Happily for us there is no necessity to insist upon the proposition, that the duties of ruler and people are correlative, for we accept it not as a thesis, but as a postulate in all our political discussions; but with our ancestors it involved a question of life and death; and even now this very doctrine needs thundering into the ears of earthly potentates, who remain deaf to the cries of enslaved peoples, and blind to the signs of the times. Not a few Laodicean rationalists pretend to see nothing but folly or madness in the brave heroic conduct of those " mighty men of valour," who "jeopardized their lives on the high places." These self-plumed sciolists perceive nothing but democratic ebullitions in those 'men of renown;" nothing but a hasty running-up of lath-and-plaster theories, and nothing but false enthusiasm, or enraptured nonsense, that operated as a charm, and saved them from falling into utter contempt. Nothing can be more false. Nothing wider of the mark. The great problem respecting the right of resistance to civil governments, the point where obedience ought to cease, and resist ance ought to begin, was examined and discussed by those men, "of whom the world was not worthy," with that patience, insight, precision, and completeness, which have scarcely been exceeded by jurists or statists who have since applied their minds to the study of them. Rutherford's Lex Rex was the political text-book of the Covenanters, and how well they understood the great principles there laid down, and how persistently they acted upon them, reference to their public documents, and to the minutes of their societies from 1680, abundantly show. They wrestled and fought, and bled, and died for constitutional government and the freedom of the Church from political dictation. Whatever might be strange in their dialect, local in their views, or peculiar in their dogmas, there was underlying them all great primary principles which are the true foundations of civil and religious masonry. The Kirk held "that the Church has a sphere and jurisdiction distinct from and independent of the State; that Jesus Christ is the sole King and Head of the church, and any extraneous authority is usurpation and rebellion against his Divine Majesty; that under Him all ministers or pastors are equal in rank and power, and all dominion popish or prelatic, or of whatever kind, is unscriptural and anti Christian; and that where man pretends to be something more than the simple preacher, and to be, in some occult way the medium and dispenser of Divine grace, there is the very essence of idolatry." The State is ourselves. It is made for man, and is as much his creature as a committee appointed by him to manage certain affairs and regulate certain of his actions. It is neither so large nor so high as the total of humanity; so that while it meets many of his necessities, it reserves a wide sphere, like the sanctum sanctorum, which contains all that relates to religious belief, worship, and discipline, into which no earthly intrusion must be allowed. These principles, studied with terrible clearness, and enunciated with fearful sig. nificance by the Scotch Covenanters, had been proclaimed by Knox, Melville, Henderson, Rutherford, and endorsed by all the leading men of Scotch Presbyterians, who held by them, with more or less tenacity, during the electric shocks of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. We thank the author for the lectures themselves, and for this cheap edition of themso neatly and even elegantly got up which we urge our readers to possess themselves of, especially if any of them should be cogitating fresh reasons on behalf of a State Church. The Light of Truth; or the Gospel of the grace of God, compared and contrasted with Modern Divinty. By J. BEST, D'Urban, near Cape Town, South Africa. Price 2s. Mrs. Paul, Chapter-housecourt, Paternoster-row. If any reader does not understand the kind of truth illuminated by this treatise, it must surely be his own fault, for never were an author's views more openly set forth than are those in the book before us. But while we endorse the main points of the author, and are pleased to find the light of truth has shone, though perchance, but feebly, on the South of Africa, we cannot but wish the subject had been closely and consecutively handled. A little more time, thought, and arrangement, would have rendered the book a valuable contribution to the household of God. Many authors please themselves, and expect to please others, by discovering resemblances or analogies between Scripture and certain doctrines, true or false, forgetting that analogy proves nothing, and that to adduce those scriptures as proof-texts is a fallacious mode of procedure. Take for instance, the parable of the unjust steward, and Prov. vii., both adduced by the author to prove what the Holy Spirit never intended to prove by them. Still we mean not to censure the author, being