The Douglas and the Percy both together, Were confident against a world in arms. We know that, in the sight of God he is not the most successful champion who may have given most falls to his adversary; but he who has obtained the most victories over his own spirit. And he will be found, in the great and tremendous day of reckoning, to have been the most valiant soldier of Jesus, Christ, not who has been the fiercest combatant in the field of controversy, but who shall have brought most glory to God, and most souls to heaven.

would so sanctify the temper, that we should forgive and overlook those inferior matters in others, which might not exactly coincide with our own views and opinions.

These discrepancies in sentiment are perhaps permitted for mutual advantage; and the cultivation of a candid disposition may be carried to a wider extent, and a spirit of forbearance in action, than if there were no such thing as diversity of sentiment. By the consent and reciprocal operation of this spirit of Christian kindness, we shall be made more meet for that state where all will be of one mind, as well as one heart, where charity will have its full consummation, and forbearance its full reward.

Let us then prepare ourselves, and each other, by the exercise of the one for the fruition of the other. Let God be all in all now, as He will be hereafter, and there will be no room left in the heart of a Christian for animosity, or unkindness towards his fellow Christians. A cordial agreement in those essentials to which the Gospel has annexed salvation, should swallow up all the present petty, but dividing distinctions.-Could this most desirable object be accomplished, then should we hope to see a renovation of that spirit which, in the early ages of the church, provoked even its enemies to exclaim with admiring wonder, See how these Christians love one another!

If we made, as surely we ought to make, the Holy Scripture our standard of judging, as well as of believing, of charity as well as of faith, of brotherly kindness as well as of orthodoxy ;-if we brought the Bible to be the constant arbiter of our debates, as well as the professed rule of our lives, we should attack nothing with warmth but what that Bible condemns. All differences of opinion in which God has not set to His seal that it is false, should be treated with candour; men should not then make their own purged eyes' the universal medium of clear vision, they should not vilify others for seeing the same optics with other topics. Want of charity is probably no less a fault than the one we may be reviling; and does not a want of discrimination, or rather does not that blindness which is inspired by prejudice, lead to that deficiency in candour which widens the difference? To profess opinions of which Scripture neither commands nor proOn the Exertions of Pious Ladies. hibits our belief, ought not to set at irrecon- WE are now about to tread, which we do cilable variance beings who are equally can- with a fearful and timid step, on tender didates for heaven. In that abode of per-ground. It is with mingled respect and refect peace and perfect love, no small portion fuctance we venture to touch on certain deliof the promised felicity may arise from our cate points which affect the sincerely pious; being of no party. persons who equally avoid all eccentricity in doctrine, and negligence in practice; yet among whom little errors may hereafter creep in, the very consequence, perhaps, of that increasing and inestimable blessing, religious society. It is to be feared they may incur the hazard of raising in others objections against religion, by their honest zeal to promote it.

A difference in opinion on points on which the Holy Spirit has been silent, on which no declaratory sentence in Scripture has been pronounced, is surely no ground for the triumph of superiority in those who maintain them, nor for supercilious contempt in those who reject them. Is it not putting matters of minor importance in the place of essentials? while perhaps by the disputants on both sides, essentials are not always held with so firm a grasp, or at least are not debated with such unkind pertinacity.

The persons to whom we presume to allude are of that sex, in which, perhaps, most piety is to be found, and who are in so many respects essentially advancing its cause.We have hitherto alluded to difference of Their services are so materially useful, that opinion between pious men, men who are in it would be a subject of deep regret, if, by earnest in their religion. But are there not any slight inadvertence, their value should men of little picty to be found, who side with ever be diminished. We are too often led to one or the other party, and become the hot- complain of deficiencies in religion; we are test controvertists, while they take little real now to speak-not of its excess, for we beinterest in vital religion; who oppose with-lieve there is no such thing-but rather to out belief, and defend without conviction, merely because they wish to be appended to that side which they happen to think the most creditable, most popular, or most profitable?

guard the truly pious against the possibility of inconveniences, which, should they arise, would be a diminution of their usefulness.

