a man be as assiduous as he pleases; rise up early, sit up late;—what does it all avail, if as the prophet says, "The Lord blow upon it"—if he raise a tempest and sink the ship,—if after "much has been sown, He stay the Heaven from dew, and the earth from fruit,"—if He "call for a drought upon the land," the corn, the grape, the oil,—upon men. and upon cattle, and upon all their labour;—what does the assiduity of the merchant or the husbandman amount to?—Simply to this, He "that earneth wages," or makes large profits, only does so to "put them into a bag with holes."
Thoughts similar to these were dictated to the Prophet Haggai more than two thousand years ago, when every one attended to the grandeur of his own house, and let the house of God "lie waste: and they are equally applicable now, we believe, to those, who defer religion till they have accumulated a fortune. We say this is our belief, for which, we think we have sufficient reason, that is, we deem the probabilities, on this side of the question, greatly preponderate. Our belief is a matter of choice, as well as conviction. Those who choose to disbelieve a providence may demand of us mathematical demonstration, for the truth of these our opinions; but we candidly profess our inability to give it. And we are sure they cannot give us mathematical proof of their opinions. They choose to believe the other way. Therefore, as we have said before, they and we are both responsible to the Deity for our belief. We put the reason in other words, the habits and wishes of a man whether virtuous or vicious, pious or impious, influence at all times his moral and religious belief. This sort of belief is not at all analogous to the assent the mind gives to a mathematical demonstration, a problem about lines, angels, &c., which being demonstrated, there is neither belief nor disbelief. If it be truly demonstrated, it is equal to an axiom; and all who understand the subject assent to its truth; and vice versa. An individual may be ignorant, or stupid enough not to perceive the demonstration; but he incurs no moral responsibility; he does not sin, although he is convicted of being incompetent to the discernment of mathematical truth. On moral subjects the case is perfectly different,—a man's will influences his tastes and wishes; and these again his belief. A man in whose heart there is enmity against God, would rather believe the less probability against religion; than the greater for it.
While we maintain that we are all responsible to God for our religious belief; we maintain with equal firmness that no man has a right to persecute another, on account of his religious opinions; and that every man has a right to vindicate by statement, explanation and argument the religious opinions he holds to be true. It is on this principle we have given our opinion in favour of a special regard to Divine Providence, even in the physical phenomena of our atmosphere.
Rebellion.—What is to be the issue of the rebellion, it is not easy to conjecture. Though a small number of marines have returned, the governor still continues to increase his forces,—a small detachment left Canton for Leenchow on the 28th inst. The whole number of government troops now in the field is said to be 15,000 fighting men.
The latest accounts state, that 13,000 of these troops have been ordered to enter the enemy's territory. It is supposed by some, that Governor Le is resolved on extreme measures—to gain victory or death. His situation is certainly most critical.
The despatches of the Governor, detailing the repulse of the Imperial troops on the 20th June, were noticed in our last. We have seen the Emperors reply. His Majesty goes over the whole of his Excellency's report. The first impression on the mind of the Sovereign was "full-hearted, bounding anger." The second was as contempt for the military tactics of the Governor. The "words that burn"—"lies, faulty, nonsense," all come in succession, red hot, from the pencil of the Autocrat. The state document closes with threats addressed to our worthy Governor, that if he does not speedily root out every sprout of mountaineer radicalism, let him look to the consequences—the "heavy guilt" which he will incur. The closing sentences are phrased in the strongest expression of governmental displeas-
