vient to his righteous, just, and blessed will. Now, sir, if it be the Christian's privilege, not only to have a heaven in reversion beyond the grave, but also to enjoy on earth the foretaste of the happiness of just men made per fect, in proportion as he participates in their feelings and employments; if, though our only title to heaven be the merits of Him who hath purchased eternal redemption for us, there must be a meetness wrought within our souls for the company of those pure spirits, who "circle God's throne rejoicing;" if it is the Christian's privilege to have his conversation in heaven, insomuch that our church, in her most solemn service, seems to draw the veil which hides the spiritual and invisible world, and calls upon her children, as citizens of that better country, to join with angels and archangels, and all the company of heaven, in lauding and magnifying God's holy name;-if all this be so, shall we renounce the peace and joy which accompanies the fulfilment of this law of heaven, the love of God with all the heart, and mind, and soul, and strength, and the love of our neighbour as ourselves? What folly would it be to suffer any sophistry to beguile us of that great reward, which is inseparable from keeping its holy precepts? (Psalm cxix.): to rob us of that glorious liberty, wherewith Christ has made us free from the law of sin and death; that liberty in which David walked in the ways of God's commandments? (Psalm cxix.) Shall we not rather rouse every faculty to exertion, that each day may exhibit our main conformity to this Divine law; a new feature of the inhabitant of that world, where perfect love and happiness reign; that we may realise that gracious promise, "I will put my laws in their minds, and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people;" that we may receive the Christ, Observ. No. 159. great Redeemer as our Prophet and our King, as well as our High Priest; and join with the pious monarch of Israel, "Do not I love thy commandments above gold and precious stones? Therefore hold I fast all the commandments, and all false ways I utterly abhor.” Convinced that exhortations to universal holiness, at all times salutary, are at present peculiarly so, your valuable correspondents cannot render your pages more generally useful, than by a series of letters, detailing the general nature of Christian holiness; the principles from whence its proceeds; and the truths on which it rests; and then tracing its application, as it influences the various faculties of the mind, and feelings of the heart, in the varied situations and relations of political, and social, and domestic life; shewing, in all, its close connection with the purest happiness. Such a treatise, proceeding from the reasonings of an enlightened understanding, and from the glowing feelings and experience of a pious heart, would be generally useful, and particularly gratify Your constant reader, Dublin, 8th Feb. 1815. J. D. L To the Editor of the Christian Observer. THE paper on "the Nature and Tendency of certain Theological Errors," which appeared in your Number for October, and which, without ascribing to it a perfection not to be expected in the works of man, I must regard as a very valuable and excellent production, has, I observe, occa sioned considerable disturbance in certain quarters. Some persons complain of the writer as having "laid to their charge things which they knew not." How this can be, I do not well understand. He speaks of no particular individuals, nor of any distinct bodies of men. He treats of certain errors, which he accurately enough defines; and his only allusion to persons is under the character of those who are chargeable, in whole or in part, with these errors. Whoever, therefore, is consciously free from them, ought to feel equally conscious that the censure conveyed is not intended for him. But, the principal charge preferred, and that on which I wish to offer a few observations, is, that your correspondent has employed himself in dragging forth to view, and exposing to the profane gaze of the world, the imperfections of good men. There is somewhat, sir, very imposing in such a charge. It is easily made against any one who attempts, how ever humbly and kindly, to correct evils existing among persons 66 professing godliness;" and, to superficial readers, it may seem to require no further proof, than what is furnished by the simple fact of having made such an attempt. The offence, moreover, which it imputes, is very odious. From the spirit which pervades his paper, I do persuade myself that there is nothing from which D. W.'s heart would more recoil. But, sir, if this charge be loosely, inconsiderate. ly, and in consequence unjustly, made, will it not involve its author in the guilt of speaking evil of his brother, and falsely accusing his brother, who, perhaps, was disinterestedly seeking his improvement? If the evil to be corrected, whatever it may be, be the fault of an individual, let it by all means be pointed out to himself, and not made the subject of public remark. If a man sin privately, let him be privately admonished. But if the evil be open; if it attach not to one or two individuals only, but extend to many, and those, persons in ostensible situations; if it relate to their public and official conduct, and especially to their instruction of the people, and thus be likely to spread and be disseminated, if it be already "prevalent;" what alter native is there between publicly noticing it, in such a work, for instance, as the Christian Observer, and suffering it to go on and diffuse its influence, "eating as doth a canker?" If the animadversion be made "in love," and with "the meekness of wisdom," (in which respects I think your correspondent entitled to high praise,) who can reasonably object to the proceeding? Is this to be called displaying the infirmities of good men to profane eyes? The fact is, however blind we, and the circle of partial friends drawn around us, may be to our