hearts as these. And is it, therefore, reasonable to imagine, that, for the purpose of vainly attempting to silence their cavils and objections, the Author of Christianity should destroy its moral efficacy, and take from intellect its largest field, from piety its sweetest enjoyments, from truth its holiest influence? We admit that the form of the Christian revelation renders it peculiarly liable to be differently understood, even by sincere and devout inquirers; and that men of corrupt minds, influenced by sinister motives, have drawn from it heresies of every grade; that these have induced controversies which have been maintained among the champions of truth and error in a spirit of equal bitterness, and, in many instances, have nerved on both sides the arm of persecuting violence, and given to each a list of miscalled martyrs: all this we affect not to deny. But it is our happiness to know that all this evil has been overruled for good; and in viewing the beneficial results which, by the vigilance and control of Divine Providence, have been elicited from the errors, and even crimes of professed Christians, we are led to exclaim, in the language of a devout writer, "How great is the wisdom of that Being, who hath so constituted human nature, that light must spring from darkness, order from confusion, and truth from prejudice and error!" Controversy is not, in itself, to be depreciated; it is only opposed to the highest interests of those who engage in it on the awful subject of religion, when it is conducted in a litigious spirit, for the purpose of serving a party, to gratify the pride of victory, or to obtain personal aggrandizement. Yet, even when it has been most abused, it has ended in the clearer manifestation and ultimate triumph of right principles. Nothing is so apt to rouse attention and strike out knowledge as disputes. In the beautiful language of Bishop Horne, "All objections, when considered and answered, turn out to the advantage of the Gospel, which resembles a fine country in the spring season, when the very hedges are in bloom, and every thorn produces a flower." The differences, and even contrarieties among Christians, provoke examination, and prevent implicit faith. They invest the Scriptures with additional importance, and lead to a rational conviction of their truth and excellence. They awaken in the lovers of pure Christianity an ardent and benevolent zeal in support of its claims, and abash and confound its adversaries. One great advantage accruing from them, and which requires to be distinctly noticed, is the integrity of the sacred records. All have had an equal interest in preserving them entire, and they have, therefore, vigilantly guarded them against the slightest mutilation. When any in their madness to serve a party, have ventured to tamper with the sacred text, the attempt has covered them with shame, and the interpolation or omission has been marked with merited censure. know, from what has transpired, what in all human probability would have been the fate of the Holy Scriptures, had they been consigned to the protecting care of that church which has arrogantly claimed the attribute of infallibility-not a vestige of them would have remained. We A collateral benefit derived from the integrity of the Scriptures thus preserved, is the removal of all suspicion of collusion and fraud in their construction. It cannot be insinuated, in any distant country or age, that the Bible was the invention of a sect who, agreeing perfectly together, conspired to impose it upon the world, with a view to diffuse their tenets, and raise themselves to power and influence. Is not its genuineness better proved by teachers violently incensed against each other from principle and passion, than by such as are unanimous in all things? But, as we have more than once intimated, Christianity is a moral system, and designed for man in his state of probation. It is, therefore, a test of character, and sectarian delusions and ecclesiastical persecutions are among the severest trials to which it is exposed. "The visible kingdom of Christ," observes the late perpetually at war with all that it has condescended to reveal concerning human duty and obligation, requires virtues of a high order. To maintain it amidst the treachery and treason of false friends, who betray it into the hands of its worst enemies, argues a constancy, integrity, and devotedness, such as nothing but a divine religion can inspire. Another aspect under which we may contemplate the divisions and persecutions which disgrace the Christian church, as overruled to promote the ultimate happiness of mankind, is their influence in producing those political changes which are favourable to the universal diffusion of truth and righteousness by moral means. It is thus that the little stone described by the prophet Daniel has smitten the mighty image which prefigured the four great monarchies of the earth. The wars of religion have broken the powers of civil despotism. The star of liberty has risen upon scenes of blood. And it is thus that God will "overturn and overturn," till He shall come whose right it is, and He shall reign whose benignant authority will charm the troubled