5. Another subject discussed is parties of pleasure. This is, summarily the general subject of several chapters in part II. of "Hints designed to regulate the intercourse of christians with the world." Before we proceed to specify the particular aspect of this subject we would express a hope, that we have not read this second part of the work without some degree of profit. If too, we may judge from what we have heard others say, we think that no sincere christian can peruse it without deriving from it much advantage. The hints here given are so important, and given in a manner so admirably adapted to promote practical godliness, as leads us to think, that this portion of the work may be often read to great advantage. Indeed, but for some tendency in it to make the danger of doing wrong seem so imminent as to induce a despair of doing right, we should mark the first chapter and many portions of the following chapters, as entirely suited to the purpose for which they were written, and unexceptionable.

In the introductory remarks to the subject of the "christian's intercourse with the world in the common concerns of life," we find the following beautiful passage; which we transfer to our pages both for the benefit of our readers, who have not the work itself, and for the illustration of our own views.

It is a mistake into which many professors of religion have fallen, that nearly all that is to be done for the spiritual benefit of unrenewed men, is to be effected by means of direct personal efforts; leaving little or nothing to the general influence of a pious example. That it is the duty of every christian to make direct efforts with reference to this end, and to make them frequently, and to persevere in making them, is surely a point too obvious to require proof; but it is equally certain that, in order to secure to them their legitimate influence, they must be accompanied by an exemplary daily deportment. I have known menand who has not known them?-who have done much less by direct efforts for the salvation of sinners than I could have wished, who were nevertheless so unexceptionable in the general tenor of their lives, so bumble and conscientious, so upright, and charitable, and forgiving, that though their influence was as noiseless as the dew, there was still an energy in it which made it deeply and extensively felt. They were an epistle known and read of all men; and even infidelity itself could not come within the atmosphere which surrounded them, without feeling itself impressively, though silently, rebuked.' pp. 166, 167.

For ourselves, we would not for the world, say or do any thing which should seem either to undervalue such examples, or to show an exclusive preference for them, when divorced froin all active and direct efforts for the salvation of the souls of the impenitent and unrenewed. If those who are the light of the world, shall ever be the blessed means of so illuminating this earth, that there shall be no darkness nor shadow of death in which the workers of iniquity VOL. VIII.

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can hide themselves; it will be when they are persuaded to add to an example, such as that described in the above extract, well-directed and unremitted efforts to deliver men, and keep them free from sin.

What the author regards as parties of pleasure may be learned from the following descriptions:

'I refer to those scenes which are designed merely as an exhibition of the pride of life; in which, though there may be nothing positively immoral, in the common acceptation of the word, yet there is nothing to benefit the understanding or the heart;-scenes of vapid conversation, and ostentatious parade, and thoughtless gaiety, and foolish amusement; in which those who are averse to all serious reflection, expect to find, and actually do find, all the means of killing time made ready at their hands. I do not mean that, in such a scene as that to which I now refer, every individual who is present is of course an equal sharer in the levity and folly by which it is marked: on the contrary, it is very supposable that there may be those who are not interested in it at all, and whose conduct is, in every respect, discreet and decorous; I only mean that the controlling influence is such as I have described.' p. 190.

And that I may be sure of being understood, I will say again, that I mean those "parties" which, however free they may be from the grossness of open vice, are yet designed chiefly to furnish an opportunity for a vain show, and an appropriate element for mirth and gaiety; scenes in which it is understood, that the spirit of worldly levity is to have the predominant influence, and in which a christian cannot mingle without laying aside his religious character on the one hand, or exhibiting a spirit which is felt to be most inappropriate to the occasion on the other.' p. 200.

For the author's views of this species of entertainments we must refer our readers to the book itself; and especially to "Considerations prohibiting the christian from the gayeties of the world," and to the remarks designed to neutralize the "Pleas of the proprofessed christian for mingling in the gayeties of the world." Part II. Chap. 3 and 4.

We take our first extract from that part of the third chapter in which the author attempts to show, and, in our estimation successfully, that the christian who adopts the course of attending parties of pleasure, is himself injured there. Admitting that he is a true christian, it obscures his evidences." "It diminishes his comfort." "It inflicts a wound upon his character." It is a part of this third particular which we have in our eye, although, "It impairs his usefulness," is another, which is no less worthy of the christian's consideration. After stating it as an undoubted and indubitable fact, that the pleasure-seeking professor "inflicts a wound upon his own character in the view of his fellow christians who keep themselves in a good degree unspotted from the world," he proceeds:

But this remark holds true of the world as well as the church. I acknowledge indeed that the votaries of fashionable folly are always glad to see the professed christian coming to mingle with them; and they will sometimes take pains to show him how much they honor his independence and freedom from vulgar prejudices; but I know that these same persons, when his back is turned, will not unfrequently triumph in his inconsistency; and when their consciences are pressed with the obligations of religion, they will even appeal to his conduct as proof that religion does not make men better. The truth is, that worldly men have an understanding and a conscience, and they know the right and the wrong of this matter; and that professor who thinks to mingle freely in the world's gayeties, and have it unobserved, cheats no one but himself. Were I at liberty, I could write a chapter of facts in illustration of this point, which would show most conclusively, that every member of the church who places himself in such circumstances is marked; and though no murmur of disapprobation may ever reach his ear, yet the secret feeling of all around him is, that he is out of his proper place, and is forfeiting his consistency as a christian.' pp. 204, 205.

