their feelings in rebellious mur- ian reader; had you witnessed murings against the hand that the mild, submissive manner, in chastened them, or repressed them which she sustained her compli. in the sullen gloom of melancholy. cated afflictions, you would have Others I had seen, who appeared, felt with me, that it was better to whilst under the influence of some be a companion of those who sore bereavement, to have their mourn, than of those who rejoice; hearts softened a little, whose se- and, would perhaps have felt with rious feeling all vanished with the me, that you had found in this afaffliction which produced it, and ficted, yet unrepining orphan, an left them farther from God, than example of christian submission they were before. Others, like and fortitude, worthy of your own the subject of this little sketch, imitation.

XANTHUS. seem to view the finger of a gracious God in the sorrows of their lives, and are induced, by feeling his afflicting band, to return to Messrs. Editors, him from whom they have re- As your Magazine is designed volted. But the number of these to communicate religious truth, is small. To you who have felt at least, your views of it, I wish the bereaving strokes of provi- that you, or your correspondents, dence, I appeal for the truth of would throw some light on the this remark. Have you, when some subject of the claims and assertions temporal object of your affections advanced by one denomination of has been torn from your embrace, christians which serve to perplex, fixed your affections upon eternal and, and I fear, to mislead the things ? When deprived of some minds of many. In order to bring created blessing, have you looked definitely, before you what I have more humbly and earnestly to the in view, I will propose several Creator, for support and consola. questions : tion? Has no repining spirit cor.

1. Is salvation sure to all those roded your feelings, and prevent who are members of the Episcoed the good which you might have pal church, and receive the saderived from these events ? My crament from the hands of her attention has, for years, been di. clergy? rected to the effect of the provi- 2. Must all those, where the dence of God upon the moral char- gospel is preached, who are not acter of his creatures. Yet I have of that church and do not receive found but few who appeared to the sacrament from the hands of feel so deeply, so sincerely, the what is called a regular and valid words of the Psalmist, “ It is good clergy, perish? for me that I have been afflicted," 3. Is Episcopalian ordination as did this pious orphan. Christ. the only regular and valid ordina

tion ; and are the ordination and his ministrations are invalid and ministrations of the Presbyterian nothing; and if the church to and Congregational clergy irregu. which I belong, is no church of: lar and invalid, and, not of the Christ, but' a schismatic body, it christian priesthood ?

is important that I and all con4. Is the Episcopal church the cerned, should know it. An essen only one in covenant with God, tial service may be done to the and are all other churches with christian commupity by proper qut hope and without God in the answers to the questions I have world, and aliens from the cbrist- proposed. In the light of truth, ian commonwealth, and out of the I, and others may see light. covenant of promise ? Have they Yours, &c. no communion with Christ?

A member of a Congregationalist I wish these, or such like ques

Church. tions, were satisfactorily answered. You may be surprised that I ask them ; but the claims and as

QUESTION. sertions which I have mentioned, How can it be accounted for and the effect they have on the that many persons seem to desire. minds of many well meaning peo- religion, who exhibit no evidence ple, must be my apology. If my of possessing it ? minister is not ordained, and if all

EXTRACTS,

KROM THE CHRISTIAN SPECTATOR. significant tokens had engaged to AN ALLEGORY.

serve him during life. They It is recorded in a very ancient would hold, they said, no separate book, that a certain nobleman of property, or be influenced to great possessions being about to serve by mercenary motives.journey, called together his ser. Their master's interest, they said: yants, delivered to them his goods, should be their own, his reputaand said unto each, 6 occupy till tion their honor, his prosperity I come.”

their reward. Of these servants it is observed, Thus circumstanced, it would' that by birth, they were the prop- be natural to expect of these sererty of their master, but having vants, great diligence in busifallen into captivity they had been ness,” great friendship among bought also with a price, in addi. themselves, and great joy as their tion to which, every one of them master's interest should prosper in said " I love my master,” and by their hands; and this for a season

was to a great extent the fact, them; and where this was not the though not without some painful case, it frequently happened that exceptions, which it falls to our the seed though buried long in lot to record. There were ser- dust, sprang up in a joyful harvest vants who evidently pursued in- after the hand that sowed it, and terests separate from their mas- the eye that wept over it, were at ter's, and to his injury. The hedge rest in the grave. about their master's vineyard was It was left in charge by the nobroken down, and the boar from bleman to his servants, that they the wilderness without molesta- should keep in good repair those tion rooted up the vine. The parts of the farm which had been door of the sheepfold too was left reduced to cultivation, and urge open, and the grievious wolf came on the work of subduing the wil. in not sparing the flock. When derness, until the entire farm such events happened however, should become one fruitful field; it was common for the servants to and so vigorous at first was the become indignant at the boar and onset upon the wilderness, that it the wolf, not reflecting that had seemed as if every tree of the the fence of the vineyard, and the forest would bow, and every acre door of the sheepfold been kept, of the farm be made to feel the the vines and the lambs had escap- plough, and to wave with harvests. ed injury. It must be added, that But so much at length did the love the ground also was often so ime of these servants wax cold, and perfectly tilled as to yield but a their enterprise abate, that the scanty harvest, and sometimes wilderness regained much of its from year to year, no harvest at lost dominion, and all hope and all all. But in this case it was com- duty seemed to be limited to the mon for the servants to console defence of the fruitful fields, themselves with the reflection, against the encroachments of the that God only could give the in- wilderness. crease, and that as he gives or When at length a small number withholds according to his sove- of servants, moved by primitive reign good pleasure, no blame affection and zeal, read their mascould justly attach to them.- ter's direction, 'go ye out into all There were indeed a few instan- parts of the farm and subdue the ces of failure, where all the means wilderness, and began to make of securing a crop had apparently experiments, they were stared upbeen faithfully applied. But it on as madmen. Do you believe, often happened that those who in said one, that our master expectthis manner went forth, from year ed, or intended that we should to year, weeping, bearing precious subdue the entire farm ? Never. seed, came again at length rejoic. His language is hyperbolical.ing, bringing their sheaves with Another contended that the fruit

