gy to induce him to change his conduct; every act he commits is imputed to this disposition; no kind opportunity is given him to re-establish his good name; and the little culprit, feeling it impossible, utterly impossible, to stem the torrent of public opinion, perhaps he becomes what he is thought to be, in vindication of his offended character. Whatever faults we point out to children, we should be careful always to give them an opportunity of correcting them, or they will sink into hopeless despondency. The influence which character has over the mind, is exemplified in the Jews-their disposition to fraud is proverbial; but we cannot suppose that there is any thing inherent in their minds towards dishonesty more than in any other people; yet we seldom find them contradict by their dealings the general opinion. They feel that a prejudice is abroad against them, and that it would be useless to attempt to subvert it: they feel no honourable emulation excited to exert themselves to remove the stigma that has been cast upon them, but resort to those low arts for which they are noted. Thus it is with children; give them a character which is praiseworthy, or the hope of obtaining one, and they feel all the powers of their mind excited to deserve it.

Parents! and above all, mothers! it is to you the rising generation must look, to decide their fate in this life, and that which is to come. Their happiness or misery is in your hands! You, who can watch the first dawnings of infant reason, who can catch the proper moment for inspiring a love of goodness, or fixing a principle of justice; you, who listen with fond delight to their lisping tongues; you, who watch with anxious solicitude their bed of sickness, and with all a mother's tenderness anticipate their little wants, look into the vale of futurity-see them, perhaps, groaning under the anguish of a guilty mind-behold them weeping for their own imprudence, sinking under the horrors of want! perhaps blaming you as the cause of their suffering! See them revelling in luxury, which they are not able to enjoy, surrounded with wealth they know not how to apply-slaves to ungovernable passions, whose gratification does not give them pleasure-surrounded with flatterers, but without a friend. Or see them enjoying the fruits of their industry, of your education, in happy competency, revered by the wise and meritorious, friends to the poor, respected even by those whose vices will not allow them to imitate them-on whose actions their life is

a perpetual censor. Or see them blest in virtuous povertyblest in the inward satisfaction of the purity of their conductblest in the favour and protection of the Divine Providenceand blessing you as the source of their every blessing.

Pause and reflect! for you are the arbiters of their fateon the education you bestow will depend the bias of their fu

ture life. In preference to talents, of far higher value than learning, imprint on their minds the principles of religion-of rational religion-infuse into their hearts a love of virtue for virtue's sake-a love of enquiry, unfettered by prejudice, untinctured with superstition. Your's, &c. T. A. M.

THE CHRISTIAN's REVIEW OF THE

POLITICAL WORLD.

"Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord; shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; the prophets prophecy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof."-Jer. v. 21–319.

THE sacred writings are a most invaluable treasure: they are

in all ages a faithful mirror, in which we may discover the true character of modern nations, and the consequences that must inevitably follow; for God himself is our instructor. The time in which Jeremiah lived was a time of almost general corruption; as were the princes and the priests so were the people. The one fattened on corruption, and the other was willing to be deceived. The art of printing was not known-of course they had not the advantage of the press, by the medium of which corruption might be exposed. But that they might be without excuse, God sent them prophets to declare his will, to point out their follies and their dangers. To counteract the beneficial effects that must have resulted from the teaching of these faithful guardians of public liberty and public morals, the governors and priests employed false prophets to delude the people, and to persuade them all was right, when they were on the brink of destruction. This is called, "a wonderful and horrible thing," and the consequences are foretold as being the most calamitous. May not these true prophets be justly compared to the tru ly patriotic writers of the present day, and the false ones to the hirelings who prostitute their pens for filthy lucre to deceive the public? And do we not find their reward similar? are not the former doomed to pine in prison, loaded with heavy penalties, while the latter are rewarded with pensions, or dignified with titles, for their base, dastardly, and wicked employment? If it be so indeed, then woeful must be our situation.

Jeremiah was one of those who reproved kings, priests, and judges, for their iniquities, and warned the people of their danger. He exposed the gross corruptions of their rulers; accordingly we find him brought before these men (judges in their own cause) to answer for his conduct, where every legal and artful means were used to entrap him. He was ac eused as a libeller, and condemned to imprisonment by those

men whose corruptions he had exposed. What else indeed could he expect? Had he succeeded in convincing the people of their true interest, these men would have lost all their ungodly gain. Suppose in this country it should ever happen that the judge, who tries and passes sentence on the libeller, should himself participate in the corruptions attempted to be exposed, to the amount of many thousands per year, what justice could be expected from his hands? He would see in the person of the accused his own personal enemy! God forbid this should ever happen! Surely it never can in a nation where we boast the purity of our laws, and the equitable administration of justice. Jeremiah knew his judges to be partakers of the common spoil; he therefore never pleaded in mitigation of punishment. He knew that under such circumstances it was in vain, and only tended to increase their triumph. Conscious of this he submitted with manly dignity to all they could inflict; for as well might the sparrow plead with the hawk, the lamb with the wolf, or a man with a bear robbed of her whelps, as to plead with such men for mercy. These thoughts have naturally resulted from the circumstance of our motto, and we do hope it will tend to show how abhorrent in the sight of God are deceivers of the people, and interested and corrupt rulers and judges.

