There must live, in their hearts, a sense of the entire dependence of these triumphs of truth upon "the Spirit of the Lord God." Nothing inherent in the truth itself, with all its excellence, will ensure its victory. No human uses of it, in themselves considered, can make certain its power over men. When the victory shall be declared, the joyful acclaim of all who shall have been on the field of conflict will be: "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory."

Unceasing prayer must be made to Him, on the revelation of whose arm depends everything which involves the triumph of the truth. To the great object of the victory, there must be the consecration of wealth, talent, learning, influence, and everything which Christians are accustomed to call theirs. There must be toil, wisely directed and applied, willing and untiring, knowing that the rest cometh, and will be eternal and glorious. There should be, in every friend of the Lord Jesus, unwavering confidence respecting the final issue of this conflict. It must be expected, for the honor of Him who has promised it. Not a heart in all the church of God must for a moment yield to fear. "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Can he not carry his own truth through all the tests to which it is yet to be subjected? He who has established the doctrines of his word among the ordinances of his wide dominions, will he permit, that in any district of his universe, they shall experience discomfiture? If they are the joy of heaven, and the terror of hell, shall not they be the confidence of his people on earth? Away then, with every fear, respecting the grand result of this conflict.

The attendant circumstances, and the consequences of the final prevalence of the doctrines of Christ will be most delightful. Instead as now, of their being received by here and there a heart, they will be received by all hearts. Now, those who love and rejoice in the doctrines of Christ, are rather the exceptions to the general condition of minds; then, they will constitute the vast body of men. Now, the changes of opinions, and the declensions of many men from sound doctrine, often make him who loves divine truth to feel uncertain in what theological latitude he shall find even his next neighbor. Then, every member of "the household of faith," will feel sure to find his brother on the "foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." At present, the lover of the doctrines of the

Cross lives in solicitude respecting many, as led astray by the subtleties of error; ensnared and exposed to ruin, by doctrines which hide the true character of God from man, and which hide man from himself, and keep him in the way to hell. Then, sincerity will take place of all which has been spurious, subtle, deceptive. At present, peace and harmony are too often purchased under compromises of the truth; and men get together in the unrighteous endeavor to blend in nice shades, the truths which some love, with errors to which others cling. Then, all will think and believe alike, through the honest and full coming over to the side of truth, of those who have been in error.

Nor will all these things come to pass because the Bible will have become changed, and adapted to men's tastes. It will be the same holy and immutable book which it always has been. Nor will these things have taken place because that philosophy will have come to the aid of divine revelation, and helped the truth of the Eternal God out of difficulty, and assisted it to gain a hold on men's consciences for which inspiration must render devout and humble thanks to philosophy. No! Men will have been "made willing," in the day of the power of the Spirit, to receive all the decisions of the Bible. The end of all the trials of good men, and of "discords among brethren," through mutual misunderstandings and the mystifications of wondrous wisdom, will have come; for love to the doctrines of God will make men use plain, honest and explicit language, in stating their belief.

The length of continuance of the conflict, cannot be predicted. Nor is it important to us now on the earth, that we should be able to see the end. What matter is it, if we who now live, do not see it in our day? If faithful till we die, in watching, praying, and "striving together for the faith of the gospel," we shall be witnesses, from the high places of heaven, of the progress of this conflict, while it shall be approaching its victorious consummation by those who shall come after us on this field. And when the triumphs of our Redeemer shall be completed, we shall know it. The Captain of our salvation, putting up his sword in its place, shall say, "It is finished!" And we, on some of "the heavenly hills," shall hear the declaration. And when it shall be said and sung in heaven: "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ," we shall join in the acclaim; our voices shall help to swell the song.

OBSERVATIONS ON MEN, BOOKS, AND THINGS.

OBJECT OF THIS WORK. One point mainly sought in establishing the CHRISTIAN OBSERVATORY, was to resist the spread of that new form of infidelity, called Rationalism, which claims to be more Christian than Christianity itself. This system pretends to remove deistical objections to the Bible by denying its plenary inspiration; and by declaring that it abounds in human errors and impieties, out of which it selects such grains of gold and scattered gems as may appear precious in its transcendentally illuminated eyes. This system, originating in Germany, and long confined among us to a few very mysterious literary men, has lately become more generally diffused; and has been translated out of its sublimated jargon into common English, and in a grosser form and rougher spirit is spreading among the people. Some whole denominations have become deeply tainted with this poison; and it even begins to work in the veins of some evangelical men. This is the case with such beloved and admired writers as Tholuck, Neander and Coleridge; and some among ourselves, who have breathed the atmosphere of Rationalist literature, till unconsciously they have tinged their own complexion with its cadaverous and unhealthy hue.

It seemed all-important, that this tendency should be resisted; and the most effectual resistance must be from a reviving and strengthening of that form of religious belief and experience which we find in the Puritan fathers of New England. Few men have ever been possessed with so profound a reverence for the holy Word of God, or have so fully imbibed its spirit, and so closely conformed to its instructions.

