the Prophet Isaiah and the Apostle John. were favoured, they were privileged to over-¦ hear the anthems of those bright intelli-¦ gences who minister before the throne, and the subject-matter of whose songs was the holiness of Him who sat thereon. "And one cried to another and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." And with such splendour did this holiness which constitutes his glory shine, that they could not look upon it with INTELLIGENCE, Manchester and Salford Branch. SEVEN Associations, comprising eightytwo members, are in operation, four of which meet once a week, and three once a fortnight. Essays have been read on the following subRemarks on some of the Systems of Ethijects :—“ On the advantages of Early Piety;" cal Philosophy" "On the effects of Perseunveiled faces, even whilst they sang of it. We do not read of their singing of the faith of Conscience;" "On the moral aspect of verance;" "On the nature and operations fulness, the wisdom, or the majesty of God, Great Britain as compared with other nabut of his holiness. May not this be to remind tions ;" "Hints on the formation of the us of the immaculate purity of his nature, Minds and Habits of Children;" "Has the and that evil cannot dwell with him? for there love of Distinction produced more good or is none holy as the Lord. (1. Sam. ii. 2.) And evil to mankind?” “On_the encourage is it not a consciousness of this which makes the stout heart of the sinner bend within ment we have in the Sacred Writings to exhim, when, under conviction of guilt, he an-pect the ultimate spread of the Gospel;" ticipates the coming of that day, when God will try every man by the standard of holiness which he himself hath erected, which is but a perfect copy of his own pure and spotless nature? Are we not then warranted in stating that the holiness of God was a guarantee that man should be created free from sin, and that if he became a partaker of it, it must have been from some source foreign to Deity? (To be concluded in our next.) BRIEF SURVEY OF BOOKS. "THE Golden Pot of Manna, or Christian's Portion; containing Daily Exercises on the Person, Offices, Work, and Glory of the Redeemer." By J. Burns, Minister of Enor Chapel. '12mo. G. Wightman. London. Vol. i. It treats of subjects of the first importance, and the author's views of them are perfectly consonant with the analogy of faith. It is a work that will be read with great spiritual advantage, by all who are inquiring their way to Zion with their faces thitherward. "On the Parable of the Unclean Spirit." By Whitaker. Religious Tract Society. Another very valuable work of old divinity rescued from oblivion. It is orthodox in principle, fervent in expression, and distinguished by that vigour of sentiment, for which writers of the author's time were particularly remarkable. "Pastoral Recollections." Edited by the Rev. J. Belcher. Ward and Co. 18mo. London. A very good book. We recommend it as calculated to be extensively useful. "On the difference between Wisdom and Knowledge;" "On the Benefits to be derived from Young Men's Societies, and the best means of attaining those Benefits;” “On Christian Zeal;" "On History:" "On Reflection;" "On the compatibility of War with the principles of the New Testament;" "On the duty of diffusing Knowledge;" "On Weaving;" "On the early Lite of Cowper;" "On the Varieties of Style: with an attempt to consider how far an author's character may be discovered in his works," &c. With the view of bringing all the members periodically together, and increasing their interest in the institution, it has been determined that a general meeting shall be held once a quarter, for the purpose of hearing and discussing the subject of an essay from some member appointed by the Committee. The first meeting was held on the evening of the 11th inst., when a well-written paper, on the province of Reason in determining matters of Religious Belief, was read by Mr. John Wilson; and it was truly encouraging to mark the lively attention and good feeling manifested by all present. The Committee trust that the excellence of an Association whose object is to lead young men into the safe and pleasant paths of knowledge, virtue, and religion, will be more and more appreciated; and that by the end of the year they will have the gratification of stating, not merely that a very considerable accession to their members has taken place, but that a much greater proportion than at present is actively engaged in doing good to others. Signed, by order of the Committee, IT has been unanimously agre our The Syrian captain vainly thought, And rival Israel's fairest tide. Too little for his courtly gait The simple rule Elisha gave, Nothing to suit his sumptuous state He saw in Jordan's flowing wave. Incensed he turned his steps aside, "And is this all?" disdainful said,"Some greater thing he might have tried, And on the place his hand have laid. "Abana's,-Pharpar's rivers flow, In fairest health they see him stand. We scorn to wash in Jordan's wave, And fancy our own boasted powers From woe and from disease will save. Let us inquire in humble faith, What waters may effectual be, Let all who hail the Gospel light, Our greater Prophet hear, and live; No substituted splendid rite Can holy absolution give. Rivers of oil, or wine poured forth, To heal the wound the heart within. Obeyed the Father's will, and died; His followers now His cross must bear, TO MASTERS. H. "Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven."