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"It needs no argument of ours to show how salutary an effect would be produced on the minds of many, if they rightly apprehended the dark and fearful army with which the prince of the power of the air surrounds them daily and hourly. We are convinced, indeed, that the masterpiece of Satan has been the causing himself to be represented to the minds of men as a sort of nursery hobgoblin. It is marvellous to think of the subtlety with which this awful being, the arch-enemy of God and of His Christ, has succeeded in throwing a species of ridicule over himself and his deep momentous operations, making the thoughtless writers of almost all ages constitute him the hero of absurd fictions, described under the well known form of a bodily shape, with cloven feet and horns, a recklessness of which even such men as Coleridge have been guilty. This turning of himself into a jest, so to speak, has accomplished more than the most vigorous reasoning could have done, towards a total forgetfulness of his actual nature and power, of the tremendous place which he has held, and shall hold yet more darkly in the annals of eternity, and of the awful revelation which he shall make of himself at the last, when those who made a mock at him in their life shall learn what he is and shall for ever be to them."

That the age is now turning away from its scepticism and its Saddu ceeism to acknowledge the supernatural, and to admit the great fact of our close proximity to and mental association with spiritual beings, is, indeed, one of the most striking signs of the day. The above article must, by its strong rational power, recommend itself to the consideration of the thoughtful and the sincere. For no fact in the Gospel is more powerfully disclosed to us, than the certainty of our close proximity to the spiritual world, and of our association, according to our states, with spiritual beings. One great object of the Lord's coming was "to cast out unclean and evil spirits," whose power had become so great when He came. And now one very essential way by which their power can be broken is to know and believe that that power exists, and that we are, whilst here, in constant danger of being under its influence. For every unholy thought that we cherish is an indication of their presence and power; and there is no doubt that one of the stratagems by which infernal spirits operate to make their power dominant, is that of inducing, as the above able writer says, a disbelief as to the existence and agency of their influence. When this disbelief is established, as is unhappily the case in the fallen state of Christianity, infernal spirits can then come near to man and infuse into his mind the venom of their malice and wickedness, even without his being aware of the fact, in which case he is like those "who walk over graves without being aware of it." (Luke xi. 44.)

N. S. NO. 158.-VOL. XIV.

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MATERIALS FOR MORAL CULTURE.

(Continued from page 344 in the former volume.)

CXVI.

LOVE can only be obtained by victory in temptations; but none are admitted into temptations who are incapable of coöperating with the Lord, who alone can give them victory; consequently, to complain of want of love in others, is to complain that the Lord does not admit into temptations those who He foresees must fall therein, and thus be placed at a greater distance from love than before. But although it may thus appear unreasonable to complain of want of love, it is not so to complain of want of justice, for this, all can yield, if they will.

CXVII.

Walking with God must conclude with lying at the Lord's feet, or it will lose a great part of its blessedness.

CXVIII.

We must not confound the phrases celestial and spiritual principles, with the phrases celestial and spiritual degrees,-the former referring to the two principles of love and faith in each degree; and the latter to two of the three degrees in which the two principles of love and faith are attainable. There are three degrees of the regenerate life answering to the three heavens; and they are called respectively the celestialspiritual and spiritual-natural degree. Each degree has its celestial and spiritual principle, or its voluntary principle of love, and its intellectual principle of truth or faith. Thus every principle of love, of every degree, is celestial; and every principle of truth or faith, is spiritual. The first, or spiritual-natural degree of life, has for its celestial principle of love, the fear of God, or simple piety to God, and justice to man; and for its spiritual principle, a simple faith corresponding. The second, or spiritual degree of life, has for its celestial principle, enlightened piety, and active charity; and for its spiritual principle, an enlightened faith corresponding. The third, or celestial degree, has for its celestial principle, love to the Lord above all things, and mutual love; and for its spiritual principle, lucid perceptions of the truths of wisdom corresponding. In each degree, the internal of the celestial principle regards the Lord, and the external regards man, and these act in union as one celestial principle, from which proceeds, under the guidance of its partner spiritual principle, corresponding good works, thus bringing into activity a third principle,

called operation, or the power of acting from the will by the understanding, which identifies itself with the habit acquired by acting.

CXIX.

The phrase "converted to God" must be understood with a just discrimination. To be converted to the Divine Truth which is from God, is only a preparatory stage of conversion, and may be of the understanding only. But to be converted to the Divine Good, which God is, is the only real and abiding conversion, because it is a conversion of the heart or will, and is shewn in a life according to the Divine Truth.

CXX.

It appears at times very difficult to give up ourselves entirely to our Heavenly Father, to be moulded according to his will only, and to submit to the discipline that is needed for that end. This is frequently owing to some natural affection making us anxious to preserve that very thing which it is most needful to part with, because it occupies too large a share of our regard, and therefore, to the same extent, impedes our pursuit of God's kingdom and righteousness.

CXXI.

