Litchfield enquirer., 1830-11-11
[BY REouEsT.l

BY REQUEST.J
 If we should judge of religion from the language and conduct of some of its pro. fession, we should be disposed to think that it consists essentially in violation oi good taste and of the common proprieties of life and that to be acceptable in the sight of God, we must make ourselves (no matter in what way) offensive to men.- Those who appear to act on this princi. pie, are not unffequently distinguished for their zeal and activity but their mistake is, in imagining that religion consists chief ly in the possession of these qualities, and that, having these. they have right to be self-confdent and censorious. Not long since, we saw a paragraph in one of our pa- pers, concerning respectable clergyman for wearing in the pull pit an expensive article of dress, (although in conformity with the iong established custom of the denomina- tion to which he belongs,) and it was very broadly intimated that unless he sold it, and bestowed the money in religious char ity, he could not enter into the Kingdom of heaven!
 Tn another paragraph. congregation of wealthy Christians, who have expended a considerable sum in decorating their place of worship, were pretty plainly told, that if they were actuated by Christian principle, they would sell these ornaments and cast the proceeds into the Sunday school treas- ury and it was intimated that if our Lord were to appear again upon the earth, and enter their church, he would rebuke them as severely as he did the sellers of doves iu the temple!
 We need not say that the spirit which dictates such paragraphs is not the spirit of Christianity. If our Lord were to appear again upon the earth, we have reason to believe that his severest rebukes would fall on those who pass such harsh judgment upon their brethren. We know indeed how our Lord did conduct on a similar oc- casion, when he was actually upon the earth. The Evangelist John informs us, that Jesus, six days before the passover, came to Bethany, and there they made him supper. And Mary took pound oi ointment of spikenard, vsry costly, and an- ointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet, with her hair.' We do not read that oar Lord rebuked Mary. It was Judas Iscar- iot, who said Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor' Judas was a censotious Chris tian. He had no real piety, but he made high pretentions to 1t, and thought he could support these pretensions by supercilious treatment of those who did not fall in with his plans of pious economy and retrench- ment. In the case to which we have allu- ded, his coarse censure was directed a. gainst the delicate and affectionate Mary. Our blessed Saviour, with that wisdom and Kindness which marked all his conduct, soothed Mary's wounded feelings, and re- proved Judas, with the remark, Why troublest thou her She hath done good work
 The spirit of Christianity is the spirit Of true politeness. Wherever it enters the bosom, it civilizes and softens, and dispo- ses its recipient to pay the most tender re- gard to the feelings of every creature ofI God. It changes the tiger into a lamb, and the vuIture into dove, and nothing coarse or rough can dwell in the heart where it takes up it's abode.-M Y. O6s.
 THE R0sE-BY MRS. sIGoURNEY.
 saw rose perfect in beauty; it rested gracefully upon it's stalk, and it's perfume esAssA sssS ~"s N4uuy SSOPp0u " 60AO GpOu it. many bowed to taste it's fragrance, and its owner hung over it with delight. I passed it again, and behold it was gone its stem was leafless--its root had withered, the enclosure which surrounded it was bro- ken down. The spoiler had been there he saw that many admired it; he knew it | was dear to him who planted it, and be- ! sides it he had no other plant to love. Yet be snatched it secretly from the hand that cherished it.; he wore it on his bosom till it hung its head and faded. and when he saw that it's glory was departed, he flung it rudely away. But it left thorn in his bo- som, and vainly did he seek to extract it for now 1t pierces the spoiler, even in his hours of mirth. And when mw that 10 man, who had loved the beautYof the rose, gathered again its scattered leaves, or bound up the stalk which the hands of vio- encs had broken, \ looked earnestly at the pot where tt grew, and my soul received rawARsssz4snm Ind H an;l Tm1 ka. ,.,A.. :a