that we should never take God's name in vain; never speak lightly of his word nor his worship; never charge him foolishly; never murmur under any of his dispensations. It requires that we extol his perfections, and recommend his service. "Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion; for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee." So will you render the calves of your lips. Who can reflect upon all this, and not see his daily, his hourly danger? Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth: keep the door of my lips."-Jay.

BE GENTLE.-I walked into the village where the boat stopped for the night, and found the worshippers of Cali by the sound of their drums and cymbals. I did not speak to them, on account of their being Bengalees; but, being invited to walk in by the Brahmans, I walked within the railing, and asked a few questions about the idol. The Brahman, who spoke bad Hindostani, disputed with great heat, and his tongue ran faster than I could follow, and the people, who were about one hundred, shouted applause. But I continued to ask my questions without making any remarks upon the answers. I asked, among other things, whether what I had heard of Vishnu and Brahma were true, which they confessed. I forbore to press him with the consequences, which he seemed to feel, and so I told him what was my belief. The man grew quite mild, and said it was chula bat (good words), and asked me seriously at last, what I thought-was idol worship true or false? I felt it a matter of thankfulness that I could make known the truth of God, though but a stammerer, and that I had declared it in the presence of a devil. And this I also learned, that the power of gentleness is irresistible.-Henry Martyn.

He

CHRIST A FRIEND.- In the person of Christ Jesus our Lord, we are introduced to the acquaintance of a most loving Friend. Pure love actuated him, and still actuates him, as our Almighty Saviour. This love is everlasting, infinite, and unsolicited; it found nothing lovely in us, it gives every thing that is lovely to us. Although Christ is the Son of God, yet he became the son of man; our kinsman, bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, and thus he possesses the most exquisite human sympathies. knows weakness and sorrow; he knows pain and death; he knows the anger of God and curse of the law, and the penalties of hell; and he made himself acquainted with these for our sakes. "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Yet the love of God hath done this for us. He is great, but we are mean; he is rich, but we are poor; he is wise, but we are fools; he is good, but we are evil; he is blessed, but we are wretched; he is glorious, but we are vile; yet is he our

dear and affectionate friend. He was our friend in purpose, before the world was made; he is our friend, now that we exist, in deed; and he will be our friend in perpetuity, whilst eternity endures. This friend dwelt amongst us. He died for us. He rose again on our behalf, and he lives for evermore to bless us. Oh, blessed are they who have the Son of God for their friend, the Son of Man for their bosom companion. Oh, lovely Jesus, what friend is like unto thee? so meek, gentle, humble, merciful, forbearing, constant, intimate, ready, toiling, affectionate, and ever loving as ever lovely. How blessed are the men who know thee, and walk with thee as their friend! What solitude is dull, what privation is sad, what pain is keen, what portion is bitter, what fire is hot, what water is deep, when the Friend of Sinners is with us? Science is but a dumb-waiter in the day of trouble, and philosophy is but a funeral-mute in the hour of death; but Christ is "the friend that sticketh closer than a brother," the friend who lives by our needs. Is it wonderful, that Paul accounted all earthly acquaintances to be but dross and dung, compared with this? Well may the church glory, and "This say, is my beloved, and this is my friend, oh daughters of Jerusalem !"-Macdonald.

LUTHER ON LANGUAGES.-We are asked what is the use of learning Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, when we can read the bible in German. But for languages we should never have received the gospel. Languages are the scabbard in which the sword of the spirit is found; they are the casket which holds the jewels,-the vessels which contain the new wine,-the baskets in which are kept the loaves and fishes which are to feed the whole multitude. From the hour we throw them aside, christianity may date its decline, even to falling again under the dominion of the pope; but now that languages are held in estimation, they diffuse such a light, that all mankind are astonished, and that any one may see that the gospel we preach is almost as pure as that of the apostles themselves. The holy fathers of other days made many mistakes through ignorance of languages. The Vaudois and Piedmontese, though sound in their doctrine, often fail of the real meaning of the scripture through ignorance of language, and are without this safeguard against error. If a knowledge of languages had not given me the certainty of the true sense of the word, I might have been a picus monk, quietly preaching the truth in the obscurity of my cloister; but I should have left pope, sophists, and their antichristian powers in the ascendant.-D'Aubigné's Reformation.

PRESUMPTION.-A religious professor of Antinomian sentiments, boasting to Rowland Hill that he had not felt a doubt of his safety for many years, was answered by Mr. Hill, "Then, Sir, give me leave to doubt for you."

LOSS FOR CHRIST.-You may be losers for Christ, but never by Christ.-P. Henry.

