The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-11-25 00:00:00

nd him a

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atterwards. This offer, which
him a certain provision for life, the youth declined,
n his lot with the Independent Dissenters, among
whom be lived and died, the minister of one of their meet-

in a country town. He left behind him a little
volume, entitled "The Rise and Progress of Religion in the
Soul," of which it is but moderate praise to say that it has

Of conferring " the gift of the Holy Ghost"
on more souls than any bishop since the apostles' times can
hope to welcome as his spiritual children. Just fifty years
after, a copy of this little book fell into the hands of a young
gentleman of gc.,y and worldly habits, immersed in pleasure

and public business, and who, though baptised and confirmed
in the church, and educated at one of our universities, was

, Itm

nger to the very first rudiments of spiritual reli-
read, and thought over, and, in bis case, as in
sos of " changing
he received " the

thonsands of others, it was made the
his heart." He became a " new man
gift of the Holy G

medium by which this en-
tire change was effected, was that little volume, the work of
a Dissenting Minister—" The Rise and Progress of Religion
in the Soul." But the change became manifest by its fruits.
The young gentleman himself, though only a layman, felt in-
wardly moved to become a teacher of religion. He writes
and publishes a book, called " A Practical View of Chris-
tianity,"—of which it may, perhaps, be said with truth, that
the good wrought by it emulated that done by the volume to
which its author owed his conversion. We pass on a few
more years, and we behold a volatile young clergyman, who
has just taken orders, without any just or serious views of
his responsibilities, and without any personal knowledge of
that Christianity which he has undertaken to teach. A copy
of the " Practical View of Christianity" is put into his hand.
He opens it ; is arrested by the power of the Holy Spirit ;
the night passes on, but he is unable to lay down the book
until its perusal is completed ; and he rises up " a changed
man." And the fruits of this change, even if we only think
of what has already past, have probably exceeded either of
the former. But when we add together the three works,
" the Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul," " The
Practical View of Christianity," and " The Annals of the
Poor," and contemplate their united effects on the Church
of Christ,—not in England only, nor merely in Europe, but
throughout the world,—how do these squabbles about
" apostolical succession" fade into insignificance, or only ex-
cite a feeling of indignation, that men's minds should be
drawn aside from realities, to dispute about external forms
and points of order. When we trace up the " Annals of the
Poor" to its providential cause, and find it to spring out of
the " Practical View of Christianity ;" and then follow that
work upwards to its source, the " Rise and Progress of Reli-
gion in the Soul," and find its author a Dissenting minister,
we call to mind from whom "all holy desires, all good
counsels, and all just works do proceed," and we see, in the
evidence of undeniable fact, that it is not true that " the gift
of the Holy Ghost" is limited to any external lineage of so-
called " apostolical succession."

In the course of a recent pastoral visit, the Bishop of
Evreux stopped at the Chateau de Dangu, where he per-
formed a mass. At the close of the service he presented to
those who were present, as is done on such occasions. his
ring-finger for them to kiss the ring, but a labouring man,
who was ignorant of the nature of the ceremony, thinking
the bishop wished to shake hands with him, caught the hand
firmly in his own, and, shaking it heartily, said, amidst the
laughter of all who were present, and which they were un-
able to restrain, "Merci, monsigneur, ca va Lien, el vous 1"
AFFECTATION OF SuAviTY.—There are some who affec
a want of affectation, and flatter themselves that they are
above flattery ; they are proud of being thought extremely
humble, and would go round the world to punish those who
thought them capable of revenge; they are so satisfied of the
sauvity of their own temper that they would quarrel with
their dearest benefactor only for doubting it. And yet so
very blind are all their acquaintance to these their numerous
qualifications and merits, that the possessor of them invaria-
bly discovers, when it is too late, that they have lived in the
world without a single friend, and are about to leave it with-
out a single mourner.

FRANKLIN'S SPECTACLES.— Dr. Franklin describes a
curious pair of spectacles which he used occasionally to wear :
—" The same convexity of glass (says he) through which a
man sees clearest and best at the distance proper for reading,
is not the best for greater distances. I, therefore, had for-
merly two pair of spectacles, which I shifted occasionally;
as in travelling I sometimes read, and often wanted to regard
the prospects. Finding this change troublesome, and not
always sufficiently ready, I had the glasses cut out, and half
of each kind associated in the same circle ; the same convex
for viewing distant objects, in the upper part of the circle;
and the most convex, proper for reading, in the lower half of
the frame. By this means, as I wear my spectacles constantly,
I have only to move my eyes up or down, as I want to see
distinctly ; the proper glasses being always ready. Although
I cannot distinguish a letter, even of large print, by the naked
eye, with the assistance of this invention my eyes are as use-
ful to me as ever they were ; and if all the other defects of
old age could be as easily and cheaply remedies, it would be
worth while to live a good deal longer.

- -
COMMISSION OF INQUIRY.—(From the Observer.)—lt
will be in the recollection of our readers that the Treasury
had some time back issued a commission of inquiry into the
mode and expense of collecting the public revenue of the
country, and that Lord Grenville Somerset had been placed
at the head of this commission. Differing widely as we do
in politics from this noble lord, we feel nevertheless bound
to say that he possesses great aptitude for such a mission.
His acknowledged sagacity, and intimate acquaintance with
the transactions of public business, render the selection of
him peculiarly appropriate. Mr. Courtney, a gentleman of
experience in the Treasury, was appointed secretary to the
commission, the members of which made the port of Liver-
pool the first scene of the investigation. It is now under-
stood that the commission is about to resume more active
1
labours, for the purpose of taking into its consideration the
late disclosures of malversation in the customs department
of London ; and we are confident that in this investigation
they will derive every possible assistance from the commis-
sioners of customs. Lord Granville Somerset and the other
members of the commission met on Monday, at Gwydyr
House, Whitehall, for the purpose above mentioned, and
they have already requested the attendance of two officers of
the customs, who are confessedly deeply implicated in the
frauds, and ten gentlemen who are no longer in the service,
they having undergone the severest punishment which the
censure of the board could inflict. We sincerely trust that,
for the satisfaction of the public mind, Lord Granville
Somerset will not hurry in his course, and that ere long
we shall be enabled to announce the result to our readers.