We may see how perfectly happy even the lowest state in heaven may be, arising from ignorance of the superior delights of a higher state, from this circumstance, that our early states of regeneration appear to us to possess a certain degree of fulness, owing to our ignorance, at the time, of their deficiency, which can only be discovered by means of the superior light attained in succeeding states.

CXXII.

Want of punctuality shows want of conscientiousness, however procrastinators may deceive themselves. Punctuality being inseparable from the exact fulfilment of any specific or implied engagement, the want of it renders the fulfilment incomplete, and therefore incompatible with conscientiousness. In a man, want of punctuality shews a deficient sense of honour; and in a woman, it indicates an unfeminine braving of deserved disapprobation.

CXXIII.

Procrastination is seldom cured, because the habit of it induces a mental disease that may not inaptly be termed an ossification of conscience, by which that department of it becomes "case hardened," so that what is really easy appears impracticable; and sometimes to such an insane degree does the spirit of procrastination proceed, that the exhibition of a breach of punctuality insensibly comes to be regarded as a mark of personal dignity, rendering the reproof of it a personal offence

Hence it happens that habitual late comers to church, are so much more likely to meet remonstrance with offence than with amendment.

CXXIV.

"Reprove not a scorner, (says Solomon,) lest he hate thee; rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee." But how frequently the supposed wise man, on whom the dangerous experiment of reproving is tried, turns out to be a scorner! And yet how positive is the law of both Testaments regarding reproof! "Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him;" such is the language of Moses; and this the Lord confirmed by saying,-"If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him."

(To be continued.)

SUBSTANCE OF A LECTURE ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT. (Delivered before the Reading Societies of Ovingham, Haltwhistle, and Shotley Bridge, respectively.)

IN approaching the subject of human development, it might seem necessary first to ask, what humanity really is? And how or where shall we get an answer to the question! Is there anything in nature to inform us? Man! is the reply; but it is again said—“ What is man?" Hence the necessity for making ourselves acquainted with our own natures, and thus for the development of those principles which an all-wise and beneficent Creator has bestowed, for "we are fearfully and wonderfully made."

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Let us wander a little way into creation, and examine its vegetable and mineral productions, and ask them how they came into being? Into being? say you. Has a stone any being or life?" "Does gold and silver, copper and iron, live?" We say they do for the existence of a stone is subsistence; and subsistence is perpetual existence. Now we know that a certain sphere or efflux of life surrounds every created thing-even a stone; and what stronger illustration of this can we have than that of the magnet, the sphere of which is so powerfully attractive; and this sphere constantly emanates from these substances, so that, if there was not support, or a like influx of life into them-a perpetual creation-the whole would pass away into vapour; from whence it is evident that giving and receiving is stamped upon the very order of created things; and thus they impart to one another a portion which each doth not possess, and thereby contribute to each other's perfections.

So it is with our coal and iron. These were not always the substances they are at present; but have had imparted to them something they did

not originally possess, and have parted with something they did not need. Mark, then, the bearing of these facts on the sequel of our subject.

Let us now take a cursory glance at the next link in creation--the vegetable kingdom-and one of its subjects will illustrate the whole, in application to our present purpose,—a tree. Now the sphere of life we have noticed in minerals is here much more striking; for how do we receive the odour of the rose except by its sphere affecting our organism? and if our vision was a little stronger we might perceive a kind of halo surrounding it. But a little closer examination will shew that its organism is superior to that of the mineral, for here we behold a kind of heart, from which issues its blood, or sap, and the lungs are equally perfect-in its leaves, which draw in the external air, purifying its blood, and making it more vigorous and healthy; and it is furnished with a skin for binding together its internal vessels, which we see the bark performs.

We may now advance one step further on the ladder, and from that elevation behold the animal world; from the worm which crawls upon the earth, through all the diversified genera of animals, up to man, and a glance will be sufficient to mark the great distinction between "these which walk on the earth and those that skim the air."

The increasing tendency displayed here to the human form is very observable; and not in form only, for mind, or something analogous, is evidently possessed by many species, though reason by none. But however diversified their character, the question comes upon the mindwhence their life? An essential difference exists between this and that of minerals or vegetables; but yet must it take its rise from the same great creative fountain. It may be said the procreation of their species is sufficient, but this is only another assimilation to man; and although they are thus furnished with organization, it cannot be allowed that organism is life, but only a receptacle thereof; so that although they reproduce their organic forms, and afterwards are sustained by natural means; yet their real living principle must come from the source which originated them. Hence we are brought again to the conclusion that they-like the two former divisions noticed-are the living effects of a prior and continually active cause; and we are warranted in concluding that effects always correspond to their causes; hence in saying, creation is an outbirth from Deity," and a representative of Divine principles in Him. * * Now it cannot be disputed that Love has been the prime mover in creation; for no one can do anything unless he loves, or wills to do it. Nor can it be gainsayed that wisdom

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