stopped by the partial diffusion and slow reception of the Religion which like to represent as indispensible.

Euseb. Whatever may be the force of your objection, it surely is not lessening the difficulty to suppose that a Revelation has been wanting altogether. It is more probable that a part of mankind should have had the blessings of salvation placed within their power, than that those blessings should have been offered to none.

Those surely, at all events, cannot with a good grace object to any interference of God with the established affairs of the world, who at the same time make the slow and partial extension of Christianity one of their reasons for disbelieving it. The greater the improbability is that God should neglect a large portion of his rational creatures, the stronger still must become the improbability that he should overlook them all. Reflect too, before you give weight to this difficulty, how far the very delay you complain of in the progress of Christian light may be set down to the indifference and criminal neglect of Christians themselves; who, if they had been as eager to diffuse the Gospel as to extend their commerce or enlarge their dominions, might long ere this have proved apostles to all nations.

J. B. S.

WRITTEN IN WALKING OVER THE SIMPLON, SUNDAY, AUG. 13, 1818.,

Oh, hear me, my Saviour, my God, while I raise
To thy glory the song of thanksgiving and praise ;

For thou art my trust, and my Shepherd, O. Lord !'*
And my soul can lack nothing while fed by thy word.

By the waters of comfort that soul thou shalt lead,
And green are thy pastures in which I shall feed,
And righteous the paths, and all lovely the way,
Where thy mercy shall call me whenever I stray.

No terror, no fear, though I walk through the vale
Of the Shadow of Death, shall my courage assail ;
Thou art with me-of what shall this heart be afraid,
When thy rod and thy staff are my comfort and aid ?'

Oh! still, thou good Shepherd, oh! still round my head,
May thy love, and thy kindness, and mercy be shed !
Oh! still in the courts of thy house may I raise
To thy glory, the song of thanksgiving and praise !

ON PRAYER.

(The thought from Jeremy Taylor.)

The lark, that duly from her grassy bed

90 santi
Soars to high Heaven with bold assiduous wing,

If winds ungentle their rough sighings fling,
Hoarse, immelodious, o'er her timorous head,
Drooping forbears her ruffled plumes to spread;

Cowering she sits while yet the bleak gales sing ;

But in the sunny hour, her feet upspring,
Prosperous at last the dewy clouds to tread.
So, if unquiet fancies fill the soul,
Qur

prayers shall vainly seek th' eternal throne;
Stillness, and love, and gentle thoughts alone,
And faith, and charity, can reach that goal :--
Thus prays the good man; and with hopes resign'd,
Climbs to his God with meek and reverend mind.

X.

LINES WRITTEN IN THE CHURCHYARD OF RICHMOND, YORKSHIRE,

BY HERBERT KNOWLES.

(The following Poem of singular excellence was written by Herbert Knowles. He was born in one of the bumblest stations of life, and had suffered much calamity in his childhood. His extraordinary merits were at length discovered by persons "capable of appreciating them, and willing and able is assist bim. He was placed under a kind and able instructor, and arrangements had been made for supporting him at the University. But he had not enjoyed that prospect many weeks when it pleased God to remove him to a better world.j

“ It is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three Tabernacles, one for tliee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias." --Matt. xvii. 4.

Methinks it is good to be here :
If thou wilt let us build; but for whom?

Nor Elias nor Moses appear,
But the shadows of eve that encompass the gloom,
The abode of the dead, and the place of the tomb.

Shall we build to Ambition? Oh, no!
Affrighted he shrinketh away ;

For see, they would pin him below,
In a small narrow cave, and begirt with cold clay,
To the meanest of reptiles a peer and a prey.

To Beauty ? Ah, no. She forgets
The charms which she wielded before ;

Nor knows the foul worm that he frets
The skin which but yesterday fools could adore,
For the smoothness it held, or the tint which it wore.

Shall we build to the purple of Pride,-
The trappings which dizen the proud ?

Alas! they are all ļaid aside ;
And here's neither dress nor adornment allowed,
But the long winding-sheet, and the fringe of the shroud.

To Riches ? alas, 'tis in vain.
Who hid, in their turns have been hid:

The treasures are squandered again.
And here in the grave are all metals forbid,
But the tinsel that shone on the dark coffin-lid.

To the pleasures which Mirth can afford;
The revel, the laugh, and the jeer?

Ah! here is a plentiful board ;
But the guests are all mute as their pitiful cheer,
And none but the worm is a reveller here.

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Shall we build to Affection and Love?
Ah, no! they have wither'd and died,

Or fled with the spirit above,
Friends, brothers, and sisters, are laid side by side,
Yet none have saluted, and none have replied.

Unto Sorrow? The dead cannot grieve.
Not a sob, not a sigh meets mine ear,

Which compassion itself could relieve !
Ah, sweetly they slumber; nor hope, love, nor fear;
Peace, peace, is the watch-word,—the only one here.

