grounds of evidence on which he must rely, and also to prevent his properly apprehending and judging of that evidence. Indeed we by no means think him liberated from obligation to obey the command we have mentioned. For we believe there is at least a partial remedy for the difficulties under which he labours; which remedy we shall mention before we close our remarks.

But is there no danger in representing these difficulties to exist in this particular case? Will not many, who have no clear evidence of their Christian character, merely because they have no religion, be induced to impute their destitution of a firm hope to a weakness of nerves, and thus destroy their souls ? We have greatly feared such might be the case; and, on this account, have doubted whether it would not have been better to consign our remarks to oblivion, than to present them to the public. But then, again, it occurred to us, that the developement of truth, must be ultimately beneficial, although, for a time, it may be partially injurious. And if our views on this subject are not true, we trust their errors will be pointed

out.

We believe almost every experienced minister of the Gospel has frequently met with instances like those we have described, in which the individual cordially believed every truth of the Bible, and whose daily conduct evinced a life of religion; and yet, that individual was laboring under a settled gloom and hopelessness, evidently induced by a nervous temperament. Every minister knows, that it does no good in such cases to ply the unhappy man with his obligations to possess clear evidence of religion, or to array before him the threatenings of God against impenitence. For he will acknowledge his obligations and admit that the threatenings of the law do apply to himself.— Now it is such cases as this, we

have had in view in all our remarks. We protest against any others taking shelter under them, Nervous disorders are, indeed, very widely disseminated at this day.According to Dr. Trotter they constitute, in one shape or another, two thirds of the diseases of civilized society. But we by no means comprehend, in the cases we have described, those who have had an attack of these complaints, which disappeared in a few weeks or months; nor such as only occasionally suffer from the attack; nor such as are in the incipient stages. We include only those, who have unsuccessfully struggled with these Protean maladies year after year, and with whom nervous feelings and habits have become strongly fixed.

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Wherever nervous complaints exist, however, even in the slightest degree, they will produce a correspondent effect upon religious experience. And, if we mistake not, this effect is very obvious in the churches of our land. What did the Pilgrims know of nervous maladies? God did not add these to their other trials and they could demand the faith of assurance as a condition of admission to the church. But suppose such a condition were now required. Who can doubt, but one half of the present members of the churches would have been stopped at the threshold? And who will impute the difference solely to the deterioration of modern piety?

Our second remark will consist of an appeal and a warning to those who are first beginning to feel the attacks of these nervous maladies, and whose constitutions are not yet broken down by them. We would most earnestly expostulate with such upon their danger, and the importance of immediately adopting rigorous measures to save themselves from those painful effects we have discribed in this essay.The great mass of mankind will

give them very different advice. The healthy and misinformed will tell them to pay no attention to their complaints, which are chiefly imaginary, and not to relax at all in their pursuits, or be particular in regard to diet; but to put down their vapourish feelings by a firm disregard of them. And should they listen to such counsellors, and fear to be called hypochondriacs, more than the consequences of nervous maladies, they may rely upon it, that ere many years, they will be able to attest the truth of this essay from their own experience. These disorders will insidiously wind deeper and deeper into their constitutions, until they will be compelled to attend to them when the prospect of throwing them off is extremely faint. And still worse, they will be forced to abandon their professions, and perhaps be thrown helpless upon a world that has no mercy on dyspeptics. Their religious hopes too, if they are pious, will be shrouded in darkness ; and probably a few long years of sighing and sorrow will be all that remains to them on earth. But if they will attend resolutely and faithfully to their complaints in their early stages, and use the remedies experience has found efficacious, all these terrific evils may be avoided, and their usefulness, and happiness, and lives, be prolonged.

In their earlier stages, we say confidently, that these complaints may, almost without exception, be cured. And how? Is it supposed from our remarks that we are recommending to a person of this description to lay aside all attention to business, shut himself up, and sending for the physician, begin a long course of emetics and cathartics? He could not take a worse course than this to ruin his constitution. But there are certain simple measures which he can, and must adopt, or take the consequences we have described.

He must, in the first place, make a great change in his diet; that is, if he has lived as most sedentary men in this country do live. He must reduce the quantity of his food probably one half, perhaps more, and use only those kinds most easily digested; for instance, a little stale bread or cracker and milk, or bread and water, in the morning; or at most, some light toast with coffee; and a similar meal, or none at all, at night. dinner, which should never be taken later than one o'clock, he may use moderatly some animal muscle; but not adding to this puddings and pastry and sweetmeats." They” (nervous people,) says Dr. Trotter,

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are of all mankind the most liable to surfeits." One reason of this is, that they cannot bear as much food as those in health another reason is, that they are liable to an unnatural appetite that is inordinate. They cannot therefore be too much on their guard against excess in eating.

