plate. Those of his benefits which come nearest to a Christian's idea of charity are, to rescue a friend from the hands of his enemies, from the rage of a tyrant, or the effects of a proscription; and these are mere political benefits. All the rest amounts to no more than what we should call making presents, a thing altogether different from " doing good." Seneca says nothing about visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, entertaining strangers, instructing the ignorant, becom