ine spirit of penitence! What an outrage on the rights. and feelings of humanity! Talk of Catholic penance, after this mummery of Protestant Popery! Think of the eyes of this congregation of Christians glowering down to witness the arrows of conviction transfixing the guilty souls of the unrepentant sinners in the six pews! If ever the assertion of the preacher could be true, that he " saw the Devil looking out of the eyes of his hearers," that must have been the moment; yes, the devil of sanctimoniousness-the devil of pharisaism,-Sit by yourselves in these six pews, ye sinners; come not near to me, for I am holier than you! And what are the mighty results arising from all this turmoil? We quote some of them from Mr. Burns's relation to the Presbytery: "Several came with levity of mind, and went away deeply impressed." "One or two could not get away, but remained over Monday." "A woman from Airdrie much impressed by the preaching. She left the field, and retired for prayer. After a little, some praying people followed her, and conversed with her. She seems to have undergone a complete change, and went away in a composed frame." "A young gentleman of Glasgow came with some indefinite notion of good, or of being pleased, and went home a new man in Christ Jesus." "Several cases of whole houses being really converted." "Ninety new communicants were added, varying in age from twelve to seventy years." Scarcely a single instance of intoxication, or any approach to it, has been observed in the whole multitude assembled; whereas formerly, the prevalence of this, and the quarrels it engendered, brought dishonour on tent-preaching, and in fact extinguished it." 66 What a melancholy confession is this! Strange subject for boasting! What would the world say, should the "Christian Pioneer," in giving an account of a Christian Unitarian Association, record as an interesting and gratifying fact-a proof of the improved morality of Christian Unitarians, that "scarcely a single instance of intoxication" "has been observed" at the meeting. Yet it should seem, that that which to Christian Unitarians would be indelible disgrace, is, by a clergyman of the Church of Scotland, considered a matter of congratulation, because at Calvinistic sacraments "formerly, the prevalence of " intoxication, "and of quarrels" "engendered" by it, "brought dishonour on tent-preaching, and in fact extinguished it." After all, then, Mr. Burns's illustrious namesake was right in his descriptions of the folly and fanaticism, the hypocrisy and profanity, the superstition and immorality of these Calvinistic gatherings; and the Holy Fair" is no caricature. 66 Nor is this all. Notwithstanding all these efforts, these street exhibitions of piety, this parade of conversion, the work has been very imperfectly accomplished. Mr. Burns admits, "The enemy, the Devil, has also been among us, and is doubtless busy now, more so than at the time of this dispensation. We are not ignorant of his devices." If the latter clause of this statement be veritable, some persons may congratulate the people of Kilsyth, on their being blessed with so gifted a spiritual watchman; but knowing, as we do, that in America, some of the leading instruments in getting up Revivals, have, once and again, subsequently confessed they were the work of the Devil, it may be, that Kilsyth will not prove an exception to the humiliating acknowledgment. And what is the strongest argument adduced by the minister of Kilsyth in favour of Revivals? It is this: Assuredly, these means must be used, otherwise our newly provided churches will remain unoccupied, and to a great degree useless." When these churches were proposed to be built, it was repeatedly averred that they were needed for the increased population; that the people were crying out for their erection; and that so eager were they for them, that crowds would fill them, even to overflowing. But now, it seems, they will remain "unoccupied," and be "to a great degree useless," unless Revivals can be kindled. If so, fraud and falsehood have been busy at their nefarious work. Better even yet, however, that they should remain empty, than be filled by the desecration of religion and the outrage of decency. 66 The movement at Kilsyth, induced others to come forward in the same work. At Finnieston, Glasgow, a prayer-meeting was composed of very young men, we would suppose from ten to eighteen years of age." "The whole of these young disciples were very loose, and some of them very profligate boys." We take our statements from the printed account, which has been so eagerly circulated throughout the City. From the same authority we learn, that the lad most fluent in prayer at this meeting, was a boy who could not read. The narrator rejoices in this melancholy fact, evidently wishing the impression to be made, that the boy's gift of prayer was supernaturally induced. He should rather have hid his face for very shame, that, in a city such as Glasgow, it was possible any lad could attain fifteen years of age and be destitute of education. Nor have boys alone taken part in the proceedings, as the following placard will testify:-"Lectures on the Trinity, in the Mechanics' Institution Hall, North Hanover-street: Agnes Walker will prove, from the Old and New Testament Scriptures, that the THREE-ONE GOD was made known unto Adam