The thoughtless and dissipated indeed, who haunt unsocial crowds, and lay out their Let us then love in each other now what talents for that world which they have choGod loves in us, and bear with the rest. sen for their portion,find their reward where The cultivation of this spirit of kindness they seek it, in the admiration of that world

where they flutter and shine.-The others gion, even among good people, is not so patiently wait for theirs in that single sen- much considered as a thing between God and tence,Well done, good and faithful ser- their own soul, as we know it really is; for vant.' Yet though it is painful to say a syl-we are far from suspecting the secret comlable which might look like disapprobation when only caution is intended, may we hazard a few words, not of censure but of friendly intimation?

munion with their God and Saviour is not considered as their primary duty. And we are willing to believe that the effect of this duty will always be visible in producing that sobriety and simplicity, which so conspicuously, and so beautifully distinguish the re

The religion of Jesus is utterly without parade, it effects no publicity. It is enough for his servants to believe that their heavenly Father, who sees them in secret, sees them with an approving eye.

May not those large portions of time, and strength, and spirit, so generously spent abroad by zealous Christians, in the most no-ligion of the New Testament. ble exertions of religious charity, be sometimes suffered to entrench, in some measure, upon the imperious calls of domestic life, upon those pleasing and sacred duties for which HOME is a name so dear? May they not be so exhausted by external concerns, As they have got above acting from the that they may be in danger of entering with fear of man, the next step is to get above diminished interest on the retired exercises acting for his praise ;-the excessive apof the closet. All business, even religious plause and commendation of their Christian business, is apt to produce a hurry and bus- friends begin, in reality, still more to be tle in the mind, and an agitation in the spi-watched against than the reproach of the rits, which the most serious persons lament, irreligious. The one teaches them to be as being attended with some disqualification circumspect, the other may in time induce for personal improvement. My mother's them to believe that circumspection is no children gave me their vineyards to keep, longer necessary. This negligence, if it do but mine own vineyard have I not kept,' was not make them do wrong, may lead them the pathetic lamentation of the ancient to be too much elated with doing what is church. They had engaged her in labours and difficulties which she feared had in some But there are higher motives for the use measure impeded the progress of her own of discreet reserve in the Christian's mind spiritual concerns. It was in her own house, than what regards merely their personal at Bethany, that Mary sat at the feet of Je-character. However pure in motive, howsus. We fully admit, however, not only the ever innocent in action, they must be careful complete compatibility, but the expediency, not to have their good evil spoken of. They of uniting what we owe to those abroad, and must be scrupulously cautious of not bringto ourselves and families at home; the high-ing the least reproach on the cause dearest est characters are those who combine both. We are not combatting, but applauding a zeal, which we fervently hope may never be suppressed, if it should ever require to be somewhat regulated.

right.

to their affections. Pious persons cannot but know, that with the utmost care to avoid adding to the offence, which Christian truth, however discreetly exhibited, necessarily gives, that many are looking out for pretences to discredit not only the professor but the profession itself. But if they should hereafter see any of those improprieties for which they are looking out; if any indiscretion should be found where it is sedulously sought, Christianity would suffer, and impicty triumph.

There is no part of Christian duty which more requires us to look well to the motive by which our actions are set a-going. It is of importance to examine whether our most useful, if busy pursuits, are not influenced by a natural fondness for bustle, an animal activity, a love of notice. Whether even the charitable labours grow not more from We sincerely hope that certain sharpa restless spirit than from real piety. Let sighted observers, who are keenly on the us observe, however, that though these de-watch for any thing that may discredit serifective motives may at first excite the zealous piety, who are peeping in at every creof some, yet by a perseverance in well-do-vice, through which they think they may ing, assisted by humble prayer, the motive detect any real or supposed ground of cenmay at length become as pure as the act is undoubtedly right.

sure, may never be gratified with the discovery of what they so industriously seek. It is asserted, but we trust with more se- But it is obvious, that where they can detect verity than justice, that there is a growing no substantial fault, they take comfort in tendency in some truly excellent persons to finding a foible; where there is no deformiintroduce show and display in their religion; ty they triumphantly carry away a blemish, a tendency, not quite consistent with the in- and are ready to make the most of the terior, spiritual nature of Christianity. It slightest imperfection. And a speck which is not so much an evil we are guarding would not be perceived in an ordinary form, against, as the appearance of evil. Their is conspicuous on that which is white and sex, like their religion, is of a sober cha- pure. racter; and the tendency to which we are This, by a little perversion, and not a litalluding, may create a suspicion that reli-tle exaggeration, not only of fact but of

conjecture, is propagated till it becomes a | without ceremony; if they allowed themmischief. In the detection of the slightest selves to determine the right and the wrong flaw in characters of eminent piety, they go on points too abstruse, not only for female, away rejoicing, as if they had found some hidden treasure. And it is well perhaps, even for the best Christians, that there are such critical inspectors; and the knowledge that they are watched will answer an excellent purpose, if it set them on watching themselves.

