TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES.

America for some years.

Temperance Societies have been established in England and The Editor is free to confess that till lately he did not expect any great good from them. He did not see how a pledge given by entering a name in a book, or being enrolled in a Society, could effect that which higher principles failed to effect. He sees however that he has been wrong; and he is astonished to hear of the good these Societies are doing. He hopes

to resume the subject shortly, and will be glad to receive any interesting particulars in addition to the many which are lying by him. In the meanwhile he gives his readers the following account from America:

In 1827 and 1828, upwards of 1500 Merchants and Distillers, in various parts of the United States, from conscientious principles, abandoned the traffic. There are also in America upwards of 1000 Temperance Societies, with not less than 100,000 members. At the Annual Meeting, held at New York, December, 1829, it appeared that more than 700 instances of the reformation of habitual drunkards had been reported during the past year, and the sales of all spirituous liquors have diminished three-fourths.

LOOK ON THE OTHER SIDE.

(From Uncle Newbury's Maxims.)

1. ONE SIDE.

A machine puts many people out of work.

LOOK AT THE OTHER SIDE.

But it puts many people into work, and it does the work so much faster, that things can be sold a great deal cheaper for it: a shirt or a pair of stockings can be got now by a labouring man for half what they cost, before improved spinning and weaving machines were introduced; and, machinery for printing and for making paper having been introduced, a book may be now got for a few shillings which formerly cost more than a hundred pounds. Those whose trade it was to copy out books with the pen, were at first greatly injured when the machinery for printing was introduced; but thousands more of people are now

employed in book-making than were before employed in copying; and so it is in every branch of trade. Machinery makes more demand, and therefore, in the end, employs more people, though a few are at first injured.

2. ONE SIDE.

Jack Sims, the carpenter, says he does not see why the squire should have a large estate in land, and the poor should have none : it would be better to have it equally divided.

THE OTHER SIDE.

Hold your tongue, for a blockhead, said Will Soams, the butcher. If all the land in this kingdom were divided amongst all the people, we should none of us have more than about the worth of six pounds a year a piece, and that would give us about 2s. 3d. a week; that would be a capital change to be sure!-why both you and I get more out of the squire than that; and many labourers get out of him five or six times as much already, and we spend it among the neighbours, and so it goes round and does good. Your plan would ruin us all in six months!

3. ONE SIDE.

I don't see why the clergyman need be paid so much.

THE OTHER SIDE.

If a clergyman takes pains to teach us what is good, I never would be mean enough to grudge him all that he gets. But, even if I learned nothing from the sermon, I could have no comfort if I could not go every Sunday to join in the worship of God in pray. er. But without saying a word about this, the clergyman, you know, spends his money among us; the produce of his land or his tithes is spent, and we are all the better for this, at any rate. Besides, neither you nor I pay any thing to the clergyman: some part is paid by land left many years ago: some farmers pay tithes, but they pay less rent for it; and the squire is the chief loser. But our squire bought the land for less, because it was not tithe-free, and so he cannot and does not complain. A rich merchant left the estate to the great grandfather of the last squire; but he bound him down to pay a tenth part of the produce for the support of a parish minister; and this is the way that most churches are sup ported, without the present people being required to maintain them.

SELECT PASSAGES.

There is a great difference between the reality of religion and the degree of it. A man may be alive and yet not well, he may be able to subsist and not be rich; but we are required to be rich in faith and in good works, and not only to have life, but to have it more abundantly. There are consolations and privileges which depend on growth in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and a Christian should be ambitious of obtaining them. He should not be satisfied with a conviction of his safety. His soul should prosper and be in health. He should be concerned for the welfare of his generation and the glory of his God. He should follow the Lord fully with Caleb, and with St. Paul forget the things that are behind, and reach forth unto those things that are before, and press towards the mark for the prize of his high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

R.

Possessed of that faith which overcometh the world, the Christian should behold it with the feelings of his tempted master; anxious for its good, but despising its yoke; prepared to labour in its service, but resolute to reject its rewards; deaf to its promises, blind to its prospects and dead to its enjoyments; then may he hope that his sun will not set in obscurity and confusion, but with that mild and steady lustre, which may betoken something of its future glory.

As the holy ointment ran down from the head of Aaron to the very skirts of his clothing, so our charity should descend to and embrace the very least and lowest of the human race.

R.

Bigotry." Bigotry is a severe judge, sitting upon the throne of ignorance, and passing the sentence of condemnation upon all who differ in the least from the opinions of her subjects. Persecution and cruelty are her servants, carrying her cruel and bloody commands into execution. Now who would wish to support such a detestable monster, a monster that would put out every one's eyes but her own; that would forbid every sentiment except that which she admires; that wishes every understanding to be swallowed up in one; that would destroy every mode of worship but that which she adopts; that would utterly destroy every branch of Christ's church, that does not grow just in the form she would have it; and that would have the kingdom of heaven opened only to such as she may approve. My dear reader, beware that you do

not countenance in others, or cherish in yourself such a principle of evil. But standing on the grave of party prejudice, exclaim, grace be with all them who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen and Amen."

EASTER.

"The Lord is risen indeed."
Risen! and to set no more:
Hear it, angels, and adore;
Hear it, nature's farthest bound!
Echo it, creation! round:
Let the joyful tidings fly,

Shake the earth and rend the sky.

Risen! then atonement's made;
Now the mighty debt is paid;
Freed, our Surety throws aside
All the guilt for which he died :
Leaves it in the grave forgiv'n;
Opens wide the gate to heaven.

Risen! come, my soul, arise!
Press thee upward to the skies;
Christ the first fruits, offered there,
Calls his people in, to share
All the bliss by him possest,
Life eternal-endless rest.

66 COME UNTO ME."

Thou slain, but now enthroned Lamb,
Wilt freely take me as I am :

I come-Oh! wash me in the flood
Of thy atoning precious blood.

Thus cleans'd-my guilt for ever gone,
Regardless of the world's rude scorn,
I follow thee, my guide, my way,
My only hope, my strongest stay.

Close to thy steps, I'd journey on,
In love with all thy people one;
And let my holy walk below
Proclaim the world to which I go.

BE NOT FAITHLESS BUT BELIEVING."

Why should I doubt? To doubt is to rebel!
But I am sworn to pay allegiance true,

And faithful to my King, my Lord, my God.
Why should I doubt ? Say doth his might decrease
With passing ages, or his wisdom fail,

His truth become less firm, his love less sure?
Are all things now less possible with him,
To whom in times of old nothing was hard?
Or is the yoke of his commandments made
Now grievous, once so easy to be borne,
When love constrained the willing neck to bend
Obedient to his will? His promises-
Are they diminished ought? or mean the less,
Exhausted by the millions they've sustained?
Then why cast down, my soul, disquieted?
Grasp the firm rock of God's unchanging word,
And give thy doubtings to the winds and waves.

ON THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.

(From a lady's Album.)

Hail! sacred volume of eternal truth,

Thou staff of age-thou guide of wand'ring youth,
Thou art the prize that all that run shall win,
Thou the sole shield against the darts of sin.
Thou giv'st the weary rest-the poor man wealth,
Strength to the weak, and to the dying health;
Lead me, my King, my Saviour, and my God,
Through all those paths thy sainted servants trod.
Teach me thy two-fold nature to explore
Copy the human---the divine adore;

To wait with patience, live in hope and fear,

And walk between presumption and despair.

Then shall thy blood wash out the stains of guilt,
And not in vain for me, e'en me, be spilt.

R.

ARTHUR FOSTER, PRINTER, KIRF BY LONST ALE.