worldly spirit-and the first appear ances of evil, for "Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth." Remember who hath said, "God. resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble." Those that walk in pride he is able to obase. Jos BROOKSBANK. T. WOOD. A. AUSTIN. T. VASEY. JUVENILE DEPARTMENT. THE WISDOM OF GOD. (Continued from page 356.) 66 Let us now attend for a moment to the structure of the hu man body. Well may we exclaim, upon a survey of our "mortal frame," we are fearfully and wonderfully made." It would require greater skill in anatomy, than I can suppose most of my Juvenile readers to be possessed of, to enable them to understand some of those wonderful and exquisite contrivances which abound in these bodies of ours. I shall, therefore, only hint at one or two which may serve as speciEvery one has felt his mens. heart beat; but all are not aware what a work is constantly going on there. The heart is the great engine which makes the blood circulate through the body. We cannot here explain the process, but suffice it to say, that each ventricle of the heart will, at least, contain one ounce of blood. The heart contracts 4000 times in an hour, from which it follows that there pass through the heart every hour 4000 ounces, or 350 pounds of blood," and is it not well fitted to call forth our gratitude, that all this is carried on without any care or attention of ours."We should have enough to do if we had to keep our hearts beating and our stomachs at work." Did these things depend upon our efforts, they would leave us leisure for nothing else. We must have been continually upon the watch, and continually in fear. "Durst we make a single movement, or stir a step from the place we were in, if we saw our ing, the humours filtrating, and blood circulating, the lungs blowall the incomprehensible assemblage of fibres, tubes, currents, &c. which sustain an existence at once so frail and so presumptuQus." In speaking of the form, and size, and members of the human body, we would find ample scope, but rather than be tedious, we shali say little or nothing on these heads, and after a few words upon the senses, we shall pass on to the last and highest display of "the manifold wisdom of God." The senses are productive of a thousand pleasures, and how wisely are they regulated, and how well adjusted are the organs for performing their several functions! Could any of them be Could any new one be added? spared without inconvenience ? Could any of them be improved, or could alteration upon any any of them be an improvement? Were the sense of hearing, for instance, greatly increased, our ears would be incessantly stun ned with a multitude of confused sounds, and we could never speak nor move without being overheard, and suppose this sense were more imperfect than it is, we may easily conceive the unhappy consequences. The sense of sight deserves particular notice. The eye is a very singular piece of mechanism; its internal parts are still more wonderful than its outward, but to the latter we shall confine our attention at present. This delicate organ needs protection, and it is accordingly provided with a lid, which not only defends it, but also wipes it, and closes it in sleep. The eye requires to be kept moist and clean, and a fluid is supplied for the purpose. It requires to turn easily in different directions, and what could be better contrived to accomplish this, than its form and position. Its form is globular, and it is em bedded in a socket formed of a substance, of all others, the best adapted for its free and easy motion. How well suited too is the eye to the light, and again the light to the eye-without the hight, the eye would have been of no use. Indeed, we might trace a similar correspondence and relation between animate and inanimate nature. Thus hearing depends upon the well known properties of the air, as a medium for the conveyance of sound; but this property would have availed us nothing if we were not furnished with the proper organ, nor would the organ have been of any use if the air had been non-dlastic. The wing also as an instrument of motion, is evidently made for the air, as the fin is for the water, and the foot for the ground. senses, excepting the sense of touch, which is diffused over every part of the body; and we may remark in passing, that this exception is a striking proof of wisdom; for had we possessed the sense of touch in one part of the body only, the rest would have been insensible to a wound, and incapable of giving those warnings of danger which often enable us to escape from it. The head being the most elevated station, is evidently the best for the organs of sense, and the different parts of it also are assigned to each with the most perfect wisdom. The eye looks in the direction in which the body moves and the hands work. The senses of taste and of smell, like those of hearing and seeing are likewise sources of enjoyment, and are essential to the safety as well as the happiness of our lives. But how seldom do we reflect upon the wis dom which has provided us with limbs and senses, and appetites: which are just so many springs of enjoyment, and how ungrateful: for the goodness which continues to us the use of them. ،، These (it has been well said) constitutes what most properly ought to be accounted blessings of providence, nightly rest and daily breadthe ordinary use of our limbs, and senses, and understandings, are gifts which admit of no compari son with any other." Butas we have already remarked,it is his intellectual nature which distinguishes man from the inferior orders of creatures. He possesses an immortal soul. The constitution of his mind is well deserving of consideration. Here also, we should see unfolded much of the wisdom of "the The head is the seat of all the Father of our Spirits." The up VOL. II.-No. 10. 3 F derstanding, the memory, the will, the affections, have been favourite subjects of study with philosophers. It is not our design however to speculate upon them; but we shall state what the Scriptures say concerning their actual condition. And, alas, this statement will undeniably prove that they are all corrupted and depraved! The fall laid the noble structure in ruins. The understandings of men are "darkened," being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them. Their memories are tenacious only of evil. They do not like to retain God in their knowledge." Their affections are misplaced. "They are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God." The passions are not under the government of right reason. The reason itself is weak, erring and depraved. