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perfection of happiness before the throne on high. But those who have not heard the heavenly message, live without hope here, and at last sink into final despair. Those who have not felt the power of the truth, try to sow together fig-leaves of their own deeds or duties, for a covering,-and in this expect to be exalted before God, as they are in their own eyes; but alas! here is their sentence: 66 Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the Hight of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled, — this shall ye have of mine hand, ye shall lie down in sorrow. What a portion! This is what they have to expect when they shall rise again, at last, to shame and everlasting contempt!

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Let sinners be intreated to consider these things, and take warning, and consider that they cannot escape if they continue unconverted; for justice and judgment are the habitation of God's throne. "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven." Unless you know this joyful sound, you lose all. But take encouragement also to apply to Jesus; he will redeem and save you. You have sold yourselves for nought, and shall be redeemed without money. Seck this joy and happiness in Jesus. Falkland. WRIEL.

LIBERAL EDUCATION RECOMMENDED. Mr. EDITOR,

I OBSERVED, with peculiar satisfaction, some hints which one of your correspondents recently offered, relative to the formation of a Public Grammar School, for the Sons of Protestant Dissenters. Understanding that it is shortly to be established in the vicinity of the metropolis, I have embraced the opportunity of conversing with a few individuals who are more iminediately concerned in the project, that I might more fully ascertain the pecific object of the intended institution.

In so enlightened an age as the present, nothing need be said on the general importance of the Education of Youth. AIF persons who are not sunk into gross ignorance, or fettered by barbarous prejudice, acknowledge, that schools are the nurseries of the church and state. It is therefore of no small moment to whom the care of our children is intrusted, or what are those plans and principles upon which the characters of the next generation are to be formed.

The remarks of Onesimus on the study of languages, met with my entire approbation; and though I do not wish to cast the lightest reflection on those well-qualified tutors who preside over several of our seminaries, yet it is an undeniable fact, that, in too many of them, a very superficial regard is poid to the rudimental parts of classic instruction. The boys to Murried

through a number of books, that they may quickly arrive at those of high repute, and surprize their friends by an appearance of rapid proficiency, while they remain lamentably ignorant of the construction of those languages in which they are professediy taught This is a serious evil; but it is sometimes associated with a worse,-I mean, the neglect of evangelic and scriptural tuition.. Even in some establishments, where the forms of religion are observed, the peculiar sentiments of the gospel are not habitually pressed on the minds of the pupils, nor is there any spiritual Vigou in the noblest office of the educational economy. An at

ten p on a broad scale, to lay the axe to the root of these importions, is surely desirable, and, under the blessing of God, Promises extensive advantage to the rising youth.

One of the apostolic maxims is, "Knowledge puffeth up." It does so, when unsanctified, and likewise, when it is light and desultory. We often complain, and with justice too, that our young men become pedantic and sceptical: but if these sciolista were possessed of sound intelligence, both of a literary and moral kind, it would tend to correct their vanity and their errors. It is a paltry skill, which, aided by the corruption of the heart, enables them to discover frivolous objections to inspired truth, and which is sanctioned only by feeble wits like themselves. I conceive, however, it is in a great measure owing to the defective mode of education, to which I allude, that we have so large a class of those empty and profane babblers, for whom I can find no epithet too insignificant or contemptible.

The grand superiority then of this proposed school, is to consist in the scrupulous regard which is to be paid to religious principle. It is the earnest wish of those who are solicitous for its establishment, to find masters, who will not content themselves with imprinting upon the juvenile mind mere injunctions of dry morality, or cold dogmas of speculation,-but men, whose sentiments are purely evangelical, whose hearts have felt the power of vital godliness, and whose lives will be a constant source of instruction, enforcing their salutary lessons on the scholars whom they superintend. Longum iter est per præcepta, breve et efficax per exempla. An institution which unites the two great objects of solid learning and true piety, cannot require many arguments to be urged in favour of its support; and as we are encouraged to expect, that "what a man sows, he shall also reap," I cannot but cherish a lively hope, that it will be instrumental in multiplying those characters, which shall prove like inestimable wheat amidst the chaff of the trifling, worldlyminded, and erroneous.

I was going to add a few of my own reflections on the chief end of a liberal and scriptural mode of education;-but it occurs to my memory, that there is an excellent paragraph on the subject in Rollin's Belles Lettres, and which I shall transcribe :If we consult our reason ever so little, it is easy to discern,

that the end which masters should have in view, is not barely to teach their scholars Greek and Latin,-to make exercises and verses, to charge their memory with facts and historical dates,to draw up syllogisms in form,-or to trace lines and figures upon paper. These branches of learning are useful and valuable as means, but not as the end, when they conduct us to other things, and not when we stop at them,-when they serve us as preparatives and instruments for better knowledge. The end of masters is, to habituate their scholars to serious application of mind, to make them love and value the sciences, and to cultivate in them such a taste as shall make them thirst after them when they are gone from school; to point out the method of attaining them; to impress a sense of their use and value; and, by these means, to dispose them to the different employments to which it shall please God to call them. Besides this, to improve their hearts and understandings,-to protect their innocence,—to inspire them with principles of honour and probity,-to train them up to good habits,-to correct and subdue in them, by gentle means, the evil inclinations they may be observed to have,such as pride, insolence, an high opinion of themselves, and a saucy vanity continually employed in lessening others; a blind self-love, solely attentive to its own advantage; a spirit of raillery, which is pleased with offending and insulting others; an impertinence and sloth, which render all the good qualities of the mind uscless." I am, Sir, yours, &c. ADJUTOR.

