born the heir of a most ancient and honourable family, it would matter nothing at that early age, if, in some great entertainment given to all classes of the community, the little child were made to occupy the lowest room. one and the other, so far as the great end or true happiness of your existence is concerned, with something of the same indifference that a little child would look on the most envied possessions, or listen to a discussion about the most highly mind, let each esteem others better than himself.” Put on, as the elect of God, meekness and humbleness of mind," for "verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." II. Again, as characteristic of a little child, we would instance confidingness, or a disposition to rely implicitly on the word of its parent and instructor. Now, we have been assured, that a similar feel-valued honours of the world. "In lowliness of ing of indifference to the honours of this present life, considered as objects of ambition, or sources of gratification, must be acquired and manifested by every believer in Jesus. And, accordingly, we read, that when his disciples, under the influence of the most erroneous views of his kingdom, were disputing with one another as to the places of relative greatness that would be assigned to them, our blessed Lord, with a view to instruct them in the character he required of his followers, took a little child, and setting it before them, said, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." In having thus acted, the object of Christ, as must be evident to every one, was to intimate how utterly inconsistent with the purpose for which he had chosen them as his associates were those feelings of ambition, and rivalry, and envy, under which they had proposed the question, "Who is greatest in the kingdom of God?" And what he enjoined so constantly in the course of his teaching, the Saviour never failed to illustrate by his example. In all his intercourse with our guilty race, He was truly as one who had come not to be ministered unto, but to minister, who sought not his own glory, but the glory of his Father who sent him,-who was at all times willing to associate with the poorest, or most despised, and who was not ashamed to call them brethren. The loudest applauses of the most distinguished assembly that ever met upon earth, had been of no value to the mind of Christ, compared with such an expression of gratitude, as was once rendered to him by a penitent woman, of whom it is written, that she washed his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Yea, and that we might be still more deeply impressed with the importance of cultivating this, the grace of humility; do we not read, that the blessed Jesus, on one occasion, girded himself with a towel, as if he had been servant of all, and proceeding to wash his disciples' feet, said to them, "I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you; for if I have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet." In consequence of the feebleness of their powers of understanding, children, at a very early age, must, it is obvious, be wholly dependent on the veracity of those with whom they are connected. They will readily believe any statements, no matter how absurd or extravagant they may be. Having no conception of deceit themselves, they are willing to credit every communication that may be made to them, and being necessarily incapable, owing to the weakness of their intellectual powers, of discriminating between truth and error, they never hesitate to repose implicit faith in the most foolish or fabulous story that may be told them. All must be aware to what a fearful extent, and with what mischievous effects, advantage has been often taken of this disposition in little children, for the purpose of operating on their fears, by many of those senseless or unprincipled persons to whom they may have been given in charge. Aye, and it is most lamentable to witness the extent to which this same practice of experimenting with the confidingness of children is sometimes carried, even by those who, as having a more tender interest in their future well-being, might be expected to guard against any thing which is so directly fitted to pervert their moral powers, by training them, as it were, to think lightly of falsehood, at an age when impressions are most easily made, and most lastingly retained. Greatly, however, as it may be at times abused, this readiness to receive, as truth, whatever shall be stated to them by their parents or guardians, constitutes a most beautiful feature in the character of little children, and is fitted to illustrate, very strikingly, that teachableness of spirit in which it becomes every human being, however exalted his powers, or ample his knowledge, to hear what the Lord God shall say unto his soul. The differlike-ence, as to degree, between the mental powers of a little child and the most powerful intellect that ever existed upon earth, is never once to be named, in comparison with the distance that must separate the highest human intelligence from Him who is the Fountain of Light. The same absolute dependence then, may be as truly necessary in the one case as in the other; and as the little child must take its information on the word of those in whom it trusts, it may be necessary that men of the highest and most cultivated reason See then, brethren, if ye would have that ness to a little child, without which ye cannot enter into the kingdom, that ye be clothed with humility. We ask you not to think of yourselves more meanly, but