ity in the personal appearance of others, or upon some part of their manner, or even upon some word which has dropt from them, or perhaps upon some trivial circumstance over which they have no controul, and having taken hold of this, convert it into the ground of a standing name of odium and reproach. How frequent is it among the vulgar and illiberal, to have distinctive trifling epithets formed upon such whimsical principles, by which they designate one another, and mutually bring each other's character into ridicule! A very slight acquaintance with the world is sufficient to fill one with surprise at this. That it should have a place among children, who frequently have their petty quarrels, and their petty methods of avenging them, is not at all surprising; but that it should be ever found among persons grown up to the years of discretion, is truly astonishing. If it were their study to exhibit themselves in a childish light; if it were their aim to try how meanly they could talk; if it were their design to show how easily their minds can be delighted with silly toys; or if they intended to display the presence of low malice, and the absence of manly generosity, in their hearts, they could not devise a more effectual scheme. It is imposible to determine, whether the practice of giving these low scurrilous appellations to persons, is more obviously mean, or more secretly malignant. At least, it must be confessed, it never can proceed from good, or produce good, and is an unquestionable instance of evil speaking. (Remainder in our next. USEFULNESS OF RELIGIOUS TRACTS. A respectable merchant of the neighbourhood of P————————— returned from a tour on the continent, plunged into the most dreadful sins, devoted to the principles of Voltaire, and anxious for the spread of infidelity. During the last seventeen years, his sins and his sentiments have so dreadfully prevailed as to writhe his soul with uncommon anguish, and make him wish himself any thing but a man dying and accountable. He never attended any place of worship. A Tract brought to the house by his children lay upon the table one Sabbath morning. Distracted with horrid thoughts, he snatched it up to drive them away. It was the "Life of Colonel Gardiner." At first he read with indifference. His curiosity was soon excited. His attention was fixed as he proceeded, and at length his whole soul was engaged in the narration of the Colonel's abandoned life before conversion. It suited his case-it spoke his feelings. Absorbed in attention, and trembling with agitation, he came to the Colonel's Conversion. He could read no more-his heart was full. Burst ing with similar impressions, he stole up stairs-locked his door and for the first time for eighteen years, he fell on his knees, and cried for mercy! Constrained to attend divine service that evening, the Lord deepened the work, and has since enabled him to live to his glory, and become as active for the interest of Jesus, as he once was in the service of hell. ANECDOTE-PROFANE SWEARING. It was said of "that wicked," whom "the Lord shall destroy with the breath of his mouth, and the brightness of his coming," that he would assume divine prerogatives, "showing himself that he is God," for the emphasis must be laid on the word "he" and not on the word "is," otherwise the idea of awful presumption which is manifestly intended will not be expressed, nor the true sense given in the reading. Something similar may be said of all the impious. The phrase, "damn you," which is often in their mouths, properly belongs to the head of cursing. The person who uses it, assumes the province of Deity, whose prerogative alone it is finally to condemn. If it be said the phrase is only a prayer -not to speak of the circumstances in which the address is made, the temper it displays, and the congenial temper it imputes to the Almighty, the imprecator, cannot avoid the charge of assuming to be God, since he considers the offence against his honour, which occasions the curse, as equal in demerit to an offence against God, a final rejection of the gospel, or even the unpardonable sin. Can such daring intrusion, such horrible impiety, be excused by alleging that the phrase is used without thought, or in a passion? Then all the solemn considerations which ought to prevent the rash use of the tongue, and suppress and moderate passion, must be nothing in our reckoning with the Judge of all. And what shall they plead with whom imprecation is a habit ?The phrase, "damn me," with all its kindred phrases, "Od, by God, by Jesus," &c. properly belong to the head of swearing, as by these an oath is made, and appeal to the tribunal of God on the truth of the matter asserted. They are idle words which come of evil. They all imply the curse, with the aggravation of the appeal rash and unwarrantable, and amount to a sporting with the throne, the Judge, and the sentence of final decision. But besides the impiety of such language, is it not a strange proof of the extent of human depravity, and the debasement brought on by familarity with vice, that discourse is conceived to be garnished by the use of such terms! terms which are ever insulting to the hearer, calling the speaker's own veracity in question, and marring the narration in the most absurd and disgusting manner. The in terlarding which passes unnoticed while impious phrases are used, would instantly be pronounced ridiculous, were others more innocent substituted for them. "The late Rev. Basil Kennet was once chaplain in a ship of war; and as his lot was to mess with the officers, he found they were so addicted to the impious and nonsensical vice of swearing, that he thought it not becoming his character to stay any longer with them, unless he could prevail on them to leave it off; but conceiving at the same time, that any grave remonstrance would have but little effect, he bethought himself of another expedient, which might answer his purpose. One of the company having entertained the rest with a story, agreeable enough in itself, but so interrupted