-Col. iv. 1. IF you ever reflect upon the state of society, you must acknowledge that vice of every kind abounds: and will you, whose indispensable duty it is to afford all the aid in your power, "stand at ease," and wilfully forget your obligations to God and man? Shall morality fall before the undermining influence of repeated and powerful temptation? Shall the strong tide of immorality, which is now rolling on with destructive rapidity, sweep away the barriers of virtue? Shall truth, honesty, character, and every thing of "good report" sink into the deep, widespreading whirlpool of vice? Shall licentiousness on every hand extend its baneful effects, and you look on with silent unconcern? Remember your inexcusable unconcern, your sin→ encouraging silence, will be construed by the workers of iniquity as an expression of consent, as a token of approval. Will you, who ought to be foremost in the rank of the guardians of morality, look with careless eyes on the progress of crime, and with apathy behold the rapid strides of immorality? “No,” say you, "but what can we do?" Why, you can do a great deal: you have the power greatly to promote the cause of moral reform, if you will but use it. Have you an apprentice? Then keep a strict watch over his morals; for the vicious are ever seeking as victims the virtuous. The united efforts of the base and dissipated are systematically directed to cause the virtuous to fall. You are well aware that you have an unquestionable right to require from him all he can possibly accomplish, consistent with virtuous principles, to advance your interests and happiness; but if you neglect to guard his morals, and permit him to "run with the multitude to do evil," you must expect to be disappointed; nor must you be surprised, if through your criminal neglect, he acquire habits, and become confirmed in principles, which will THE ORIGINAT STATE OF MAN BRIEFLY THE chief end for which man was created was to serve and glorify his Creator. This was a condition of his existence, and necessarily resulted from the relationship which he sustained to the divine Being, who, in addition to the life which had been given, had surrounded that life with all that was capable of rendering it a happy and a blessed one. No one can question the divine right be ruinous to himself, and injurious to you, and to all with whom he is connected. Do you require him to work on the Sabbath? O, it is a lamentable fact that, in some trades, he has more work to do on Sunday morning than on any other day of the week! Masters, if you thus command your apprentices to occupy one part of the sacred day, you may in nine cases out of ten write it down as a truth that they will employ the remainder in sinful amuse-to make laws for the government of his creament, and in increasing the black tures; for He who had made all things, had catalogue of crime. What can you ex- authority over, and a just claim upon all; pect, but that they will become disobe- and accordingly we find that when He had made man, He placed him under a law, the dient, careless, unfaithful, and dis- tenor of which was, "Do this, and thou shalt honest? for Sabbath-breaking is the live." Man's obedience to this law was to high-road to drunkenness, drunken- constitute his right and title to the blessings which he enjoyed; and his failing to obey ness to lewdness, and every other the law, the ground of his forfeiture of those vice. The same also may be said in blessings, and the infliction, for aught he reference to your other servants, your then knew, of immediate death. Thus then shopmen, clerks, &c. Arise, then, that man might want no motive to invite and discharge your duty faithfully. those which sprang from love, the powerful him to obedience, there was superadded to Use your authority as a master to influence of fear-a fear of losing present persuade those committed to your blessings and incurring the divine displeacare to have nothing to do with "the sure; and farther, that he might be left "without excuse if he failed, he was endowed works and the workers of darkness. with a capacity in every respect commensuTell them that their path "is the rate to the service required of him, and the way to hell, going down to the cham-end for which he was created. But that bers of death.' At home and abroad, mankind are now in a condition differing in in the shop and the parlour, fearlessly "denounce every modification of sin, and encourage the virtuous" to increased activity in doing good. Let your example, your influence, your judge of the excellency of his species, as the heart, your hand, be all energetically work of an infinitely wise and holy Being, employed in the cause of moral re-most certain is it that his creation would reform. "Curse ye Meroz," said theflect but little glory to his Maker, but would angel of the Lord, "curse ye bitterly rather argue an imperfection, where all is perfect, in creating a creature so far removed the inhabitants thereof." What for? from righteousness and so ill adapted to an"Because they came not to the help swer the end for which even by the