persuaded that if he has done his best in this instance-and he says he has he will do better in the next, and come forth improved in style, order, | gospel, but much has been soothing, and LONDON: can cheering, and ennobling, and refining. We Intelligence. on its union with the school and on their BETHESDA CHAPEL SUNDAY-SCHOOL, LEVER- working so well together, he said, he con STREET. ON Tuesday, March 2nd, the Twentyeighth Public Tea and Annual Meeting of the above School was held. After the tea, the chair was taken at half-past six, by Mr. J. T. Briscoe, the pastor. A hymn having been sung by the children, Mr. Minton, a deacon of Mount Zion Chapel, Chadwell-street, engaged in prayer. After a few introductory remarks by the Chairman, the Secretary, Mr. Brown, read the report of the past year's proceed ings, which stated that the Lord had in answer to prayer sent additional teachers to the school; that since its establishment 4162 scholars had been admitted, 270 of whom were now upon the books, 145 of these having been admitted during the past year; that the last few months showed a still increasing attendance, and that the blessing of God had attended the labours of his servants; two of the senior class girls had been baptized, and become members of the church during the past year, and one of the senior class youths had also been baptized and joined another Christian church. The report particularly commented upon the interesting fact that the pastor of the church, Mr. J. T. Briscoe, had been from infancy to manhood a scholar and teacher in the school. Mr. Alderson, in a very affectionate address, moved the adoption of the report, in which he pointed out the duty as well as the pleasure of a Christian church, taking a lively interest in its Sabbath-school. Mr. Palmer in a very able speech seconded the resolution. Congratulating the church sidered it of great importance that the minds of the young, which were peculiarly impressible, should be stored with correct ideas of truth; that this was the most effectual means of combating the errors of the day; that though no spiritual good might be effected, the moral influence of truth was unquestionable; like vaccination, though it did not in all cases prevent the small pox, it greatly mitigated its virulence, and that when God was pleased to bless the means, and Divine light came upon the informed judgment the individual was doubly favoured. Mr. W. H. Evans, of Hounslow, next addressed the meeting upon the question, "What constitutes a good teacher ?" He considered the teacher as a workman; that a good workman was one who used the best tools in the best manner; that the teacher could not find a better book than the Bible. Mr. J. S. Anderson, of Deptford, next spoke on the "Sunday-school Teacher's Reward." He said, The instruction of the young was no child's play, and entailed upon the teacher considerable self-denial, especially in London, where late hours on Saturday made the bed on Sunday morning very inviting, and that it was often with weary bodies and minds teachers proceeded to their labours, but they had a reward in knowing they were doing the work of God and walking in the footsteps of Him who made the greatest sacrifice for them. After a short address by Mr. Blake, of Dalston, and a few remarks by Mr. Hazelton, of Chadwell-street, the interesting meeting was brought to a close. THE VOICE OF TRUTH; OR, Baptist Record. 66 SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE." IN ESSENTIALS, UNITY; IN NON-ESSENTIALS, LIBERTY; IN ALL THINGS, CHARITY. Vol. VIII. MAY, 1869. No. 89. Expositions and Essays. THE BRIDLED MOUTH. "I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.”—Psa. xxxix. 1. THE faculty of speech and the gift of language form a grand distinction between man and the brute creatures. Without these the acquirement and the communication of knowledge must have been confined to the lowest degree. We cannot ascertain, treasure up, or spread abroad the results of mental processes without the aid of language, spoken or written. If the latter medium could possibly come into use without the former, its tedious methods would necessarily confine its employment to the great and solemn occasions of life; whilst the rapid recurring and ever-varying emotions, thoughts, and decisions of the mind, products of the changing scenes and sudden emergencies of daily experiences, must either die as soon as born, or be expressed in inarticulate sounds, or significant gestures of the body. It is thus seen that speech and language, ready at any moment to give easy and unmistakeable expression to all that we think or feel, are among the greatest of benefits conferred by the Creator upon his creature-man. Thought and feeling may be compared to the latent electricity with which the earth and the atmosphere are charged; speech, to the lightning flash, which in a moment reveals the hidden element, and illumines the hemisphere with its