A second thing they must do, is, to abandon the use of stimulants, especially ardent spirits. In their seasons of dejection, and with the lassitude that accompanies indigestion, they are extremely liable to resort to wine, or brandy, for relief.

And these do afford a temporary relief: but the excitement they produce exhausts the system, and feeds the disease. We have already quoted the decided opinion of one medical man on this point, and we might adduce a dozen more were it necessary, to the same effect. There is a most fatal and destructive error prevalent on this subject, which is destroying multitudes, viz. that persons of weak digestive powers need stimulative drinks and rich food. When the debility is excessive, the physician may indeed find it necessary to stimulate for a time, to save life. But the daily stimulous of ardent spirits and rich food most unquestionably increase the disorder, and

snares.

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Just as we had finished this paragraph, a very recent work of Dr. James Johnson, on " Morbid Sensibility of the stomach and bowels," fell into our hands; containing an important section on the diet of dyspeptics, which we could wish were read and pondered well by the clan of persons we are addressing. The rule he gives for regulating the quantity of food and drink is "Whenever our drink induces sensible excitement in the system, or our food is followed by an inaptitude for mental or corporeal exertion, we have transgressed the rules of health, and are laying the foundation for disease."-Any discomfort of body, any irritability or despondency of mind, succeeding food and drink, at the distance of an hour, a day, or even two or three days, may be regarded (other evident causes being absent) as a presumptive proof that the quantity has been too much, or the quality injurious."

"In respect to drink, water is the only fluid which does not possess irritating, or at least, stimulating qualities; and in proportion as we rise on the scale of potation, from table beer to ardent spirits, in the same ratio we educate the stomach and bowels for that state of morbid sensibility, which in civilized life will sooner or later superTene."

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"There is a great error committed every day, in flying to medicine at once, when the functions of the stomach and liver are disordered, the secretions unnatural, and the food imperfectly digested. Instead of exhibiting purgatives day after day to carry off diseased secretions, we should lessen and simplify the food, in order to prevent the formation of these bad secretions. doing this we have great prejudices to overcome. The patient feels himselfgetting weaker and thinner; and he looks to nourishing food and tonics for a cure. But he will generally be disappointed in the end by this plan. From four ounces ofgruel every six hours, he will, under many states of indigestion, derive more nutriment and strength than from half a pound of animal food and a pint of wine"-" I have known dyspeptic patients gain flesh and strength on half a pint of good gruel thrice in 24 hours; and gradually bring the stomach, step by step, up to the point of digesting plain animal food and biscuit.". "No person is in danger of starvation who can take a pint-nay, only half a pint of good gruel in the 24 hours"-" But the invalid may ask-" Can I not have my ailments removed without abridging my appetites ?" No!"-"The scale of diet must be lowered and simplifi ed down to water gruel if necessary; otherwise a cure can never be expected."

The rigid system I have proposed is not the creature of speculation engendered in the closet. It is that which many to my knowledge, have adopted with the most perfect success; it is that by which I have conquered the most intense degree of dyspepsia in my own person. Those who have courage and perseverance to reap the fruits of such a system, will hardly be induced to change it however strongly they may be tempted by the

luxuries of the table, and the seductions of convivial society."

A third thing the incipient dyspeptic must do, in order to effect a cure, is to be regular and thorough in his exercise. It will not relieve, but aggravate his complaints, to confine himself for four or five days to his parlour, his shop, or his study, and then devote half a day to severe and violent exercise in the hope of laying in a stock of health and strength for another week.He must walk, or ride, several miles every day; and if possible, at particular times of the day ;* or make other equivalent efforts in his wood yard or his garden. If overcome by sloth, or prevented by a pressure of duties, he neglects such exercise, he may depend upon it that he will sink under his disease. We can hardly conceive a case in which any other duty can justify such an omission.

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Finally, the dyspeptic must refrain from excessive application to business or study. The burthen of his daily efforts should be over before dinner; and the remainder of the day be devoted to exercise, or less laborious employments. As to study at night, especially after nine o'clock, it is eminently injurious. The striking remarks of an able physician on this subject are well worthy of being repeated. "Whenever," says he, "the diseases of literature assail us, we should have the lamp scoured out and no more oil put in it. It is night study that ruins the constitution by keeping up a bewildered chaos of impressions on the brain, during the succeeding sleep-if that can be called sleep which is constantly interrupted by incoherent dreams and half waking trains of thought. If, to procure repose, opiates or spirituous liquors are had recourse to, then the brain is likely to suffer congestion or inflamma

tion, as was the case, I believe, with the celebrated Professor Porson. Here the morning alone should be dedicated to study, and the evening to light amusements, some entertaining occupation, or perambulation through town or country with a literary friend.”

