Mr. V. Allow me, my dear madam, to say, that if these views be romantic, then Christianity is the quintessence of romance; for they are substantially based upon the principles of enlightened piety. Besides, I believe your objection is unphilosophical. It is generally admitted, that the only pleasures which can become habitual and permanent, are such as gently excite the mind without disgusting or exhausting it. Intense pleasures must soon pall, because they so soon exhaust the spirits and produce fatigue; hence the violent relapses of feeling which invariably follow high excitement. The person accustomed to such pleasures is like the inebriate, ever thirsting for stimulants, at the very time that the power of enjoyment is rapidly wearing out. For this reason, the votaries of worldly pleasure are, of all others, most certain of sinking into a state of peevish dissatisfaction; but the followers of moderate and virtuous enjoyment find their pleasures increased by what they feed on. Kept in a calm and sedate frame, and accustomed only to the gentler impulses, they are prepared to relish those simple pleasures which never cloy the mind. It is true, however,

that in old age there may not be the same fervour of feeling and quickness of sensibility that mark the period of youth; but, then, it is only a change of more vivid feeling for more confirmed and vigorous principles; or of transient raptures for a more calm and equable flow of peace. You never saw an instance where religion, acting on a cultivated and well-balanced mind, left its possessor in old age as the world leaves him, in sullen, hopeless despondency.

Mrs. V. My dear sister, you have yourself seen instances of the delightful influence of piety in advanced life, and cannot but admit its excellence. You well know, that if the brightness and ardour of religion are not so intense in old age, it does not settle into the cold and gloom of night, but rather softens into the calmness of the summer's evening, or mellows into the mild and silvery radiance of the moonlight. This justifies Ossian's description :- -"Old age is not dark and unlovely. It appears like the setting sun upon the western wave, and we bless the brightness of its departure."

Mrs. R. Well, my dear sister, I hope you may find this picture realized in your own case. I am sure my only wish is to see you happy; and whatever I have said, I hope you will attribute to the solicitude I feel in your behalf. I hope you will pardon me if I have appeared obstinate or unreasonable. And now, brother, I shall say no more; for, after all, you may be nearer right than the world, in general, would be willing to allow. I confess, the views you have advanced present the subject in a light that demands from me more serious attention. I can hardly restrain the feeling that I have acted a somewhat ridiculous part. I hope, however, that you will excuse me, and that we may ever hereafter maintain the friendship and intercourse becoming such pear relations.

Mr. V. My dear sister, I reciprocate your proffered friendship most cordially; and, as I know something of the prejudices of early habit and association, I can easily understand your feelings, and can take no offence at your expression of them. I shall, however, be very happy if our conversation shall have served at all to convince you, that true, and even refined enjoyment, may exist in a cottage; and that religion is infinitely superior to the world.

ART. IV.-The Great Efficacy of Simple Faith in the Atonement of Christ, exemplified in a Memoir of MR. WILLIAM CARVOSSO, Sixty Years a Class Leader in the Wesleyan Methodist Connection. Written by Himself, and edited by his Son. New-York: Mason & Lane: 1837. 18mo., pp. 348.

THE above-named little volume is published, as we perceive by the imprint, for the Sunday School Union of the Methodist Episcopal Church. We should be sorry, however, if it were thence inferred that it is a juvenile affair; or that its perusal should be confined to the cir ele of teachers or scholars in Sabbath schools. Indeed, there is nothing in the subject or the style that would have a tendency thus to limit its circulation; and there is no reason, so far as we can perceive, (unless it be the size of the volume,) why it should not take rank among the standard works issued by our Book Concern. An individual unacquainted with the work, on first taking it up and perceiving that it is published especially for youth, might be tempted to lay it down without examination or perusal. The loss would be his; but we entreat that this stumbling-block may be taken out of the way, and that our enterprising publishers will get out an edition for the benefit of the church at large. It was well observed by Dr. Johnson-" Books that you may carry to the fire, and hold readily in your hand, are the most useful after all. A man will often look at them, and be tempted to go on, when he would have been frightened at books of a larger size, and of a more erudite appearance."

The volume before us makes no pretensions to elegance of style. It is the journal of an "unlearned and ignorant" man: unlearned and ignorant in the same sense in which Peter and John were, when the people marvelled. But, like them, too, he was a man "who had been with Jesus." He drank deeply into the spirit of Christ, and, tried by the Bible standard, though unacquainted with the literature of Greece, or Rome, or Britain, was eminently a wise man. "The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom." "He that winneth souls is wise."

