pursuit in which man is engaged, and every incident which transpires, assumes peculiar dignity and importance when viewed in relation to futurity and if the threescore years and ten, the period allotted to human existence, be acknowledged a time of probation, on the due improvement of which is made to depend our eternal happiness, no action can appear trivial, no event insignificant. If the world we inhabit, and the stars which deck the firmament, whose existence is bounded by time, are the subjects of a divine power which orders their revolutions, and regulates their returning seasons; can we be lieve that man, the only rational part of the creation, and who alone survives the general wreck, forms no part of divine government, no object of peculiar care? If, to adjust the controversy, we appeal to the pages of inspiration, we there learn that not a single sparrow falls to the ground without the permission of heaven; and, that the divine providence descends to particulars so trivial and minute, as to number even the very “hairs of our head."

Nor are the lively oracles of truth deficient in instances which illustrate the application of this doctrine to distinet individuals. We there read of

Joseph, a youth enslaved by his brethren-imprisoned by his master-and who, at a subsequent period of life, by one of those extraordinary operations of providence which seldom occur, was elevated from the dungeon to the palace, and became the appointed almoner of heaven in the distribution of hoarded provision to almost famishing multitudes. We there learn, that the humble shepherd of Israel, although regarded as too insignificant by the members of his family to be presented to the prophet, was, however, the one chosen to sway the sceptre of the Jewish monarchy. The recorded miraculous interposition of heaven in preserving the three Hebrew believers from the devouring element of fire, confirms the pleasing and consoling fact, that Jehovah can even stay the operations of nature when they clash with the hopes and comforts of his people. But to the instances adduced, it may be replied, that they are unusual indications of a divine superintendence; which was exerted in behalf of particular indivi

duals, the frequent recurrence of which we are not justified in expecting. But the scriptures contain no sentiment to substantiate the propriety of such a remark and, in vindication of the contested doctrine, we might appeal to well-authenticated biography, which frequently contains incidents, so striking and unusual, as, if duly contemplated, would most probably exclude the doctrine of chance from the belief of the reader. In fine, we might appeal to your own individual historywe might urge you to take a retrospective glance of past occurrencesto contrast your past purposes with your present notions-to compare the associations you once formed, and those you now enjoy-to recollect the entire frustration of your fondest wishes, and the sudden accomplishment of unlooked-for incidents; and also to reflect on the slight occurrences which caused these extraordinary revolutions of character; and then conclude, if you can, that no divine Being, no superintending agent, presides over the separate operations of human nature.

Ir is an instructive, an amusing, and sometimes a humorous employment, to notice the actions of the various and discordant characters that think they have adopted religion, because they are distinguished by some kind of profession of it. It is now the fashion to be religious, and if a man be not very extravagant, or enthusiastical, or methodistical, he need not fear much disturbance in his religious exercises. It, therefore, might be naturally expected that numberless strange individuals, and inconsistent ones too, would be found bowing in the temple of God, when almost every one does so. People are various enough, and their peculiarities sufficiently marked in common life; but when they put on a garb of religion, and still retain the passions and feelings which caused those peculiarities, it seems as if they established for themselves some point in which their

unchristian religionists, scouring over the country in pursuit of their object: and then they advance one step farther, and, from being filled with so much religious knowledge, of a supe

Mankind either take up religion to follow it, and submit to its regulations in forming their character, or they do so, that they may serve their own ends by making it follow them. There are persons of this first class-who have been deeply impressed with the importance, and determined to obey the dictates, and abide by the results, of the gospel. These are the only true religionists, and having adopted Christianity as the rule and guide of their lives, we shall find that in all important respects they are alike: for the intention of the Bible is to level all the moral world, and all the moral actions and feelings of mankind, to one appointed standard of rectitude; to exalt the valleys, and make low the mountains and hills, and straighten the crooked, and make plain the rough ways. But we shall also find that there are different peculiarities in all religious, and even truly religious characters, that make a distinction between each of them; and it is likewise evident, that the second class of individuals mentioned above, viz. those who have taken up religion to make it bend to their conduct and help forward their particular and private designs-seize upon these peculiarities; and these, joined most commonly to an outwardly fair reputation, form the essential qualification and only part of their piety.

Thus we find a truly religious character loves to hear the word of God faithfully and skilfully preached, and in some, this love is carried to an itching desire after any individuals who do thus preach it.

