Images de page
PDF
ePub

try customs and sins; yet some may be so touched and affected, that they may become blessings to Africa."

"I am now sitting in my bed-room, in the midst of heathen nations; and yet hear, on every side, the praises of Jesus! The boys in the church are singing psalms together; and the girls are doing the same with Mrs. Renner."

"Mr. Fernandez said he was satisfied

that there was a visible improvement in the appearance of the whole country, in the last seven or eight years; and attributed this, in some degree, to the exertions of the missionaries in educating the children. Probably much is also owing to the abolition of the slave trade. The land is more cultivated, and the manners of the people are become less savage."

VIEW OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

THE French chambers closed their session on the 26th of March. About the same time a considerable disturbance took place at Paris, in consequence of the representation of a new tragedy, called Germanicus, written by a distinguished adherent of Bonaparte, and which appears to have called forth a strong burst of popular feeling in favour of that exiled chief. It was repressed, though with some difficulty, by the vigour of the police; yet what occurred on this occasion has tended strongly to confirm the suspicion which has been entertained, that the acquiescence of the French in the existing form of government has been the effect of compulsion, and not the effect of general and cordial attachment. Assuredly, if the suspicion be well founded, it furnishes strong reasons for unabated vigilance, on the part of the other powers of Europe, lest fresh revolutionary movements should again convulse the world.

In Sweden, a conspiracy is said to have been formed among some discontented nobles, to assassinate the crown prince, formerly the General Bernadotte, and to raise the son of their late monarch to the throne. The cause assigned for this conspiracy is one very honourable to the crown prince; namely, the disaffection excited by the wise and liberal policy which he has pursued, of raising the community at large to its due share of that power and influence in the state which have hitherto been engrossed almost entirely by the nobles, who even claim the right of filling all offices, civil and military, to the exclusion of the other classes. This blow, aimed at the crown prince, has, however, for the present, been defeated by a timely discovery of the design of the conspirators; some of whom are said to have been arrested, and one ba

nished. The prince is said to be very popular, both in the army and with the community at large.

The king of Prussia has appointed a council of state, comprising all his great civil and military officers, and a number of other persons. From among the members of this council, he has named a committee, who are to associate with themselves natives of the different provinces, and then proceed to the framing of a constitution for Prussia. Among the members of the committee are several individuals distinguished for their enlarged and liberal views on subjects of general policy, a circumstance which augurs favourably for the result of their labours.

On the 4th of March, Mr. Monroe, the new President of the United states, entered on his office. In his inaugural speech, he drew a flattering view of their general condition, political and financial, agricultural and commercial. While he very strongly recommends the requisite security against possible dangers from abroad, he declares "peace to be most consistent with the prosperity and happiness of the nation, and expresses his sincere desire to preserve it on just principles with all nations, claiming nothing unreasonable of any and rendering to each what is due." The new President's cabinet is to consist of John Quincy Adams, secretary of state; W. H. Crawford, secretary of the treasury; Isaac Shelly, secretary of war; and Mr. Crowninshield, secretary of the

[blocks in formation]

choly picture of the distress prevailing in various parts of southern Europe. Famine, and its usual attendant, Pestilence, appear to be making dreadful ravages. Let us be thankful for our lot. Parliament adjourned on the 31st of March, for the Easter holidays; but, in consequence of the illness of the speaker, the adjournment was prolonged to the 24th instant, when, we are happy to say, he was sufficiently recovered to resume the chair which he has so long filled with honour to himself, satisfaction to all parties in the house, and advantage to the nation. On the day of meeting, the chancellor of the exchequer announced the intention of government to appropriate from one to two millions of exchequer bills to the patriotic object of finding employment for the labouring classes, by promoting works of national utility.

It had been intended to observe the 23d instant, St. George's day, as the birth-day of the prince regent, and preparations had been made for celebrating it with great pomp. But the sudden indisposition of the queen, on the moruing of that day, frustrated this intention. We are happy to add, that the severity of her majesty's illness was but of short duration, and that she is now stated to be recovering from it.

A deep-laid plot, for the general destruction of property, is said to have existed at Manchester, and to have been on the very eve of exploding, when discovered and defeated by the vigilance of the magistrates. A number of persons have been arrested and brought up to London, where they have undergone long private examinations. We forbear from giving any of the details which have appeared in the public papers, respecting the designs and plans of the conspirators, as their authen

ticity is dubious, and as no part of the examinations has as yet been suffered to transpire. Some disturbances have also taken place in the neighbourhood of Carlisle. A lawless mob committed several acts of violence, breaking into mills and houses, and plundering them; but it was suppressed by the civil power, and some of the rioters have been arrested.-Six Luddites, convicted at the last Leicester assizes, and condemned to die, have suffered the awful sentence of the law. Their unhappy fate seems to have struck a salutary terror into the minds of those who had been leagued with them in their atrocious plans; and there have, of late, been no attempts at frame-breaking.-In Ireland it has been found necessary to declare, by royal proclamation, a paft of the county of Kildare, and of King's county, to be in a state of disturbance.

