our shores as they would slavery. Not that I am ignorant of the conjectures of some wise heads, that the black pestilence in some countries, aud the small-pox in these islands, and slavery in other islands further west, are, on the whole, salubrious evils, and rather to be endured than their remedies. To theories of this kind I am not yet prepared to subscribe, but feel as much disposed as ever to class them amongst the direst calamities that can befal the human race.

Our

Glancing my eye at the official returns of the slave population of West-Indian Colonies, and particularly of the sugar islands, I perceive that, instead of increasing after the same ratio with the free population in St. Domingo, which has DOUBLED itself in TWENTY years, it actually decreases at the rate of nearly 28,000 in SIX years. From thence I infer, notwithstanding the aforesaid reputed salubrity of the disease to the negro constitution, that SLAVERY is a NOISOME PESTILENCE; and I have been prompted to look through my Materia Medica, if haply I might discover a remedy for the evil. After some reflection I have hit upon a NOSTRUM, the ingredients of which are as simple and harm

less as they are salutary and powerful. For its efficacy I do not hesitate to pledge my own existence. For the discovery I claim no more than my share in the Parliamentary grant of those millions, which are now expended in the perpetuation of this moral and civil pest, under the mistaken notion of its being a good in the form of a necessary evil. I send you the prescription in plain English, rather than in medical Latin, which might not be so well understood in the west; and have put it into rhyme for the benefit of weak memories.

SIR. The accompanying letter has just come before me, looking over some of the of my papers deceased parent, late rector of a populous parish; it is an answer to a letter written to him by an individual, after she had seceded from the Church, and joined a congregation of Baptists. Though there is not anything very striking on the particular subject of baptism, the letter may be interesting to your readers, as showing the very kind and affectionate manner in which a clergyman can address a

seceder, even though he feel no inconsiderable pain at the secession of one who, under God, owes her spiritual improvement to his ministry.

I am, your obedient Servant,
C. D.

MY DEAR FRIEND.-Although I do not understand the reason why you have requested me, at this particular time, to write to you, yet as you say it will relieve your mind, I cannot do otherwise than comply with your request. In

what respects your mind requires relief from me, I cannot tell, as I should suppose you are satisfied with the step you have lately taken, and that whatever direction, consolation, or encouragement you may stand in need of, they to whom you have so closely joined yourself, are best able to give you. Had you thought me worthy of your confidence when you first conceived the idea of submitting to a second baptism, I would have given you my views of the subject, and recommended what has been written on our side the question; and if after all, your mind had remained unsatisfied, you should have met with no reproaches from me, nor should I have thought the less respectfully of you, for taking the step you have lately taken. But surely it is unkind and uncandid to withdraw from a ministry, which in the most important point God has blessed to you, without any intimation of your design, till the very morning of the day on which it was to be carried into execution. This however is no new thing to me; it has been my lot to meet with many similar circumstances from the very beginning of my ministry to the present time; though I have, both by word and deed, shown the utmost respect and esteem for the persons of my dissenting brethren, Anabaptists not excepted. As to the report you mention, of your minister being the author of the letter you addressed to me, I have neither raised nor propagated it, though I must confess that from the peculiarity of the expressions used in your letter, I judged it to be the production of a more advanced and confirmed disciple than at so early a period I could consider you to be. But even on that ground I had no disposition to be offended with you, as your letter was written in terms the most respectful and affectionate, and contained a testimony which I consider far more honourable and

important than if I had been the means of emptying all the Meeting houses in my parish, and proselyting all their attendants to the doctrine and discipline of the Established Church. As to the doctrine then, I trust you will find no material difference between mine and that you will hear preached in the congregation to which you have recently joined yourself; and though we do not pretend to boast of our discipline, yet in this thing as a minister of the gospel in the Established Church I will glory, that our communion is open to all who profess faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the great God and our Saviour, and that although we might forbid them, no dissenter whatever if he chooses to communicate with us, is denied that privilege.

The contrary practice to this is what, among our Anabaptist brethren in particular, I feel the strongest objection to; let them if they please baptize, or rather re-baptize our converts; let them do it by immersion, or in whatever way they choose, but let them not reject those from the most sacred, the most endearing, the most binding rite of the Christian religion, whom their Lord has received, and whom they themselves will allow to be the genuine partakers of that grace which bringeth salvation, only because they cannot see the necessity of reprobating an institution which the followers of Christ from the primitive times have generally practised and treated with the greatest veneration. But as to yourself the thing is done, and were it in my power I would not for one moment labour to persuade you to undo it. You were I trust, accepted in the Beloved before you received adult baptism, and you are accepted in him now, not because you have been again baptised with water, but because by the baptism of the Spirit you have been made a new creature in

Christ Jesus. Hold then, my dear friend, this beginning of your confidence firm and stedfast unto the end, and do not think that you are more acceptable to God now than when you were a member of the Established Church. For there may be a dead and lifeless formality in the religion of dissenters as well as church people, and I know not whether in some respects and under some circumstances, the danger of professors in the former, may not be greater than in the latter. Rest not therefore in outward forms and church privileges; but labour after a more close walk with God, and a more entire dependance on the grace and strength of Christ to enable you to fill up all the important duties' of the Christian character, always remembering that

in Christ Jesus, "neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working by love." And now that your connexion with me and my flock is on your part dissolved, I would take my leave of you, earnestly praying that the divine blessing may accompany you all through life, and that you may find that ministry which you have lately made choice of, more abundantly edifying and useful than that which you formerly sat under. I commend, my dear Miss M, your family, and the religious society to religious society to which you belong, to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified; whilst I remain, your truly affectionate friend in Christ Jesus.

VOLNEY observes, in his travels, that in Syria, during the whole summer one sees few clouds and less rain;' and that in the lowlands of Palestine, thunder is very uncommon in summer, and more frequent in winter.' This explains This explains Samuel's words in 1 Sam. xii, 17. Is it not wheat harvest to-day? I will call unto the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain. In our climate, thunder and rain are most frequent in summer; but in Palestine, they are then so rare, that Solomon (Prov. xxvi. 1.) compares rain in harvest to honour bestowed on a fool; meaning that it is unseasonable. Sacy instances a fool's unseemly honour, by conferring the offices of God's kingdom on persons who have only the spirit of the world.

MATT. xxii. 37.-Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and

with all thy mind. This precept enjoins, that our whole intention should be directed to God, which is loving him with all our heart; that our understanding should be subjected to him by faith, which is with all our mind; that our earthly desires should be regulated by his will, which is with all our soul; and that all our outward actions should be done in obedience to God, which is with all our strength, as Mark adds, (xii. 30.) Jansenius.

JOHN xiv. 4-8.-"I saw a twig lying in the garden; it had died had not the gardener grafted it into the stock of a tree; but now it blossoms and yields fruit abundantly. Apply to Jesus, and partake of the sanctifying influence of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus; then you will be able to say, "I live; I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me."Jesus Shewing Mercy.