In aiming to resist, so far as might be in us, the propensity of our times to faithlessness and irreligion, and to resist it by such methods, we did not, by any means, expect to please every body. Still we hardly expected to have been assailed by such a profusion of abusive and senseless misrepresentation and scurrility, as has been poured upon our publication by the worshippers of the newly imported Baal. It would seem, from their mad ravings, that every scheme of corruption and impiety may be freely discussed among us; but that no honest attempt to vindicate the principles which our fathers planted on this soil shall be endured. All things may be here defended, with one exception. If any shall rise up in behalf of Bible orthodoxy, they shall if possible, be daunted into silence, or drowned out by a flood of denunciation and reproach. This has been mostly attempted, as regards the OBSERVATORY, by garbled extracts from its pages, which, torn from their proper connections, cease to look like themselves. The lovely locks" which waved in witchery on beauty's brow," are shocking when flourished, a bloody scalp, in the hand of a frantic savage. But none of these things move us, except to sadness for the sins of our adversaries. We shall never yield the ground to them. Neither shall we undertake to confute their calumnies. No tongs are long enough to handle such offensive abominations. We shall just keep well to the windward of them, and go on our way.

We would sooner perish than enlist in a bad cause: and in a good cause, we know not how to be timid. Shame to us, if we were to prove faint-hearted, while the enemies of truth and righteousness are so audacious.

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There are not wanting among our friends some who are so far touched with radical influences, as to fancy that our orthodoxy is too conservative and opposed to desirable progress. They are for 'comprehensiveness," and wish to build an ark long enough to carry Satan at one end and Gabriel at the other. Some, too, are of a dyspeptic habit, and have weak nerves, and are frightened at a strenuous effort to cast out devils, especially if they resist furiously. These friends are like the poor women and children in a besieged town, who are more terrified at the roar of the artillery which is defending them, because the sounds are nearer and louder than those which thunder from the camp of the assailants. They cry for

peace; while their protectors are "sorry for them, but cannot help it." Others again, good men and true, grave and wise, rally to our aid; and bid us be of good cheer. They tell us, that the work we are essaying to do, is a good work, and such as the times require. Assured that we are "contending earnestly for the faith," we rely on the support of Him by whom that faith was once delivered to the saints."

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TEXT-BOOK ON BAPTISM. Of the unnumbered works devoted to this topic, few are more thorough, or more convincing to all who do not choose not to be convinced, than this volume from the pen of Rev. R. H. Conklin, one of the able and beloved ministers of Springfield. It is based on the true theory of the constitution of the Church, which is fundamentally searched out, and clearly set forth. The writer set himself to work independently. He has "struck upon the right trail," and has followed it with complete success. We hope that his vigorous volume will be still further elaborated and perfected in successive editions.

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. A capital pamphlet has been published on this subject by Rev. J. M. Davis, of Woonsocket, R. I. It is addressed to the legislature of his State by way of remonstrance against the efforts of such as would entirely abolish the deathpenalty. Its very title indicates the unflinching courage of the author: "Lex Talionis, or Blood for Blood." This reminds us of that church, in the same spirited little commonwealth, which testified its "heroic faith" in the gospel doctrine of justification by free grace, by incorporating in its covenant a solemn protestation against all reliance on "damnable good works!" Mr. Davis, in this conflict, draws the "sword of the Spirit" to the full length of the blade, and cuts away, right and left, with mortal strokes. He writes like an earnest and sincere man. He puts the ploughshare among the very roots of fanaticism, and tears them up without mercy or remorse. Let him keep at work. The field is sadly run to weeds, which, if allowed to ripen, will yield a deadly crop; but if turned in under the soil, may so rot as to enrich the ground for a happier harvest.

CASE OF THE PAYSON CHURCH.-We learn, from various sources, that the notice of this Church in our last number, has been construed into an approbation of its present ecclesiastical standing. At the time of its formation, we were resident in a distant part of the country; and since returning to this vicinity, have known but little of its condition and prospects. Such is the relation of this Church to the orthodox community immediately around it, as to afford little opportunity to ascertain any thing with regard to it. As we had been publishing statistics of various denominations in this city, as well as of our own, we published such information concerning this Church as had come to our hands. This we did merely as matter of general information. It is almost superfluous to say, that our views of the Payson Church accord with the general opinon in regard to it in the community.

THE CONGREGATIONAL Singing Book. — Musical criticism is entirely out of our line. Being, in this article, consumers and not producers, we have nothing to do with it, but to yield ourselves up to the power of that delightful art, which Cowley says, is

"Queen of all harmonious things,

Dancing words and speaking strings."

We doubt not, from the reputation of Mr. Fitz, the preparer of this Singing-Book, that it is well adapted to the object he had in view, in its preparation. It is designed for the use of congregations where they prefer to do their own singing, rather than to do it by a committee, called "a choir." There can be no doubt, that singing, as an act of public worship, is most properly and impressively performed by the entire assembly, as a "committee of the whole." This way is to be preferred, when the state of musical taste and cultivation is such as to make it practicable. But nothing can be more undignified and intolerable than the manner in which this duty is discharged in many of our congregations, where some are out of time, and some are out of tune, and a good old deacon or most excellent old lady will be quavering away, with cracked pipes, for half a bar after the others are through. A good choir is a happy refuge from such dissonance. It is to be hoped, however, that the increasing attention recently paid to the musical instruction of the young, in Sabbath Schools and day schools, has prepared the way for returning to the natural and appropriate practice of congregational singing. We have often admired the following passage relating to the subject, in Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity: "Although we lay altogether aside the consideration of ditty or matter, the very harmony of sounds being framed in due sort, and carried from the ear to the spiritual faculties of the soul, it is by a native puissance and efficacy, greatly available to bring to a perfect temper, whatsoever is there troubled; apt as well to quicken the spirits, as to allay that which is too eager; sovereign against melancholy and despair; forcible to draw forth tears of devotion, if the mind be such as can yield them; able both to move and moderate all affections."