Perhaps the most remarkable occurrence which we have to record is, the flight of Cobbett to the United States. He embarked, with his family, on board an American ship at Liverpool, from which place he took his departure, about the close of the last month. He kept his intentions secret until he was actually on board the ship. This renders it probable that the true, perhaps the only, cause of his flight was, the dread of an exchequer process issued at the instance of the Stamp-office, for duties on his weekly pamphlet, to the amount, as is said, of 18,000l. He himself, of course, attributes his voyage to a very different cause. "I and mine," he says, "will not live under a government having the absolute power to imprison us at its pleasure; and, if we can avoid it, we will neither live nor die under such an order of things." "When this order of things shall cease to exist, then shall I again see England."

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

WE agree with A COUNTRY READER in the view he has taken of a practice prevalent in certain assemblies; and yet we feel some difficulty in making it the subject of public discussion.

T. S.; EXCUBITOR; T. B.; M.; EPIPHANIUS; and OLD CHURCH, will appear. *S; J. O. Z.; Theognis; F.; F. H.; S. S.; are under consideration.

We should be glad to see the remainder of the essay of CERETICUS before we de cide the point he has submitted to us.

Y. Z. has not quoted us accurately. We confined our remark to French wine. We can assure ASEVIA, that he is incorrect in supposing that we treated with "marked," or with any "neglect," the verses to which he alludes. We considered them with great care and attention.

We think that Messrs. Wright and Son should themselves authenticate the facts they state.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

I told you I meditated a letter of some importance. Your years of education are over-you have entered into life as your own master—and it is now my intention to bring under your view the considerations which bear upon the choice of such a plan and course of action on setting out in life, as may be most conducive to your own welfare, and that of your connexions, both here and hereafter. Mistakes in this point are not only attended by present danger, but are productive of future difficulties, and threaten wide-spreading mischief.

[ocr errors]

First, then, the great object that object compared with which all others so shrink into insignificance, that in Scripture it is emphatically called "the one thing needful" is to be a Christian, and to lead a life befitting a Christian. The latter of these duties was contemplated by the Apostle, in his call on all who bore the Christian name to consider what manner of persons they ought to be in all holy conversation (meaning, by that term, our conduct in Social life) and godliness. The two obligations are most intimately connected. The former is the naCHRIST. OBSERV. No. 185.

tural fruit of the latter; and the latter cannot be maintained without the former. But there are degrees in most things; and both points, therefore, may be often substantially attained where there is a mixture of much imperfection. To sit down, however, satisfied with imperfection is incompatible with the very essence of Christianity; which requires us constantly to aim at the highest standard, and to make it our unremitting endeavour to be perfect, even as our Father which is in heaven is per fect. If we thus act with the devout spirit, humility, earnestness, simplicity, and sincerity of true followers of our blessed Saviour, he will mercifully pardon our defects, and lead us on towards higher attainments; neither of which have we any scriptural right to expect while our aim and desire are bounded by any thing short of Christian perfection.

[ocr errors]

You will, I fear, think this exördium long, but I must make it still longer for, in order to see what "conversation" becomes a Christian, we must call to mind what is his "calling ;"-how exalted, how far removed from the low and mean standard of those who are Christians in name only, or who, if Christians indeed, are of so equivocal a character, that at best they build only with hay, straw, stubble; and if saved at all, must be saved "so as by fire." A Christian is called "out of the world" to have fellowship with God; while the world, notwithstanding all specious appearances, is represented as under the power 20

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

of Satan. The change thus wrought in him is described as a change "from darkness to light;" and the strongest images are every where used in Scripture to set forth his happiness, and the misery and criminality of those who have not, like him, escaped from the snares and the pollutions which abound among the great body of mankind. He is spoken of as an heir of Heaven," and as sitting even now "in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." They, on the contrary, are represented as under the Divine wrath; and, while living "according to the course of this world," are said to live under the immediate influence of "the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." (Eph. ii. 2.)

We cannot, then, be surprised that a just and holy God should make so wide a difference between these two classes, when we reflect that, however they may often agree in inferior points, yet in their leading and paramount principles, and in the great features of their character, they are directly opposed to each other. They are opposed in no less a degree than as his servants and his enemies. This view of things is strikingly exhibited in Mr. Wilberforce's work on vital Christianity-a work which is more familiar to you than to me, and for which I know your just partiality. One passage to which I particularly allude, is that respecting "good hearted young men, and "'innocent young

[ocr errors]

women."

