marks more particularly apply to Poland and Russia. The affecting appeal of a recently converted Jew to his Christian friends, cannot be too extensively read. He distinctly shows, that the inconsistency of Christian professors forms the main obstacle to the conversion of the Jews. "In the better classes of society on the continent, there is, as I have already said, more strictness of morals among the Jews, than among the Christians."* "The immorality of the Christian is quite proverbial among the Jews." Again, "You may imagine what I felt, when inquiring one day of my brother, concerning an old acquaintance," he replied, "without having any intention to offend me, or even reflecting how his answer was likely to affect me. 'He lives exactly like a Christian;' meaning that he led a profligate life." Also, still in relation to the conduct of Christians abroad, "The Jews are aware that Christians have, as well as they, a day which is called their Sabbath, and various other festivals or holydays. How do they behold these days professedly devoted to the service of Christ, spent by his pretended worshippers. They see the country part of the population coming in to join their brethren of the towns in the services of the church, and after these are over, they see them resort to the public houses, not merely to spend the rest of the day in rioting and drunkenness, but even in the commission of crimes ," &c. The narrative is too revolting to be further detailed. Sufficient evidence has, however, been adduced to show that intemperance is the most powerful antagonist to religion in almost every portion of the globe.§ The efforts of Christians to remove this plague-spot from the face of the world have hitherto been partial and ineffectual, one or two in

"A Brief Sketch of the present State and future Expectation of the Jews," by Ridley H. Herschell, 3d. Ed. p. 13.

Ibid. p. 44.

"Herschell's Sketch of the present State and future expectation of the Jews," p. 13.

§ I need scarcely mention that the Turks make no wine, but the Christians and Jews are allowed to make sufficient for their own use, upon payment of a certain tax.-RUSSELL'S Natural History of Aleppo, p. 19.

Of Arrack, says the same author, the "Christians and Jews drink pretty liberally," p. 20.

"The Jews and Armenian Christians are the principal manufacturers of wine in Persia." MOREWOOD's Essay on Ineb. Liquors, p. 61.

Barrow states in his Travels, that the Missionaries alone who lived near to the capital, manufactured wine. Travels, 4to. p. 304.

The Rev. Peter Jones in reference to the morals of the Chippeway Indian Tribes states, that "they abstain entirely from drinking ardent spirits, although frequently urged to do so by the wicked white people, who use every means in their power to turn them again to their old crooked ways." G

stances excepted. The subject is highly deserving the attention of missionary committees and contributors. Not only will the Gospel make little progress among the heathen so long as such injurious examples are presented for their imitation, but contempt and indifference will be excited in regard to a religion, the good fruits of which, are so little apparent in the conduct of those who professedly adopt its principles.*

2nd. The use of Intoxicating Liquors considered as an antagonist to the Gospel in the British nation.

This part of our inquiry may be considered either in regard to the effects produced on particular churches, or the insurmountable difficulties which it presents to the conversion of a wicked world. In both instances, the inquiry will present a melancholy though profitable subject for Christian reflection.

1. In its effects on Christian Churches in particular.

The habitual use of strong drink by members of Christian churches in the present day, will be found to be at

