quotations in the sermon-one from Adrian, one from Homer, and three from hymn-books.

I request the attention of our readers to the preacher's remarks on the word as life-conveying. It happily and fully expresses all that for which we have always contended on the subject of spiritual influence in conversion. If the Baptists all believe with their intelligent, amiable, and gifted brother Broaddus, why have they repudiated us because we believe and teach the same things!! We print the third section in italics that every word of it may be read with attention. One sentence of it, as containing the very essence of our heresy, we have put into CAPITALS, because it is of CAPITAL importance. Oh! that all preachers and teachers would be governed by the views there expressed in their addresses to sinners! A. C.

“I take it for granted that this expression, 'the word of life,' is intended to designate the gospel of Christ. Let us enter into the subject, and consider,

The character of the gospel as 'the word of life'

How, or in what manner it may be held forth'-and then

Offer some considerations pressing on us this duty.

1. In what respects may the gospel of Christ be considered as 'the word of life?'

This, it must be owned, is a high character; and deservedly will the gospel be found to sustain that character, if we consider the following things:

1. The gospel is lsfe-revealing.

That the soul of man is destined to a future state of existence, was conjectured indeed by the wiser among the heathen: but conjecture was all. The flickerings of the lamp of reason, and some internal presentiment, seemed to indicate it; but no decisive evidence-no clear proof of this great point, appeared. And if the soul should outlive the stroke of death-in what state, who could tell?! And if there should be a state of happiness for departed spirits-how to attain to that state, who could tell? Dim conjecture all! And hence the fanciful theories of even the more refined among the brethren, with respect to the future state, -their dreamy views of elysium and tartarus; and hence, in their mythology, the melancholy shade that stretched over all the regions of hades-over the whole state of the dead! The language ascribed to the Emperor Adrian, in his dying address to his soul, beautifully pictures forth the dim and dubious view of futurity, to the eye of heathen philosophy. Classic scholars have probably read this little piece in its original Latin; but as most of us understand English much better, we shall have it in that dress:

'Poor, little, pretty, fluttering thing,

Must we no longer live together?

And dost thou prune thy trembling wing,

To take thy flight, thou know'st not whither?

Thy jocund strain, thy pleasing folly,

Is all neglected, all forgot;

And, pensive, wavering, melancholy,

Thou hope'st and fear'st, thou know'st not what!'

VOL. V.-N. S.

3

26

But if the future existence of the soul, or its destination after death, formed a problem which heathens could not clearly solve—the resurrection of the dead was a point of doctrine which they laughed to scorn! For advancing this doctrine, some of the wise, philosophical Athenians named Paul a babbler.' They knew not the scriptures nor the power of God;' and the resurrection of one on whom death had set his seal, was a matter which, to their view, lay beyond the field of possibilities! Much less did they dream of a resurrection of all who have mingled with the earth, and of immortal vestments for putrefaction and dust! No: the spirits of the dead are gone to the melancholy, unsubstantial region of shadows, and their bodies resolved into their kindred dust, and covered with an impervious, a hopeless night!

man.

"Thy Hector, wrapt in everlasting sleep,

Shall neither hear thee sigh, nor see thee weep.'

Pope's Homer. Such are the views which heathenism takes-such the prospect which unenlightened nature presents, of the future destination of But open now the sacred volume, and listen to the oracles of Heaven. 'Jesus Christ hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.' The state of the departed is presented to us. Hark! I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, write-Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.' The resurrection of the dead is declared: "The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth.' The happy dwelling place of the faithful is pointed out: 'In my Father's house are many mansions: I go to prepare a place for you.' We are, at present, taking a view of the bright side of man's destination-the life and immortality' which the gospel brings to light: and I add one more passage, as presenting to us a glimpse of the closing scene: "The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.' And now the pledge of all this blissful destination, and the confirmation of it to the people of God, has been given in the resurrection of Jesus Christ himself from the dead.Surely, brethren, we may say the gospel is life-revealing. In throws on our sin-benighted world the beams of a living hope; it points to the bosom of God as the resting place for the departing spirit; it paints on the dark cloud of death the rainbow of immortality-bestri.. ding, with its mighty arch, all the graves of the redeemed, and giving promise of a cloudless day of eternal glory in the regions beyond the tomb.

