wicked pleasures as a sweet morsel under their tongues. Infidel opinions hold forth to them all that they desire. The daring assertions, the unblushing falsehoods, the artful sneers, the subtly contrived obscurities, and the bursts of strong ribaldry, which characterize the seductive books of their guides, they lay up in their hearts; and so far as their ignorance of the argumentative evidences of revelation, or their forgetfulness of what they might once have learned, will permit, they welcome the seduction, they yield themselves most willingly to its force, and, to the utmost of their daring, they become infidels at heart.

It is but too possible that some one of this description, though unknown and unsuspsected, may be now perusing this address. If it be so, I entreat you, my unhappy reader, not to turn aside from a sincere and candid remonstrance. Allow me to ask, whether you are fairly and honestly satisfied with your condition; are you not really conscious, that the light which is in you is darkness?" Have you not at times deep misgivings, and dismal groans of conscience, and horrid fears in the dark recess of your heart? Dare you to say, No? Your changeful look, your pallid lips, your faultering tongue, betray the force which you are putting upon them. You know that you are not performing a fair and honourable part between God and yourself. You know that you are not acting, in this great cause, as an honest juryman, or a faithful and upright judge; you give all the force, and zeal, and interest of

your mind to one side of the question; and you are either extremely ùnacquainted with the arguments on the other side, or you are conscious of having treated them in the most inequitable manner, and of having bestowed your pains, not seriously to understand, thoNEW SERIES, No. 20.

roughly to imagine, and impartially to weigh, but only to pervert, cavil, and ridicule. What, but the consciousness of a bad cause, would lead you thus to deal treacherously with your own reason? Have you travelled over the extensive field of moral evidence, of history and antiquities, of philology and natural science, of researches into the condition of the world at the origin of Christianity, the circumstances in which it was placed, and the causes of its preservation and prevalence, the argument from prophecy, and that from the internal characters of the system? Perhaps you are conscious of deplorable ignorance upon every one of these topics. Perhaps you are surprized at being told, that from any one of these points, taken singly, the friends of Christianity have brought proofs in favour of its divine origin, which have never been answered, which have not been even fairly met, and which they challenge all the strength of infidelity to assail. Oh, are you not well aware that your strongest argument is the enmity of your heart to holiness, that your only real objection to the religion of Jesus lies in its being incompatible with the love and practice of sin, in its being for ever irreconcilable with the wickedness which you love? Are you also insensible to the silent eloquence of moral proof, which has shone from the holy lives and happy deaths of sincere Christians; perhaps of your own parents, perhaps of your master or mistress, perhaps of the very benefactor who has been the friend of your youth, and whom you are now repaying with the vilest ingratitude?

If your infidelity were honourable and upright, why do you conceal it? If your motives are pure, and you can come into court with clean hands, why do you shrink back and make your abode in

3 F

not so.

ambiguity, and perhaps directly false professions, to deceive your parents or friends? If a Christian were to act a similar part, you would call him a hypocrite, and justly. But true Christians do Myriads of them have borne, with meek resignation, the anger and abandonment of their dearest relatives; have suffered the loss of every thing valuable on earth-their property, their friends, their comfort, their liberty, and have submitted to chains and dungeons, to the extremity of torture, and to deaths the most cruel that diabolical invention could contrive-rather than renounce their Saviour, or prevaricate in their testimony of attachment to him, or violate any of his holy commandments.

"HOW

Oh

criminal lusts and passions. Think also, "how great is the darkness," of your guilt. You are carrying on a system of infamous deception towards your earthly friends, from whom you are so careful to conceal your character and principles. You insult the Holy and Almighty God, the gracious Saviour, the Spirit of truth and mercy. You have renounced his word, you spurn his precepts; you cut yourself off from his precious promises; your only portion in the book of heaven lies in its righteous and terrible threatenings. And Oh, are not those threatenings even now beginning to take their accomplishment? Are not the invisible ministers of vengeance already opening their adamantine hands to grasp you, and hold you for ever? "Oh that you were wise, that you would consider this;" then hope would revive concerning you; then might the, true light shine into your heart; the light of mercy, pardon, purity; the light of Jesus, whose love and power are adequate to save even you!

Unhappy young man! your secret scepticism is not the fruit of truth and integrity. You know that it has risen from principles the very reverse from the love and practice of sin. You are selfconvicted; your boasted " light is darkness." You love darkness rather than light, because your deeds are evil." And, Oh, GREAT is that darkness !" that you could be persuaded to spend a serious hour in the reflection upon it! It is a darkness of the blackest and most pestilential kind. You pretend to be a disciple of REASON; and you are violating its best dictates, and trampling upon its highest exercises. You talk of conscientious objections and sincere scruples, yet you are acting the part of gross insincerity, and are silencing your conscience, and crushing its remonstrances. "You make lies your refuge, and under falsehood you are vainly endeavouring to hide yourself." You boast of liberty of mind, freedom of thought, and superiority to prejudice; yet are you the veriest slave; you are held in the chain of your sins, and under the dominion of the most

The Lord grant that this humble expostulation may, by his omnipotent grace, be the means of conviction and true conversion, to the wretched unbeliever who walks in darkness!

