world." How great the number of topics sometimes discussed; how great the variety of sentiments expressed; how varied also the talent displayed, and the traits of character exhibited! I have, when away from home, sat, and quietly listened to discussions on business, politics, revelry, physiology, character, morals, religion, &c., all mixed up in an evening's chat. You hear a great deal that is very absurd, indeed worse than absurd, as well as clever, and entertaining, and useful advanced; and it must be a dull mind indeed that would not cull some useful instruction and improvement from the mass.

I looked at the young man, the subject of the remarks before alluded to, with a great deal of interest. He was, to appearance, a very amiable and well-disposed person, of superior manners and address: humility, and deference to others, shone conspicuously in his demeanour during the hour I was in his company. I had no opportunity of speaking to him in private; and as I have no knowledge of his name, and as memory fails to trace his person, it is very improbable that our acquaintance will ever be renewed. May the rich influences of the Holy Spirit profusely bedew his soul, so that he may "flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon."

The after part of the day was beautifully fine, and I much enjoyed a rapid sail towards home, on the smooth water of the Bristol Channel.

Very often indeed, since the evening of the Bible Society's meeting at Dowlais, has memory vividly presented to my mind the various circumstances of that interesting evening; and those two Welsh words, "Heb-Dduw"! How full are they of the most important considerations ! How deeply do they concern every individual in existence! How very often have I asked myself the question" What is it to be without God?" and have found the enquiry interesting and profitable.

My dear young friends, it requires very little spiritual discernment to enable us to determine that the blasphemer of God's holy name, the swearer, the drunkard, the openly irreligious and profane are very evidently living" without God in the world.”

But this state does not consist entirely in living an openly profligate life, or in denying the existence of God with our lips. The more you become acquainted with Scripture, the greater cause you will see for fearing that many persons of fair reputation, who are respected and caressed by their fellow-creatures-many strictly moral persons, are also "without God in the world." Yes, my dear young friends, we are warranted by Scripture in saying that every merely moral person-who does not possess anything above, beyond mere morality, no principles which take a deeper root, and have a greater influence than moral principles is "without God," because morality in itself does not constitute godliness, but is distinct, and altogether different from it; it is different in its motives, intentions, desires, its aims, and ends. Godliness cannot exist without morality; but morality may exist without godliness, and without any reference to God: the man who professes to deny the existence of God, may be a most exemplarily moral man. The question is still unanswered. I conclude that to be without God, is to be living habitually without a realizing, influential, and prevailing sense of God's constant, and all pervading presence; to disregard the superlative excellency and dignity of his character; not to feel, and consequently, not to acknowledge God's supremacy in all things; not to exercise an uniform, and implicit reliance upon his good providence for the supply of all temporal wants, and upon his grace for the spiritual and eternal well-being of our souls; not to realize his power as our protection; his wisdom as our guide; his goodness as being the fountain head of all our enjoyment, and of every blessing; his mercy as the very cause of our continued existence here, and foundation of our hopes for an endless existence of perfect happiness hereafter. To be "without God," is to have constantly existing within us a disrelish for his service, a dislike of spiritual and heartfelt communion with him, and disinclination even to think of him: it is to be without his kind and valuable offices as a friend, without the endearments of his love as a father, without his pardoning mercy, without his sanctifying grace, and without pros

pect of living in his blissful, and sensible presence in eternity; not to be living a life devoted to his glory, not seeking supremely to do his will, not to have his love shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, and consequently not to have that Holy Spirit dwelling in us, without whom we cannot be his. O how lamentable is such a condition! How far from answering the great end of our being! To be in such a state is to exist only as the very weeds and refuse of God's beautiful creation. An angel may well weep over us tears of sorrow while in such a state, may well groan over such a living death. But to assume its highest importance, the question must be personal. Am I"without God"? If so, how many unspeakably precious privileges, and durable enjoyments; how many present real benefits, and noble expectations am I therefore deprived of! Far better that I had never had existence than to continue to live, and to die in such a state.

