light of the gospel, can take away not secure the soul, when it is called upon to surrender. The voice of death reaches one who lives in a palace, as easily and as certainly as the inhabitant of the hut. Beds of down, and curtains of silk, and the skill of doctors, and a house full of friends, cannot preserve the body from pain; cannot ward off the stroke of death. The rich must be carried out of their great houses, and the poor out of their hovels; but when they meet in the church-yard, then it is seen that the last home of the rich and poor is just alike—a little dark hole in the ground. "If then riches and grandeur are apt to rise up between us and heaven, may it not be a blessing to be poor, yea poor as I am? For our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. What man, who had a great estate left him in a far country, would mind journeying over rugged roads, through a wilderness, and being exposed to storms, and pains, when he had such great gain in view-would he mind sleeping at night on the bare ground, or lodging in a hovel? No, his thoughts would not rest on such circumstances; he would be thinking all the while of the great fortune he was to get, and in planning how he would spend it, and in thinking of the joys to come. It's ten to one, if he would notice what kind of a road he was travelling. Now if our treasure is in heaven,' we shall be looking to that, 'for where the treasure is, there will the heart be also? "Truly, Sally," said I," that must be indeed a comfort to you; for sick, and poor, and needy as you are here, the hopes of another and better world must rejoice you." "Yes, indeed, and indeed, that is all my comfort. Oh, if it was not for that hope, I never could endure the long days and the dark nights, and the months and the years, of trouble and sickness I have had. If it was not for that blessed hope, how impatient and restless should I he on this bed of pain; how weary should I be of this silence and loneliness; how troubled should I be with fears concerning my present supply of food and clothes. But now, thanks be to the blessed Jesus, who has 'brought life and immortality to light in the gospel,' I have no such feelings. For has he not said unto me, Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me; in my Father's house are many mansions-I go to prepare a place for you-and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye shall be also-I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to youYet a little while and the world seeth me no more, but ye see me, because I live, ye shall live also.' Oh ma'am, that is the blessed promise, that cheers and supports the sinking soul.-Because I live ye shall live also-I go to prepare a place for you-I will come again and receive you to myself.-Glorious promise! blessed hope!-Of what con- "And you may know that all this sequence is it that the mansions we is so, by yourself, my dear young now inhabit, be hovels of mud, and lady, if so be you are like my young bodies of pain and suffering? They mistresses. Dear me, when they had will soon crumble into dust. These an invitation to a great ball, they clay tabernacles will soon fall down, would think of nothing else for a and release the imprisoned soul.-week together; and be all the time Houses full of silver and gold, could busy, night and day, as one might say, getting ready. I remember sent by a kind physician, to cure my "While my good old master lived, I never knew what hardship and unkindness was. I nursed his dear children while infants, and attended on them when grown up. They loved me as a mother, and I loved them better, if possible than my own children. They sent me food from their own table, and clothes off their own backs; and I sat in their room, and worked for them, and dressed them, and thought only of them. But when dear old master was taken, there was a sad breaking up. The house, carriages, horses, slaves, all were sold. I too, was set up for sale, but being such a poor sickly body, nobody would buy me; and they sent me here into Virginia, on this estate, to live with the people that belonged to this plantation. Oh, oh, oh, ma'am, you cry now, but what would you have done then, if you had seen father and mother, husband and wife, parents and children torn from each other, and sent one this way, and one that, without a chance of ever meeting again. My heart has often ached, ma'am, but that was the sorest wound it ever had. My sweet young ladies too, took on sadly, but the gentleman Miss Fanny was married to, lived in Pennsylvania, where, he said, they could not have any slaves, and my darling little Miss Susan had to go with her sister, and so all master's people had to be sold. And this here place and the hands on it was rented out; and it was part of the bargain, that as long as I lived, I should have this log cabin, on the road-side, and a peck of meal a week. But, lack-aday-they had not been long gone, before I was forgotten, and might have starved, if the people at the Quarters* hadn't a helped me. But it wouldn't a mattered much to me then, for I wanted to die; and I was like one that had lost his senses: *The habitations of the slaves, on a and what with want of victuals, and clothes, and wandering about o' nights, sitting whole days in the woods on the damp ground, I took the rheumatise, which soon put me to bed, and has kept me a prisoner, like, ever since." "This is a sad, sad story, Sally," said I, "and yet you say that all these things can be considered blessings."