addressed to men as sinners against God; that it makes known the way of escape from a state of disobedience; of restoration, by pardon of sin, and renovation of heart, to the favour and friendship of God. Still however the law is there. It is there that men may be convinced of sin, and shewn their need of mercy; that they may be constrained to believe by the view of their necessities, "The law is a schoolmaster to lead us unto Christ."

But there cannot be two distinct laws, or rules of duty. The moral law of revelation is the same as was the moral law in the heart of the first man; and so far, that department of revelation may be called a re-publication of the law of nature. The special discoveries of the gospel present new and peculiar motives to obedience, motives which appeal to the obligations under which the saved sinner lies, to the mercy that saved him. But revelation makes no change in the great principles of moral rectitude; the specialities of duty inculcated in it are no more than the exercise, modified by the circumstances in which men are placed by the gospel, of these great duties.

Those, therefore, who object to the admission of revelation as the standard of rectitude and rule of moral duty to man, forget that the principles of virtue, contained in revelation, are the same as those originally subsisting and operating in the human heart ; that the reason why these principles are not universally acted upon is, the fallen, guilty, and miserable condition of man.

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Had revelation been a mere re-publication of the law unaccom panied by any provision for the pardoning of human guilt, it could have administered no comfort to fallen and guilty man. By the law is the knowledge of sin." The sinner would have had presented to him solely a fuller view of the enormity of his guilt. The multitude of his sins would have stood before him in more dreadful and appalling array; but no means of pardon and reconciliation would have been held out.

The exhibition of the law, however, is not the sole object of revelation. The principles and requirements of Divine morality are authoritatively stated, and guarded by terrific sanctions. But this is rendered subservient to the main design, which is one of mercy; which has for its object, to restore fallen, yet immortal creatures to the happiness which they had lost, to the full enjoyment of God to all eternity. ONESIMUS.

THE BIBLE THE BEST TEACHER.

"WE think that, in our own day, there is a strong disposition to put aside the Bible, and to seek out other agency in accomplishing results which God has appointed it to effect. We fear, for example, that the intellectual benefits of scriptural knowledge are well nigh entirely overlooked; and that in the efforts to raise the standard of mind, there is little or no recognition of the mighty principle that the Bible out-weighs ten thousand encyclopædias. And we are fearful on your account, lest something of this substitution of human literature for divine should gain footing in your households. We fear lest, in the business of education you should separate broadly that teaching which has to do with the salvation of the soul, from that which has to do with the improvement of the mind. The entering a room gracefully is a vast deal more attended to than the entering into heaven; and you would conclude that the grand thing for which God had sent the child into the world, was that it might catch the Italian accent, and be quite at home in every note of the gamut. Christianity, indeed, is not at variance with the elegancies of life: she can use them as her handmaids, and give them a beauty of which, out of her service, they are utterly destitute. We wage no war therefore with accomplishments any more than with the solid acquirements of a liberal education. We are only anxious to press on you the necessity that ye make religion the basis of your system. We admit in all its breadth the truth of the saying, that knowledge is power-aye, a fatal power and a perilous. Neither the might of armies, nor the scheming of politicians, avails anything against this power. We want not to set bounds to the amount of knowledge which you strive to impart. But never let this remembrance be swept from your minds, that to give a child knowledge without endeavoring at the same time to add to knowledge, godliness, is to do your best to throw the momentum of the giant into the arm of the idiot; to construct a machinery which may help to move a world, and to leave out the spring which would insure its moving it only towards God. We would have you shun, even as you would the tampering with an immortality deposited in your keeping, the imitating what goes on in a thousand of the households of a professedly christian neighbourhood-the children can pronounce well, and they can step

well, and they can play well; the mother proudly exhibits the specimens of proficiency in painting, and the father dwells with an air of delight on the progress made in Virgil and Homer-but if you enquire how far these parents are providing for their own in the things of eternity, why, the children have perhaps learned the church catechism, and they read a chapter occasionally on a Sunday afternoon. And that ye may avoid the mistake into which as we think, the temper of the times is but too likely to lead you, we would have you learn, from the subject that has now been discussed, that in educating your children for the next life, you best educate them for the present. We give it you, as a truth made known to us by God, and at the same time demonstrable by reason, that in going through the courses of Bible instruction there is a better mental discipline, whether for a child or an adult, than in any of the cleverly-devised methods for opening and strengthening the faculties. We say not that the study of scripture should exclude other studies, or be substituted for them. Natural philosophy is not to be learned from scripture, nor general history. But we say that scriptural study should be at once the ground-work and companion of every other; and that the mind will advance with the firmest and most dominant step into the various departments of knowledge, when familiarized with the truths of revelation, and accustomed to walk their unlimited spreadings. If parents had no higher ambition than to make their children intellectual, they would act most shrewdly by acting as though desirous to make their children religious." REV. H. MELVILL.

