law, was the uniform doctrine of the first Reformers: It is, (he adds,) a far more ancient doctrine, it was the doctrine of the whole College of the Apostles it is more ancient still it was the doctrine of the Prophets it is older than the Prophets it was the religion of the Patriarchs: it was the corner stone of the whole system of redemption."

And now, my Dear Friends, if I may be allowed to add my humble attestation to this great vital truth, I would venture to borrow the words of the Apostle, and say, "God forbid, that I should glory, save in the cross of Jesus Christ my Lord! God forbid, that any other doctrine should be heard in our parish church, than that, which humbles the sinner and exalts the Saviour;" and in thus preaching Christ faithfully and fully, I feel as assured, as of my own existence, that I am promoting the truest interests of holiness.

"Talk they of morals! Oh! thou bleeding Lamb,
The grand morality is Love to Thee!"

Have you, my Dear Friends, fled for refuge, to lay hold upon the hope set before you? Have you obtained joy and peace in believing? Is the Saviour precious in your eyes?—Then I am confident you feel an influence such as you never felt before, even the love of Christ, constraining you, not only to hate sin, and avoid the very appearance of evil; but impelling you to abound in every good word and work,-and by the exem

plary holiness of your lives-to silence the gain sayers, and shew forth the praises of Him, who has called you "out of darkness into his marvellous light."

I remain, my dear Friends,

Your affectionate Minister, and Servant in Christ, EDWARD WARD.

ON REFORM.

MY DEAR FRIENDS,

WE hear much about REFORM in the present day; indeed we hardly hear of any thing else: Reform in the Parliament, Reform in the Law, Reform in the Church. One would almost think, that these Reforms were to banish distress and suffering of every kind from the country. That there are defects in these several parts of our system, is not only possible and probable, but even certain; inasmuch as nothing that is human, is, or can be, perfect. And, doubtless, where there are defects, they should be corrected; where there are abuses, they should be done away. But it is downright delusion to suppose, that if any, or all, of these Reforms were carried into effect, money would be in much greater plenty, bread and meat much cheaper, and the burdens on society at large materially lessened.

Be it remembered too, that to reform longestablished Institutions, is a difficult and delicate undertaking, requiring great judgment, and sound

discretion: else you may chance to mar far more than you mend for in repairing an ancient building, it happens at times, that, while you remove what is decayed, you weaken what is strong; and now and then a greater evil ensues, than that which you purpose to remedy; the safety of the whole is endangered, and real blessings sacrificed for some fancied good.

Indeed, it is to be feared, that not a few of those, who are clamouring so loudly for Reform are in reality under that term aiming at Revolution.-Some, from mistaken notions about rights and liberty;-some from a sheer love of change;-some from a reckless desire of mischief; and others from a malignant jealousy of those above them, wishing to bring down all, however ruinous the result, to one and the same level.

REVOLUTION!!-Oh, my dear friends, do you not shudder at the very term? It would endanger our peace, and security, and comfort: all that is esteemed, and venerable, and sacred amongst us, would be in jeopardy! It would let loose all the worst passions of our nature; and lead to plunder, and violence, and bloodshed, and civil war!

Mark, I pray you, the baneful effects of Revolution! I will give you them upon unquestionable evidence, the evidence of one of our most violent Reformers. "Having witnessed," he says, "the fatal effects of Revolution; having seen piety give place to a contempt of religion:

universal confidence exchanged for universal distrust; having seen a country once the seat of peace and good neighbourhood, torn to pieces. by faction, plunged by intriguing demagogues into never ceasing hatred and strife—having seen a people once too fond of what they called liberty, to bear the sway of a mild Sovereign, humbly bending their necks to the yoke, nay to the very foot, of a set of grovelling despots; having, in short, seen the crime of rebellion punished by the tormenting, degrading curse of republicanism, it is with astonishment and indignation, that I find any of those, who have the press at their command, endeavouring to bring down on my native country the very same species of calamity and disgrace. I feel therefore," he adds "an irresistible desire to communicate to my countrymen, the fruit of my experience: to shew them the injurious and degrading consequences of DISCONTENT, DISLOYALTY, and INNOVATION to convince them, that they are the freest as well as the happiest of the human race: and, above all, to warn them against the arts of ambitious and perfidious demagogues."

And who is this, that reads us such a wholesome lesson, so well suited to allay the ferment of the present times, and open the eyes of those, who are blinded by extravagant notions about liberty? Why, it is no other than the noted radical reformer, COBBETT, who has exchanged these sound and patriotic sentiments, with which he returned from America thirty years ago, for

those of the very demagogues whom he so strongly reprobates!

The seeds of sedition are busily scattered by such men through the land, I mean those pernicious doctrines, which render the poor man discontented with his lot-teaching him to regard himself as oppressed and defrauded of his rights, and to repine at his richer neighbours, and prompting him to despise dominion, speak evil of dignities, and take the law, the law of violence, into his own hands.

What a fearful responsibility lies at the door of these unfeeling and unprincipled agitators! to whose inflammatory speeches and writings in a great degree may be ascribed the lamentable outrages, that have of late disgraced our country; the tumults, the riots, the fires!-and to them will their poor misguided followers owe the imprisonment, banishment, and death, which justice, painful as the duty is, is bound to inflict for the safety and security of the whole!

"It never would have entered into my head to set fire to the corn," cries one unhappy man, now sentenced to die for his offence, "had I not listened to Cobbett's Lectures."

Oh guard against such dangerous men, my dear friends, and listen not to their railing about abuses, and their ravings about liberty. They care not, in what trouble they involve you, if they can but effect their desperate purpose of producing confusion and disorder throughout the land.