From this obscure station, he is suddenly raised to be the favourite musician in the court of Saul. To that monarch's heart, agitated by remorse and fear, the music of David's harp is more medicinal than all the prescriptions of the physician. "For it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp and played with his hand, so Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him." The heaven-taught shepherd boy, accompanying the music of his harp with some of his own inspired poetry, descriptive perhaps of the calm and innocent pleasures of rural life, may have recalled to the memory of the unhappy king, the scenes and days of his early youth, when his heart was innocent and his mind cheerful, and neither care, remorse, nor jealousy, had invaded his repose. To a soul satiated with luxury, and tormented with the memory of crimes, how peculiarly refreshing would such recollections be! "Tis not wonderful, therefore, that "Saul loved David, and made him his armour-bearer." From some cause not mentioned by the sacred historian, David seems to have soon left the court, and returned to his humble occupation of herding his father's flocks. At the next time we meet with him, he is sent to the army of Saul with some provisions for the use of the camp. Here his devoted patriotism in encountering, and his success in overthrowing the gigantic champion of his country's enemies, raise him at once to the pinnacle of fame. But new misfortunes await him; the jealousy of Saul is awakened, and the only reward which he receives for his patriotic bravery, is cruel and relentless persecution. To preserve his life, which the ungrateful tyrant had often attempted, David is obliged to fly from his country, and take refuge among the barren and rocky mountain range of Lebanon. Here, remote from the dwellings of men, amidst scenes of grand and stern sublimity, he pours forth the feelings of his soul in poetic strains, whose thrilling eloquence and deep pathos have never been equalled. He draws images to adorn his verse from the magnificent scenery of those mountains by which he is surrounded. The lofty snow-clad summits of Lebanon, visited so frequently by the most terrific storms and tempests; the mighty forests of cedar that clothed its sides; the rocks, and caves, and glens, among which he sought a

refuge from his enemies; and the wild animals that range those mountain solitudes, are all employed by him to adorn and beautify his inspired psalms.

In the verses which we have placed at the head of this article, the image is one of surpassing beauty. Driven away from his country and his kindred, a wandering and persecuted exile, David stands upon the lofty summit of Lebanon, and beholds the hills and the valleys, the rivers, groves, villages, cities and vineyards of his native land, spread far beneath him. Then a full sense of his miserable and destitute condition rushes upon his heart, and with a deep and passionate longing, he desires to return to his country, and rest from all his wanderings in the quiet scenes of peaceful obscurity, where he had passed his youth. And this homesickness becomes only the more vehement, when fancy brings before him the deep calm of the Sabbath-day, and the happy company of worshippers who throng around the tabernacle of the Lord. The meanest and the humblest of his countrymen may worship there, may join in the congregation of the people, and have their souls refreshed by the words of inspired wisdom, whilst he whose valour had delivered his country from a foreign yoke, is forced to fly from a cruel and jealous king's ingratitude, and take up his abode with the beasts of the desert. What image of deep, anxious, and passionate longing shall he make use of to figure forth the vehement desire which his soul feels to return in peace to the bosom of his country, to enjoy again the society of his friends, and to worship again in the courts of God? He selects for comparison the state of the hunted hart, panting for the water-brooks; and we deem that there is not within the whole range of poetic imagery, a figure more beautiful or more appropriate. For as this beast of chase, after having by its rapid and distant flight baffled its pursuers, and found a refuge in the arid and burning deserts of Syria, where no water could be found to cool its feverish thirst; and as it longs vehemently for the distant streams and rivers, but does not dare to venture near them, because there the hunter is to be found, and the wild beast of the desert lurks in ambush; so David, the poet and the hero, the deliverer of his country, hunted by the cruel jealousy of Saul from the home of his youth, the society of his friends, and the sanctuary of his God, and

forced to take refuge with a few needy and destitute followers in the barren mountains of Lebanon, desires with a like earnestness that he might return to his country, and mingle again in his country's worship. Hence he exclaims, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O Lord. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God. When shall I appear before God?"

In one respect indeed, the situation of David was even worse than that of the hunted and thirsty hart, because his relief was more remote and improbable. The parched and weary denizen of the forest might hope to lave itself in the cooling stream, when the hunter had retired to his dwelling, and the beast of prey to its den; but the enemies of David, more persevering than the hunter, more watchful and cruel than the wild beast of the forest, neither permitted him to rest in exile nor to hope for a return. 'Tis no wonder, therefore, that the bitter anguish of his soul, should be depicted by him with that deep and thrilling pathos which pervades this psalm, to the power, the depth, and the grandeur of which no uninspired poetry has ever attained.