THE AMERICAN INDIANS.

(From the "Backwoods of Canada."”)

THESE Indians are scrupulous in their observance of the sabbath, and show great reluctance to having any dealings in the way of trading, or pursuing their usual vocations of hunting or fishing on that day. 'Tis sweet to hear the Indians singing their hymns of a Sunday night; their rich soft voices rising in the still evening air. I have often listened to this little choir praising the Lord's name in the simplicity and fervour of their hearts; and have felt it was a reproach that these poor half-civilized wanderers should alone be found to gather together to give glory to God in the wilderness.

I was much pleased with the simple piety of our friend the hunter Peter's squaw, a stout swarthy matron of most amiable expression. We were taking our tea when she softly opened the door and looked in; an encouraging smile induced her to enter, and depositing a brown papouse (Indian for baby or little child,) on the ground, she gazed round with curiosity and delight in her eyes. We offered her some tea and bread, motioning to her to take a vacant seat beside the table. She seemed pleased by the invitation, and drawing her little one to her knee, poured some tea into the saucer, and gave it to the child to drink. She ate very moderately, and when she had finished, rose, and wrapping her face in the folds of her blanket, bent down her head on her breast in the attitude of prayer. This little act of devotion was performed without the slightest appearance of pharisaical display; but in singleness and simplicity of heart. She then thanked us with a face beaming with smiles and good humour; and taking little Rachel by the hand, threw her over her shoulder with a peculiar sleight, that I feared would dislocate the tender thing's arms, but the papouse seemed well satisfied with this mode of treatment. The squaws are most affectionate to their little ones; gentleness and good humour appear distinguishing traits in the tempers of the female Indians; whether this be natural to their characters, the savage state, or the softening effects of christianity, I cannot determine. Certainly, in no instance does the christian religion appear more lovely, than when untainted by the doubts and infidelity of modern sceptics, it is displayed in the conduct of the reclaimed Indian breaking down the strong-holds of idolatry and natural evil; and bringing forth the fruits of holiness and morality. They may be said to receive the truths of the gospel as little children, with simplicity of heart, and unclouded faith. Camberwell.

C.

DEVOTIONAL POETRY.

THERE is an idea prevalent, among men of the world, with respect to religious poetry, that it must necessarily display less genius than that which is wholly dedicated to the description of the beauties of mere external nature, without any reference to their Divine Author, or the celebration of the charms of mere

creature-beauty. It is, indeed, deeply to be regretted, that the generality of poets have not been of a religious disposition; nay that many of their strains are replete with open and avowed profanity. Still there are some on whose classic works the christian can dwell with peculiar pleasure, and reap from them both profit and delight. The subjects of religious poetry are as much elevated above those of the mere secular poet, as the things of eternity are superior in interest and durability to the things of time: the fadeless glories of heaven to the transitory splendours of earth.

The end of true poetry is not solely to impart delight; but also to be subservient to useful purposes. It is not the less the temple of wisdom to which it leads the way, because it conducts its followers, not by the thorny road of disputation, but along a way strewed with flowers of different hues, and presenting at every turn varied and beautiful prospects. It appeals to the deep and hidden sympathies of man's nature, not that it may pervert, but that it may guide them into the paths of virtue. It renders the heart open to all kindly and generous emotions.

Poetry, moreover, is the child of devotion; and in the days of old knew no other language than that of its parent. When it passed beyond this limit it lost much of its force, and became a partaker of the dulness and dimness of earth. Instead of shining with clear brilliancy, brightening the path of life, it has too often proved a light which leads astray"-ministering to the worst passions and propensities of the depraved heart of man.

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Devotional poetry is divine in its origin. Almighty inspiration tuned the hearts of the Hebrew bards,-prompting David, "the sweet singer of Israel," to strike the chords; and tuned the heavenstrung harp of Isaiah. Solemn and refreshing were the strains uttered by the Hebrew poets, from the period at which Moses chanted the triumphal song of the restoration of God's chosen people from the bondage of Egypt, when the prisoners were set free; and the wail of the lonely captive was exchanged for the gladsome song of joy and deliverance.

To the devotional poet is opened up an inexhaustible store of sublime conception-lofty imagery, and holy contemplation: "joys with which a stranger intermeddleth not." When spring clothes the earth with beauty and verdure, he will perceive his Creator's smile winning fallen and apostate man back to his favour, and