"remedy, and in none other. And this end of the "law ought to be seriously considered by all Chris"tians; that they do not fall into manifold errors "and inconveniences. 1. They pervert all order "of doctrine. 2. They seek that in the law, which "the law cannot give. 3. They are not able to "comfort themselves nor any other. 4. They keep "men's souls in an uncertain doubt of their salva❝tion. 5. They obscure the light of God's grace. "6. They are unkind to God's benefits. 7. They "are injurious to Christ's passion, and enemies to "his cross. 8. They stop Christians' liberty. 9. "They bereave the Church, the spouse of Christ, "of her due comfort, as taking away the sun out "of the world. 10. In all their doings, they shoot

at a wrong mark: for where Christ only is to be "set up to be apprehended by our faith, and so

freely to justify us; they, leaving this justifica"tion by faith, set up other marks, partly by the "law, partly of their own devising, for men to "shoot at. And here cometh in the manifest and "manifold absurdities of Rome's doctrine, which, (the Lord willing,) we will rehearse, as in the catalogue here following."

(To be concluded in our next.)

FOR THE CHRISTIAN'S MAGAZINE.

An Evening at Home.

(Concluded from Vol. II. p. 386)

BUT we have been inspecting single figures, as with a microscope: let us cast our eyes over the group; let us cast them over the wide expanse of the Christian Church-and behold what decay and desolation sloth is producing. The question is not, Whether there be much of faith and holiness within those bounds, and much of industry? The fact is willingly, is joyfully admitted. But shall we not detest and stigmatize a vice, till virtue ceases to exist? The question is, Can no obvious sloth be imputed; and in whatever part of Christendom it becomes general, is it not the fixed air, the choke-damp of death? In that doleful region, ministers who, if they were to stir up the grace that is in them, might make truth sparkle, and bosoms burn around them; could silence error, and appal guilt; could unravel intricacies, dispel doubts, and extricate the heart from its own mazes, are content to spin out the hour in any way. Rulers, who exist to stimulate the lagging, and apply the promptest remedy to whatever threatens the unity and harmony of God's household, leave corruption to take its course; and when matters are come to extremities, think they acquit their conscience by an honest vote. Fathers in Christ

neglect his babes; fathers and mothers neglect the babes that are both Christ's and theirs; the social mass ferments and assimilates; aged saints wax languid; young saints cease to be exemplary; and there is a neglected race of boys and girls springing up, prepared to surrender God's cause to the first assailant, because they know nothing of its value. Paralysis creeps over the whole body, till the symptoms of death become so numerous and decisive, that every spectator boldly speaks out his prognostication.

Civil society comes in for its share in this vice, and its attendant calamities. Families, tribes, and nations, protract an insipid existence, scarcely fed or clothed; and miserably deficient in mental culture, through neglect of a vigorous improvement and application of their resources and powers. Whether a man's station be imposed by providence, or elected by choice, his neglect of its appropriate duties is highly criminal. Titles of office became titles of honour, because the office exacted meritorious services. But men have been thrifty enough to split up these two, and retain the honour, when they have discarded the duty. In many instances, the recital of a man's rank and titles, could give you no notion of his employment. It is pretty evident, however, that this desertion of his post is not so much owing to the love of ease, as to an aversion from his proper avocations. There is an elegant fable, which represents the human race petitioning heaven to be permitted to interchange their respective calamities. They might, with equal propriety, be represented as solicitous to interchange their respective duties. Most men affect a prodigious skill in other people's business; and hence spring pragmatical busy-bodies, intruding into all possible

things. Let others ascribe this intermeddling temper to a superabundance and overflow of active spirits in such persons: I shall continue to ascribe it to a slothtul neglect of their own proper functions, till it shall be made apparent, that they have honourably acquitted themselves of their obligations to God and society in their proper sphere.. And in the mean time, I will plead in behalf of my judgment the authority of Paul, who has brought together idleness and intermeddling, as coincident features in the same character: "And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but busy-bodies."

There are, moreover, a class of men, who, from the love of sloth, though humility is the name they give it, decline stations for which they are amply gifted, and to which they are obviously called. To extend this censure to every case that might seem to merit it, would doubtless be severe. It may be true that modesty is wedded to merit; that wisdom is inore sensible of no deficiencies than her own; that it would be unreasonable to impose on spirits exhausted by the discovery of useful truths, the toil of their practical application: and it may be alleged, that pity, rather than blame, is due to the man, in whom a morbid satisfaction in the exercise of solitary reflection, has wrought an insensibility to the impressions of social duty. Still, dispose of the censure as we may, society has to regret that so large a portion of solid bullion lies rusting in the cells. Why does it not shine by use, and enrich by circulation?

One of the most pernicious effects of indolence is, that it divorces duty from happiness. Without speculating on causes, the fact is indisputable, that many men soon weary of their proper offices,

and go in quest of pleasure elsewhere. The general occurrence of this fact has, as usual, created a general doctrine, that duty and happiness are dissociated things. Men first confound duty with toil, and then conclude, of course, that it can never produce happiness. That they seek in some subsidiary pursuit, or system of dissipation. If they condescend to drudge an hour in duty, it is only that they may sport away two in some idle, perhaps corrupting, amusement. They speak, it is true, of relaxation only: but amusement naturally degenerates into business. Yes: and a business too, that exacts more exertion, and toil, and mortification, than would have sufficed for a nervous and manly discharge of all the duties of life; and in the result yields infinitely less pleasure: to say nothing of a bad conscience, a debased heart, the loss of selfrespect, and of public consideration, and of the Divine. favour; items, which alone would turn the scale against all the consolations of loitering and licentiousness. Let the man, who does not enjoy the best pleasures of his existence in the discharge of his religious, and social duties, look to himself!

Had I a friend labouring under this mental atrophy, and could I call up sufficient resolution to discharge friendship's noblest office, I would thus address him:

My friend, Is it justice to your Creator, who formed you for his praise, to suffer his noblest work on earth, a human being, to live idle in his world? Or is it just to your Redeemer, who exhausted all his powers, and expended the last drop of his blood for your redemption, to abstract from his service a single effort of a soul and body thus redeemed? In relation to yourself, is it prudent, is it consistent