2. The gospel is life-directing. It not only points to that immortality of which we have been speaking, but it points out the way which leads to that state.

In vain had mere reason lighted up her lamp: in vain had philoso phy explored the paths of science, and traced the operations of mind, and recommended the way of virtue: still 'darkness covered the earth,

and gross darkness the people;' and still they wandered on in their own way, and stumbled on the dark mountains,' and sunk into the yawning abyss of an unknown eternity. Four thousand years had been allowed for the experiments of human wisdom and human virtue; but 'the world by wisdom knew not God,' and all its boasted virtue fell short of the way of righteousness, and man remained in the thraldom of guilt and sin. A little district of the earth-the land of Judea, presented indeed a brighter spot. There, where the chosen people of God were planted, the moon-light of the Mosaic revelation had shed its influence, and directed many a pilgrim from the earthly to the heavenly Canaan. But all around was darkness still: and even that favored people had gradually gathered around them the clouds of human tradition, and had almost blotted out from their own view the light of God's revelation.

Such was the state of the world:-the heathen nations wrapt in thick darkness, with here and there a jack-o'-lantern philosophy, flickering and dancing in the gloom;-the Jews beclouded with their own vain traditions, till scarcely a glimmering of moon and stars appeared; such was the state of the world with respect to the way of life, when 'the fulness of time was come'-the time when the life-directing word was published from heaven-when the way which leads to immortality was opened up to view.

And what is that way?-Turn to the gospel and see it. Learn of the great Teacher who declares, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life.'

Would you know how your load of guilt may be discharged, and your persons may find acceptance? His atoning sacrifice has made the way whereby God can consistently pardon the guilty; the way in which the righteous God may be just, and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus.' O take hold of him by faith, and plead his prevailing merits and his peace-speaking blood!

Would you know the way whereby your sin-polluted soul may be prepared for the enjoyment of heavenly blessedness? His Spirit's influence is the source of holiness; and his word is pledged that the Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him.

In a word, would you know the way which will lead you safely to eternal felicity? Take Him for your Prophet, Priest, and Kihg; and take his word as your guide-book through the journey of life. Surely, brethren and friends, the gospel is life-directing.

May this blest volume ever lie

Close to my heart, and near my eye;
Till life's last hour my soul engage,
And be my chosen heritage.'

May 1 not add

3 That the gospel is life-conveying.

I will not here enter into the metaphysical question-whether, in regeneration, the Holy Spirit, by a naked, abstract influence, going beforehand, prepares the soul for the reception of the word; it is sufficient to my purpose to say, that the gospel is the great instrument of conversion and sanctification.-Born again, (saith the Apostle Peter,) of incorruptible seed, by the word of God, whcih liveth and abideth forever.' 'Sanctify them through thy truth, (saith our Lord;) thy word is truth.' THE GOSPEL IS GGD'S GREAT INSTRUMENT EOR EFFECTING THE ACTUAL SALVATION

OF MANKIND; NOR HAVE WE ANY GROUNDS FOR A THEORY WHICH SEPARATES THE SAVING INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM THE REVEALED WILL OR WORD OF GOD, AND FORMS A SCHEME OF SALVATION FOR PAGANS AND MAHOMETANS, WHO ARE 'WALKING IN THE IMAGINATION OF THEIR OWN HEARTS.' The gospel is Heaven's plan. It is the grand aqueduct for conveying to our thirsty earth the water of life. All human systems and contrivances are empty and vain. They are pipes which do not reach the fountain, and therefore fail to refresh the soul with the living water which springs from the throne of God.

I am loath to leave this part of my subject, without just hinting4. That the gospel is life-sustaining.

How many, in seasons of trial and affliction, have witnessed the efficacy of its heavenly influence! In the conflict of temptation they have been strengthened unto victory. Under the pressure of life's ills-the loss of property, of friends, of health, they have been borne up with resignation. And in the final struggle-in the last lingerings of life, they have been sustained and cheered-aye, and enabled, sometimes, to rejoice and to triumph in the arms of death. These things, dear friends, are not fictions.