but even for human intelligence, to decide upon, and to get rid of those they did not like or did not comprehend; if they had quitted plain, practical, intelligible religion, for misleading theories, and, like the apostate Galatians, removed from Him that called them into the grace of Christ unto Am I then an enemy to Christian exer- another gospel;' if all these things had tation? God forbid! It is the glory of our age, ken place, then they would indeed deserve that among the most useful and zealous ser- even more censure than they have incurred; vants of our Divine Master, are to be found, then, though we should pity their error and of 'devout and honourable women not a lament their apostacy, we should be among few.' Ladies, whose own education not the last to apologise for the one, or excuse having been limited to the harp and the the other. It has been brought, as a charge, sketch-book, though not unskilled in either, against the valuable ladies whose cause we are competent to teach others what them- are advocating, as if it were a departure from selves have been taught; who disdain not to the delicacy of the sex, to attend at the anbe employed in the humblest offices of Chris-nual meetings of certain religious and charitian charity, to be found in the poorest cot- table societies; but we know not what reatage, at the bed-side of the sick and dying; sonable objection can be made to their being whose daughters, if not the best waltzers, modest and silent auditors on these occasions. are the best catechists; whose houses are They do not attend the resort of the unemhouses of prayer, whose closets are the scene ployed or the ill-employed-they do not atof devout meditation; who, not contented tend to hear the idle news of the neighbourwith the stinted modish measure of a single hood, but to hear 'good news from a tar attendance on public worship, so contrive to country,'-news, which the angels in heaven render the hours of repast subservient to those of duty, as to make a second visit to the temple of their God; and who endeavour to retain the odour of sanctity, shed on the sacred day, through the duties of the week. But to pursue the subject in a different, though not distant direction, we cannot too much commend those valuable persons, whom neither fortune, rank, nor any temporal advantages have been able to seduce to follow those vain pursuits, whose light, and, in some cases, dangerous amusements, so eagerly sought by the votaries of pleasure. Compare now these inoffensive and quiet We cannot but admire, that all these ener-auditors, with the gay multitudes of their gies which others are wasting in idle diver-own sex which crowd the resort of pleasure. sions, or employments little better than idle--Here, they are the peaceful listeners; ness, are, by those excellent persons, de- there, they are the busy performers. The voted to purposes of religion, and religious or useful charities,

stoop down to hear, not the conversion of
one sinner, but the conversion of many,-to
hear that best news, the extension of Chris-
tianity to the extremities of the globe,-to
hear that

All kingdoms and all princes of the earth
Flock to that light;-

To hear

'That eastern Java to the farthest west,
And Ethiopia spreads abroad the hand
And worships!"

others are not, as here, passive recipients of entertainment, but the entertainers, but the exhibitors. Yet, who among the worldly censures one of these classes? who, among the prejudiced does not censure the other?

If, indeed, like the females attached to the new school of theology, they deserted the established proprieties, and prescribed decorums, which have ever been considered as the safeguard, as well as the ornament, of their sex; if they assisted to propagate novel opinions; if they undertook to share the office of directors in spiritual concerns; if they diverted to public purposes, the talents given them for the more appropriate and subordinate, but not less useful offices of Did the pursuits of both, in point of health, private life; if they attempted to clear dif- sobriety in dress, security of morals, preserficulties in divinity, which the wisest and vation of delicacy, more nearly approach most learned men had approached with awe each other than the most strenuous advocate and reverence, and had receded, for fear of for dissipation can pretend; yet the prodidarkening counsel by words without know-gious inequality of the two as to the waste ledge;' if they undertook to decide between of time, must settle the matter at once with contending creeds while they considered those who know the value of this fugitive, the commandments as antiquated-new-this irretrievable talent.

