tianityShe sheddeth no man's blood-she putteth no man to the rack for his faith-she oppresseth no man-she defraudeth no man-on the contrary-she suffereth long and is kind-she envieth not-she is not easily provoked-her language is" Peace on earth and good will to men." This christianity of the gospel is the last best gift of God to man-the revolutions of states and empires have been rendered subservient to its progress, by the conduct of an over-ruling Providence-and it shall go on from conquering unto conquer, until the earth is full of the knowledge of God, as the waters cover the sea.

THE WHEEL OF LIFE.

PART THE FOURTH.

In our last we took a cursory survey of its roll through ages and empires,-let us now descend to the lower walks of this great amphitheatre, and we shall find that precisely the same springs animate the great portion of its operations in these departments—it would pollute our page to recite the numberless instances of low intrigue by which persons destitute of religion and honour, have obtained fortunes and offices of trust; and by which they have accomplished the ruin of families-the history of these occurrences for quarter of a century in a very small district of country, would alone fill a volume-if we add to this the scandalous neglect of the comfort and

morals of the poor-the education of their children-and of insane persons in the lower classess of society-at least in many parts of this neglected land, we must acknowledge that virtue has not as yet become the main spring even of the lower wheel of life-it is however pleasant to hope that its credit is gaining ground, and that even at this period with the assistance of supernatural aid, it sometimes gains the ascendancy of its rival.

THE BALM OF GILEAD.

AN ALLEGORY.

This sovereign simple has been greatly adulterated by the mismanagement of unskilful botanists in every country-not careful to preserve unmixed the artless seed, in process of time it became so deformed, as to require the most profound sagacity to distinguish it from its multiplied spurious imitations-It had been transferred pure in the early ages of christianity, from Judea where it originated, into almost every soil in the then known world, and the demand for it became prodigious, in consequence of the cures which it effected; but the doctors of that age, like many of their successors, were averse to its propagation, for it purged the mental as well as the visual ray, cleansed leapers, and even animated putrefaction-the discovery of such a simple, was the death-warrant of abeir fame and fortune-and it is therefore almost unne

cessary to inform my readers, that they conspired its destruction the better to accomplish their design, they obtained the enaction of a law, by which it was rendered penal for a Jewish botanist to persevere in his profession, or even so much as to name the detested balm-the doctors of their own province led the van in this conspiracy of mankind; or to speak with propriety of language, were its first instruments-for it is supposed that the plan was originally laid by their prince, who is a sworn enemy to the art of healing-In consequence of this edict, many botanists were put to death-for being lovers of mankind, they could not but recommend what they knew to be a universal restorative-and in the face of death and danger, they did plant and propagate it, in most parts of the then known world-and not only planted and propa gated, but even watered it with their blood, which was observed to agree extremely well with it-In process of time the prince at whose instigation these botanists were put to death, held a council in his dark dominions, and observed to his nobles and ministers in full assembly, that they had notwithstanding their long experience, been deceived as to the nature of the balm, but that of late he had discovered by virtue of a chemical process, that the seed of that plant was generated in blood divine-that it also contained a correspondent particle of celestial spirit— and that the blood of the martyrs, instead of extinguishing accelerated its growth, that thenceforth they must adopt a new plan of operations, as death could not destroy it-and instead of persecuting the successors of the botanists who had planted and watered it with their blood, we

shall, said he, pay them mock homage-we shall inspire the princes and kings of the earth, to erect temples to the memory of their ancestors-Riches and honours shall go forth to court their acceptance; they shall be nursed in the lap of ease, and pleasure shall allure them in all her enchanting forms, they shall fall greedily on the prey; and while contending for popedoms, bishoprics and pluralities, we shall destroy the good seed, and diligently sow our own-you know my friends, continues the arch fiend, that we cannot want means to effect our purposesall hell is before us, and as for the earth it is mine by forfeiture-proceed therefore into every part of it with confidence-carry implements of all sorts with you-study the nature of every soil-if it is impenetrable to pleasure, it may not to profit-if it resist both, besiege it with honours-if these fail, fill the atmosphere with pestilential vapour-from this engender every form of superstitionfill the earth with mock saints, serpents, owls, and every other species of deity-sow jealousies and divisions; and by all means separate man from man! fear not, my friends, the good seed shall soon disappear, or shall at least be driven from the haunts of men-I prognosticate that its first Planter will again revive it, but in the deep recesses of hell, I have still more refined weapons than those with which I now assault itGo and return victorious, and when this accursed plant again presumes to sprout forth its leaves, you shall receive my further directions-I need not inform my readers, how faithfully these legions of Lucifer fulfilled the commissions of ther master-Europe's direful tale for a thousand years

proclaim it on the house top-and although the plant whose leaves are for the healing of the nations still existhistorians assert, that it is only to be found in select nurseries, and private gardens.

DEVELOPEMENT

ог

THE HUMAN CHARACTER;

OR THE ORIGIN AND DESTINATION OF THE PASSIONS CONSIDERED.

The different passions of the human mind are undoubtedly of divine origin, and when the understanding is duly enlightened, and the will influenced to apply them to their proper objects and ends, are instrumental to form and perfect the human character-man's nature appears to me to be composed of three parts-the sensitive-the social-and the divine-there is a connexion between these, similar to the links of a chain extending from earth to heaven-sensitive gratification has earth for its objectthe social of man, comprehends the union of corporeal and intellectual enjoyment-but that state which is divine, and which has been experienced by many beneath the notice of the powerful, implies the transformation of the soul into the image of God, which is known nevertheless to be so far from destroying the corporeal and intellectual parts of our nature, that it sublimes and ele