Gospel presents, and can retain the view long enough to make it efficacious, how marked will be the change produced by the spirit of Christianity! The religion of Jesus will teach him to lay aside all his follies and trifles, his vain or vicious pursuits, and live like a being destined for immortality. Life then acquires a serious and weighty purpose, even the purpose of preparation for an endless existence. He, who had been a child of pleasure, becomes a child of God; he employs himself with strenuous diligence in every exertion of moral duty, and goes forth to the events and trials of life, with a heart prepared and willing to be disciplined by the providence of God, and braced by the resources of faith and hope. His days are no longer wasted on airy, unsubstantial pursuits, but in imitation of our great model, are spent in doing good. He becomes sensible, that he has a great task to perform, and therefore he works while the day lasts, knowing that the night cometh, when no man can work. Now, when you consider, what a different being this man has become, how thoroughly the state of his affections, his hopes, his pursuits, the objects of his earnest interest, are altered, you must acknowledge that here is another instance of great moral change, in short of the 'new creation' effected by the Gospel. But it is unnecessary to enumerate instances. Wherever are to be found the monuments of the reforming and purifying power of Christianity, wherever our religion has converted the sinner from the error of his ways, wherever it has sealed the lips of profaneness, called the intemperate to virtuous sobriety, turned the scoffer into the humble and devout worshipper, wherever it has brought men away from the follies and vanities of earth, and taught them to feel that they are made for eternity, and must act for eternity; wherever it has led sinners away from the false refuges of the world, and taught them to seek the 'building of God, the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens ;' in all such cases, the strong and emphatic expressions of St. Paul, which have been already quoted, may be applied without the fear of presenting an overcharged picture to the mind.

The preceding remarks are intended briefly to illustrate what is meant by the new creation,' effected by the Gospel of Christ. By many they will doubtless be considered as defective, because they do not suit the dimensions of their system. It is not wonderful, that those, who think themselves authorized to assume as a position, that man comes into the world totally depraved, and that before he can hope for heaven, his nature must be displaced and a new one induced, should apply the class of expressions, upon which we have dwelt, to the support of their peculiar views. In order to become a 'new creature,' in the New Series-vol. IV.

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Gospel sense, they deem it necessary for one to become in some very peculiar and striking manner, and perhaps by a special interposition, the receptacle of the influences of the Holy Spirit, a phrase, which is interpreted of course in conformity with the doctrinal views of those who use it. The reality of these influences, when properly explained, no Christian will be disposed to deny. But the features of the true Christian regeneration have, it is conceived, been described in the foregoing observations on the moral revolution produced by the spirit and principles of the Gospel. Unitarians have too easily suffered those, who are called orthodox, to appropriate to themselves the good words in religion, and have thus perhaps relinquished to the cause of error something at least of that attachment and reverence, which in many minds are connected with these words. The term regeneration is doubtless understood by the greater part of those, who use it currently, to signify in fact nothing else, than we should allow that it expresses truly and forcibly. Theological systems are too often built upon words, more than upon ideas; and those, who use certain phrases, are therefore supposed to belong to the sect with which those phrases have become technical. Regeneration does not mean, nor is it probably after all generally imagined to mean, the destruction of man's nature, but the destruction of his vices, not the taking away something with which he was born, and substituting something else in its place, but the removal of his sinful habits, and superinducing upon his moral powers and affections the true Christian spirit and character. It is not to be supposed, that the laws which regulate the operations of the human mind in other departments, are changed the moment it becomes the subject of religious influences. With regard to religion, as well as other objects, permanent taste, and feelings, and character are not to be suddenly acquired. There must be a patient and industrious use of means. Principles, and sentiments, and motives must be presented often and strongly, must be familiarised and brought home to the soul by frequent meditation and undistracted reflexion, before they can wind their way into the heart, so as to dwell there efficaciously, and send out their influences on the life and conduct. The achievement of the Christian character is not the result of a single effort. Heaven is not to be won by the agonies of a day, nor the happiness of eternity purchased by the emotions of an hour. Religion most surely is not a thing, which comes upon us at once, like a storm, and then passes off, leaving the mind that had been subject to it, in a state of weakness or passion. It must be seen in the whole course and aspect of life; and in just the same degree as it prepares us for

heaven, it will make us better friends, better neighbours, and better members of society. That form of religion, which grows out of violent agitations, does but too often afford nutriment to the stern and unsparing passions; but 'the fruit of the spirit,' to use the beautiful language of Scripture, 'is love, joy, and peace.' It has been forcibly observed, that the pestilent heat of fanaticism raises an inflammation and a tumour in the mind, whose symptoms are an obdurate rigour and impatience under the probe. The heaven-struck heart is affected like the purer metals, which easily soften and run speedily at the touch of the ethereal ray, but the fanatick spirit, self-heated by its own fiery nature, retains the property of its congenial earth, which grows harder and more intractable, as it burns.'

ON THE BEST MEANS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF INTEMPERANCE.

