Learn the grammar. There is no reason why any one should remain ignorant of the rules of correct utterance. The facilities of education are now so entirely within reach, that he who neglects them is without excuse. If God has given readiness of utterance with the knowledge of the truth, he certainly is culpable who so neglects his duty as either to leave it unattempted or to essay doing it in such a manner as to bring discredit on the gospel. We are acquainted with many excellent Christians who know the truth well, but are deterred from making it known, simply because of the consciousness that their education has been neglected; and we know others who, despite their deficiency, expend considerable labour in attempting publicly, to spread the truth. Neither course deserves approval. Any one, by a few months study, may so master the first principles of grammar, as to warrant the expectation of his speaking with tolerable accuracy-sufficient at any rate as to make himself intelligible and as not greatly to offend the more educated hearer. Till this proficiency be attained no attempt should be made at public preaching, excepting among the uneducated. Among them, and in private, an earnest unlettered speaker will often prove as successful as the best grammarian. In a word, it is the duty of all who know the truth to speak it. But to the speaking of it successfully in public, it must be spoken correctly-grammatically. Let all, therefore, who cannot so utter it confine their speaking to circles where the truth will not suffer by their advocacy. Let them at the same time study to shew themselves workmen who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.-Ed.

THE SEPARATE STATE.-QUERY AND REPLY.

DEAR BRO. MILNER,-Will you please oblige me by giving your views upon the separate existence of the soul previous to the judg ment day? Shrewsbury.

S. H.

Respecting the saved we have such testimonies as Mark xii. 26, 27: John xi. 25, 26; 2 Cor. v. 1-8; Phil. i. 21-23; Heb. xii. 22-24; Rev. xiv. 13, &c.; and regarding the lost, such as Luke xvi. 19-31; 1 Pet. iii. 19, 20, Jude v. 7, &c. While the bodies of the saints lie in the grave tili the resurrection, their souls live with Christ. The spirits of just men made perfect are now in the presence of Jesus the Mediator, and of God the Judge of all, participating with the myriads of angels those pleasures which for evermore are at God's right hand. The bodies of the lost lie with those of the saved till that hour when the last trumpet shall sound and all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God and shall come forth, those who have done good unto the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation. Till this "resurrection both of the just and unjust," the spirits of the lost are imprisoned. These are reserved under darkness, until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. Then all shall appear-all shall be exposed before the judgment seat of Christ, to receive reward or punishment for the deeds done in the body, whether good or bad. Before then the saint simply rests happily from his labours, while the disobedient is im

prisoned, with nothing before him but a certain fearful looking for of judgment. Reward and punishment are accorded at the great assize.-ED.

Intelligence.

AWAKENING AT DRUMCLAIR.-The most remarkable awakening and conversion of which we have heard in connexion with recent revivals, is that which has occurred at Drumclair, in the parish of Slamanan. The following brief statement not only shows the blessed change which has been effected in that place by the faithful preaching of the word, owned and blessed by God, but also, the striking similarity in the work, to primitive order, in the faith and obedience of the gospel. The adult male portion of the inhabitants of this village are nearly wholly employed as miners, and till this work began to manifest itself, so far as their habits, intelligence, and moral character indicated themselves, they were no better than the generality of the same c'ass. Indeed, on their own confession with the exception of three or four, they were "living without God and without hope in the world." In the midst of this darkness two Christian men who reside in the place, were for some time in the habit, at stated times, of meeting with each other for prayer and reading the Scriptures; to these, in May 1858, was added, Mr. Abercromby, who was then appointed teacher of the school in connexion with the works. Mr. A. had shortly before this returned from America, where he had been actively engaged in revival work. No sooner did he see the condition of the people among whom he was settled, than in addition to prayer, he began to speak to them about their state as sinners in the sight of God-the work and sacrifice of Jesus and the eternal interests of their never dying souls. For about eight months, amidst indifference and opposition on the part of those he was seeking to benefit, he zealously and patiently persevered; and it was not till he was almost despairing of producing any change to the better among them, that the Lord cheered his spirits by tokens of good,-that the seed which he and his friends had been planting and watering was by the blessing of God about to give the increase. In January of this year, 1859, a few showed in their altered condition that the truth was making an impression on their hearts and minds. And during the course of a few months from that time about thirty believed and obeyed the gospel. As this gracious work went on the interest in it deepened and widened, and the labourers also increased: and the further results have been that, on a profession of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, twenty-three disciples were immersed in the Blackloch, on the 13th of August, and again on the 3rd of September, twenty-four more were in the same water "buried with Christ by baptism into death." Other four have since been baptised in Airdrie. There were hundreds present on each of these occasions, and the impression produced in the minds and feelings of those who were privileged to witness the solemn, yet, joyful scene, will not soon be forgotten or effaced. In that little place with a population of little over one hundred adults, upwards of eighty men and women in obedience to the Lord's command and after the example of the Apostolic Church,

