of those who founded and cherished | formed, in a few instances, with the dissenting interests in former great benefit to all; but in many times, the children have in many cases these have totally failed. They cases either turned into the world or had the best wishes of the pastor, united with the establishment. And but they taxed his resources more yet such must ever be the case un-heavily than he could afford; they less the education of the ministry first became uninteresting and then prepare for the rising generation in-forsaken; and yet no charge of nestructors that will command their glect can be alleged against either respect. party; the young were anxious to learn, and the pastor to teach, but he had to struggle with a mental destitution which he could not controul, and suffered the affliction which a father feels when his children are perishing by a poverty which he cannot relieve. It is not intended to affirm that any human means can of itself secure the piety of our offspring. If God withhold his aid, we know that even parental tears will fall to the ground in vain. But though the genial soil of youthful hearts will not bring forth the fruits of righteousness without the beams of heavenly blessing, yet these beams were never intended to make it fruitful without proper cultivation. And, perhaps, there is not in all the masses of our country's misery, one thing that is more afflictive to a considerate Christian than the situation of the young people in some of our religious congregations; their parents long for their salvation, and they are the objects of a most endearing ministerial solicitude, whilst their early associations have awakened in them an interesting curiosity to understand the things which belong to their eternal peace: but still the object so important to them all is not secured, they are surrounded with difficulties and unconverted still. In order to remedy the evil, they are invited to engage in works of usefulness, in order that the teaching of others may be instrumental in securing their own piety. And yet the work fails. The young cannot teach even children unless they themselves be first taught. And they either forsake the work, in disgust at the difficulty, or continue it in a form which is neither useful to the children nor pleasing to themselves. In many cases the pastor has stepped in to their assistance. Cate chetical and Bible classes have been These facts, involving so many reasons for more care in educating the ministry, do not imply the slightest reflection on the parties themselves, but rather the reverse. Even in the cases marked with perfect failure, there has often been a noble struggle with all the resources the individuals possessed before the effort was resigned as hopeless. But in some cases, the necessities of the young have awakened an all-absorbing devotedness, and called forth exertions that have terminated most successfully. But this has generally, if not exclusively, occurred where the previous education prepared the labourer to occupy a country retirement in deeper studies, or else where a more perfect education placed at his disposal a fund of independent resources. The circumstances of the times render it impossible to succeed on any other principles. The age is so saturated with periodicals of every kind, and the habit of reading is so generally acquired by the lower classes, that those who mean to hold any respectability in society must be possessed of information by some means. When not inclined to read books, they read reviews; and instead of seriously studying the truth, the young are perpetually tempted to rely upon the scraps of a magazine; and if the minister be mean enough to bend to the age, instead of endeavouring to guide and improve it, he has only to study the magazines likewise, and to retail their contents in his discourses and conversations. But if he is to enter into the great work of his charge, labour to lift his people to a place of safety, and raise them to a condition of usefulness, he must study the subjects necessary for a Christian to know more deeply; he must be prepared to supply them with instruction when they need it, and to command so much respect by his knowledge and piety as shall enable him to make the acquirements of his people subservient to their spiritual improvement. The importance of these acquirements in the ministry can scarcely be shewn more powerfully than by a glance at those important interests which are just now struggling in the birth. The Missionary Societies demand the utmost degree of economical sagacity, combined with the greatest faithfulness, and the warmest christian zeal. The interests of religious liberty at home and abroad are brought to a point where every resolution of government will need to be watched with the most jealous care, lest flattery or force should nip its opening blossom. But the conduct of the gospel minister himself is infinitely more important still. He ought to be ready with the utmost accuracy to draw the line by which his conduct might be so regulated as to vio late no point of duty whilst inspired with the hope of political advantage. He must be prepared to know how and when to act; and to refrain from interference, so as to maintain the dignity of his character in the midst of national excitement, and the spirituality of his office in the midst of patriotic solicitude. This, too, will be the more important, because the teaching and the example of the minister will be most seriously VOL. VIII, 3d Series. needed by those members of his flock who will have to engage in national affairs, and whom he must labour, by the force of education and piety, to preserve from the dangers of worldly pollution. It is a great mercy, sir, that we are now blessed with a more than usual attention to the rights of every class of his Majesty's subjects, and to the importance of moral worth and dignity in every station; but how awful will it be if the minister of religion