Unto Death, to whom monarchs must bow?
Ah, no; for his empire is known,

And here there are trophies enow.
Beneath the cold dead, and around the dark stone,
Are the signs of a sceptre that none may

disown. The first tabernacle to HOPE we will build, And look for the sleepers around us to rise !

The second to FAITH, which ensures it fulkud:
And the third to the LAMB of the great sacrifice,
Who bequeath'd us them both when he rose to the skies.

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The British Patriot ;

NO. VI.

ADMONITORY ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE OF GREAT BRITAIN.

Friends and Fellow Countrymen, Being desirous to join in the truly benevolent design of dispersing among you such writings as will tend to counteract the baneful poison which has issued from the press of a few wicked individuals, who seek, as agents of the evil spirit on earth, to draw you into his power, both here and for the long hereafter of eternity, I am induced to offer you a few words of caution and advice.

God alone, who seeth all hearts, can know the secret motives which actuate such men as Carlile in endeavouring to destroy the peace of the world, and to reduce this happily-constituted realm to all the horrors and ignorance of the worst days of barbarous idolatry: I can only judge of his motives by the nature and proposed effect of his writings; and, while I endeavour to promote the great ends of peace and Christian charity, I would fain speak with charity even of the foe to our common happiness; but even if we suppose for a moment that he believes, as he says he does, (though if what he says of his unbelief is true, I would not take his word on any other subject,) is it possible that any but the worst motives could induce him to propagate his opinions with such eager industry ? Could any man innocently endeavour to render a whole population doubtful of the very foundation of the Religion of their forefathers, even if he doubted himself? or could such a man set himself up as a destroyer of our faith, without the most consummate impudence, as well as wickedness ? On his trial he shewed the most superficial acquaintance with the momentous subjects he so daringly discussed, and how little he knew of those great truths which the most wise and most learned have so ably vindicated, though he has dared to impugn them.

Not long since, it was said by one of the most eminent lawyers of our times, that if it was possible to bring such a case before a human tri. bunal, there were more clear and decisive evidences of the great truths of Christian faith, than of any other facts in the history of the world. Reflect, my friends, upon the present state of Christianity, and judge whether the assertions of an ignorant individual, who, to gain money by the sale of his works, risks your ruin both here and hereafter, ought to weigh for a moment against the clear evidence of the wonder-working hand of Divine Providence, operating at the present hour in favour of our most holy Religion. The world is divided into three great classes, of Christians, Mahometans, and Pagans. Now it is remarkable, that almost all the learning existing is possessed by Christians. All learned

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VOL. I.

discussions, all deep researches into the truth of history, proceed almost exclusively among Christians; and the closer the examination, the more clear is the evidence, of the divine truths we are taught; and gratefully and ardently should we praise our Creator, that

“ Our lot is cast in that blest land,

Where God is truly known.” While

every other religion (if they deserve that name) are retrograde,—that is, the numbers who profess them are growing less-Christianity is fast spreading over both the vast continents of America and Africa; over the large and fertile regions of New Holland, in India, the Southern islands, and the almost boundless tracts of the Russian empire. Think, then, my friends, that if such various and distant nations unite their endeavours in spreading the truth “ from pole to pole," and that the wise and learned of all those nations are combined in their belief of the holy Scriptures, what faith ought to be placed in the vague assertions of so ignorant a man as Carlile? He seems to have rested his faith on Paine, whose wretched arguments were incontrovertibly refuted by Bishop Watson and others; with all his bold defiance of received opinions, he presumed not to reply. Independent of all other arguments, we have always before us living proofs of the truths of the Bible, in the case of the Jews, and other nations, lying under the predicted displeasure of the Almighty; and in these days, when travelling is become more safe, and of course more common, any man who journeys in the East, with his Bible in his hand, may discover at every stage the most striking illustrations of its history, in viewing the customs and manners of those ancient nations, and examining their traditionary history on the spots which afford the most satisfactory evidence of those prophecies now fulfilling.

I will not enlarge on topics already so amply discussed. My motive is, to arouse your naturally good sense and feelings, that they may dissipate the cloud of error attempted to be thrown over you. The motive which has led unprincipled men to vilify the holy Scriptures, is the conviction, that the wise and virtuous lessons there taught form the most powerful bar against the changes they would introduce among you. The Scriptures inculcate every virtue which leads to social order and happiness on earth; they teach charity and benevolence to the rich and great; and humility, patience, and honesty, to those of lower degree. They show us, that from the very nature of that state of things in which Divine Providence has placed us, there must be, as there always have been, various gradations of ranks. If we could for a moment fancy all men equal in rank and property, is there one among you so dull, as not to see that such a state could not last a day? Are not all our powers of body and mind unequal ? Would not the cunning man outwit the simple? Would not the strong oppress the weak ? Would not the honest and industrious thrive, and the idle and vicious become vagabonds? Would not the different increase of families prove an immediate inequality ?

It happened to me, in those days when Tom Paine first tried to imitate the Serpent in Paradise, by making vice the introduction to