infidel say what he please to the contrary, HE, too, HAS HIS RELIGION, and his God; and that God he worships with a heart as sincere, and with a devotion as deep, as that with which the Christian worships the God of revelation.

It will readily be granted, that the God, or CHIEF GOOD, supremely venerated, differs widely with different characters. The idol of some is a golden calf. Others worship the bubble reputation. Of others, still, their god is their belly"-(perhaps the intoxicating cup)— "whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things."

The results, too, upon the character and prospects of the worshipper, are as diversified as the objects of worship. In all ages, the character of men has been mainly conformable to the character of their gods. If mammon be the god, or chief good, supremely venerated, the character will be progressively covetous. If LUST be the object of adoration, the worshipper becomes supremely lustful. If RUM and ROWDYISM be selected as the idol, who can fail to recognise the disgusting likeness in the fetid breath, the bloated face, the nose of almost crimson hue, the besotted intellect, and the swinish conduct of the imbruted worshipper?

This influence of a man's religion upon his character, is by no means accidental. It is the natural and necessary consequence of principles, well established in the philosophy of mind, but on which it would now be unseasonable to expatiate. It is sufficient for our present purpose to know, that the character of every individual will of necessity harmonise with the character of his god, or CHIEF GOOD. If that be noble, his character will be noble likewise. And if that be earthly, sensual, or devilish, such will his own character inevitably be.

This singular view of the subject demonstrates the pre-eminent value of the Christian religion, and its immense superiority over all other religious systems. Besides addressing the most powerful motives that can be conceived of, to hope, fear, gratitude, and to all the strongest and highest principles of our nature, Christianity presents for our ADMIRATION, IMITATION, and WORSHIP, a BEING of spotless purity and unbounded excellence. No marvel, then, that he who is baptised into Christ is a NEW CReature. If he were not, it would

be as strange as if fire should cease to burn, and water to drown.

This tendency of Christianity, and its adaptation to the fundamental principles of our nature, I consider Paul as recognising in the following passage" But we all, with open face beholding, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed in the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

How sublime the prospect, how glorious the destiny, by which we

are thus allured to the consummation of our being! In comparison with this, how poor, how contemptible, the highest object of earthly ambition!

Young gentlemen, from the foregoing reflections, it is apparent that man is, by the necessity of his organisation, a RELIGIOUS BEING; that his religious faculties are the highest and most authoritative with which he is endowed; that these faculties will act either to his perfection and felicity, if properly directed, or to his degradation and misery, if misapplied; and that, in order to raise him to the highest. possible elevation of dignity and enjoyment, their activity must be guided by intellect, enlightened by the Christian Scriptures.

Your choice, then, is not, cannot be, between religion and NO RELIGION. If your religious faculties are not employed in rendering supreme homage to the living God, they are supremely devoted to some other object, selected as your idol; regarded and worshipped as your CHIEF good.

The only alternative, therefore, that is left you is, whether you will have a true or a false religion-one that will accomplish the sublime purposes of the Divine Architect, in elevating and beautifying our whole nature; or one that will defeat those purposes, sensualise and brutify your highest aspirations, and involve you in the deepest degradation and wretchedness, both at present, and throughout the whole duration of your future existence.

In such circumstances, can any thing short of idiocy or madness hesitate what choice to make? On one hand, the path of duty, dignity, and enjoyment, endlessly progressive, opens wide before you, inviting you to enter, and be for ever and inconceivably happy. On the other, folly's gates expanded wide invite you to wallow in the mire of sensuality, be transformed into brutes, and sink deep, and still deeper, in brutality and wretchedness for ever.

Make, then, your election; and be it such as you shall never regret; such as will send a thrill of joy through all the myriads of holy beings that adore and worship around the throne of God.

ARTICLE V.

ON MENTAL EXERCISE AS A MEANS OF HEALTH.

That there is an intimate connection between the mind and the body, and that each exerts a powerful influence over the state of the other, all readily admit. The experience and observation of every

one, will afford abundant evidence of this fact, as well as ample testimony of the importance of being acquainted, as far as possible, with a subject which so vitally affects human happiness. Many facts have been observed on this point for centuries, but, till lately, very little definite or tangible knowledge has been possessed which could be rendered available to any practical purposes. The researches of modern science, particularly the discoveries of phrenology, have thrown a vast amount of light on the mutual relations which exist between the mind and the body. And though we may not be able to comprehend the precise nature of this relationship, yet we can understand, to a considerable extent, the conditions or laws by means of which each, reciprocally, affects the other. If we would, therefore, secure the great object of our existence, as well as promote the happiness of our species, the dictates of duty, no less than of wisdom, should incite us to study those laws, and to avail ourselves of all the helps which either science or experience can throw in our way.

A distinguished physician of Edinburgh communicated, some years since, to the "Phrenological Journal," several interesting articles "On Mental Exercise as a means of Health." We propose to present our readers with the substance of these articles, either in a condensed form or by means of extracts. With this acknowledgment, we proceed to the subject, without making any farther reference or giving quotation marks.