not to think of yourselves more highly than you ought to think. And while you are by no means called upon to divest yourselves of the wealth your industry may have amassed, or to renounce the honours to which your talents may have raised you, it is necessary, that as the professing followers of Jesus, you regard both the shall rest satisfied with simply finding that there has been affixed to the statements they may have occasion to peruse, these authoritative words, "Thus saith the Lord." Such a faith as this all must exercise who would enter into the kingdom of heaven. With a childlike docility of mind we must bring every thought into subjection to the oracles of the living God. These may declare to us much that is mysterious. They may contain doctrines which, in all their relations, it is impossible for us, or for the most gifted inquirer, to comprehend. But if in these doctrines there is nothing contradictory to the truths otherwise revealed, we shall, if rightly impressed with our own weakness, cast ourselves on the Word of God, even as would any child upon the superior intelligence of its earthly father, saying, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth." In reading the Scriptures then, brethren, beware of that pride of intellect which has proved the ruin of many souls. If you are convinced that the Bible is the Word of God, presume not to think that you may sit in judgment on the reasonableness of its doctrines, or on the wisdom of its counsels, or on the fitness of its requirements. The very circumstance that it is a revelation of the divine will, should lead you to expect in it difficulties which in this imperfect state of being you may never be able to resolve. Seek not, however, to be wise above what is written; but bearing in mind that while that which is revealed, is to you and to your children, there are many secret things which still belong unto the Lord; let it be your habitual endeavour to cast down every high imagination, and to have all your thoughts brought into captivity to the truth. III. Yet farther, as characteristic of a little child, I would notice imitativeness, or that strong desire which it constantly manifests to speak and act like those whom it most highly reveres. This disposition to imitate is one of the strongest and most early developed powers of the human mind. From the very dawnings of reason the propensity may be observed to be in constant and most powerful operation. The little child is ever on the watch that it may be able to repeat the words, the looks, and the actions of all within its reach. And it were well that parents, and those employed in the training of these little ones, could but habitually bear in mind how much the future character may be affected by what they hear or witness at that early stage of their being. There cannot be a greater mistake than to suppose that even very young children are indifferent to what is going on around them. On the contrary, they are most diligent observers and most skilful copyists of every example that may be set before them, and thus, at an incredibly early stage of their existence, a foundation may be laid either for the happiness or the misery that is to mark their future years. How admirably adapted, then, to this principle of human nature are those numerous exhortations that have been given to believers to imitate the character of Christ, as that perfect pattern, in growing conformity to which, their chief happiness is to be found. We may affirm, indeed, of the Christian system, in reference to that moral character which it is designed to form, that it has been embodied in the recorded history of Jesus of Nazareth. For it is impossible to read that history without perceiving that he exemplified every precept he delivered, that he illustrated, by his actions, all that he recommended in his doctrines; and, in short, that he afforded a living manifestation of the very dispositions, and affections, and habits, which he inculcated on his disciples. If, therefore, he calls upon them to take up the cross, it is that they may follow him,-that they may walk in his footsteps, that they may pursue the very path along which he passed, when, as the Captain of his people's salvation, he was made perfect through suffering. Be ye then imitators of Christ. Be persuaded that conformity to his character is the high and holy design of your calling. As often as you find the blessed Saviour called the ruler or head of that kingdom which you desire to enter, let it be your highest aim and your most earnest endeavour to grow in resemblance to him. And like the little child that desires earnestly to speak and to act after the manner of its earthly parents, labour with all your might, and esteem it your highest enjoyment, that ye may have the same mind in you that was also in Christ Jesus, who is your Master and Lord in heaven. "For whosoever will not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall not enter therein." IV. The only other characteristic of a little child to which I would advert, is that blind unquestioning obedience which it is required to yield to the will of its parent or teacher. It can scarcely be necessary to remark, how essential it is to a proper education of its moral powers that the child should be taught, from the earliest period, that, so long as it is a child, it must have no will of its own in opposition to that of its parent. No intelligent father would ever think of stating to his children the reasons of that discipline to which, with a view to form their moral character, he may