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BANKS FOR SAVINGS.

resembling these saving banks; and in many places approaches have from time to time been made to them. But it was reserved to the Rev. Henry Duncan, minister of Ruthwell, in Dumfriesshire, a very few years ago, to plan out and set a-going a regular Saving Bank in his own parish, which being imitated in Edinburgh, has since extended itself, more or less, all over Britain. The idea, (like that of many of the most useful inventions,) is quite simple; and it is founded on the prudential and ancient worldly maxim, which has a paraphrase in the language of all countries, "Take care of the pence; the pounds will take care of themselves.", With this view, in a saving bank, deposits are received of sums so low as a shilling. In these, the contributor gets a receipt from the bank; an account is opened in his name in the bank books at the same time; and there he stands credited with his shilling, in the same way as the richest lord has his thousands in the Bank of England or in the Bank of Scotland. He puts in more shillings when he chooses, or he draws out all or some of those already there, when he wants them. At the end of every year, the books of the bank are balanced. Interest is allowed on the money deposited. The amount due to each contributor is put to his credit; and he adds to his capital in the next year, or he draws it out, as suits his convenience. But his deposits are in general limited by the banks to a small sum, in many cases not exceeding £10 in whole; in others not exceeding £20 per annum, and so forth. Within these limits, a contributor transacts with the bank just as he pleases. No one asks him questions about either his receipts or his payments; he is the sole master of his money. All this does him good in various ways. In the first place, his money will not burn a hole in his pocket, and will neither be spent on gingerbread, if he be a little boy, nor on whisky, if he be a man, when it is lodged in the coffer of the bank. In the second place, it is not liable to be stolen, as it is when kept in a penny pig or in a kist. And, in the third place, instead of lying waste as it does in such depositories, it becomes fertile in a bank, and produces interest. Now, we do not intend either to excite avarice, (which is a hateful vice,) or

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BANKS FOR SAVINGS.

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to raise expectations of an immediate fortune in our good friends the poor, when we tell the wonders of accumulation. But where interest is made to bear interest, wonders certainly are wrought; insomuch so, that according to the arithmeticians, a penny laid out at compound in terest at the birth of our Saviour, would, at this day, have been equal in value to several globes, as big as the earth, of solid gold. Habits of economy and saving, however, when regulated by Christian principles, are both praiseworthy in themselves, and are perhaps the surest road to independence. An apprentice-boy, for example, paying in his shilling a week to the Saving Bank, at the same time that he does not forget the plate on Sunday, or perhaps the penny-a-week Auxili ary Bible Society in his neighbourhood, is likely tobecome both a wealthy man and a good Christian. And it is obviously certain, that a person who lays by his little savings from day to day, or week to week, will pay his rent at Whitsunday with ease to himself, besides having, perhaps, his little fund for buying the piece of furniture he wanted formerly, or adding to the stock of good books already on his shelves, which solace himself, and help to instruct his children. In this way, also, he gradually and easily prepares for paying the school-fees of his children exactly on the quarter-day, and for buying their school books whenever these are needed, instead of being in arrears, for the

e one, or for the other, or for both, as parents sometimes are, to their own discredit and the injury of their young ones. Servants too, can now apply their wages at the term better than in the purchase of finery and trinkets, and will, no doubt, find their little treasure in the Saving Bank a valuable help, when they come to marry and stock a house. But we are not to trace out all the situations in which a Saving Bank is a useful resource. It is useful in every situation. And it must not be thought, that this institution tends to encourage avarice and repress generosity, or that it trenches on that indifference about worldly possessions which is a Christian virtue. Properly viewed, it does none of these things. Like every profession, trade, or work of any kind which is the means of our livelihood, it needs to

238 TESTIMONY OF THE WORLD TO BIBLE MORALITY.

be regarded with an eye to the Gospel, which leaves the concerns of our temporal life secondary and subordinate to the concerns of our spiritual life. But considered in that light, they all are necessary or useful.~ Saving Banks lodge their money with banks, or vest it in the government funds, or lend it out at interest to private individuals. On the other hand, they, in general, do not give interest on sums under 10s. or lying with them less than a month. Thus receiving interest on all their funds, but paying interest only on a part, the banks save all the difference; and out of this difference they in general pay their treasurer's salary, if he has one. We hope they will every where prosper, and shall be glad to hear that other countries take the benefit of them..

