But if these methods of relief are as preposterous as seeking the living among the dead, where then is the more excellent way?

Does lowness of spirits arise from the body? The remedies are plain and simple, viz.

1. Early rising. The good effects of morning air on the animal feelings are incalculable. It braces the nerves, cools the blood, promotes the secretions, and exhilarates the whole frame. Those who take light suppers, retire early to rest, and rise with the dawn, seldom complain of oppressive languor through the day.

2. Plain nourishing food. The arts of cookery are far from being friendly to the substantial enjoyments of man. Highlyseasoned meats, rich sauces, and artificial preparations for the, table, may gratify the fastidious palate; but must be avoided by those who prefer the luxury of good spirits to the pleasures of relishing viands.

3. Exercise in the open air. This remedy is easy of attainment to most persons; and can never be neglected with impunity by those whose case we are now considering. The former part of the day is always to be preferred for this salutary engagement; but every suitable opportunity should be embraced with avidity. for this purpose, by those who wish to secure themselves from nervous depressions.

Does the malady originate more immediately in the mind? The adapted means of relief are,

1. The company of cheerful and intelligent Christians. The cheerfulness of such persons is the result of friendship with God, and a serene and well-ordered mind. Their conversation will lead away the imagination from discouraging and gloomy scenes, and prove a powerful and pleasing stimulus to those exertions of thought which invigorate the faculties of the soul, as athletic exercises do the corporeal powers.

2. Study the word of God.

• Retire and read the Bible to be gay:

There truths abound of sov'reign aid to peace!'

This precious book discovers the true origin of every pain and fear that infests the body or the mind of man; declaring, that he is a sufferer, because a sinner. Here is revealed the divinely provided and sovereign catholicon for human miseries, the glori ous redemption of the Son of God. All, however unworthy, are invited to a participation of the saving health of the Mediator. The promises ascertain the success of every believing application for mercy; for Him that cometh,' saith the Friend of sinners, "I will in nowise cast out.' An intimate acquaintance with the' volume of Heaven, guards the mind against superstitious scruples, and a repulsive dread of the Most High, by leading us to,

3. Contemplate the amiable character of God.

All

In the perse of Immanuel, he comes down to us; and, through Jesus, we draw near to his throne of grace. Here we learn, with the brightest evidence, that God is Love.' He lays aside the thunders of his vengeance, and extends the sceptre of his grace. his perfections combine to encourage our hope, to refresh and establish our hearts in the assurance of his favour. He delights in the relation and conduct of a Parent; informing his feeble and afflicted people, That, as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him: he knoweth our frame, bơ remembereth that we are dust.'

lac

4. Cut off the injurious right hand, pluck out the offending right eye. One sin connived at, or partially indulged, will burden an enlightened conscience, depress the spirits, and fill the whole soul with weakness, alarm, and dismay. Till sin, every sin, be heartily abhorred and renounced as an abomination, conscience will never attest a person's safety or sincerity before God. Happy is the man who condemneth not himself in that thing, the practice of which he alloweth; but, by a cheerful discharge of every known duty, and the crucifixtion of every known sin, labours to approve himself unto God as a sincere believer on the Lord Jesus, and to maintain a conscience void of wilful offence towards God and man.

5. Pour out your hearts in repeated, fervent, believing prayer. To have an almighty Friend, in whom we may confide, an allwise Counsellor, to whose direction we may resign ourselves and our affairs, is surely a privilege of supreme importance, amidst the inevitable sorrows of life, or the dark and trying dispensations of God. Call upon me in the day of trouble,' is the divine command, and I will deliver thee,' is the cheering promise. Ye have not, because ye ask not. Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.' If half that time were spent in supplications to the God of all comfort, that is employed in fruitless complainings to fellow-worms, the glooms would soon be dispersed, and the morning of gladness shine around your footsteps!

6. Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure. What can furnish so effectual an antidote to the sorrows of time, as the humble assurance that your all is safe for eternity? Daily have recourse to the compassionate Redeemer for the application of his atonement, that your consciences may be purged from guilt, and enjoy peace with God. Look to Jesus for the promised Comforter, by whose agency the love of a reconciled God is shed abroad, and maintained in the heart. Walk humbly with God, as believing, loving, obedient Enoch walked, then shall you be elevated above yourselves and all your trials, anticipating the enjoyment of those serene regions, where sorrow and sighing shall flee away! Sheffield.

FIGLINUS.

!

SIR,

FURTHER REMARKS ON THE TERM

CALVINISM, &c.

To the Editor.

of

THE cursory thoughts which I lately offered to your notice (p. 56) on certain terms of distinction common among Christians, were intended to draw forth an explanation from some person ability, whose profession and studies (unlike my own) might have qualified him to elucidate the subject. In particular, I wished to ascertain what were the peculiarly distinguishing sentiments of Calvin, as opposed to those of Luther.' So far as your correspondent S. has endeavoured (p. 101) to answer my enquiries, I am obliged to him; but I should have been much more so if, instead of severely reproving me for my ignorance, he had condescended to point out the erroneous assertions and inaccurate statements' which are contained in almost every sentence of my short letter.' Two only of those mis-statements and errors are distinctly mentioned by him; and this he has done in sufficiently emphatical language. As the Evangelical Magazine is not meant to become the vehicle of controversies and polemical discussions, my present intention is merely to subunit to your readers a very brief observation upon what has been misunderstood in my former letter, and to furnish evidence of one assertion,' which your acute correspondent calls a ' palpably absurd supposition.'