ON THE WANT OF A PUBLIC SPIRIT IN MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL.

"OUR minister is not a man of a public spirit," are terms of regret which your correspondent remembers to have heard used by a respectable member of a Christian church. Time, and persons, and place, must, of course, remain secret. I am well aware that there will always remain, even amongst good men, while in this state of imperfection, a great diversity of character; nor do I feel at all dis

posed to judge unfavourably as to the real state of any individual professor of religion, where there is no avowed renunciation of the leading principles of the Gospel, nor any course of moral conduct pursued inconsistent with its obvious requirements. But notwithstanding this, it must, I think, be admitted, that a state of mind such as that alluded to, ought to put its possessor upon very serious and scrutinizing examination. Not to cherish a public spirit, as to matters of religion, it cannot be denied, forms a perfect contrast to the spirit and conduct of the first promulgators of Christianity, and particularly as it regards our Lord himself, that great examplar of "whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report," And not to be imitators of him “who has left us an example that we should follow his steps," is surely no favourable indication of real discipleship. It is true that the state of this country especially, is very different from the state of the world at the time at which the Saviour made his appearance on the earth; but still there is much land to be possessed; many souls evidently in an unconverted state, even in this highly favoured kingdom, and many too who are not very likely to place themselves under the regular ministrations of the gospel. When a minister, professing evangelical sentiments, confines his attention to the people who voluntarily come under his care, when no interest, under such circumstances as these, seems to be felt in reference to objects beyond the strict requirements of professional engagements, might we not, with affectionate earnestness, ask the question, "What doest thou more than others?" The labours even of a minister of the gospel may have self-interest as much, and as exclusively in view, as those of

the merchant or the tradesman who regularly attends at the accustomed hours of business at his shop or warehouse. To be conversant about religion, and a future state, by no means excludes the possibility of secular motives. They may act, to the exclusion of better principles, under the cover of a holy calling, and where nothing is done but what the payment of a certain annual stipend renders necessary, is there not painful reason for suspicion that the mind is worldly, even in the exercise of religious and spiritual functions?

There are few ministers who might not embrace opportunities of preaching the gospel beyond the bounds of their immediate charges, and even where that could not be done, much, in general, might be accomplished, by encouraging the efforts of others. Besides, there are institutions almost innumerable, having for their object the promotion, in some way or other, of the interests of religion, for the success of which a minister may, by his influence, perform much. In congregations, of any denomination, the minister, of course, is expected to take the lead in every exertion that relates to religion, and, in general, where he is not disposed to take an active part, little or nothing is done. So that a minister destitute of a public spirit, is often culpable far beyond what relates merely to his own lack of service. Probably he is in some measure responsible for all that is not done within the sphere of his exertions. It is by no means the writer's intention to convey the idea that our ministers should always be the foremost with their subscriptions. This, with a few exceptions, they have not the means of doing, nor is it at all necessary that they should head the list of contributors of pecuniary aid, in order to give sufficient proof of their possessing a

་་་་་་་་་་་་

THE CLAIMS OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE RELIEF OF AGED AND INFIRM MINISTERS.

(To the Editors.)

partment of Christian sympathy and benevolence an ample field for the exercise of his zeal and generosity, I have transmitted the following extract from one of its reports, with some brief notices of its present state, which, I doubt not, you will readily insert in your miscellany. It is almost unnecessary to add, that after rendering my services to the Institution from its formation, it will be truly gratifying to me should this correspondence be the means of making it better known to the friends of humanity and religion, and of promoting its prosperity. I am, Gentlemen

GENTLEMEN, I presume that your correspondent J. who is desirous of establishing a fund for the Relief of Aged and Superannuated Ministers, has little intercourse with the metropolis, or he would have heard that some eight years since, a society had been formed for the express object which he has so ably advocated. He will, I trust, be happy to learn that the appeal which he has made to his brethren in the ministry, and his "lay-brethren," has been anticipated, and that they have already set him an example, and have been from year to year, and are still inviting his active and liberal co-operation in this labour of love. Many of his valuable remarks have been presented to the public in the past reports of the Society for the Relief of Aged and Infirm Protestant Dissenting Ministers, and others of them may be advantageously introduced in future years. In justice to the claims of that Society, and to show your worthy correspondent that the disgrace" of which he complains has been felt by others, as well as by himself, and that there exists in this interesting de

Very faithfully yours,
THOMAS RUSSELL.

Walworth, July 1, 1826.

