version of his intercourse with his fellow-christians and the unrenewed.

It should be observed, that when the intercourse of christians is secularized or grossly perverted, there is not simply a loss of the influence which they have pledged to God and religion. Great positive injury is done. We are quite sure, that most christians think but of withholding what they had vowed to give,—or at best, it is in their mind, only a sin of omission,-whereas they inflict a deadly wound on the cause of salvation. They are at once neutralizing all the influence of the positive institutions of the gospel, and as far as their example goes, licensing all the worldliness of the world around them. The subject did not call for a single remark, to give it importance. Such was not the character of its dependence. It only asked for the aid of the author's pen to utter the truth.

We would have those who are careless, urged to a consideration of the place which the intercourse of christians holds among the means of maintaining and advancing the cause of righteousness in the earth. Could their intercourse be made and remain what it should be, even were all other means to be withdrawn, how long could this earth be the desolate place which it now is? Other means derive their principal value to the cause of salvation, from their tendency to make the intercourse of men what it should be. This point secured, the work of the earth's rescue from the pains and penalties of its direful revolt, is done. But on the contrary, ply all other means as we will, while men, in their common intercourse, forget God and righteousness, we accomplish next to nothing.

In no feature of society, does a revival of religion produce a more remarkable change, when many are thus brought into contact, and led to regard each other's spiritual interests, as the objects deserving their highest esteem. Take the case of perhaps the most extensive manufacturing town in this country, where there has been a revival almost from its commencement, and onward for at least seven years, if not to the present time. So far as any thing can be learned from personal observation, and from those intimately acquainted with the means and measures there employed and blessed, nothing was more noticeable than the steady maintenance of a christian intercourse. In the earlier years of this revival, it was common for members of the church to go into the boarding houses, week after week, and hold what were termed, "family meetings" for prayer and conversation. When females left this scene of their labors and religious privileges for a few days, on a visit to their friends, or finally separated from the establishment, and thus retired from under the care and influence of their overseers; it was not unusual to dismiss them with some kind

ly and warmly written cautions and admonitions, suited to their characters and the supposed state of their minds. The secret of this continued revival, may, we believe, be found more than in any thing else in this single characteristic of christian faithfulness, Who indeed cannot see, that a reformation in the intercourse of christians, is the most natural approximation to that state, when the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord?

Christians are sadly bewildered, when they suppose, that the religious state of the world can be much improved without their personal aid. How long will they dream prayers over an ideal kingdom, that is to come and hold dominion over ideal subjects? The truth is, they are practising a deplorable imposition upon themselves, when they believe, that much progress can be made by a series of set labors officially performed by ministers; producing, as a matter of necessity, where the church does not enter into the work, a constrained and unnatural state of society. It is in vain to look for any desirable or lasting improvement in the religious state of society, where that improvement does not move on in the natural channel. Now what is that channel, but the intercourse of men, in which all the practical part of society consists? No reformation in manners will extend its beneficial effects through a single generation, which does not begin or end in an improvement of christian intercourse. As well might we expect all the genial warmth of summer, or the pleasures of a May day, because the winds of January have cleared a few patches of earth from its covering of snow; as to expect, that we shall see the glories of the millennium through the labors of the ministry, while christian intercourse in general remains unimproved. It is an absurdity which would be tolerated in nothing but religion.

We would have it seen and felt, that the importance of this subject is vital and as we believe the work under consideration is calculated to affect the intercourse of the churches of the Lord Jesus, we wish its usefulness to be greatly extended.

4. A fourth topic, which deserves attention, is the consideration due to earthly, or providential distinctions, as they are represented in the work under review. In mentioning the intercourse of different classes, the writer adverts to two considerations which, he says, "seems to lie at the foundation of all proper views of the subject." The first is, the common nature, lot and destination of all christians in the higher and lower ranks of life. "The other is, that God, in his providence, has been pleased to constitute various distinctions in society; giving to some, measures of talent, and wealth, and influence, which he withholds from others." After having thus exhibited the proper grounds of a common christian intercourse, and presented the fact, that the natural distinctions among worldly men, in this imperfect state, extend themselves in

to the kingdom of the Redeemer, he proceeds to administer to the classes concerned, some most wholesome instructions and admonitions, which we would commend to the prayerful perusal of all professed christians. For while the natural distinctions among men must remain what they are, it is desirable, that they should be as much as possible under the influence of christian principle. When once consecrated to God and human salvation, they cease to be used for evil purposes, and ought no longer to be the marks of envy and bitterness.

