blessing & is I trust since his Removal been much moulded into the true Gospel humbling & reviving Spirit, as humbly dependant on the Lord only, as Mr Jones wished for some Book on Satan's temptations I have sent the best I know of, which I would not recommend to the perusal of weak Christians, as you'l find it will raise the Devil instead of laying him wth many, & it is best not to fight the Enemy till he comes of himself, & yourself & any sagacious established Disciples can study what is needful & use it as you find occasion, my chief view in desiring Mr Edwards to visit you is to help you in any of these matters by informing you of his repeated long experience in whatever may be embarrassing. I have seen Capt. Scott but once since he came to Town & he was well when he called of me, I ramble very little from home as I find Closet devotion reading & praying over the Word & close self examination with watchfulness, much more profitable than much hearing. I have a Church at Camberwell near me where I put in the Revd Mr Bentley as Vicar who I hear twice on Sunday & twice in the week beside & I rarely hear any other from Week end to Year end & when I do it is seldom indeed that I don't lose thereby, except about once a Year that I Visit Yilling & Helmsley, the account you gave me of the work with you, I was refreshed With, as soon as you see any wildnesses check them sharply and firmly in the first few instances & you will save yourself much trouble & vexation grace if genuine is ever humbling & the counterfeit puffeth up, if Men are full of themselves of the peculiar favor shewn them & are talking of the Minister or means only they are seldom if ever in the right way & there is as much pride oft in the pronouncing oneself vile as in self Commendation, such are wilful & not meek as a little Child, may the Lord keep us & all that are dear to us from Every Snare & enable us to watch, that to avoid one rock we run not on another. We cannot be too watchful over our own Spirits & mind that we are actuated by a Spirit of love for God is love. It is a great blessing to be kept by Almighty power in a loving Spirit, to be interested in the prayers of all God's Saints, the invaluable efficacy of whose intercession for us, separating Mountains; & vast distance of space is no hindrance or impediment; by such intercessions we are no doubt often refreshed from the living Fountain, this is to sit in heavenly places in Xt Jesus-to enjoy the Communion of Saints & truly partake of the fellowship of the blessed. Herein we mutually bear each others burdens, rejoice with them that rejoice & weep with them that weep, these are acts of Charity in wch the poor may be equally liberal with the rich. These are some of the privileges of all Believers as Sons of God beloved of the Father for Xts sake and influenced by the Spirit of holiness, the true Comforter of all Zions Mourners. This we share in common as the fruit of his purchase who hath enriched us with heavenly treasures in Xt Jesus. Prayers Sypathetically put up unto the Man of Sorrows who is acquainted with grief meets no doubt wth a kind reception seeing he ever liveth at the right hand of the Majesty on high, expecting till all the Enemies of his Church be made his footstool, & the Nations of this World become the Kingdoms of God & of his Christ. For this end was the Captain made perfect through sufferings that he might be a merciful high Priest. His word & promise stand sure that they who ask shall receive, & that they who call on the Name of the Lord shall be saved. And if these promises relating to Individuals shall thro the Spirit avail to conquest how much more the united prayers of many Sons Shall thro the same spirit pull down the strong Holds of Satan, & demolish principalities & powers & spiritual wickedness in high Places. Satan's Watch Word is divide & devour, if once he can separate us from the fold & withdraw us from the Shepherd's Tents, his work is half done. But Christ's Watch Word is Unite and Conquer. While we keep in the paths of duty we are in the way of safety. While we obey his Commandment, we fulfil the Royal Law of love & draw down the blessing of Heaven on ourselves & them that are Fellow Heirs with us of that glory that shall be revealed. Remember me to Mr Jones and believe me affectionately An Phornton The Revd Mr Wm Armitage A Single Letter 308 Reflections written by John Bradford the Martyr, on the blank leaves of his New Testament. [Continued from Vol. III. p. 31.] GOD will never destroy any that is not his enemy, but none is his enemy that would be his friend, that is, that would amend, and do desire to do his will; whensoever therefore thou dost see in thyself a will consenting to God's will and lusting to do it, never think that the plague poured out upon thee is to thy destruction, but to thy correction and weal. This is the treasure of godly men, which the world is very ignorant of, namely, that all corporeal evil happens to the good and weal of God's elect. Item, that God is then nearest when he seemeth to be furthest; also then he is most merciful and a sweet saviour, when he seemeth to be most wrath and to destroy, moreover that we then have eternal righteousness which we look for by hope as a most certain possession when we feel terror of sin and death. Item, then we are lords of all things when we be most wanting, as having nothing and yet possessing all things. As Moses lifting up his hands, the Israelites prevailed against the Amalekites; even so our souls, lifting up their hands to God in earnest prayer, we shall prevail against our enemies; but as it was needful for Moses to have his arms under propped, so have we need of perseverance: now perseverance is the true and proper