faults, the world is no stranger to them: and we best counteract their effects, and consult for the honour of religion, by acknowledging them, lamenting them, and striving to correct them in ourselves and each other. Is there not a danger, sir, at least a possibility, of our mistaking a morbid sensibility to our own reputation for a righteous jealousy in the cause of religion? I am aware of the neces"sity of proceeding with great caution, and of observing many restrictions in the practice for which, under proper limitations, still must contend. Particularly I am of opinion, with a writer, whom many of your readers will recognise, and revere under the signature of T. S., "that the real excellences of allowedly upright characters should be prominently marked, whenever their faults are publicly animadverted on." Yet I must agree with him when he says, "I am very far from thinking, that the real faults of any individuals, or any body of men, especially bearing a public character, or in any way distinguished as a city set on a hill,' should be screened from public animadversion and censure. It appears to me that such an exemption would be highly injurious to them, and extremely prejudicial to mankind at large. Above all, I shall be the last to claim such an exemption for the ministers of religion, or for that distinct company to which I have the honour to belong; for as their conduct is more likely, than that of any other body of men, to have an extensive and permanent effect on the best interests of mankind, it becomes proportion ably important that it should be correct; and nothing, except the special grace of God, tends to ren der the conduct of any company correct, so much as liableness to public animadversion."* But here, as in all cases, our main appeal should be to the holy Scriptures. Is it their practice to draw a thick veil over the faults of good characters? Have not the honesty and impartiality of the inspired writers, in this respect, been always considered as giving evidence of the superior guidance under which they wrote? And is it not to this faithful disclosure of the faults as well as excellences of good men, that we owe a full half of the rich benefit to be derived from reading the sacred histories? Had the principle which seems now to be contended for, been acted upon in the sacred volume, never should we have heard of insincerity and the want of faith in Abraham; of fraud and deception in Jacob; of the violation of meek ness in Moses; of the ignorance and errors of the Apostles during our Lord's lifetime; of the dissension between Paul and Barnabas; and much less of the falls of Noah, David, and Peter. Never would St. Paul have publicly withstood St. Peter, at Antioch, and afterwards have reported his censure of him to the Galatians. Never would he have exposed the disorders of the Corinthian Christians, in epistles, which, though immediately addressed to the offending church, there could be no doubt would in a short time * See Letter in the Christian Guardian for May 1810 It may be remarked, that all these observations apply still more strongly to the errors of ministers in what they teach to others, than merely to the faults of their own practice. come forth to the knowledge of multitudes. Under proper restrictions, therefore, I must be of opinion that openly to notice the public faults and errors of even good men, may be not only allowable, but even a duty; and that it may be in various ways useful. 1. It may benefit the persons themselves who are the subjects of animadversion. It is needless to say how blind we are prone to be to our own mistakes and defects. Often we shall not discover them but by the interposition of other persons. We ought to acknowledge some degree of obligation even to an enemy, who enables us to discern and correct them: how much more to one who, with a friendly intention, and in a Christian manner, points them out to us? But this, as I have said, cannot be done otherwise than publicly, where publicly prevailing errors are concerned. A late eminent character, whose too early removal to a better world we are all lamenting, once remarked to me, "The true Christian is distinguished by an anxiety to be right in every thing." Surely then such a person will thank the man who sets him right, or more Wearly right, in any thing. 2. It may be useful to those among whom the errors in question may be likely to spread.-If we are ourselves to call no man father or master upon earth, certainly we are not to wish that others should receive our dictates, unconsidered and unexamined; but rather that, like the Jews of Berea, they should “search the Scriptures daily, whether these things be so or not." And whatever tends to put our people upon doing this, should not be offensive to us. 3. I cannot but consider such a paper, as that of D. W., as calculated to be eminently useful to young ministers, who have their scheme of divinity, and their plan of preaching, in a great degree, yet to form.—I know that the holy Scriptures are to be their great standard and model in every thing. But I conceive it to be the excellency of the paper in question, that it points out to them, with the finger of a master, various important particulars to be specially noted and copied in that great model. We are all, likewise, apt to be led by authority, and the practice of those around us: to many, therefore, the paper may be useful by leading them to compare what they have been accustomed to, with the scriptural standard. 4. I do conceive such a notice of existing faults and errors to be likely to prove beneficial, rather than prejudicial, even to men of the world. I have before said, how vain it is to think of hiding our faults from their view. They will discover them whether we do or not. What then will be the effect, on the one hand, if we will see nothing but excellences in those of our party (as they will term it,) and are resolved to vindicate every thing? And what, on the other hand, if, while we assert excellency where excellency exists, they see us ready to acknowledge, and lament, and strive to remove, error and evil, wherever they are found among us In which case will they most respect us, not only as religious but as honest men? In which will religion be most honoured, in the eyes of all the observing part of mankind? 