Christian spirit. Religion is of too refined a nature, for human enactments to direct its advancement. Christ's kingdom is "not of this world." Like the sensitive plant, it recedes from the touch of politicians, and is polluted by their endeavours to advance its growth. This has been incontestibly proved in the case of Ireland: it was semi-pagan at the reformation; and that it is the same, in a very great degree, at the present mo. ment, none who are properly acquainted with the country, can at all hesitate to acknowledge. A respectable clergyman of the established church has recently published the following very affecting representation of its condition, as the result of his own personal investigation: "Its condition is a strange anomaly: united to Great Britain, its eight millions are our weakness rather than our strength! It deluges our cities with paupers, and yet remains full to overflowing. Although forming part of the wealthiest empire in the world, the mass of its inhabitants have scarcely the necessaries of life: notwithstanding the influence of a large Protestant establishment, it remains, 300 years after the reformation, more papal than the north of Italy; and, tiil within twenty years, almost as destitute of the Scriptures as Portugal or Spain. Surrounding barbarism tempts its aristocracy to emigrate; civil discord drives out its thriving peasantry; and starvation ejects its paupers : yet their numbers and their miseries continue to multiply. The government can get from them scarcely any revenue; clergymen have lost their tithes, and proprietors tremble for their rents, because the occupiers of the soil have scarcely food and clothing. This widespread penury, in a fertile land and favourable elimate, with all the irritation that necessarily accompanies it, disturbs the island with intestine dissensions, leads to outrage after outrage; perplexes successive governments; gives an unwholesome influence to agitators; and threatens the safety of the empire."-Noel's Tour in Ireland in 1836. tures; and in no church has there been so great a regeneration as in the national establishment. Twenty years ago, a few isolated clergymen were preaching the gospel faithfully in their respective churches, amidst much contempt from their ecclesiastical brethren and superiors; but now, one hundred or more clergymen have even thrown off their canonical shackles, and are going through the country, preaching, not episcopacy, but Christ crucified, upon week days, in meeting-houses, school-houses, &c., twice in the day, in places ten or twelve miles distant from each other; nor can any dissenters be more laborious, and few probably are more spiritual in their preaching, or conversation from house to house, than these devoted men. Never will the writer forget the pleasure with which, for the first time, he heard an episcopalian rector, without gown or prayer-book, preaching with all faithfulness in his chapel, in Clonmel, to a crowded auditory, "the unsearchable riches of Christ." He could not avoid detaining the assembly a few moments, when the service was ended, to express his gratification, and his assurance to the people, that his pulpit should always be open to such preaching, whatever might be the denomina❤ tion to which the minister belonged. What Ireland wants pre-eminently is, the unadulterated gospel of Christ; and this the Baptist Irish Society, according to its limited means, is endeavouring to supply. We have been, and are looked down upon; and it has repeatedly been said in effect, "What do these feeble Jews? if a fox go up he will even break down their stone wall." But God has been with us, greatly beyond what our stated congregations indicate. One hundred thousand children and adults, who were previously without the Bible, have, within the last twenty-three years, been taught to read the sacred volume in our schools:-immense portions of the holy volume have been committed to memory by our pupils. Several of our present school-masters and mistresses, and Scripture This is indeed a melancholy picture; but readers, and two of our ministers, were origiafter nearly twenty-two years intimate ac- nally poor Roman Catholic children, and are quaintance with Ireland, the writer is com indebted to the society for their first acquaintpelled to acknowledge, "this witness is true;" ance with the gospel. Multitudes of merely nor is the statement at all exaggerated. Ireland, nominal Protestants throughout the country as a whole, is exactly in these melancholy cir- have heard the gospel faithfully dispensed by cumstances. It must not, however, be supposed our ministers; and a large number of poor that it is not without any prospect of a better Roman Catholics have had it introduced to day. The gospel, which (whatever politicians their notice in their miserable dwellings, by may attempt) is the grand catholicon for Ire- our Scripture readers. Inquiry has been exland's woes, is at length becoming introduced cited the zeal of other denominations has into it with every prospect of advantage; been stimulated-their numbers have been let its friends in Britain only suitably assist increased—sinners, both old and young, of its propagation,-the dawn of religious re- different religious persuasions, have been formation is opened over the whole country, turned from Satan to God, and many who through the blessing of God upon the various have gone to America, and some who are religious societies which have been instituted, preaching the gospel in England, were brought to promote the knowledge of the holy Serip-to the knowledge of Christ by the instrumen tality of our agents; nor is there any department of our labours upon which the blessing of God has not visibly rested-the schools, readers, and ministers, have been mutually assisting each other; nor can either be now sacrificed, without injury to the rest. It is, therefore, highly important that those whom God has blessed with