(To be continued.)

THE REMONSTRANTS OF CARRICKFERGUS.
UNWARRANTABLE RELIGIOUS INTERFERENCE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE BIBLE CHRISTIAN.

SIR, It is but seldom, I believe, that you have been obliged to notice in terms of reprobation, the conduct of any of the ministers of the Established Church towards the members of the Remonstrant congregations in their neighbourhood. In general, their conduct has been marked with Christian forbearance, and while they have zealously advocated their own principles, for which they should receive the praise of all good men and pious Christians; they have generally acted towards their dissenting brethren with moderation, and just respect for conscientious difference of opinion. It is with extreme pain, therefore, that I am now obliged to lay before your readers the outlines of a transaction that marks a very different spirit, and which, if not thus publicly noticed-since it is here so much talked

about-might seriously injure our religious character among those who have not heard the entire statement, and still further malign a sect too generally "spoken against," among the ignorant, the prejudiced, and the uninquiring. I have been compelled also, to appeal to your periodical in my defence, as my application for redress and explanation to the party calumniating, has failed of producing any effect. The matter to which I refer, is contained in the following substance of a conversation which took place on Saturday, the 17th Dec. in the parish church of Carrickfergus, as related to me immediately after, by one of the parties.

When about retiring from the church, where he had been standing sponsor for the child of a friend, before many who were present, had retired, and while others were coming in for the same purpose, a young man, a member of my congregation, was stopped by the Rev. H. Carter, the curate, who inquired to what place of worship he went on Sunday? Upon the young man replying, that he went to hear Mr. Malcom, the curate demanded with great earnestness,-what takes you to hear a man that denies the Lord that bought us? I have heard, added he, and known that there are many other young people among whom he has also sown the seeds of corruption. What ails you at the Established Church, or the Church of Scotland? The young man stated, that his objections arose from the doctrines he found laid down in the Westminster Confession of Faith, which is considered to be the standard of the latter church. And is it not founded on scripture? I think not, was the reply; and I consider the articles of your own church in the same light. I do not think that the Athanasian creed, and the prayers in the book of common prayer, are scripture. I would prove to you, said Mr. C. if you will come down to me, from John's gospel, that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, are called God. Do you not believe in this? No, I do not believe that there are three Gods. In what do you believe then? I believe that there is one God the Father," and that "Jesus Christ is the Son of God." What! do you believe that God ever had a Son? I am not capable, said the young man, of arguing these things with you, but I will tell Mr. Malcom about it. Ay! said the other, that is your minister, but would you believe what he would tell

you? Yes, I would put great trust in what any minister of the gospel would say. Minister of the gospel! he is no such thing. While you follow the doctrine of Malcom and Glendy, you will never go to heaven, you must go to hell, for in every way they deny the Lord that bought us. But they will not long succeed in weakening our congregations, they must soon sink. It does not look much like that, said the young man, when they are building such a comfortable new Meeting-house. Do you not know, rejoined the curate, that new brooms sweep clean? In a short time you will hear nothing about them. Look at Glendy's place; his pews on Sunday are empty, and I am credibly informed, that he has no hearers of any consequence, but that they have all gone off to the other house. Oh ! can you not be a sincere believer; come now, only confess that Christ is God. Come down to my house some times, and I will fully prove to you your errors.

After a long conversation of this kind, containing great abuse and misrepresentation, the young man went away, reminding the curate that he would relate every word of it to me.

Being aware how many unfounded prejudices are abroad regarding our religious sentiments, I was unwilling to decide too hastily or harshly on the present occasion. Accordingly, on the Monday morning following, I sent to Mr. Carter the following letter, in hopes that he might be able to give satisfactory reasons for the transaction, explain his motives, and, if his statements had been misrepresented or misunderstood, thus allow him an opportunity to affirm or deny accordingly. This I conceived to be the course that common courtesy, as well as my religion, pointed out to be the line of duty. In taking this step, I endeavoured to act upon the instruction of our blessed Saviour, who has commanded us "if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone, and if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother." How these advances have been received, your readers will judge.

Carrickfergus, December 19th, 1836.

TO THE REV. HENRY CARTER.

Sir, I have been credibly informed, that not only upon a late occasion, but at various times since I have been resident in Carrickfergus, you have made gross and unwarrantable assertions regarding