* It is a lamentable fact, that no nation has done more to introduce intoxicating liquors into heathen countries than the United States. For example, during the year 1835, fourteen merchant vessels, eleven of which were American, sold in the port of Honolulu, Island of Maui, alone, 16,950 gallons ardent spirits, and carried 37,522 gallons to the Indians of the Northwest coast, making 54,000 gallons of rum and brandy distributed among the natives, and it was ascertained that the largest proportion of this was shipped by a deacon of a Congregational church in Boston. New England rum has found its way from California, to Behring's Straits, among all the Islands of the Pacific and Indian oceans, and it has even penetrated into Africa, Egypt, and through the whole extent of the Sultan's dominions. In Hobart Town, Van Dieman's Land, every ninth house is licensed to sell ardent spirits, and at Sidney, Botany Bay, with a population of 60,000, every sixth house is a grog-shop. At the Society Islands, except Borabora, the traffic, use, and manufacture of ardent spirits have been prohibited by law, and the same was the case at all of the Sandwich Islands, except Oahu. The rum which has been exported from this country has usually been diluted with one half water, then drugged with tobacco, pepper, &c., and sold for about four dollars per gallon. On the 17th July 1839, a treaty was imposed upon Tamehameha III. by C. Laplace the commander of the French frigate L'Artemise. by which the ports of the Sandwich Islands are again thrown open to brandies and wines imported from France. Not long smce, the Barque Emma Isadora, sailed from Boston with a cargo of 5,200 gallons of rum, and several missionaries for the heathen. In a speech at a public Temperance meeting in Boston, Mr. Pierpont stated that he had seen barrels of New England rum with the Boston stamp lying on the wharves at Smyrna, and had been informed by a traveller, that he had seen it in casks on the backs of camels in the great desert of Arabia. At Broossa, he stated, that a man could get drunk on New England rum for less money than in Boston, and that the late Sultan, died a drunkard in a fit of delirium tremens, the means of which were furnished by New England captains. AM. ED.

tended with most injurious consequences, both as regards the usefulness of churches as a whole, and the influence which the habit exercises on the personal piety of individual members. Watchfulness and vigour are essential requisites in the Christian character. Alcoholic stimulants tend to produce apathy and indifference, and peculiarly unfit the mind for calm and serious reflection. By this means, the foundation is laid for spiritual declension and fall. "I have frequently," remarks the Rev. Leonard Woods, "and with deep concern, reflected on the effect of stimulating drinks upon our moral and religious state. And such is the result of reflection, that, if I look back to the time when ministers and Christians generally made use of such drinks, I am ready to wonder that their spiritual interests were not totally blasted, had not God, in great forbearance and mercy, winked at the times of this ignorance. But with the light now cast on the subject, it seems to me incredible, that a minister of the Gospel can be in the habit of using any intoxicating liquor, though in moderate quantities, without essentially injuring his own piety and diminishing the success of his labours. This view of the subject, which I have taken the liberty to express very plainly, is the result of much sober and careful observation on myself and others, as to the moral influence of the habit which was once so common. It tends to inflame all that is depraved and earthly in a minister, and to extinguish all that is spiritual and holy. It is poison to the soul, as really as to the body. Such is my conviction, and there are hundreds and thousands who have the same conviction, and will express it in terms equally strong. Nor is it a matter of imagination or conjecture with us. We know it just as certainly as any one, from uniform experience and observation, knows the effect of opium or arsenic upon the animal system; and just as certainly as any Christian knows by experience the effect produced upon his spiritual state by the commission of sin. We know it by sorrowful recollection: we know it by what was, at the time, a real but frequently suppressed inward consciousness-and it was this deep consciousness which always kept me and most other ministers from drinking distilled or fermented liquor, just before engaging in any religious service, public or private."

Statement of the Rev. Leonard Woods, D.D., Professor of Christian Theology in the Theological Seminary, Andover, Massachusetts. 9th Re port, American Temperance Society.

The number of Christian professors who have fallen through intemperance, is lamentable evidence of the fact under consideration.

The Rev. J. R. Barbour, of Newbury, Massachusetts, America, states, that in one hundred and thirty-five churches, out of eight hundred cases of excommunication, three hundred and seventy were for intemperance; and of eight hundred and thirty-four confessions reported from the same churches, intemperance was confessed in three hundred and seventy-nine cases, besides fifty-six cases in which the individuals became intemperate soon after their exclusion, or were placed under discipline for indulgence in the same degrading vice. Thus of one thousand six hundred and thirty-four cases of discipline reported, eight hundred and five show the appalling power of this sin. But even this statement is far from exhibiting the full extent of the evil: the indirect influence of spirituous liquors must be added; and in representing this, Mr. Barbour declares it to be his deliberate conviction, from documents to which he has had access, that seven-eighths at least of all the offences requiring discipline in the American churches for the last twenty or thirty years, have originated directly or indirectly, in the use of strong drink.

