PRESIDENT EDWARDS OF NEW JERSEY. THE number of those men who have produced great and permanent changes in the character and condition of society, and stamped their own image on the minds of succeeding generations is comparatively small; and even of this small number, the great body have been indebted for their superior efficiency, at least in part, to extraneous circumstances, while very few can ascribe it to the simple strength of their own intellect. Yet, here and there, an individual can be found, who, by his mere mental energy, has changed the course of human thought and feeling, and led mankind onward in that new and better path which he had opened to their view. Such an individual was Jonathan Edwards, the President of New Jersey College. Born in an obscure colony, in the midst of a wilderness, and educated at a seminary just commencing its existence; passing the better part of his life as the pastor of a frontier village, he discovered and unfolded a system of the divine moral government, so clear and so full, that while at its first disclosure it needed no aid from its friends, and feared no opposition from its enemies, it has at length constrained a reluctant world to bow before the great truths which it propounded and upheld. He was born on THE FIFTH DAY OF OCTOBER, 1703, and died in 1755. The doctrines of decrees, the responsibility of man, the extent of original sin, the nature of virtue, the properties of the human will, the minute modifications of religious affections, have all, by him, been pro

foundly investigated, nor has the origin of moral evil itself escaped the penetrating glance of his lofty and aspiring genius.

FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY AFTER THE REVOLUTION.

THE Convention of Estates, which met in April, 1689, found that James, being a professed Papist, had assumed the royal prerogative without taking the coronation oath required by law, and having exercised his absolute power to the subversion of the Protestant faith, and the liberties of the nation, he had forfaulted the crown, and that the throne was vacant. On the 11th April of that year, William and Mary were proclaimed, and a deputation sent to London to present to them the Scottish crown, and administer the coronation oath. The first Scottish Parliament after the Revolution met on the 5th June, 1689, and among their first acts, declared prelacy to "be a great and insupportable grievance to this nation, and contrary to the inclination of the generality of the people, ever since the Reformation," and they forthwith abolished the same. The Parliament lodged all the power of churchgovernment in the restored Presbyterian ministers, and ministers or elders admitted by them, and appointed them to meet at Edinburgh, in a General Assembly. The General Assembly of the Scottish Church, whose meetings had been suspended for more than thirty years, met, for the first time after the Revolution, at Edinburgh on THE SIXTEENTH DAY OF OCTOBER, 1690. At

the period of the Restoration of Charles II., nearly all the clergymen in the south of Scotland were Presbyterians. Those in the west were generally extreme remonstrants. An act had been passed to require every one of them to receive collation from the bishops and to form part of the new hierarchy. Nearly all of them disobeyed, and none conformed except those inclined to Episcopacy, and who had made up their minds to apostatise. The enforcement of this act led to 350 ministers abandoning their livings. Of this large body of devoted men, not more than sixty were alive at the period of the Revolution to constitute the General Assembly. The moderator of this assembly was the Rev. Hugh Kennedy. After spending the first day of their meeting in fasting and humiliation, and in returning an answer to the king for restoring their favourite form of church-government, they entered on their records, "That it is not the mind of the Assembly to depose any incumbent simply for his judgment anent the government of the church, or to urge re-ordination upon any incumbent whatsoever," and gave instructions to the Commission accordingly. There was great moderation in this judgment, and the consequence was, that in a few years, the Episcopal clergy, finding they could retain their livings on such easy terms, to the number of hundreds, gave in their adhesion to the General Assembly, very quietly. The description which Burnet in the History of his Own Times, gives of these curates is anything but flattering, either to their morals, or their doctrinal views, and their too easy admission into the church after the Revolution, inflicted upon her an injury at the very outset of her new course, from which she did not recover; and the measures adopted by church courts so composed, laid the groundwork of a system of maladministration, which ultimately drove from the communion of the Church of Scotland multitudes of her best members.

HENRY MARTYN.