The very great difference between the two classes which I have mentioned is not the only thing to be noticed; but also the great danger lest that class which has escaped from the general wickedness and peril should be drawn again into the vortex by its intercourse with the other. The temp tations presented by the world are described in Scripture as most alluring; and our own hearts as most prone to yield to them; while

the devil and his angels are represented as full of wiles, and as exerting them all to give to those temptations the victory over us.

Let us consider these points more distinctly.

:

The world is engaged, as far at least as common prudence will permit, in indulging the propensities and appetites natural to man; and its familiar maxims, and expressions of taste and feeling, bear the stamp of this its course. Now, the great effort of Christians is to emancipate themselves from the dominion of those appetites and propensities; to "keep the body under, and bring it into subjection ;" and "to crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts." Surely, therefore, such persons should avoid those who pursue the opposite course, as far, at least, as is consistent with the business and the charities of life. If they do not, they will almost infallibly wander from God; all that is good in them will fade and instead of "abhorring that which is evil, and cleaving to that which is good" instead of delighting in spirituality of character and holiness of conversationinstead of dreading and shunning the reverse, and feeling a dissatisfying void wherever, though decorum is sustained, these holy and heavenly qualities are wanting-they will find the distinction between good and evil less and less strongly marked in their affections, and, through the influence of their affections, by degrees, less strongly marked in their judgments; till both affection and judgment, but especially the former, will be in imminent danger of passing over from God's side to the side of the enemy. Then will creep upon them the degeneracy of the church of Ephesus, in leaving its "first love ;" of Laodicea, in being "lukewarm ;" and finally of Sardis, whose Christian attainments were all " ready to die," and which had a name that it lived while it was dead. Thus, instead of being ren

dered, by the powerful influence of Christian society and example operating in aid of the other means of grace, "meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light," there is reason to fear that, by too free communication with the world, and by an attendant and consequent love of the world, they may find in the fearful day of account that they have been gradually prepared for the society and

inheritance of the wicked.

You will perceive that I do not present you with this picture, in order to convince you that we ought not to commit ourselves to the full stream of the world, in its society, its habits, and amusements. You, my dear R. are yourself perfectly ready to say, in that sense, "Be not conformed to this world." My object is rather to impress on your mind how little we should join in its course; how far we should stand aloof from it. The question is, doubtless, one of degree; but it, nevertheless, may be a question of the highest importance: for, in many cases, of which this is one, all depends upon degree. With men of the world we must of course join in business; we also owe to them all courtesy and kindness; we must, therefore, have with them some measure of social intercourse. These circumstances, aided by the propensity of our own natures, and the artifices of Satan, will infallibly draw us on to too large a measure of it, if we are not very strictly on our guard. We shall be in great danger of improper compliances, and in still greater of losing a portion of the genuine Christian spirit, and of gradually imbibing a spirit opposed to it. And then what must follow? Do we hope that in such case we shall advance in the divine life? Do we even hope that we can maintain the ground already acquired? How can we expect to advance up the arduous ascent, when we are setting our faces the other way, by undue intercourse

with those who are either in the vale below, or are descending towards it? And yet to stand still in the divine life is impossible. Unless we advance, we must go back. Some fair appearances may still be kept up, and our indulgent friends may still retain their hopes: but all is likely soon to become hollow and unsound, and we shall be apt to lose the very life and soul of true religion. I will not dilate farther on any of these topics; but they seem to me to furnish irresistible arguments for fighting manfully against the seductions of the world; for prescribing to ourselves a course of conduct, so opposed to its course, as with God's help to preserve us from those seductions; and for maintaining in all our intercourse with society a holy jealousy of worldly influence, and a holy distrust of ourselves.

The circumstance which most tends to lull well-disposed persons' into practical forgetfulness of these truths, or at least into a very inadequate attention to them, is the agreement of religious and of decent worldly characters in so many inferior points, that the vast difference between them in essentials may not at first strike the view. Both are obliging, attentive to truth and honesty, and to their domestic, social, and public duties; both abstain from gross vice, and acknowledge the obligations of morality. But on a close inspection, it will appear that the one class serve God, mainly, sincerely, and unreservedly, and make his will their practical standard of duty; and that the other act on different principles-such as those of honour, worldly estimation, deference to the opinions and example of relations-to all which, religion, even if it have any sensible influence, is made subordinate. And although the religious man will be found very far superior to the worldly class, in resisting temptations to deviate from the right course, as well as in the serenity

« PrécédentContinuer »