It is admitted, that the distinctions constituted by different measures of talent, wealth, and influence, " may be improperly magnified, and greatly abused;" and it is maintained, that "they were ordained by infinite wisdom and goodness, notwithstanding; and that for most important purposes." Now if the native talents of men can be improved by a proper, or an idolatrous devotion to study, if the hereditary portion of wealth may be increased, by means fair or foul, and if the modicum of influence with which they set out in life, may be extended by the practice of honesty or art, then these acquisitions have no higher claim to providential exemptions than any others. Nor do the distinctions founded on them, deserve to be guarded with such an air of sacredness as is thrown around them by the application of the term, "providential." If they are altogether the work of divine providence, instead of writing as we do, we should call upon the lower orders in the church to beware, lest by laying presumptuous hands upon God's ordinance, they should provoke his displeasure. All the distinctions which God has really ordained, in manner and measure as they appear, we call upon every man to admire and reverence. But if in that system of superiority and subordination, the hand or the foot aspires to be the head, we would, that those who witness such a spirit of usurpation, should make their disapprobation known. For we believe, that men of talents, wealth, and influence, do sometimes not only "improperly magnify, and greatly abuse" those distinctions, but claim a divine right for the abuse, as well as for the distinction itself. While men remain what they are, so great is their liability to claim the right of exemption, on providential or some other grounds, that they might do well to apply the rule of our Lord,-If thy hand or foot offend thee, make it a sacrifice to thy spiritual good; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members perish, rather than that thou be cast unmaimed into hell fire.

Notwithstanding the evident attempt of the writer, to guide himself between the high and low in the church, and to give them both, as he passes, some plain hints as to the course which they should pursue in respect to each other; there is a tendency in this chapter, as some may think, to uphold in the church the distinctions of

earth, however "improperly magnified," provided they are not "greatly abused," to purposes of pride and overbearing. He has given the higher classes the ground of providence to stand upon, with all that can be built upon hereditary talents, wealth, and influence, while the lower classes have no apology left them for a single thought which calls in question the right of others to the honors which they claim on this foundation. We would not however intimate, that, in all this, there is the least partiality to either class. It was obviously the writer's intention, to spare neither, but to show both classes, since such distinctions are ordained of God, how they may be borne, under the direction of gospel principles, so as to make them a blessing, instead of a curse. The tendency of which we speak, belongs rather to the manner, than the matter. He treats the way of truth, as if it lay in obscurity, and was to be reached by inference. He holds his light so that he may see the evils on either hand,-whereas, by the light of the sun of righteousness, we might see the truth itself which lies between them. This would be justifiable, if the truth could not otherwise be discovered. But when the way of righteousness is so easily seen, the method of pointing out all the wrong paths, and leaving us to infer, that the one not mentioned, is of course right, shows either a bad habit of thinking, or an unbecoming timidity.

The way of truth, in respect to the point under review, lies in no obscurity. The great and infallible Teacher from heaven, has marked out the path, and said as plainly as language can express it, "this is the way, walk ye therein." It is, to cause the distinctions in the church on earth, to conform as nearly as possible to the distinctions which prevail in heaven. This is always expressed in the petition, "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;" and it is most obvious, that the will of our Father can never be done on earth, in the sense here intended, until christians act on this principle. As to the distinctions which prevail among the sanctified, it is equally obvious, that those of a moral character are superior to all others. Thus the Lord from heaven commended to the observation of his disciples, his own meekness and lowliness. When too he saw a spirit of ambition rising up in the circle of his friends, he cast it down by referring to the distinctions among the unsanctified nations, and saying, "So shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister."

But why adduce further proof of the explicitness of the way of truth, since all we ask for is admitted? The author of these hints, has himself adverted to the distinctive characteristic of the divine kingdom which is destined to annihilate all other distinctions. Addressing himself to the possessors of earthly distinctions in the

church, who on that account are liable to the unholy aspirations of ambition, he asks,

'Has it not occurred to you that these distinctions of which pride is so ready to take advantage, will all pass away with your breath; that they exist independently of moral character; that a distinction which infinitely outweighs them all, that of earnest and elevated piety, may be possessed by the obscurest individual you meet, and in a degree which, peradventure, may cast into a deep shade your own spiritual attainments?' p. 124.

We would add another interrogation to this, addressed to the same characters: Has it not occurred to you, that a distinction which is so soon to eclipse all other distinctions, or to survive them all, ought to begin its influence as the leading distinction in the visible church of the Lord Jesus Christ here on earth? How else shall the church ever come to be served by the "men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom," according to the example given us by the apostles? How else shall the new Jerusalem descend to us, or the main characteristics of the kingdom of heaven, reach that pre-eminence which must constitute the glory of the millennium?-Christ and his apostles fail not boldly and fully to assert the claims of Almighty God; nor hesitate to maintain, that entirely yielding to those requisitions is the way to holiness and to heaven. Do they turn to expose the errors and sins which line the path on either side? It is, that the light may shine with increased brightness upon the strait and narrow way in which the redeemed shall walk and in which the way-faring men, though fools shall not err.

Not, that we expect the distinctions of talent and wealth, and the influence which they give to men, so far as they are really or entirely providential, will be annihilated in this world. These can be annihilated only by a change in the same providence which constituted them. But in the church of Christ they may be superseded by another and more worthy distinction. For just so far as religion shall be more perfectly the ruling passion of Christ's disciples, holiness, intelligent piety will become the ruling distinctions in his church on earth. We long to see the day, when the followers of the Lamb shall find a way open to the affections of their brethren, and to usefulness in the church, which may be traveled by all, and we look with regret on any thing which seems to have a tendency to hinder the approach of that day. The difficulty now is, that instead of being satisfied with the real distinctions of providence and grace; we take these for the foundations, and build a larger structure upon the distinctions of providence, and perhaps some indifferent one upon that of grace; and then claim more regard for these works of man's device, than for the works of God.