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currently reported. Are you certain of that ?-And are you excusable for doing wrong because others do?

2. Let us avoid this sin-For your assistance take the following directions.

1. Think of your own sins more than those of others.-2 Speak well of others, as far as truth will permit; if you cannot speak favourably, be silent, unless duty command you to speak.-3. In company be solicitous to bring forward some profitable topic of conversation. There are many such topics: should some effort be made to introduce them, how much time might be saved from waste or misuse!-4. Beware of hasty judgments; "judge not, that ye be not judged.".-5. Be watchful continually over your tongue.-6. Pray that you may be preserved from this sin.

"Set a

views. They have said with much gravity and apparent selfcomplacency, that knowledge puffeth up," and having quoted the words of an apostle, they have thought it a proof of distinguished humility to fold their arms together, and content themselves without any effort to acquire new ideas. It would be well for such individuals to remember, that the same authority to which they seem to bow with so much deference, requires christians, to add to their faith, knowledge; grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; and to let the word of Christ dwell in them richly in all wisdom. The wisest of men has declared, "that for the soul to be without knowledge is not good." It needs but little acquaintance with mankind to be convinced of this truth. In the absence of knowledge we are cut

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watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips."-off from the pure and refreshing 7. Love your neighbour as yourself.-8. Walk with God-imbibe the spirit of Christ. Be clothed with humility. He who is deepJy sensible of his own sinfulness has but little disposition to proclaim abroad the faults of others.

3. Let us discountenance those who indulge this hateful propensity. Let not the eagerness of our eye, or a half-suppressed question animate them to fresh attacks on a neighbour's reputation, but let significant silence or a frown, or a pungent, though tender reproof, convince them that we detest the abominable practice of EVIL SPEAKING.

CHURCH LIBRARIES.

It has been our unhappiness, in some instances, to hear persons advocate voluntary ignorance, and appeal to the language of inspiration in support of their

streams of intellectual enjoyment, and left in a great degree to the dominion of our senses. Nor are the evils arising from our personal ignorance confined to ourselves. Others are deprived of the benefits which we might have conferred on them, had we cultivated the talents with which we have been entrusted.

If, however, the importance of knowledge should be admitted, a question may arise, how is it to be obtained? Are we to come to its possession by new and continued revelations from heaven, or by an habitual perusal of the Scriptures in connexion with other writings which may serve to cnlarge our views and confirm our faith? That we have no reason to expect new revelations is evident, because the age of inspiration has ceased. We have a complete revelation of the divine will, and if we are not disposed to receive it, we should

not believe, though an angel spake to us from heaven. Our duty therefore is obvious. We must apply our minds in earnest to the holy Scriptures. And as some have denied their divine origin, and attempted to destroy the doctrines which they contain, we should avail ourselves of the labours and researches of pious and learned men. Pursuing this course, we shall be able to give a reason of the hope that is within us, and of the faith we exercise in the truths of christianity.

But there are pious persons in humble life, who although they have vigorous and inquisitive minds, have not the means of gratifying their desire for information. They have imperious claims which forbid an appropriation from their small income for books. Other demands prevent them from procuring that mental food which would be so congenial to their souls. Now a Church Library would supply this deficiency. The donations of wealthy members would meet the wants of those who are unable to contribute any thing towards this object; and many who cannot expend much on books, would have it in their power to contribute their mites with others, and thus provide the means of acquiring valuable knowledge.

The importance and necessity of Church Libraries will appear, if we consider, that in the public libraries, already established, there are very few religious books. They contain in great abundance, Novels, Romances, Histories, Voyages, and Travels; but scarcely any Theological Writings. This is a peculiar disadvantage to pious persons, as they have not the same convenient mode of pursuing a proper course of reading While a large number of their fellow beings can with little expense peruse authors which suit their taste and

feelings, there is scarcely any provision of this kind for those who wish to have clear, just, and extended views on subjects connected with christian theelogy.

