effort both for checking the progress of sin, and effecting a revival of religion, and that they will be stimulated to engage more earnestly in united prayer for the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit to give efficiency to their endeavours. Unless the power of God work mightily within, there will be no might in our actions. Our right arms will be paralized. Fruitless will be our attempts to turn lions into lambs, and rebels into friends of God, unless, while depending on his mercy through Christ for our own personal acceptance, we also depend on his Spirit for the fervour, faithfulness, and courage which are needful to do battle against these gigantic forms of vice. Our intention, when we began this paper was to speak more particularly on three aspects of truth which, as we humbly conceive, it would be well to exhibit more frequently and forcibly in the sanctuary; not indeed in a separate, isolated way, but in conjunction with other truths, which might then, under the blessing of God, find their way more readily to the heart.

1. The evil of sin is one of them. Sceptics are too apt to describe it as an unavoidable error into which man necessarily falls, while learning to do right; like the stumbling of a child, when it is learning to walk.-That there are inadvertencies which arise from ignorance and inexperience we have no doubt; but to speak of sin as a mere inadvertence or misfortune, when committed by one who has arrived at the age of responsibility, and has within his breast the moral sentiments of a sane mind, is as contrary to sound philosophy, as it is to scripture, and common sense. Sin is a voluntary act; the stumbling of a child is involuntary. Sin is the violation of a known rule of duty, as suggested by conscience; the stumbling of a child occurs without the knowledge of any directions as to its movements. The child stumbles when it is aiming to do its best; the sinner has no such aims. Inadvertencies and sins are essentially different. The former are not followed by feelings of remorse; but the latter are always followed by such emotions; and occasionally to such a degree as to drink up the animal spirits, and impair bodily health. Inadvertencies, even when numerous, have no bond of union. They are separate occurrences. But evil actions, if frequently repeated, are united by the will into habits which become a second nature, and hold the soul in fearful bondage. All the laws of our moral nature are against the identification of acts so different in their origin, naturé, and effects. The theory of identification would be scouted in every court of justice throughout the world.

The scriptural idea of the evil of sin is the true one. Considered as a quality, it is an element of discord which separates man from God, man from man, and one part of his nature from the other part, "The spirit lusteth against the flesh, and the flesh against the spirit." Its reflex influence, considered as an act, is to beguile by its deceitfulness, to darken the understanding, and to harden the heart. It "is the transgression of the law." It is passing the boundary line within which, He who knows his own claims and our diversified relations, has commanded us to move. By the commandment, which is so good in itself, and enforced by the authority of the Eternal, it becomes exceedingly sinful. A course of sinfulness is "sowing to the flesh." It is pursuing low ends by low means, and sacrificing an immortal interest for the vanities of time. Its social influence is often woeful in the extreme. The moral views transmitted from one who is "accustomed to do evil," may be conveyed by its immediate recipient to others, who in their turn will impart it to others; and thus it may go forward, until the amount of social injury, which originated in the evil

communications or wicked deeds of one emissary of Satan, has become appallingly great. Moreover, a rebellious course under the gospel dispensation, which not only exalts our conceptions of moral excellence, but suggests the most powerful motives for making it the first object of pursuit, possesses a peculiar degree of turpitude. The condescending grace of the Saviour, his expiation for sin, his kind invitations and rich promises of the Spirit to break the power of sin, to revive, renew, and strengthen our moral capacities, and prepare us for eternal glory cut off all excuse for continuance in sin. It may itself, without exaggeration, be styled a great crime, a just ground of condemnation, because, it is not only an offence offered to infinite purity, but a deliberate refusal to cease that offence, in contempt of every loving allurement, and every appeal to reason and conscience.

Nothing is further from our thoughts than the presumption of teaching established ministers how to set forth the evil of sin. A concern for the honour of God has been created by the alarming increase of mercantile frauds on a gigantic scale, and by cruelties in the domestic circle, and by the various murders of which the public journals give us most mournful accounts. It is, moreover, our persuasion that the writings of some of our modern poets give views of moral evil which are far too low; and that it would be well to warn our intelligent youth against their baneful influence. Such ideas are incompatible with earnestness in the pursuit of eternal life. They weaken the motives for watchfulness and prayer; and are often the forerunners of fatal inconsistencies, which "drown men in perdition and ungodliness." The consequences of such departures from an honourable position may, in this world, be the companionship of the wicked, and an increasing degeneracy of character; and in the world to come, a harvest of desperate sorrow, from the description of which imagination shrinks with horror.

(To be concluded in our next.)

LOVE TO GOD.