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How is it, that in countries where Christianity has made progress, men have almost universally agreed in reckoning a true Christian, and an amiable, open, modest, chaste, conscientious, and benevolent character, as the same thing? How is it also that to say of a man, "he rejects the Bible," is nearly the same thing, in the account of people in general, as to say, "he is a man of dissolute life?" If there were not a general connexion between these things, public opinion would not so generally associate them. Individuals and even parties may be governed by prejudice; but public opinion of character is seldom far from the truth. Besides, the prejudices of merely nominal Christians, so far as my observation extends, are equally strong, if not stronger, against those Christians who are distinguished by their devout and serious regard to the Scriptures, than against professed infidels. How is it then to be accounted for, that although they will call them fanatics, enthusiasts, and other unpleasant names, yet it is very rare that they reckon them immoral? If, as is sometimes the case, they accuse them of unworthy motives, and insinuate that in secret they are as

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wicked as others, either such insinuations are not seriously believed, or if they be, the party is considered as insincere in his profession. No man thinks that genuine Christianity consists with a wicked life, open or secret. But the idea of infidelity and immorality are associated in the public mind; and the association is clear and strong so much as to become a ground of action. Whom do men ordinarily choose for umpires, trustees, guardians, and the like? Doubtless they endeavour to select persons of intelligence; but if to this be added Christian principle, is it not of weight in these cases? It is seldom known, I believe, but that a serious intelligent Christian, whose situation in the world renders him conversant with its concerns, will have his hands full of employment. Ask bankers, merchants, tradesmen, and others, who are frequently looking out for persons of probity, whom they may place in situations of trust, in whose hands they would choose to confide their property? They might object, and with good reason, to persons whose religion rendered them pert, conceited, and idle, but would they not prefer one who really makes the Bible the rule of his life, to one who professedly rejects it? The common practice, in these cases, affords a sufficient an

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THE Pulpit, therefore, (and I name it, fill'd
With solemn awe, that bids me well beware
With what intent I touch that holy thing,).

I say the Pulpit in the sober use

Of its legitimate, peculiar powers,

Must stand acknowledged, while the world shall stand, The most important and effectual guard,

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Support, and ornament of virtue's cause..

There stands the messenger of truth; there stands
The legate of the skies! His theme divine,»

His office sacred, his credentials clear.
By him the violated law speaks out

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240 APPEARANCES OF NATURE IN DECEMBER.
Its thunders; and by him, in strains as sweet
As angels use, the Gospel whispers peace.
He 'stablishes the strong, restores the weak,
Reclaims the wanderer, binds the broken heart,
And, armed himself in panoply complete...
Of heavenly temper, furnishes with arms,
Bright as his own, and trains, by every rule
Of holy discipline, to glorious war,
The sacramental host of God's elect.

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"No mark of vegetable life is seen,

No bird to bird repeats his tuneful call:

Save the dark leaves of some rude evergreen,

Save the lone redbreast on the moss-grown wall."

THE changes which take place in the face of nature during this month, are little more than so many advances in the progress toward universal gloom and desolation. The day rapidly shortens, and the weather becomes foul and cold. In our climate, however, no great and continued severity of cold usually takes place before the close of the month. Several of the wild quadrupeds now take to their winter concealments, which they either seldom or never quit during the winter. Of these, some are in an absolutely torpid or sleeping state, taking no food for a considerable time; others are only drowsy and inactive, and continue to feed on provisions which they have hoarded up. In this country few become entirely torpid. Bats retire early to caves and holes, where they remain the whole winter, suspended by the hind feet, and closely wrapped up in the membranes of the forefeet.

As their food is chiefly insects, they can lay up no store for the winter, and therefore must be starved, if nature did not thus render food unnecessary for them. Dormice also lie torpid the greatest part of the winter, though they lay up stores of provision. A

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