glare. But as the lightning, in its rapid motion, frequently demolishes the lofty spire, blasts the spreading oak, and destroys the life of beast and man; so the power of speech, in its quick, explosive, cutting, crushing character, too frequently scatters around the elements of moral blight, disaster, and destruction. The facts, that thought and speech may be originated in one and the same moment: that, not only does thought give birth to speech, but speech, in its turn, multiplies thought and intensifies feeling and that this process begun in one individual, may spread to many around, until a whole community may be affected by these movements, -as a district of country is disturbed by the tremulous motions of an earthquake: the facts point to the con I clusion, that the government of the tongue is one of the greatest achievements of true wisdom-a conclusion which the Word of God abundantly confirms. We shall do well to understand what the bridling of the mouth signifies. To hold in the steed with bit and bridle is not to restrain him only, but to guide him as well; not to keep him to the safe pace, but also in the right way. Similarly, to bridle the mouth, is to check the impetuosity and to direct the issues of the tongue. When the occasion is proper, the spirit calm, and the motive pure, there is great need of watchfulness over our utterances. A good word must be fitly spoken, or its goodness will be lost like the perfume of the flower in the desert. The bridled mouth is not the representative of an empty mind from which nothing flows out because nothing lodges within: nor of a dull leaden soul, whose sensibilities, if not extinct, are buried under a hard selfishness: nor of a proud, stoical temperament which scorns to exhibit emotion for anything less than the wreck of a fortune or the loss of one's second self,-and scarcely then: nor of a sullen brooding disposition which treasures up unhappy thoughts and feelings, which free speech might dispel ; as the bad air of a closed apartment is purged by brisk ventilation: nor of a fine-mouthed hypocrisy, that would smile in your face, but stab you in the back. The bridled mouth is representative of the calm and thoughtful control of the tongue when thoughts run over, and the heart is stirred to its depths by sympathy, hope, fear, sorrow, delight, or provocation. When the eye is quick to detect an evil; the heart tender to the touch of wrong; the temperament warm and impetuous; when the occasion for outspoken thought seems to be urgent, the need for rebuke clear, and the circumstances powerfully stimulative-then, to pause and ponder well; to curb the rising accusation; to nip the budding anger; to wait until the tide of feeling has subsided; to take a calm view of your own impulses and of other people's sensibilities; to bide the time for speech, and when it comes to take it dispassionately, lovingly, prayerfully,-that is to bridle the mouth. We can scarcely say when or where we entirely avoid the company of the wicked. In the commercial, the industrial, and the social relations of daily life, we are compelled to mix with the ungodly. The unconverted are found in the household, in the school, and in the Sabbath assemblies. The Psalmist's resolve is necessary for us at all times, and everywhere. In our fellow Christians there lie smouldering embers of evil, which a slight breath may blow up into a flame. Our own hearts are so sinful and deceitful that we have constant need to watch over unspoken words lest they should fan some evil passion in our own breasts. In this matter of bridling the mouth, the most thoughtful, cautious, and patient of Christians have need to remember, that "the preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, are from the Lord;" and to pray daily, "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." (Prov. xvi. 1; Psa. cxli. 3). In attempting to reduce these general principles to practical application, the relation of the parent to the child presents itself first of all to the mind. "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child;" and soon, very soon, it begins to manifest its presence and power. Passion, selfishness, self-will, and rebellion in the child, put the wisdom, patience, and self-control of the parent to the severest of trials. Most of us believe in the power of gentle tones and loving words; but when we are provoked, our faith fails us. There are few things in which a bridled mouth is more needed than in the reproof and correction of children. Hasty words, loud tones, and exaggerated expressions are hurtful to both parties. The parent may seem to conquer, but the victory is dearly bought. The child may be cowed into submission for the time, but he is neither taught nor trained. Children must be reproved and corrected too: but not with passionate exclamations. Which of us, who are parents, have not had occasion to repent of hasty words which we could not recall, and