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IT IS FINISHED.'-It is not the sight o. what we do or feel, but the sight of what Christ has done and felt, that relieves our conscience, removes our burdens, and fills the soul with assured peace. As preachers of the everlasting Gospel, we come to tell the sinner, not what he has to do, but wHAT GOD HAS DONE. It is this that is the good news,' the glad tidings of great joy which are freely preached to ALL.

H. Bonar.

While the prize of salvation is so transcendently great, no unparal leled efforts, no incredible exertions are requisite to obtain it; it is placed within the grasp of every hand. Robert Hall.

What the key is to the watch, prayer is to religion; it winds it up, and sets it going. Prayer is the guard to secure the fort-royal of the heart; prayer is the porter to keep the door of the lips; and prayer the strong hilt which defends the head. Christian Citizen.

Superstition, the offspring of ignorance, and alike the cause and victim of fear, darkness its region, mystery its costume, idolatry its portion, and degradation its result. Magnet.

Afflictions are to the soul the same as the plough to the fallow ground, the pruning knife to the vine, and the furnace to the gold. Magnet.

Though sometimes small evils like invisible insects inflict pain, and a single hair may stop a vast machine, yet the chief secret of comfort lies in not suffering trifles to vex one, and in prudently cultivating an undergrowth of small pleasures, since very few great ones, alas! are set on long leases. Sharpe's Essays.

Before speaking evil of any one, put three questions to yourself; first, Is it true? second, Is it kind? third, Is it necessary?

Poynder's Extracts.

A bright view makes a happy heart, and unwavering hopes make a buoyant one; but turn we away from the contemplation of the Lord of the world to the world itself, and we sink like Peter in the stormy waters when he forgot the companionship of his Master in the terror of the waves over which he firmly strode in unconsciousness of fear, while he confided in his help. Christian Citizen.

Too much reading and too little meditation produce the effect of a lamp inverted, which is extinguished by an excess of the very element that was meant to feed it. Ladies' Journal.

When we are alone we have our thoughts to watch, in our families our tempers, and in society our tongues.

The implantation of a virtue is the eradication of a vice. It will cost one man more to keep down a rising passion than to do a brilliant deed. It will try another more to keep back a sparkling but corrupt thought which his wit suggested, but his religion checks, than it would to give a large sum in charity. Magnet.

Be reserved, but not sour; grave, but not formal; bold, but not rash; humble, but not servile; patient, but not insensible; constant, but not obstinate; cheerful, but not light; rather be sweet-tempered than familiar; familiar, rather than intimate; and intimate with very few, and upon good grounds.

Extract.

Literature.

THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL.

The

A FIT theme is this for a master's hand, right masterly executed by Edwin Atherstone, author of The Fall of Nineveh, etc., etc., published in three volumes, by Richard Bentley, London. tale is that of the fall of Babylon given with all the accessories that high and well-trained imaginative and descriptive powers can command, yet with most becoming respect to the sacred verities of revelation. Though fictional in most of the characters and details introduced, the principal actors and facts are those of scripture and history. We can find no violence done to the latter by the former, so manifestly careful has been the writer to subject the imaginative to the actual. Doubtful as we are respecting the general tendencies of works of fiction, we have no hesitation in saying that those of this splendid and elaborate story are entirely in the right direction. The day is past when all works bearing the character of the parable must be held heterodox, and now each must stand or fall on its own intrinsic merits, religious as well as literary. This work we regard as one of the first of its order. For propriety of style, fertility of resource, vivacity of description, homogeneousness of character, variety of subject, and scripturalness of sentiment, The Handwriting on the Wall is altogether remarkable. The author's obvious resolution to place the doctrine of his work beyond objection has led him to make Cyrus and others expounders of morality, not only political, but purely Christian. That Jews and heathen should be found enunciating the ethics of the New Testament Scriptures may be complained of artistically; but when it is seen that the highest excellence of character as ascribed to Cyrus, and the extreme reverse as made to appear in Belshazzar, doubtlessly form, to a large degree, a true picture, and that the strong relief is developed in justification of the Ways of God to man, as shewn in his approval of the former, and his judgment upon the latter, we have indeed little, if any, cause of complaint. The strong faith manifested by the believing Jews in the fulfilment of the words of their Daniel, or rather of their God, and the ever timeousness of the divine interpositions in their behalf, are most refreshing, as they are most graphic representations. The feelings in possession of which the story leaves the reader are, that it was right in God to bring signal vengeance on such a monster as Belshazzar; that he was wise in choosing such a minister as Cyrus, and that his people did well in refusing the worship of Baal, and in faithfully trusting the God of their fathers.