Well, we have taken a scanty and an imperfect view of the character of the gospel, as 'the word of life.' It is life-revealing-life-directing-life-conveying—life-sustaining.'

From an exchange paper.

THOUGHTS ON EDUCATION.

"The schools became a scene of solemn farce," &c.

FEELING and emotion is the characteristic of early life. Then, if ever, the mind yields to impressions and is susceptible of moral culture. And it is seldom possible to make amends for the omission of this important duty. Those lineaments of the character which are formed in the season of childhood, however restrained in after life, remain either as latent or active qualities to mark its identity. Many proofs might be adduced to evince the almost utter hopelessness of any future attempts to subdue the waywardness and ungovernableness of youth, which have been permitted to grow with the growth until it has become matured into habit. But we forbear, and hasten to our design, which is to notice some of the errors connceted with the usual mode of education in relation to intellectual discipline.

This is a duty, as already intimated, which is made to devolve on a particular class of individuals, with but very little inducement to secure its faithful performance. Unlimited confidence is a dangerous test of the tutor's fidelity. If he finds the work of education in his own hands, with permission to do as he pleases, he will no doubt consult his own convenience, and become anxious only to save appearances Hence the reason why our learning has grown so superficial. In the acquirements at school the object seems to be to hurry the pupil's attention in the least possible space of time over a multiplicity of pursuits, with about as much benefit to the mind as is afforded by the tuition of the alphabet. To recite with fluency, and perhaps a total

want of reflection, usually constitutes the perfection of scholarship. "Tis thus our youth, docti vel indocti, are advanced with wonderful facility through their elementary course of grammar, logic, astronomy and all kinds of philosophy, in less time than used to be required on the orthography of their language. Facilities and improvements in the art of teaching are abundantly supplied to promote this ruinous innovation.

The higher branches of philosophy which constitute so essential a part of infant school instruction, affords sufficient indication that education is thought to admit of an early completion. Though the outer man proves refractory, and is unwilling to depart from the rules of dame Nature, yet it seems to be the determination to force the inner man to yield to the influence of a wiser plan. It is, however, an unfortunate circumstance for these theorists that Nature has likewise subjected the mental powers to quite as slow a process of development. Pains and labor is still the fixed price of all valuable attainments. It is by laborious effort, as well as by slow and almost imperceptible advances, that those powers at first so feeble as to be hardly able to associate the letters of the alphabet, have at length acquired a masterly strength and skill, so as to combine and arrange agreeable to certain rules and principles, not only the letters, but the various syllables, words and thoughts which constitute a 'complete oration.However extraordinary the endowments which Nature may have bestowed upon some, it is evident she does not sanction those royal methods which set at naught her intentions.

The proper effect of education is the formation of useful habits, and these habits are the result of long-repeated efforts. For instance, the power of attention, one of the most important of our mental faculties, depends for its improvement upon a judicious cultivation. But how utterly at variance with such a cultivation is that complexity of engagements which constitute the daily round of duty in the ordinary mode of instruction. One might suppose that this practice was intended in the most direct manner possible to thwart the laws of our nature.The mind being kept in a state of perpetual vascillation, can make no attainment in its stock of knowledge, nor acquire any habits but such as will inevitably preclude its future improvement. By this scheme of discipline the whole circle of the sciences, which, in rapid succession, are forced upon the attention of the young observer, proves only a chaos for wonder-"a mighty maze, and all without a plan."

Having been thus led through the rough and rugged path of duty, his learning will amount only to a knowledge of its difficulties, and end in disgust and disappointment. Can it be presumed that those who have passed through such a noviciate will become the Bacons and Lockes of their age? Alas! we already find them crowding upon the heels of their predecessors, and filling up the ranks of society a pigmy race distinguished for nothing but a morbid sensibility which finds its full gratification in the trifles and follies of the times.

CONSCIENCE.

FROM A STUDENT'S SCRAP-BOOK.

H.

-There are three things remarkable about it. First, it is variable; active at one time and insensible at another. For this we cannot account. Secondly, it sometimes wakes up suddenly, as