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and to the testimony," and engaged to abide by its decisions; and difficulties quickly vanished.

Now, I claim not to be a prophet, or the son of a prophet, nor do I profess to speak the result of "much prayer and humiliation," (I have a strong conviction of criminal defect in both these,) but I have much confidence that there is hope in our Israel concerning the increase of her piety, and her peace and prosperity. This confidence is in part the result of observation upon the recent movements of Christians. It was but too evident that there were different views and feelings not long ago, and there were some painful indications of darker days to come. But, on the whole, my hopes revive.

I hvve observed that brethren have prayed together, and that the more they prayed the more they were drawn together in feeling. I am greatly disappointed if some did not separate with a confidence in each other which they have not felt for a long time, and with strong hope that they shall yet again see eye to eye. In this I think I cannot be mistaken. I believe there is also a conviction that united prayer and effort, taking the law and the testimony for a guide, will secure the peace and prosperity of Zion.

I have observed that the "object of prayer" was, not to secure party ends, but the glory of God in the upbuilding of Christ's church. Now, while brethren "pray for this object," is there not hope that party ends will be forgotten in common labours for the truth?

I have noticed a spirit of forbearance, a willingness to withdraw any measure calculated to excite and divide. This is not the spirit of disunion. It tends to union, and goes far to justify the remark, that there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. Let the spirit of for bearance be continued-let those who have seen differently, and felt differently, strive to "out-do each other in this"-let all occasions for schism be kept

out of sight and out of mind, and let one prayerful effort be made on all hands to strive together for the grace of God, and the present year will witness an amount of good accomplished to which Britain can shew no parallel. There is hope that it may be.

Should any be disposed to say this view is partial and altogether too favourable, I have only to answer, It is better to work on the bright side than on the dark. It is impossible to induce effort without hope. Without hope the way is exactly prepared for criminations and recriminations, and for every species of unkind feeling. I wish every one, who has not done it, would diligently consider the importance of hope, as a spring of action, and then endeavour to cherish it with reference to the interests of Zion in Britain to the utmost.

Besides the appearances already alluded to, there is another ground of hope. There is hope in God, who has the hearts of all in his hand, and who turns hearts in answer to prayer. He that has faith in God need not be told that there is a sure ground for hope. Can it be doubted for one moment, if ministers and churches would lay aside all ends but the glory of God, and, instead of fanning the coals of strife, by retailing all that is heard and surmised, or by any course calculated, in the state of feeling, to perpetuate prejudice, would unite to pray for the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace-to pray that we may all be filled with the Holy Ghost, and would humble themselves as did Ezra; that the desire of the heart would speedily be granted, and blessed days of prosperity would ensue. This is the point to which I wish to bring the minds of your readers. To me, the present seems to be the happy moment for such effort. Let me, then, simply ask, how many ministers and private Christians are prepared to engage for this object with Ezra's zeal and spirit of prayer and humility?-(See Ezra, ix. x.)

There is no good—morally good-reason, why the present year may not be, among the churches of Christ in Britain, a year of devout, united, harmonious labour in the service of the gospel. We trust there is a disposition to unite in well-doing-and while such a hope prevails, no real lover of truth, righteousness, and peace, will, knowing what he is about, be the first to damp it. IOTA.

SINNING IN COMPANY.

THERE is a secret and powerful influence for good or for evil, which arises from fraternity or partnership in action. The good are excited and stimulated to greater efforts in virtue, by the presence and co-operation of kindred spirits; and the wicked are encouraged in their misdeeds by the circumstance that they sin in company. The sinner in solitude would soon become saddened and miserable by the unwelcome intrusions of his own reflections; and his wicked purposes would lose much of their force, could he not look around and see many who were identified with him in his pursuits. He seeks congenial society, that he may be strengthened and strengthen others in the way of sin, and he derives a sensible encouragement, and is confirmed in his departures from virtue, when he can mingle with a crowd who in spirit and conduct are like himself. This fact is so well known, that we not only expect to see every sinner have his boon companions, but, from the very circumstance of their society, becoming gradually, yet certainly, more depraved. Mutual enticement and encouragement renders it certain that this will be the case; but besides this, the result seems to be hastened by an indefinable sense of security which each one entertains when surrounded by his companions. He feels safe because he sins with a multitude; in all his favourite resorts he finds a multi

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tude; the great majority in the town or city where he resides are as regardless of religion and as fond of sin as himself; by this he is emboldened, and at length fancies that there can be no danger in the course which so many pursue. Nay, he even proceeds further, and ventures to make the fearful calculation that if he be finally damned, there will be countless multitudes involved in the same condemnation, and derives a certain kind of satisfaction from the thought. But how silly is the latter delusion! Whatever it may be in theory, in reality it can afford no mitigation to personal suffering to be surrounded by others who suffer in an equal or superior degree. If all the inhabitants of a large city were at the same moment writhing under the tortures of the cholera, it would be no alleviation to the sufferings of any one individual to be apprised of this fact; it would, on the contrary, add new poignancy to his pain. The sight of their writhings, the sound of their shrieks, and the conviction that no one was able to aid his fellow, would prove additional sources of suffering. So if a sinner should be cast into hell, he will find a great society there, but it will be under a different organization from any society to which he had belonged on earth: it will not merely be a collection of inen left to the wickedness of their hearts, and encouraging each other to blaspheme God, but it will be a society of suffering, suffering the most intense, in which one will not be able to minister kindly to the distress of his companion, but in which selfish feeling will be so exclusive as to destroy every benevolent sympathy, and in which fiend-like passions shall so sway as to aim at the increase of each other's torments. It will all be horror, remorse, hatred, and inconceivable anguish. Although there will be many there, yet each one will endure all hell in himself. prospect what comfort can a sinner take? he encourage himself in a course of sinning

In such a How can which

must end in ruin, because multitudes pursue the same course, and are destined to the same fate? The presence of unnumbered millions would not have the effect of ministering one drop of water to cool his parched tongue. The sinner therefore should be warned to escape from this delusion. Although he may now drown reflection amidst the bustle of a thoughtless throng, the time approaches when he shall be singled out to retire to the privacy of his own chamber to die; and although he may now feel a sense of impunity in sinning with the multitude, it will only aggravate his woe to meet the participators of his guilt in a world of punishment. "Come not thou, my soul, into their secret; unto their assembly, my honour, be not thou united."

AN INTERESTING INCIDENT.

FREE-THINKERS and infidels often ridicule religion and those who embrace it; but there is that within them which tells them that religion is a reality, and that those who are actuated by its spirit, and governed by its principles, are entitled to confidence and respect.

The following anecdote was related to us a few days since. It has probably been published, and better than we can tell it, but it will bear repetition :-

Two men were travelling; one was a sceptic and the other a Christian. The former was on every occasion ready to denounce religion as an imposture, and professors as hypocrites. According to his own account of the matter, he always suspected those who made pretensions to piety,-felt particularly exposed in the company of Christians,—and took special care of his horse and his pockets when the saints were around him.

They had travelled late one evening, and were in

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