when in the Garden of Eden, and likewise down to the coming of Messiah. The Lectures will commence on Tuesday evening, 8th October, 1839, and will continue for three weeks, every Tuesday and Friday evening, from 8 till 10 o'clock. Tickets for the whole course, One Shilling; Single Tickets, Threepence." This exhibition was also most melancholy. The passage which seemed to have most power on the mind of the lecturer, was that in Zechariah xi. 7, "And I took unto me two staves, the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock." These words were dilated on at great length. Beauty was declared to be Christ, God the Son; and Bands was affirmed to be God, the Holy Ghost; and truth had been miraculously revealed to the lecturer, and her words were the words of inspiration! This was too much even for the gullibility of the self-styled "religious public," and the course was stopped short, we understand, with the second lecture. "Lectures on the Revival of Religion, to be delivered in Albion Church, on Sabbath evenings," and "re-delivered on each succeeding Monday evening in St. George's Church," Glasgow, by clergymen of the Established Church, of Larbert, Edinburgh, Paisley, Kilsyth, Glasgow, were begun November 3, and are to continue to the 3d February. Nor have the various Dissenting churches been idle in the matter. In the first blush of the Kilsyth movement, one of the Relief ministers affirmed he had little doubt this was the advent of the millennium; and various efforts were made to create excitement in many congregations. Had the people not been wiser than their pastors, these efforts might possibly have availed. Whether the extravagancies witnessed in various quarters had made them wary, or the spirit of commerce was stronger than the spirit of Calvinism, or that, despite the baleful principles of their creed, experience had taught them that practice was preferable to lip-profession, and that piety and benevolence were religion,-certain it is, that, with few exceptions, the movement has been a failure in this City. Language of the most fearful and appalling description has indeed in some instances been employed; scenes most revolting have been witnessed; "converting souls" has been as glibly talked about as if the process resembled that of a manufactory conducted by steam; but nevertheless, the community at large have not taken part in the insanity. As a specimen of the gibberish that is current amongst some of those whom fanaticism has led captive, the following may suffice; it was left at the door of Mr. Harris's residence on the Sunday he was to preach on Revivals: "Rev. George Harris, 27 Abbotsford-Place. "Behold I am among you, and ye are none of mine. I am he who was, and is, and ever will be. I am come the second time, and ye cannot see me, and you that hath seen me, hold your peace, till I see you again, or I will blot your name out of the book of life, saith the Lord. Lo, I have made all things for my own glory; what will I do with you, when I have cast some of my own angels into hell? O ye that speak from high places, and have sought them for your own lusts, ye shall never enter into the kingdom of Heaven. I am sick of you, and I will spew you out. Ye have sought the praise of men, and not my glory. Behold, the time is coming, when there will be no need for you, for I will write my law in their hearts. Ye hypocrites, who are trying to open your brother's eye, before your own is opened. Behold, the days are now coming, when you shall be cast into everlasting darkness, and they that are opposing my word, I have numbered their days, saith the Lord. O my people, fear not; come out from among them, for I will have patience no longer. Ye are despised and rejected, because ye are poor in this world; but I will make you rich throughout eternity; fear not; I know you are set at nought, because you have not the wisdom of this world. But I will confound them, they that are wise in their own hearts. I am now come the second time. I have poured out my spirit upon the young: they tremble because of this. Ye will perish, because ye trusted in your own strength. Behold, I am come the second time. will judge ye; time is no longer. I am among you, and ye see me not. Mine angel is out to smite thee, and this is the Word of God." I How often has religion been wounded by its professed friends! The more obligatory is it on those who know, by happy experience, that it is a principle of moral power, of love, and of a sound mind, to do their utmost to vindicate the purity of its nature, and manifest in their lives its peaceful and blessed influences. The only true Revival of Religion, is that which makes men more wise, more virtuous; which leads them to the more faithful practice of duty; which binds them in bonds of affection and brotherhood; which leads them in thought, word, and deed, to the reverence and love of God in Christ Jesus. Such a Revival comes not by sudden illuminations, by supernatural force. It is the result of serious inquiry, conscientious conviction, persevering labour, consistent, honest, faithful, virtuous conduct, crowned and sanctified by devotion, purity, charity, the manifestation of every Christian excellence. "The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more, unto the perfect day." SNOW-FLAKES. WHY do you come to earth in fleecy crowds? C |