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." The bodily r members are the instruments of sin. In one word, "the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint." O sin, what hast thou done! And this noble, this interesting being is destined for immortality! When the fair creation we have been admiring, shall be no more, man shall exist; but since he is thus degraded by sin, and exposed to the anger of God under the curse of his broken law, and doomed to suffer its awful penalty,--can the stroke be averted? And how can it be done? These are questions which must have remained for ever unanswered, had not God himself been pleased to solve them. To understand how God could be just, and yet justify the ungodly; how his law could be honoured, and the sinner escape, would have for ever baffled all human wisdom. But blessed be his name, he has unfolded the mystery. His word clearly reveals the glorious plan: "hesent forth his son, who was born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem them that were under the law." The Son of God stept forward as the sinner's substitute and surety. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities he has fully cancelled the debt, and removed every ground of accusation. And now the language of the gospel of reconciliation to every sinner is, "Believe and be saved." REVIEW. Historical Sketches of the rise of the Scots Old Independent, and the Inghamite Churches; with the correspondence which led to their Union; and a a Supplementary Letter by Mr. JAMES MACGAVIN, stating his ideas on breaking bread without elders: Colne, 1814, 48 p. p. THE History of religious societies when written with intelligence and impartiality is fitted to be exceedingly useful. It will exhibit the progress of truth or of error; and ought to mark the causes of improvement or declension. Half a century will bring the nature and tendency of a system to the test; and its condition at the close of that period will either encourage the hopes, or excite the fears of friends respecting its future prospects. Feeling, as it is natural for us, an interest in the history of what is called Independency, we took up the pamphlet now on our table in the hope of finding some instruction from an account of a body, which evidently considers itself as having made no small progress in the knowledge and obedience of the gospel. Holding in common some important principles, we were anxious to investigate the things wherein we differ, and to examine the effects of these dif ferences on the general prosperity of the cause of Christ. The result of our examination we shall now state as briefly as possible; and if our brethren called the Old Independents, be offended at our free and friendly strictures, we hope they will remem ber that "better are the wounds of a friend than the kisses of an enemy." We do not consider them as our adversaries, we do not even view them as rivals; we are disposed to treat them as brethren, and though they consider ús as their juniors, let them not despise our advice because we are young, or because we may have learned some things from them. If youth be bold and forward, and inexperienced, we hope they will recollect that old age is frequently peevish, illnatured, and imbecile. The body denominated Old, Scots Independents, originated according to these accounts about 1768, in James Smith, of Newburn, and Robert Ferrier, of Largo, Ministers of the Church of Scotland, resigning their offices and emoluments in the Establishment on account of conscientious scruples about its constitution. A church on congregational principles was shortly afterwards formed at Balchristie, in Fifeshire, of which they were appointed pastors. Nearly about the same time, the late well known and highly respected David Dale, with a few others, influenced by the same principles, formed a church in Glasgow, of which he was appointed one of the pastors On these accounts this denomination are sometimes called Balchristie people, and Dalites. We were struck at observing the opposition they met with at the beginning. "Mr. Dale was for a while openly insulted in the streets and looked upon as a person that ought not to be suffered to live. The meeting-house was also violently assaulted with stones: but by patient enduring they overcame, and in well doing put to silence the ignorance of foolish men." From the churches at Balchristie and Glasgow, all the others in Scotland, amounting to about a dozen, originated. The Inghamite churches in the counties of York and Lancaster, began to exist some years sooner. Their founder was Benjamin Ingham, the friend and co-adjutor for a time of Mess. Wesley, Whitfield, and the first Methodists. He and Mr. Batty were the instruments of forming a number of small churches between 1750, and 1760 whose sentiments and practices very much resembled the Scots Independents. ' here never were more of these than thirteen orfourteen, and none of them appear to have been large societies. These twobodies having accidently heard of each others existence about two years ago, it led to correspondence, and this correspondence to a union; which produced the publication of the narrative and letters now before us. The Christian public were most agreeably surprised and delighted some time ago, by a discovery which was made by Dr. Buchanan of a great number of churches in the East. The good people whose union has now taken place, appear to have been no less astonished at having discovered each others existence after a residence of fifty years in the same country, and within two hundred miles of che another! We can easily account for our ignorance of the churches in Travancore. The interposition of ten thousand miles of sea, dependently of other things which we could men tion, is a sufficient apology for our not having heard of their faith or order, and for never having paid them a visit. But no such reasons can be alleged in the other case; and we confess that we are utterly unable to comceive how two sets of Christian Societies actuated by the ardent benevolence of the gospel, and walking" in the beauty of primitive Christianity," should have remained for so long a time, and so near each other, without some mutual knowledge. Verily, there must be a fault in this. The obscurity of these churches must either be a part of their plan, or a necessary effect of it. In the days of the apostles, on the contrary, although the kingdom of Christ made no parade, the churches were "known and read of all men;"" they were cities set on hills which could not be hid;"" their faith was spoken of throughout the whole world." A christian church concealed from the great body of the inhabitants of the city in which it was placed, and doing nothing for the enlightening and conversion of their countrymen, was a thing utterly unknown to the apostles of Christ. We submit to the consideration of these Societies whether, had they been acting with that zeal and publicity which must attend Christianity, andwhich it requires, they could have remained so long unknown to each other? Let us not be considered the advocates of ostentatious display. We detest it. ut is it the glory of a christian church to be concealed? Dees Christianity require us to shrink from public notice? Is it a recommendation, that not one in a thousand of the inhabitants of Edinburgh ever heard of such a body, or of the place of |
