earth" AND LOSE IT IN CONSEQUENCE OF NEGLECT. Man, in every clime, and of every colour, may augment its influence: "Even the wild Indian, whose untutor'd mind "Sees God in clouds, or hears him in the wind," is taught by this spirit to adore; and such, we are told in Scripture, "are a law unto themselves." The sense of moral duty depending upon education, as what one person may consider a crime, another may consider a virtue; but religion being in common to all, is as much considered a duty by the ignorant Indian as by the Christian and the philosopher, producing among each VIR

TUES IN PROPORTION TO THEIR KNOW

LEDGE; and felicity, and peace of mind, in proportion to their charitable feelings, and communion with Heaven.

Without religion it may be truly said that there can be no durable happiness in this ever-varying scene. Man looks around him for pleasure and gratification, and hopes eventually to obtain some joy that will be lasting. He embraces each shadow that

presents its alluring appearance, and as it eludes his grasp, he follows it the more eagerly; until at last, worn out with fatigue, despair destroys the flowerets of hope, and leaves the thorns of anguish to be blunted by the dagger. The coward, in such circumstances, may for a time drown his ennui in the bowl; but in the lingering stages of dissolution, with thirst unquenchable, with feelings of self-degradation," with nothing left to hope," with death to dread, his existence is the greatest hell a noble and virtuous mind could possibly imagine. -Religion shines most to advantage from the enlightened mind: from it the liberal beams of love and charity, like the great luminary of heaven, descend upon every sect, and every colour, diverging to the meanest species of humanity; but ignorance, the curse of man, eclipses its bright beams with fanaticism, selfishness, and pride, darkening by its gloom, NARROWING THE LIGHT OF HEAVEN, and contracting salvation to itself alone.

I

To be simply religious amidst surrounding prejudices, is rather difficult, and arises from a knowledge of God through His works, which include every thing written and unwritten, "every good thing being of God." To be superstitious, however, is more easy, and therefore is more general, depending only for its support on nervous timidity and capacity for credulity.

Our early imbibed principles of devotion and dependence on Deity can never be obliterated; opinions upon speculative points, ceremonies, and institutions, may change, but the other never; religion is necessary for our nature, and every day's observation proves its usefulness. It is, however, too often seen encumbered with doctrines which have more weight, and engage more attention than itself, and is lost sight of in disputation and declamation. The religious

lunatic shuts out the light of heaven from his understanding, and quarrels with his neighbours in the dark.

History abounds with the follies and

malevolence of religious lunatics.-Even in the present age, we find men who, on every subject but that of religion, use their reason, and follow its dictates, yet show their natural degree of weakness, by the degree of zeal with which they declaim on the infallible doctrines of their church, and the degree on the scale of mental prostration that is most pleasing to the Deity.-The Roman Catholic condemns the Protestant for believing that thirty-nine degrees is the saving point, and the Protestant condemns the Roman Catholic for believing it is a few degrees higher; whilst the simple worshiper of God, according to the precepts and example of Christ, is condemned by both, for continuing at zero. No wonder that our missionaries have such little success among the Hindoos, when mystery is to be substituted for mystery, and where common sense, and the use of reason, are considered by both parties as pernicious. and inadmissible.

If it is objected that we are not to use our reason upon Scripture, how are we to reconcile the following texts, and distinguish truth from the errors incident to human composition and communication?

Exodus xx. 5: "I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me."

Ezekiel xviii. 20: "The soul that sinneth it shall die.-The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father," &c.

Exodus xxix. 20: "Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about."-And, at the 18th verse of the same chapter, speaking of another ram, "And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon