CONTENTS. 162 Still men advance in talents, one and all, Or set like weasel traps, ensnare the knave; Man in a state of barbarism-Origin of civil society. Of Reforming Bess, with mighty feelings fraught, cities-Their good effects. Illustrated by a similitudeTheir corruption.-Insecurity of towns, on account of vice, fraud, rapine, and tyranny. Provoke Providence to disperse A sister queen to murder by her side, mankind again-the Steam-Engine sent for that purpose Pythagoras instructs the shades below; how sent-described.-Its effects. Citizens compelled to live TIME was, ere law and institute began, When tender Orpheus struck his awful lyre, Amphion next in bolder notes display'd His headlong rage; relent, with altered pace, throne. E'en so the savage tribes in cities clos'd, But, time proceeding, to mankind arose That e'er content with poverty could stay. In his once crowded philosophic school, Close on the borders of some lonely wood, Where late its mother and the shepherd stood, A poor forgotten lamb for pity bleats, Where on the mart can honesty resort? The lawyers quirk, the sneaking traders fraud, Thus towns to infamies of savage life Promiscuous love profanes our busiest streets, meets; Or else, with hair dishevelled, madly cries, My oaths are sand; say where in secret lies, When it was seen that men before the flood, Like individuals, and provoking give teem; The callow young are murderers ere they fly, screams, Wake sleeping vengeance to appall the Thames. To hail the hallow'd shrine; and daily fell But now th'avenging angel is ordain'd, When sin excessive grows, and conscience blind. Just as Great Britain's thunder-bearers roll Through ocean's vast expanse to either pole, Chastising piracy, rebellions, crime, In isle, bay, continent, of every clime; So this stern spirit with Nemesian rod, Steers through the troublous air the storm of God; More than Egyptian plagues, dispensing far, Where giant crimes provoke th'unequal war. Not more astounded were the Lernian frogs, When great king Block descending shook their bogs, Than the proud citizens of London town, By monstrous huge Steam-engine thund'ring down: Boiling with heat, and belching fiery smoke, The monster stood, and brought beneath his yoke Th' immediate vicinage, who vainly fled; As Myrra's child, from aromatic tree, As light'ning swift, and fill'd th' avengers hand, With hacking, cutting, breaking, hammering minstrelsy. The inward groanings shake contiguous walls, A few, like Capanens, their gore distill'd. 164 This engine sprung from so prodigious birth, With special murders terrified the earth. At noon the pestilence walks forth like night, With inky shroud defiling heavenly light. But yet these characters obscure express, To all who read phenomena, no less Than universal death, if they should dwell Where vengeance keeps the gloomy court of hell. As erst Achilles all the Trojan bands Dispers'd with armour-gleaming iron hands, Or Babel's clam'rous hoarse discordant tongues Spread through the world a flood of impious wrongs; So this dire monster emptied many a town, And cockney join'd in converse with the clown. Now men in fear from crowded streets withdraw, But not to live by simple food or law. Alcina's gardens, aromatic airs, Our painted ploughs and carts may haply The taste of lowing herd or bleating flock; The country maids their dairy dress with care, And eke themselves with neatness due prepare. Their love-sick idyls, and the maids beguile; The grove was Dianas temple, chaste as snow The convict in adultery, rich and gay, Yet softens and abates our wild desires; remove The antidote to towns, this Lemnian stove, 165 Night.-The Bards.-Human Life. For men assembled struggle to excel, And all on them their private vices fling. We in amazement for the issue wait, NIGHT. BY M. G. OF LIVERPOOL. The sable empress of the darkling night, Together vanish'd from the darken'd sight. The humble valley, and its flow'ry breast, She chang'd to blackness; and the aerial space eye; The verdant lowland's crystal winding stream, The beast to's grassy couch had slunk away; The foes of peaceful silence all had fled. For through the stagnant air no whisper Not e'en a motion rustled 'mongst the boughs; 166 The gentle gales had fann'd themselves to sleep; For Cynthia, with her numerous glitt'ring train, Reviv'd and cheer'd awaken'd nature's face. In hues more soft than when bright Sol was near. Transparent, smooth, the glassy ocean lay, While subjugated nature smil'd, resign'd: 167 On