ready been done, to an extent which is painful to a liberal mind. Nor have the limited resources of those who are to be benefitted, been scantily applied. Even yet there is a great deficiency, and those who are employed are spending their labours under privations which ought not to be felt. For, surely, if ever the labourer be worthy of his hire, he who banishes himself from the sweets of home and friends, who quits the ease and retirement of study, and gives himself up to all the inconveniences of an itinerant and unsettled life, in the cause of humanity, of society, and of God; he who seeks the wilder ness, to make it rejoice with the good news of salvation-who visits the ignorant, to enlighten them the erring, to reform them-the penitent, to confirm-and the broken-hearted, to cheer them, even in the dreariness of their distant solitudes;-such a labourer, in such a loneliness, is indeed worthy of no stinted boon. But with those that are so occupied there is no reward save that of their own bosom. Scantily and miserably provided, they give up all for Christ; and are voluntarily exposed to the privations and extremities of a primitive self-devotion, rather than desert those who are perishing in their spiritual

need.

Our united exertions have done something to alleviate all this; but it is important that more should be done. We therefore earnestly address ourselves to all whose hearts are open to the influence of Christian gratitude or Christian love; all who feel an interest in extending the Christian Church; beseeching them to compare their own happy circumstances and privileges with the destitution of their distant brethren, and the privations of those who minister to them.

Could you accompany in his duties one of these pious Missionaries, we need not place before you any more solemn appeal. The kind feelings of your own nature, the enlightened dictates of your own minds, the dilating charity of your own bosoms, would most effectually plead our cause. It would be sufficient that the humble cabin was the scene of every temporal destitution that neither science beam

ed, nor kindly intercourse soothed, nor cheerful relaxation enlivened or refined. You would yourselves be anxious to dispel the ignorance of religion which is witnessed there; you would yourselves be anxious to supply the desire for knowledge which is there manifested; you would yourselves be solicitous to guide the aspirations of those hearts which are lifted up to God with little more than the light of nature to direct them.

There, in many a distant and retired abode, where no cheerful spire points the thoughts from earth to heaven, and where no joyous peal announces the day of rest and of peace, the indolent and careless profaner of its sacred hours is destined to be saved by you from the extremity of irreligion and of crime; there the earnest inquirer after the truths and consolations of the Gos pel appeals to you to dispense to him the bread of life: there the Episcopalian, far distant from his native altars, asks at your hands the services of the church he reveres; and his appeal is addressed to a responsive feeling in your own bo som, which it is impossible for you to disclaim.

But there is one class of those who come within the scope of our bounty whose case we had well nigh forgotten. Nor would it be strange if they were forgotten, who in silence and in banishment weep over their sufferings and their wrongs. The Indians, whose birth-right was co-extensive with this vast continent, and its noble game the reward of his native enterprize and hardihood, now driven from his original domain, is himself the prey of an invader. For as he has left behind him the hunting-ground of his ancestors, there is scarcely a path through his for ests that the white man has not traversed-there is scarce a retreat in his wilderness to which avarice has not fol lowed him. In too many instances only the curses of civilization have attended this pursuit of selfish and private ends. The Indian has too often been contaminated, that he might be subdued; while the inheritance of his fathers has been bartered for trifles without value, or for a poison destructive of his habits and fatal to his existence. To the sur

the chill prospects of that infidel system which has been revived in our own day, with new absurdities; and which, quitting the schools of a proud philosophy where it once sought shelter, is extending its ravages among the poor and illiterate who are totally incompetent to disentangle its delusions.

Lady Russell to her Son the Duke of Bedford.

"Stratton, July, 1706. "When I take my pen to write this, I am, by the goodness and mercy of God, in a moderate and easy state of health—a blessing I have thankfully felt through the course of a long life, which, with a much greater help-the contemplation of a more durable state

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has maintained and upheld me through varieties of providences and conditions of life. But all the delights and sorrows of this mixed state must end; and I feel the decays that attend old age creep so fast on me, that, although I may yet get over some more years, I ought to make it my frequent meditation that the day is near when this earthly tabernacle shall be dissolved, and my immortal spirit be received into that place of purity, where no unclean thing can enter; there to sing eternal praises to the great Creator of all things. With the Psalmist, I believe that at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore:' and what is good and of eternal duration, must be joyful above what we can conceive; as what is evil, and of like duration, must be despairingly miserable.