deem it his duty to subject them. He knows perfectly, that if his efforts are to be successful, there must be the exercise of an absolute authority on the one side, and the yielding of a most unreserved obedience on the other. However willing he might be to make the reasonableness of his conduct apparent to his little ones, he is well aware that, as yet, they possess not the capacity to understand him, founded as that conduct is, or ought to be, on a far larger and more comprehensive view of their relations than they themselves can be able to take. The restraints he imposes on their liberty—the denial he often gives to their most importunate requests-the pain he may at times occasion to their tenderest feelings, or the bodily chastisement he may inflict upon them-may for a time be regarded by his children only as so many indications of a cruel and capricious sporting with their peace. So soon, indeed, as it shall be possible, every wise father will address himself to the understanding of his offspring, seeking to direct their feelings by first convincing their reason. But for a certain number of years this is wholly impracticable; and it is therefore necessary, that, as a moral being, a little child shall, so to speak, be the subject of a purely despotic form of government, no reason being assigned but the parent's authority, for the propriety of the course it is required to follow. that ye be imitators of the character of Jesus— and that ye be obedient to the will of your heavenly Father; for, "whosoever will not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall not enter therein." THE GIPSIES IN RUSSIA AND IN SPAIN. As one of the principal motives of my visit to Moscow was to hold communication with a particular part of its population, which, from the accounts I had received, had awakened in me the most vivid interest, I did not fail, shortly after my arrival, to seek an oppor And so must it often be with the believer in Jesus, or the subject of that kingdom which is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holytunity of accomplishing my wish, and believe that what Ghost. To him, the ways and dealings of his heavenly Father may, on many occasions, be as dark and inexplicable as ever were the proceedings of any earthly parent to the comprehension of his little ones. In consequence of the very narrow range of our vision as spiritual beings, we are at present incapable of contemplating, in their true character, the events and circumstances that befall us, or of estimating our possessions according to their real and inherent value. Time, with all its concerns, assumes a most factitious importance in our eyes, and the love of this present world is ever influencing our minds with a power that must be destructive of that true and only permanent blessedness which is to be found in the love of Him who washed his people from their sins in his own blood. But the Father of our spirits is not thus indifferent to our everlasting interests; and he cannot consent that, for the gratification of our own will, we should be thus allowed to rest contented with the mere shadow of enjoyment while destitute of the substance. It is because he is not willing that they should perish, that he so frequently mingles the bitter cup for his children to drink. To effect these his gracious purposes, he visits them with calamity, or severe disasters in their worldly affairs; or he chastens them with bodily disease, or he commissions death to enter their families, and to snatch away some beloved object, which, like an idol, had been engrossing their affections to his exclusion and dishonour. But if they have imbibed any thing of the spirit or temper of mind required in those who would enter into the kingdom, they will, at such times, bow down under the hand of God, saying, "I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that in very faithfulness thou hast afflicted me." "It is well, for it is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good." "I will trust, and not be afraid; for I know, and am persuaded, that all events," even the darkest and most mysterious, "shall be made to work together for good to them that love him, and are the called according to his purpose." "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us." See, then, professing Christians, that, as little children, ye be humble that ye be teachable I have now to communicate will be of some interest to traffic. The principal place of resort of this class is greetings were poured forth in torrents of musical Rommany, amongst which, however, the most prominent air was, "Ah kak mi toute karmama," "Oh, how we | love you;" for at first they supposed me to be one of their brothers, who, they said, were wandering about in Turkey, China, and other parts, and that I had come over the great pawnee, or water, to visit them. Their countenances exactly resembled those of their race in England, brown, and, for the most part, beautiful, their eyes fiery and wildly intelligent, their hair coalblack, and somewhat coarse. I asked them numerous questions, especially as to their religion, and original country. They said that they believed in "Devil," which, strange to say, in their language signifies God: and that they were afraid of the evil spirit, or "Bengel;" that their fathers came from Rommany land, but where that land lay they knew not. They sang many songs, both in the Russian and Rommany languages. The former were modern popular pieces which are in vogue on the stage, but the latter were evidently very ancient, being composed in a metre