have "believed and been baptised." May they stand fast in the Lord, be the prayer of all Christians in their behalf, for the little wilderness has, indeed, become a fruitful field. Instead of the works of the flesh by which these children were ruled when they were disobedient, there now abound among them the "fruits of the spirit, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law." Mr. Dunn, pastor of the church in Airdrie officiated on all of the above occasions, and in addition to these, in Airdrie, the fruit also of revival work, there were on the 18th of September, twenty-three men and women baptised and added to the church. It will be gratifying to all to know that for some time past, and still, a blessed work is going on in Airdrie as well as at Drumclair. And while the world is being awakened and converted, the church too is being revived, this is a most important aspect of the work, an aspect which the church in Airdrie is to a liberal extent enjoying. There is much cause for gratitude and thanksgiving to God for this great mercy, and a solemn responsibility is laid upon the children of God to improve the present season of refreshing, by continued labour, and fervent and believing prayer, that the Lord by his Holy Spirit may yet more largely bless his own word to the conversion of sinners. How plainly does this narrative illustrate the truth, that a Scriptural education, almost uniformly produces on the part of the new and unprejudiced convert a Scriptural submission to the Lord both in faith and baptism.

W. F.

BAPTISMS.-Mr. Allan, an Independent Minister from Kelso, was lately immersed by one of the pastors of the baptised church meeting in Scotch-gate chapel, Berwick-on-Tweed. Mr. Allan addressed the meeting on the occasion, and said he had been labouring under conviction for the last four years-felt that he was disobeying the Lord all that time, but had that night come to fulfil his will—that he had previously regarded the ordinance with an antagonistic spirit, but now said he had been resisting the truth. Would that all so circumstanced were equally faithful. Stevenston, Ayrshire. Brother Rotherham, having visited the little church here on his way north, last month, immersed seven, who, coming to the knowledge of the truth, were constrained by the love of Christ to give themselves to him. Dundee. Since last month's report fifteen have been added to the church in Hammerman's Hall by immersion, and six to the congregation in Reform-street. Bro. Rotherham, being now located in Dundee, has the prayers of the brethren for a lengthened period of usefulness in the town and neighbourhood. Dysart. Two believers put on the Lord in baptism last month, and were received into the Church in Pathhead. Edinburgh. A young woman professed her faith in the Saviour by immersion, last month. Birmingham. Seven have lately been baptised and added to the church in Cherry-street. Manchester, five; Leigh, four. Let those who have named the name of Jesus depart from all iniquity. May the Lord revive his churches and fit them for greater usefulness!

Printed by Samuel Owen, Wrexham.

THE ROYAL CHARTER.

In the loss of the Royal Charter, the saddened interest of the nation has been called forth by one of the most melancholy catastrophes that ever happened. The fact of the death in one brief hour of four hundred and fifty-nine persons returning to their native land, in sight of its shores, after a long, but prosperous voyage, and that in the case of most to enjoy the fruits of years of hard and anxious labour, is too solemn an event to pass unnoticed. By such startling events, God is calling the people to consideration. They are heaven's notes of warning-God's alarm-cry of danger-" Be ye also ready."

