soul looks on all those things with loathing, and it feels that, when nothing higher has been accomplished, life has been lost, and the end of its existence unobtained rod

4. But in doing good, happiness may be found, a happiness that is unspeakable and full of glory. Doing good is according to man's regenerate nature, and ministers delight and satisfaction to the whole soul. Doing good is a work of infinite importance, and of infinite extent. A Christian's beneficence takes in both body and soul, it takes in the whole human family, it reaches through all future generations, and stretches through the interminable ages of eternity. Doing good, furnishes employment as high, as holy, as vast and as lasting as man's Godlike spirit can desire; it is man's heaven on earth, and it will form no small portion of his felicity in the heaven of heavens. Doing good, always seems noble, always seems great; and death, which throws shadows and darkness over all things else, throws light and glory around beneficence, and heightens its worth and majesty for ever.

Christianity.--Christianity was not the growth of the age in which it appeared. It had no sympathy with that age. It was the echo of no sect or people. It stood alone at the moment of its birth. It used not a word of conciliation. It stooped to no error or passion. It had its own tone, the tone of authority and superiority to the world. It struck at the root of what every where was called glory, reversed the judgments of all former ages, passed a condemning sentence on the idols of this world's admiration, and held forth as the perfection of human nature, a spirit of love, so pure and divine, so free and full, so mild and forgiving, so invincible in fortitude yet so tender in its sympathies, that even now few comprehend it in its extent and elevation. Such a religion had not its origin in this world. The incongruity between this religion and all the circumstances amidst which it sprung forth, is, so remarkable, that we are compelled to look beyond and above this world for its explanation.

Christianity bears no mark of the hand of a politician. One of its main purposes is to extinguish the very spirit which the ambitious statesman most anxiously cherishes, and on which he founds his success. It proscribes a narrow patriotism, shows no mercy to the spirit of conquest, requires its disciples to love other countries as truly as their own, and enjoins a spirit of peace

and forbearance, in language so broad and earnest, that not a few of its professors consider war, in every state, and under any cir cumstances, as a crime. Christianity, in loosening the tie which bound man to the state, that it might connect him with his race, opposed itself to what was deemed the vital principles of national safety and grandeur, and commenced a political revolution as original and unsparing as the religious and moral reform at which it aimed.

We here see a broad line between Christianity and other systems, and a striking proof of its originality and elevation. Other systems were formed for communities; Christianity approached men as individuals. It proposed, not the glory of the state, but the perfection of the individual mind. So far from being contrived to build up political power, Christianity tends to reduce and gradually to supplant it, by teaching men to substitute the sway of truth and love for menace and force, by spreading through all ranks a feeling of brotherhood, altogether opposed to the spirit of domination, and by establishing principles which teach the obscurest to look with an undazzled eye on the most powerful of their race.-W. E. C.

A Cheering Thought.-Great acts of kindness only are noticed and recommended by men: little ones, though much more numerous, and springing perhaps from purer and stronger feelings of benevolence, are passed unnoticed. It is not so with God. God notices every act of genuine charity, however small, and he will honour and reward it too. God reckons the worth of action according to the disposition from which it springs, or the motive from which it is done. If what we do be done with a sincere wish to benefit our fellow-men, and if it bear a good proportion to our ability, it will be reckoned by God a great and honourable action, and be rewarded as such, however little and insignificant in the eyes of men. And however great in outward show and magnitude a work may be, it will pass for little in the eyes of God, if it come from impure motives, or have no fair proportion to the man's ability. Many things are reckoned little by God, which are reckoned great by men; and many things are reckoned great by God, which pass for nothing in the eyes of men.

While Christ was one day in the temple with his disciples, he saw the people casting their gifts into the treasury. Several persons came up and cast in larger sums: but one poor woman, a widow, cast in only two mites, which make a farthing. Men would have proclaimed aloud the great sums of the wealthy, but as for the two mites of the poor widow, they would hardly have thought it proper to name so small a sum. But what was the judgment of the Saviour? "I tell you," saith he, " that that poor woman hath cast in more than they all." How could that be,