No principle in physiology is better established than that the proper exercise of every organ promotes, not only the vigour and health of that organ, but also of the entire system. And according to the importance of its functions, as well as the nature of its relations to other organs, will be the effects of its proper, excessive or deficient exercise on the whole body. This remark applies with peculiar force to the brain, as the organ of the mind.

In the first place, we shall find that a disuse of its functions, or, in other words, inactivity of intellect and feeling, impairs its structure, and weakens the mental powers which it serves to manifest.

It is by the deliberate employment of this principle that the law, without knowing it, subdues even the most violent and obdurate criminals. Placing a man in solitary confinement, without books, without occupation, and without light enough to see distinctly around him, is neither more nor less than withdrawing all means of activity from his cerebral organs. Its influence in diminishing their activity and power is so speedy and so terrible, that few natures, however rough, fearless, or brutal, are able to withstand it for many days, and few criminals who have undergone it once, will ever rashly expose themselves to it a second time. So much does this discipline weaken

the mind, that the most unruly and ferocious ruffians, upon whom severity and blows had been expended without effect, have come forth subdued and tractable. The inference obviously follows, that to strengthen the brain and nervous system, we must exercise them regularly and judiciously, just as we would do the muscular system, to give it tone and vigour. If we neglect to do so, we may use any other means we like, but our efforts will be fruitless, and debility of body and weakness of mind will continue to increase, and to aggravate each other.

If we look abroad upon society, we shall see innumerable proofs of what is here advanced. When a person is confined to an unvarying round of employment, which affords neither scope nor stimulus to one half of his faculties, his mental powers, for want of exercise to keep up due vitality in their cerebral organs, become blunted, his intellect becomes slow and dull, and he feels any unusual subjects of thought as disagreeable and painful intrusions. But let the situation of such a person be changed; bring him, for instance, from the solitude of the country to the bustle of the town, give him a variety of imperative employments, and place hím in society so as to supply to his cerebral organs that extent of exercise which gives them health and vivacity of action, and in a few months the change produced will be surprising. Animation and acuteness will take the place of former insipidity and dulness. We ought not to suppose that it is the mind itself which becomes heavy and feeble, and again revives into energy by these changes in external circumstances; the effects arise from changes in the state of the brain. Regular exercise conduces to its greater health and activity, and the mental manifestations are influenced by its condition. The following examples place the effects of exercise in a striking point of view:-A young military officer, who lately commanded a small detachment, spent three years in Canada in a remote station, where he was completely detached from all society of his own rank. During all that period, he was obliged to pass his time in listless sauntering, shooting, or fishing, without the excitement to his various faculties which is afforded by the society of equals. The consequence of this compulsory mental apathy, and the corresponding inactivity of brain, was, that, on being relieved at the end of that time, his nervous system had become so weak and irritable, that he feared to meet even with the members of his own family, and for months would never venture to walk out to take necessary exercise, except in the dark. And it wag only at the end of several months that the renewed stimulus of society and employment restored the tone of his nervous system so far as to allow him to regain his natural character of mind, and to return to his usual habits of life. A gentle

man, with whom I have the pleasure of being personally acquainted, was stationed for some years up the country in India, completely secluded from the society of ladies. The party being pretty numerous, the officers contrived to pass their time agreeably enough; but this gentleman said, that on his return to Calcutta he felt so great an aversion to female society, that he would rather have faced a tiger than gone into a drawing-room resplendent with youth and beauty. After becoming familiar, however, with this situation, his faculties recovered their tone, and the fair sex exhibited to his mind all their wonted graces and attractions.

Another very appropriate example may be found in the case of a nervous young lady, whose education has communicated nothing but accomplishments-who has no materials of thought, and no regular and imperative occupations to interest her and demand attention-who takes no active part in promoting the welfare or comfort of those about her-who looks to others for support and sustenance-and whose brain, in short, is half asleep. Such a person has literally nothing on which to expend half the nervous energy which nature has bestowed on her for better purposes. She has nothing to excite and exercise the brain, nothing to elicit activity; her own feelings and personal relations necessarily constitute the grand objects of her contemplations; these are brooded over till the mental energies become impaired, false ideas of existence and of Providence spring up in the mind, the fancy is haunted by strange impressions, and every trifle which relates to self is exaggerated into an object of immense importance. The brain, having literally nothing on which to exercise itself, becomes weak, and the mental manifestations are enfeebled in proportion, so that a person of good endowments thus treated will often exhibit something of the imbecility of a fool. But suddenly change. the circumstances in which such a person is placed. Suppose, for example, that her parents lose their health or fortune, and that she is called upon to exert her utmost energies in their and in her own behalf-that, in short, her mental faculties and brain, her intellect and her moral and social feelings, are blessed with a stimulus to act; the weakness, the tremors, and the apprehensions, which formerly seemed an inborn part of herself, disappear as if by enchantment, and strength, vigour, and happiness, take their place, solely because now God's law is fulfilled, and the brain with which he has connected the mind, is supplied with that healthful stimulus and exercise which he ordained to be indispensable to our comfort and welfare.

An additional illustration will be found in the case of a man of mature age and of active habits, who has devoted his life to the toils of business, and whose hours of enjoyment have been but few and