IN the mines near Gwennap, on the Cornish coast, where cliffs striped and

mottled with metallic ore form the bold headland of St. Agnes, resisting the furious waves of the Atlantic Ocean, John Martyn, a common labourer, had his residence. John was a strong-minded as well as industrious man, and by self-education and careful habits raised himself out of obscurity and placed himself in circumstances of respectability and comfort. He removed to Truro, and on the 18th February, 1781, had a son born to him in this place, whom he named Henry. Little Henry partook of his father's cast of mind. He became a respectable scholar, and set his heart upon a scholarship at Oxford when he was fourteen years of age. In this he failed, but entered St. John's, Cambridge, where he pursued so successful a course of study, as to become senior wrangler in 1801. In 1802, he was ordained a minister of the Church of England; and, in 1805, sailed from England as a missionary to India. After having spent much time in Dinapore and Cawnpore, in the work of translating and preaching, he resolved to visit Arabia and Persia. It was with apostolic throbbing of heart that he turned to Persia, there hoping to throw the light of the gospel over the dark regions of Islamism. After labouring in Persia amid discouragements in translating the New Testament, and preaching the gospel, but not without success, he thought of returning to Europe. In carrying out his desire, he journeyed into Asia Minor, to visit the scenes of Paul's ministry. When at Ararat, he wrote in his journal-"Here the blessed saint landed in a new world. So may I, safe in Christ, outride the storms of life, and land at last on one of the everlasting hills." He was not then far from the desired haven. He entered Galatia. He reached Tocat or Comana, in Pontus, and on the 6th October, 1812, made his last record in his journal. He expired on THE SIXTEENTH DAY OF OCTOBER, 1812, at a place remarkable for having been the death-place of the illustrious Chry sostom, one of the best lights of Christian Greek Church. learning and eloquence in the primitive

THE PATIENCE AND RESIGNATION OF A SICK CHILD.

"THERE," said the minister, pointing to one of the cottages, "there the widow lives whose son, François, is so ill. Should we go and speak a few words of consolation to them?" What do you think?"

Mrs. d'Albans replied, by opening the door which introduced them into the kitchen of the little dwelling. It was dark and deserted, but through the half-open door of the other room they saw Adolphus, with his brothers, Paul and René, conversing with a sick child, who was stretched upon a little bed, the bedstead appearing quite new.

The child was smiling, and the whole expression of his face was that of gratitude to the youth who was speaking to him.

Mr. Ulrich gazed a few moments upon this interesting scene, and then, in a benignant and feeling tone, said, "Well done, my sons! May God ever lead and teach you thus!"

The children started, and Adolphus, in some confusion, exclaimed, "Mamma gave us leave, dear father; and we took the wood from the old espalier."

Mr. Ulrich.-"What, my child? What is it you are speaking of?”

François.—"Why, it's my bedstead, Sir! These gentlemen made it—and with their own hands, too. O, if you only knew what a difference it makes! How comfortable I am in it! God is very good to me!"

"Well done, my dear sons!" said the father, clapping Adolphus on the shoulder. "And when did you make it?"

"This morning," said Paul; "the moment you left, we set to work, and it was all finished, dear papa, before you came back. We hid it in the greenhouse.

Mr. Ulrich.-Well, God give his blessing with it! But, dear François, tell us how you are to-day? VOL. V.-No. 58, N.s.,

François.-Ah! I'm in great pain, and very weak; but, after all, never more so than the Lord sees good.

Mrs. a' Albans.-So then, dear child, you do not find this illness too long?

François.-No, ma'am, not now. Formerly, it was very different. But God has told me it is he that visits me, and he has also enabled me to believe that he does so as a father.

Mrs. d'Albans.-You are sure, then, that God knows you and loves you!

François.-O, ma'am, could he love us more than to give us his holy Son for a Saviour? And that Saviour, is he not the same to-day as when he died for us? I am quite at rest, therefore, as to his love for me. And, besides, is not this nice bed a proof of it?

Mr. Ulrich.-You had often wished for it, had you not?

François. Indeed, I had; and my kind mamma, too, had told me she would try to give me a better bed than the old basket I slept in; but dear mother couldn't afford it.

Mr. Ulrich.-But, François, where is your good mother?

François. She is gone to fetch my brother Julius from my aunt's. Ah! I think I hear them.

He was right. The widow entered with a child of six or seven, who, without noticing any one else, ran to his brother and embraced him tenderly, and then said, with a gesture of surprise, "I say, François, how nice! what a snug bed you've got now! I can tell you I have often been very sad, in my good bed at aunt's, thinking of your basket. But," he added, whispering in his ear, "I knew very well that God would hear us. Now, young fellow! the Mayor's children, in their fine house, are not better off than you!"

Mrs. d'Albans whispered to the pastor, "Ah! may they be as well off one day as François is!"

"All things are possible to him that believeth," replied Mr. Ulrich. Then, turning to the widow, he said affectionately, "This seems, good mother, like OCTOBER, 1854.

a smile of our heavenly Father upon you!"

The Widow, humbly.-Ah! if my heart could only understand it!

Mrs. d'Albans.-Dear friend, you see that He supports you, and even cheers you in your long trial.

