duced by the Spirit's witness, is commonly instantaneous; but not exactly so in all cases. While generally like a flash of lightning, as seen in the dark night, it is at certain times as the going forth of the morning. In the one case the hour, the moment of adoption, is marked by a precision as definite as in the natural birth; in the other it may be as difficult to say at what moment the last doubt quitted the heart, as to tell the instant of the morning, when the last shade of night fleeing before the rising sun passes over the line of your meridian. In both cases the darkness is past, and the true light shineth,' and as there is no comparison between the importance of the fact of your having the full light of day, and your being able to state the exact moment when twilight begins or ends; so it is with respect to the evidence of the direct witness; the great concern should be, 'Is my inward evidence now clear, that I, even I, am a child of God?' And this we can ascertain, for the direct witness of the Spirit is followed by love to God and man." The "glorious change" spoken of by Mr. Martin, and which he says is "produced by the Spirit's witness," is the justification or pardon of the penitent, and believing sinner. I am unable to understand how it is that the justification of a sinner is produced by the Spirit's witness; as I have been accustomed to believe from the declarations and representations of the scriptures that the witness of the Spirit is given to the believer, to assure him of the delightful fact that he is accepted and pardoned in consideration of the atoning work of Christ, he having complied with the condition of the covenant-by believing the record which God hath given of His Son. I also believe, as already stated, that as soon as the penitent exercises faith on the atoning work of Jesus-a faith which implies a full renunciation of self and all our supposed goodness, and a hearty reception of Christ as the only, but all-sufficient Saviour from sin, and guilt, and misery-the witness of

the Spirit to his pardon is invariably imparted, so that he may know the fact, and rejoice in the assurance of forgiveness: though I do not intend to convey the idea that the Spirit's witness is given to all with equal clearness and distinctness, producing in all the same degree of peace and joy. I think that the figurative language used by Mr. M. is more fitted to illustrate the progress of the work of grace in the heart of a justified person, than the act of Justification itself. Justification, as I think, is always instantaneous, and admits of no degrees; whilst sanctification admits of progress, and various degrees. We cannot be more justified to-morrow, than we are to-day; but we may become more and more sanctified or hallowed. Justification, to my view, comes to us as the result of a process-which process may be protracted or otherwise-but sanctification is the purifying process by which the soul becomes meetened for an inheritance with the saints in light.

The other correspondent referred to is, MR. J. HICKS, who in his memoir of Richard Cobb says, "In Acts, xvi is related the conversion of an interesting woman, called Ly dia. The terms employed to describe her conversion are simple and beautiful. The inspired penman writes, 'Whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.' Her conversion r.sembled the light of the morning, increasing more and more till it arrives at the blaze of noon-day. R. Cobb's conversion was much like it. He could not, like many can, name the hour and place; but he was certain that he had obtained the experimental reality, a new heart.' I have often read, with holy delight, the short but beautiful account of Lydia's conversion from Judaism to Christianity; still I think that the terms employed by Mr. Hicks in reference to that change, are calculated to lead to wrong views of Scriptural justification. Lydia, before she heard the word spoken by Paul, had been a worshipper of God; and

evidently was sincere in her worship though unacquainted as yet with the true doctrines of Christ and his gospel. She was most probably a proselyte to the Jewish religion, and an anxious and sincere enquirer after truth; consequently she was in a state of mind fitted or prepared to receive the doctrines of the Gospel. Having been faithful to the light already given, she now received the power and disposition to believe and attend to the things spoken of Paul; thus became a believer in Jesus,realised peace and joy through believing, and was baptized in the faith of Christianity. Mr. Hicks says that Lydia's conversion resembled the light of the morning &c.' So far as the term conversion may apply to the process of illumination, conviction, repentance, abandonment of self, and being shut up to faith in Christ, I have no particular objections to its being applied to Lydia; but cannot say that I approve of the term with its resemblance as stated by Mr. H. to be applicable to her pardon and justification which she experienced as the result of believing the doctrines of Christ.

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R. Cobb's conversion," says Mr. H." was much like the conversion of Lydia." This I think is again confounding the result with the process. If Mr. Martin or Mr. Hicks, or any other person whose opinions are matured, and whose mind is become settled on the subject, will be so kind as to throw a little more light thereon, so that we may all be assisted to come to a knowledge of the truth, then I shall not have written this letter in vain.

W.

YOUTHFUL JUDGMENTS. (From an American Periodical.) "Parents are scarcely aware at how early an age children form opinions of the motives that influ ence individual action. Nor do they dream of the youthful judg ments, passed upon their own conduct as well as upon that of their friends and acquaintances. I remember when quite a boy, seeing a good deacon we had been taught

to consider a model of human excellence, take two apples from a market-man's waggon when its owner was temporarily absent. I was startled to see a deacon steal apples, and still more surprised when we narrated his conduct at home to find it escaped the censure of our parents. Although the deacon was probably innocent of the crime we laid to his charge, yet for want of suitable explanation and instruction at the time, years elapsed before I could believe he had not been guilty of flagrant dishonesty.