or cadence to which there is nothing analogous in Russian prosody, and exhibiting an internal character which was anything but European or modern. I visited this place several times during my sojourn at Moscow, and spoke to them upon their sinful manner of living, upon the advent and sufferings of Christ Jesus, and expressed, upon my taking a final leave of them, a hope that they would be in a short period furnished with the word of eternal life in their own language, which they seemed to value and esteem much higher than the Russian. They invariably listened with much attention, and during the whole time I was amongst them, exhibited little in speech or conduct that was objectionable. And again, in reference to the Gipsies in Spain, the following account is given: nity, they informed me that there were nine or ten families residing in the town, and that there were others at Merida, a town about nine leagues distant. I asked by what means they supported themselves, and they replied that they and their brethren gained a livelihood by jobbing in horses, mules, &c.; but that all those in Badajoz were very poor, with the exception of one man who was exceedingly "mubalballo," or rich, as he was in possession of many horses and other beasts. They removed their cloaks for a moment, and I saw that their under garments were rags. They left me in haste, and went about the town informing the rest that a stranger had arrived who spoke Rommany as well as themselves, who had the eyes and face of a Gitano, and seemed to be of the "cratti," or blood. In less than half an hour the street before the inn was filled with the men, women, and children of Egypt. I went out amongst them, and my heart sunk within me as I surveyed them; so much squalidness, dirt, and misery, I had never before seen amongst a similar number of human beings; but the worst of all was the evil expression of their countenances, denoting that they were familiar with every species of crime, and it was not long before I found that their countenances did not belie them. After they had asked me an infinity of questions, and felt my hands, face, and clothes, they retired to their homes. My meeting with these wretched people was the reason of my remaining at Badajoz a much longer time than I originally intended. I wished to become better acquainted with their condition and manners, and, above all things, to speak to them about Christ and his word, for I was convinced that, should I travel to the end of the universe, I should meet with none who were more in need of Christian exhortation, and I accordingly continued at Badajoz for nearly three weeks. About one o'clock in the afternoon of the 6th of January (1836,) I crossed the bridge of the Guadiana, a boundary river between Portugal and Spain, and en- During this time I was almost constantly among tered Badajoz, a strong Spanish town containing about them; and as I spoke their language, and was considerS000 inhabitants. I instantly returned thanks to God, ed by them as one of themselves, I had better opportuwho had protected me during a journey of five days nities of coming to a fair conclusion respecting their through the wilds of the Alentejo, the province of character, than any other person, whether Spaniard or Portugal the most infested by robbers and desperate foreigner, could have hoped for, not possessed of a sicharacters, and which I had traversed with no other milar advantage. The result of my observations, was human companion than a lad, nearly idiotic, who was to a firm belief that the Spanish Gitanos are the most convey back the mules which carried myself and bag-vile, degraded, and wretched people upon the earth. gage. It was not my intention to make much stay at The great wickedness of these outcasts may, perhaps, Badajoz, and as a vehicle would set out for Madrid the be attributed to their having abandoned their wanderday next but one after my arrival, I proposed to departing life, and become inmates of the towns, where, to therein for the capital. The next morning I was standing at the door of the inn where I had taken up my residence; the weather was gloomy, and rain seemed to be at hand. I was thinking of the state of the country I had lately entered, which was involved in bloody anarchy and confusion. Suddenly two men, wrapped in long cloaks, came down the narrow and almost deserted street; they were about to pass me, and the face of the nearest was turned full towards me. I knew to whom the countenance he displayed must belong, and I touched him on the shoulder-the man stopped, and his companion also; I said a certain word, to which, after an exclamation of surprise, he responded in the manner which I expected. The men were of that singular family or race which has diffused itself over every part of the civilized globe, and the members of which are known as Gipsies, Bohemians, Gitanos, Zigani, and by many other names, but whose proper appellation seems to be "Rommany,' from the circumstance that in many and distant countries they so style themselves, and also the language which they speak amongst each other. We began conversing in the Spanish dialect of this language, with which I was tolerably well acquainted. Upon inquiring of my two newly-made acquaintances whether there were many of their people at Badajoz, and in the vici• Duvvel according to Mr Roberts. the original bad traits of their character, they have superadded the evil and vicious habits of the rabble. Their mouths teem with abomination, and in no part of the world have I heard such frequent, frightful, and