The Widow.-I may not, in the hearing of all, bless the hand which relieves me; but our Father knows that we do so here every day.

Mrs. d'Albans blushed, and motioned to the widow to be silent; then, leaning towards François, she said, "Am I mistaken, dear child? Have you not been laid up now nearly two years?"

The Child.-Ah! madam, I assure you the Lord supports me every day, and often he makes me quite happy.

Mrs. d'Albans.-But at other times the days are very long, are they not?

François looked down, as if filled with a feeling to which he durst not give expression, and Mr. Ulrich, perceiving this, said, "Tell us all you feel, my dear child. Pour out your heart freely into ours.”

"I was thinking," said the child

softly, "that if God had given us all his love and wisdom, and had told us to choose, we should have desired just what he has sent us. So that he has only spared us the choice."

"What faith!" whispered Mrs. d'Albans to the pastor. "What trust!"

""Tis the faith of a child," replied Mr. Ulrich, and taking François's hand, he said, "It is a good place, my son, to be beneath the everlasting arms!"

At this moment René, after a look of assent from his father, stooped down to the sick boy and said, "That's enough for the present, dear friend. To-morrow evening, please God, we shall see you again."

"Yes, that is enough," repeated Mrs. d'Albans, and she drew Mr. Ulrich towards the door.

The pastor took leave of the widow and her children; sent his own boys home to their mother, and accompanied Mrs. d'Albans to her house. "No," said the lady, when they parted, "no, we are not left comfortless, for the Comforter manifests himself to us with power. Malan's Pictures from Switzerland.

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

WE received answers to the queries in the July number from David Ross, Alex. Cameron, and Jessie Cameron, Portree, island of Skye; J. M. T., Greenock; and H. H., Aberdeen; but not in sufficient time to notice them in last number. We advise our young friends, who take an interest in our queries, to favour us with their answers, if possible, by the 20th of the month.

We have received answers to the queries in the August number of the Journal from J. M'G., Glasgow; James Allan, Coatbridge; Wm. Eadie, Bellshill; J. H., Aberdeen; J. M. T., Greenock; Wm. Ramsay, James Inglis, Marion Small, Marion White, Jane M Math, and Cameron Whyte, Biggar; David Ross, Eliza Alexandrina, Margaret Ann, and Joanna M Lean, Portree.

ANSWERS TO QUERIES PROPOSED IN AUGUST.

I. The answer to this question by J. H., indicates that the narrative has been carefully read. Those by W. Eadie, James Allan, and J. M. T., are very good. Attention to domestic duties, unaffected simplicity, modesty, courtesy to strangers, and piety, were among the excellencies of Rebekah's character.

II. The answer to this question by J. M'G. is good, but the best is by J. M. T., J. H., Ŵm. Eadie, and James Allan. See Deut. xxxii. 11, 12; and Matt. xxiii. 37.

III. All the answers to this question are correct. See Gen. xxxv. 20. IV. All the answers to this question are correct. See Acts ix. 36, 39. answers to this question See Gen. xviii. 6-S.

V. All the are correct.

VI. To this question J. M. T. gives Martha as the answer; J. M'G. and J. H. the woman of Samaria. We are much pleased with the answer by James Allan, but prefer that given by Wm. Eadie. See Matt. xv. 22.

VII. The answers to this question by Wm. Eadie are the fullest we have received. All the others are very good. We are particularly satisfied with the answer by J. M'G.

VIII. All the answers are good. Those by J. H. and J. M'G. are the best. See Gen. xviii. 1-8.

QUERIES TO BE ANSWERED NEXT
MONTH.

I. Who is supposed to have founded the schools of the prophets?

ROUSSEAU AND MORAL EVIL.

ROUSSEAU may be regarded as having in effect abjured Christianity, and betaken himself to the enterprise of human izing the world on other principles; and from the bowers of romance and sensibility did he send forth the lessons which were to recall our wandering race to the primitive innocence from which art, and science, and society, had seduced them; and year after year did he ply Europe with the spells of a most magical and captivating eloquence. Nor were there wanting many admirers who worshipped him while he lived, and who, when he died, went, like devotees, on a pilgrimage to his tomb; and they, too, had the fondness to imagine, that the conceptions of his wondrous mind were the germs of a great moral revolution that was awaiting our species. But the ill-fated Rousseau lived long enough himself to mourn over the vanity of his own beauteous speculations, and was heard to curse the very nature he had so long idolized; and instead of humanity being capable of being raised to the elevation of a godlike virtue, he himself pronounced of humanity that it was