In making such public calamaties ground of religious reflection, we are only following the example of the Saviour, whose manner was to allude to passing events in illustrating and enforcing his teaching. On one occasion, he was showing the necessity of repentance. Two painfully distressing tragedies had startled and disturbed the public mind. Pilate had mixed the blood of certain Galileans with the sacrifices, and one of the towers of the city had fallen, burying eighteen persons in its ruins. "Think you," said Jesus "these Galileans were sinners above all in Galilee? I tell you, nay, for except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Think ye that the eighteen on whom the tower of Siloam fell were sinners above all who dwelt in Jerusalem ? I tell you, nay, for except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Such language, addressed to the most respectable, moral, and professedly religious persons, in a religious community, may well suggest to you, dear reader, the necessity of repentance on your part, if your mind has not already been changed toward God. With such an example of teaching, the sudden and total loss of one of the finest vessels in our merchant navy, with five hundred souls on board, surely warrants our repeating the great Teacher's warning, Repent!

As a nation, we have become very self-confident, indeed, defiant. Nor is our self-sufficiency, and boastful bearing manifested towards other nations only, but oftentimes in the very face of heaven. Proud of our scientific attainments, and appliances, we boast of "ruling the waves," and of "chaining the lightning." But in the events of the night of the loss of the Royal Charter a night in which six hundred vessels were lost on our own shores alone-God has put in a word for himself-just enough to show how limited is our mastery over nature, how feeble are our resources, and how absolute and terrible is his power. He, it is, who covers himself with light as with a garment, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, who lays the beams of his chambers in the waters, who makes the clouds Nov. 12, Vol. III.-December, 1859.

his chariot, who walks upon the wings of the wind, who makes the winds his messengers, and the lightnings his servants, who spoke and it was done, who commanded and it stood fast, who gave to the ocean its decree, and said, Thus far shalt thou come and no farther, and here shall thy proud waves be stayed. Come, then, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth! See here the futility of human aid against the terrible resources of the Almighty.

The names of ships are generally interesting. Of all the works of man, a first-class vessel is one of the most splendid. And once a ship obtains a character, whether in the terrible storm of battle, or in the more lawful pursuits of commerce, she is an object of national interest, and her name becomes a household word. Besides, the names of ships are in many cases very happily chosen. They not, unfrequently, suggest the memory of some great national event. Thus it was with the Royal Charter. Herself a magnificent specimen of naval architecture, and having won a fair reputation, and bearing one of the most suggestive of names, no wonder that her loss with a freight so precious should awaken a nation's sorrow.

The Royal Charter! suggests not merely the idea of privilege conveyed by royal authority, such as is given to certain trading copartneries as Banks and the late East India Company, but of civil and national rights. It suggests to us, not only the charters of our royal burghs, but the Magna Charter-the great charter of our liberties which forms the basis of that constitution under which we enjoy so much individual and national freedom and security.

But what is really the great Charter? What constitutes, after all. the truly Royal Charter? Not that which any earthly potentate can ever give. Not any grant of right to trade, nor any township privilege, nor any national freedom. The true Royal Charter is the right of sonship to God. This charter alone is the one which gives right to the grandest and royalest of privileges,-one whose benefits no storm can affect, nor calamity overwhelm, one which can never fail, one which remains secure when all else is lost, one which exists not in mere name, but whose realities are high as heaven, wide as the universe, glorious as the Godhead, unfading as eternity. peerless as paradise.

Reader, this Charter is offered you. Of the Lord Messiah, it is said, "He came unto his own, but his own received him not, but to as many as received him, to them gave he the power (the right, the privilege) to become the sons of God, even to those who believe on his name." To his disciples it is said, Ye are all the children of God, by the faith of Jesus the Christ, for as many as have been baptised into Christ, have put on Christ." And again, "If children. then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ." And,