grace of God which can make us "kind and tender-hearted." With sad and sorrowful feelings, I walked away from the quay of that river, both on account of the gloomy catastrophe of that unhappy young man, and the sunk and debased condition of my fellow creatures. I thanked God that, though "least of all," I was numbered amongst the "saints of the Most High." May I live in their communion; and when I die, may I witness their sympathies, and then dwell with them where there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, but where the Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne, shall lead them unto living fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." I. M.

SLANDER.

THERE are few vices more debasing, more disastrous in their consequences on society, than slander. Like sharp frosts, it blights the loveliest flowers. It lays waste like a sweeping fire, or dreadful pestilence. All are liable, at any moment, to fall before its withering touch. The best, the purest, the most virtuous, have fallen before its power. These, in fact, are the most liable to the scathing influence of slander. For slander is the child of envy, jealousy, and other evil passions. Let an individual stand prominently before the world as uncommonly amiable, lovely, virtuous, and of good report, and he soon will be assailed by the voice of slander

"Whose edge is sharper than the sword; whose tongue
Out-venoms all the worms of Nile; whose breath

Rides on the posting winds, and doth belie

All corners of the world."

ཝཱ

Alas! how often is the heart of the virtuous made to ache and BLEED by the vice of evil speaking. And why is it that any one can indulge in such mean and wicked conduct? Surely it is only to gratify an envious and malicious disposition. And for such unholy gratifications must the virtuous be made to suffer, and be robbed of that which is dearer than wealth, health, or life-a spotless" reputation. I once knew a young lady; she was lovely and strictly virtuous, the delight of many happy social circles, and was admired for her spotless purity. At length envy and jealousy rankled in the bosom of one who professed to be her friend, and this person proved her greatest foe; "the poison of asps was under her lips," she now spoke evil of her, whom she once considered pure" and innocent, Others of her sex, with eagerness and pleasure, spread the base unfounded report, till, strange to say, many less intimate friends, and total strangers, believed it true. When it had reached the ears of the injured young. lady, she wept as if her heart would break, and as if her "head were a fountain of tears." She could not be comforted. If my heart ever throbbed with sympathy, if I ever felt or saw the wretched effects of evil speaking, it was then. I wished the originator of the foul slander had witnessed that scene; had her heart been as the flinty rock it must have beer. affected. How frequently do such scenes occur !

It is much to be lamented that there are so many persons who delight in slandering the characters of others, and that so many are willing to lend an attentive and delighted ear to such slanders. A person's reputation, that which is dearer than all temporal things, is trifled with, as if it were a mere bauble. Such things ought not so to be.

29

"Why will the feeling breast with pain and woe,
Steal the best treasure heaven can bestow?
Why rob the Christian of his spotless fame,
And by deception blight the purest name ?"

得

2

Slanderers ought not to be countenanced or listened to; they should be looked upon with a deserved frown. Thus would the good of the community be advanced; many truly virtuous characters be saved from injury, perhaps from utter destruction; and the mouth of the slanderer be stopped. I incline to think that those who indulge in evil speaking, are not fully aware of the heinous nature of the crime of which they are guilty, nor of its destructive consequences. We cannot at all times ascertain the motive by which the slanderer is actuated; but often it is of the most base and despicable kind; sometimes, perhaps, it is to be revenged for some slight or supposed injury received; at other times they strive to depreciate the character of another, in order to exalt themselves. When the latter is the case, the attempt is often a miserable failure; for if the person who happens to be in the unenviable position of hearer, be honest and discriminating, he will at once close his ears, suspect and reprove the slanderer. Finney says, "We need not be a liar to be a slanderer." If we tell the truth with a design to injure, that is slander. Would to God, the church were free from this most mean and despicable of all kinds of vice. Alas! how few attend to the advice of the blessed Saviour, "If thy brother trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between him and thee alone." For want of attention to this admirable advice, how often has the pious minister's heart been made to ache, and his eyes to weep; the peace, unity, and prosperity of families and churches destroyed. "Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth." The apostle James says, the untamed tongue is a FIRE, a world of iniquity, it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the whole course of nature, and is set on fire of hell. It is an unruly evil full of deadly poison. This language is most emphatic when applied to the tongue of the slanderer. His tongue is indeed a fire, an unruly evil-not his neighbours' or enemies,' but his own tongue. The apostle intimates, that it is easier to curb an unruly horse, or to guide a ship in a storm, than to tame the tongue. He moreover says, that if a man accomplish this, the same shall be called a perfect man; and "the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." To speak evil of an absent brother is consummate cowardice. It is a verbal assassination of the person, and is too often, alas! followed by consequences the most direful and afflictive." May the time speedily arrive when the law of kindness and forbearance shall be written on every professing Christian's heart, when they shall “forgive one another in love, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven us." "He that will have friends must show himself friendly." This principle never fails. There should be kindness in the Christian's look, in his words, and in his acts. The celebrated missionary Moffat, when over in England, said, " He never in one instance knew kindness to fail, even in taming an African savage; he had gone into their wigwams when fierceness was depicted in every feature of their face, but he invariably conquered them by kindness ere he left their hut." Let Christians take a lesson from this, and learn the "more excellent way.' "Let them give more earnest heed to the apostolic injunction, Speak evil of no man," and be kindly affectionate one towards another. Thus the world will be constrained to say, "See how these Christians love each other."