Extract from the Second Annual Report of the Society for the Relief of Aged and Infirm Protestant Dissenting Ministers.

"Before the formation of this Society, it had long been a matter of surprize and regret, that, while some provision has been made for almost every species of distress, a little attention should have been paid to the case of Aged Protestant Dissenting Ministers, who have spent the greater part of their lives in endeavouring to promote the best interests of their fellow creatures. It is scarcely possible to conceive any objects of Christian benevolence having stronger claims to our sympathy and aid, this description. Some are wholly incathan are to be found among persons of pacitated for public service, and in the decline of life find themselves in a dependant and even destitute state; and others, who do not wholly discontinue their labours, death, and other causes, a serious dimiexperience, from the loss of friends by nution of their income, when, in consequence of their growing infirmities, an increase of it is needed; and, in some inened by the thought, (which will at times stances, their painful feelings are heightforce itself upon their mind,) that they are supposed by mary to retain their station for a mere subsistence, when they are no longer useful. The prospect of such an issue to a long life devoted to the ministry, must excite anxious fears in the breasts of young ministers, and have a tendency to damp their zeal.

"To alleviate these fears, and, at the same time, to afford some substantial relief to the sufferers themselves, a few indivi

duals directed their attention to a plan for the assistance of aged and infirm Protestant Dissenting Ministers in necessitous circumstances. After several meetings of Dissenters of the Three Denominations, it was deemed desirable to unite their efforts, as in the Widows' Fund,' to carry this design into effect. This Institution was, in consequence, formed on the 2d of June, 1818, and a liberal subscription commenced for the furtherance of its objects."

With one of the reports, the following letter from the Secretary was extensively circulated.

"SIR,-I am directed by the Committee of the Society for the Relief of Aged and Infirm Protestant Dissenting Ministers, to enclose you an account of the proceedings of that Society. From the Report you will learn the nature, progress, and present state of the Institution. It will, no doubt, be gratifying to you to perceive the measure of relief already communicated to many respectable, aged, and distressed ministers, whose cases have been received and approved by the Committee. To carry the benevolent intentions of the Society into full effect, in meeting the claims of new applicants, and increasing the sums granted to those whose cases have been approved, and who need additional assistance, they are desirous of securing your co-operation. They respectfully solicit that you will avail yourself of the opportunities and means you possess of making the Society known among your friends, and of augmenting its funds, by subscriptions, donations, or collections.

66

Any communications respecting the Society, will be thankfully received by the Treasurer, Secretary, or any of the members of the Committee."

Signed by the Secretary.

By a reference to the last printed report, it appears that thirty-two aged or infirm ministers were relieved in the preceding year. The income of the Society, from annual subscriptions, and sermons preached on its behalf, are insufficient for its expenditure, and consequently a considerable part of the late do nations and life subscriptions has not been funded, although it is evidently desirable that they should always be so appropriated.

I hope you will not deem me trespassing too much on your pages, by requesting the insertion of the following short extracts from letters recently received from some of the beneficiaries of the

Society.

They are all of them from ministers of the Independent denomination.

March 4, 1826.--"I desire to give the warmest praise to God for the existence of this Society, for if it had not been for relief received from it, my pecuniary distress, added to my bodily affliction, would have been of an overwhelming nature.'

March24,1826.--"Impressed with a sense of the greatest gratitude for past favours, I am still under the necessity of soliciting your kindness this year also. I am now entered on my eighty-sixth year; my wife is still living, and my daughter, who is a cripple, is with me, and my son's orphan child is under my protection, otherwise it must be in the hands of a parish. Gentlemen, your labour of love will never be forgotten, and may every blessing of the new covenant rest upon you, with every blessing of this life, is the sincere wish and humble prayer of your unworthy servant in Christ."

May 22, 1826.--" Permit me now to request your kind remembrance of me, with your other necessitous friends. What a most merciful Institution is your Society. At times I endeavour to contrast my present state with what it might have been had there been no such relief provided; when it is not easy for me to express my feelings of gratitude to my great benefactor, who, by his grace hath stirred up so many active and benevolent minds."

May 29, 1826.-"You will have the goodness to introduce my case to the recollection of the Committee for the Relief of Aged and Infirm Protestant Dissenting Ministers. Am now in my eightieth year, the subject of manifold infirmities, wants, and weaknesses. Troubled, yet not distressed, perplexed, not in despair.' During the last year have lost several chief friends, and am almost forgotten in the world."

"

ON CONGREGATIONAL BRO

THERLY SOCIETIES.

(To the Editors) GENTLEMEN-The age in which it is our lot and privilege to live is happily characterized by a most ardent zeal for the diffusion of knowledge. It is truly delightful to a philanthropic mind, to observe with what eagerness those who possess information are seeking to impart it. There are but few misers in the intellectual world. It seems to be ordained, that one half of the pleasure of knowledge