alone should be depressed through an education insufficient to carry the work forward to perfection. İf the question were one relating to human laws, or human science, the bounty of the nation in other cases, proves that the appeal would never be made in vain : why, then, should it be disregarded by Christians when it relates to the laws of their God, and the doctrines of his mercy? But to us as a denomination this remark has a more forcible application than to any other. For whether right or wrong we have certainly been committed on the ground of peculiar strictness in adhering to the laws of the Redeemer and the Spirit of his grace. We have, therefore, had to bear the fiercest fire in the defence of religious liberty, and the most exact adherence to the precedents and precepts of scripture, is the point by which we are distinguished from other men; ought not, therefore, the Baptist ministry to be more qualified to explain the Book of God than other men? So it should seem from our profession. I do not say that it has been so. Indeed, I wish not to institute a comparison, even if it were never so advantageous. May the word of our God be known by all; and the teachers of its truth be greatly multiplied. But, sir, I wish most seriously to suggest whether the support of this institu tion in the metropolis, where the C churches and the ministers can watch Christianity. That God was inover its proceedings, and understand sulted and dishonoured by the deby daily observation the claim which basement and cruel oppression of it lays to their patronage, is not a his creatures, and the infernal deduty which they owe to themselves, termination manifested by the geneto their children, to the churhes of rality of the planters to withhold our denomnation, to the interests of from their negroes every means by their country, and the honour of which they might be restored to their Lord. the moral beauty and dignity of the Excuse my boldness in obtruding sons of God, through faith in the so much upon your valuable pages. atonement and intercession of If any apology be needed, it will be Christ;-rendered it certain to some found in the importance of the sub-minds, that if his people would not ject. I am, dear sir, hear his voice in the dispensations Yours faithfully, of his providence, and come themC. S. selves to the work of justice and mercy that he would visit them with his judgments; and by the persecution of the missionaries, the sufferings and bitter death of their followers for righteousness' sake, and the destruction of their property, awake them from their cruel selfishness and Laodicean indifference, by touching, as it were, their skin and their bone. Thus, as in the days of old, God is making his voice to be heard in the church and SLAVERY. lence and troublous times; and his command must be obeyed by Britain as it was by Pharaoh, "Let the people go, that they may serve me," est he visit us, as as he did him, with ruin, for our avarice, cruelty, and crimes as a nation, but of which we have been guilty more especially in Africa and the Indies : " Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord, and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?" MY CHRISTIAN BROTHER, Those of us who, from a sense of duty, engaged in the cause of negro slavery so recently as five years since, and gave our nights as well as our days to the study of this heart-affecting, spirit-stirring subject, well know how much ignorance, apathy, and heartless indifference in the world, by sending the pestigenerally prevailed, not only in the world, but in the different religious denominations; although the AntiSlavery Society was frequently issuing its different publications on the subject, and regularly holding its anniversary meetings to make known the enormities, demoralization, and annihilating tendency inseparably connected with this most horrid system of iniquity; yet, but few comparatively, since the abolition of the slave trade by England, so laid these things to heart as Now although the conduct of the to devote themselves to the work of planters of Jamaica recently has been abolition in a manner calculated to so odious and wicked as to excite an rouse public attention, and by their increased degree of attention to the decided, consistent, and persevering subject of slavery, and Christian conduct, give undoubted evidence, sympathy has been awakened and that by them, slavery was considered manifested towards our fellow-suban outrage upon justice, humanity, jects and suffering Christian breand religion;-as a violation of the thren, yet the effect produced is but laws of God, and utterly repugnant partial, the conduct of far the greater to the letter as well as the spirit of number of those who profess to be deeply affected by these exhibitions | endure the persecution of their felof slavery, continues to be as incon- low-subjects and Christian brethren; sistent as ever, as it regards the ac--that slavery must and shall cease for customed use of its produce. Allow ever in the dependencies of Great me, therefore, to address some re- Britain, and that with the least posmarks on the subject to the ministers sible delay. and followers of Christ, more especially in the Baptist connexion; and by their insertion in the Magazine for the ensuing month an additional favour will be conferred on A Member of the Anti-Slavery Society. Christian Brothers and Friends, I beg leave, therefore, earnestly to suggest for the consideration of the ministers of Christ, how exceedingly desirable it is to have a lecture or lectures in their respective places of worship, for the information of their hearers and the public generally, as the best possible preparative to the successful getting up of petitions on the subject. Should it not suit their covenience to speak on the subject themselves, the Anti-Slavery and pleasure in appointing gentlemen for the purpose, whose intimate acquaintance with this deeply-affecting subject, and