themselves, though not in the same manner, yet as fatally and as certainly, at the altars of that still more ancient, insatiate, and eruel monster-Mammon. His temples are in every city, village, and hamlet-in all latitudes and in all climates; and, however men may differ in theories, in philosophy, and religion, these minor differences never mar their communion and fellowship around the altars of this golden idol. Here the Pharisee and the Sadducee, the Calvinist and the Arminian, the High Churchman and the Low Churchman, the Orthodox and the Heterodox, fervently, with one heart and soul, unite in presenting their sincere devotions. In this worship the sincere are many, and the hypocrites are few.

There are, indeed, a few half-souled worshippers, who at first design only a partial homage; but most of these at last become whole-hearted in the service. This class are sensible enough to see through the deceitfulness of all the promises of this idol, and have no intention of being immersed into his faith and service; but, by tampering with his temptations, their passions are seized, their understandings are led captive; and, ere they are aware, they are irrecoverably gone into his delusions. Many who once stood fair in the Christian profession, are now not merely members, but officers in the temples of Mammon, and have assumed the whole livery and costume of this idolatry. Their course has been first an immersion into debt; then, to meet their covenanted vows and promises, immense struggles became necessary. These sometimes fail: then their promises totter and fall; and with them sicken and die all that delicacy of feeling, that honorable sensibility and conscientiousness which are the sovereign guarantee and defence against all meanness, falsehood, and injustice. No one becomes obdurate at once. There is a process to this state of mind as to every other: but, by a repetition of acts of duplicity, prevarication, and deception, the habit is formed; and, by degrees, a person is carried forward to a course of action and to feelings from which, at one time, be would have turned away with horror, and said, like one of old, "Is thy servant a dog, that he should do this thing!"

Truly, then, may it be said, that "the love of monoy is the root of all evil." It is not money itself, but the love of it, that stimulates to all those misdeeds that drown men in destruction and perdition. Under the goadings of this passion, men contract unreasonable and unlawful debts, sacrifice peace of mind, jeopardize in many instances the resources of their families, and rush into adventures so bold and daring, if not absolutely romantic, that, to succeed, or to escape bankruptcy and ruin, they must use means and make efforts which Christianity unconditionally repudiates and disallows. They must think, devise, and

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plan, by day and night, until they have neither taste nor time for Bible reading or Bible praying. The ordinances of Christianity become to such persons insipid forms: they take no interest in them, because they can derive no comfort from them. They cannot read God's Book with pleasure, for it condemns them. They cannot pray to God in faith, because they know that they pray not with their whole heart. In one word, religious observances are, to them, clouds without rain, trees without fruit, breasts without milk, and bottles without wine. They are so nigh dead and withered branches, that they might as well be broken from the vine and thrown over the fence.

Such instances are not so very rare-alas! they are numerous amongst the mass of the professors of the present day. If men had learned to obey that apostolic precept, "Owe no man any thing but love,”, what souls might have been saved that are now gone to destruction! I do not say that men-that Christians, are neither to borrow nor lend. We are commanded to lend: therefore it cannot be a sin to borrow. Still we may borrow and lend without violating the precept of the Apostle. But he that borrows what he cannot pay when it is due; and still more, he that borrows what he has not good reason to think he can pay at the time promised, must be a defaulter so far as Paul commands in the precept before us. An attention to this apostolic injunction would do more to bless this community, than all the laws which the present Congress or the next is likely to enact during the whole term of their legislative service.

Augusta, Geo., November 27th, 1838.

A. C.

For the Millennial Harbinger.

A PERFECT MAN IN CHRIST JESUS-Ng. IV.

In my third number I closed upon the great importance of the use of the tongue, and our conversation, to make us "perfect in Christ Jesus." We generally form our judgment of the minds of men by their conversation. This is agreeable to the teaching of Jesus Christ: "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." When a man dwells with pleasure upon any topic, we judge correctly to say, Such is the calling of that man. Is he a farmer? Though a stranger, you will soon find him out. Is he a merchant, a mechanic, a seaman, a soldier, a politician, a wicked or righteous man? His conversation is an index to his mind, or calling. Is he a Christian? Then his conversation, as well as his conduct, will prove it: for out of the abundance of his heart his mouth (if opened) will speak: "for,where his treasure is, there will be his heart also." To see or hear a professor of Christianity dwelling, with pleasure, upon the trifling, vain, empty things

of this world, proves he is "carnally-minded," which "is death." So says Paul.

But I must return to my subject;-Paul exhorts Timothy, who was an Evangelist, "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." To the Hebrews he says, "Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as you have:" for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. James asks, "Who is a wise man, endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom." Paul says, "Our rejoicing is this-the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity-not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward." Peter exhorts his brethren-"As he who hath called you is holy, be ye holy in all manner of conversation; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles; that whereas they speak evil against you as evil doers, they may, by your works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation." Again-"Having a good conversation, that, whereas they speak evil of you, as evil doers, they may be ashamed, that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ." The conversation of a man of God will prove a savor of life unto life, or a savor of death unto death. "Whoso offereth praise, glorifieth me; and to him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I show the salvation of God." So said David. Malachi informs us of the conversation of the proud, and of those that feared the Lord:-"Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord; yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? Ye have said it is vain to serve God, and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinances, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are delivered. Then they that feared the Lord spoke often to one another; and the Lord hearkened and heard it; and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I wil! spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked; between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not." Such will be the happy lot of "every man perfect in Christ Jesus " Thus perfect love will cast fear out of the "man perfect in Christ Jesus." Amen! THOMAS M. HENLEY.