Let it not be said then, that "the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." Do the former unite together, that with greater facility they may enrich their minds with works of taste, literature and science? let us also unite, that with greater ease we. may procure works which diffuse light on the pages of inspiration, which will wipe away the reproach of our ignorance, and contribute to the true dignity of the christian character. While they encroach on the midnight hour, and rise with the sun in quest of knowledge which merely relates to the perishing scenes of time; let us, who profess to be occupied with objects the most sublime in their nature, and eternal in their duration, not pass away our time, without any mental exertion, to 66 comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that we may be filled with all the fulness of God." Before we dismiss this subject, we would mention some of the advantages which may be expected from the establishment and use of Church Libraries.

It is believed if christians should avail themselves of the means which are proposed, and appropriate more time for reading and serious reflection, they would become more established in the truth; and would not be "carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." Should error come in upon them like a flood, they

would be prepared to lift up the standard of truth against it; and instead of being led away by the fair, but false speeches of designing men, they would discard them, as unworthy of their confidence and respect.

The knowledge derived from reading and meditation, would, with the blessing of God, impart stability to the christian character. Instead of being the creatures of mere feeling, the members of our churches would be more governed in their conduct by religious principle, and would press steadily on towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

They would also be furnished with matter for profitable conversation. They would neither have to be silent when they meet together, nor would it be necessary, for the want of better subjects to expatiate on the imperfections of absent friends. They would be prepared for an interchange of sentiments in relation to the authors they had read, and the particular subjects which had recently engrossed their attention. They would thus afford mutual instruction to each other. The common-place remarks which have no higher origin than the weather, or the every day occurrences of life, would be dismissed; and christians would animate and strengthen each other on their way to heaven. How delightful such intercourse as this! It is not "corrupt communication, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the bearers."

The knowledge acquired in private, will excite in the bosoms of good men a deeper and more wakeful attention to the public ministry. They will be better prepared by this knowledge to appreciate the judicious ministrations of the word; they

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will better understand the instructions delivered from the pulpit, and retain them much longer afterwards. It will also have another happy effect. will give an elevation to the character of the christian ministry. A Pastor who knows that his hearers are intelligent, and understand the duties and doctrines of christianity, will be incited to greater industry in preparing for his public work. He feels that as a teacher he ought to be in advance of his people. If they have knowledge, he must have more; at least, he must not be inferior to them. This consideration operates as a powerful spring of exertion, that he may approve himself as a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Thus it is perceived, that when private christians enlarge their knowledge by reading and meditation, they derive advantage in two ways; their own capacity is greater for receiving instruction, and those who are placed over them in the Lord feel more deeply the importance of answering the just expectations of their enlightened brethren.

Church Libraries will also be of great advantage to the ministers of Christ. Many of them are desirous of making advances in knowledge. They have not only time, but a disposition to add to their information. But they are not able from their own funds to procure works which would increase their intellectual treasures. If it be desirable that their lips should keep knowledge," and they should "find out acceptable words, it is also desirable they should enjoy the means for the attainment of these qualifications. We are confident that access to a good Library would contribute much to the private comfort, and public use

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fulness of every man who is worthy of being employed in the christian ministry.

It is sincerely hoped, that christians will duly consider the arguments which have been of fered in favour of the establish

ment of Church Libraries; and that infidels and scoffers may not have to say in the language of unholy triumph, "doubtless we are the people, and wisdom shall die with us."

Review.

A Discourse delivered at the Annual General Meeting of the Baptist Missionary Society in Bristol, (Eng.) September, 1818-by John Foster. pp. 94.

This sermon like all the productions of its author, is worthy of frequent and attentive perusal. It is distinguished by all the beauties and marred by all the blemishes of the Essay on Popular Ig. norance. The same strength of expression, the same graphic delineation of character, and the same power and originality of conception, characterize both. In both are we encountered by a harshness of style, a labyrinthian perplexity of syntactical arrangement, and not unfrequently by a turgid obscurity, which in scarce ly any other writer would be at all endured. These latter unhappy peculiarities of the author have been so frequently noticed, that it has become trite to remark up on them. We cannot but lament that a writer, in most respects so eminently qualified for extensive usefulness, should have adopted a style which must render him absolutely unintelligible to the greater part of the community. We scarcely know of a more valuable book of its kind than the Essay on Popular Ignorance, but to the greater part of English readers we fear it is about as unintelligible as though it were written in an unknown tongue.