The next division of the third chapter treats of the injury which is done by the party-giving and party-going christian to his fellow christians. Then comes the injury done to "the vain and irreligious with whom he associates." Here it is abundantly shown, that the abettors of such amusements and pleasures cannot properly avail themselves of the plea, that they injure no one but themselves, and that therefore it is no one's business but their own. The extract which we make, follows some remarks showing the tendency of the lax lives of christians to strengthen in the irreligious a disposition to scepticism, and thus prevent their ever embracing in sincerity the religion of the gospel.

But this conduct tends to the same result still farther, inasmuch as it arms the careless world with a weapon by which to ward off the blows which are aimed at their consciences. The result of any appeal that is made to the conscience of a sinner, depends, under God, upon the state of mind in which it happens to find him; for if his understanding be stored with truth, and his conscience be sensitive and wakeful, there is good reason to hope that his duty may not be urged upon him in vain ; but if his mind be blinded, and his moral sensibility impaired, by prejudice and error, and especially if he have fortified himself against every effort to arouse and convince him, by objections which he has taken up against religion, (no matter how he may have come by them) there is little reason to expect any good effect even from the most faithful and honest dealing.' '****Say you, that there is no harm in what are doing, when you go to mingle with the vain and the gay in their appropriate pleasures? But is there no harm in supplying them with weapons by which to oppose the spirit of God? Is there no harm in furnishing them with an apology for putting off the claims of religion? Is there no harm in increasing their facilities for self-destruction?' pp. 213, 214. As a specimen of the author's happy and effective manner of rea

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soning with the consciences of his readers, we give a small part of his reply to the plea that "Other professors of religion mingle in such scenes, and it is no worse for me than for them." Passing by what would have been conclusive without the following, to wit, that this plea is an admission of the wrong; and that the example of professed christians are not the divinely constituted rule of life, our author thus expostulates with such transgressors:

Have you reflected where this principle, if carried to its legitimate. results, will land you? If you are justified in pleading the example of professed christians as your warrant for mingling in the gayeties of the world, why may you not with equal reason plead it in justification of participating in the views of the world? If there are professors who enter fully into the amusements of fashionable life, so also there are those who are unjust and oppressive in their dealings, and who are found in the haunts of dissipation and excess; indeed there is hardly a vice, but if you should look through the annals of christianity, or even consult the record of your own observation, you would find that it had been acted out in the life of some one or more who have had a place in the visible church. You may not perhaps have occasion to place the example of professors for any thing beyond a participation in worldly gayeties; but suppose your neighbor should be inclined to extend the principle a little farther, and urge it in defence of open and flagrant vice, what have you to object to such an application? If the apology is good in your case, it is good in his; and when he points to the dishonest professor in justification of his own dishonesty, to the intemperate professor in justification of his own intemperance, whatever others may say in the way of condemning him, you can say nothing but at the expense of condemning yourself. pp. 229, 230.

The author of the "Hints" has taken a pretty full and fair view of these clustering places of gayety and fashion. To those who have indulged in occasional sallies among the worldly and gay, and who still have some doubts as to the propriety of their course; these chapters will furnish valuable hints, and as far as they have confidence in the judgment and wisdom of the writer, they will tend to settle their minds. Indeed we have heard several individuals express their satisfaction in this portion of the work, and their belief in its utility as a directory on this subject. But the practical improvement has been, at least in some cases, to attend all parties to which they have been invited; and then if religion has been entirely excluded, the ready apology was, that "they hoped or expected, that it would have been otherwise." For our own part we care not how soon the whole christian community comes to regard this fashionable spicing of worldliness and vanity with religion, or that nice admixture of the two, which is sedulously countenanced by many and which is fast tending to excess, as the enchanted ground of Bunyan's Pilgrim. The whole system proceeds upon the presumption, that if we are to have religion in the best state to cultivate

the social powers and affections of the soul, it must undergo a reduction by being duly attempered with worldliness and vanity. But there is no certain rule given for making the most wholesome and happy mixture.

In the conclusion then, to glance at the whole work, we cannot do better than to use the author's own language, in the commenceinent of the last chapter.

Hitherto I have considered the christian in some of the more general attitudes in which he is placed by the relations which he sustains to the world. I have exhibited him as the man of business, as mingling with his fellow men from day to day in the common concerns of life; and have endeavored to sketch an outline of the course which becomes him in that relation. And I have contemplated him in the social circle, associating for purposes of enjoyment or amusement with those who have not the like precious faith with himself; and I have attempted to discriminate between those social meetings which he may, and those which he may not, encourage by his presence. It only remains to contemplate him in the more particular attitude of communing with men of the world in respect to their immortal interests; a duty which most professors are equally ready to admit in theory, and to neglect in practice.' p. 254.

In contemplating the execution of the whole work according to this outline, it is painful to have a fear remain, lest the final impression upon the minds of the readers may not be exactly what the writer desires. But if it was his design to throw a strong light upon the feelings of christians, and thus in the conclusion to recommend in a most powerful manner the holy standard of the gospel, we fear that he will not entirely gain his object. While this grand design of the work does not become perfectly and impressively apparent to the minds of the readers, the conviction of guilt and duty will be vague and transient. Those hints which make an indistinct impression upon the minds of the sincere and upright, are almost sure to make a wrong impression upon the minds of such as are not fully established in their principles and habits. Here is the ground of our fears. There are those who never need any thing more to justify them in any course, than indefinite instructions, a want of perspicuous solemn directions.

Few christians, there are, who do not often need to deny themselves; and all circumstances calling for self-denial are temptations to unfaithfulness. To maintain a single eye in respect to the salvation of sinners and to perform the duties which their situation demands from us, is often exceedingly trying. In such cases it is natural to look about for something to satisfy us, that duty does not require us to take up the cross. Now it is to a mind thus situated, that we fear the announcement and treatment of the subject of the last chapter in connection with the preceding book, will suggest