truth in unrighteousness; i. e. acknowledge the truth, and yet sin against it. But the Gentiles acknowledged truths, such as the goodness and power of God, collected from surveying his works, and yet, by their idolatry and other vices, sinned against the truth they acknowledged. Therefore the wrath of God is revealed against the Gentiles, and He punishes them. The Jews have acknowledged more truths than the Gentiles, and yet they sin. Therefore the Jewish sinners are yet more exposed to the wrath of God. After answering the objections which he brings forth against this argument, he concludes, that as both Jews and Gentiles are in the same condition in the sight of God, viz. both sinners, they may be justified by the same means, without the Levitical law, through faith in Christ.

He shows that this doctrine of justification by faith, and not by law, lays us under the strongest obligations of holiness, and to this purpose devotes the whole of the 6th chapter. From these and other doctrines of a like kind,-especially from this, that God has in mercy accepted the Gentiles, he argues, that the Romans should consecrate and offer themselves up wholly unto God; and this leads him to mention particular Christian duties, as subjection to magistrates, brotherly love, abstinence from those vices which were considered as things indifferent among the Gentiles, &c.

From this we may collect, that the main design of this Epistle is, first to vindicate God's justice in calling the Gentiles, notwithstanding their former sins, and want of circumcision, to the knowledge of the truth in Christ Jesus. 2ndly His own practice in preaching this Gospel to the Gentiles; and lastly, his desire to defend the Gentile converts from the efforts which were made by the Jewish Christians to induce them to adopt the ceremonial rules of the law of Moses. These views of the Apostle's design will be very useful in reading this Epistle to the Romans, the main difficulties in which, (and they are not a few,) seem to rise from the way in which Saint Paul often merely alludes to the principles and errors which it is his design to

combat..

In the mean time, we cannot be too thankful to that merciful God, who has vouchsafed to us Gentiles so great and zealous and able an expounder of "the things which belong to our peace,"

and, while we adore the Saviour for those good tidings of great joy which he came to publish, let us learn from the writings of this great Apostle to humbly acknowledge with St. Peter, that there are in his writings some things hard to be understood; and pray that we may not be led by a proud, curious, or presumptuous spirit, to wrest them to our own destruction, as some who are unlearned and unstable do.

MR. EDITOR,

LETTER WITH POETRY.

February 7, 1831.

SHOULD you think the following lines deserving of a place in your "Family Monitor," they are much at your service. The writer of them has always been greatly struck with the desolation and misery which the wickedness of one sex, and the thoughtless rashness and want of any fixed religious principle in the other, are constantly producing. He has, therefore, always regarded with peculiar satisfaction those efforts which the pious and benevolent are making in London,-to bring back some of these lost sheep into their Master's fold,―to restore these banished ones to their friends, to society, and, above all, to that peace of mind which true repentance, and faith in a Saviour's will and power to pardon, alone can give. These objects, so worthy of that divine spirit which "hopeth all things," the benevolent institution to which these lines allude, is, I believe, with God's blessing, accomplishing to a considerable extent. The writer has had many opportunities of knowing the history of some of the unhappy individuals who have been fortunate enough to gain admission into its peaceful walls, and has good grounds for thinking that many have been brought to turn from their evil ways and live; and perhaps, also, it may prove beneficial to a large class of your readers to know, that many of them date their ruin to their inordinate love of dress.

I am truly your's,

VOL. I.

S

B. L.

It tells of agony and guilt,

And all the heart must brave,

When grief, and shame, and scorn pursue
Their victim to the grave.

But hark!-from out those depths of woe,
More cheerful measures move,

They tell not now of banish'd peace,
But of redeeming love.

The dead restor'd, the lost one found,

The erring child forgiv'n;

The broken heart bound up, and peace
On earth, good will in heaven.

Then 'mid those notes which pour their balm

Upon the heart forlorn,

Still may I hear these melting strains,

Each hallow'd sabbath morn.

FINE NAMES.

AT a country sessions a few weeks back, the court was amused by hearing the clerk read over the following names of a family of paupers, whose settlement was the subject of dispute: Frederick, Elizabeth Julia, Theresa Matilda, Amelia Eugenia, Agrippa, and Emma.”

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These names, however, are short and simple compared to many that are given by parents to their children in the present day; the writer of this has known a tailor's wife have her little girl christened "Zuleika Ann Matilda Rosenberg Emma Maria Christiana; " and many other instances equally absurd, could be brought forward to show that this custom of giving numerous names may be ranked among the follies of the day. This fancy for fine names is not confined to any particular class in society, but more or less pervades all ranks: still a name which might be very appropriate in a gentleman's child, would appear ridiculous in any one born to labour; for instance, to use the names of Theresa, Eugenia, or Zuleika, whenever the cook, housemaid or nurse are wanted, is a con

tradiction in sound and station which must naturally excite a smile in persons of common sense; besides, they generally end in some unintelligible abbreviation, as Juny, Zuky, and

so on.

After all, there is nothing like the good old fashioned names of John, Thomas, Mary, and so forth; there is something honest in the sound of them, and they accord more with the ideas of Englishmen than fine names. Independently of the absurdity of giving a child a list of names, there are many disadvantages attending it. In law proceedings, and in cases where property is concerned, great difficulties often arise from this custom.

The agent employed is sometimes not aware of all the names of the parties, and thinking one or two sufficient for most people, the papers are often wrongly filled up, and then every thing must be done over again. A person is not always aware himself of the exact number of names his parents had been kind enough to prefix to his surname at his baptism, for though easily given, they are easily forgotten, and so from carelessness, or one cause or another, a name is omitted, which may be the cause of a lawsuit, and prove a serious obstacle in the proceedings. All persons conversant with such matters, will acknowledge, that already much evil attends this foolish and we fear growing custom of giving children a long string of names. The transmission of family names is certainly respectable, and not a word can be said against it, farther than the inconvenience of having two or three persons of the same name in one family; but for a parent to select five or six of the longest and finest names that can be thought of, without rhyme or reason, must be ridiculous in any class of society, more particularly in the lower.

While on this subject, a word might be said about the adoption of scriptural names, not against those in common use, but what are called hard names, which are sometimes thoughtlessly given for the sake of a change, which are generally far from appropriate, and sometimes indecorous, such as those which are applied to the Saviour, as Emmanuel, and a few more; and it may be added, that they are almost always mis-called and misspelt Every man is certainly at liberty to do what he pleases in this respect, but when it has arrived to such a pitch, that the time and space of public courts and records are really taken up