Conscience. On Conscience. MR. EDITOR, SIR, Your correspondent, J. B. of London, in col. 834, solicits an answer to the question-" What is Conscience?" This question, I am persuaded, deserves a very serious attention, because Christians, in general, appeal to the decisions of conscience in order to justify their deportment, and to prove that the tenets of their respective creeds bear the stamp of Divine authority. And if its decisions are not compatible with the doctrines of divine revelation, (as it may very possibly be the case,) the consequences produced may be of a serious nature. Of all that I have read on the subject, my judgment leads me to give the preference to Dr. Adam Clarke's definition, and which I consider to be rational, clear, and scriptural.-The following paragraphs, extracted from his learned Commentary, will, I think, form a "satisfactory reply" to J. B.'s question. Oct. 14. 1820. THEOLOGUS. "Conscience is defined by some to be 'that judgment which the rational soul passes on all her actions; and is said to be a faculty of the soul itself, and consequently natural to it. Others state, that it is a ray of divine light. Milton calls it God's umpire: and Dr. Young calls it a ‘god in man.' To me it seems to be no other than a faculty capable of receiving light and conviction from the Spirit of God: and answers the end, in spiritual matters, to the soul that the eye does to the body in the process of vision. The eye is not light in itself; nor is it capable of discerning any object, but by the instrumentality of solar or artificial light: but it has organs properly adapted to the reception of the rays of light, and the various images of the objects which they exhibit. When these are present to an eye, (the organs of which are perfect,) then there is a discernment of those objects which are within the sphere of vision; but when the light is absent, there is no perception of the shape, dimensions, size, or colour, of any object, howsoever entire or perfect the optic nerve and the different humours may be. "In the same manner, (comparing spiritual things with natural,) the Spirit of God enlightens that eye of the soul which we call conscience: it penetrates 6 168 it with its effulgence; and (speaking as human language will permit on the subject) it has powers properly adapted to the reception of the Spirit's emanations, which, when received, exhibit a real view of the situation, state, &c. of the soul, as it stands in reference to God and eternity. Thus, the Scripture says, The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, &c.' i. e. it shines into the conscience, and reflects throughout the soul a conviction (proportioned to the degree of light communicated) of condemnation or acquittance, according to the end of its coming. "Conscience is sometimes said to be good, bad, tender, seared, &c.—good, if it acquit or approve; bad, if it condemn or disapprove; tender, if it be alarmed at the least approach of evil, and severe in scrutinizing the actions of the mind or body; and seared, if it feel little alarm, &c. on the commission of guilt. But these epithets can scarcely belong to it, if the common definition of it be admitted; for, how can it be said there is a 'tender light,' a' dark or hardened light,' 'bad God,' &c. &c. But, on the other definition, these terms are easily understood, and are exceedingly proper: e. g. a good conscience is one to which the Spirit of God has brought intelligence of the pardon of all the sins of the soul, and its reconciliation to God through the blood of Christ; and this good conscience retained, implies God's continued approbation of such a person's conduct; see Acts xxiii. 1. 1 Tim. i. 5, 19; and here, Heb. xiii. 18. A bad, or evil, conscience,' supposes a charge of guilt brought against the soul by the Holy Spirit, for the breach of the Divine laws; and which He makes known to it by conscience, as a medium of conveying his own light to the mind, see Heb. x. 22. 1 Tim. iv. 2. Tit. i. 3. 