THERE Seems to be an impression prevailing among many who have always manifested much zeal and interest in the promotion of the moral amendment and improvement of society, that the measures, which have been taken for lessening the vice of intemperance have proved abortive, that little or nothing has been effected by them, that habits of this kind, not only, have not been checked, but have even gone on increasing, and that the evil has proved itself to be one of those under which we are obliged to submit as inevitable, since we cannot find for it any sufficient remedy.

If things are so, the prospect is truly melancholy and discouraging. If indeed, all that the more intelligent and moral part of society can do, has proved entirely in vain, if the efforts which have been made, have failed even to check the onward progress of this vice, if nothing can be devised to reach the causes that have created, and still perpetuate this widely spreading malady; we may almost despair of any efforts to improve the moral condition of mankind. But we hope better things. Have the efforts which have been made, proved so entirely unavailing? Has all influence been exerted in vain? How is this known? How can it be known? The causes which induce to intemperance continue to operate, and therefore the vice should, from their natural operation, continue to increase, unless checked by some countervailing causes. Has it so gone on increasing? Has it continued to spread its infection more and more widely, with the rapidity it once did? If it has not; if, although not stayed, it has been retarded in its progress; if it shows even any tendency to become stationary, we are not wholly to despair. If the evil, though still progressing, has gone on in its progress more slowly than before our attempts to arrest it, we have a right to flatter ourselves that this is, in some measure, owing to our efforts, and even this is a success not to be despised for itself, and still more valuable as an earnest of future good.

Till we are certain that the prevalence of vice has reached its absolute minimum in the society to which we belong; till we are assured that there is in it the smallest quantity with which it is capable of existing; till every individual is as free from its contamination, as it is morally possible for him to make himself, or others to make him; we have no right to relax our efforts for its discouragement and abandonment. Well directed effort for the moral or religious improvement of our fellow beings is never entirely lost, little as we may ourselves be able to trace its direct operation. Like motion in the physical world, if it does not affect the object against which it is immediately directed, it expends itself somewhere else, and produces in some point or other, all the influence for which it is in its nature calculated.

It is not to be denied, that a survey of the present state of society, as it respects the prevalence of Intemperance, is calculated to give rise to the most gloomy and melancholy contemplations. It is a crime, low, base and debasing in itself, leading in its consequences to crimes of a still darker and more infamous character. Its first effect on the subject of it, is almost to cut him off from his claim to be considered as a rational and moral being; for it deprives him of the free use of his reason, and takes away his sense of responsibility for his actions, and almost of agency in them. Its remote consequences upon all who are connected with him by family, by affection, by friendship, are to bring shame, want, misery, and too often crime itself, to them also. The drunkard is a reproach and a dishonour to the human character. He resigns the chief attributes of his species. He gives himself up, a slave to a single appetite, and, devoured by an insane thirst, lives only for the gratification of one grovelling and brutish propensity.

It is not intended at present to make any new statements, or bring forward any new facts with relation to the extent and progress of the evil in question, as these are already sufficiently obvious and notorious. A more important subject is to inquire, whether every thing which can be done, has been done; whether

what has been done, has been done in the best possible manner; whether it has been sufficiently practical, whether it has been enough aimed at the root of the matter; and whether some new course, may not be pointed out, some new measures devised.

In attempting to find a remedy for an evil, the first step is to investigate the causes which have produced it, and which con. tinued it in existence. We conceive that there must be some peculiar causes among us, for the great and perhaps continued progress of intemperance, since it has increased more than in proportion to those other vices which attend the growing wealth and prosperity of a community, and forms a larger proportion of the whole quantity of the moral depravity of society in this country, than in any other. For whilst the general standard of virtue both public and private, the tone of moral and religious feeling are no where, perhaps, more elevated than in NewEngland, there is scarce any other country where the vice of Intemperance is more common among the lower classes of society.

The most important circumstance which has thus peculiarly disposed the people of this country to intemperance, is the remarkable facility with which spirituous liquors may be obtained by the labouring classes of society. This we conceive to be, the principal predisposing cause to the habit, and one which gives to the operation of other circumstances their force and effect.

Individuals engaged in active bodily exertions require drink of some sort, at shorter intervals than those engaged in more sedentary occupations; they will of course prefer that which unites the recommendations of cheapness, palatability, and power of giving a feeling of support and strength. On this account the American chooses spirit, for the same reason that the Frenchmen chooses his native wines-the Englishman hisale and beer-and not because he has any greater propensity to become intemperate. This, to be sure, is a very probable and almost necessary consequence to him who uses spirit, because the feeling of refreshment which it gives, is more powerful and decided at first, but far less permanent, and followed by a greater lassitude and debility, than that from wine or beer. There is therefore a greater temptation to repeat the draught. There is likewise a greater, indeed a very great temptation, to increase the quantity, since spirit, being merely a stimulus, follows the law of all stimuli of that class, and requires a constantly increasing dose to produce the same effect -whilst wine and beer, being in a very considerable degree nutritient, as well as stimulant, do not require to have their

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