fore, we would by no means wish the slanderer to escape notice, wherever he may be found, yet we would have mingled with our condemnation of his sin, that gentleness which invariably characterised the lessons of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

reply to these questions simply as inter- | scribed in the word of God for the rogatories, yet experienced no little administration of reproof. While, theredifficulty in combatting with what was implied through them, the bearing of which was so irresistibly plain, that she could not help seeing her heart exhibited as clearly as objects reflected by rays of light on a mirror. The proof of this was her hastily leaving the room, and afterwards escaping as quickly as possible from the house.

Reader, have you hitherto escaped the tongue of the slanderer? If you have, we congratulate you, but dage not encourage you to hope that you will pass through life without encountering this dangerous and cruel foe. Whenever the time arrives, however, that you shall come in contact, mark him well; seize him, not by the collar nor by the arm, but look at him; fix your eye on him; and speak through that to his heart; for there are looks which melt the soul. Our Lord cast on Peter a look, after his denial of him; and we are told that "Peter went out and wept bitterly." But mark you, let your look, as nearly as possible, resemble Christ's look-it was one of pity and tender reproof. Treat not the culprit as does the unsparing hawk the object it aims to capture, which wheels round and | round it, alternately ascending and descending, and then darts upon its unsuspecting victim. Neither maliciously lacerate and tear him in pieces, as the wild beast of the forest does whatever intercepts its range; nor seek to hold him up to the scorn and contempt of others-this is not the mode that erring man should adopt towards erring man. The heart-and by this we mean its best affections-is the most sensitive, the most vulnerable part of man. Attack this, then, with proper weapons, sharpened by justice for the injured, and with mercy for the injurer; and we believe that both individuals will derive advantage. Mortification does little towards a radical improvement of character, and certainly savours not of the course pre

We would not, however, only caution you against that most injurious character, the slanderer, but also remind you of the little less guilt attaching to the listener. If there were no listeners, the former would shortly become extinct. As when a fire is no longer supplied with fuel it goes out; so, in like manner, were there no listeners to feed the depraved appetite of the slanderer, it would soon die of starvation.

That these two classes of persons are equally pernicious to the well-being of society should always be remembered: and there is no little truth in the remark that, "the tale-bearer and the tale-hearer should be subjected to the same punishment, with only this difference the one should be hung

up by his tongue, and the other by his ears."

Now, though we grant that such a penalty would not exceed the amount of desert for criminality so great, yet we would rather advocate a milder spirit, and persuade by the gentleness of Christian love any who may come under a like condemnation; and thus we shall be individually improved by the exercise of that charity which "thinketh no evil." From the lady and the whole party, who, notwithstanding this painful occurrence, frequently afterwards met, we are happy in knowing that there never again was heard a word depreciatory of friend or foe; each one of the party resolving, at the time, as we have since learnt, to abjure the mean and dastardly crime of slander, which, though painted somewhat strongly in the following lines, is not, we think, much overdrawn:—

done. On similar principles of prearrangement and subdivision, made with wisdom, and executed with energy, how much more successful would be the enterprises of Christian beneficence! The Church has yet to learn from the world-we mean the true Church; for false churches, especially that of Rome, have well and ably learned these lessons.

But, after all, the world has gained not a little of what it most glories in with any good reason, from the church. Why have we in our day, and in this country, so many well-meaning and active social reformers and general philanthropists? Unquestionably from the indirect influence of the religion of Jesus Christ on the thinking and educated portion of the community. This may be gathered from the facts that these men are only to be found in countries where some degree of Evangelical light has long been shining; that they abound in different lands in proportion to the amount and clearness of that light-as may be seen by reference to France, Germany, and England; and that, though very often not disposed to own it either fully or candidly, yet the best views which they propound, and the arguments by which they enforce them, are evidently drawn from the Bible. If they are not so directly, at least they are indirectly, through the general prevalence of Scriptural knowledge in our times.