devotedness to their object as a religious duty, qualify them for the important office as lecturers. Nor is it known by the friends of the Anti-Slavery cause, or the ministers of religion, how great is the ignorance of the public generally on the subject of the slave trade and slavery; and that it is most important to its speedy annihilation that they should promote the diffusion of knowledge without delay by lectures, and the distribution of the publications of the Anti-Slavery Society. This subject I may be allowed to press on your consideration from my personal knowledge of its great importance to the success of our cause; and I earnestly hope it will receive your sanction and recommendation at this most urgent and awful crisis of colonial slavery, and persecution of Christian missionaries and pious negroes. Much has recently been done by the Anti-Slavery and Agency Societies to secure the return of such members to Parliament as shall be willing to do what they can to pro- Agency Societies will feel much mote the immediate abolition of slavery; and, with the Divine blessing, I trust it will not prove unavailing. The time is now arrived when every possible effort that can be made by the friends of humanity, justice, and religion, to remove this crimson stain, this direful curse from our country and colonies-should be immediately and perseveringly employed for the encouragement of the gentlemen who have been pledged to the accomplishment of this great object of philanthropy and religion in the House of Commons, and to stimulate and sanction the government in bringing the subject before Parliament. Allow me, then, to say, it is considered by the Anti-Slavery Society of great moment that petitions should be presented to Parliament from every city, town, and considerable village or district, in the United Kingdom as soon as possible after the assembling of its members, that by one combined and universal expression of feeling and sentiment throughout the British empire, like that on the subject of reform, it may be seen and felt by the king and his ministers that the nation is unanimous, and determined, in the strength of God, no longer to remain satisfied or at ease under the oppression, or Permit me, also, to urge on every individual the duty of abstaining from the use of West India produce,⚫ particularly sugar, so long as the culture of it is the price of their brother's blood, and the procuring cause of nearly all his misery. In THE NEGROES' FRIEND. REFLECTIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR. "Largeness of heart even as the sand by the sea shore." this respect we have been most in- | redeemed us, and to the Holy Spirit consistent as Christians, who are who hath sanctified us, and will make commanded to abstain from the us meet, we trust, to be partakers with appearance of evil; for whilst we the saints in glory everlasting. In profess to abhor slavery, by the con- the love of the Gospel, sumption of its produce we give the Believe me, yours affectionately, planter a bounty for its production, and afford him the means of its perpetuation. Would to God that the holy consistency and decision of the apostle Paul had been uniformly manifested on this subject as it was by him in reference to meat-that ne would eat no more whilst the world stood, if it made his brother to offendand then slavery, with all its cruelties and crimes, would long since have ceased. And the principal reasons why it has not amongst sincere Christians, arises, I believe, from the prevailing ignorance of the nature and evils of slavery, and the almost total absence till lately, of public and private prayer to God for his effectual blessing to succeed the efforts" made for the total and immediate abolition of so great an evil throughout the British colonies and dependencies. My heart's desire and prayer to God, therefore, is, should we be spared to see another year, we may commence and continue it under a deep sense of our wickedness as a nation, of the misery and crime that have been inflicted by our means, although, perhaps, ignorantly, by many persons, on more than 800,000 of our un offending African brethren; and that we may individually ask ourselves, under a deep consciousness of our indifference, lukewarmness, and sinfulness, "Lord, what wouldst thou have me to do ?" and never cease our efforts or our prayers until slavery is abolished, and the blessings of civil and religious liberty are fully and freely enjoyed by every British subject in the colonies of our sinful, but highly-favoured country. And then we will unite together in ascribing all the praise and glory to God who hath loved us, to Christ who hath "Ask what I shall give thee." READER, hast thou ever asked for a large heart-a large heart to feel for the miseries of a perishing world -a large heart to feel abounding love to the Redeemer a large heart to be full of holy useful projects for doing good? if not, you have forborne to ask what would make your light shine in the, world,” and bring a large revenue of glory to the Lord. Well, be it so, that hitherto you have not asked largely for spiritual blessings-yet now beginwith this new year begin a new course of duties and engagements in the Redeemer's service. There is every thing in him, and his blessed promises-every thing in your own helplessness and lukewarmness— every thing in the condition of those by whom you are surrounded, to call forth your prayers for this blessing-would you be holy and consistent as a Christian-would you become a blessing to others--would you do good in the world-would you desire to see the kingdom of the Saviour come with almighty power around-would you see pentecostal seasons to bless the world and to gladden the church, then ask largely pray that you may possess "largeness of heart," and feel deeply in every thing calculated to promote the best interests of your own soul, and the glory of that dear Saviour you have professed to serve.-Think |