The work is preceded by a modest preface, written by the author's son, now a minister of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection. "In the perusal of the following personal narrative," he observes, "it should be borne in mind, that as an author my father laboured under peculiar disadvantages; such, indeed, I apprehend, as cannot be easily paralleled. in the history of literature. Here is the singular instance of a man writing a volume for the instruction of the world, who, at the advanced age of sixty-five, had never written a single sentence !"

The whole amount of his literary education, until he reached this period of his life, consisted in being able to read, and to mark, with a single letter, the attendance of the members on his class-roll. The fac-simile of his penmanship, which is given in the volume before us, bears evidence of what can be effected by industrious perseverance, even when the meridian of life is long past; and the style in which his journal and epistolary correspondence are couched, indicates a vigorous mind and a deeply meditative heart.

He was born in the year 1750, in the county of Cornwall. By the advice of his sister, who had been recently converted, he was induced, in his twenty-first year, to hear a Methodist sermon; under which, he tells us, "The word quickly reached my heart, and I saw and felt I

"I suffered much,"

was in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity." he continues, "for many days; but, about the space of eight hours before I received the pardon of sin, I might say with David, 'The pains of hell gat hold upon me.' Soon after receiving the evidence of his adoption into the family of Christ, which was "about nine o'clock at night, May 7, 1771," he united with the Methodists; joining a class of which Richard Wright, afterward a successful pioneer of Methodism in this country, was then a member.

We cannot describe his rapidly progressing advancement in the knowledge of God at this time better than by quoting his own language:

"In the same happy frame of mind, which God brought me into at my conversion, I went on for the space of three months, not expecting any more conflicts; but, O, how greatly was I mistaken! I was a young recruit, and knew not of the warfare I had to engage in. But I was soon taught that I had only enlisted as a soldier to fight for King Jesus; and that I had not only to contend with Satan and the world from without, but with inward enemies also; which now began to make no small stir. Having never conversed with any one who enjoyed purity of heart, nor read any of Mr. Wesley's works, I was at a loss both with respect to the nature, and the way to obtain the blessing, of full salvation. From my first setting out in the way to heaven, I determined to be a Bible Christian; and though I had not much time for reading many books, yet I blessed God, I had his own word, the Bible, and could look into it. This gave me a very clear map of the way to heaven, and told me that without holiness no man could see the Lord.' It is impossible for me to describe what I suffered from an evil heart of unbelief.' My heart appeared to me as a small garden with a large stump of a tree in it, which had been recently cut down level with the ground, and a little loose earth strewed over it. Seeing something shooting up I did not like, on attempting to pluck it up, I discovered the deadly remains of the carnal mind, and what a work must be done before I could be 'meet for the inheritance of the saints in light.' My inward nature appeared so black and sinful, that I felt it impossible to rest in that state. Some, perhaps, will imagine that this may have arisen from the want of the knowledge of forgiveness. That could not be the case, for I never had one doubt of my acceptance; the witness was so clear, that Satan himself knew it was in vain to attack me from that quarter. I had ever kept in remembrance,—

'The blessed hour, when from above,

I first received the pledge of love.'

6

What I now wanted was 'inward holiness;' and for this I prayed and searched the Scriptures. Among the number of promises which I found in the Bible, that gave me to see it was my privilege to be saved from all sin, my mind was particularly directed to Ezek. xxxvi, 25–27 : Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do