RELIGION ON THE CONTINENT.

The religious intelligence from the Continent is unusually interesting this month. From Germany Professor Tholuck writes, "that in the shortest time the separation of Church and State will ensue." He acknowledges that, under the State Church system, the clergy, and the people too, have become so generally infidel, that the evangelical church left will be very small,-and Professors of Divinity, men of learning like himself, probably have to resort to other countries. This good man had been, as one of the heads of the Prussian State Church, using his power with the king to get evangelical ministers appointed over congregations by the government (that is of course by physical force); but now that the people reject physical force in religion, the hollowness of such work has become apparent. Congregations were not to be converted from infidelity by physical force evangelical ministers. Professor Tholuck's piety has, however, no unchristian fears; he foresees that "a new and vital church will arise from the confusion." The Baptists were among the first to feel the good effects of the people's having beaten their monarch. Notwithstanding all his liberal professions, he had used Brother Lehmann and his members shamefully, fining them for baptizing without leave from the State Church minister, and authorizing sundry other vexations. The day after the barricades and the awful slaughter, they met and worshipped in peace and joy! Doubtless, in the eye of the Supreme Governor, all that bloodshed and the virtual dethronement of the monarch are only a proper retribution for the persecutions of his people,-a political price by no means too great for their religious liberty.

In other parts of the Continent, religious liberty has been wrested from the despots. Even Austria must tolerate Protestantism. The king of Sardinia has granted full religious freedom to those ancient Confessors during all the darkness of the middle ages, the Waldenses of Piedmont; and strange to say, in Rome itself, separation of the civil and ecclesiastical powers, is openly discussed and urged, and is not improbable ! God grant that the universally demanded, and obtained, liberty of the press, may be used abundantly by evangelical believers.

THE CHURCH AS IT IS.

The Bishop of Exeter has recently been displaying the real nature of the alliance between Church and State, in the case of two, as we suppose, pious, evangelical, and certainly conscientious clergymen. He has shewn that the Church of the State is a Physical Force Church, and that it can and will use its physical force to prevent spiritual preaching, at least to prevent preaching

against the prayer-book and catechism doctrine of Baptismal Regeneration.

Mr. Shore, a clergyman, was first compelled to shut up an episcopal chapel, built by the Duke of Somerset, in which he preached. But having, to gratify his flock, licensed the chapel as a Dissenting place of worship, and himself as a Dissenting minister, he recommenced his work; the "Successor of the Apostles" prosecuted him for preaching the gospel, of course in close imitation of that apostle who rejoiced if Christ was preached even of envy and strife, and after dragging him before three courts of law, has placed Mr. Shore under liability of immediate imprisonment for preaching at any time!!! What a tolerant church!

In the other case, a Mr. Gorham wished to change his living. Lord Chancellor Lyndhurst was his friend and gave him another living; that is, this evangelical clergyman took a parish and the souls in it, and the money the State has joined to the parish church, from the hands of a Government officer, as a thing about which he had no scruple of conscience. He had, however, an anti-puseyism conscience, and the Bishop of Exeter a pro-puseyism one. The "Successor of the Apostles," anxious to force on Mr. Gorham the apostolical doctrine "By Baptism ye are saved," &c. after repeated and harassing examinations, refused to license him to this new parish.

We are sincerely sorry for two good men ; but if, after these personal chastisements with the Episcopal State-Church Rod, they are too prejudiced to see the antichristian quality of the whole thing, we must think they merit yet more similar discipline. If the cases of Hampden, Shore, and Gorham, will not teach pious churchmen what their church is, will not raise a loud demand from them for its emancipation, why then we despair of their gaining church freedom till it is forced on them by a truly national House of Commons.

CHURCH AND STATE IN FRANCE.

"Happy and indispensable necessity," says M. Lamartine-the man whom all Europe wishes to see elected as the first President of the New French Republic, and on whom the unanimous voice of the French people seems likely to confer that honour-speaking of the Separation of Church and State (we quote from the speech of Mr. Burnet, reported in the Universe); "Happy and indispensable necessity, when the power belongs to all, and not to some. Indispensable, for under a free government, worship cannot be exclusive or privileged. Happy, because religion has its force, beauty, and virtue only in the conscience. It is beautiful, it is pure, it is holy, only between man and his God, be