I

"And now, my dear child, I pray, beseech you, I conjure you, my loved son, consider what there is of felicity in this world that can compensate the hazard of losing an everlasting easy being: and then deliberately weigh, whether or not the delights and gratifications of a vicious or idle course of life are such, that a wise or thoughtful man would choose or submit to. Again, fancy its enjoyments at the height imagination can propose or suggest, (which yet rarely or never happens, or, if it does, as a vapour soon vanishes); but let us grant it could, and last to fourscore

Lady Russell was now more than se venty years of age.

years, is this more than the quickest thought to eternity? Oh, my child! fix on that word, eternity! Old Hobbs, with all his fancied strength of reason, could never endure to rest or stay upon that thought, but ran from it to some miserable amusement. I remember to have read of some man, who reading in the Bible something that checked him, he threw it on the ground; the book fell open, and his eye fixed on the word eternity, which so struck upon his mind, that he, from a bad liver, became a most holy man. Certainly, nothing ishment can make a man truly happy besides the belief of reward and punin his life, at his death, and after death. Keep innocency, and take heed to the thing that is right, for that shall bring a man peace at the last-peace in the evening of each day, peace in the day of death, and peace after death. For my own part, I apprehend I should not much care (if free from pain) what my portion in this world was-if a life to continue, perhaps one year, or twenty, or eighty; but then, to be dust, not to know or be known any more—t -this is a thought has something of horror in it to me, and always had; and would make me careless if life were to be long or short but to live, to die, to live again, has a joy in it; and how inexpressible is that joy, if we secure an humble hope to live ever happily; and this we may do, if we take care to live agreeably to our rational faculties; which also best secures health, strength, and peace of mind, the greatest blessings on earth. Believe the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, the promises and threats

contained in them: and what most obstructs our doing so, I am persuaded, is firmament, and down to the deep, how fear of punishment. Look up to the can any doubt a Divine Power? And if there is, what can be impossible to Infinite Power? Then, why an infidel in the world! And if not such, who then would hazard a future state, for the pleasure of sin a few days? No wise man, and, indeed, no man that lives and would desire to see good days; for the laws of God are grateful. In his Gospel, the terrors of majesty are laid aside, and he speaks in the still and soft voice of his Son incarnate, the

fountain and spring whence flow glad ness. A gloomy and dejected countenance better becomes a galley-slave than a Christian, where joy, love, and hope should dwell. The idolatrous heathen performed their worship with trouble and terror; but a Christian and a good liver, with a merry heart and lightsome spirit: for, examiné and consider well, where is the hardship of a virtuous life? (when we have moderated our irregular habits and passions, and subdued them to the obedience of reason and religion.) We are free to all the innocent gratifications and delights of life; and we may lawfully, nay, further, I say, we ought to rejoice in this beautiful world, and all the conveniences and provisions, even for pleasure, we find in it; and which, in much goodness, are afforded us to sweeteń and allay the labours and troubles incident to this mortal state, nay, I believe, inseparable, by disappointments, cross accidents, bad health, un kind returns for good deeds, mistakes even among friends, and, what is most touching, death of friends. But in the worst of these calamities, the thought of a happy eternity does not alone support, but also revive the spirit of a man; and he goeth forth to his labour with inward comfort, till the evening of his day, (that is, his life on earth), and, with the Psalmist, cries out, I will consider the heavens, even the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained. What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou shouldest so regard him? Psalm viii. "Thou madest him lower than the angels, to crown him with glory. Here is matter of praise and gladness. The fool,' as the Psalmist expresses it, hath said in his heart, there is no God.' Or, let us consider the man, who is content to own an invisible power, yet tries to believe that when man has done living on this earth he lives no more: but I would ask, if any of these unhappy creatures are fully persuaded; or that there does not remain in those men, at times, (as in sickness, or sober thoughtfulness), some suspicion or doubt that it may be other than they try to think. And although they may, to shun such a VOL. V.