world into profound repose. It is our happiness to live at a period of peculiar light, when knowledge is diffusing around us, and the bigotry of ignorance is yielding to the mild influences of heavenly charity. The sword of persecution sleeps in its scabbard, and the tocsin of blood is no longer heard. The murmurings of intolerance are faint, and excite no sympathy. The legislature smiles upon us all with paternal kindness, and a pretext scarcely remains to keep them separate in heart who are identical in principle; in all communities that reverence the fundamental truths of Christianity, real Christians are to be found. These, in the eye of Heaven, form the catholic church, and they ought to be no longer estranged on earth. A great cause demands our united zeal and concentrated efforts. Let us make haste to discover the great points on which we are agreed, and, instead of turning our weapons upon Our allegiance to Heaven, in a world each other, let us heartily combine against the common enemy. The state of our country demands it, and the world opens a wide field for our benevolent exertions. The time is arrived when Christians of all persuasions should enlist under the same banner, and forget their own differences, till the last enemy of the faith is conquered. With this series of short essays, directed specially to this object, the writer closes his contributions to the Evangelical Magazine for the present year. He would rather appear in its pages than in works of higher literary pretension. It was one of the instructors of his boyhood; its fathers and founders were the guides and PICTURES FROM LIFE. LOOKING BACK. "O nation-Christian nation! It was on one of the golden and brilliant mornings with which we were favoured at the close of August, in the present year, that two friends went out to walk into the country, and to observe the operations of harvest, at that important and delightful period. The weather, for a long succession of weeks, had been most auspicious, indeed everything that could have been desired. The air had been tranquil, and rich with summer fragrance; the sun had shone forth day after day for months, in all his glory, and bathed the fine corn-fields in splendor; an occasional shower or two had fallen, which proved of immense import ance to the golden wheat, until, at last, the order was given, "Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is fully ripe." It was at this interesting season, when the two friends to whom we now refer set forth to survey the country, and to sce what God had been doing for us. Their walk embraced a circuit of five or six miles, in one of the loveliest and richest parts of England, not very thickly wooded, in consequence of its contiguity to the sea, but richly cultivated, growing an abundance of wheat and barley, and beautifully diversified by the fairest valleys, and by a number of bold hills, of almost every form, cultured to the very summit, and many of them thick with standing corn. Our friends first proceeded to a considerable elevation, from which they had the finest panoramic view,—the sea on their right, studded with vessels; a fertile valley of great extent, stretching immediately below them; and in front, a range of lofty and beautiful eminences, where "the brown harvest waved around." One could not refrain from exclaiming to the other-" What a scene is this!what a glorious panorama !-what a feast for the mind, as well as for the eye! Here is something to excite wonder and inspire praise. Look on all before us, and around us, my friend, and see what God has done, or rather what God has not done for us; and, after looking on the brilliant scenery, let us look back, and consider what might have been our condition and our prospects, if the Lord had not appeared for us." After surveying this goodly scene for some time, they entered a wheat-field, of considerable extent, where reaping had been completed, for the corn was standing in golden sheaves. They proceeded to another, of equal dimensions, remarkable for the luxuriance of the wheat, where the reapers were all busy and warm beneath the vertical sun. They walked on, through a succession of ten or twelve fine fields, where harvest operations had either commenced or terminated; and in several, they saw the active gleaners, women and their little children, all animated in collecting as many "precious ears of wheat" as possible. "How beautiful!" remarked one of the friends, "is a corn-field during the time of harvest! It always delights me to see the tall wheat, with its brown head waving and bowing to the air. How often have I gone out at noon, or just after sunset, before the wheat has been cut, and walked along the little narrow path, in the centre of some extended corn-field, and, though tall, I have found that the wheat has been taller than I. As I have proceeded, I have observed, mentally and often vocally, 'Surely God is here; this is God's work, not man's;who but a fool, or a madman, can dispute the existence of Deity?' and then I have thought of the beautiful lines of Mary Howitt : me to be so beautiful, as they have during this year. How I watched the progress of the young wheat in early spring! how anxiously I marked