Those joys the world can never give, Which, even after death, shall live The truths embodied in the preceding observations, are at all times of great practical moment, but more especially are they worthy of deep attention now, when a fearful spirit of religious extravagance is abroad, exciting the minds of the people in various districts of our country, to modes of manifesting a sense of religion, which, we are verily persuaded, are antichristian and irreligious, both in their nature and effects. Directing the views of instantaneously professing converts to the lip-service of expressions of faith in, and love to Christ, rather than on the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faithfulness; calling forth tears and groans, and cries of terror; frightening the timid to swoons and death; making long prayers and longer preachments; exalting ritual observance above the Christian test of keeping the commandments; defrauding the body of its natural rest, for the asserted good of the soul; disturbing the stilly midnight, by the tolling of the bell for protracted religious exercises; countenancing the neglect of domestic and social duties, by incessant meetings for prayer, and confession, and spiritual converse,-warranting the vain imagination, that the assurance of faith is a supernatural gift, and not the gracious blessing of the Father of mercies on long continued, consistent, faithful, self-denying virtue; dooming myriads to torture and damnation, and horrifying the people by hideous descriptions of the blackness of darkness; these are amongst the melancholy exhibitions which make men stare, which elicit the scoffs of the thoughtless, which disgust the uninquiring with the very name of Religion, and which cause inexpressible sorrow to all who are really desirous that the practice of Christian morality should impart peace and happiness to the individual mind, and crown with its manifold blessings the people of the land. We desire to cast no imputation on the active agents in these Revivals. We impeach not their sincerity nor their motives. To their own Master they must stand or fall. It may be, that good will result. None will rejoice cation more heartily than we shall, should this prove to be the case. But we doubt it much. "The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." Never was there greater necessity than at present, that religion, in its purity and power and benevolence, should take up its abode in the hearts, and be manifested in the practice of men,-displacing the idols, Mammon, fashion, expediency, time-servingness, indifferentism, hard-heartedness; but these are not the means by which the halcyon changes are to be effected. We know well, the great, the crying need for religious and moral, as well as political reformation in this nation. Ignorance, the prolific source of every iniquity, is fearfully prevalent; and edu-unsectarian, national, universal education-is needed for the removal of those mighty evils which ignorance engenders. Intemperance, in every form and degree, is rife; and this destroyer of individual improvement, this foe to domestic peace and social melioration, must be uprooted, or ever the country can be blessed. Bigotry is raging to do ill to all who cannot, or will not, worship the idol; and the foul demon must be banished, or ever the gladdening notes of Christ's holy Gospel shall be heard proclaiming, Peace on earth, good-will to men, glory to God in the highest. Human rights, the rights of the million, are denied, are utterly set at nought; nor will they be granted and secured till the golden rule of Christian morality be faithfully observed, and the love of our neighbour is cherished as the love of self. All this we know; all this we lament; all this we would do our utmost to alter; and heartily join in, or approve, all wisely directed and Christian efforts to promote these beneficial and happy results. These so-called Revivals of Religion, however, we think, will tend to anything rather than these blessed effects. Irrational and unchristian in their nature and machinery, they may debase but cannot enlighten. Spiritual intoxication may have its victims for a season, but this does not necessarily lead to their living "soberly, righteously, and godly" in the world; fanaticism and superstition may thrive, but pure religion may starve. The origin of the outbreak which, during the last few months, has been noised over mountain and valley, and made the name of Kilsyth be heard where it never was heard before, is not very palpable. Certain it is, however, that in the summer of 1839, in the Synod of the United Associate or Secession Church, an overture was brought forward by one of the members, touching the propriety and duty of promoting a Revival of Religion throughout its congregations. Whether that overture kindled the dormant zeal of the Kirk of Scotland, not to be outdone by its dissenting rival, it may be difficult perhaps to say; but assuredly, in a short time thereafter, the usual half-yearly sacrament being to be held at Kilsyth, on the preceding fast-day, the son of the clergyman of that parish preached a pathetic appeal to his young friends and neighbours, and excited to a great degree their sympathies, fears, passions. The conflagration spread like wild-fire. On all sides, people were heard inquiring of each other, "What shall I do to be saved?" Young and old and middle-aged could think of nothing but religion. Bibles were taken down, and dusted, and opened. The young men and maidens saw visions and dreamed dreams. The care of the soul became the one and only