So much for the difference in the act; let us examine the difference in point of time; for, as in our pleasurable pursuits, the consumption of time, that precious material of which life is made, forms a very considerable object, it cannot be thought unfair to compare the two classes on this ground.

modelling the one and rescinding the other Compare then the few hours in the day,

and the very few days in the years, given up ry species of political and moral mischief. by the one to these serious pleasures, with In imitation of one whom the enormity of his the uncounted hours of the countless nights, crimes would almost warrant us in calling spent by the other in the anti-social crowds his grand inspirer, his labours were perhaps of turbulent pleasure-spent, we will not say more energetic, because his time was short.'' in the midnight parties, for that would give Here again Michael made a counter-attack a false impression of the season of those on the dragon. For it is to the same poweramusements. The midnight hour was here-ful energies, exerted in the contrary directofore used proverbially to express late re-tion, that we may ascribe those numberless velling. But from the present inversion of noble, and beneficial societies at home,. hours, that would give an idea not only of which promise to effect a moral change in dulness and vulgarity, but it would also ra- the condition, not of one country, not of one ther designate the hour when company met, Continent, but of the whole Globe, and by than when they parted. Midnight was once which we hope finally, through the Divine the time which closed the scene of dissipa- blessing, to beat down Satan under our tion; it is now that of commencing it. And feet.' it is scarcely extravagant to say, that the But this has not only been a period for morning frequenters of the charitable meet- exerting the energies of countries and comings join them not many hours after the munities, They have been exerted under others return from the scene of their unquiet different situations by different characters, pleasures. In the one case, no neighbour- and to opposite purposes, by individuals; hood is kept awake by unseasonable noise they have been remarkably exhibited in and knockings, no servants are exposed to private persons, in a sex where energy is corruptions abroad, nor robbed of quiet rest less expected to break out into fearless acat home. tion; in Charlotte Corday, in Madame Roland, and other political enthusiasts abroad, all acting with the spirit of the heroines of pagan Rome, and actuated by a religion much resembling theirs.

To turn from the metropolis to the provinces. Compare the little absences from home of ladies who inspect the concerns, and give instruction to the poor, with the long and frequent desertion of another class, not of home only, but of country!

prudence, and simplicity, the sacrifice of which would ill repay the accomplishment of the most popular action.

At home, the best energies of the human mind have been exerted to the best purUpon the whole though we would care- poses, by private individuals also, and exfully guard against both, yet we must con-erted without any departure from modesty, fess, in the present state of things, it is not so much a little excess in zeal in one quarter, as the visible growth of dissipation in another, which has increased, is increasing, and ought to be diminished; and truly happy should we be, if the pen of the ready writers, so frequently employed against the minor, would occasionally be exerted against the greater excess.

It would be unpardonable in our remarks on well-directed energies, to pass over one instance, on which, we trust there cannot be two opinions. If some of the novelties of the present period are its errors, others are its glory. It is cheering to the wearied pilgrim, in traversing the desert of this sinful world, to have the eye here and there refreshed with a verdant spot, yielding not only beauty, but fertility.

The opening of the nineteenth century has been a period for the display of extraordinary energies, exerted in every sort of direction. They had been powerfully ex- In alluding to certain recent undertakings erted in bringing on the late revolution. All which reflect honour on our country, it would the energies of France, whether in science, be unjust to omit one which reflects honour talent, wit, or wealth, were combined in on our sex. Justice, as well as gratitude, one huge engine for the establishment of would be wounded, were no tribute to be atheism on the proposed ruins of Christ and paid to the most heroic of women. his kingdom. We hope this grand device The reader will have anticipated that we' was partly foiled, even there. In the gene-allude to the female Howard. Hers is alral assault some skirmishes were fought in most (her sex considered) a higher strain of this country; but here a counter-attack was Christian heroism. Unprotected and alone, made. 'Michael and his angels fought she dared to venture into scenes that would against the dragon and his angels, and pre-appal the stoutest heart, and which the sinvailed.'-'The accuser of the brethren was gle principle alone by which she was actucast down.' ated could have sustained hers. With true Afterwards the human scourge of man- Christian courage, she ventured to explore kind in the same foreign country, by a sin- the dreary abodes of calamity and crime, of gular energy of character, aided by an un-execration and despair. She took precedented combination of circumstances, guage of misery,' not as a matter of curito which the previous contempt of religion osity, or philosophical speculation, but with had led the way, projected the most exor-the holy hope of relieving it. The favour of bitant enterprises, and accomplished them Him who stopped the mouths of the lions in by the most successful perseverance in eve-tle prophet's 'den, stopped those of these VOL. II.