-"Yes, my dear young lady, they turned out to be so. If you was to see a piece of gold-as I once heard a man say—when first taken out of the mine, you would scarce tell it from a piece of dirty iron or clay. But when it has passed through the fiery furnace, and is purified from all its dross, and rubbed bright, what on earth so precious, or so beautiful. So I think it is with every human heart. In its natural state, it is a vile thing to look upon, but when it has passed through the fiery furnace of affliction, the hard rubbing of pain and poverty, and when these are sanctified, and the vile heart is refined by God's grace, oh, ma'am, it is then an offering pleasing to God himself.-You know the scripture tells us of 'faith that is more precious than gold that is tried in the fire.' "More than a year was I kept down, night and day, on this bed of pain and sickness, without any company or any comfort. Wicked wretch that I was, I have often cursed the day that I was born, and the God that made me; and more than once have been tempted to dash my brains out against the wall. But then I remembered my little darling Miss Susan had promised, as soon as she was of age, that she would come back to see me, and take me home to live with herself. And for the sake of that sweet child, I resolved to bear my misery, for five long years. I have told you before about this angel of a child, but let me talk more about her-it is a subject of which I am never tired." "Yes, can tell me about that Miss Susan, that you love so much: and indeed I came on purpose, to hear your account of her. But I have already staid as long as I well can, at this time: and beside, to tell the truth, I have heard as much as I know how to bear. But I will, if possible, certainly come to-morrow afternoon, and you shall begin and tell me the whole story, at once. Do you need any thing, Sally, to make you comfortable to-night ?" "No, maʼam— the people, just before you came, brought me something to eat, and left some besides, and made up my bed a little. No-I want nothing to make me comfortable, but the light of God's countenance,' for you know that is better than life'-I hope may continue to have that; and I pray that you may have it too-good bye, ma'am."-I retired in silence, my heart was too full for utterance. EUSEBIA. (To be continued.) CHURCH FELLOWSHIP. People of the living God! I have sought the world around, Paths of sin and sorrow trod, Peace and comfort nowhere found; Now to you my spirit turns, Turns, a fugitive unblest; Brethren! where your altar burns, O receive me to your rest. Lonely I no longer roam Like the cloud, the wind, the wave; Where you dwell shall be my home, Where you die shall be my grave. Mine the God whom you adore, Your Redeemer shall be mine; Earth can fill my soul no more, Every idol I resign. Tell me not of gain and loss, Ease, enjoyment, pomp, and power; Welcome poverty, and cross, Shame, reproach, affliction's hour! "Follow me!"-I know thy voice, Jesus, Lord! thy steps I see; Now I take thy yoke by choice, Light thy burthen now to me. Sally, I want to hear all that you Sheffield, April, 1820. J. MONTGOMERY. LAST LINES OF COWPER. The following are said to be the last lines that Cowper wrote: To Jesus, the crown of my hope, Whose name is exalted above All glory, dominion, and power; Dissolve thou the bands that detain My soul from her portion in Thee, Oh! strike off the adarnant chain, And make me eternally free. Then that happy era begins, When array'd in thy glory I shine, And no longer pierce with my sins The bosom on which I recline. FOR THE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE. 66 Heviews. A REVIEW OF THREE PAMPHLETS, ENTITLED, AN ABSTRACT OF UNITARIAN BELIEF;"" REV. JOHN EMORY'S REPLY," AND REMARKS ON THE REPLY." At the session of the legislature of the state of Maryland, in the winter of 1821, a memorial, for originating a lottery, was presented; the profits of which were to be appropriated to the benefit of the Unitarian Church in the city of Baltimore. 66 This memorial was accompanied by a tract, purporting to be "An Abstract of Unitarian Belief," contain ing, it is supposed, the principal doctrines, embraced by that congregation. To this tract, supposed to have been written by Mr. Sparks, pastor of that congregation, a short Reply" was made, by the Rev. John Emory, of the Methodist connexion, then chaplain to the House of Representatives, of Congress. This Reply was followed by another pamphlet, on the part of the Unitarians, entitled "Remarks on the Rev. John Emory's Reply" An examination of these pamphlets, is what is here intended. Before I proceed, I cannot but express my disapprobation of lotteries, in any case, but especially when connected with any thing pertaining to religion. However much may be said, of the fairness of lotteries, and of the valuable ends that may be accomplished by their means, and how -- ever many examples of applications. for them, by