that He has founded it for spiritual, not secular, objects; that its influences and operations relate to eternity rather than to time; that His great design, in reference to which the whole fabric of the church is constructed, is, to make men holy here, that they may be holy and happy for ever. Essential principles and laws He has given, and by Himself is a living ministry kept up, that His purposes may be promoted, His will may be done. But with flippancy do we hear it said, "All this is inconsistent with the liberal spirit of the times." The church must agree with the age,-in plain English, must be conformed to this world." The worldly man cannot do otherwise than believe the discipline of a church which faithfully aims at Christian objects to be restrictive of human liberty. Unwary Christians are too often deceived by this. It is said to them, "Reform your church according to the spirit of the age. Be as liberal as the times in it." And they learn to echo what is said, not perceiving that all this is right only on one principle;—namely, that the actual construction and government of the church by Christ, His spiritual but real presence in it, His ceaseless rule by His Spirit and providence, His connexion with its ministry, when that ministry is truly faithful,-that all this is ancient prejudice, a mere myth, unsubstantial, affording fine subjects for eloquence, but no principles for action; that is, the falsehood of Christianity in its pretensions to divinity either in origin or perpetuation. Yet that which thus implies. and involves infidelity, when covered up in plausible and favourite forms of expression, is received and zealously maintained. The expressions may be true in relation to secular society, and circumstances may make them popular. Accustomed to apply them to one class of subjects, the unreasoning professor applies them to a very different class, and never suspects that he has admitted a substance containing the latent venom of infidelity. At present, because latent, it may be partially inoperative, though, perhaps, it never can be entirely so; but who can tell what new temptations, what new combinations, may develop what is latent, in all its power and malignity?

Among the modern inventions of medical practice, there is one designed to lessen the difficulty of swallowing drugs of unpleasant taste, when, from the strength of the medicine, a few drops only are required. These are skilfully inclosed in a small globule of partially-dried mucilage. This may be taken as only a largish kind of pill. The indurated mucilage dissolves in the stomach, and sets free the drug. And thus might poison be conveyed to him who only regarded the outward appearance of what was presented. Thus came Troy to ruin. The Trojans accepted the wooden horse as both a pledge of friendship and a curiosity. The armed men within were the destruction of the city. Never were Christians more required to be on their guard. Infidels are always consistent with themselves. They adopt no plans which do not embody their own principles; and most are they to be feared when they bear gifts with them. The horse is always hollow, and filled with enemies prepared for the work of destruction. The Christian who mixes much with the world ought never to lose sight of that Divine monition, in all the breadth and depth of its momentous significance: "Do not err, my beloved brethren." Take care that you do not cast away sacred and saving truths in seeming to abandon antiquated prejudices. Take care that, in seeking a secular improvement, you do not suffer a spiritual loss which no secular advantage, however real, could compensate.

(3.) And especially should this collateral proof of the hollowness and venom of infidelity be recollected, that it renders men incapable of designs truly noble and generous. This subject is as susceptible of beautiful and

brilliant illustration, as it is of most rigorous demonstration. Mr. Prescott, an American citizen, not at all biassed towards what some might think to be illiberality, as an honest observer, taking an extent of view quite wide enough for the purpose, adds his testimony to the fact. The principles are sufficiently obvious. The infidel only knows himself and creatures like himself, and sees no other happiness than that which results from human cravings met by a merely human supply. Who knows not what the result must be? Mere earthliness, which, if it should even begin with porcelain clay, ends in sheer mud. Whereas the Christian believer, however weakened as to the exercise of his faculties by unfavourableness of circumstances, has those elements of greatness within him which, at their lowest point of influence, raise the mind far above infidelity. He who loves God in Christ, according to the operation of the plan of redeeming truth and grace, has the ideas present with him of God,-Creator, Preserver, Ruler, Redeemer, Saviour, and Benefactor, Judge, supreme and everlasting Good:he who knows and feels on these subjects, ceases to be narrow-minded, and moves more steps than many suppose, because of his obscuring and encumbering circumstances, in the direction of true and lasting greatness. The Gospel is not only a religion of benevolence and truth, but of beauty and nobility also.