'A tender conscience' implies one fully irradiated by the light of the Holy Ghost, which enables the soul to view the good as good, and the evil as evil, in every important respect; which leads it to abominate the latter, and cleave to the former; and, if at any time it act in the smallest measure opposite to these views, it is severe in its reprehensions, and bitter in its regret. A darkened or hardened conscience,' means one that has little or no selfreprehension for acts of transgression, but runs on in sin, and is not aware of the destruction that awaits it; heed less of counsels, and regardless of reproof. This state of the soul St. Paul calls by the name of a seared conscience,' or one cauterized by repeated applications of sin, and resistings of the Holy Ghost; so that, being grieved and quenched, He has withdrawn His light and influence from it. "The word conscience itself ascertains the above explication, with its deductions; being compounded of con, together, or with, and scio, to know, because it knows, or convinces, by or together with the Spirit of God. The Greek word avvenous, which is the only word used for conscience through the whole New Testament, has the very same meaning, being compounded of ovv, together, or with, and eww, to know. This is the same as ovvedno, which is the word generally used among ecclesiastical writers. "From the above view of the ject, I think we are warranted in drawing the following inferences : 170 the deficiency of the gift, but through the abuse of it. I conclude, that conscience is not a power of the soul, acting by or of itself; but a recipient faculty, in which that true light that lighteneth every man that cometh into the world, has its especial operation." ON CONSCIENCE. Reply by A. F. to a Query on Conscience, inserted col. 843. THE consciousness of good and evil is, I believe, respecting many actions, implanted in the mind by education. In our youth we are taught to distinguish virtue from vice, to respect the one and abhor the other; which, added to the hope of happiness in the next world, and the fear of eternal misery, early produce a deeply impressed prinsub-ciple of virtue. This, our memory, in all our thoughts or actions, presents to our view; and we then ask ourselves, if they are agreeable to it? It is the answer our understanding gives us, which produces that pleasure or pain we then feel. If the reply is satisfactory, the happiness resulting from having obeyed the commands of God, is heightened by the pleasing reflection, that we have supported our honour and virtue unsullied; if, on the contrary, we have yielded to temptation, we are overwhelmed with fear and shame. 1. All men have what is called conscience; and conscience plainly supposes the Light or Spirit of God. 2. The Spirit of God is given to enlighten, convince, strengthen, and bring men back to God. 3. Therefore, all men may be saved who attend to, and coincide with, the lights and convictions communicated; for the God of the Christians does not give men His Spirit to enlighten, &c. merely to leave them without excuse; but that it may direct, strengthen, and lead them to Himself, that they may be finally saved. 4. That this Spirit comes from the grace of God, is demonstrable from hence:-It is a good and perfect gift;' and St. James says, all such come from the Father of lights. Again, it cannot be merited, for as it implies the influence of the Holy Spirit, it must be of an infinite value, yet it is GIVEN ; that, then, which is not merited, and yet is given, must be of grace; not ineffectual grace, there is no such principle in the Godhead. 6 "Thus it appears all men are partakers of the grace of God, for all acknowledge that conscience is common to all; and this is but a recipient faculty, and necessarily implies the Spirit of grace, given by Jesus Christ; not that the world might be thereby condemned, but that it might be saved. Nevertheless, multitudes, who are partakers of this heavenly gift, sin against it, lose it, and perish everlastingly, not through No. 24.-VOL. III. But many, if we look around us, are not so conscious of the distinctions between good and evil. I conceive this depends upon the degree of information received; if we have never been taught that a thing is wrong, we cannot be aware, if we do it, that we are committing sin. Were a man from infancy to have no opportunity of intercourse with his fellow-creatures, and then be introduced into society, I believe he would be guided entirely by his will, without any ideas of right or wrong, to gratify all his desires. There are no men so ignorant as this; but the wild barbarians that inhabit some parts of the world are nearly as uninformed. They dare not injure one another, because they are afraid of revenge; or perhaps they have an idol, whom they fear to offend for the same reason. But civilize one of these, teach him the laws of man, and of Christianity, and his crimes multiply. Before, his only crimes were robbing or insulting his neighbour, or M |