tion among men? When Judas would betray the Saviour to his murderers, he did it with a kiss; do the men of this new sect compliment charity, that they may destroy it the more easily? Is the name of charity to be the pioneer of lust and havoc ? Is the name of socialism to cover the hideousness and fury of a monster that comes to shake in pieces the framework of society, break the bands of love and mar. riage, eat up the tenderness and charities of life, and cover the earth with madness and misery? Does it grieve the dissolute and yitiated sinner, that there still are happy men and women? Women whom religion has taught chastity and love and truth, and men whom God has blessed with such companions? Religion fixes bounds to his vagrant and obscene lusts, and lessens his means and opportunities of lawlesɛ gratifications, and he will be revenged; and to secure his object, he will write upon the filthy and degenerate hrow of sin, the name of socialism, and he will cover her unsightly and noisome form with a pretence of charity? He can have no charitable aim, else why disown and slander the book whose whole business and tendency it is to diffuse the heavenly principle through the world? What charity is it, that the Gospel does not inculcate? What does the Gospel inculcate that is inimical to charity? If the Gospel is full of charity; if it commands and urges every form of charity; if it has in it no one law or sentiment at war with charity, why talk of establishing charity by supplanting the Gospel? Into what flagrant inconsistencies will not men's depravity drive them? To what extremes of madness will not men's hatred of the pure and lovely system of the Gospel hurry them?

My young friends, let no man beguile you with enticing words, or under any pretence lure you from the safe and pleasant paths of piety. If any one speaks highly of justice and charity, speak you highly of them also; for in the religion of Christ mercy and truth have met together, righteousness and peace have

of

kissed each other. But if he revile the Gospel, you may note him down as an enemy to goodness and to mankind, for virtue has no such friend as the Gospel upon earth. Read your Bibles, and let its plain and artless teachings be the subject of your daily meditations. It requires but a knowledge of the Gospel to enable you to see, that most of the things which men think objectionable in religion are no part of religion itself, but the inventions and misrepresentations men. A knowledge of the Bible will be the best defence against "the cunning craftiness of those who lie in wait to deceive." An acquaintance with the Bible will satisfy you, that whatever is truly rational and just and profitable in morals, is there taught in the greatest purity and urged with the strongest motives; and that its doctrines and laws could have no other Author than the fountain of wisdom and love. Let its truths be your creed, let its laws be your rule, let the spread of its blessed influences be the business of your life, and let its consolations and rewards be the end of your hopes and the portion of your souls. You will thus become truly wise; you will live in peace and comfort, you will serve your country and your kind, you will rise to honour, you will unite yourselves to God, you will enjoy in time and in eternity all the rich delights and extacies of pure and rational and godlike beings.

CARE OF YOUTH.

Among the ancient sages of the world, the Greeks and Romans, and much more among the Israelites, the care of posterity and of the public welfare was the great thing which differenced the virtuous and laudable, from those of a base, selfish, and sensual disposition. He was the bravest citizen of Rome that did most love, and best serve his country. And he was the saint among the Jews, who most loved Sion, and the security and succession of its holy and peaceable posterity. And the Christian faith, hope,

and interest, do lead us in this respect to a much higher pitch, and to a greater zeal for public good, in following Him that whipped out profaners from the temple, even a zeal of God's house which eateth us up. It teacheth us, by the cross, most effectually to deny ourselves, and to think nothing too dear to part with to edify the Church of God; nor any labour or suffering too great for the common good. It teacheth us to pray for the 'hallowing of God's name, the coming of his kingdom, and the doing of his will on earth, as it is done in heaven,' before we pray for our daily bread, or any other personal interest of our own. Therefore the families of Christians should be as so many schools or churches, to train up a succession of persons meet for the great communicative works to which God calleth all believers, in their several measures: It is eminently teachers, but it is also all others in their several ranks, who must be 'the salt of the earth, and the lights of the world.' Indeed the Spirit of Holiness is so eminently the Spirit of love to God and man, that it inclineth every sanctified person to a communicative zeal, to make others wise and good and happy.

Mercy Triumphant: or teaching the children of the poor to write on the Sabbath-day proved to be in perfect agreement with the word of God: with plain and full answers to all objections urged against the practice by W. Nunn of Manchester, J. A. James of Birmingham, and the Wesleyan Methodist Conference. Published by R. Groombridge, 6, Payner Alley, Paternoster-Row, London; and may be had from him by all Booksellers.

Published by I. Davis, 22, Grosvenor-street, Stalybridge; Banks and Co., Exchange-street; Heywood, Oldham-street, Manchester; R. Groombridge, 6, Payner Alley, PaternosterRow, London; and may be had of all Booksellers.

No. 6. will be published on Saturday next.

I. DAVIS, PRINTER, STALYBRIDGE,

When I think of the misery and danger in which sinners live, and then contemplate the happiness and hopes of those who live to God; the conduct of those who put off religion to a future period seems the worst of madness. In the state of the sinner there is,every thing to make life miserable, every thing to disquiet and afflict his spirit. Whether he look upward to God, or inward at the state of his own mind, or backward on the ways he has followed, or forward at the doom that awaits him, there is nothing to yield him satisfaction; but a thousand things to make him wretched. All the elements of sorrow seem gathered round him. His evil passions trouble him, the effects of his evil deeds afflict him, and his conscience scourges him as with a whip of scorpions. He is troubled with the fears of death, he startles at the thought of judgment, and the apprehensions of eternal ruin shake him with horror. In disappointments and injuries he has no comforter, in afflictions and pains he has no anticipa

tions of immortal joys; even his earthly enjoyments are embittered by sin, and a curse rests upon all his pleasures. If he heaps up treasures, they bring fresh cares; if he gather knowledge, it increases his sorrow. While he lives not to God, he finds vanity and vexation of spirit mingled with all his gains. And frequently instead of plenty he meets with want, and instead of ease and pleasure he has toil and agony. He struggles after happiness, but to no purpose; the decree of Heaven is against him, and he must weary himself in vain. "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked."

But in the state of the Christian there is every thing to yield him satisfaction and delight. The uproar of his passions is stilled, and he has peace within. He walks in the commands of his God, and he finds them ways of pleasantness; and he rejoices in the testimony of a good conscience towards God and towards man. The love of God is shed abroad in his heart, and the love of his fellow-men, and these affections become a fountain of delightful feelings. His sins are all forgiven, the frown that rested on the countenance of God is turned into a smile, and the fears of death and hell have passed away, and given place to blooming hopes and rich anticipations of the joys of Heaven. He trembles not at sickness or bereavements; he knows the hand of God is in them, and he knows that whatever God appoints is right. He fears not men; he knows that God will suffer nothing to harm him, while a follower of that which is good. Losses and injuries and pains he welcomes as the chastisements of his heavenly Father, and he rejoices in the assurance, that all things work together for good to them that love God. He is happy himself, and his business is to make others happy. He is happy in the company of Christian friends, and he is happy when alone, in converse with his God. He delights in the law of God, it is sweeter to his soul than honey or the honeycomb. He lives the life of heaven on earth, and enjoys a measure of its blessedness. He is happy while he lives, and after death he receives fulness of joy, and pleasures for evermore.