them.' This is the great and precious promise of the eternal Jehovali, and I laid hold of it, determined not to stop short of my privilege; for I saw clearly the will of God was my sanctification. The more I examined the Scriptures, the more I was convinced that without holiness there could be no heaven. Many were the hard struggles which I had with unbelief, and Satan told me that if I ever should get it, I should never be able to retain it; but keeping close to the word of God, with earnest prayer and supplication, the Lord gave me to see that nothing short of it would do in a dying hour and the judgment-day. Seeing this, it was my constant cry to God that he would cleanse myheart from all sin, and make me holy, for the sake of Jesus Christ. I well remember returning one night from a meeting, with my mind greatly distressed from a want of the blessing: I turned into a lonely barn to wrestle with God in secret prayer. While kneeling on the threshing-floor, agonizing for the great salvation, this promise was applied to my mind, 'Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.' But, like poor Thomas, I was afraid to believe, lest I should deceive myself. O what a dreadful enemy is unbelief! Thomas was under its wretched influence only eight days before Jesus appeared to him; but I was a fortnight after this groaning for deliverance, and saying, 'O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?' I yielded to unbelief, instead of looking to Jesus, and believing on him for the blessing; not having then clearly discovered that the witness of the Spirit of God's gift, not my act, but given to all who exercise faith in Jesus and the promise made through him. At length, one evening, while engaged in a prayer-meeting, the great deliverance came. I began to exercise faith, by believing I shall have the blessing now.' Just at that moment a heavenly influence filled the room; and no sooner had I uttered or spoken the words from my heart, I shall have the blessing now,' than refining fire went through my heart,-illuminated my soul,-scattered its life through every part, and sanctified the whole.' I then received the full witness of the Spirit that the blood of Jesus had cleansed me from all sin. I cried out, This is what I wanted! I have now got a new heart.' I was emptied of self and sin, and filled with God. I felt I was nothing, and Christ was all in all. Him I now cheerfully received in all his offices; my Prophet to teach me, my Priest to atone for me, my King to reign

over me.

6

Amazing love! how can it be

That thou, my Lord, shouldst die for me!'

O what boundless, boundless happiness there is in Christ, and all for such a poor sinner as I am! This happy change took place in my sout March 13, 1772."

How simply, and yet forcibly, does this extract indicate the dealings of the Holy Spirit with his soul. Unacquainted with books, and the speculative theories of men, he determined to be a "Bible Christian." He sought there for his duty. There he looked for, and found, and relied on the promises of God. How many hearts have echoed the sentiment-"What a dreadful enemy is unbelief!" And how many liv. ing witnesses are there, at the present day, that the blood of Jesus has cleansed them from all sin-that Carvosso's is a common experience! Would to God it were more common !.

It will be seen, in the progress of these remarks, that having thus early in his Christian course been made perfect in love, (we use the expression because it is Scriptural,) he lost no time, and neglected no opportunity, of making it known. This he did, not merely by talking of it, but, inasmuch as "actions speak louder than words," far more effectually. He lived the life of the righteous; and his daily walk was such as constrained others to say-" Mark the perfect man. Whence the idea originated, that unless those who enjoy this blessing tell of it on every occasion they will lose it, we know not. It is, however, a very common opinion, but has, to say the least, no warrant from Scrip. ture. True, on every suitable occasion they should, and will, declare the wonderful works of God. True, if they deny what God has done for them, they thereby give evidence that they have already lost the blessing. But is it not also true, that the works of the Christian are the only criterion by which others can judge of the reality and the depth of the work of grace? A candle that is lighted and uncovered will necessarily give light to all that are within the compass of its "I will show you my faith by my works."

rays.

It cannot fail to have been observed, by those who pay any attention to the signs of the times, that the doctrine of Christian perfection is now looked upon with a more unjaundiced, and, therefore, a more favourable eye, by different branches of the Christian Church than formerly. It is, indeed, gaining converts. Sneers will not now answer the purpose of argument in opposing it; and the time is not far distant, if, indeed, it be not already come, when clerical witticisms shall no longer make void the word of God. It has recently been discovered, and promulged from the pulpit and from the press, and that, too, in a quarter where we should have least expected it,-that an argumentative treatise on this subject was published so long ago as the middle of the last century; and that those arguments, though they have been ridiculed, have not yet been answered: that the plain account, written (mirabile dictu!) by one John Wesley, is worthy of a perusal by all the followers of the Lord Jesus.

The belief and the practice of many branches of the Christian Church on this momentous subject, have always appeared to us as affording a most striking instance of the force of prejudice and the power of early education. Will any body believe that, had it not been for the fetters of human creeds, and the fostered antipathy to the name of Methodism, multitudes of every sect, warm in their first love, with the Bible for their guide and the glory of God for their aim, would, like the subject of the memoir before us, have seen, and believed, and embraced the fulness of the promises of the Gospel of Christ? Had it not been for the lessons of the theological school, which, like the bed of Procrustes, would bring all to the same standard by stretching or retrenching, as the case may be, we should not now have heard, for the first time, from a Calvinistic pulpit, that it is possible to love God with the whole heart. In other words, that God requires nothing from his creatures but what he gives them grace to perform; and that Paul meant some. thing when he said, "I can do all things, through Christ which strengtheneth me."

We write, as we always think on this subject, with painful feelings. We profess to belong to the Church of Christ. As such, we are not