extraordinary cursing as amongst them. Religion they have none. From what I learned from them, it appeared that their ancestors had some belief in metempsychosis, but they themselves laughed at the idea, and were of opinion that the soul perished when the body ceased to breathe; and the argument which they' used was rational enough, so far as it impugned metempsychosis: "we have been wicked and miserable enough in this life," they said; "why should we live again? I translated certain portions of Scripture into their dialect, which I frequently read to them, especially the parables of Lazarus and the Prodigal Son, and told them that the latter had been as wicked as themselves, and both had suffered as much or more, but that the sufferings of the former, who always looked forward to a blessed resurrection, were recompenced in the world to come by admission to the society of Abraham and the prophets; and that the latter, when he repented of his crimes, was forgiven, and received into as much favour as the just son had always enjoyed. They listened with admiration, but alas! not of the truths, the eternal truths I was telling them, but at finding that their broken jargon could be written and read; the 66 only words of assent to the heavenly doctrine which I ever obtained, and which were rather of the negative kind, were the following, from a woman :-" Brother! you tell us strange things, though perhaps you do not lie; a month since I would sooner have believed these tales, than that I should this day have seen one who could write Rommany." They possess a vast number of songs or couplets, which they recite to the music of the guitar. For the purpose of improving myself in the language, I collected and wrote down upwards of one hundred of these couplets, the subjects of which are horse-stealing, bloodshed, and the various incidents of Gipsy life in Spain; yet amongst them are to be found some tender and beautiful thoughts, though few and far between, as a flower or shrub are here and there seen springing from the interstices of the rugged and frightful rocks of which are composed the mountains and sierras of Spain. The following is their traditionary account of the expulsion of their fathers from Egypt :-" And it came to pass that Pharaoh, the king, collected numerous armies for the purpose of war; and after he had conquered the whole world, he challenged God to descend from heaven and fight him; but the Lord replied, There is no one who shall fight with me;' and thereupon the Lord opened a mountain, and he cast therein Pharaoh, the king, and all his numerous armies, so that the Egyptians remained without defence, and their enemies arose and scattered them wide abroad." CHRISTIAN TREASURY. The hardness of the Human Heart.-Consider the dullness of the most part of the hearers of this age, and how hard a thing it is to awake a sleeping world, and to get them but to think that it doth concern them to hear in earnest; and possibly it was not a small piece of spiritual wisdom in him to begin and end all his sermons with an awakening word concerning heaven, or hell, or judgment, and the danger of choosing the evil and refusing the good.-Preface to Gray's Sermons. Faith and Holiness.-Holiness is the true morality; and they that prefer the preaching and practice of faith in Christ, before the preaching and practice of holiness, and slight this as mere morality, do prefer the means before the end, and their physic before their health. And they that preach or think to practise holiness, without faith in Christ, do dream of a cure without the only Physician of souls. And they that preach up morality as consisting in mere justice, charity to men, and temperance, without the love of God in Christ, do take a branch, cut off and withered, from the tree. Some ignorant sectaries cry down all preaching as mere ̧ morality, which does not frequently toss the name of Christ and free grace. And some ungodly preachers, who never felt the work of faith and love to God on their own souls, for want of holy experience, savour not and understand not holy preaching; and therefore spend almost all their time in declaiming against some particular vices, and speaking what they have learned of some virtues of sobriety, justice, or mercy. when they have done, cover over their ungodly unbelieving course, by reproaching the other who cry down preaching mere morality. True morality, or Christian ethics, is the love of God and man, stirred up by the Spirit of Christ; this faith, exercised in works of piety, justice, charity, and temperance, in view of everlasting happiness in the perfect vision and fruition of God.— BAXTER. And Be Holy. If you would be a deep divine, I recommend to you sanctification. Fear him, and he shall reveal his covenant to you.-RUTHERFORD. The above is extracted from the Athenæum, having been furnished from the letters of an intelligent gentleman, the one bearing date September 234, 1835, and the other July 19, 1836. HEBREW IDYLS. BY PROFESSOR TENNANT. No. III. MOUNT CARMEL, OR SALLU AND ZAIR. ON Carmel's hill the morn rose bright, But when on his meridian throne Still black and blacker from the seas: The shepherds, that on plain or steep On Carmel's western side there stands Whence, when the heaven shone pure, was seen Fair cities topt with golden spire, Thither, impell'd by storm, repair Sallu, the one, whose soul's delight Their seats of stone they took; they strung Their harps; and thus alternate sung:SALLU. Awake, my harp! my glory, wake! ZAIR. Awake, my harp! my glory, wake! God, in his terror, bids thee speak: |