5. If it be hopeless to think of removing the evils complained of, then, lastly, it is highly desirable, for the benefit of all who may have met with exceptionable specimens of an obnoxious but important body of men, that they should know that ⚫ all are not thus exceptionable ;— that, if a few deviate from sobriety and" sound speech which cannot be condemned," a majority, it is to be hoped a large and increasing majority, study to avoid the evils into which those few fall. I am sensible that this observation, in particular, may expose me, among some persons, to the charge of aiming too much to be "a manpleaser." My only answer shall be in the words of the excellent Letter from an Old Clergyman to a young one, with which you favoured us in your Number for January, and which adds another to the many valuable papers, calculated especially for the benefit of the clergy, which are to be found dispersed throughout the volumes of your miscellany. "There is," he says," an apostolic rule given us, by which it is our duty to proceed, even with those whose approbation there is scarcely a hope of obtaining, giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed.' I am far from intending to advise you to be a pleaser of men. All I desire is, that there may be nothing to object to in your ministry, but the purity of your doctrine and the fidelity with which you deliver it. These, alas! being sufficiently objectionable to human nature, let there, if possible, be nothing else in our ministry that is so."* I am, Sir, &c., Feb. 10, 1815. J. S.-H. ON A CONTENTED DISPOSITION. To the Editor of the Christian Observer. HAVING been educated in retirement from the world, and in the bosom of a happy family, I have consequently been excluded from those opportu nities of becoming acquainted with the character and disposition of my fellow-creatures which schools afford. Blessed in my friends, and in a comfortable situation in life, I have always considered myself happy; and supposed that all who, like myself, * Christian Observer, January, 1815, pp. 14, 15. had many comforts and few sorrows, considered themselves so too. I have been taught to consider God as the All-wise Disposer of events, and to trace the hand of his Providence in the daily occurrences of life; and have supposed that it was as general for people to receive blessings with gratitude, and afflictions with resignation, as to attend to any other religious duties. How, then, am I surprised and disappointed, upon entering into the world, to find that I have been mistaken! It is a source of serious grief to me, to observe how great a spirit of discontent exists in minds which ought to be the abode of peace and gratitude. I have recently had peculiar opportunities of observing its baneful effects; and being extremely desirous that all, and particularly young people, should be warned against encouraging so great an evil, I venture to offer a few remarks, tending to set forth the value of a grateful, contented disposition. The praises of a contented disposition are sounded by people who are little aware of its highest value; who little understand the source from whence it should flow, or the ends to which it should be made subservient; and whose meaning would, perhaps, be better expressed by the term thoughtlessness, or apathy. I desire, therefore, to make myself clearly understood as to the kind of disposition I would so strongly recommend. I wish my readers to distinguish between that self-complacency with which the worldling would say to himself, "Soul, take thine ease; eat, drink, and be mer. ry;" and that happy state of mind which Habakkuk enjoyed when he declared,that,however adverse worldly circumstances might prove, yet "he would rejoice in the Lord; he would joy in the God of his salvation." Among the numerous disorders to which the human mind is subject, there is perhaps not one so fatal to its happiness as a discontented temper. It poisons every source of rational enjoyment, and casts gloom over the fairest prospects of life. Not contented with magnify. ing trifling inconveniences into serious trials, it deprives blessings of their value, and "shades with sorrow, what with smiles should glow." But to speak of it as destructive to worldly happiness alone, is to bestow upon it a very small part of the censure it deserves: it is much to be feared, that whoever suffers his mind to be imbued with this temper, is very little under the guidance of that religion which enjoins us "in every thing to give thanks." Senex is surrounded by social comfort and domestic blessings, and possesses a share of health and vigour more than common to persons of his age. 'Tis true the buoyant spirits and the activity of youth are fled, and he must now resign to more nervous limbs those employments and recreations in which he once delighted. These deprivations, trifling as they are, compared with those that other aged persons endure, are converted, by the discontented temper of Senex, into sources of continual disquietude. Regret for blessings that are past, makes him look with an eye of indifference on those which remain, and neglect the talents he has yet to improve. Though the hand of old age lies so lightly upon him, he seems to consider it an insupporta ble burden. In every transient pain, in every uncomfortable sensation, he sees the seeds of some distressing disease, that is to carry him through a long course of suffering to the tomb. This frame of mind accompanies him through the daily walk of life, and renders every circumstance a cause for dissatisfaction. Thus does he waste the time which for him is so soon to be no more; thus does he trample under foot those blessings, |