ful field might as well give place derness, and that what had been to the wilderness, as the wilder. done could be done again; it was ness to the fruitful field. He could answered, that the great trees perceive very little difference, he which stood here were pulled up said, between the wild animals of by miracles, and that the giants the wilderness, and the tame ani- and lions were all killed by supermals of the fields. God who made natural aid, not to be expected them all, is benevolent, and no res- now. pecter of persons, from which it If any pointed to tracts of wilmust result, thai they are all hap- derness recently subdued without py, and about equally happy; he miracles, as difficult of subjugation thought it therefore a useless ex- as any that remained, a new host pense to carry the arts of husband- of objectors took up the argument; ry to the wilderness; he could admitted the possibility of subduing perceive but little difference be- the wilderness, but denied that tween the lion and the wolf, and the there was either time or resources. ox and the lamb. All were made 66 It was as much

as could be very good animals, each lived in done,” they said, “to maintain his own way and why should we the cultivated field from the en: disturb them.

croachments of the wilderness, Others who thought it would be and that charity begins at home. a very good thing, to subdue the There were fences enough to be wilderness were it possible, faint- mended, and flocks to be gathered at the thought of such an un- ed, and weeds to be eradicated at dertaking. There were trees, home, and nothing should be done they said, somewhere in that wil. abroad, until the farm at home. derness, an hundred miles in cir- was put in perfect order. Beside, cumference, harder than the hard. where shall we find laborers for est steel, and whose roots were the whole field? And even were wrapped about the centre of the all the products of the cultivated earth, so that to cut them down, part devoted to subduing the wilor pull them up, or raise crop derness, it would be in vain :” forunder their shade, was alike hope- getful that every newly cultivatless. And then there were lions ed acre poured into the treasury, in the way of unusual strength and thirty, sixty, or an hundred fold; fierceness, ready to slay every man and that the resources increased, who should show himself in their as the work to be done diminish. dominions ; and there too travel. ed.

; lers had seen the giants, in com- There was aster all, another parison with whom they were difficulty, which was, on which grasshoppers. If it was suggested side of the wilderness they should by any servant, that the field now begin; some preferring to assail cultivated, was once itself a wil- the forests immediately contigu

ous, while others preferred going whose deportment in better day quite the other side. This diffi- would have ensured their expul : culty was however settled by the sion from the household. If any amicable agreement, that both servants proposed a more strict sides should be assailed at once, examination concerning skill, or and the assault be continued until industry, or friendsbip to their the servants should meet and shake master, with reference to the ad. hands in the middle.

mission of servants, they were de. In the ancient book already re. nounced as uncharitable, bigoted ferred to, and which the noble- and cruel. Does not charity, it man deposited in the hands of the world be said, hope all things, and servants, there were rules which believe all things? Do we know he directed them to follow in the the candidate for admission to be management of the farm, forbidding a novice? Why then should we them to make a single unauthorized torment him by unreason experiment. In this book it was picions, implied in his examinaprovided, that persons of compe- tion? They could not doubt that tent skill in husbandry, who could he had devoted himself some where exhibit evidences of friendship to faithfully to the acquisition of agtheir master, and would make the ricultural knowledge, and that he requisite engagements, might be was, or would be, as industrious, received into the household of the and skilful, and faithful as them. nobleman; and for a season, those selves; and, as to friendship to who offered themselves were care. the nobleman, " Is it not well tully examined, and few were re. known.” they demanded, “ that ceived, who did not consult in he had no enemies ? It was unreasome good degree the interests of sonable to think that he had, and their master. But in process of if any pretended to be his enetime it came to pass, that from in- mies, or even conducted as if they dolence or carelessness, or false were, undoubtedly they were detenderness, any person who offer- ceived, or from modesty merely ed bimself was sure to be receiv. exhibited themselves as being ed, however deficient in skill, or worse than they were. Besides, wanting in the ordinary evidence friendship and enmity are feelings of friendship to the nobleman.- of the heart, and what have we to The consequence was, that many do with each other's hearts ? To servants unskilled in husbandry, our own master we stand or fall.” and without friendsbip to the If, at any time, attempts were master, became members of his made to expel from the household household. These, as might be an idle or profligate servant, he expected, were extremely liberal would inquire the authority of in their views, and charitably dis- the servants to do it, and cry perposed towards all those servants, secution ; when instantly, as if