property, should more assiduously assist our operations; and that our exertions should be constantly remembered in the prayers of our brethren; and if prayer and endeavour are properly united, we need not fear that our labours will be in vain. energy of character, with a good degree of zeal and piety, and preaching talents attracting an attendance from without. We look for good not in our own strength; but if we make prayerful exertions, we have good reason to believe that the great Head of the church will afford us aid from on high. Mr. C. is unceasing in his efforts to forward the cause in which he is engaged; several improvements have been already made in the chapel, and we look forward to more, as we can procure the means. A meeting is to be held in a day or two at Clonmell, at which Mr. C., with most of your other agents, I believe, will attend, for conference on some joint means of promoting the object of your society in the south. I sincerely hope that good may arise from it-perhaps the much more extensive appliance of your Society's aid in this part of Ireland. I The writer has lately resigned Clonmel to another worthy minister; and has removed to London, by the appointment of the Committee, that he may devote himself entirely to collecting funds, to enable the Society to carry forward its benevolent operations. Most thankful will he be to receive contributions at Mr. Campbell himself writes under date his residence, and also to visit those churches | Jan. 10:-" In giving the Committee an acthroughout the country, where his brethren count of my labours and prospects in this take an interest in the spiritual reformation of important city, I am not able to boast of much Ireland, to collect at such times as it may be success. To the present, I have been very convenient for themselves to appoint; and wher- busy in making such improvements about the ever, through previous engagements, he may chapel, as the neglects of a very long period be unable to go, the respected secretary (the have rendered necessary. My little congreRev. S. Green, of Walworth) will cheerfullygation increases, but by slow degrees. provide another minister in his room. It is particularly important for the churches to fix their own time, to prevent unprofitable journeys, and injury to our other societies. had at the date of last report, May, 1837, ninety agents to support-and the Committee will gladly increase their number as means are afforded. Ireland has been hitherto much too greatly neglected; but it is hoped that henceforth our brethren will be particularly careful that this complaint shall not be justly attributable to themselves. Method and energy are requisite to be combined with each other; and, with God's blessing, the result will not fail to be gratifying to those who assist our endeavours, as well as to those who undertake the labour of prosecuting them, 92, St. John Street Road, London. We STEPHEN DAVIS. CORK. In this city, where for many years a Baptist church has existed, it will be remembered that the Committee has lately agreed to render assistance to what appeared to them a likely effort to revive the interests of religion among the people. Mr. Young, an excellent deacon of the church, under date of Dec. 25 last, writes the Secretary: "I have good reason to hope that Mr. Campbell will be successful in raising and establishing the Baptist cause in this long dead and unproductive corner of the Lord's vineyard. He unites considerable untiring preach twice on Lord's days, and on Wednesday evening a lecture. We have a prayermeeting on Friday evening. These are as well attended as, perhaps, I am warranted to expect, under the circumstances of the place. Our progress will be very slow; but I confidently hope we may succeed in raising it from its depressed condition to a level with its neighbours in this city. I earnestly beg your prayers. Fermoy, Bandon, Macroom, Youghall, and other places lie before me; and I feel disposed to visit some one of them weekly. From CLONMELL, Messrs. Smith and Mullarkey, under date of Dec. 2, write as follows: Mr. Smith. Through the good hand of our God upon us, we are permitted to reach the close of a year's engagement in this portion of the Lord's vineyard, and to report to your respected Committee that hitherto the Lord hath helped us. We are not permitted to take up the song of triumph, and to rejoice in conquest; it is indeed a day of small things with us, and it may be our duty to wait long ere the set time to favour this hill of Zion arrives. Your resources here were too long expended in strengthening other interests, to expect for some time to come any thing more than a bare occupancy of the ground; and were it not that the time may arrive, and we know not how soon, when the present faithful defence of the truth in the established church may be exchanged for the cold formalities of a hireling ministration,-if it were not for the ap prehension that such a change might open wide the door of extended usefulness to us, I should almost be prepared to recommend relinquishing the ground. But the present aspect of things says, I think, "The vision is for an appointed time; though it tarry, wait| for it.' Our congregation continues about the same as at the last report; the services have been maintained regularly. I have requested Mr. Mullarky to extract from his journal, for your information, a few minutes of his daily engagements, with a summary of the number of families and individuals with whom he has read the Scriptures and conversed, during his residence with us. I hope he is sowing precious seed, that shall appear after many days; and that he is securing that knowledge of divine truth, enlargement of views, and general improvement in thought and expression, that may fit him for more extended usefulness. I do hope and pray that the Society's treasury may be so replenished by the liberality of the Lord's people, that you may be enabled to