concern. Persons who had served Satan fifty years, became at once-the Lord's. Infidel books were burned; men prayed on the roadside; "beds were not much occupied" on "a remarkable night of prayer;" more than seventy prayer-meetings were opened at different parts of the village; clergymen flocked to the spot from all parts of the country, to swell the Babel-confusion of tongues, carrying back with them the religious epidemic to their own districts-giving notice from their own pulpits, that "all who are desirous of speaking with the ministers present on the state of their souls, would have an opportunity of doing so in the session-house, on the dismissal of the congregation." Newspapers chronicled the sayings and doings; and passing strange were some of both that occurred in the motley and midnight assemblages; Presbyteries convened to hear of the outpourings of the Spirit; Synods resounded with the deeds done for "our Zion" of the Church of Scotland; and the land was well nigh frighted from its propriety by the marvel lous tales. To keep up this excitement, an extraordinary proceed ing was resolved on. "It was considered most desirable and obligatory to have another communion season." The Rev. W. Burns, the parish clergyman of Kilsyth, states, that "The Session met for special prayer and direction as to the matter, and afterwards as to the time most suitable." The time fixed on was the 22d of September; and Mr. Burns relates, that "the day was uncommonly favourable;" and "having been made the matter of spe cial prayer, the answer should be marked and remembered." Thus the whole proceedings are represented as supernatural and unearthly. Thousands assembled; and amongst the number, twenty to thirty preachers; and preaching and praying, in every shape and form, out-door and in-door, continued from morning till midnight; nay, in one instance at least, till nine o'clock the following morning. At nine o'clock at night, Mr. Burns intimated in the church, that it was their "intention to continue for a considerable time in prayer-perhaps all night; he thought that there would be many more in the village would embrace the opportunity if they knew of it. He requested those present, to go out and bring their friends. The bell was also rung" at eleven o'clock at night, "and soon the church became almost full. This meeting did not separate till five o'clock in the morning; and some retired afterwards to the session-house, and were there continuing the same exercises, and engaging in religious conversation until nine o'clock." "A little girl who had been up all night at one of these meetings, and who was receiving a caution from some one, that the wants of the body must be attended to as well as those of the soul,— 'Never fear,' said the little spiritual philosopher, 'the body will take care of itself."" "So," adds the narrator, say we to all such counsellors." Why, what fanaticism is this! The little girl we may pity; her words were the ebullition of excited feeling, temporary delirium; but that any man, on a cool review of the case, could deliberately pen and print his approval of the language, is indeed melancholy and fearful. Is human nature different now from what it was in the time of the Saviour? "Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat; and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint by the way." And Christ worked a miracle to feed the hungry; but his modern disciples care for none of these things; the body now can take care for itself! No wonder, therefore, that at this sectarian feast, the Lenten entertainment of these spiritual Christians, could afford nought to the poor but the gall of bitterness and the stone of bigotry. What will our readers think of the following exhibition in a so-called Protestant Church? Kilsyth was the scene of action, and Mr. Burns, Jun. the principal performer. This was the notice he delivered: "All those in this assembly who know themselves to be in an unrepentant state, are invited to come forward, and to occupy the six pews in the area of the church nearest the pulpit, so that the congregation of Christians here assembled may pray to God for their conversion." By dint of persuasion, and, it may be, threats from clergymen aiding and abetting this desecration of religion, the six pews were at length filled; and this the language in which their occupants were addressed: They must know, that if they were to die that night in such a state, that hell would be their portion! Ah, the depths of hell! for who so guilty as those who had enjoyed the light of the Gospel, and put it away from them." "Oh that this night the prayers of the righteous may so avail, as to send down the Holy Spirit on each of their hearts, that all of them may be turned to God. But, alas! that may not be the case, and some of them may return unblessed as they came. Oh! my dear sister," pointing to one individual, "it may be you who may thus go away; or it may be you," pointing to another;" or it may be you, dear brother." In consequence of these adjurations, coupled with the fact of being exposed to the gaze of hundreds, "most appalling cries are heard" from the penitent pews. Some persons hasten forward to afford relief to the agonised sufferers; but the preacher forbids all interference to stop the piteous wailings, till the religious services are concluded. In the midst of this uproar, weeping, and outcry, which lasted more than twenty minutes, these services are continued; and then the scene of misery is transferred from the church to the session-house. What a scene was this! What a mockery of the genu |