ing, which upon the whole was by far the most interesting one of the kind I had ever witnessed.

23d. On rising this morning I still felt the rocking of our vessel; indeed, I felt more like being seasick, than I had done since leaving America. The morning was passed in getting our luggage through the custom house, as the ship had arrived the evening before, and was now safely moored in Prince's Dock. The custom house operations were tedious, but not harassing I dined with a friend at a chop house, and for the first time realized something of Dr. Johnson and Mr. Boswell's fare, so often mentioned by the latter-the afternoon was spent in viewing the town and some of its sights.

24th.-To-day I first went to see the asylum for the instruction of the blind. It is indeed an excellent charity. The unfortunate beings for whom this institution was erected are here taught a number of the mechanick arts, by which they are enabled to gain a comfortable living. I saw weavers, shoemakers, rope makers, basket makers, all busily employed. The best and the simplest operation is the manufacture of window and other kinds of cord. The machine by which it is performed, was invented by a pupil in the asylum. I am more desirous than ever of seeing an institution of the same kind introduced into our own country. I expect to say more on this subject when I see the asylum at Paris, where the pupils are taught to read. The Botanick garden, which I next saw, is well worth the attention of the traveller. It is at a short distance from the town, and occupies an extensive piece of ground enclosed by a stone wall. It is planned with great neatness and taste. The English are unrivalled in what is termed landscape gardening. "They have studied nature, as has been justly remarked, intently, and VOL. VII.-Ch. Adv.

discover an exquisite sense of her beautiful forms and harmonious combinations. Those charms, which, in other countries, she lavishes in wild solitudes, are here assembled round the haunts of domestick life. They seem to have caught her coy and furtive graces, and spread them like witchery about their rural retreats." The collection of plants and shrubs is quite extensive, and includes specimens from almost every quarter of the globe. I shall never forget the hour I passed in this garden inhaling the rich fragrance of the plants, and listening to the notes of the birds in the trees, and the insects in the grass. This, when contrasted with the dull monotony I had so lately experienced on board the ship, produced feelings which were strong, new, and delightful. I saw also the Royal Institution, the Athenæum, and some other places, all of which you will find well described in the little book I send you, called the Stranger in Liverpool.

25th-To-day is the Sabbath, and I was rejoiced once more to have the privilege of attending worship in the house of prayer. I heard Dr. Raffles, in the morning, preach a most powerful and interesting sermon-he failed, however, I thought, exceedingly, in reading the chapter and the psalms. The dissenters here follow a good deal some of the forms of the church of England-they kneel, and make a silent prayer, when they first come into the church-they have also kneeling cushions in their pews-they stand up when they sing, and make no pause between the verses of the psalm as we do.

"We call those Neologists who endeavour to introduce into Christianity new doctrines, not contained in the word of God; men who, while they pretend to believe the immutable doctrines of our old gospel, apply to these doctrines a new sense, which in fact neutralizes them. We call those Neologists who wish to lay a new foundation, a different foundation from that which St. Paul declares to be the only one which can be laid, namely, Jesus Christ; who, while they extol the wisdom, piety, and virtues of our reformers and our ancestors, consider as fanaticism, mysticism, absurdity, and Antinomianism, the vital doctrines which those holy men professed at the peril of their lives, and to which the holy Spirit of God still bears his silent but eloquent and immutable testimony, in the sacred Scriptures. We call those Neologists, who, enlightened by a light really new, declare that there is not in the Epistles of St. Paul, any expression hard to be understood; who say, that to affirm that the heart of man is corrupt, is a proposition subversive not only of Protestantism, but of all faith, of all belief; those who teach that conversion referred only to the Jews and heathens, and that the words conversion, regeneration, and new birth, have no meaning at all applicable in our days to the members of a church outwardly Christian. We call those Neologists, who teach that the operation of God on the heart of man, is a chimera, and who, setting on one side, or treating as mysticism, the assist

ance of the Holy Spirit, declare that human reason is absolute in matters of faith, who assert that man is justified before God, and saved by his works; who maintain that to be weak in mind, or a sinner, to be raised up by the promulgation of the doctrine of Christ, or to be redeemed by the blood of Christ, are things identically the same,-and that a unity of faith the most perfect, the most profound, the most magnificent, exists among Socinians, who believe that Jesus Christ was simply a man, Arians, who make him an angel, and Evangelical Christians, who adore him as the true God and eternal life, and that to say that Christ had a divine essence, divine perfections, or a divine mission, is to put together three ideas, which are precisely the same, since a divine personal mission of the Saviour is, as a mystery, exactly the same thing as a divine personal essence of the Saviour. In short, we call those Neologists, (and it would be easy to carry this enumeration much farther,) who, setting aside the holy Scriptures, or selecting from them the parts which suit them, to support a system already deranged and tottering, wish to substitute the idle dreams of proud reason, and presumptuous ignorance of the things of God, and of the gospel in which they are revealed, for that eternal word which will endure when heaven and earth shall have passed away."

FOR THE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.

. DEACONS.