congregations esteemed orthodox and pious, may be adduced, in their support; yet I suspect, if we examine the matter to the bottom, we shall find, that they possess an essential principle which properly denominates them a species of gambling-as much so as cards, billiards, or horse racing. Nothing of importance can be urged in the one case, more than in the others. Is it urged, that there is fairness in lotteries? Just as much may be said in favour of those other species of gambling. And if there be any inducements to foul play in the latter cases, so there may be in the former. The Unitarian congregation of Baltimore, therefore, or any others, which may attempt the vindication of lotteries upon the ground of their fairness, may, with perfect consistency, advocate horse racing, billiards and cards. As to the good end that may be accomplished by monies raised by lottery, nothing can be said, which may not be argued in vindication of any other lucrative practice, however wicked in itself The gains may be chiefly or wholly devoted to charitable purposes. It is never right to accomplish "noble ends" by unworthy or unlawful means. The application of the avails of robbery or prostitution, can never reconcile these acts with the justice and purity of God's law. And though it be true, that some congregations styled orthodox, (I hope, however, that the number is not great,) have employed the profits of lotteries for building churches, and other purposes usually denominated pious; yet until it be established, that all orthodox Christians are perfectly blameless, nothing in support of lotteries can hence be legitimately inferred-we must weigh them in another balance-the balance of the sanctuary-the word of God. I shall not here agitate the question, whether it be unlawful to cast the lot in any secular concern. On this subject I am aware that there is a difference of opinion among men of unquestionable piety. But among such men there is no question that all gambling is unlawful, and that all games of hazard are, from some cause or other, peculiarly infatuating, and therefore to be wholly avoided. It is moreover true, that not only men of piety, but discreet worldly men without piety, do generally consider lotteries as in a very high degree, injurious to the morals and habits of society at large. And is it not absurd and reproachful in the extreme, that churches should be built by means which foster and promote vice and immorality? The tract professing to exhibit an Abstract of Unitarian Belief presents us rather with what Unitarians do not, than with what they do believe. Unitarians all agree in denying the divinity of the Son of God; but excepting this, there is very little agreement among them. Some of them believe Christ to be the noblest creature in the universe-the head of creation. Others make him a mere man. Some of them believe in a kind of atonement made by Christ, but others deny an atonement in any sense. Some of them believe that, at death, the wicked will be annihilated; others that after a certain period of punishment, they will all become happy; and so in innumerable other particulars they totally disagree. We are not, therefore, to consider, that this Abstract contains the sentiments of all who style themselves Unitarians; VOL. I.-Ch. Adv. but the opinions of an individual only, or at most those of a particu lar congregation, or section of the Unitarian denomination. The writer of the Abstract introduces himself to us in the common attitude of Unitarian consistencyprefacing the articles of his creed by a solemn disavowal of all creeds! These are his own words, "As Unitarians consider the Bible the only proper summary of religion, they do not profess to comprise their sentiments in any system of articles, or forms of human invention. They consider the language of scripture sufficiently plain; they look with suspicion on the decisions of councils, synods, and church dignitaries, because, all men are subject to error and prejudice, and the history of eighteen centuries, has abundantly taught us, that few have been less free from these imperfections, than the rulers in the church. Whilst we have the written word of God in our hands, we think it our imperious duty to consult the divine oracles, and to build our faith entirely on the simple truths they contain. "For this reason, Unitarians have no written creeds, which they impose on their churches, as necessary articles of belief. Their creed is the Bible, nor can they conceive by what authority any denomination of Christians have assumed the right, to enforce on any among them, more than the Bible contains, or to require as a condition of Christian fellowship, a solemn assent to doctrines and opinions, expressed in language very different from any used in scripture. To us, this seems an impeachment against the wisdom and goodness of God. It implies that he has given us a revelation which is defective, and the leading doctrines of which we cannot understand, although they were expressly intended for our instruction, edification, rule of life, and means of happiness."-Abstract of Unitarian Belief. Page 1st. To this Mr. Emory thus replies,"Yet this same author brings forward some of the leading views of 2Z |