testimony of the Lord, to the help of the Lord of reason, it is evident, he was created. True, indeed, it is that, if man be viewed against the mighty." It is an awful fact that our obliga-still retains a part of his original dignity, only in the light of an intellectual being, he tions to do good are increased by the though in this sense also he has received a privileges which we enjoy; for "where sad wound by the fall of his nature. But much is given, much will be required. this is not the only light in which his character is to be judged; for he is a moral as Be not deceived" then, "for God well as an intellectual being; and whilst in is not mocked: whatsoever a man the latter sense he is far removed above the soweth, that shall he also reap." brutes that perish, inasmuch as they have that in which he existed in his primeval state, is a proposition capable of the clearest and most satisfactory demonstration; for were we to take the best specimen of human nature, and erect it as the standard by which to many great and important particulars from no understanding, in the latter he has sunk to a depth to which they cannot descend, for "the ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib, but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider." (Isa. i. 3.) That man's present condition is not that in which he was first created, will be the object of the following remarks to show; reserving to another opportunity some thoughts on the change of which his nature has been the subject, and the means which are divinely appointed for its recovery. allow it an equal merit with, moral purity; for let a man possess all the excellencies and graces wherewith his nature can be adorned, yet if he lack this he is but a fit subject of pity and of prayer. It is this that alone adorns and embellishes the character, and, in the estimation of all taught of the Holy Spirit, renders it worthy of the imitation of rational creatures. If holiness then be so essential an ingredient in the formation of human character, how much more necessary is it that "the high and lofty one who inhabiteth eternity" should be pre-eminently holy! Were we to separate this attribute from the nature of Jehovah, should we not undeify him, and rob him of his choicest In the revelation which God Now it has appeared to me that, admitting man to be the workmanship of an almighty, all-wise, and holy Being, and further admitting that this great Being is endowed with those attributal perfections which Reve-perfection? lation announces and reason corroborates, has made of himself, a prominence is given admitting this, we should practically falsify to this over and above either of his other our own convictions by charging upon Him attributes; it is that to which most frequent the authorship of any thing imperfect in its reference is made. Thus we find that when kind, or not in all points adapted to secure God graciously condescended for the estabthe end for which it was created. The attri-lishment of David's faith to confirm his butes of the divine nature which render such a result of his actings impossible, are, I think, holiness, justice, and goodness. Let us look a little, in the first place, at the holiness of God. This attribute required, on the behalf of man, that he should be created upright, or holy, and without any inherent inclination towards that which is evil. promise with an oath, because he could swear by no greater than himself, and as if desirous of removing every possible ground of doubt, which after this might remain in his servant's mind, he pledged his holiness that he would be found faithful. "Once have I sworn by my holiness, that I will not lie unto David."* As if Jehovah had said, Not only do I give you my word, and that That holiness is an essential attribute of confirmed by my oath, to encourage your the divine nature is self-evident; for "the implicit trust and confidence in my promise, notion of a God cannot be entertained with- but I will do more, I will stake my choicest out separating from him whatsoever is im- attribute, that which is most dear to me, and pure and bespotting, both in essence and which I cannot forfeit but with my own exactions. Though we conceive Him infinite istence. Not indeed that any one attribute in majesty, infinite in essence, eternal in of the divine nature can be esteemed by him duration, mighty in power, and wise and im- more precious than any other; but he, knowmutable in his counsels, merciful in his pro-ing the degraded state of man's nature, and ceedings with man, and whatsoever other perfections may dignify so sovereign a Being, yet if we conceive him destitute of this excellent perfection, and imagine him possessed of the least contagion of evil, we make him but an infinite monster, and sully all those perfections we ascribed to him before."