Deacons are a class of officers in the Christian church. According to usage their grade and duties are different in different denominations. In some they are an order of religious teachers. In others they constitute a kind of council for the pastor, and are the, most conspicuous

siness. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and [daxovia] the ministry of the word. Rom. xii. 7. Or [dianovias] ministry, let us wait on our [daxovia] ministering; or be that teacheth on teaching.

The words are applied to a few other services, but not to express any thing materially different from what has been already stated. See Rom. xiii. 4, and xvi. 1, and 2 Cor. xi. 15.

It is obvious, from a very cursory view of these terms, that we cannot learn the official duties of deacons from the common use of them. They signify every kind of service, but do not specify any one to the exclusion of others.

II. The origin and nature of the office, and the qualifications of the officers.

Many poor saints, especially widows, were in the church at Jerusalem, from the day of Pentecost till the city was destroyed. For their relief many "sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need." Acts ii. 45. "Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands, or houses, sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles' feet, and distribution was made unto every man, according as he had need." Acts iv. 34, 35.

The influence of the Holy Ghost was such as to purify, soften, and enlarge the hearts of the converts to Christianity; and to make them, at the same time, regardless of riches, and tenderly desirous to relieve the poor. So much did they feel and value the grace of God in redeeming their souls, that they were willing to impart all they had in doing good.

The money was laid at the apostles' feet, and distribution was made. In process of time, complaints arose. "In those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a mur

muring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration." Acts vi. 1. Those Grecians were not Gentile Greeks, but Jews, and proselytes from foreign countries. The Hebrews were such as dwelt in Judea. The widows of the former were "neglected in the daily ministration" on diaκονια τη καθημερινη.

There was need of a body of responsible men, suitably qualified, to take charge of the whole business of relieving the wants of the poor. Such a body was appointed. "Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God and serve tables."-diazove TRATTERIS. Acts vi. 2. "Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business"-namely, the business of serving tables, in the daily ministration for the relief of the poor. Acts vi. 3. "But we will give ourselves continually to pray. er and to the ministry of the word."

dianovia Tov λoyev. Acts vi. 4. The contrast is here strikingly marked between the ministry of the word, and the ministry for the relief of the poor. In both the ministry is expressed by the same term, [diaxovia,] and the difference in the ministry, by the object of it: the one being to preach the word of God, the other, to relieve the wants of the poor.

The origin and nature of the office of deacons are apparent. Men were needed to take care of the poor: "men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom." They were accordingly chosen by the brethren, and ordained by the apostles. "And the saying pleased the whole multitude; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicho

las, a proselyte of Antioch; whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they layed their hands on them." Acts vi. 5, 6. Thus was a body of deacons constituted. We may inquire a little more particularly into the duties of their office.

As many were to be relieved, it became the deacons to make them selves intimately acquainted with their circumstances and wants. Some of the poor would apply personally, others by their friends, and others, perhaps, not at all; either because of peculiar delicacy, or timidity, or the dread of being burdensome. Hence, peculiar care and circumspection were necessary in the deacons, to prevent deception; to discourage idleness, and other misconduct; to find out such as could not report themselves, and had no friends to do it, or such as felt unwilling to make their wants known; to encourage industry and every Christian grace, and to relieve all the needy so as to do the most good, and give general satisfaction.

We may well suppose, too, that funds might sometimes be wanting, In such a case the deacons would give the church a full view of the wants of the poor, the deficiency of their means, and the estimates of the supplies needed, together with the ways and means they thought necessary to adopt. Many and various, therefore, would be the duties of their office, when carried out in the details of doing business.

As deacons were entrusted with business of so much importance, difficulty, and responsibility, in those early ages, and in circumstances of peculiar trial, we can see the necessity of such qualifications as are enumerated by the apostle Paul: "Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; holding the mystery of the faith in a pure consciencethe husband of one wife, ruling

their children and their own houses well." 1 Tim. iii. 8, 9, 12. "And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless." 1 Tim. iii. 10. These qualifications are doubtless comprised in those which are specified in the sixth chapter of Acts. Taken together, they form a character worthy of general confidence. The deacons must be of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, grave, sincere, temperate, not greedy of filthy lucre, sound in the faith, regular and respectable in all their habits and conduct.

In such a body of officers, both the rich and the poor could repose all needful confidence; nor could an ill report be taken up against them, to their reproach, and the reproach of the gospel. On the contrary, the church, with its officers, would be a well organized body in itself, and well adapted to make a favourable impression upon the world.

III. Do the official duties of deacons extend to religious charities?

At the present time, and in this country, the church, through the great kindness of God our Saviour, is in such a state of prosperity, as to have but few poor members to need its aid. Probably this is a reason why the office of deacon, in the Presbyterian church, is almost a sinecure; and is diminished greatly in importance, compared with the office in the days of the apostles. The fact seems to be that we have nothing for them to do. Ministers are burdened, by the excess of labour which has accumulated upon their hands. Elders are often called upon to labour much; they do labour much, and they should labour more: but for deacons, alas! there is no work! This is because we have but few poor members. Happy relief! Thanks to our kind and bountiful Lord and master, who has given us all things richly to enjoy. We do not lament that our deacons