66

the

scarcely less savage beings. Her mild demeanour awed their rebellious spirits into

peace.

High Profession and Negligent Practice. THERE has seldom been a period in which Her visit was not the sudden ebullition of there was more talk of religion, than that in a charitable fit. It was the result of delibe- which we live; and we are disposed to be rate reflection, and doubtless of fervent pray-lieve, that the abundance of the heart in this er. She had long been projecting the means how to assist these most desperate and forlorn of human kind. She had conceived a hope, that what was flagitious might not be incorrigible; and adopted a well-digested plan for their religious instruction.

error in religion-that it is to be ascribed to its vast increase. As there is numerically a larger population in the religious ranks,may there not be naturally expected a larger proportion of error?

instance produces its usual effect upon the lips. But it must also be observed, that, in an age of much vital religion, as it must be acknowledged this is, there will naturally be not a little false profession, or, at best, in many professors, more externa! show than But she knew human nature too well, not inward piety-a religion that is sometimes to know that religious instruction would be more distinguished by peculiar phrases, and very inefficacious, without correcting inve-hot contention about opinions, than by much terately bad habits. Together with a few devotedness of heart and life. pious and able associates of her own sex,* One of the causes to which the growth of she instituted a school of reform and indus- crime among our poor has been assigned, is try, found manual employment for those who the growth of our population; and some had never worked, and Christian instruction have undertaken to prove, that it is not befor those who had never been taught. The cause they are worse, but because they are lips that had been seldom opened but to blas- more. This same way of judging may, perpheme their Maker, were taught to praise haps, be applied to the apparent growth of Him; the hands hitherto employed in theft were employed in honest labour. Infants, in a doubly lamentable sense, born in sin, and bred in vice, were snatched from a destruction which had appeared inevitable, and put into a train of improvement. The We now, therefore, venture a few regloomy mansion which had lately been a marks on another class of Christians, whose scene of horror, only to be exceeded by those intentions, we hope, are not bad, through more dreadful future mansions to which it their charity is narrow, and their informawas conducting them changed its face. The tion small. We will distinguish them by the loathsome prison which had witnessed no-name of Phraseologists. These are persons thing but intoxication and idleness; had who, professing to believe the whole of the heard no sounds but those of reviling and of Gospel, seem to regard only one half of it. imprecation, gradually became a scene of They stand quite in opposition to the useful comparative decency, sobriety, and order. and laborious class whom we last considerIf ever a charity of so extensive and pub-ed. None will accuse these of that virtuous lic a nature could have been pleaded as sonie excuse for the remission of domestic duties, this might have been considered as the one exempt case, but it was not so. If she stole some hours from her family to visit the prison, she stole some hours from sleep to attend to her family.

Happily, goodness is contagious as well as sin. We may now say in a good sense, Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth! Distant places have caught the flame. The bright example is already imitated by other ladies in some of our great towns, and will probably take a more ample

range.

May we conclude this part of our subject by observing, that ladies of other religious professions would do well to copy, in certain respects, the example of the females of the society to which this distinguished lady belongs-giving into no habits of dissipation, they have time; addicted to little expense in personal decoration, they have money; and the time and money thus snatched from vain and frivolous purposes, are more wisely directed together into the same right channel of Christian benevolence.

• Among these Mis. Steinkopff stands in the first

rank.

excess, of that unwearied endeavour to promote the good of others, on which we there animadverted. These are assiduous hearers, but indifferent doers; very valiant talkers for the truth, but remiss workers. They are more addicted to hear sermons than to profit by them.

Their religion consists more in a sort of spiritual gossipping, than in holiness of life. They diligently look out after the faults of others, but are rather lenient to their own.— They accuse of being legal, those who act more in the service of Christianity, and dispute less about certain opinions. They overlook essentials, and debate rather fiercely on, at best, doubtful points of doctrine; and form their judgment of the piety of others, rather from their warmth in controversy, than in their walking humbly with God.

They always exhibit in their conversation the idiom of a party, and are apt to suspect the sincerity of those whose higher breeding, and more correct habits, discover a better taste. Delicacy with them, is want of zeal; prudent reserve, want of earnestness; sentiments of piety, conveyed in other words than are found in their vocabulary, are suspected of error. They make no allowance