Well, then, here is one who naturally has a great desire after novelty, and who possesses much curiosity of nature, and having secured a religious education, or adopted religion for fashion's sake, he indulges this desire and this curiosity, by running after all the "great preachers" that come in his road.

The present being an age of preaching, there are many noted and talented preachers in our nation, and, consequently, we behold flocks of these

glutted with talent or genius, they despise, absolutely despise, all those who cannot on a religious subject advance from the pulpit some brilliant or sparkling idea, and yet who preach the gospel sincerely and with fidelity. Thus it is not the gospel, but the genius and talent, they look for, which I will be bound to say they would find as much to their satisfaction, if the preacher would address his hearers on some literary subject, or on any astronomical, metaphysical, or political speculation, And perhaps there may be another reason why these individuals are so fond of hearing "great preachers," and posting after them thus, even in shoals.

They always, you know, Mr. Editor, are dressed in their best clothes, and on such occasions cut as great a dash as they can; and I have thought a great number of the people thus assembled, were collected together, not to hear, but to see; not to be instructed, but to be seen. There are nearly as many opportunities of displaying our personal attractions in a place of worship as there are in a theatre or a ball-room, and for the purpose of such display many deluded mortals are found there. And then, I am much mistaken if these circumstances have not affected the pulpit also.

There are men, who call themselves ministers of the gospel, and who point out the way of life, not to improve, but to amuse the people; and who strain their intellectual energies to help forward, what they conceive to be a beautiful simile, or to draw some unheard-of idea from a passage of God's holy word. I have occupied so much time in the consideration of the last mentioned facts, that I can only notice one other idea bearing upon the subject.

There are certain pious people who are bigoted to peculiar tenets which they have chosen to consider as right, and from which they have never parted, through the whole period of their Christian life; and, as might naturally be expected, there are people of a cavilling, uncharitable, and quarrelling disposition, who have turned

the holding and defending of which, they place all THEIR religion; and the dissent from which, they deem irreligion.

The folly of this idea may be seen, if we but attend to its mean, low, and worthless nature. It has something gloomy and merciless in it; something of hatred and unyielding ignorance, which betokens a narrow mind, that can only look at one part of a question, and which only looks at the outside even of that part, and never considers the mental and spiritual causes from which even these, their own opinions, spring. There is something in it, which, wanting vital piety, is so different from the gentle, mild, persuasive spirit of Christianity, that I wonder any one should be found who takes it as an equivalent for that spirit. It holds the rotten fruit, to the rejection of the sound, and busies and prides itself in its own rotten

ness.

Nearly allied to this character, and but little if any thing better, is that of the man who possesses theoretic instead of practical religion. The difference between the two is this: If the former (as has been before observed) takes the rotten fruit to the rejection of the sound, the latter takes the shell to the rejection of the kernel. He can defend Christianity against the Deist, and descant most eloquently on the superiority and merit of the gospel. But he goes no farther: and thus, if religion be a cure for a wound, he is like a wounded man who can praise a salve as efficacious to his recovery, and yet is fool enough not to apply it; if the gospel be meant to produce warmth, he, when chilled with frost, chuses to warm himself rather by the moon than the sun; or if he be blind, he wishes rather to hear tell of, or to speculate upon, the blessings of sight, than to feel them.

There are numberless other religious characters equally foolish and various. I need not advert to more of them. Those here introduced are sufficient to shew that piety consists not in outward professions, or any thing of the kind, and that those who take the shadow for the substance cheat 73.-VOL. VII.

ENGLISH LAW-MALICIOUS MISCHIEF. MR. EDITOR. SIR,-"Let not the sun go down upon your wrath," is one of the many positive injunctions which are clothed in that beautiful and expressive language, with which the sacred book of GOD abounds. I knew a person who was once very powerfully affected by the above exhortation of the holy apostle: he had taken umbrage at a near relative, for what he conceived to be an insufferable injury. He left off speaking to the offender; and for a few days manifested the most sullen reserve. One evening, however, when walking in some fields, whilst the austral breezes were playing amongst the foliage, which softly murmured as though conscious that the day was closing, he was particularly struck at the blaze of splendour which shone along the western skies: every cloud was tinged with the refulgent die; the windows of the distant cottage, and of the village church, alike shared in the grand illumination! The sun was going down,—my friend sighed—for it was going down upon his wrath. At this moment, the words of the apostle rushed remarkably upon his mind: Sol seemed to check the gilded wheels of his chariot, as if lingering to witness the offended pardon the offender: Satan strove for the mastership; but grace, almighty grace, outsped the wily fiend; my friend vowed, that the sun should not again go down upon his wrath! He kept his vow.