threatenings which we could not execute? Unexecuted threatenings, as well as unfulfilled promises, destroy trust in our truthfulness. Passion in the parent arouses passion in the child: we drop the spark into the tinder of his inherent depravity: we unwittingly aid in its development. Men wondered at the gracious words which fell from the Saviour's lips. Let the same mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus: let our speech be seasoned with grace. Let us try to move the heart by "thoughts that breathe, and words that burn;" but not such burning as leaves a scar behind. "If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God." Let us, then, earnestly pray for wisdom and strength, that, by what we say and how we say it, and by what we do and how we do it, we may train up our children in the way they should go ; that when they are old they need not depart from it. The relation of the teacher to the scholar comes nearest to the former, and most of the remarks made under that head will be found applicable to this. Here, hasty and cutting words produce a more rankling wound, because the healing balm of natural affection is wanting. Here firmness in the thing spoken of is all important; but not less so is sweetness in the mode of speaking it. A rash word has often cost a teacher dear. Upon reflection, he finds his own conscience wounded; or, he has alienated the child's heart; or he has placed himself in a painful dilemma. The relation of Christian masters to ungodly servants cannot escape notice in this connection. "And ye masters forbear threatening: knowing that your master also is in heaven." (Eph. vi. 9.) Such an exhortation cannot be understood as forbidding just and necessary rebuke; but it must point to the necessity of bridling the mouth. In each of these three cases we are liable to fall into one and the same error; namely, that of looking upon the perversity and disobedience of child, scholar, or servant, as an offence entirely personal to ourselves, forgetting the more serious aspect of the case,—that a sin against parent, teacher, or master, is in reality a sin against God. Under the smart of rebellion against our authority, or of injury to our property, our personal feelings carry us away into unguarded expressions or impetuous acts. Ofttimes the rebound of our impulsive stroke inflicts a heavy blow upon ourselves. Now, if our mouth were bridled until such time as calm judgment take the reins: if we considered well the injurious effect of transgression upon the individual as well as upon ourselves: if we thought of the word and the honour of God as being ignorantly or presumptuously disregarded, then our feelings would find utterance in other words and other tones. Grief, pity, and prayer mingling with reproof, would give it a pungency and a power unknown before. Our own heart, conscious of its sinfulness and need of pardon, pouring out its yearnings in language softened with tears, would, more frequently than it may have been anticipated, meet with a response of penitential sorrow. And, methinks, that the offended and the offender would feel how happy are the results of bridling the mouth. My brethren in the ministry must pardon a paragraph addressed to them. In relation to the unconverted, the preaching of the word may be distinguished as the ministry of testimony, and the ministry of invitation. In both cases, I submit, the bridled mouth would frequently conduce to the promotion of truth and righteousness. Our brethren who deal in general invitation to the unregenerate, seem sometimes to go to such lengths as to leave very erroneous impressions on the minds of their hearers. The sinner is led to believe that conversion is in his own power; that he can repent and believe when he will; and, that it is duty so to do. Under this impression, however, he presumes upon future opportunities: “he resolves, and re-resolves; then dies the same." On the other hand, we who reject that mode of address and the principles on which it is grounded, and confine ourselves to the testimony of God concerning the nature and necessity of those graces which evidence a state of salvation, may fail to urge upon the sinner those claims of God as his Creator, Benefactor, and righteous Governor, under which he is clearly responsible. For instance: recoiling from the doctrine that makes an unregenerate sinner responsible for the exercise of saving repentance and faith, we may neglect to set before him the fact that there is a repentance and a faith which the law of God requires; and the absence of which is attributable to his love of sin and alienation from God. In consequence, the sinner imbibes the notion, that he has a license to go on in sin until Divine grace forcibly stop him; or, that he is so sold under sin as that sinful acts are inevitable; or, that he is under no obligation to seek in any way, or by any means, the deliverance of his soul from guilt and pollution. There |