But we advert to the subject for the sake of an illustration which it may receive, splendid on the side of the Gospel; gloomy, revolting,―ay, and disappointing, too,-on the side of infidelity. One of the most eminent members of the provisional government established in France after the flight of Louis Philippe,-a man eminent in varied literary talent, but unhappily sharing the too general unbelief of his age and country,—has published a sort of wildly-romantic vision of Europe, a century hence,Europe in 1945. We pass over all the rest of its contents,-only making a reference, in passing, to indubitable marks of rooted dislike of England, connected with a total misapprehension of everything English, (it is with him "perfidious Albion;" England, selfish, avaricious, hypocritical, incapable of generous philanthropy, subjected to a grinding tyranny, and doomed to decay through the superior prowess and prosperity of France and America,) and fix on one most remarkable statement. The vision represents the world as filled with French glory, and prospering under the safeguard of French power. But, in 1845, there were, in different parts of the earth, great numbers of savages, inhabiting large tracts of land, capable of rich cultivation, and of supporting vast multitudes of skilful and industrious labourers, the overflowings of the teeming population of Frenchified Europe. This is the cold-blooded doom pronounced on these unhappy wanderers, special reference being made to the islands of the South Sea. Savages are irreclaimable! No efforts can raise them to the elevation of man! This is the writer's explicit declaration. But, he adds, they have no right, by their wandering habits, to occupy, thinly, only by hundreds, land that might comfortably provide for thousands upon thousands, all of them men par eminence. Their indolence and improvidence, their self-contented savageism, may not limit the advancing tide of emigrant civilisation. That must roll on. In the course of the visionary century it has rolled on. The savages have disappeared. What has become of them? We are not told, only we see no more of them. Whole races have become extinct. How extinguished we know not. But they are gone. And this is the confessed powerlessness of the philosophy of infidelity,—this, too, is its boasted philanthropy! Thus coolly does it talk of

the extinction of races, as the small sacrifice by which its own selfglorifying plans are promoted! The visionary had lived too much in his own world, where imagination is far more powerful than fact, to know that what he said could not be done, has been done. Passing historical records as to the power of the Gospel among savages in ancient days, we look at our own time, at what has taken place since they who are beginning to touch the decline of life, began its labours in the vigour of health and youth. In the last thirty years the experiment has been tried,-tried in Africa among Kaffirs and Hottentots,-tried in New-Zealand, then cannibal, now no longer so, tried in Tonga, Feejee, and other islands of the South Sea, -tried in Canada among the Indians of America. All has not been done that benevolence desires; but enough has been done to demonstrate, with the force of mathematical certainty, that the Gospel of Christ, preached with simplicity and faithfulness, still deserves that wonderful character,— "It is THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION." It is power; it is the power of God. And whatever saves man, instantly begins to elevate him. In Christian salvation, as possessed by a living soul, are involved all the elements of a genuine civilisation. Missionaries are the pioneers of civilisation, because they are the true civilisers. Other civilisation is spurious; it is superficial and hollow. This—this alone, and this certainly-conducts in that path which shall lead man and society to the highest state, intellectually, morally, and socially, attainable in this present world. No one can contemplate the representations of this state, in the sure word of prophecy, understanding what he beholds, without exclaiming, in the rapture of his soul,

"O scenes surpassing fable! AND YET TRUE!"

Yes; through Missionary operations, the very "isles" of the distant ocean "shall wait for His law."

The success of the Gospel in its most difficult undertakings, is a remarkable fact in these days of deceit and temptation. Lest His people should be drawn from their steadfastness by infidel appeals to their desire for social improvement, God has condescended to show them what His Gospel can effect, that thus they may look for no other instrumentality than that which He has given, and which He continues to bless. He permits other schemes to be tried. Where they are successful, apples of Sodom are gathered, fair without, ashes and bitterness within. And as for savage man, infidelity, unable to raise him, confesses it, and dooms him to extinction. God beholds these "outcasts, ready to perish," and sends them His Gospel. A single generation suffices to place the fact beyond dispute. The Gospel saves even the lowest, and raises and civilises them by saving them. Let professors of religion remember the solemn admonition, "Be not deceived. Evil communications corrupt good manners."

LITERATURE OF THE SLAVIC NATIONS.*

In regard to [Russian] periodical literature, the number of political journals is of course very small. That which most highly extols the merits and exploits of the Russians is always considered as the best, and is most patronised by the government and the nation. In Russia, the

*From the "Historical View of the Languages and Literature of the Slavic Nations. By Talvi. New York."

praise of one's country and love for it are regarded as synonymous ideas. The literary journals, most of which are of a miscellaneous character, are more in number, and are generally conducted with some critical talent. Those of a purely scientific character are rarely sustained longer than a few years; for instance, the very valuable Bibliographical Journal, edited by P. Köppen in 1825-26. The ephemeral race of Annuals, those vehicles of superficial taste and knowledge, early took broad possession of the Russian Parnassus. In the year 1839, eight hundred and eighty different works were published in Russia; of which seventy-three only were translations. The number of journals and periodicals, which in general are quite thick pamphlets, amounted only to fifty-three. In 1842 these latter had increased to one hundred and thirty-nine; nearly three times as many as in the former year. Of these 98 were in the Russian language, 22 in German, 8 in French, 1 in Italian, 3 in Polish, and 3 in Lettonian.

According to official reports, more than seven millions of volumes of Russian books were printed in the ten years from 1833 to 1843; and four and a half millions of foreign books were imported. During the same ten years 784 new schools were established. In 1842, there were in the Russian empire 2,166 schools of all kinds; among them, six universities.