Correspondence.

ORIGINAL SIN-QUERY AND REPLY.

DEAR MR MILNER,-Having been a reader of your valuable publication, the Christian Advocate, since its commencement, I have

seen a considerable number of questions answered in the strictest conformity to Scripture. The writer now presumes to address himself to you, as an inquirer concerning that doctrine commonly termed Original Sin.

The question is--'If a child dying guilty only of Original Sin is liable to eternal death?' I might offer a few remarks upon various passages, such as Ps. li. 5; Eph. ii. 3; 1 Cor. vii. 14; Matt. xii. 37, &c., but I decline such in the meantime. However, I trust you will be so good as either answer the question fully in the Advocate, or privately. Meanwhile I am, yours truly,

Burnside.

A. H. SCOTT.

To understand the things of Scripture, we must speak in the words of Scripture; no small amount of misunderstanding of the things of God arises from the use of terms in which the Holy Spirit has not spoken. The phrase, original sin, is a case in point. We have it not in the word of God, yet is it the symbol of the belief, or rather, opinion, of most persons in the present day, on the question in hand. But not only is this phrase to be objected to on account of its unscripturalness, but also in respect of its inaccuracy otherwise. Original sin plainly imports, sin first committed; this, as far as we are informed, was that of the angels who kept not their first estate; but if the term be confined to the human race, then does it denote the transgression of our first parents. But how, in either case, is it proper to speak of children dying guilty only of this sin? The guilty party is always and alone the transgressor. Sin is the transgression of law-literally, lawlessness-says one apostle; while another says, Where no law is there is no transgression; and again, Sin is not imputed when there is no law. What law has the babe transgressed? What sin is imputed to it in Scripture? We know of none. That impurity or depravity of nature, and thence proneness to sin, are both ascribed to the race, without the limitations already pointed out respecting sin or actual guilt, appears from such testimony as Job xiv. 4, and Rom. v. 19. But what, it will be asked, of those Scriptures cited in the query? Our answer is, that Ps. li. 5 does not charge sin against the babe, but its parents; while Eph. ii. 3 affirms, that those, the Jews, who first trusted in Christ, having been as much the children of disobedience as those, the unbelieving Gentiles, till conversion were naturally the children of wrath as the others, notwithstanding their being Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles. 1 Cor. vii. 14 argues for the holiness of the children, in respect of that holiness, whereby the unbelieving partner is sanctified by the believing one. The children are not said to be holy, save in the sense in which the unbelieving partner is holy-the holiness spoken of is manifestly that of legitimacy. But the question of the future or eternal state remains untouched. The Scriptures are written not for babes, but for those who can understand and obey terms. To such were the words of Matt. xii. 37 spoken. Infants can observe no terms; none, therefore, are prescribed respecting their salvation. That eternal death is not their portion, appears from a variety of Scriptures, which were meaningless and false if that dismal hypothesis be true. Rachel, weeping for her children, is comforted with the promise, that they would come again from the land of the enemy.

ED.

Entelligence.

ESQUIRES PREACHING.-The Edinburgh papers of the past month contained advertisements of sermons by no fewer than three 'Esquires'-Messrs North, Grant, and Sanderson. That the last named gentleman should speak from the platform of the Tabernacle, long occupied by the Messrs Haldane, was nothing wonderful; but that any mortal wanting the sacred prefix of ' Rev.,' and bearing the unclerical affix of Esq., should preach from presbyterian pulpits, is Something altogether new for the Modern Athenians to hear and tell. Albeit, these gentlemen have no intention to betake themselves, or to lead their hearers back, to 'the faith once for all delivered to the saints'-as Mr North personally informed us--but simply to preach so that large audiences may be got among the popular sects, they are unwittingly, and against the will of those whose rostrums they Occupy, breaking down one of the greatest obstacles to Christian liberty of ministry and the spread of the truth. The confining of ministry to a class or caste in the churches, is an essentially popish element, which all the larger Protestant sects have retained in variously modified forms. But however much it may be against presbyterian orthodoxy and church standards for unlicensed, unordained' men to preach, and that not from the precentor's desk, to which teetotal lecturers are carefully confined, but from the minister's throne, such is now the fact, and in this fact the point of the wedge is inserted into the trunk of the presbyterian tree, which will one day cause it to branch in a way its propagators did not contemplate. We shall hear what 'the general assemblies' of this month have to say on caste in Scotland, as well as in India; and we suggest that the Moderators take for texts, Matt. xxiii. 1-12, Acts viii. 1-4, and Phil. i. 12-18.