thought, or be rid of such a contemplation, run away from it to some unprofitable diversion, or, perhaps, suffer themselves to be rallied out of such a thought, so destructive to the way they walk in; yet, assuredly, that man does not feel the peace and tranquillity he does, who believes a future state, and is a good man. For, although this good man, when his mind may be clouded with some calamity very grievous to him, or the disorder of vapours to a melancholy temper-I say, if he is tempted to some suspicion, that it is possible it may be other than he believes pray observe, such a surmise of thought, nay, the belief, cannot drive him to any horror: he fears no evil, because he is a good man, and with his life all sorrow ends too; therefore, it is not to be denied that he is the wisest man who lives by the scripture rule, and endeavours to keep God's laws. First, his mind is in peace and tranquillity; he walks sure who keeps innocency, and takes heed to the thing that is right: secondly, he is secure God is his friend, that Infinite Being; and he has said, 'Come unto me, ye that are heavy laden, my yoke is easy:* but guilt is, certainly, a heavy load; it sinks and damps the spirits. A wounded spirit who can bear ?' And the evil, subtle spirit waits, I am persuaded, to drive the sinner to despair; but godliness makes a cheerful heart.

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Now, O man! let not past errors discourage: who lives and sins not? God will judge the obstinate, profane, unrelenting sinner, but is full of compassion to the work of his own hand, if they will cease from doing evil and learn to do well, pray for grace to repent, and endeavour with that measure which will be given, if sincerely asked for; for at what time soever a sinner repents but observe, this is no licence to sin, because at any time we may repent, for that day we may not live to see; and so, like the fool in the parable, our lamps be untrimmed when we are called upon. Remember, that to forsake vice is the beginning of virtue : and virtue certainly is most conducive to content of mind and a cheerful spirit. He (the virtuous man) rejoiceth with a friend in the good things he en

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joys; fears not the reproaches of any; no evil spirit can approach to hurt him here, or accuse him in the great day of the Lord, when every soul shall be judged according as they have done good or evil. Oh, blessed state! fit for life, fit for death! In this good state I wish and pray for all mankind; but most particularly, and with all the ardour I am capable of, to those I have brought into the world, and those dear to them. Thus are my fervent and frequent prayers directed—that you may die the death of the righteous, and to this end, that Almighty God would endue you all with spiritual wisdom, to discern what is pleasing in his sight."

The language of this letter is not, in some parts, altogether scriptural; as, for instance, where Lady Russell speaks of "taking care to live according to our rational faculties," &c. I trust, however, that the sound is in reality worse than the meaning; and that whatever ambiguity may rest-and am biguity certainly does rest-upon some of her statements, she was herself trusting humbly and exclusively to the sacrifice of her Redeemer, and did not mean to convey any idea. contrary to the fundamental principle of justification by faith alone, and the inability of

any

the best human actions to merit thing from Divine Justice. I would. refer your readers for some remarks on this subject to the last paper of your correspondent, C. N. in his Memoir of Bishop Wilson, (see Christ. Observ. for Dec. 1820, p. 789-790.) We have great reason to bless God, that in the present day the wide diffusion of sound scriptural information has done much to correct the language of theological writers; so much so, indeed, that verbal correctness is not unfrequently found where, perhaps, in reality, there is not equal accuracy of sentiment. In the last two centuries, the contrary was sometimes the case; so that certain writers, who give strong evidence of having been really evangelical in their views, and pious in their conduct, are not always so correct as might be wished in their expressions. It is of great importance to point out this defect wherever it occurs, in order, among other reasons, that the ex

ample of such writers may not be plead ed by persons really heterodox or defective in their religious opinions. The unskilful reader is frequently perplexed in perusing the pages of some celebrated, and, I trust, pious authors, who have unguardedly adopted current remarks and expressions, which, in strictness, convey ideas very adverse to the purity of Christian doctrine. I do not mean to infer, that the creed is not much oftener in fault than the phraseology; but it is important to guard the young and incautious reader against adopting defective views of the Gospel, from the unguarded, and sometimes even heterodox, language of highly admired theological writers, who, perhaps, had they been asked strictly to define their doctrines, would have given statements very different in their complexion from those conveyed in some of their casual expressions. G. T.