CHRISTIAN UNION.

THE following extracts were taken from the Union Herald, of August 31st, 1838:

CHRISTIAN UNION CONVENTION,

Held at Syracuse, N. Y., August 21st, 1838.

"It is the first General Convention for the purpose of promoting this Heaven-originated enterprize, that was ever held in this State; and the

only one, we believe, of the kind, which has been enjoyed in the United States, if we except the Convention which was held on the Western Reserve, during the summer of 1837."

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The following Report was submitted to the Convention by the Business Committee: viz.

"1. Resolved, That they, who are fit to enter the church in heaven, are fit members of the purest church on earth.

2. Resolved, That faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, is the key that opens the door of the church of heaven, the Lord of heaven having himself said, 'He that believeth shall be saved.'

3. Resolved, therefore, That to require more of the candidate for admission into the visible church, than satisfactory evidence that he believeth on the Lord Jesus Christ,' is virtually to reject him whom the Saviour receives, and to exalt the claims of the church on earth above those of the church in heaven.

4. Whereas the visible church is instituted by divine authority, and its ordinances and privileges intended for all the disciples of the Lord Jesus:-Resolved, therefore, That, knowingly to shut out from the benefit and enjoyment of those ordinances and privileges any one of these disciples, however humble, or ignorant, or erring he may be, is to incur the fearful guilt both of invading the rights of regenerated man, and of resisting God.

5. Resolved, That when we are admonished of the pernicious consequences of receiving into the visible church Christians who widely disagree with each other on important religious subjects, we reply, that we feel no more responsibility for such consequences than we do for the consequences of obeying any other requirement of the Saviour."

An Address was also presented and ordered to be read, out of which we make the following extracts:

"Beloved brethren-No person, acquainted with the words and the heart of Jesus Christ, believes that it is his choice to have his disciples separated from each other by party lines-wearing the badges, and contending with each other about the peculiarities, of their respective sects. He, whose prayer for his disciples was, 'that they all may be ene,' would have his church as seamless as was his garment. Nor will any person familiar with the sacred volume, believe that the Aposples preferred the division of Christians into various parties, to their collection in the same fold and under the same banners. If Paul loved parties in the church, he would not say 'that there should be no schism in the body;'-he would not enjoin one faith,' 'one spirit,' 'one mind,’ 'one accord,' 'the same mind,' the same love.'

However it may have been formerly, it is certain that, in our age, the church is not characterized by that unity which Apostles labored to impress upon her, and for which her Redeemer so ardently prayed. Nor is it less certain that the present division of his disciples not only finds no justification in the Bible, but that it is utterly forbidden, both by its spirit and letter. Does it not then, dear brethren, greatly concern us to know why this division is maintained? Two causes, accounting for it, present themselves to our minds. In the first place, there are amongst the professed disciples of the Saviour, not a few, whose big

otry, intolerance, and contentiousness are gratified by this division: and, in the second place, there are others of these disciples who are justifying and prolonging this division through their mistaken belief that union will at last come out of it. Believing that Christians who do not hold similar views on all important points in theology, cannot be brought into a harmonious and profitable association with each other, they judge it better, that, whilst this disagreement continues, these Christians should remain in their respective sects. Hence, in a great measure, the maintenance of these numberless sects," &c.

The Address was accepted, and the Resolutions, after some considerable discussion, were unanimously adopted; the second being put in the following terms:

"Resolved, That faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, is, on his own authority, the condition of salvation."

Said Committee lastly presented a Declaration of Sentiments, prepared by the Rev. S. Hawley, Cazenovia, N. Y.; out of which we present the following extracts:

"I. EVILS OF SECTARIANISM.

We solemnly believe that sectarianism, wherever it exists, or under whatever circumstances found, is a sin of the first magnitude: it is a daring encroachment upon the Divine prerogatives, a bold assumption of unauthorized and irresponsible power, a determined war on the divinely constituted arrangements of the church of Christ,-an open and perpetual infraction of the sacred rights of conscience, a ruthless sundering of the ties of spiritual consanguinity, and is utterly and forever repugnant to the genius of the gospel, and every feature of the Christian system. Its set up new and antagonist interests in the kingdom of God, which are made paramount to the common interests of Christianity, assumes the legislative function in the church,-imposes new and unauthorized tests of church membership,-supersedes the divine constitution of the church by a code of laws of its own enactment,-breaks up the household of faith into endlessly warring factions-disturbs the peace, destroys the symmetry, mars the beauty, wastes the energies, and endangers the existence of the body of Christ, by making it the seat of angry strife and perennial wars, robs the followers of Christ of the distinguishing badge of discipleship,-grieves the spirit,-betrays the cause to the enemy,-promotes every species of error,-arms infidelity with its most deadly weapon with which to assail Christianity,-abets most effectually the Papal usurpation,-endangers our natural and Christian rights,defeats most directly the ends of scriptural discipline,-opens the doors of the church to hypocrites,-creates and maintains a worthless, unevangelical, and time-serving ministry,-appropriates the substance of the church to the maintenance, strengthening, and perpetuity of its own interests, stays the conquests of the Cross,-renders the gospel powerless, hinders the conversion of sinners,---destroys the force of Christian testimony,---prevents the cultivation of heathen fields of labor, by monopolizing the services of ministers,---opposes the object of the prayer of our Lord-,--puts an embargo on the intellect,---prohibits the