The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-30 00:00:00

But the stern asceticism which would check the
innocent laugh of childhood, and teach us that it is
part of a Christian's duty to be gloomy and un-
social; found little favour in the sight of the
preacher. In his lecture on the passage in which
St. Paul charges the Corinthians to " use the world
as not abusing it," he writes as follows :
" It is therefore a distinct duty to use life, while we are
here. We are citizens of the world, we may not shrink
from it. We must share its duties, dangers, sorrows, and
joys. Time is short; therefore opportunities are so much
the more valuable. There is an infinite value stamped

upon there. Therefore, use the world. But then it is a
duty equally distinct, to live above the world. Unworldli-
ness is the spirit of holding all things as not our own, in
the perpetual conviction that they will not last. It is not
to put life and God's lovely world aside with self-torturing
hand. It is to have the world, and not to let the world

have you; to be its master and not its slave. To have
Christ hidden in the heart, calming all, and making all else

seem by comparison poor and small.
* * * *

" This is a Nay important principle for consideration in
the present day. There is a growing tendency to look on
a life of contemplation and retirement, of separation from
all earthly ties,—in a word, asceticism—as the higher life.
Let us understand that God has so made man, that (ordi-
narily he who lives alone leaves part of his heart unculti-
vated ; for God made man fordomestic life. He who would
be wiser than his Maker is only wise in appearance. He
who cultivates one part of his nature at the expense of the
rest has not produced a perfect man, but an exaggeration.
It is easy, in silence and solitude, for the hermit to be ab-
stracted from all human interests and hopes, to be dead to
honour, dead to pleasure. But, then, the sympathies which
make him a man with men—how shall they grow ? He is
not the highest Christian who lives alone and single, but
he who, whether single or married, lives superior to this
earth ; he who, in the midst of domestic cares, petty an-
noyances, or daily vexations, can still be calm, and serene,
and sweet, That is real unworldliness ; and, in comparison
with this, the mere hermit's life is easy indeed.
" They that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not.'
Christ's religion is no grim, ghastly system of gloom. God's
world is not like the fabled place of punishment where
waters of refreshment rise brimming to the lips, while a
stern prohibition sounds forth, Touch not, taste not, handle
not.' You will observe, the joy spoken of here is not spiri-
tual, but earthly joy; for, if it had been spiritual joy, the
Apostle could not have put any limitation to it. Therefore,
Christians may have earthly joy. And they that rejoice
are emphatically the young. Let the young be happy.
Health, spirit, youth, society, accomplishments—let them
enjoy these, and thank God with no misgiving. Let there
be no hall remorseful sensations, as though they were stolen
joys. Christ had no sympathy with that tone of mind
which scowls on human happiness : His first manifestation
of power was at a marriage feast. 'Who v, said check the
swallow's flight, or silence the gush of happy melody which
the thrush pours forth in spring ? Look round this beauti-
ful world of God's : ocean dimpled into myriad smiles : the
sky a trembling, quivering mass of blue, thrilling hearts
with ecstacy ; every tint, every form replete with beauty.
You cannot, except wilfully, misread its meaning. God
says, Be glad Do not force young, happy hearts to an
unnatural solemnity, as if to be happy were a crime. Let
us hear their loud, merry, ringing laugh, even if sterner
hearts can be glad no longer; to see innocent mirth and
joy does the heart good.
" But now, observe, everlasting considerations are to
come in, not to sadden joy, but to calm it, to moderate its
transports, and make even worldly joy a sublime thing.
We are to be calm, cheerful, self-possessed; to sit loose to
all these sources of enjoyment, masters of ourselves.
" The Apostle lays down no rule respecting worldly
amusements. He does not say, You must avoid this or
that, but he lays down broad principles. People often come
to ministers, and ask them to draw a boundary line, within
which they may safely walk. There is none. It is at our
peril that we attempt to define where God has not defined.
We cannot say, This amusement is right, and that is
wrong.' And herein is the gres.ter responsibility laid upon
all, for we have to live out principles rather than maxims;
and the principle here is, lie unworldly."
The depreciation of intellectual acquirements and
powers he also censured, showing that all such were
gifts, and that it was little honour to the Giver to
undervalue or despise them, though they should
not be ranked above the moral qualities. This mis-
take, into which many well-meaning but narrow-
minded persons are apt to fall, is thus rectified
There is a mistake into which religious people are apt
to fall, but which the Apostle avoids : and this is one of the
negative marks of his inspiration. The Apostles were nevlr
fanatical ; but ordinary men, when strongly influenced,
exaggerate. Now the world makes very little of charity;
and religious men, perceiving the transcendent excellence
of this grace, make very little of talents : nay, some depre-
ciate them as almost worthless. They talk contemptuousii,
of the mere moral man.' They speak of cleverness any,
gifts of intellect, as in themselves bad and dangerous.
They weed the finest works of human genius from their
libraries. And hence the religious character has a tendency
to become feeble, to lose all breadth of view, and all manly
grasp of realities. Now, on the contrary, 'St. Paul
asprala
that the whole soul, Nirvx)), the natural man well
as the spirit, may be preserved blameless till the coming ei
Christ.'
" And again he allows a distinction—' the best gifts.
" The same Apostle who so earnestly urged contentmenb,
with the gifts we have, and forbade contemptuous scorn 01
others with feeble gifts, bids us yet to aspire. And just 0
St. Peter said, Add to your faith, virtue ; and to virtue;
knowledge ; and to knowledge, temperance ;' so would St;
Paul have said, Add to your nobility of rank, nobleness et
mind ; to your naturally-strong constitution, health bY,
exercise; to your memory, judgment; to your power a
imitating, invention.' He permits no dream of fantastic
equality, no pretence that all gifts are equal, or all alike
precious. He never would have said that the builder who
executed was equal to the architect who planned."
The spirit of sectarianism and bitterness which in-
trudes itself more or less into all religious societies
is constantly referred to and deprecated. IP
takes the occasion of St. Paul's censure of
the Corinthians for their partisanship and
following of rival teachers, to speak forcibly
upon this point. The wide range of subjects
which are brought under discussion, and the straight-
forwardness and singleness of purpose with which
they are treated, will render this collection of lec-
tures most valuable and interesting to a very largo
sphere of readers. We cordially recommend it f°
all who seek for clear and practical instruction, for
careful and thoughtful exposition of the principle°
laid down in these epistles, assisted moreover 11
historical and geographical reference which
better enable the reader to comprehend the fu
'
bearing of many obscure passages. We conclude
with the following extract, which, as may be guseca°
is taken from the lecture on the 15th chapter :---
" And again, if the soul be not immortal, Christian life;
not merely apostolic devotedness, is a grand impertinence'o
' Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die,' was the raeasi
and epitaph of Sar,lanapalus :and if this life be all, we de"
you to disprove the wisdom of such reasoning. How snail
of the myriads of the human race would do right, for ta.,
sake of right, if they were only to live fifty years, and the;
die for evermore ? Go to the sensualist, and tell him that a
noble life is better than a base one, even for that time, allm,
he will answer, I like pleasure better than virtue : you 0 j
do as you please ; for me, I will wisely enjoy my time. A
is merely a matter of taste. By taking away my hope e'ea
resurrection you have dwarfed good and evil, and shortcut,
their consequences. If lam only to live sixty or sevet.l
years, there is no eternal right or wrong. By destror?:,
the thought of immortality, I have lost the sense of the in
finitude of evil, and the eternal nature of good.'
" Besides, with our hopes of immortality gone, the veltie,.
of Humanity ceases, and people become not worth livio
for. We have not got a motive strong enough to keep ,",A
from sin. Christianity is to redeem from evil : it loses
power if the idea of immortal life be taken away. Go, 00,1
to the sensualist, and tell him that though the theory °!..,t
Life to come be a dream, yet that here the pleasure of dell;
right is a sublimer existence than that of self-indulgen a
He will answer you, ' Yes, but my appetites are strong;,gilbd
it will cost me much to master them. The struggle '001,106
with pain ; and, at last, only a few years will be left.
~„(i
victory is uncertain, and he present enjoyment is sure,
there is the banquet of life before me, and the wine spar
in the cup, and passion rising in its might ; why shoal'
re frain
" Do you think you can arrest that with some fine seatai;
ment about nobler and baser being ? Why, you have PS:g;
him out base already. He dies, you tell him, like a slid
why should he live like an angel ? You have the alio%
tendency, and prefer the higher life. Well, live aeOrefero
to your nature ; but he has the baser craving, and lirdea
the brute life. Why should he not live it ? Ye, who
the resurrection to immortality, answer me that
" No, my brethren, the instincts of the animal
more than a match for all the transcendental reasotliaSore
the philosopher. If there be in us only that which is oriel
of the flesh, only the mortal Adam, and pot the dual of
Christ, if to-morrow we die, then the conclusion c:reer
be put aside—' Let us eat and drink, for the Present 1'
All.' "
fe,
*l4