This startling and appalling statement, is corroborated by similar evidence in regard to the Christian church generally. Every day affords additional proof either of ministers or members of religious communities being injured by the same Anti-Christian course.

The Evangelical Wesley, made a wise and vigorous effort to remove this anti-spiritualizing evil, and had his efforts been efficiently supported by his successors, the Christian world would have been incalculably benefited. That the advice and rules of Mr. Wesley, in this respect, were acted upon during his own long and active life may be seen from an entry in his published journal: "Visited the Society at Kingswood, and expelled many members, among the rest seventeen for drunkenness, and five for retailing spirituous liquors." From this and other circumstances recorded in the life of that eminent and pious minister of the Gospel, it is evident that he looked upon discipline in this respect as essential to the purity and welfare of the Church.

* It is truly lamentable to find how great a number of influential memhers, and even officers of various Christian churches, are engaged in the traffic of strong drink. In America, previous to the Temperance Reformation, this was the case to a most deplorable extent. In our own country, this unholy alliance is not uncommon. In a recent publication it is stated, that in one of the western counties, a Baptist minister is engaged in the spirit trade. "Nor far from the residence of this individual is a Dissenting Society, one of the chief men of which is a wine and spirit merchant, in one part of the town, and a gin-shop keeper in another." "In the county town of one of the eastern counties, is a deacon of an Independent church; who, not content with the profits of a large brewery, must also become a spirit

The use of Intoxicating Liquor by Ministers of the Gospel, will be found to have an injurious effect on ministerial. character and usefulness.

The office of a minister of religion is peculiarly sacred, and the influence which it carries with it is proportionably important. If serenity of mind, cautious behaviour, and unblemished example, are essential in one character more than another, they are requisite in that of an instructer of religion. Hence the severe and circumstantial regulations which relate to the conduct of the priesthood, under the Levitical dispensation; and the careful directions which were laid down by the Apostles for the guidance of bishops and other officers of the church, all of which had reference to those practices which had a tendency to diminish ministerial usefulness and zeal.

A vigorous condition of the mind is essential for those whose office it is, to unfold the blessings of divine truth. The habitual use of strong drink enervates the mind, and unfits it for calm and serious reflection.* *

It is of importance that ministers should possess physical strength. Nothing so much tends to induce physical debility as the habitual use of intoxicating liquors. The venerable Clayton, of London, when in his eightieth year, thus expressed himself on the occasion of an induction of a young minister: "Beware of spurious ministerial efforts; avoid the use of stimulants before entering the pulpit; they may produce vehemence of manner, but will add nothing to the proper effect of preaching."+

The example of a religious instructer, is, in general, looked upon as the standard of his flock. Hence the paramount necessity that he should be guarded and correct in his conduct, and possess the mastery over all his appetites. The people naturally conceive that practice to be inno

merchant, and the only gin-shop in the town has the honour of being under his superintendence. A few weeks ago he was fitting up another in a neighbouring place."-BAKER'S Idolatry of Britain, p. 98.

Examples of this kind are not uncommon, as the author can testify from personal observation and inquiry.

* Woolman, in his Journal, makes the following forcible remarks: "As I have been sometimes much spent in the heat, and taken spirits to revive me, I have found by experience, that in such circumstances, the mind is not so calmed nor so fitly disposed for divine meditation, as when all such extremes are avoided; and I have felt an increasing care to attend to that Holy Spirit which sets bounds to our desires, and leads those who faithfully follow it to apply all the gifts of Divine Providence, to the purposes for which they were intended.

† Speech of Rev. J. Clayton, sen., 1831.-World Newspaper, &c.