devise liberal things for your interest here, that by liberal things it may stand. Mr. Mullarky. According to your request, I have taken up my journal, to furnish you with a few extracts; but finding so little deserving attention, I am inclined to confine myself to saying, that since my arrival here on the 9th of Sept., I have been engaged in preparing the ground, and endeavouring to sow the seed, in humble reliance that the Lord will accompany his word preached in sincerity, but in much weakness, with the influence of his Spirit, and cause it to bring forth, in due time, much fruit to his own glory. In the discharge of the important duty which, as a poor sinner saved by grace, I owe to my fellow-creatures and my Redeemer, I have availed myself of a hundred and forty-one opportunities of proclaiming salvation through Jesus Christ, to little companies varying from one to thirty individuals. have endeavoured, from the commencement, to act upon your advice of directing my labours to those parts which were hitherto neglected, which is easily done, as the field is great, and the labourers few. When I came here first, I knew not where to go, in order to commence my work; but the Lord has so far directed me, that at present I have three stations, each of which I attend at least once a week; and although the numbers that attend at these places are small, the people are attentive, and likely to increase. In addition to these, there are several places not less interesting which I attend occasion ally; where those who come appear much pleased, and thankful for my visiting them. The Irish dialect which I spoke being unintelligible in this part of the country, I was obliged in the commencement to confine myself to the English language. Through this means I found it almost impossible to communicate my ideas on religious subjects, as many of those with whom I came in contact did not understand English, and those who could keep up an ordinary conversation in English did not understand the terms peculiar to religion-such as human depravity, justification, sanctification, &c. ; but I am happy to say, that these difficulties, by frequent intercourse with the people, and other means, are in some measure, though not entirely, removed. Although I am not able to say that I can point out any decided cases of conversion attending my exertions here, I am happy to inform you, that I have succeeded even beyond my own expectations. Together with attending to the above stations, I have frequent intercourse with the peasantry, in their cabins, for reading and conversation. Although I was told in the commencement that by visiting Roman Catholics at their houses my life would be in danger; contrary to this, in my daily visits among them I was treated, with little exception, with the greatest respect and attention, and frequently invited to come again. In addition to these, we have several hundred tracts in circulation, which those who have them promise to lend their neighbours, and return them for circulation in other places, on receiving others. Many of these are in the hands of Roman Catholics, to whom I trust these silent missionaries will be made useful. We The three young persons whom I am teaching to read the Scriptures in English and Irish are very interesting. These, as you are aware, attend regularly every evening; and two of them seem to come for the purpose of becoming acquainted with the gospel; and I am led to hope favourably of the third. open and close our meeting with prayer, and confine ourselves as much as possible to reading and explaining the Scriptures. In the commencement, Wm. O'Brien, who seemed not to have had much intercourse with Protestants before, joined in prayer with some reluctance, but now he appears to take great delight. Yesterday evening, having finished his business earlier than the other young men, I asked him whether he wished to go home then, or wait for prayer? When he answered, with the greatest earnestness, "O Sir, I would rather wait for prayer." Contributions in our next; and we wish our friends to be informed, that all moneys in tended to appear in the next report, must be handed to the Secretary or Treasurer on or befor the 20th day of April next. BAPTIST THE MAGAZINE. APRIL, 1838. ،، SLEEPY PROFESSORS. BY THE REV. F. A. COX, D.D., LL.D. THE paper which appeared in the magazine for January, entitled "Spiritual Sleepers," will, I trust, be read with profit by those for whom it was specifically designed; and as my esteemed friend, the author, has, in conversing upon the subject, wished to devolve on me, rather than undertake himself, the task of admonishing those who are asleep in their profession, I propose the following considerations addressed to saints, as a sequel to Mr. Steane's appeal to sinners. Knowing the time," says the apostle, "that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." Dr. Clarke has remarked that this has been judiciously paraphrased by Dr. Taylor, in the following words: "And all the duties of a virtuous and holy life, we should the more carefully and zealously perform, considering the nature and shortness of the present season of life, which will convince us that it is now high time to rouse, and shake off sleep, and apply with vigilance and vigour to the duties of our christian life; for that eternal salvation which is the object of our christian faith and hope, and the great motive of our religion, is every day nearer to us than when we first entered into the profession of christianity." The present has been frequently and justly represented as an age of much profession and activity. The intellectual and moral powers of man seem to have been roused in some degree from the dormancy which once possessed them, VOL. I.