Another month has passed since our last review, and happy should we be, could we say the prospect has brightened. We have no interest to deceive; our own peace and welfare is connected with the peace and welfare of the country where we dwell. We belong to no party, and our review of politics is for the purpose of shewing facts as they arise, and drawing such moral instructions from them as shall teach the Christian what are the signs of the times, that he may be always on his guard, and may know the duties that result from the circumstances in which he is placed. The sacred writings teach us to expect the destruction of all antichristian power, whether civil, political, or religious; and the true Christian is called to rejoice in the event, because, though attended with great calamities, it is the harbinger of pure religion, good government, and universal peace; and we are of opinion, that the work has begun, and has been going on for the last twenty years. With this idea we can look with calmness to all the passing events, and have a clearer view of them than those who look at them merely in a political point of view,

Various have been the changes since our last in Spain and Russia In the former, all was victory; the French were flying before our victorious arms! Alas, how soon is the scene changed! Now, our armies are flying before the armies of France, while they have again possessed themselves of the Capital. We foretold all this; because we did consider the

hand of heaven concerned, and that there must be alternate success, for the purpose of correcting that antichristian and guilty nation, and to bring them to repentance. But, have they repented? No; for no sooner had they gained possession of Madrid, than their first work was to restore the inquisitionthat horrid system of blood, torture, oppression, and every cruelty!! Better would it be for mankind, that Spain and all her inhabitants should perish, than such an institution should ever be revived in Spain, or any other country. But in the midst of all our successes or defeats, where are the Spanish people? They are certainly the most interested. Why then are they so languid and indifferent? In the first place, we believe, that as God did by Pharoah, so he does by this and every guilty nation in its turn. He has given them over to judicial blindness, for having resisted all his counsels. In the next place, what have they to fight for? Ferdinand the VIIth can be nothing to them. He betrayed them to Buonaparte, who, with all his faults, has destroyed the inquisition, the feudal system, tythes, and the power of the priests-they are real benefits. Have their Cortes promised them so much? It is evident that if the Cortes prevail, they will do what they have hitherto done-support the power of the nobles and priests, and of course again restore the blessings of tythes, the government of priests, the feudal system, and the inquisition. If ever we expect to see Spaniards hearty in the cause, we must give them something to fight for: give them, if you please, a constitution like our own, but freed from its corruptions-then will they drive from their soil Buonaparte and every other tyrant that shall attempt to rob them of such a blessing!

:

Russia all accounts from that quarter are involved in the greatest obscurity. After the retreat of Buonaparte from Moscow, we were amused with bulletins of most extravagant victories, which have since dwindled down to mere skirmishes. The true state of the case appears to be, that disappointed of safe and comfortable winter quarters, by the destruction of Moscow, he determined to remove either to Kalouga or the borders of Poland. That Murat, St. Cyr, &c. with their corps, were to keep the Russians employed, while the main army moved on uninterrupted. These corps seem to have been sufficient alone to call forth all the energies of the reinforced and combined armies of Russia. In thus acting, the French, under these two generals, would frequently be engaged; and as their design was to protect the main army, after every battle, whether conquerors or conquered, they would endeavour to keep up with their master, and they would necessarily leave the field of battle to the Russians, who of course would claim the victory. It is possible, that before the French take up their winter quarters they may

hazard a general action; for as they retreat, and the Russians follow, it is not improbable but Buonaparte, with his main army, when he finds he has the vantage ground, may turn round and fall upon them when they least expect it. But whatever may be his design, one thing is clear, that it is not likely that the Russians, who could not withstand his armies in the first instance, can have any chance of success after the heavy losses they have sustained; and if they are not obliged to submit to terms this winter, the spring will settle the business. America, we regret to say, still continues in hostility; nor does there seem any possibility of coming to an amicable arrangement while the present ministers are in office. Both parties are employing every means for the annoyance of each other'; and they have both disgraced themselves, by calling into exercise the cruel and blood-thirsty Indian tribes. Where. will these things end? God only knows; for while the people are so supine as not to petition for peace, contractors, placemen, and pensioners, who thrive and fatten by the war, will continue to find excuse for its continuance. We lament the madness of mankind, in pursuing a career so wicked, and so very unprofitable. War necessarily increases the price of every article of life, and lessens the means of obtaining them; but this is not the only evil; for it affects most powerfully the moral and benevolent feeling of society. But our ideas of war in general, cannot be better delineated than in the following quotation, from the Statesman Newspaper, Nov. 20, 1812.

"War, notwithstanding all that statesmen have said, and all that sophists have written in its favour, is an evil of an incalculable, of an enormous magnitude, and must sooner or later make itself felt by the misery it produces, even among those who are removed from the immediate theatre of its operations. It would be as rational to expect ease in a paroxysm of the gout, or tranquillity in the accession of a fever, as a state of permanent prosperity in war; and it is happy for the general interests of the world, that such is the constitution which the Creator has ordained. Where it otherwise, wars would be eter. nal; for unhappily, there is too great a portion of selfishness in the great mass of mankind, to suffer them to be very anxious about the removal of evils which do not affect their own interest, or at least come under their own observation. The details of a battle, in which thousands and ten thousands of their fellow creatures are destroyed and cut to pieces, are read without emotion by those who would shudder at the sight of a single mutilated human body. And, we may add, that this sus ceptibility diminishes, as these horrid tales are rendered more familiar, by the long continuance of hostilities. And yet, the sufferings of a single battle, if they could be brought home to the imagination, would shock the most obdurate feelings, If we could take an account of the sufferings, and unutterable