* The idea of unspotted holiness is inseparable from all just thoughts of God; and we naturally look upon him as the centre and source of all purity, the fountain from whence flow all the small rivulets of creature holiness which adorn and beautify this lower universe. He is "glorious in holiness;" and were it otherwise, he might command our fear and our dread, but he could never possess our reverence and our love. In our estimate of human character we do not, or at least ought not to place anything in opposition to, or even *Charnock. how prone he is to ascribe to others, yea, even to God himself, the motives by which he is actuated, and to reflect the image of his own unholy nature upon objects the most pure and lovely, has guarded this attribute with a jealous care, that man might not deceive himself by imagining God to be altogether such an one as himself. May we not infer from this that God designed to stamp this attribute with peculiar honour? Again, when Jehovah would reveal himself to us in the character of a Sovereign, to remove from our minds all fear as to the rectitude of his dealings, he tells us that the foundation of his throne is laid in holiness, and that all the judgments pronounced and the decrees executed are in agreement with the strictest rules of holiness and equity. So again, in the heavenly visions with which * Ps. lxxxix. 35. See Amos iv. 2. the Prophet Isaiah and the Apostle John INTELLIGENCE. Manchester and Salford Branch. SEVEN Associations, comprising eightymeet once a week, and three once a fortnight. two members, are in operation, four of which Essays have been read on the following subjects::-"On the advantages of Early Piety;" "Remarks on some of the Systems of Ethical Philosophy;" "On the effects of Perseverance;" "On the nature and operations of Conscience;" "On the moral aspect of Great Britain as compared with other na one cried to another and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." And with such splendour did this holiness which constitutes his glory shine, that they could not look upon it with unveiled faces, even whilst they sang of it. We do not read of their singing of the faithfulness, the wisdom, or the majesty of God, but of his holiness. May not this be to remind us of the immaculate purity of his nature, and that evil cannot dwell with him? for there is none holy as the Lord. (1. Sam. ii. 2.) And is it not a consciousness of this which makes the stout heart of the sinner bend within him, when, under conviction of guilt, he an-pect the ultimate spread of the Gospel;" ticipates the coming of that day, when God will try every man by the standard of holiness which he himself hath erected, which is but a perfect copy of his own pure and spotless nature? Are we not then warranted in stating that the holiness of God was a gua rantee that man should be created free from sin, and that if he became a partaker of it, it must have been from some source foreign to Deity? (To be concluded in our next.) BRIEF SURVEY OF BOOKS. "THE Golden Pot of Manna, or Christian's Portion; containing Daily Exercises on the Person, Offices, Work, and Glory of the Redeemer." By J. Burns, Minister of Enor Chapel. '12mo. G. Wightman. London. Vol. i. It treats of subjects of the first importance, and the author's views of them are perfectly consonant with the analogy of faith. It is a work that will be read with great spiritual advantage, by all who are inquiring their way to Zion with their faces thitherward. "On the Parable of the Unclean Spirit." By Whitaker. Religious Tract Society. Another very valuable work of old divinity rescued from oblivion. It is orthodox in principle, fervent in expression, and distinguished by that vigour of sentiment, for which writers of the author's time were particularly remarkable. "Pastoral Recollections." Edited by the Rev. J. Belcher. Ward and Co. 18mo. London. A very good book. We recommend it as calculated to be extensively useful. tions ;" "Hints on the formation of the Minds and Habits of Children;" "Has the love of Distinction produced more good or evil to mankind?" "On the encouragement we have in the Sacred Writings to ex "On "On the difference between Wisdom and Knowledge;" "On the Benefits to be derived from Young Men's Societies, and the best means of attaining those Benefits;" "On Christian Zeal;" "On History;" Reflection;" "On the compatibility of War with the principles of the New Testament;" "On the duty of diffusing Knowledge;" "On Weaving;" "On the early Life of Cowper;" "On the Varieties of Style: with an attempt to consider how far an author's character may be discovered in his works," &c. With the view of bringing all the members periodically together, and increasing their interest in the institution, it has been determined that a general meeting shall be held once a quarter, for the purpose of hearing and discussing the subject of an essay from some member appointed by the Committee. The first meeting was held on the evening of the 11th inst., when a well-written paper, on the province of Reason in determining matters of Religious Belief, was read by Mr. John Wilson; and it was truly encouraging to mark the lively attention and good feeling manifested by all present. The Committee trust that the excellence of an Association whose object is to lead young men into the safe and pleasant paths of knowledge, virtue, and religion, will be more and more appreciated; and that by the end of the year they will have the gratification of stating, not merely that a very considerable accession to their members has taken place, but that a much greater proportion than at present is actively engaged in doing good to others. Signed, by order of the Committee, Brecon Branch. IT has been unanimously agreed to by our |