sea.

The age of miracles has passed away, but the spirit enjoined on this occasion should be displayed, in reference to the truth, to the end of time. A striking manifestation of it appears in the language of the apostle Paul to the Philippians, in which he declared that in the publication of the gospel he would rejoice, whatever were the motive which led to its announcement. With peculiar devotedness he avows his intention to exult in "magnifying Christ," though sometimes he could not cordially approve the means that were employed. The end that was gained threw into the shade the errors and defects that marked the instrumentality, and which was even rendered subservient to so important an object, in despite of its own purposes.

Nor have instances been wanting, of later date, analogous to this rejoicing in the truth, inasmuch as men of piety have been, and still are found, exulting in the advancement of the same object, though promoted by means the adjuncts to which are attended by many and weighty objections. Connected with different sections of the Christian world, they rejoice as they see the pure and crystal stream flowing in channels not peculiarly their own. Individual preferences are forgotten in a common concern, that it should irrigate and call forth to beauty and abundance this lamentably parched and barren world.

Dr. Sherlock, when bishop of London, thus wrote to Dr. Doddridge: "Whatever points of difference there are between us, yet I trust that we are united in a hearty zeal for spreading the knowledge of the gospel, and for reforming the lives and manners of the people according to it. I have lived long enough to know by experience the truth of what we are taught, that there is no other name by which we may be saved, but the name of Christ." The distinguished prelate prays also that "God would bless their united endeavours to make his ways known." Dr. Secker, too, when bishop of Oxford, wrote as follows to the same eminent Nonconformist: "The Dissenters have done excellently of late years in the service of Christianity, and I hope our common welfare will make us chiefly atten

us in a closer alliance." Nor did this distinguished prelate breathe other sentiments when raised to the archiepiscopal see of Canterbury.

In full accordance with this spirit Doddridge writes: "It is truly my grief that anything should divide me from the fullest communion with those to whom I am united in bonds of as tender affection as I bear to any of my fellow Christians; and it is my daily prayer, that God will, by his gentle but powerful influence on our minds, mutually dispose us more and more for such a further union as may most effectually consolidate the Protestant cause, establish the throne of our gracious sovereign, remove the scandal our divisions have occasioned, and strengthen our hands in those efforts by which we are attempting, and might then, I hope, more successfully attempt, the service of our common Christianity. In the mean time, I desire most sincerely to bless God for any advances that are made towards it."

An interesting friendship was formed between the late rev. Samuel Walker, of Truro, and the late rev. Risdon Darracott, of Wellington. Their correspondence, still extant, shows their concern to encourage one another in the diffusion of the truth, their delight when it was crowned with success, their deep humiliation in the view of their own labours, their ardent compassion for the souls of men, and their enlightened zeal for the glory of God. How much is included in one sentence from the pen of Mr. Walker, after a visit to his friend at Wellington!" Well, I hope I got a little spark among you, and that something like zeal is enkindled in the coldest heart in the world."

Such, then, are some of the achievements of charity, to which others might easily be added of later date. As it regards Divine truth as the only panacea for abounding evils, so it exults in its widely-extended application. Often has it done so in the view of many, and often, too, when beheld only by a few. When we wish to contemplate the products of charity, let it be remembered that we must wait for a season. record has yet to be read of the variety and extent of the whole vintage, and then many a rich and precious cluster, hidden for a time, and it may be only seen by the eye of the heavenly Husbandman, shall receive due honour for

The

the maturity at which it arrived, and the joy of soul it so plenteously and freely dispensed.

Well would it be if the joy that truth is calculated to inspire were more cultivated. It was strikingly remarked by Baxter, when holding forth Alleine as a specimen of the course he recommended: "Oh, how amiable it is to hear the tongue employed, seriously and frequently, in that which it was made for; and to see a man passing with joyful hopes towards immortality! Oh, did Christians and ministers but live with the joy, and gratitude, and praise of Jehovah, which becometh those which believe what they believe, and those that are entering into the celestial choir, they would win the world to a love of faith and holiness; and make them turn away from their unholy foot-games, and come and see what it is those joyful souls have found."

THE CONCEALMENTS OF CHARITY.

"Charity beareth all things." The merely English reader will have some difficulty in gathering from the word employed in the translation, any idea unlike the one suggested afterwards by another phrase. To endure and to bear appear to be of equivalent import. The original word nsed by the apostle* in this instance removes, however, all difficulty; it means, to cover, and thus it happily denotes the efforts which charity will make to conceal rather than expose many things it disapproves. The apostle Peter uses a different expression, but conveys precisely the same idea, when he says: 64 Charity shall cover the multitude of sins," a declaration following the charge: "Above all things, have perfect charity among yourselves."

Not that this Divine principle is liable to the weakness, and consequent errors, of human affection. Exerting its appropriate influence, it can never suffer the interests of truth or holiness to be in the slightest degree impaired. These must be maintained, in all their integrity, disregarding all sacrifice. Error, whatever be the guise it assumes, should ever be regarded with invincible repugnance; and, as Jeremy Taylor remarks, "we must hate sin in all its dimensions, and in every angle of its reception."