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ECCLESIASTICAL SWEARING.-The Glasgow Herald, March 10, reports an adjourned meeting of the Greenock Presbytery, at which the Rev. W. Moffatt was moderator; and the Rev. A. Nisbet, minister of St Stephen's Church, Glasgow, on being sworn, deponed. Here is an assemblage of professed brethren met to examine a charge made against a brother, and the moderator, like a legal agent, will not receive a word of evidence unless on oath. The witness, on being sworn, DEPONES! Nothing is more strange; a brother swears to a brother! Yea, and nay, are too simple as affirmations. An oath is required to confirm. Is there no confidence between the parties concerned? Where is the bond of love that thinketh no evil? An oath! an appeal to the Divine Being to the truth of testimony! How truly sad is this; how sinful, how unconfiding, how arrogant, and how abhorrent! In civil and criminal courts of law the presiding judge, who is unable to depend on evidence without an oath, demands it. In the House of Peers an oath is dispensed with. The honour and rank of their lordships raise them above suspicion. Their word is enough; they are bound by their honest affirmation; they are not to be treated as suspected or criminal persons. Yet what a contrast! In a presbytery meeting of the Church of Scotland an oath is administered by the members one to another! The

nobility of mind of British Peers is wholly discarded, and the opposite course is followed. A judge, under the name of a moderator, calls a brother to his bar, and refuses a word said by him, unless on oath! How unseemly! how degenerate! How forgetful of the precept to the brotherhood, Swear not at all!'

J. B.

THE GOSPEL IN BIRMINGHAM.-Brethren King and Rotherham having commenced labouring in Birmingham lately, we are happy to give the following items, communicated by Brother R. on 20th April, who says-Our prospects here are good-meetings for proclamation and discussion well attended-general spirit of the people independent, and yet kindly-one immersed on Friday evening last -three others have confessed the Lord, and will probably be immersed on Friday next-one or two somewhat advanced bodies meeting in Birmingham are considering whether they could not unite on the New Testament platform-work is accumulating on our hands-both engaged publicly or privately every evening this week -one or two preaching rooms are offered us-I really think a glorious work is opening up here. The enclosed bills are in circulation, the second also as a poster on the walls. We give the substance of the bills as worthy the attention of brethren making similar efforts elsewhere.

CHRISTIANITY AS IT WAS AT THE FIRST.-Cherry Street Room, Birmingham. Christian Union versus Sectarianism is now being advocated in the above Room, at the undermentioned times, by D. King, of London, and J. B. Rotherham, from Liverpool, when the substitution of the Original Gospel for its Modern Perversions, the Apostolic Order for Human Arrangements, the wholesome words of Christ and his Apostles for the Dialects of Man-made Creeds, Purity of Communion and Worship for the confounding of the Church and the World, will be strenuously enforced as the Want of the Age.

CHRIST AND HIS APOSTLES THE ONLY AUTHORITIES IN CHRISTIANITY.The Restoration of Apostolic Christianity being needed in order to the Union of all who believe in Jesus and the Conversion of the World, a thorough return to the Primitive Faith and Order will (D.V.) be pleaded by J. B. Rotherham, from Liverpool, and David King, of Camden Hall, London, in the Meeting Room, Cherry Street, corner of Union Passage, when Christianity as once delivered to the Saints, through the Apostles of the Lord Jesus, will be shewn to be perfect and efficient; and that evil only has resulted from every attempt to add to, or take from, that divine system. The necessity, practicability, and duty of fully returning to the order of things instituted at the beginning—finishing the great work for which Luther and the Reformers of his time laboured and suffered-will be enforced.

BAPTISMS.-Nicolson Street Hall, Edinburgh. Six persons having believed with the heart, and confessed with the mouth the Lord Jesus, were immersed into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, last month, and now like the disciples of old, go on their way rejoicing.

J. Taylor, Printer, Edinburgh.