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W. PENN'S MAXIMS.

We are apt to call things by wrong names. We will have prosperity to be happiness, and adversity to be misery; though adversity is the school of wisdom, and oftentimes the way to Eternal Happiness.

If thou wouldst be happy, bring thy mind to thy condi tion, and have an indifferency for more than what is suffi cient. Have but little to do, and do it thyself: and do to others as thou wouldst have them do to thee.

The generality are the worse for their plenty. The volup tuous man consumes it, the miser hides it: "Tis the good man that uses it, and to good purposes. But such are hardly to be found among the prosperous.

Be bountiful rather than expensive.

Neither make nor go to feasts, but let the laborious poor bless thee at home in their solitary cottages.

Have thy possessions at thy own command when thou canst, and spend not so as to involve thyself in want una voidable.

Be not tempted by success to presumptuous speculations; for many that have got largely, have lost all, by coveting to get more.

To hazard much to get much, has more of avarice than wisdom.

It is great prudence both to set right limits to prosperity and to use it rightly.

Too few know when they have enough, and fewer know how to employ it.

It is equally advisable not to part carelessly with what is hardly gotten, and not to shut up closely what flows in so freely.

After the fifth number the leading articles of this work will be considerably shorter, and both a greater quantity and a greater variety, of matter will be weekly furnished to our readers.-J. BARKER.

Mercy Triumphant: or teaching the children of the poor to write on the Sabbath-day proved to be in perfect agreement with the word of God with plain and full answers to all objections urged against the practice by W. Nunn of Manchester, J. A. James of Birmingham, and the Wesleyan Methodist Conference. Published by R. Groombridge, 6, Panyer Alley, Paternoster-Row, London; and may be had from him by all Booksellers.

Published by I. Davis, 22, Grosvenor-street, Stalybridge; Banks and Co., Exchange-street; Heywood, Oldham-street, Manchester; R. Groombridge, 6, Panyer Alley, Paternoster. Row, London; and may be had of all Booksellers.

1. DAVIS, PRINTER, STALYBRIDGE.

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FAITH AND CHARITY.

I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; it is my Glory and my Boast. A system more pure and more lovely, more worthy of God, or more friendly to man could never enter into the mind of any Being. The world has nothing like it.

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One way in which infidels have endeavoured to mislead the minds of men has been by representing religion as opposed to charity, and a sect of infidels have sprung up, who publish to the world that their object is to supplant faith by charity." There is not a soul in the world that does not think well of charity, and if infidels can succeed in persuading men that the Faith of Christ and the exercise of Charity are so opposite one to the other, that charity cannot be established among men without first overturning the belief of the Gospel, they will soon bring mankind to their way of thinking, and infidelity will fill the earth. If the Christian faith were opposed to charity, I should cease to be a believer myself. I love charity above every good affection; it is to me the fairest and loveliest thing on earth, and I regard it, in the universe of things, as

next to God himself. Charity is the sweetest feeling of the human heart; it is the richest ornament of human life. Men would be worse than savage beasts without charity, and earth would be a hell if it should leave the world. The heart where charity dwells not is dark and miserable, the man that does not exercise it is a blank or curse in the creation, and the whole creation itself, without charity, would be a black and horrible assemblage of incurable disorders and calamities. I would take no side that was opposed to charity. I would not be a philosopher, if philosophy were unfriendly to charity; I would be of no party in politics, that was at variance with charity; I would renounce divinity itself, if divinity and charity were disunited. But are the representations of infidels on this subject fair? Is it true that christianity is opposed to charity, and that in order to make men charitable it is necessary to make them infidels? Let us look into the Gospel of Christ, and see what its precepts and doctrines are. Let us look for ourselves, and see whether our infidel sects speak truly of the Gospel, or whether they are going about to deceive unwary souls.

That some professors of Christianity have been wanting in charity is true enough, and that some systems of divinity do not give charity due honour is also true; but it is neither with men nor with men's systems, that we have to do, but with religion itself as taught in the Gospel of Christ. If the unbelievers had charged men only and men's systems with opposition to charity, we could have made no complaint against them; but we are constrained to say, that in making this charge against the religion of Christ, they have uttered a foul and grievous calumny. If they spoke of the Gospel before they had looked into it, it was a guilty rashness; if they were acquainted with the Gospel when they spoke, they uttered an awful untruth. Behold a sample of what the Gospel teaches in reference to charity.

It commands charity, and that of the most sincere and ardent character. "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." "Follow after charity, and things

wherewith one may edify another." "Let us love, not in word and in tongue; but in deed and in truth." It illustrates and enforces the duty in the most affecting manner; witness the parables of the good Samaritan and of the two debtors.*

It commands the exercise of charity unto all men, whatever be their country. Jesus Christ teaches us that every man is our neighbour, and that we must help the afflicted and distressed of every tribe as far as we are able, if we would fulfil the law of Love: and the Apostle exhorts to the exercise of a charity equally extensive; "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men."

The religion of Christ enjoins the exercise of charity even to enemies. "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." (1.) "Recompense to no man evil for evil. If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head:" not to consume but to melt him. "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." (2.)

While the religion of Christ enjoins good-will to all, it urges the exercise of charity to the poor and miserable with peculiar frequency. "Sell that ye have, and give to the poor." "When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; and thou shalt be blessed, for they cannot recompense thee; but thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." (3.) Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." (4.) "Be not forgetful to entertain

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* Luke 10th, and Matthew 18th.

(1.) Matthew 5. (2.) Romans 12, (3.) Luke 14. (4.) Rom. 12.

strangers. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body." Heb. 13. "Whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him; how dwelleth the love of God in him?" 1. John, 3.

The religion of Christ requires men to do good to the extent of their ability; the rich it requires to be rich in good works, and it calls upon all to make it the end of their whole life to promote the good of their fellow men. "Give alms of such things as ye have." "Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life." "Look not every one after his own interests only, but every man also after the welfare of others." "Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification."

The religion of Christ enjoins special attention to the wants of the good. "Whose receiveth a prophet, in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward; and whoso receiveth a righteous man, in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward." When we are commanded to do good to all men, it is added " especially to the household of faith." "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one; distributing to the necessity of saints, given to hospitality." "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you.' "Bear ye one anothers burdens, and so fulfil the Law of Christ." This is the commandment that we have received from the beginning, that we love one another."

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The Gospel requires us to mix charity with all we say and do. "Let all our things be done in charity." Speaking the truth in love." "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us." Charity suffereth long, and

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