Had we any idea that our remarks would reach the author of this discourse, we should urge upon him, as a religious duty, the attempt to render his style vastly more simple and perspicuous. He doubtless writes from moral principle, from a wish to benefit the world. It would certainly seem then that the moral principle which induces him to write, would also induce him to write in such a manner as to be generally understood.

The text is Judg. v. 23. "They came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty." In the commencement of the discourse the author most ably and philosophically demonstrates how "mighty" must be the influence which the Hindoo system of idolatry exerts over its votaries, from its conformity to the corrupt propensities of the human heart, from its direct hold upon the senses, from its venerable antiquity, and from the example of the multitudes who profess it; he then meets those objections which most commonly arise in the mind of one who is solicited to come forward and oppose this formidable array of "moral evil," and concludes by presenting those considerations which should impel us to powerful exertion, especially at the present time.

Our limits forbid us to extract more than one or two passages

from this masterly discourse. Ev. ery Christian, we are confident, must admire the following remarks upon the subject of party spirit. pp. 70, 71.

"If the christian communities, most liable to feelings of competition, were asked in what character they conceive themselves to stand the most prominently forward before the world, as practically verifying the exalted, beneficent, expansive spirit of their religion, it is not improbable they would say, it is as conspirers to extend heavenly light and liberty over the heathen world. But if so, how justly we may urge it upon them to beware of degrading this the most magnificent form in which their profession is displayed, by associating with it littlenesses which may make it almost ridiculous. Surely, in thus going forth against the powers of darkness, they would not be found stickling and stipulating that the grand banner of the cause should be surmounted with some petty label of a particular denomination. Such mortals, had they been in the emigration from Egypt, would have been incessantly and jealously busy about the relative proximities of the tribes to the cloudy pillar. A shrewd irreligious looker-on, who cares for none of our sects, nor for this our common object, might indulge his malicious gaiety in saying, All this bustling activity of consultation, and oratory, and subscription, and travelling, is to go to the account, as you will have it, of a fervent zeal for christianity; what a large share of this costly trouble I should nevertheless be sure to save you, if I could just apply a quenching substance to so much of this pious

heat as consists of sectarian ambition and rivalry.

We cannot too strongly insist again, that a sense of dignity should spurn these inglorious competitions from the sections of the advanced camp against the grand enemy. Here, at all events, the parties should acknowledge the Truce of God. If they have, and must have, jealousies too sacred to be extinguished, let their indulgence be reserved for occasions and scenes in which they are not assuming the lofty attitude of a war against the gods. But the great matter, after all, is to be solemnly intent on the object itself, on the good to be done, compared with which, the denomination of the instrument will ap

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pear a circumstance vastly trivial, Let all the promoters of these good works be in this state of mind, and the modes in which the evil spirit in question might display itself will be things of imagination or of history. For then we shall never see a disposition to discountenance a design on account of its originating with an alien sect, rather than to favour it for its intrinsic excellence; nor an eager insisting on points of precedence; nor a systematic practice of representing the operations of our own sect at their highest amount of ability and effect, and those of another at their lowest : nor the studied silence of vexed jealousy, which is thinking all the while of what it cannot endure to name; nor that laboured exaggeration of our own magnitude and achievements which most plainly tells what that jealousy is thinking of; nor that manner of hearing of marked and opportune advantages occurring to undertakings of another sect which betrays that a story of disasters would have been more welcome; nor under-hand contrivances for assuming the envied merit of something accomplished and never boasted of by another sect; nor excitements to exertion expressly on the ground of invidious rivalry, rather than christian emulation; nor casual defects of courtesy interpreted wilfully into intentional hostility, just to give a colour of justice to actual hostility on our part, for which we were prepared, and but watching for a pretext; nor management and misrepresentation to trepan to our party auxiliary means which might have been intended for theirs."

The following eloquent expostulation is found in his remarks upon the love of money. p. 74.

"But perhaps he thinks his motive regards the prospects of his family. Perhaps he has a favourite or an only son, for whom he destines, with the rest of his treasure, that portion which God is demanding. In due time that son will be put in possession by his father's death, and will be so much the richer for that portion. That this wealth will remain long in his hands, a prosperous and undiminished possession, is not perhaps very probable when we recollect what has been seen of the heirs of misers. But let us suppose that it will, and suppose too, that this son will be a man of sensibility and deep reflection. Then, his property will often remind him of his

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