But, in cases where the publication of what is wrong would confer no advantage, and concealment occasion no injury,

* στέγει.

charity pleads against exposure, because many and great evils may otherwise appear. How wise is this! Far better is it to veil that which could only contaminate, and to bury whatever is injurious.

And yet, how lamentably are the claims of true benevolence forgotten! It is said that when Plato was a child in his cradle, some bees deposited their honey on his lips, and that this was deemed a prognostic of his future eloquence. Were we to conceive of another as indicative of the course which many have taken and still pursue, it would be that they were beset by serpents, who left on their lips not honey, but venom. Among the crowd who violate the law of candour, are the censorious, who arraign alike sentiments and actions, and who cannot allow the tempers and dispositions of men to escape their complacent and severe condemnation.

In the world much iniquity may be expected; but intercourse among professing Christians, especially in their present divided state, furnishes many opportunities of indulging the same evil feelings. No matter to what extent certain statements are true or false; multitudes will find for them a willing ear, whenever they reflect on others with whom they are at issue. The greater the error or guilt they are supposed to involve, the more acceptable will they be in some circles. The larger the prey, the more do these moral vultures exult over

the carcass. The eagerness and voracity of such appetites, too, tempt others, unhappily, to their gratification; and thus statements are constantly being made and circulated, to the reckless disparagement of the living and the dead; statements as injurious as they are false.

That mighty engine, the printing press, duction and continuance of similar evils. is most lamentably perverted to the proParties at issue alike distort the statements of their opponents. It is confidently affirmed that opinions are held by some which they entirely resist, while conclusions are deduced from acknowledged principles which they would heartily repudiate. Thus a spirit is manifest, which, so far from attending to the claims of true benevolence, would uncover all things, and make the worst of them too; a spirit which, not content with stripping the body, would lacerate it also, as if its only delight were in tor

ture.

MISSIONARY LABOURS.

W.

THE rev. J. Stubbins having described a missionary tent, says:

"I must now just mention the almost daily routine of our work. The first thing is, to rise with early dawn, take a cup of coffee, and a slice of dry toast, mount our horses, and start off for some village within a range of about four miles. When arrived, we look out for an eminence or clear spot of ground, and commence singing a Christian poem at the top of our voices, which serves, as a parish bell in England, to call the folks together. Ere we have finished this part of our work, we are usually surrounded in the front rank by a parcel of astonished naked young urchins, from two to eight or nine years of age, and behind them a motley group of men, pleased, like children, with their malas and poitas, and sacred marks. Frequently they stand with their mouths half open, as though that was their natural position, and were never intended to be closed. Our method of attack upon them varies considerably. Sometimes the delightful theme of the gospel is our only subject; but this is not often the case, for they generally want us to swallow, with as much zest as Kali is said to have closed her mouth upon a whole army that walked into it! their 330,000,000 of gods-wood, stone, and other graven images, not forgetting the incarnations of Vishnoo; such as the fish, which, when in the sea, slapped the heavens with his tail, and put the sun into a regular fright; the tortoise, that supported on his back

the enormous mountain with which the gods and demons churned the-by Europeans undiscovered-sea of milk; the boar that raised the earth at the deluge with his tusks from the waters; the nar singh (half man and half lion) that darted forth out of a pillar, to destroy a blasphemer, and took his entrails, of which he made a necklace; the dwarf, that after begging from a merciful prince, whose merits had laid the gods under a debt of obligation they were unable to discharge, a piece of land sufficient to place three feet upon, miraculously filled the whole heavens with one, the earth and sea with another, and with the third kicked the benevolent prince into hell—and a variety of other matters I need not stay to enumerate. Now, however foolish all these things must seem to men having a grain of sense, or the smallest particle of intellect, we must not forget that from their very infancy they have been taught to consider them as indisputable facts, and it sometimes occupies no little time to convince them that this is far from being the case. Generally, however, they are, to all appearance, pretty well ashamed of them before we have done. When driven from these, they often fly to the supposed efficacy of their muntras, rantras, bathings, penances, pilgrimages, offerings, and a thousand other things, and when these are all sent after their gods, I have often seen the look of despair, as one has said to another, 'He has destroyed all. What have we left?' To which the reply is, 'Sin, and only sin; and from this you want a Saviour; that Saviour you have not got, but we have come to tell you how you may find one able to save to the uttermost, though vile as the brahmins, down trodden as the soodras, or outcast as pariahs,' etc. Here then comes the gospel in all its vastness, richness, and freeness. Sometimes it has seemed to humble and melt the haughtiest, hardest heart in the crowd. The speaking being ended, there is usually a great rush for the tracts, unless there should be some interested brahmin, who has sternly withstood the blessed, soul-saving truth of Christ, when he will dare the people, under threat of the most awful curse, to receive the books which are but of yesterday, and are intended to supplant their bades and holy books, which, for millions of ages, have been the light of the world,' etc. Our work being finished there, if the sun be not getting too hot, we repair to another village, and then