thought the astonished disciples. "All they," answered the Savi. our, "have cast in of their abundance; they have put in large sums, but they have kept large sums to themselves; but this poor woman has cast in all that she had, even her very living." And so it is now. Christ still stands in the temple, observing people bringing their gifts. He knows what heart burns with the warmest affection, and whatever the outward offering may be, Christ reckons it the greatest gift. He knows what we give, and he knows what we keep back; and if we can present but one mite, if we present it with a free and cheerful soul, it is just as much esteemed by God as if it were a mountain, and it shall be as well rewarded; while the man that gives from selfish motives, or that gives with niggardly and grudging feelings, whatever the outward size of his presents, shall be reckoned as if he had given nothing. Be comforted, my poor friend; the God whom you serve reads the heart, and accepts your offerings and your services according to that which you have, and not according to that which you have not. If it be but a tear that you can give, never mind; give it, and God will accept it as lovingly as if it had been a pearl: if it be but a prayer that you can offer, offer it, and God will account it as valuable as an order on the bank for the payment of one thousand pounds. Only honour God and do good to men with sincerity, and according to that ability with which God has favoured you, and you shall secure both his unseen smile and blessing in the present life, and in the life to come you shall shine like the sun, and share the public honour and unbounded pleasures of his saints for ever and for ever.

Systems of Doctrine and Discipline.-Religious sects that have indifferent systems of doctrine and discipline, sometimes prosper more than those which have better; because those who have good systems, too often trust in them. They become idle themselves, and leave the system to do their work. Whereas those who have poorer systems, see the necessity of greater labours, and by their diligence they more than make up for the defects of their system. A man doing his best with a poor system, is a far more pleasing sight both to God and man, than a man with a good system in his hands doing nothing. Men can see people's earnestness and zeal, that cannot understand systems of doctrine and discipline, and the most ardent and labourious sects will always win the day.

Published by I. DAVIS, 22, Grosvenor-street, Stalybridge; Bancks and Co., Exchange-street; Heywood, Oldham-street, Manchester; R. Groombridge, 6, Panyer Alley, Paternoster Row, London; and may be had of all Booksellers. [CAVE and SEVER, Printers, Manchester.]

EVANGELICAL REFORMER,

AND YOUNG MAN'S GUIDE.

BY JOSEPH

BARKER.

Published every Fortnight.-Price One Penny, or in Monthly Parts, price Two-pence.

No. 23.

SATURDAY, Nov. 16, 1839. VOL. III.

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS, ETC.

I THINK that Christian churches should cease to make public collections, and I will here state some of my reasons for so thinking.

1. Christian churches generally have the ability, if they had the disposition, to meet all their own expenses, and I think it is not right for them to ask help of others, until they have gone as far as they can in helping themselves. I scarcely know a church but what would be able, if it would try, both to support a place of worship and a school, and have means left with which to do good in other places.

2. In some religious societies, there is more spent in tobacco and snuff, to say nothing of tea and coffee, of intoxicating drinks, of extravagance in dress, in feasting, in houses and furniture,-yes, in tobacco and snuff alone, there is more spent than all that is both given and collected for the support of the society.

3. In many churches, there are single wealthy members, that would be able, of themselves, to bear all the expenses, and never be the poorer for it. It seems inconsistent for people to ask aid of the public, when they are so well able to help themselves.

4. When churches are really poor, and unable to meet necessary expenses, I do not consider an appeal to the public the best thing. They ought, as it appears to me, to appeal to other churches, that have greater ability, and other churches ought to help them in their necessities.

The strong ought to help the weak; the churches should bear each other's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ, This was the way the ancient churches followed, and in this it would be well if we were to follow their example. Why should we go to ask relief or assistance of strangers, when there is plenty within our own family?

5. I have no idea that there were any public collec tions among the earliest churches; and though I do not think that we are bound in every particular to imitate them, yet there appears to me to be the best reason for imitating them in this. The difference between the world and the church has not passed away, though it is not so manifest as in former times.

6. I should not like to receive the money of worldly and irreligious persons for religious purposes. If they give their money freely, they are in danger of making their liberality an opiate for their conscience, and a substitute for religion; and if they give it grudgingly, no generous godly man would like to receive such contributions. "The Lord loveth a cheerful giver," and so do those who bear God's image; and a true and enlightened Christian would sooner part with a portion of his daily bread, than take money from a grudging sinner.

7. In public collections, you may be receiving the fruits of iniquity. The publican, the spirit-seller, the pawnbroker, the gambler, may throw in a portion of their unclean gains, and who, that has any Christian feeling, could accept such contributions as these? If such characters should offer their contributions in private, you can refuse them, and give your reasons for refusing them also; but if you make public collections, you must take what comes, whether it be the wages of a Balaam, who for hire curses the people of God, the pence of a half famished widow, or the thirty pieces of silver, for which some modern Judas has betrayed innocent blood. This cannot be right. I once heard a man exhort people, in a inissionary meeting, if they had ever wronged any one, to make restitution by putting their ill-gotten gains into the collecting boxes. Such things are a disgrace to professing Christians. I would have no money from any one, if I could help it, but what was clean; and one