Ar a social meeting of Christians and enquirers after religion held one Sabbath evening, some eight and thirty years ago, the friend who led the exercise proposed that some one should state "what were the chief and best evidences a Christian had of a renewed mind, and of acceptance with God?" This it was thought, might lead to profitable discourse. For a time all were silent, and one or two of the juniors trembled lest they might be called on by name to answer the question. At length an aged brother rose, one whose soul had long been enriched with Christian graces, and, repeating the question, said with deep emotion, "Love to God." "This love," he added, "does not exist in the mind of carnal men, it has no place in sinful man's soul. No: they are enmity to God-they are enemies to God by wicked works. But when they have seen their sin and have repented; and when they have fled to the Saviour, and trusted in him, they are forgiven, and the Holy Spirit draws them near to a gracious God and they love Him. They never love Him until they are renewed,—and they then feel so sensible of his love and grace, that they cannot but love Him. And this evidence, I think, includes all others. Love to God will lead us to

love his Word, his worship, his ways, his service, his people. Oh, if there exists in our hearts, my friends, love, supreme love to God, we have blessed evidence of being in a state of grace.'

Such, in substance, was the response of the venerable old Christian. It was uttered with broken accents, but it came from a full heart, and as it came all believed that he was pre-eminent for the enjoyment and manifestation of this love. Several then present, besides the aged speaker, have since removed to a world unseen, but the remembrance of his words, and their gracious influence, is to this day as ointment poured forth.

And what is love to God? Is it not a tendency of the soul, of its highest, and best affections toward the infinite, the holy, the benevolent author of all good? Does it not like an inward and divine power permeate all the moral nature, and fill and animate every faculty of the spirit of the believer? "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto us."

How various and interesting are the aspects in which this divinely originated affection may be contemplated! Is it not, for example, a love of gratitude? We love him because he first loved us." The believer feels that God's love to him was from the beginning. God loved him when he was a sinful rebel; loved him when hasting to ruin; loved him so as to provide for his redemption by the great work of the Lord Jesus Christ, an expression of love which will be the wonder of eternity; loved him so as to call him from folly and sin, and lead him to a throne of grace, and give him the promise of life and heaven! As the believer meditates on these displays of divine condescension and love, and reflects on his own unworthiness-his soul is lifted up; his intellectual faculties in attempting to form an adequate conception of this infinite love, combine with his moral nature to produce an emotion of gratitude and love commensurate, as far as he is able, with his infinite and unspeakable obligations.

It is a love of gratitude for favours which are gracious, infinite, and divine. It is also a love of complacency. Every attribute of Jehovah approves itself to a renewed heart. God is just he is pure he is true he is benevolent; these his moral perfections are united to almighty power, infinite wisdom, supreme, absolute and universal authority and rule. The combination of all these glorious attributes in Jehovah delights the heart of him who loves God. Awful as are some of the aspects of the Divine character, the believer would not wish God to be other than He is. loves the infinite, the just, the holy, the almighty supreme, and feels a sacred delight in the thought of such a being, and has a pleasure in every manifestation of his perfections, either in his various works or in his blessed word.

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But God is a being disposed to converse with men, and capable of being to them an object of supreme endearedness and delight. Thus he speaks of being "near" to his people; of "dwelling with" the contrite; of "lifting up the light of his countenance" on them; of "manifesting himself to them" as he does not to the world. These are marvellous words, but the reality they refer to is that which constitutes the highest enjoyment of which our souls are capable, and which sometimes fills the heart that loves God with "joy unspeakable." He draws nigh to God, and the Lord draws nigh to him. He feels the approaches of God to his soul and delights himself in the Lord, who gives him "the desire of his heart.' is my portion saith my soul, therefore will I hope in him." "The Lord is

"The Lord

good to them that wait for him." "Whom have I in heaven but thee?" This longing after God, this delight in the manifestation of his presence, this desire for the sensible enjoyment of the light of his countenance, is an important and interesting aspect of the happy Christian's love to God.

Love to God is properly a supreme and dominant affection. It outstrips the regard due to all other beings. They in whom it properly dwells may have dear and valued friends and relatives whom they love, but they love God more. It is their privilege to have the hope of heaven, and the idea of meeting with saints and angels, and of mingling with them in their eternal delights is most inspiring and glorious; but there is something. even better than that in their thoughts of heaven. God is there.

Christ

is there. The Holy Spirit is there. There the enjoyment of God is after all the chief good. Whom have I in heaven but thee?

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Were I in heaven without my God

"Twould be no joy to me.'