As a Teacher, am I "without God"? If so, then I am a real cumberer of the ground in God's vineyard, and cannot possibly prove anything but unprofitable, and injurious. I am unfruitful myself, and am excluding the fertilizing dews, and invigorating and beautifying light of heaven from others, and so hinder and stop the general thriving and fruitfulness. I cannot possibly begin the good work with right motives; I cannot have a right end in view, even the eternal salvation of those whom I teach; I cannot use right means for that purpose, or use the means aright, if I teach "without God." Such teaching must, of course, to say the least of it, be weak, insipid, and spiritless; and can never be instrumental in producing the fruit of true godliness.

And, my dear young friends, the question is full of interest to each of you: "Am I, a scholar, without God'"? may each one of you say; and I would affectionately address the question to each of you individually : Are beloved you, young friend, living without God in the world" "? It is highly dangerous to do so. You are immortal; each of you possesses an undying soul; if you are careless of the best interests of your soul by living in entire forgetfulness of God, now while you are

young, the more likely is it that you will grow up to manhood in the same state, and become more careless of that precious treasure. And it may be, that having passed the best years of your life, your youth, in refusing God the services which you might have rendered, and which, had you spiritual discernment, you would consider yourself highly privileged in being allowed to give; and having entered the age of manhood without God," it may please God to determine that you shall never have desires after himself given you; and having lived without him here, he will separate you eternally from himself hereafter, and between you and the bright abodes of eternal bliss there will be a 66 great gulf for ever fixed." You will then have the deep and dreary shadows of hopeless despair ever brooding over and resting on your soul, and will for ever exist without

God;" cut off from the source of spiritual life, and spring of all blessedness, a withering, but deathless being, filled with everlasting shame, remorse, and misery.

But, beloved young friends, we would fain be persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, although we thus speak, and trust that it will please God to make you "fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and build you up in your most holy faith, on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." And the "goodness of God having led you to repentance"-to an entire change of mind and heart before him-you may each with those hearts overflowing with love, and gratitude, and praise, and with humble assurance say "This God is my God for ever and ever: he shall be my guide even unto death."

OMEGA.

EFFECTS OF NEWSPAPER AND NOVEL
READING ON THE MIND.

I WOULD that every educated person could be persuaded, for his soul's sake, to spare some little time daily from

the business of his worldly profession, and the reading of newspapers and other like publications, to the reading of the Bible, and such histories of the world as bear the most undoubted evidence to the fulfilment of prophecy. I declare that I scarcely know any weapon in the hand of our spiritual enemy more fatal to men's souls, more powerful to call us off from the knowledge of truth and the way of salvation, than a daily newspaper and a library of novels. I am not now speaking of the falsehoods, or the inflammatory matter and language with which newspapers too often abound, setting men's minds -nay, the whole world, on fire. I am simply meaning here, the power which they so extensively and unhappily exercise, to call off the mind from seeking after and attaining to the knowledge of those solemn and vital truths of God's holy word, on which their everlasting happiness depends. I once took in a daily paper at a very exciting period, the passing of the Reform Bill. It cost me four hours a day to read it: it interested the feelings, it roused the passions, it absorbed, it weakened, it wasted the powers of the mind. I was fit for nothing afterwards which required thought and attention and application. Much the same effects are produced by works of fiction: they draw us off from useful knowledge, and unfit us for acquiring it.

In reference to the mischievous effects of such reading in early life, Dr. Arnold has the following observation :"Childishness in boys, even of good abilities, seems to me to be a growing fault, and I do not know to what to ascribe it, except to the great number of exciting books of amusement, like Pickwick and Nickleby, Bentley's Magazine, &c. These completely satisfy all the intellectual appetite of a boy, which is rarely very voracious, and leave him totally palled, not only for his regular work, which I could well excuse in comparison, but for good literature of all sorts, even for history and for poetry."-Fowle's Memoranda for 1846 and 1847.