In a recent work on Russian literature, by F. Otto, the Lexicon of authors subjoined comprises about 250 names; and the English translator speaks of having seen a list of nearly 1,200 more in the author's hands. We are compelled to regard this last statement with some distrust; especially when we perceive that, among the names printed in the Lexicon, at least thirty are Germans and Poles who wrote on Russian matters, but not in Russian. It is also singular to find among Russian authors, not only the Grand-Duke Constantine of Kief, because he was a patron of science, and first caused the Old Slavonic Bible to be printed; but also even the old traditional bard Bojan, mentioned in the ancient epic of Igor.

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The idea of a union among the Illyrico-Servians, in respect to orthography and literature, was principally favoured by the Croatians, and indeed originated among them. Here Dr. Gaj and Count Janko Draskovich, who endeavoured to interest the Illyrian ladies in the subject by a patriotic address, had their residence.

There are few branches of science or art in which the Bohemians have not to boast of some eminent name. But the talent for which this nation is the most distinguished is that of music. A fondness for music, and a natural gift to execute it, are indeed common to all Slavic nations; but whilst their talent is mostly confined to a susceptible ear, and a skill in imitating, (for the Russians and Poles possess some celebrated musical performers, though very few distinguished composers,) the talent of the Bohemian is of a far higher order. He unites the spirit of harmony which characterises the Germans with the sweet gift of melody belonging to the Italians, and thus seems to be the true ideal of a complete musician. A great part of the most eminent names among German composers are Bohemians by birth; and there is hardly anything which strikes the American and English traveller in that beautiful region more, than the general prevalence of a gift so seldom met with in their own countries.

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It has ever been and is still a favourite opinion of some Slavic philologists, that several of the Slavic nations must have possessed the art of writing

long before their acquaintance with the Latin alphabet, or the invention of the Cyrillic system. But neither from those early times, nor from the four or five centuries after the introduction of Christianity, does there remain any monument whatever of the Polish language; nay, with the exception of a few fragments without value, the most ancient document of that language extant is not older than the sixteenth century. The teachers of Christianity in this country were for nearly five centuries foreigners, namely, Germans and Italians. Hence arose the unnatural neglect of the vernacular tongue, of which these were ignorant; the private influence of the German, still visible in the Polish language; and the unlimited dominion of the Latin. Slavic, Polish, and heathenish were to them synonymous words. Thus, while the light of Christianity everywhere carried the first dawn of life into the night of Slavic antiquity, the early history of Poland affords melancholy proof, how the passions and blindness of men operated to counterbalance that holy influence.

Of all the Slavic dialects, the Polish presents to the foreigner the most difficulties.........The Polish and Bohemian idioms, in the opinion of the best judges, are above all others capable of faithfully imitating the refinements of the classical languages; and the Polish prose is modelled after the Latin with a perfection which, in the golden age of Polish literature, was one of its characteristic features. It is, therefore, surprising that the Polish language in poetry, although in other respects highly cultivated, does not admit the introduction of the classical prosody. Polish poets have not measured, but, in imitation of the French, have counted, the syllables. With a few recent exceptions, all Polish poetry is in rhyme; and the French Alexandrine is the favourite form. The ancient popular poetry of the other Slavic nations is [however] all without rhyme.

Slavic popular poetry has yet no history. Not that a considerable portion of it is not very ancient. Many mysterious sounds, even from the grey ages of Paganism, reach us, like the chimes of distant bells, unconnected and half-lost in the air; while, of many other songs and legends, the colouring reminds us strongly of their Asiatic home. But the wonderful tales they convey have mostly been confined to tradition; especially there, where the fountain of poetry streamed, and streams still, in the richest profusion, namely, in Servia.

The Slavi, even when first mentioned in history, appear as a singing race. Procopius, relating the surprise of a Slavic camp by the Greeks, states that the former were not aware of the danger, having lulled themselves to sleep by singing. Karamzin, in his history of the Russian empire, narrates that the Greeks, being at war with the Avars, about A.D. 590, took prisoners three Slavi who were sent from the Baltic as ambassadors to the Khan of the Avars. These envoys carried, instead of weapons, a kind of guitar. They stated that, having no iron in their country, they did not know how to manage swords and spears; and described singing and playing on the guitar as one of the principal occupations of their peaceful life. "Where a Slavic woman is," says Schaffarik, “there is also song. House and yard, mountain and valley, meadow and forest, garden and vineyard, she fills them all with the sounds of her voice. Often, after a wearisome day spent in heat, hunger, and thirst, she animates, on her way home, the silence of the evening twilight with her melodious songs......... Among no other nation of Europe does natural poetry exist to such an extent, and in such purity, heartiness, and warmth of feeling, as among the Slavi."