POETRY.

ing heart, and while he rejoiced have two arms, the one faith, the in the conviction of his compan- other love, with which I would ion, endeavored to soothe his embrace him, and carry him with troubled soul. John could jest me; and his presence would make with religion now no more.

The hell itself a heaven. infidel prejudices he had acquired at home, vanished like the vapours before the rising sun. He could no more question the char

For the Christian Magazine. acter of Christ, because he loved

Christ had his sorrows. When he shed him : he could no more despise

His tears, O Palestine! for theethe scriptures, because they were

When all but weeping females fled, his daily food. In short, he be- In his dark hour of agony. came an eminent instance of con- Christ had his sorrows—90 must thou, verting grace. Tbrough the re- If thou wilt tread the path he trod maining period of their appren.

O then, like him, submissive bow,

And love the sov'reignty of God!
ticeship, they took sweet counsel
together, and walked to the house Christ had his joys—but they were not
of God in company.

PARVALUS. The joys the son of pleasure boasts--
N. Y. Miss. Mag. Oh, no! 'twas when his spirit sought

Thy will, thy glory, God of Hosts !
Christ had his joys—and so hath he,

Who feels His spirit in his heart ;
Who yields, O God! his all to thee,

And loves thy name, for what thou
A gentleman passing by a poor, art!
miserable beggar, wished him good Christ had his friends—his eye could
day. “Sir," said the poor man,

trace, "I never had a bad one in my In the long train of coming years, life." "No," said the gentleman, The chosen children of his grace, 66 why you have scarcely any

The full reward of all his tears.

These are his friends—and these are clothes to cover you, and are

thine, obliged to beg. What do you say

If thou to him hast bowed the knee ; when we have frost and snow, and And where these ransom'd millions you have nothing to eat ?” 6 If it

shine, be fair weather," replied the beg- Shall thy eternal mansion be! N. gar," I bless God for it; and whatever God does, I bless him for it; so that I never had a bad day in my life.” 66 But why” continued the

*** We neglected in our last to give

credit to the Worcester Yeoman, for gentleman, " are you so well con

the communication on Revivals of Retented with God's doings ? What ligion. would you say, if God would send

Arora's liberal communication is reyou to hell ?” “ If he should, I ceived.

ANECDOTE.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

THE

CHRISTIAN MAGAZINE, .

VOL. II.

JUNE, 1825.

No. 6.

CHRISTIANITY ITS OWN WITNESS.

sensibly urged forward by these

principles of his nature, as far as Man, from his 'infancy, is so fa- finite power and opposing preju. miliar with the operations of na dices will admit, towards a discovture around him, that some just ery of the hidden springs whose idea of the relation of effects to energy is the omnipotence of God. their causes early, becomes a The progress of astronomical principle interwoven in the mind. researches furnishes an ample il. He not only discovers a propensi- lustration of this remark. Though ty to trace up both natural and theories of the planetary motions moral phenomena to some antece- have existed ever since the days dent events, which, from their of Egypt's wakeful shepherds, yet connexion, might seem to be the the restless mind of man was nevreal causes ; he also possesses an er satisfied ; but reason, while almost perfect sagacity to discern she lingered in the successive the fitness of things, which, like mazes of Tycho and Ptolemy, an intellectual conscience, prompt- still sought some other light-osbe ly decides on the credibility of knew not why, till Copernicus these claims. There is some. entbroned the sun and Newton thing at once so simple and sub- pointed to the power which curbs lime in the true system of physical the spheres. And there is some. nature, as secures to its newly dis- thing in those principles, so simcovered principles the swiftest ple in itself--so like the counsels verdict both of reason and emo. of the universal cause, that a sin. tion. And the human mind not gle glance at them conveys to the only recognizes with joy the light understanding the heavenly exof truth, but feels a mysterious pression of truth. Reasop feels disquietude in the embrace of er. that she has reached the boundaror. Every one, therefore, in bis ry of this field of being, and even inquiries into patural science, is curiosity can ask no more below.

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gay

But the powers of this internal Hill, dale, and shady woods and sunny perception are not confined to the And liquid lapse of murmuring streams ;

plains, region of natural science, they ac- by these company the mind in all its relig. Creatures that lived and moved and

walked, or flew, ious and moral speculations.- Myself I then perused. They give a degree of stability

-Thou sun, said I, fair light to human reason which enables And thou enlightened earth, so fresh it to venture far from the shores Ye hills and dales, ye rivers, woods and of sense into the wide expanse plains, where things are spiritually dis- And ye that live and move, fair crea.

tures tell, cerned. It is scarcely too much Tell, if ye saw how I came thus, how to suppose that this is the princi- here?