FINANCES OF THE CONNEXION.

TO THE EDITOR, DEAR SIR,

S. M.

10. How the income of our Connexion should be made to meet its expenditure ? is a question which for the last few years has cost the Annual Assembly much anxious deliberation. While reading the work of Dr. Reed, on the "Advancement of Religion, the Claim of the Times," my attention was arrested by a passage bearing upon the subject, which I have transcribed. If you think its sentiments worthy of serious consideration, its insertion in the Magazine will oblige yours, "A READER."

the meetings of which were characterized by great simplicity, power, and zeal; he was then increasingly earnest for salvation; and losing sight of his old tale, that his repentance was not deep enough, he clearly discovered with the eye of faith, "the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world;" and believing, he rejoiced with joy unspeakable, and gave evidence of having "passed from death unto life." He now became a happy, consistent, and devoted follower of the Lord Jesus Christ; his constant object was to adorn the Gospel of God his Saviour in all things; and it may justly be said, that his life and conversation were creditable to the profession which he made. The cause of God he loved, and its interest he endeavoured to promote in every possible way. When his brother Joseph was called into the itinerant ministry, Charles became his successor as the class leader; in which capacity he was much esteemed and loved by those who met with him. Some time after he began to exhort sinners to repentance, and preached the Gospel of the kingdom As a preacher he was emulous-not for the honour that cometh from menbut rather to please God, and to win souls to Christ. In the pulpit he manifested much diffidence, entertaining a humble opinion of his qualifications for the work of the ministry; but, notwithstanding his modest and retiring disposition, he was generally willing, in case of need, to supply the place of any brother; and he was exceed

state of his soul. It is evident that the Spirit of God had been gradually employing Divine truth to enlighten and impress; at the same time, it would seem that the Christian example and counsel of his pious parents and brothers, made, in the early period of his youth, such deep impressions on his mind, as were favourable to the susceptibility of the stronger convictions of religious truth. When he was at length led to realise his lost condition, and to feel that he must be in earnest for his salvation, bis convictions were pungent, and his anxiety of mind was great; but being peculiarly diffident and reserved in disposition, he was prevented from deriving the instruction and encouragement which free intercourse with Christians is calculated to impart. The burden and bitterness of his soul were observed, and one or two pious individuals ventured to direct and com1 fort him with Gospel statements. Though he complied with an invitation to meet in class, yet he was so influenced by his natural timidity and reserve, that he avoided familiar conversation, sought solitude, and was, in consequence,little known and not much noticed. His class leader and one or two others, seeing his distress of mind and desire for salvation, endeavoured to lead him to the God of mercy through Christ, "the way, the truth, I and the life;" but, these efforts to give him encouragement were not effectual in relieving him from his burden of E guilt and fear. He struggled long and hard-wrestling in prayer, not only in the regular means of grace, but fre-ingly anxious, according to his ability, quently going, in the still hour of evening, to solitary places, there to pour out supplication for forgiveness of sin, and to obtain some token of grace to give comfort and hope to his troubled mind. For a year or two he continued in this unhappy state; he suspected that he was not the subject of genuine conviction, that his tears were not tears of penitence, that his prayers did not rise from a broken and contrite heart; that, therefore, he had not a warrant oto believe and embrace the Gospel of Christ; and rarely did he seem to have any feeling of confidence, or any taste of consolation.

He was in this state of mind when his brother Joseph became the leader of the first class of the Protestant Methodist Society at Newchurch. Charles soon united with the class,

to promote the increase and prosperity of the Redeemer's kingdom.

He was emphatically a man of peace. Enjoying peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord," he endeavoured to live in peace with all men; and in this perhaps few have been more successful. There was so much of unaffected simplicity and genuine sincerity in all his proceedings, that even those out of the pale of the church respected him for his truth and integrity, and for the rectitude of his behaviour, while his immediate Christian associates, and also the pious of other denominations, loved him for his exhibition of fraudless, even, humble, and devout Christianity.

With regard to his death, little can be said. He was suddenly attacked by disease, and after twenty hours suffer