upon all his friends to do as he hath | David's enumeration (recorded in 2 Sam. xxiv.), though not commanded by God, was only of the military force of the nation-" valiant men that drew the sword." Whatever was the precise reason for the displeasure of God with David for doing that which Moses was twice ordered to do, we may at least learn from these instances, on the one hand, to be thankful that, though wars have not yet ceased to be, our census is not required for warlike uses, and contemplates much larger results and far nobler purposes than a military levy; and on the other, that, as nations, we are not under a theocratic government. However excellent that government was for the temporary purposes of the Mosaic economy, it would now be an intolerable burden for us to require a specific revelation from heaven for every important national transaction. And if a small nation, and one so well instructed respecting their duty as Israel, so often erred through neglecting to abide by the revealed laws furnished for their guidance, or else to wait for a new communication, how fearful [and frequent would be the sins of negligence and disobedience, bringing wrath upon the people, of nations so numerous, and, at the same time, so partially instructed and so self-confident as our own, or other modern nations, if placed under a theocracy like that of ancient Israel! God has very mercifully left us to the exercise of our own reason, both as individuals and nations, in all things for which, as full-grown men, it is competent. And to guide us rightly, we have the principles of natural science and divinely revealed truth, which it is both our duty and privilege to follow. If these are neglected, we pay the penalty, in this life only, of all the inconveniences and sufferings which such neglect may fitly be expected to produce. And such principles may, upon a very little reflection, be found to authorize and recommend such a Census as that now taken. It is, therefore, as

To number the people is no new thing in the earth. Moses twice numbered the children of Israel: first, in the beginning of the second year after the Exodus; and again, at the end of the forty years' wanderings in the desert. (Num. i. and xxvi.) These censuses were made at God's command, as the King of Israel, and for purposes chiefly of a warlike nature; for the Jewish leader was to take the number "from twenty years old and upward, of all that were able to go forth to war." So

The results of this Census will present, it is to be expected, a very considerable increase, notwithstanding several diminishing causes have been at work during the last ten years. This not only reminds us of the promises made to Abra-lation, and their rapid spread in these ham of a large increase of his posterity, but is, we apprehend, somehow connected with its fulfilment. These promises were thus expressed:-"I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered."- "In blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply

the tents of Shem" (Gen. ix. 27); and | kiel, of whom it was declared by God, since in our hands and those of our through his prophet," they shall not be younger brethren in North America written in the writing of the house of God has placed the means and the prin- Israel, neither shall they enter into the cipal facilities for blessing the world land of Israel!" These were false prowith the knowledge of Abraham's pro- phets who did see vanity and divine mised seed, the great Redeemer, we lies," who seduced the people, saying, may see in all this the gradual, but ever Peace, and there was no peace." certain, progress of events towards the (Ezek. xiii. 9.) What a monument of final accomplishment of the Divine pur-warning is this to all who hold the reposes of grace and mercy respecting our sponsible office of ministers of the gosguilty and unhappy race. This review pel; nay, to all the churches of Christ, and anticipation may serve to awaken for they are appointed to be the lights our gratitude, and confirm our faith in of the world, and the guides of men! God and his promises. If, through any unfaithfulness of ours, we mislead and deceive the souls of men, either wilfully or carelessly, are we not in danger of a similar doom, even not to be found written in the Lamb's Book of Life, the writing of the house of Israel, neither to enter within the gates of the New Jerusalem? And this warning needs especial consideration in this day, when so many are abroad scattering the seeds of error with unsparing hand; or, to return to a former figure, holding forth false lights to allure men into the quagmires and pitfalls of delusive systems, which promise peace, where disappointment, trouble, and ruin alone will be found. How opposite to all this the spirit, and how different the end, of Moses and of Paul, who were willing to have their names blotted out of the book—at least so far as all present connexion with the people of God was concerned-if thereby the people, their kinsmen after the flesh, might but be saved! (Exod. xxxii. 32; Rom. ix. 3.)

Various other reflections are suggested to our mind by certain passages of Scripture in connexion with the numbering of the people. Our names are all now enrolled in the records of this great empire. It is an honour to be thus counted as born in Britain. But how much greater, if "the Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people," that we were born in Zion! We may indeed rejoice if our names are written among the living in Jerusalem, written in heaven, in the Book of Life. (Isa. iv. 3; Luke x. 20; Phil. iv. 3; Rev. xiii. 8.) And that it may be so, let us "give all diligence to make our calling and election sure." God has a Book of Life, and it has two pages-one turned towards himself, but hid from our inspection, in which is inscribed, "The Lord knoweth them that are his;" the other patent to us, so that he who runs may read-" And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." Let our character and conduct but correspond with this description, and our names will surely be found at last on the other, the hidden page. One proof of our possessing such a character will certainly be this, that "the abominations done in the midst of our land, and of its vast population, will deeply grieve our souls." And we know that on all who mourn for such things, Jehovah will set the mark of his peculiar regard. (Ezek. ix. 4; Mal. iii. 16.) There was a class in Israel, in the days of Eze

The vast changes among our people since the last Census, only ten years ago, may excite in every thoughtful mind a long train of useful reflections. Since that period a third of a generation have gone the way whence they shall not return. Ireland has been desolated by famine; both it and our own country have been scourged by pestilential disease; multitudes have been compelled to leave their native land, and emigrate to distant regions, in order to procure