addition or retention of unholy members, the Divine Inhabitant will retire, and leave it to the finger of desolation to write upon its forsaken walls, "The glory is departed." It might have been as rationally expected, that the symbol of the divine presence would have continued to rest upon the mercy-seat, had all the impurities concomitant upon the sacrificial rites been profanely swept into the Holy of Holies, as it is to believe that a revival of religion will take place in those churches, where there is a gross neglect of the scriptural qualifications of the

members.

tie

If you would enjoy a revival of religion, you must take care not to be too much engrossed by secular politics.—True it is, you did not cease to be citizens when you became Christians; nor did you, when you joined yourself to the church, take the veil, like a nun when she enters the convent, and sever every that binds you to earth, and to earthly affairs. The church is in the world, though not of it, and is to be to you a sacred retreat- —a place of refreshment and repose, where you may recruit your strength, not only to struggle for the crown of glory, but with the rough cares of time, and from whence you must come forth with invigorated piety, to guide and to influence the current of human affairs. But still it must not be concealed, brethren, that these are times, in which the danger lies, not in the extreme of being too little, but of being too much, involved in political pursuits. The government of the earth must not be abandoned by the saints; but oh, let the saints maintain the character and the rights of their earthly citizenship, remembering that they belong to another and a holy community, and having their conversation in heaven!

You must be sometimes in the dangerous region of
party politics, but remember it is to piety an infected
place, a region of malaria, in which you must guard,
as much as possible, your spiritual health, and from
which you must escape as speedily as you can.

There is another circumstance intimately connected
with the hopes of a revival of religion-I mean a
spirit of Christian charity towards your fellow-Chris-
tians of other denominations.-Evil omens have shown
themselves of late, of a growing spirit of alienation
between the evangelical part of the church of Eng-
land and the orthodox Dissenters. What may be
the cause I will not venture to inquire, but merely
state the fact, that instead of approximating nearer
and nearer to each other, as by the identity of their
"like precious faith," and common salvation, it might
be expected they would do, they are continually re-
ceding to a greater distance. Alas! alas! that in
the attractions of the cross, the common centre of
their religious opinions and their holy sensibilities,
there should be less power to unite and harmonize,
than there is in their varying forms of ecclesiastical
polity to produce repulsion and dissonance. Roots

of bitterness have sprung up of late, with portentous
rapidity, which, instead of being eradicated by the
hand of a cautious zeal, have been fostered by pre-
judice, till they have grown to such a height, as to
chill with their shadow, and to poison with their in-
fluence, the fairest flower in the garden of the Lord
-the spirit of Christian charity. We can expect
no revival while these things last, except it be a re-
vival of bigotry and intolerance." The irascible
passions," says Mr. Hall," surround the soul with a
turbulent atmosphere, than which nothing is more

opposed to that calm and holy light, in which the
Spirit loves to dwell." Oh! let us lay aside our
mutual suspicion; let us repress our eagerness to
seize and magnify differences; let us not encourage
our literary organs and periodical journals to carry on
a warfare of crimination and misrepresentation; let
us not refer with exultation and triumph to acknow-
ledged evils and abuses, and thus rejoice in iniquity.
A truce, an everlasting truce, to such things as these,
which trouble the waters, but by the foot of a demon,
rather than the gentle hand of an angel; and not for
healing, but disease. One of the best means, one
of the first signs, of a revival, is a growing spirit of
brotherly love among the different denominations of
real Christians; and to obtain this, we must pray
every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath or
doubting."

66

It may be, that in some cases, a church has fallen
into an unusually low state of depression and declen-
sion; its minister, discouraged and hopeless, knows
not whether to remove or remain; its members, few
'and lukewarm, and heartless, are looking round, not
for means of a revival, but for a way of escape. All
is death and desolation, and the assemblies of the
Sabbath are rather like the mournful gatherings of
a few surviving friends round the sepulchre of one
departed, than the joyous meetings of glad hearts at
a feast.
Such a state of things calls for immediate
and solemn consideration. No ordinary means or
measures will do here; the case is all but desperate.
Meetings of the pastor with his deacons to inquire
into the cause, should immediately take place; days
of humiliation, confession, and prayer, should be forth-
with appointed; and in addition to all this, it might

be well to call in the aid of one or two discreet neighbouring ministers, to assist the solemnities, and endeavour to give them impression and effect, by addresses to the church and to the different classes of the congregation. Prompt, prudent, energetic measures should be adopted; it is no time to utter the mere language of complaint; the lethargy is increasing, and death is at hand.

The revival of religion in a Christian church, is, as I have already stated, a common concern; there is something for every one to feel, and something for every one to do; all can help, and each should help as much as he can. -DEACONS and ELDERS, a fearful degree of responsibility lies upon you! You may never yet have considered how much the spiritual prosperity of the church depends upon you. Next to the pastor, you rouse it to activity, or lull it to indolence; you chill or cherish its ardour; you quicken or crush its energies. Many a worldly-minded, timid, or lukewarm deacon or elder has done more to prevent a revival than his pastor, however intent upon the work, could do to promote it. Such men paralyze the zeal of their minister; they are dead weights upon his energies, and obstacles in the way of his usefulness. Their cold scepticism about the work, their heartless indifference, their groundless suspicions, their puerile fears of novelty and fanaticism, perplex and hinder the pastor, and frighten or petrify the people. Dreadful employment of official influence! Tremble at incurring such responsibility. If you have not courage or ardour enough for your station, resign it, and retire from the front rank to the rear. But what a blessing is a spiritual, warmhearted, prudent, devoted, deacon; one who uses

opposed to that calm and holy light, in which the Spirit loves to dwell." Oh! let us lay aside our mutual suspicion; let us repress our eagerness to seize and magnify differences; let us not encourage our literary organs and periodical journals to carry on a warfare of crimination and misrepresentation; let us not refer with exultation and triumph to acknowledged evils and abuses, and thus rejoice in iniquity. A truce, an everlasting truce, to such things as these, which trouble the waters, but by the foot of a demon, rather than the gentle hand of an angel; and not for healing, but disease. One of the best means, one of the first signs, of a revival, is a growing spirit of brotherly love among the different denominations of real Christians; and to obtain this, we must " pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath or doubting."

AI It may be, that in some cases, a church has fallen into an unusually low state of depression and declension; its minister, discouraged and hopeless, knows not whether to remove or remain; its members, few and lukewarm, and heartless, are looking round, not for means of a revival, but for a way of escape. All is death and desolation, and the assemblies of the Sabbath are rather like the mournful gatherings of a few surviving friends round the sepulchre of one departed, than the joyous meetings of glad hearts at a feast. Such a state of things calls for immediate and solemn consideration. No ordinary means or measures will do here; the case is all but desperate. Meetings of the pastor with his deacons to inquire into the cause, should immediately take place; days of humiliation, confession, and prayer, should be forthwith appointed; and in addition to all this, it might