I also remember, about the same period, frequently observing a clergyman drink brandy and water, (he said for the stomach's sake.) Perhaps it was quite right for him to do so, but why old Joe who staggered in the street should be censured for doing the same thing, or what peculiarity there was about our clergyman's stomach that made brandy and water good for him while it was very bad for poor Joe, I never could clearly understand.

I might relate many instances of similar character which sadly perplexed my youthful mind, and helped me to form opinions of persons and things which in after life it caused me some trouble to correct.

The children of the present generation being wiser, and grown persons now much more considerate of what they do and say in their presence than formerly, perhaps my suggestion of caution in this regard may be deemed by parents quite unnecessary."

Dear Reader, are you a parent as I am? May the above weigh with you as with me. I have a dear boy now ten years old; believing it my duty to talk with him at times about his duty, his getting religion, and obeying God, I was thus engaged one evening after my labours of the Sabbath were over, and we had gone to bed. He did not undertake to deny the truth of my assertions, but ventured a supposition that perhaps not more than half professing religion enjoyed it ; and referred to two men in good standing in the church, wanting to know if I thought they enjoyed

GRATITUDE OF THE WORKING CLASSES TO BENEFACTORS.*

The existence of these qualities has not been allowed by some to belong to the working orders. They have been on the contrary, charged with ingratitude towards their benefactors, and epithets have been added, whose tendency is to aggravate the alleged evil an hundredfold. But by whom are these charges so liberally preferred? In some instances, they are the vituperations of such as wish to conceal ther own conscious neglect of duty under plausible pretences; but in more numerous cases, they are, we charitably trust, the result of ignorance and misunderstanding. It is not denied that, under the influence of powerful excitements, and the stimulus of wily and unprincipled demagogues, the people have, at times, abandoned and even persecuted their true friends. The ostracisms of the ancient world have had their parallel in modern times. But in all such melancholy exhibitions of popular fickleness and fury, it is necessary to take into account the fact, that their passions have, for the time, been swelled into tempest by the blasts of calumny. Artfulmisrepresentation may blacken and blight the fair fame of the most worthy, and that not only in the estimation of the less-instructed many, but likewise of the betterinformed, and more judicious few. The student of human history will find ample proof of this. Such has been the mountain load of reproach, beneath which some names have been buried, that it has required centuries to bring them forth, and

*From a Prize Essay on the Operative Classes of Great Britain.

to clear away the prejudice by which their lustre had been so long hidden from the world. But we are not aware that this injustice, righted only by the award of posterity, has been more common among the lower, than it has been among the higher, orders of society. The truly great man, filled with wisdom and philanthropy, is generally in advance of his age, and bears about with him a protest against its folly and selfishness, its meanness, cupidity, and vice. Need we wonder, then, that the world should often hate him, even while his mission is to elevate and bless ? His high qualities are its reproach. His light reproves its darkness. Even some of those who have not been wholly unmoved by his example, or unaffected by the sacred spell he casts around him, are (such is human nature) but too prone to seize upon any occasion by which they may, if possible, avenged for the implied insult lower him to their own level, or be which his superiority has flung upon their character. It was thus, that the great and Divine Benefactor himself, the Lord from heaven,

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was rejected of men." "The light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not," "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not." It was affirmed by one of the ancients, that if virtue descended in her own charms upon our planet, all mankind would bend the knee. But the sentiment, however beautiful, was false. It was inspired by a shallow and spurious philosophy. The experiment was made, and its result is recorded for the instruction of all ages. Instead of homage there is reproach, instead of fealty there is the cry of blasphemy and blood. Incarnate, Divine Virtue must be exploded from the world. It must be crucified. Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas." He, the seditious murderer, will at least cast no reproach upon our lives. We prefer, then, to grasp his hand, though stained with blood, rather

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than endure the hated presence, and cower beneath the insufferable gaze of this Monitor." It is important, however, to notice a fact, which the inspired narrative preserves, and which bears upon our present theme. "The chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus." They were the guilty instruments of still more guilty agents. Not of their own accord so much, or as the result of their own spontaneous impulses; but by the instigations of a better informed, and therefore more criminal class, did they execrate the Saviour, and imbrue their hands in his blood. And thus it has been in all ages. The passions of the populace have been kindled by their malicious and envious leaders; and crimes have been perpetrated, the odium of which belongs of right, rather to the latter than to the former, though it is not uncomnon to brand these alone, because the most conspicuous actors in the

scene.

Let no one suppose that we mean to be the apologists of guilt, in whatever rank it appears. But let the guilt be duly apportioned, and it will be found that there is no ground for stigmatizing the multitude, as if ingratitude and all kindred vices found among them their appropriate place. We believe that the large heart of humanity beats more soundly in the bosom of the common people, than among many who, in the more favoured circles of society, are wont to treat them with contumely and despite. When unperverted by sophistry, and uncontaminated by crafty and cruel men, who would fain make them the tools of their base and sinister policy, the people at large will, on the whole, be found to admire and venerate true greatness, and to respond with grateful hearts to every effort put forth by genuine benevolence, for their relief and true advancement. Instead of withholding that measure of respect and love which is meet, their general tendency is to laud, perhaps too warmly and indiscriminately, all who seem to espouse their interests.