Love to God rises superior to all the trials and sorrows of life. They may come. They will come. But they do not extirpate the love of God from the believer's heart. He looks on all as under the control of his heavenly Father, as chastisements by which his soul shall be purified, as a process through which God is weaning him from the world and preparing him for heaven. Hence they often are regarded as among the best earthly favours our heavenly Father bestows.

There is a power as well as a permanency in true love to God which is worthy of our especial attention. It draws the soul to God. It leads to his Word-to his house-to the closet-and it allows the soul to be content only as God is enjoyed in them. It constrains the Christian to devote his life and powers to the service and glory of God. Has he talents? He employs them for God. Has he property? He uses it for God. Has he influence? He exercises it for God. Love to God controls and regulates his course. It does more. It impresses on his own soul, through the help of the Spirit of God, the image and features of God himself. makes him holy, benevolent, true, condescending and lovely. God, loving him supremely, assimilates to his blessed likeness. natural result; and this is also recognized in the Divine Word: all, beholding the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

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Looking at This is its 66 But we

How pleasing is the thought that this love will endure for ever,—that it will be perfected and perpetuated in heaven! Here, at best, our love to God is imperfect. Our blindness of mind, the various infirmities with which we are encompassed, often bow down the spirit, so that we feel that our love is not so strong or so constant as it ought to be: but in heaven all imperfections will be done away. There we shall see more clearly the grandeur of God, his infinite love to us; and there all within and around us will tend to the perfection of our love, which will endure for ever. There will never come a period in eternity when our souls will lose this mighty and divine affection. The infinite glories of God will give endless delight. His inexhaustible fulness will afford eternal pleasure. His favours to his people and their sense of obligation will be for ever becoming more wondrous, more glorious, more sublime, and therefore the love which by them has been awakened in time will be perpetuated through eternity. "In his presence is fulness of joy, and at his right hand are pleasures for evermore.'

THE PRESIDENCY OF THE UNITED STATES.

We doubt not that our readers, in common with every lover of humanity and freedom in this land, have been depressed and saddened by the election of a pro-slavery candidate for the great American Republic. We had feared lest the Northern friends of freedom should lose heart, and sink into despair before the united and successful phalanx of its foes. The following leader from the paper of our transatlantic brethren will be read with delight, as it evinces a right spirit, and one which promises well for the future of that great continent. May God in mercy realize all their hopes !—ED.

"The contest for the Presidency is over, and the Republican party is for the moment defeated, as the colonial party was at Bunker hill. Slavery has again succeeded in carrying its chosen man to the Presidential chair of this wide community of nations. This is indeed a sad announcement to make in the ear of the listening world in this last half of the nineteenth century. But it is true. Slavery has triumphed! The daughters of the Philistines are rejoicing, the sons of the uncircumcised are triumphing! But liberty, alas! sweet liberty! the liberty whose inspiration woke the thunders of the Revolution, and can wake them again-she, alas! is in sackcloth and in tears.

Yes, slavery has again triumphed. She has again stolen the march upon her enemy, and cast out her shoe' upon the fruitful fields of free schools, free churches, and free men. She has again succeeded to the engineership of the National Locomotive, with its train of thirty-one cars and more, and will soon be attempting to drag them all down to perdition together. But she will find the load heavy, she may be obliged to sand the rails, possibly the machinery may give out, and who knows but the new Engineer may be so moved by a feeling of the humane as to switch off from the dark downward track. For this last desideratum, all good and intelligent men will devoutly pray. We want to see whether James Buchanan will persist in his platform character, and hand his name down to an indignant posterity, blackened with a base subserviency to the slave power!

The Republicans take their defeat very coolly. And why should they not? That a mere bantling, scarcely a year old, should hold an old veteran giant to so severe an encounter, and be defeated without being vanquished, is surely very suggestive of Hercules throttling the huge serpents that crawled about his cradle and essayed to devour him. But as yesterday,— and you saw a little scattered handful of men, who, on election day, walked deliberately up to the polls and dropped in each a free soil vote, mid the contempt and jeers and sometimes pity of the masses. To-day, you see that same little handful become a mighty host, sweeping away the old monster political parties, bearing down mighty foemen like a flood, filling the heart of slaveocracy with dismay, and cutting its way, with its favourite candidate, to the very courts of the Capitol! This is not less than wonderful! And it will seem the more so, as it is borne in mind, that the whole mercenary army of office-holders was in the confidence and pay of the opposition. Surely, if this is Bunker Hill, what may we not expect at Saratoga, Eutaw, and Yorktown!

Never had we such cause for encouragement as now. We have the pulpit, the press, and the school-room of almost the entire North upon our side.