and perplexed with demme! blood and wounds! and such like expletives, as rendered it extremely ridiculous.Mr. Kennet began a story himself, which he made both entertaining and instructive, but interlarded it every where with the words bottle, pot, and glass. The gentleman who was the most given to swearing, was the first to fall a-laughing at Mr. Kennet with a great air of contempt. "Why," said he, cursing himself as usual, "Doctor, as to your story, it is good enough, but what have we to do with your cursed bottle, pot, and glass, at every sentence?" Mr. Kennet very calmly replied, "Sir, I find you can observe what is ridiculous in me, which you cannot discover in yourself; you ought not to be offended at my expletives in discourse any more than your own." This officer felt the reproof, and promised to swear no more in his company." MINESTERIAL EMPLOYMENT. Should I suffer my few sheep in the wilderness to go on in ignorance of their Bibles, and a stupid neglect of their eternal salvation, while I am too busy to endeavour to reclaim them, God would call it but laborious idleness, and I must give up my account with great cofusion. Let us be constant and zealous in the sight of God, and we shall be excellent scholars ten thousand years hence. --Orton's Life of Dr. Doddridge. I hope my younger brethren in the ministry will pardon me if I entreat their particular attention to this admonition, Not to give the main part of their time to the curiosities of learning, and only a few fragments of it to their great work, the cure of souls; lest they see cause in their last moments to adopt the words of dying Grotius, perhaps with much more propriety than he could use them: Proh! vitam perdidi, operose nihil agendo, I have lost a life in busy trifling.-Fam. Expositor. HUMAN LIFE. Life has a thousand charms, A thousand dreams of bliss: Hope, Friendship, Love, thy bosom warms; But soon that sun-lit hour is past, And hope flies shivering from the blast. A. thousand anxious fears: But hope comes smiling through the storm- Life has a thousand joys, Youth fondly dreams forever; But night draws on-Youth droops and sighs, Swift as a breath, light breaks the gloom, "Tis but a change at best, And all its cares are o'er. Then sealed, immutable, thy state- It is a dream! But know Death's cold hand breaks that slumber; And who shall tell, if bliss or wo Those countless moments number? It is beyond an angels ken To pierce the vale that rises then. Life is a narrow sea, But who its bounds may tell? Oh where's thy spirit, when Friends round thy couch are weeping, Borne on an angels pinion then, Death solves the question!-Ere it come, prepare, None find their pardon or repentance there. [Rel. Intelligencer. Select Religious Entelligence. HORRIBLE SCENES AT THE FESTIVAL OF JUGGERNAUT. The Rev. James Peggs, lately returned from Orissa, attended the annual meeting of the Baptist Missionary Society, held at VOL. III. 29 Great Queen-street Chapal on the 22nd of June, and communicated the following appalling facts: Having been stationed about fifty miles from Juggernaut's temple, and having, in connexion with my brethren, established a missionary station about a mile from it, and been myself at Juggernaut at two of their great annual festivals, it seems proper for me to say something of the scenes which are exhibited, and to give you my own testimony, and that of my brethren, who, as well as myself, have been eye and ear witnesses to the abominations of that dreadful place. The Psalmist declares, that their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another God; and nowhere on earth, perhaps, is this so fully exemplified as at Juggernaut. "At the annual festival, from extreme indisposition, I was able to be there only on the last day; but I will read to you a few particulars respecting it, given by my companions, Mr. and Mrs. Lacy. Mr. Lacy says— "This year Ihatra commenced unusually early, in consequence of which, it may be presumed, the number of Ihatrees was unusually great, expecting, no doubt, to escape the rains.—The gentleman who keeps the gate (a native of Norway, in the employ of our government,) and who in consequence, will be allowed to be the best judge of numbers, told me that not less than 225,000 pilgrims entered the town. The greater part of this immense number were women; and among these many seemed poor and very old: being turned out by their inhuman children, they came to end a life of wretchedness near their favorite idol, from dying near which they had been taught to expect heaven. "This number of pilgrims raised a sum of money scarcely ever realized before, 32,000l. Thus, while the pilgrimage destroys thousands of lives, some reap considerable advantage. You would have felt your hearts moved to hear, as I did, the natives say-Your preaching is a lie; for if your Saviour and religion are thus merciful, how do you then take away the money of the poor, and suffer them to starve?' I often had to do with objections like these; however I endeavoured, as well as I could, to clear the character of Him who died for the poor and the sinner. "I think from the number of the poor, that many must have perished without the gate; and also think so, from the great number of bodies beyond. "A gentleman arrived at Cuttock who addressed a letter to us requesting aid in the distribution of some money which he was authorised to give. We accepted the proposal; and brother Bampton and myself set out from Pooree furnished with rupees, clothes, medicines, and books, and intended to spend two days on the road. We did so; but I cannot particularise what we sawscenes the most distressing-dead, dying, and sick. They had crept into the villages, into the sheds, and under the trees, to avoid the rain; and thence many were never removed. dead principally lay in the water, whence the materials for raising the road were taken: they were drifted by the wind to the next obstruction, where they lay in heaps of from eight to twenty together. From the first two coss from Pooree, I counted about The |