We have urged this subject, thus minutely, because we feel it to be of great importance. The ravages which nervous maladies are making at this day, in the civilized world, are appalling and immense. They are changing, and threaten still more to change, the general character of society. The description Dr. Johnson has drawn of their extent in England will not, it is hoped, apply to us as a nation: but let their rapid progress among us be unimpeded, and it will soon be true, that "with ennui and dissipation in the higher ranks -anxiety of mind, arising from business, in the middling classesand poverty, bad food, bad air, bad drink, and bad occupations, among the lower classes, there is scarcely an individual in this land of liberty and prosperity-in this kingdom of ships, colonies and commerce, who does not experience more or less of the "English malady"that is to say, a preternaturally irritable state of the nervous system, connected with, or dependent on, morbid sensibility of the stomach and bowels." The church of God in our land deeply feels the inroads of these complaints, in prostrating the energies, and prematurely destroying the usefulness, of many of her most valuable ministers. They lurk too around our Theological Seminaries, our Colleges, and even our preparatory schools; and there seize, as their victims, many of the most devoted and talented of our youth, who had consecrated themselves to Christ and the Church. And it is therefore we urge, with reiterated earnestness, those who are beginning to tread the same downward course, to pon

der well this our appeal; and if they find the course recommended to be supported by medical experience, resolutely to adopt it. Gladly would we urge the same appeal upon those now in health, who are wasting away their powers over the midnight lamp: but we have no hope that such will listen to our warning, until incipient disease shall teach them its importance.-Alas, we fear that few, even of such, will submit to the self denial that is requisite, until it is too late.

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Our third remark, springing from the general subject, is, that nervous invalids need, and may reasonably expect, a place in the prayers and sympathies of their brethren who are in health. If we look only to the bodily sufferings of such an invalid, we shall discover enough, it must be admitted, to excite a Christian's compassion and prayers. Grant that the pains of the nervous man are not usually of the most intense kind yet are they forever recurring; and it is said that no suffering is more difficult to bear than to be exposed to the incessant dropping of water upon the head. Little does the healthy man know, how large a portion of grace it needs to bear with patience, submission, and religious fortitude, a long protracted course of feeble health. He may have been prostrated by acute disease: but its paroxysms are transitory, and the mind can with greater ease nerve itself to the short conflict. But in the case under consideration, the contest must be renewed day after day, month after month, and year after year. In this case too, the mind is unnerved,-its resolution is crushed,--its hopes are darkened,-its pillars are fallen. Truly then may we ask with Dr. Trotter, "can any evil in this world be worse than eonstant bad health?"

And can the Christian see his brother thus cast down into the dust, ploughing his wretched way

through life, with a load too heavy for him, with none of the influence of hope to cheer and sustain him? Will such a picture excite no sympathy, and call forth no prayer, from a bosom where rests the image of Christ? Alas, what answer does the experience of most nervous persons give to this inquiry? They recollect many an instance in which their morbid sensibilities, their minute attention to diet and regimen, and their mental despondency, have been the objects at which their brethren have aimed the shafts of wit and satire, or the lash of reproach; and can they believe, that the same tongue, which is thus publicly employed in ridicule, will, in secret, be uttering a prayer in behalf of their infirmities and trials? No! Where one tongue is employed in offering such prayers, a thousand are amusing some social circle with a recital of what are called the nervous whims and weaknesses of their brethren. And yet we believe that this mode of treating their complaints, by no means indicates such insensibility to his sufferings, as the nervous man is apt to suppose. It originates in a great measure from the very prevalent, yet false notion, that the dyspeptic is to be cured by endeavouring to convince him that his complaints are imaginary. But Christians ought to know, that this method never yet succeeded; and that their apparent insensibility to his sorrows, and want of sympathy in his sufferings, is the bitterest ingredient in the nervous man's cup of misery. We have seen a paroxysm of these complaints vanish, when the magic wand of sympathy was applied by the soft hand of Christian friendship; and we have seen too, the iron enter the soul, when that sympathy was withheld, and sarcastic lightness and neglect were substituted.

In view of the general subject of this essay, we have one more thought to suggest. We have a