the thin stems as they were forming into ears, and when God expressed his goodness towards us, in the remarkable manner in which he has lately manifested it, I felt, as I walked, with long and broad rows of ripe and full wheat on either hand, that I could not rejoice enough—that I could not be thankful enough! I spontaneously lifted up my heart to heaven, in the utterance of the liveliest gratitude; and I could scarcely help kneeling down in the midst of creation, and exclaiming, Thou crownest, O Lord, the year with thy goodness, and all thy paths drop fatness!' But come, let us proceed, my friend: I am anxious to visit some of the farm-yards, and see what is to be witnessed there, and observe what they are doing there." They advanced to a beautiful village, most sequestered, with a fine rich soil all around it, and went at once into a large farm-yard, where upwards of twenty persons were engaged in forming wheat-ricks, and the wagons were continually rolling in, laden with golden grain. The proprietor of the farm was present, superintending the interesting operations. He was an intelligent, amiable man, of correct principles, and well known to his visitors. "Well, Mr. G you have a splendid harvest this summer," was the first observation made. "Indeed I have, gentlemen, I have never had a finer-the ear so full, and so heavy; and not merely myself, but ninety-nine out of every hundred farmers in the country. There will always be some complainers, some grumblers; however fine the season, they are never satisfied; but it is of no use for any to complain now. Indeed, I think it would be a great sin. I never had my farmyard so full: I know not where to put the produce of my fields. I am sure, gentlemen, when we think of the last autumn and winter, and the state of the poor in all parts of the land, we cannot be too thankful. I did not expect such a "We think so too," cried at once both the friends; "but," observed one, "let not only an appointed day be the thanksgiving day, but every day let the incense of a grateful heart ascend to God; and, as we have had special interposition, special pre-eminent mercy, let special pre-eminent gratitude be poured forth. It is most desirable, most loudly called for, most necessary.” “Yes, gentlemen, I think as you think," said this interesting farmer, "that special gratitude is demanded. Mercies have been, as you say, special. I never felt them to be more so. I put in my early potatoes,—I expected little or nothing from them, but a finer crop was never yielded; and as to my late potatoes, look at them in the front of the yard, on that hill before you; the appearance of none can be better. I say again, Providence has done great things for us-may we never forget Providence!" After some further conversation our friends extended their walk, and completed their interesting and careful survey; and everywhere they saw nothing. but demonstrations, singular demonstrations, of the Lord's power, fidelity, and surpassing goodness. They returned home late in the afternoon, full of gratitude and joy; and, after having refreshed themselves with "the cup that cheers but not inebriates," one friend inquired of the other"What might have been the train of thought which your mind was pursuing, while we were taking our interesting ramble together, and, I hope, our truly profitable | survey?" "I," rejoined the friend to whom the inquiry was proposed, "was looking back all the time, and observing the way in which the Lord our God had led us. I was dwelling on the scarcity and high prices of last autumn-on the miseries experienced by multitudes-and even of the most deserving class, during the winter; and I was thinking, if God, in his unmerited and infinite kindness, had not appeared for us this summer, what would have been the result? If, instead of having a warm and golden summer, we had been visited with a cold, wet, and cheerless one, what would have been the consequences? Bread would have been scarcely obtainable by thousands and tens of thousands of the community; multitudes, during the ensuing winter, would have been starving, and, probably, immense numbers would have perished. Many parts of England would have resembled the ill-fated and faminestricken Ireland. Trade would have been paralysed. Embarrassments and bankruptcy would have been fearful, and our condition, as a nation, would have been truly awful; indeed, we can scarcely conceive the extent of that misery which would have been endured, the long catalogue of appalling calamities which must have accumulated. But what has God wrought for us!-how has he heard fervent prayer !—how has he regarded our humiliation before him! How has he dispelled the thunder clouds which surrounded us!-how has he scattered our innumerable fears! - "From glen, and plain, and city, Hath heard his creatures' cries: To fill and fatten earth.' "And, my friend," was the response of the other, "while you were walking along, and 'looking back,' as you appropriately say, I was erecting one pillar of memorial, as I was remaining in one corn-field and another; and the thought occurred to me, which you may deem fanciful and singular-how I should like a pillar to be erected in every whtea-field |