Not of myself;--- -By some great ple which links each created in

Maker then, telligence to the eternal mind- lo goodness and in power pre-eminent." so God-like have be

its opera

I need not say how true to nations, wherever it has burst the ture this description is. There is chains of prejudice and emerged no man who does not feel the from the darkness of sin.

same internal dictate whenever To say nothing of the subordin- he goes forth among the works ate truths, which, by its assistance, of God. We may be assured have been elicited from the arca- that we are approved by the conna of science, it is this which in sciences of men when we fix the all ages, has led the mind from charge of self-violence upon those nature up to God; and taught it who impiously ascribe the fair the essential attributes of the Di- creation to the efficiency of vinity. The confidence which chance. Human reason has ever men have reposed in the respon- been truer to her Maker than the ses of this oracle within, is the human heart. Yet, dragged reground of every conviction which luctantly into the rebellion, she is belongs to natural relgion. Of sometimes bribed and sometimes this the Poet was aware when he tortured for decisions, which, at made the father of our race thus the time, she suffers to falter on describe the first workings of his her lips, and renounces with the thoughts.

first indulgence of freedom.-As new waked from the sound. Though I am aware that the er. est sieep,

rors of reason may sometimes be Soft on the flowery herb I found me laid In balmy sweat

imputed to that frailty of her own Straight toward heaven my wondering which suffers her to be led astray

eyes I turned, And gazed a while the ample sky ; till by the pride of originality; yet, raised

at least, resemble the inspirations tence, to command all the enerof Omniscience.

gies of matter and miod, we return If then, this principle of reason with the certain conviction that be allowed its agency in estab- there is no effect in the universe lishing the truth of natural relig. proportioned to the efficiency of ion, it must extend its influence such a cause, if the system of beyond these limits. No reason moral operations revealed in the can be assigned why the origin of bible, is not true. The mind is revelation would not be accessible pained at the reflection. It in. in the same way as the origin of stinctively abhors the idea of a nature, though the former were being, infinitely intelligent and unknown. Much less can it be wise, existing without action, or shown, that, after arriving at the operating in vain. Again, if we knowledge of a sufficient cause, examine the christian religion-it is either unphilosophical or un- the features which it presents of safe to return by the same steps whatever is beautiful in truth, or to the discovery of its other char. sublime in virtue, the marks of acteristic effects. Surely, if the some design elevated by the maj. works of material nature retain esty of its plans, and hallowed by such an impress of the Divinity the purity of its object, the leadas enables us to read in them his ing influence which it exerts in agency, and many of his attri- advancing the moral dignity and butes, we may expect to find in a happiness of man--these all prosystem of truth, adapted to the claim that the God of nature only state of man as an intellectual and is equal to the effort manifested moral being, such lineaments of in the formation and conduct of that glorious design, which na- the glorious scheme. ture's light shows dwelling in the These two general reflections mind of God, as shall fully entitle will be sufficient to satisfy the pi. it to the honor of being his fairest ous mind that the precious gospel work, and to the regard, which, is not a cunningly devised fable. by consequence it claims from For he has not, like other men, to man.

struggle with a heart reluctant From the contemplation of that to admit the discovery of truth, being, who gave life and motion which wounds bis natural pride and to the universe, and disposed all inflicts on the self-complacent qui. its parts with an evident regard etude of his bosom, the consciousto harmony and happiness-a be- ness of guilt. Still a short analysis of ing, possessed of infinite attri- the argument upon which such a butes--Benevolence, to guide the conviction rests, may enable him dictates of his will--Omniscience, to feel more distinctly the extent to discover the surest means for and firmness of the foundation op its accomplishment-and Omnipo. which his all relies; and may serve to kindle his affections into must of necessity, be made in a more steady flame upon the al- in vain. tar of an unsbaken trust in God. But while there is something in

The two following inquiries, nature to exercise every power then, lead to a more particular and to meet every innocent desire view of the considerations already of man, in this incipient state of suggested.

his existence, there is nothing imHow may we infer from the perishable as the mind on wbich character of God that he is the its immortal desires can feed, if author of christianity?

the bible is not true. Without And how may the same thing the bible, the future world is a be inferred from the character of desert and eternity a winter to our religion itself?

the soul! How, then, can it be To the former of these it may consistent with the benevolence of be replied

God, conspicuous in the blessings 1st. That it is inconsistent with of our present state, that he should the benevolence of the Deity that be so indifferent to the immortal he should not design for his crea- interests of the soul, as to give us tures the most exalted happiness no more knowledge of future retof which they are capable. ributions than the light of nature

God is the former of our bodies suggests ; and absolutely more disand the father of our spirits. The cernible by unassisted reason ressprings of our being are in him, and pecting the principles by wbich each susceptibility of our nature he will be guided in dispensing is the gift of his creating hand. them. Will infinite goodness de. In some of these endowments lie scend to secure the minutest hapthe fairest proofs of the divine piness of man, and yet leave him goodness which have sustained the a defenceless prey to the maspeculations of natural religion. lignant arts of Satan? Can that In what an endless variety of beau- be a hand of kindness, which carety has the Creator wrapped the ex- fully sustains our bark along the ternal world for no other percep- trembling stream of time that it tible purpose than to delight the may be wrecked upon the billows corporeal senses of man ! What of eternity? If not, then the Cre. a variety of social relations has ator has left no means untried, he devised to excite the sensibili- which infinite love could devise ties and gratify the affections of to save the souls of men. the human breast! None of the 2d. Our knowledge of God ennoble passions that dilate the heart ables us to conclude that the of patriotism or philanthropy are means he employs to effect the left to languish for want of an ob- spiritual welfare of his creatures ject. No human capacity must

are such as tend to assimilate tbem necessarily run to waste, no wish to his own moral likeness.

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