ter the combat, in which one is slain, how are the public to know, whether the survivor was "bent to destroy" or not, but by what he has actually done? How are they to ascertain whether he is charge able with "no crime" or with "murder in the strictest sense of the word?" or whether he should be treated as an innocent, honorable man, or "be abhorred as unfit for civil society?"

Second. It may be pleaded, that in the first case his lordship had respect to common people, or people of common sense--but in the latter to "gentlemen of honor," and that this was the "distinction" which he thought "necessary." If the advocates for duelling are satisfied with this "distinction" between themselves and common people, if they allow themselves to do that which would be "murder in the strictest sense" if done by others, let them not wonder if in future they should "be abhorred as unfit for civil society," or pitied as men subject to mental derangement. They would do well to remember that the barbarous custom by which they are distinguished, had its origin in a barbarous age and among a barbarous people.

There is one sentence of his lordship, which ought not to be passed over in silence-"The parties have agreed to decide the quarrel in an honorable way, and no other person is hurt." Such are the considerations by which he supported his opinion, that

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But is it indeed true, that when a duel is fought between two gentlemen, "and one or both is slain," that "no other person is hurt!" Is it no "hurt" or injury to the tender father thus to lose his son? or to the child thus to lose his father? or to the wife thus to lose her husband? If not, the reason must be this, that duellists are of such a character that they are a curse to their relations while they live, and of course can depart as Jehoram did, "with out being desired."

We do not say that such is the character of duellists; but we say that such is their character, or their advocate's reasoning is unjust and delusive. If they wish to be regarded as more amiable than his lordship's reasoning implies, let them make it appear, by renouncing a custom which exposes all their virtuous connexions to shame and to the severest affliction; and by which they place themselves on a level with the ferocious chiefs of a barbarous age.

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our

in which our lives are all contained that momentary space in which is determined the everlastiug destiny of men. When this month shall close we shall take our leave of one more of those few years which are allotted for probation, and perhaps some who may read these lines may finish their probation even before the present year shall end. As all must give an account of their stewardship to a God who cannot be deceived, is it not important that all should now seriously examine what account they have to render, what use they have made of time, and the various advantages they have possessed, what is their present moral state, what the prospect of their heing able to stand in the final reckoning?

We have had time and advantages for the improvement of our minds in religious knowledge;what advances have we made? or are we as ignorant as ever of those things which are of the most importance to be known? Do we sacredly devote a proper portion of our leisure to the cultivation of our understandings? or do we think that time lost which is not devoted to the common pleasures and pursuits of sensual men? It is to little purpose that we hear discourses weekly from the pulpit, if we take no care to preserve our stock of knowledge, and to seek new lights and illustrations, new views and considerations. The subjects relating to religion and to our various duties are vast and impressive; and yet they are not to be learned at a glance; they require serious and frequent attention.

Are we to close this year in all the presumptuousness of ignorance upon subjects of the highest moment?

What account have we to give of our tempers and habits? Can we discover, that during the year our tempers have been ameliorated and our habits improved? We have perhaps formerly suffered much from a sordid love of wealth;- -are we at all disengaged from this thraldom? We have sometimes felt the stings of envy, and the troubles of ambition and vanity, peevishness and discontent; are we now free from those miserable tormentors, or are we still suffering as much as ever from pride, disappointment and unsatisfied desires? Are the resentments which we once felt, at last extinguished? Do we now love our enemies, and feel towards them the spirit of forgiveness? Have we this year begun those personal habits of religion, which we had formerly neglected? or revived and invigorated those, which had been relaxed? If we have not kept up our private devotions, if being more immersed in worldly occupations we have lost sight of God and forborne prayer, now is the time to call up this solemn account, to repair this alarming defect, and with truly penitent hearts to acknowledge the sad and affrighting truth, that we have fallen off from the support of our lives, from Him whose mercy alone keeps us from falling into the pit of everlasting destruction. and to return to him with humiliation and prayer.

Have our characters in respect to religion been on the whole improved during the year. Are

we more devotional and heavenly minded in our dispositions and habits. When we have attended on the public worship of God, has it been with a more solemn sense of the presence of the great God? or do we attend on this duty only from a regard to decorum and the habits of community? Believing as we do in the authority of Jesus Christ, and professing ourselves his followers, are there none of his ordinances which we continue to neglect, so that a nother year will leave us just as indecisive, just as inconsistent in our religious characters as ever? If our common Lord should now appear and call us to account, respecting our obedience to his commands; should we not be thrown into the utmost confusion, and seek in vain for any apology for our neglects?

One year more is just going, and with it how many golden opportunities are taking their flight; and we call after them in vain! Are we satisfied with the progress we have made in religion? Of our prayers, how many have fallen ineffectual from our lips? And how many, from a wandering habit of mind, have never reached the throne of God! Do we know any thing more of that holy book, than we did when the year commenced? Can we take pleasure in the progress of the divine life in our souls-iu the new views that open upon us, in the new hopes that cheer us, in the peace of our hearts, and the joys of religion? We have experienced some afflictions;-what has been their effect? some disappointments;-how have we met them? some bereavements;-how have

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we improved them? some new intimations of our own departure from the world;-how have they operated on our minds?