GOOD EFFECTS OF DISTRIBUTING BIBLES

Mr. Editor,

AND RELIGIOUS TRACTS.

I SUPPOSE most of your readers have learned that, in the mandate which the Emperor of the French transmitted to the Archbishop of Paris, to return thanks to God for the capture of Dantzic, he declared himself the Protector of the Roman Catholic Religion; and has craftily availed himself of some late political differences among our clves, to declare to Roman Catholics in general, that he considers the British government "as persecuting their religion." Now, as Bonaparte's sentiments become of increasing importance to us by his successes, my object, Mr. Editor, is, in few words, 'to' excite the attention of Protestants, of every denomination, to sow the seed of God's word, by the prompt and liberal distribution of Bibles and Religious Tracts, while it is called To-day, lest the night come upon them, when no man can work." I am one of those who apprehend the Protestants, as such, may yet be exposed to public persecution; and, therefore, now may be the time to diffuse widely those books which may excite and keep alive in mens' hearts a love to the peculiarities of the Protestant Religion.

Independently of the above remarke, I think, that as Tracts may now be distributed in vast numbers, at a very little expence, every Christian who expects the protection and blessing of God, ought to take with him as many shilling's worth, at least, of cheap Tracts to throw on the road, and leave at inns, as he takes out pounds to expend on himself and family. This is really but a trifling sacrifice. It is a highly reasonable one; and one which God will accept. This will be doing good to those "of whom you expect nothing again;" and those who do so, have a promise of our Saviour, that "they shall be recompenced at the resurrection of the just."

REMARKS ON AN ANSWER TO A QUERY. Dear Sir,

YOUR correspondent J. K. in your July Magazine (p.312) at tempts an answer to a query, inserted in a former Number, respecting the words "He shall be called a Nazarene*;" in the latter part of which, he introduces a subject which appears to me to have no relation to the matter in hand, except in sound. : The word Netzar comes from the root he preserved, and is rendered the brunch in the Scriptures referred to, perhaps, on account of the tenderness of the young shoot, which becomes an object of peculiar care. This seems to furnish the name of Netzar; or, according to Syriac termination, Natzeret, the supposed place of our Saviour's birth, and the real seat of his edu cation, which probably had many plantations in or about it; so that Natzeret may be the place of branches, and our Saviour is thus called a Nazarene, as an inhabitant of such a place. See this subject largely and learnedly handled by Bishop Chandler, in his Defence of Christianity, from page 220-236, where the original querist may find ample satisfaction.

But the Nazarite is, in the original, Nazir; the Tsadi is used in the first word; in this the Zain, which signifies "one separated," as we know Sampson and others were; and, because kings are crowned, and thus set apart from and above the people, the word is used for this sign of royal distinction. Now, though both the Branch and the Nazarite refer to Jesus Christ, who is indeed the Branch of Renown, and the person who, like the Nazarite, is separated from his brethren, and crowned Lord of all, yet it seems to be the first and not the latter type which the Evangelist regards in the place before us.

I am, dear Sir, respectfully yours,

Bartholomew Close.

T. S.

* Matt, ii. 23,

Mr. Editor,

ANSWERS TO QUERIES.

[See our Mag. for July, p. 313.]

THE following observations are submitted to your consideration, in answer to the "Young Enquirer," in your last, on that part of the Lord's prayer, "Lead us not into temptation."

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It is, doubtless, the easiest, as well as the safest and most judicious way, when any difficult passage occurs, to search out its agreement with the general tenor of the sacred word.This mode of investigation may enable us to obviate this seeming difficulty. The word temptation," sometimes means any trial*. It is asserted that God tempted Abraham ; that is, he put his faith and sincerity to the test: it is explained in Heb. xi. 17. The more Abraham's affections were fixed upon his son Isaac, the more evidently would his sincerity towards God appear, in his readiness to offer him as a sacrifice. God still, by various means, proves the strength of faith and reality of love, in the souls of his people ‡.

At other times, this word is to be taken in a bad sense,-as when it refers to the devices of Satan. By his temptations he de signs to deceive, seduce, and destroy. Thus he tempted our first parents to take of the forbidden fruit. His first effort was to persuade them that they had misunderstood the divine sen tence, or that God did not mean to execute his threatening; and that, so far from sustaining any evil by a participation, it would be the mean of increasing their wisdom.

This is the process he still carries on with his temptations,―to misguide the judgment,-seduce from the path of duty,-and thus ruin immortal souls: and, through the depravity of the human heart, he is, alas! too successful.

It is impossible, however, that God should tempt men in this sense, for three reasons:

1. Because, By making Him the author of temptations, we make him the author of sin; and this would destroy the attri bute of his holiness.

2. It would argue against his mercy, and would go to prove that he both delights in the death of sinners, and uses means to promote it.

3. It would plainly contradict Scripture, which gives us this caution: Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted of evil;-neither tempteth be any man §."

The passage under consideration is thus paraphrased by the excellent Dr. Guyse: We humbly intreat that thou wilt keep us out of the way of such trials as might prove too hard for us; or if at any time temptation lies before us, grant us help

* Rev.ji. 10. + Gen. xxii, 1.

‡ Psalm xi. 5.

§ James i. 13

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