Bradshaw's _Handbook to the Bombay presz,
and the North- Nesters Provinces of Indira' the
There is no more striking illustration
mighty advance which railway enterprise has a 0
than the gradual increase in size of " Brads,nbe
Railway Guide for the United Kingdom'' an facili"
numerous offshoots from the parent stem t° The
tate the tourist in his continental travels. 011
complication of the great lines of railway tl3e
their various branches renders it difficult Woglo
uninitated to understand the time table of a silo
company, the bulk of which at present often c9ioeP
that of Bradshaw's entire volume in olden tiwitli
Ever on the move, and striving to keep pace
the advance of the age, the proprietors of this,ja id
have entered upon a new field, now that I°,"rstl'
likely to be more traversed by Europeans, aniree'
way communications are being opened in Old fed
tions. The present handbook will be found
useful to travellers in the Bombay Presidenc:licso
will shortly be followed by two others descriP,' f°
Madras and Bengal. The object of this wooed
supersede the four large quarto volumes ilijwitiellt!
the local Government of each presidency', an, tk.,coat.,-
merely contains the mileage and a partial
country.ndenWsehdilefobrmr.atlasihi anwe'eseshs.annryt!tTfArsrti
of the i
na eo
tion relating to roads, railways, and ,
contains 280 routes across the cOuntrlialiCCS:
mileage, fie.,
of the country, tables of tsgaa6e-ai
&c., a vocabulary of the native 127logic.c1
a glossary of Indian words, and a cbren fatle
table from the year B.C. 2188. With Wile volavjea
of information, it is not surprising that th,_6(ecti,t‘ea
extends to 564 pages. It contains a welLoooll3l/
mop of the Bombay- Presidency, and is
with care and regularity.
, after
Mr. Rarey has returned to Englanuizot.
_:ert
absence of some thirteen weeks in Italy, and the "-he (Y'
time was principally occupied by his travels liitage
among the Arabs, whose horse-handlinfr, P,tited
m specially went to observa. It is, we (1-1/We fairy
News) believe, his wish to complete his Unite,"ct -` stt
ifNews)and give fifty more public exhibitions in the 0. 13'
dom, and then leave for America in the 3attire lint'
hie
where he goes next week, is the first teal