tween the faithful and the priest, between the priest and the faithful. Nothing is wanted. If the State interpose between man and that divine ray which he should seek only from heaven, it obscures or alters it. Religion then becomes something palpable and material to man, thrown to or held from him at the caprice of all tyrants. It partakes of the love or hate which human power inspires, varying or falling with it. It is the sacred fire of the altar, kept up by the corruption of courts, the impurities of public places. It is the word of life in a dead mouth. It is buying and selling in the temple. This makes hypocrites when the State is christian, unbelievers when it is sceptical, and atheists or martyrs when it is persecuting. But enough"-as much as to say, it is as bad as it can be. Well, then, what are we to do in order to get rid of so great an evil? Lamartine says, "We do not plant the tree that is to shadow ages without clearing the soil with iron"-he means that an evil must be dealt with strongly. "We do not graft the bough without tearing the bark." So that be would employ moral force-you know he wishes for nothing else-but roughly and strongly if necessary, to get rid of this crying evil. Such are the sentiments of the man on whom the eyes of Europe are fixed at the present moment-words written in deliberate quietude, years ago, when he had no idea he should occupy his present position; and he is not a man likely to change.

PRESTON, LANCASHIRE.

On Good-Friday, April 20th, the Rev. W. Walters, late of Horton-College, Bradford, was publicly recognized as pastor of the Baptist church, Leeming-Street, Preston. The Rev. Mr. Slade, Independent minister, commenced the services by reading and prayer; the Rev. D. R. Stephen of Manchester, delivered a very eloquent and able discourse on the constitution of a christian church; the Rev. H. Dowson of Bradford, addressed the charge to the minister; and the Rev. Mr. Etheridge of Bolton, closed the service by prayer. In the evening, the Rev. J. J. Davies of Bootle, addressed the church; and the Rev. J. Williams of Walsall, the congregation. All the services were well attended.

ASHTON.

On Good Friday, April 21st, 1848, Mr. A. Pitt, late of Horton College, was ordained to the pastorate of the Baptist Church meeting in Welbeck-street, Ashton-underLyne. The Rev. J. Birt, M.A., of Oldham, explained the nature of a Christian Church; the Rev. W. F. Burchell, of Rochdale, received the minister's statement; the Rev. F. Tucker, B.A., of Manchester, offered up the ordination prayer; and the Rev. Dr. Acworth, President of Horton College, delivered a solemn and impressive charge. In the evening, an eloquent and very appropriate sermon was addressed to the people by the Rev. J. E. Giles, of Sheffield.

RAWDEN.

The services connected with the ordination of Mr. Robert Holmes to the pastorate of the Baptist Church, Rawden, were held on Monday, May 1st, 1848. The Rev. Dr. Godwin, of Bradford, explained the nature of a Christian Church; the Rev. F. Clowes, Tutor of Horton College, put the usual questions; the Rev. R. Brewer, offered the ordination prayer; the Rev. Dr. Acworth, President of Horton College, gave the charge to the minister; and the Rev. H. Dowson, of Bradford, addressed the church. All the services were well attended.

PRESTEIGN.

On Friday, April 21st, Mr. Richd. Ayers, late of Kidderminster, was publicly recognized as the pastor of the Baptist church at Presteign. The morning service was commenced by the Rev. W. D. Ingham of Pembridge, who read suitable portions of scripture, and engaged in prayer; the Rev. Maurice Jones of Leominster, explained the nature of a christian church, and asked the usual questions, which were answered by Mr. Ayres very satisfactorily; the Rev. John Mills of Kidderminster, offered the ordination prayer, and delivered an affectionate and impressive charge to the minister. In the afternoon, the Rev. John Jones of Glodestry, engaged in the devotional services; and the Rev. M. Jones delivered an appropriate address to the members of the church. Sermons were preached in the evening by the Rev. David Davies of Dolen, and the Kev. J. Mills. The services were highly interesting, and numerously and respectably attended.

BAPTIST VILLAGE MISSION-OPERATIONS AT ARMLEY, YORKSHIRE.

It is pleasing to mark the progress of the Lord's kingdom. In October last a Mission was commenced at Armley, Mr. Hogg being stationed there under the direction of the committee of the Mission. At first he had no place to preach in, but began his labours from house to house, reading the Scriptures, preaching Christ, distributing tracts, and praying with the people, as opportunity offered; and afterwards preaching in cottages in various parts of the village. The houses soon became too strait, and it was thought desirable that a room should be taken. A blacksmith's shop (the only place at liberty) was fitted up, and is now regularly filled with attentive hearers. The efforts of the missionary have not been in vain; six men and four women (one of whom is 73 years of age) have put on the Lord Jesus Christ by immersion; and several others are enquiring after divine things. A Sabbath-school has been commenced, which now numbers from 50 to 60 scholars, who are well supplied with teachers. It is an encouraging fact, that the persons baptized were not from other societies. The congregation also is principally of those who have not regularly attended any place of worship.