1. S. tells us, he avows himself a Calvinist, because he holds the leading and capital doctrines which were asserted and defended by that illustrious man,' Calvin; but he, nevertheless, deems it an egregious 'error' in me, 'to take for granted that the distinguishing sentiments of Calvinists, Lutherans, &c. are to be estimated by those of the eminent persons from whose name the terms of denomination are derived." Now, Sir, I appeal to men of common sense, whether this gentleman's admission and reprehension be consistent with each other? He would gratify me by. stating what is the difference between Calvin's leading doctrines," and the 'distinguishing sentiments' of his disciples; the former of which are embraced by your correspondent, who, therefore, calls himself a Calvinist; and the latter are held by Calvinistic professors in general! If the distinguishing' and prominent opinions of any leader be not embraced by those who assume his name, I am quite at a loss to discover any reason' for such designation; for, upon this absurd plan, á disciple of Moses might be justly denominated a Christian; and a follower of Mahommed a Jew! I am no Divine nor Dialectician, as I suppose your correspondent to be; but I think the general usage of words' will not justify him in departing so very widely from the rules of logic and right reason.' His first paragraph and accusation seein,

therefore, to be no batter than a most ingenious piece of sophistry!

2. The second 'error', into which he thinks I have fallen, an error so 'palpably absurd,' that he calls on me to furnish evidence' in its support, and says 'the public would doubtless be obliged to me,' is this: That Arminius' did not hesitate to subscribe to Calvin's doctrine (of Justification by Faith alone) as it is explained in the third book of his Institutes.' If I had ventured to make so bold an assertion, without being prepared with 'evidence,' my temerity would have deserved the reproof implied in your correspondent's final sentence: "A person who writes for the public eye, especially in a work whose circulation is so extensive, should feel it a duty previously to become acquainted with his subject.' I will not tell this gentleman what is his duty, if the following extract from the works of Arminius, and from that very part of his works which S. himself refers to, should demonstrate the truth of my remark, beyond the possibility of refutation. You will find the words of Arminius in the Francfort edition, 4to, at the page hereinafter quoted. The copy I consulted is in the British Museum; so that any person resident in London may compare them with the original: —

"Hanc ob causam judicor de Justificatione hominis coram Deo male docere. Hoc vero quale sit, id suo tempore in collatione mutua liquere poterit. In præsentiarum vero breviter dico, credere me peccatores sola Christi obedientia justos constitui: et quod justitia Christi » sola meritoria causa sit, propter quam Deus credentibus peccatum con- ; donet, eosque pro justis reputat, non aliter atque si legem implevissent. Quoniam vero Deus justitiam Christi nemini imputat nisi fidelibus, statuo hoc sensu bene et proprie dici Fidem homini credenti, in justitiam ex gratia imputari: quatenus Deus Jesum Christum Filium suum proposuit tribunal gratiæ, sive propitiationem per fidem in san

Paratus sum quicquid Calvinus lib. Inst. de hac re 3 dicit, amplecti eique subscribere.

guine ipsius. Sed quicquid hic sit, mea sententia Calvini, quem tamen nemo nostrum reprehendit atque male in hac re sentientem, quin paratus essem manus meæ subnotatione subscribere illis, quæ in tertio Institutionum suarum libro de hac re dicit, iisque calculum meum adjicere.?—Jac. Arminii Opera Theol. Francf. 4to, 1635. Declaration to the Nobles, &c. of Holland and West Friesland, p. 102, col. 2, same as in quotation, p. 272, Prim. Truth, treating on Justification before God.

An old man in the workhouse at Eberfeld, was seduced to purloin some of the cotton-thread which is manufactured there for the merchants of the town. The person who seduced him to the

commission of this crime, gave him hardly a sixth part of the real value for the goods stolen: however, he continued his thefts during a space of two years without being detected. Being at length caught in the fact, he gave up the name of his seducer, with such circumstances as left no doubt of his guilt, particularly as he already bore a bad character. The man being summoned before the magistrates, deuied, with the most horrible imprecations, having even bought cotton of the old man, and still less having seduced him to steal any; and, to corroborate his asseveration, he appealed to the justice of God, and prayed that, if they were not true, the Almighty might prove their falsehood by causing him to break his neck! After this hearing, he was committed to custody, and lodged in a cell at the top of the townhouse, as the other places of confinement in the town were full. During the night, attempting to make his escape, he got through a sky-light in the roof, from whence falling into the street, he broke his legs, and hurt himself inwardly in such a manner that he died three days after.

On the 4th of August 1796, between 11 and 12 o'clock in the forenoon, a violent storm of thunder and lightning arose in the district of Montpellier. In a field about a mile from the town, a body of 900 French soldiers lay encamped. At a small distance from the camp, five of the soldiers were assisting a husbandman in gathering in the produce of the earth, for hire. When the storm came on, the whole party took refuge under a tree, where the five soldiers began to blaspheme God for interrupting them in their labour; and one of them, in the madness of his presumption, took up his firelock, which he happened to have by him, and pointing it towards the skies, said that he would fire a bullet at him who sent the storm! Seized with horror at this blasphemous declaration, the husbandman made all the haste he could to quit their company; but scarcely had he got to the distance of ten paces from the tree, when a flash of lightning struck four of the soldiers dead, and wounded the fifth in such a manner that his recovery was despaired of.

A few years ago the following remarkable instance of the divine preservation occurred in the city of Berne. A servant girl who was standing at an open window with an infant in her arms, stooped forward to look at some object in the street, when the child, with a sudden motion, slipped from her hold, and fell down from the third story of the house. It happened providentially, that a beggar-woman was standing under the window, and looking up in expectation of receiving alms. Seeing the infant fall, she spread out her apron to receive it; and having caught it unhurt, carried it again into the house!