Enthusiasm often carries them far beyond the limits which enlightened judgment would prescribe; and the semblance of friendship is frequently mistaken by them for the reality. They carry their regard often to the verge of idolatry-it were well, if their idols at all times deserved the homage which is rendered to them. Not a few names might be mentioned, which act as magic words upon the susceptible hearts of the working classes, eliciting spontaneous bursts of impassioned admiration and praise-names which, deserving well of their country, will go down to posterity, fragrant with the incense of the people's gratitude. The age of heroworship, in its best form, is not quite gone by. When the true hero appears--the man, whose great soul yearns for the elevation of his race-who, looking beneath the surface, discerns the dignity of man under all the disguises he assumes -the intrinsic dignity of the peasant equally with that of the prince -and who, feeling the greatness of his own mission, sets himself to fulfil it, with a brave, bold, honest heart, and strong hand-when such a one appears, seldom do the people fail to rally around him, with ardour and devotion. Their judgments may be, and sometimes are, led astray; but their unsophisticated instincts are seldom found to err.

POPULATION OF THE GRAVE. The following extracts are made from the Merchant's Ledger.

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From extensive calculation, it seems the average of human births per second, since the birth of Christ to this time, is about 815; which gives about thirty-two thousand millions! and after deducting the present supposed population of the world, (960,000,000,) leaves the number of thirty-one thousand and forty millions that have gone down to the grave; giving death and the grave the victory over the living, to the number of thirty Of thousand and eight millions. this number in the grave, about 9,000,000,000 have died by wars;

7,920,000,000 by famine and pestilence: 500,000,000 by martyrdom; 580,000,000 by intoxicating drinks. 13,000,000,000, natural or otherwise." What a picture! 9,000,000,000

of our race snatched away by war, that cruel device of man to get rid of man in the quickest manner possible? We trample upon the dust of these trillions, and they cry out-Ye living men, work with all your might to set up the kingdom of the Prince of Peace, when there shall be no more war.

"580,000,000 destroyed by intoxicating drinks ?

Sad picture indeed! The hosts of hell long sat in agonizing council, to devise sure and speedy means to people their hollow cells. And this was their master work, to give man strong drink. Man

caught the bait, quaffed the burning potion, and made himself as much like the place of endless woe as possible before entering the abode of devils. And still they go. Though the woes of these billions ring in their ears, still men will dare to sport with that which intoxicates.

Thus it will be seen that war and strong drink have sent nearly one-third of the human race to a premature grave.

The calculations upon this subject might be extended to an almost indefinite length, and perhaps, too, with propriety, if thought and meditation would dwell upon them, and deduce the morals from each and every avenue. For instance, if strong drink has had its 580,000,000 of victims, how many more must it have before the moderate drinker will lay his shoulder to the pledge of reform? Suppose but thirty days of intense agony and misery to be the lot of each drunkard's family of five each, what is the amount in the aggregate? Suppose it required even no more than fifty bushels of grain distilled to make a man a drunkard how long would it last famishing Europe-nay, even the whole universal world? It would amount to fifty millions of barrels of flour.

Suppose, again, that each drunkard loses or wastes only ten years

of his life, at three shillings per day, how many solid globes of gold of the size of our earth would it (653,080,000,000) purchase? Make your own calculations, not only upon these supposed cases, but any others of which the subject is susceptible, and the result will astonish you, and perhaps lead to a somewhat different course in life.

May the all powerful Head of the Universe speedily cause the warrior to sheath his battle blade, and the tempter to hide his cups, and then, not only shall the millions which they directly slay stand up and live, but millions more who indirectly suffer because of these.

MINISTERIAL SUPPORT.
To the Editor.

Dear Sir, and Brother,

Herewith I forward to you an extract from a sermon delivered by D. Thomas, of Stockwell,-Editor of the Homilist-at the ordination of W. Tritton, Independent Minister, Cambridge. The sermon appears in full in the Homilist for July, and is replete with rich, lofty, and scriptural sentiments. The extract I now forward bears especially on the support of Ministers; and, as the attention of our friends throughout our denomination has been recently called to the propriety of an advance being made to our Preachers' allowances,-as many of the members of our societies are decidedly opposed to any increase of salary being made to our ministers, though the necessity of it is so manifest-and as the Conference about to assemble will probably come to some decision on the matter, I have thought that if this extract appeared in the Bible Christian Magazine for August next, it might not be altogether inopportune.

July 11th, 1856.

G.

"Men are unreasonable toward their minister, who receive his spiritual services without a proper secular acknowledgement."

No true minister will ever preach with an eye to secular results. All mercenary considerations will be borne down and engulphed by the ever-deepening current of spiritual sympathies and aims. His main purpose will be, not to acquire