When a person is under the influence of malice, he is an enemy both to GOD and his fellow-creatures; his machinations are the offspring of hatred's prolific womb, and his works are the works of Satan, whose willing slave he becomes: he not unfrequently finds his own ruin and misery in endeavouring to injure others. He forgets his own dignity, and ignominiously stoops to actions both of cruelty and cowardice; for it very often happens that persons, when offended at

D

their neighbours, do not rest satisfied with merely traducing the characters of the offending parties, but they also endeavour to do them some malicious mischief in their property.

Lord Bacon, speaking of revenge, says, "It is a kind of wild justice, which the more man's nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out: for as for the first wrong, it doth but offend the law, but the revenge of that wrong putteth the law out of office. Certainly, in taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior; for it is a prince's part to pardon: and Solomon, I am sure, saith, It is the glory of a man to pass by an offence.'

6

The late Professor Christian, when noticing the species of destruction of property, observes, that, to set fire to barns, or stacks of corn, or hay; or to maim or kill another's cattle; are crimes much more atrocious than theft; the motive is of a far more malignant nature; the injury to the owner may be more extensive than any theft and this species of crime produces a total loss to the public; whereas, in theft, the thing is still of equal benefit to the public, whether it be in one hand or in another.

Mr. Justice Blackstone says, that malicious mischief is, by the law, considered as a public crime. This is such as is done, not animo furandi, or with intent to gain by another's loss; which is some, though a weak, excuse; but either out of a spirit of wanton cruelty, or black and diabolical revenge.

To counteract the evils of malicious mischief, the senate has enacted many wholesome statutes; statutes that carry with them evidence of that care and foresight which the legislature has evinced towards the peace and welfare of the people; and statutes which, like the laws of China, should be made publicly known; so that offenders, having them constantly before their eyes, may have no excuse of ignorance of their prohibitions and injunctions, in the commission of crime, or the neglect of duty."

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The statutes alluded to, are13th Edw. I. c. 46, whereby, to overthrow a hedge or dyke in the night-time, the offender (by 3 and 4 Edw. VI. c. 3,) is subject to treble damages. And by 9 Geo. III. c. 29,

to destroy or damage any fence for dividing or enclosing any common, waste, or other lands or grounds, divided by authority of parliament, is felony.

37 Hen. VIII. c. 6, by which, to cut out, or cause to be cut out, the tongue of any tame beast alive, belonging to another person, incurs treble damages to the party, and a fine of ten pounds to the king.

22 and 23 Car. II. c. 7, whereby, if any person shall, in the night-time, maliciously, unlawfully, and wilfully kill or destroy any horses, sheep, or other cattle, he shall be guilty of felony; or if he shall, in the night-time, maliciously, unlawfully, and wilfully maim, wound, or otherwise hurt any horses, sheep, or other cattle, whereby the same shall not be killed or destroyed, he shall forfeit treble damages. And also, maliciously, unlawfully, and wilfully, in the nighttime, to burn, or cause to be burnt, or destroyed, any ricks or stacks of corn, hay, or grain, barns, houses, buildings, or kilns, is felony; but the offender may make his election to be transported for seven years.

9 Geo. I. c. 1, by which, any person who shall unlawfully, and malicously, kill, maim, or wound any cattle, whether by night or by day, shall be guilty of felony.

To bring the offender within the penalty of this act, it has been decided (before Mr. Justice Heath, at Gloucester,) that the malice must be conceived against the owner of the cattle; for if it appear to be against the cattle only, and not against the owner, the offender is not within the act. [Perhaps this is, in a measure, remedied by the statute 3 Geo. IV. c. 71, for preventing cruelty to animals. Vide col. 439, vol. VI. of this magazine.]

EDWARD CROMWELL BROWN. (To be continued.)

SINGULAR ACT OF FREAKISH GENEROSITY IN A MISER.

Nor many miles from the city of Hereford, about fifty years ago, lived a farmer of the name of Harris. He was extremely shrewd, industrious, and fortunate; he earnestly desired, and eagerly grasped after, riches; Providence favoured his endeavours, and they flowed into his bosom in a