-FOURTH SERIES. | so that from sympathy or from impulse the christian world is in a state of unwonted motion and excitement. At home societies abound, committees assemble, contributions are made to promote important objects. Abroad, missionaries have devoted themselves to the holy enterprise of subduing the nations to Christ, and by Bible translations, tract distributions, and the preaching of the gospel, are seeking to pour the light of heaven into the dark domains of heathenism. The anxious and anticipating church is, in consequence of the vigorous employment of this instrumentality, and in connexion with the promises of God, hailing the approach of the "last days," emphatically so called, of Messiah's reign, and of millennial glory. It But let us not deceive ourselves. is yet morning, and though many an embattled host has gone forth, and engaged in the holy war with Satanic powers and worldly superstitions; mul titudes are still slumbering, and need to be roused up by the whispers of love or the thunders of remonstrance. They have been awake, indeed, or have been supposed to be awake, as their very profession implies; but if so, they have relapsed into moral sleep. There is a kind of physical activity under the name of religion and profession, but their real condition is that of moral slumber; they walk and act, indeed, but one is reminded of those who walk in their sleep, for they seem to be affected by a fell and fatal somnambulism! Avoiding for the X sake of brevity a minute detail of the delusions and phantasms incident to such a state; I will nevertheless aim to render the fact and the danger apparent: "and so much the more," as by the rapid revolutions of time we 66 see the day approaching." Those who are making no progress in personal piety may be said to be asleep in their profession. And is it not notorious that multitudes are comprehended in this class? As personal religion is a matter of consciousness, this is a fitting subject for self-examination. A careful analysis will soon unfold to us the real state of the heart as it respects the weakness or the intensity of its emotions. It is practicable to ascertain, and an incumbent duty to attempt it, not only the reality but the condition of inward piety;-whether it is languishing or progressive-whether we are carnally or spiritually minded. Every man is, or may be, best acquainted with himself, because he possesses the most easy access to his own mind, and is the only person that can be fully aware of its secret workings. The most ready and indubitable test is at hand in the power of conscience, which is capable of acting with impartial fidelity, and giving its prompt and perfect decisions. To this moral judge we should continually resort, nor suffer a self-flattering pride to dispute its dictates or disown its authority. Conscience will make us aware of our most prevalent thoughts, and most secret purposes, and thus lead us to the right conclusion respecting the character and strength of our professed religion. It will show us as in a reflecting glass our consistencies or inconsistencies, our moral triumphs and defeats, our progress or procrastination, in the heavenly journey; and we must be infallibly convicted or justified by its testimony. in the branches and ramifications of practical godliness. There should it be apparent that humility increases, that faith strengthens, that charity never fails. There in the self consciousness of the Spirit should it be felt that the world has an ever-diminishing hold on the heart, and eternal realities an ever-increasing one; that the successes of life or the accumulations of temporal prosperity are less grateful, and the disappointments of adversity less oppressive; that heaven is daily more attractive, its glories more intensely contemplated, and more highly estimated; the character of its blessedness more distinctly understood, and more palpably obvious, through the corresponding similitude of an in ward sanctification; and then should we be led to "set our affections on things above." Then will there be a conscious increase of love to the brethren, a subjugation of worldly passions, a melting away of unhallowed prejudices and evil thoughts of others, an expansion of the generous sympathies, a budding forth of varied graces and precious productions, that shall beautify the man, whose smell shall be as the smell of Lebanon. The inward impulses will spring into outward manifestations, the heart will teach the lips, and transform the life; and the heavenly seed of Divine implantation will soon appear on the surface in the growing luxuriance of a spiritual vegetation. Το "faith" will then be added virtue, to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity." But if none of these emotions and emanations of excellence exist, if the state of inward piety be only what it was, or even less in degree, which, in the case supposed, is more than probable, truly may it be said that such professors are asleep in their profession. The apostolic admonition "grow in grace," implies that grace is not only susceptible of increase, but that our best The state of personal piety may be reefforts should be directed to its invigora-garded as the generic source of the moral tion and improvement. The fruits of the Spirit should be cultivated, and our souls, if they have been indeed renewed, treated as the garden of the Lord, which requires daily and assiduous attention. There should righteousness spring forth, and holy affections blossom and bud like the rose. There should it be manifest that the tree of life is flourishing; strong in the stem of a confirmed religion, as in the root of a genuine piety, and vigorous indications of character, yet some others may be mentioned as distinct in their aspects, though inherent with it. The christian life is represented as a season of warfare; where, therefore, there is no warfare, or but few and feeble conflicts with the corruptions of nature, men may be truly said to be asleep in their profession. It is not infrequent for persons, after the ardour of their first impressions, leading to an early avowal of their principles, |