Religion extends to all ourrelative duties. Have those who have had the care of families been truly faithful to the souls committed to them? Have children been trained up in the way they should go? Are our families secure of real quiet, of contentment, of intellectual pleasure and of habitual religion? Or are our occupations at home loose and frivolous-our pleasures unsparingly introduced-our expenses lavished without rule-our time dissipated without economy, and our homes the theatres of foolish and unprofitable occupations? Haye we this year introduced any improvement in our domestic arrangements, by which we have supplied former defects, or corrected former errors? Is there nothing for which conscience still reproaches us? No serious neglect of a religious nature? Is God, the God of our fathers, and the God on whom we all depend for every thing is this God our God, and is he invoked as such within `our walls?

Within this year, now soon to close, we have had many opportunities of doing good;-have we been truly kind and benevolent? Are there no omissions for which our consciences now reproach us? Is no one now suffering from our neglect or improvidence? Has no one been wounded by our ill treatment, or distressed by our carelessness, or seduced by our example? Have we made just and full reparation for wrongs which we have willingly or inadvertently

committed? Are we at peace with our neighbors, with the world, and with our own hearts?

Every reader must divide and multiply, and appropriate such inquiries according to his own circumstances. The examination must some time be made; and what opportunity will be more favorable than the present? It will be inconceivably dangerous for us to live on from year to year continu ally deferring this scrutiny. Our perplexity will every day increase by delay, our debts will accumulate, and yet the voice "Give an account of thy stewardship" rings in our ears. And will there be another opportunity before the final reckoning? Thou, Lord, only knowest.

But examination without resolutions and reformations will be unavailing. The frightful scene of our unworthiness is not to be just glanced at, and then forgotten. It cannot-as God lives it will not be forgotten. The sins of this year are added to those of the last, and those of the last to those of the years preceding. Let all who have lived twenty, thirty, forty or fifty years or more on the mercy of God, and yet as without God in the world, seriously consider their folly and their danger. The ground on which you stand is treacherous, and may in an instant yield and precipitate you into an abyss of irrecoverable woe. Choose you then this day whom you will serve, and presume not that God's mercy will draw out to an indefinite length your quivering thread

of life.

You who have thought the wonderful gift of God's beloved

Son worthy of your attention, let not this year close without finding you sitting at the feet of the divine Savior, clothed with the garment of humility and in your right mind.

Let us all resolve upon a more faithful cultivation of our minds and our hearts-more serious reading and less amusementmore inquiry after truth and less inconsiderateness and vain speculations. Let parents resolve to mark out for themselves and their children a course of religious instruction; and in the fear of God and in deep humiliation for past neglects commence the great duty of prayer, and persevere in it to the end of life. Let not the old excuses be continually brought up to justify the neglect of any duties which are acknowledged to be useful, and which you believe to be required by God.

Let us prepare to commence another year with a humble and penitent acknowledgment of our sins, our defects, our degeneracies; and beseech God for pardon. Set out with confidence in his aid upon a new career of more effective obedience. Let not our consciences continually reproach us; let not the sun, every time it goes down, carry with it a record of our long continued omissions of duty.

But what have I been saying! What have I been recommending! Resolutions for another year; when it may be that I and many others shall not live another day. Spare us, good Lord! cut us not off in the midst of our days. Give us another year, if it be thy holy will, that we may repent, and serve thee better. So teach us to

Mr. VOLNEY in a work entitled "The Ruins: or a Survey of the Revolutions of Empires," has endeavored to undermine every species of religion, and to place them all on a level, as not only useless but pernicious. He has however many observations in the work, which are worthy to be considered by christians of every sect; and christians ought not to despise admonition, from whatever quarter it may come.

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In p. 82, we have a picture, at which christians may blush. On the one hand we see Mahometans praying for success in their wars against christians. "Indulgent God! grant us the favor to exterminate these christians; it is for thy glory we fight, and by our death we are martyrs to thy name"-On the other hand, we have the prayer of christians against Mahometans:

"Let us give thanks to God and celebrate his power: he has strengthened our arm to humble his enemies. Beneficent God! incline thine ear to our prayers. Permit us to exterminate these impious Mahometans, and overthrow their empire, and we will give thee the tenth of the spoil, and erect new temples to thy honor."

The christian priests say to the soldiers "We pray for you, and God accepts our incense and blesses your arms."

In view of this contrast of

prayers, Mr. Volney exclaims"What madness is this which strikes my ear! What blind and fatal insanity possesses the human mind! Sacrilegious prayers, return to the earth, from whenee you came! Is it thus, O man, that you worship the Divinity? And do you think that he whom you call Father of all, can receive with complacence the homage of free-booters and murderers? Ye conquerors, with what sentiments does he behold your arms reeking with the blood that he has created!"

In P. 38 he thus addresses conquerors "Ye conquerors, who pretend by your arms to serve God, what need has he of your aid? If he wishes to punish, are not earthquakes, volcanos and the thunder-bolt in his hand? And does a God of clemency know no other way of correcting but by extermination?"

Fighting christians are here very properly compared with Mahometans; and we must leave them in the hands of Mr. Volney, but with this prayer to God in their behalf "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do!"

The 23d chapter is entitled "Problem of religious contradictions." In this the writer exhibits an assembly composed of persons of the various religions, -Jewish Mahometan, Christian, &c. Each is represented