daughter of Faith, which faith is not without confession, as David and Paul doth witness, when they say they believed, and therefore did they speak, making speaking the demonstration of believing; and therefore Paul also when he saith, that the belief of the heart and confession of the mouth doth justify and save thereby, shewing that saving faith is not without confession, and that in the very mouth, much more than in the life-the which confession is, that very many now a-day do want, not daring once to speak (for) fear of losing that which they shall leave, will they, nill they, at the length; easily we may see that they want Faith also, and so are in danger to the wrath of God, which abideth upon them that believe not, that is upon such as confess not the truth for fear of the wrath of the magistrate, which because they would avoid, they fall to God's wrath, which is horrible. JOH. BRADFORD. 309 REVIE W. A Sketch of the State of Ireland, past and present. A new edition, revised by the Author. London, Murray, 1822. 8vo. pp. 76. Remarks on the present State of Ireland; with hints for ameliorating the condition, and promoting the education and moral improvement of the Peasantry of that country. The result of a visit during the Summer and Autumn of 1821. By Robert Steven. London, Smith and Elder, 1822, 8vo. pp. 94. WITH higher objects constantly before us than those which the differences of parties-the opposite views of men in power, and men out of it-can supply, we never enter on the discussion of the politics of the day, by choice. There are, however, questions of vital importance to the moral interests and well-being of our country, from which we are so far from shrinking, as to feel anxious to consider them in all their bearings; and promptly and fearlessly to give expression to the opinions which that consideration may induce us to adopt. Of these questions, few, occurring in our times, have been more momentous, than the causes of the present alarming state of Ireland, and the measures which should be resorted to for restoring tranquillity to her divided population. These causes are many, deep-rooted, and difficult to remove; yet removed they must be, by a firm, though a prudent hand, or the present condition of the country will be enviable, in comparison with the future. In the enlightened statesman, to whom, humanly speaking, her destiny seems, at present, to be confided, we have the greatest confidence; but it will require the prompt and vigorous exertions of his superior political sagacity, or the fairest opportunity which has for a long time presented itself for the salvation of Ireland, will be lost-and lost, we fear, for ever. These may be thought bold sentiments, but they are advised ones; and he who, at this crisis, talks of half measures, and a vacillating and trimming policy, for the cure of an evil whose existence no one is stupid or hardy enough to deny, may have the welfare of that long-neglected country at heart, but has nothing-no, not a solitary idea for promoting it, in his head. In politics, as in physic, there are but too many quacks, Y who having but one nostrum for all diseases, suppose that those diseases, diverse as may be their symptoms and effects, have but one origin. Hence, without reference to the peculiar complexion of their government, or the various characters of their governors, the one containing in itself the seeds of its dissolution, which the other precipitated, though it could not occasion, the growth of luxury has been considered a sufficient solution of the causes of the decline and fall of all empires and all states, from the beginning, as, with these lazy and short-sighted inquirers, it will be, to the end of time. On this absurd but convenient principle,-because the history of Ireland, almost as unfortunate in her annalists as in the events which they record, presents, as its prominent feature, a series of religious dissensions, frequent in their recurrence, and fearful in their details,-it has been taken for granted, with but too common a consent, that we need search no further for the main, indeed for the only spring of those disturbances, which for centuries at least, have kept the great mass of her population all but stationary in ignorance and wretchedness, whilst knowledge and civilization have marched, with most rapid strides, over all the nations which surround her. Nor is this a vulgar, or mere theoretical error; it has, with scarce an interval or exception, been the lawgiver in our senates, and guided but too universally the measures even of the most illustrious of our statesmen. Catholic oppression, under the four last of our Tudors, the three first of the Stuarts, William, Anne, and the first and second of the Georges, proceeded not, however, upon more erroneous principles of policy, upon a more thorough ignorance of the real state of Ireland, and the causes of her distress, than does the outcry for Catholic emancipation, as the sole means of saving her from impending ruin, in the days in which we live. That religion had nothing whatever to do with the original inquietudes in Ireland, every one must be satisfied, who reads the pages of authentic history for information, not to distort its facts to the support of his own preconceived opinions and prejudices, which he wishes to fortify, not to be removed. Protestant England holds, it must be remembered, Catholic Ireland, in right of a conquest originally made under the sanction of a papal bull: and of the pretended patrimony of St. Peter in partibus infidelium-for it was as infidels and heretics that the poor Irish were handed over by the head of Christ's church on earth to the tender mercies of our second Henry's sword-it is certain, that for a long |