above characteristics as flowing from the influence of the faith, it afforded me peculiar pleasure. They are "the children of God," thought I-they are of "the redeemed from among men," and therefore they are happy. They both seemed pleased to see me, and hurried to procure me a chair.

“A delightful evening, John," said I, after the usual salutations were passed. "Yes, thank God (said he), we have much to be thankful for-to him be all the glory." "Eh!

"Is your health better than when I saw you last?”

I have no reason to grumble. I am of a great age, and the only weaknesses I have to complain of are the decay of strength, that is natural. I am stiff and feeble, and cannot work as Í could a twelvemonth ago; but bless God for it, he supplies all my necessities."

"We have now been wed sixty years (said his wife interrupting him), and have worked hard all that time, and it is no wonder that we should feel old age coming on us; but, bless the Lord for it, I can still put my hand to a bit of a job.” "Can you earn between you as much as supports you?" "Eh! bless you (cried both together), no, nor anything like it." "Then I suppose you apply to the town for relief.' "No, bless the Lord for his goodness (said the man with more than ordinary pleasure), we never troubled the town, or any body else, for a shilling since we were tied together."

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"And how have you managed (said I) to carry on, since neither of you can work?" Why, sir (said the woman with a lowered voice, and in a peculiar tone of satisfaction, as if imparting a secret in confidence), to tell you the truth, we have both of us been careful ever since we were wed; we thewed hard when we were in health, and John never took his brass to the public-house, but gave it to me, and I put it by, and now, thanks be to God, we have as much as will keep us till we are done with this world." "You see (interrupted the man), we always had good wholesome food, and a sup of drink in the house with us, and we allowed no superfluence; and so, thank God, we never were in want."

"You have had a family," said I. "Only three of our own; but then we had to bring up a large number of our son's chil dren. One of our sons went into the army, and served his Majesty, George III., twenty-five years, and he died."

Is the other living?" "Yes, bless you, he works here in the mill with us, and as good a bairn as ever was born. He does not spend a wasteful sixpence from year's end to year's end, except when he walks to the neighbouring town, and then you know he must go into a public-house to take something after his long walk; yet he has even walked there and back without losing anything, but then you know he has had a friend to call on at the far end; and I can say that he never is backward in sharing his earnings with us if we want any thing; but, thank God, we need trouble no one. Well (con

tinued he) we have got on so far, and I hope we may be easy during the rest of our days; but, God knows, perhaps I may be obliged to go to the workhouse at last; and then I suppose (said he smilingly, as well convinced of the unlikelihood of his own words), they will frump me.' "Nay, lad (said the wife, vindicating his dignity), they shall never frump thee though -while I have these two old arms to thew with."

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I don't think you need feel uneasy, my friends (said I), about the future. You have great reason to be thankful for the past-hitherto God hath helped you: he hath given you strength to support yourselves; he hath blessed you with contentment in your situation; and his promise to each of his followers is- I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.' On this it is your privilege to rely; but I see your Bible near at hand (and I pointed to a well-used folio Bible which lay by with a pair of spectacles on the cover, as if recently employed), and I have no doubt but that you find in it your chief support." Eh! bless you, no getting on without the Bible. We are poor undeserving sinners; but the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin. Free salvation-free salvation; there is no hope but in Jesus alone." "Ah! (rejoined the wife), we would be the most ungrateful creatures in the world if we murmured or complained, for undeserved mercies alone have been allotted to us-glory to God."

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I shortly took my leave, highly delighted with the old pair, and thankful for this exemplification of the beauty of holiness. What would the world be if all were thus? Where can one solitary example be pointed out of such effects arising from any other principles than those of religion? What shall we think of the men whose meat and drink it is to poison the source of such happiness as I have just described-of mockers and scoffers who rail at the Bible and at the Saviour, and would persuade men, by their hollow arguments and their own godless conduct, that religion is a cheat? Unhappy men! Having themselves lost the pearl of great price, it seems to be their main object to rob others of it. Alas, alas, we are fallen on evil times! But let us wait--let us in patience possess our souls, and God will vindicate his honour; he will arise at length, and scatter his enemies on every side. In the meanwhile it should be our consolation to reflect, that there is a goodly number of such instances of piety, as this just spoken of, to be found up and down this highly favoured country.

PASTOR.

Miscellanea.

PRIVATE PRAYER.

PRIVATE prayer is recommended for the sake of the following advantages:

1. Private wants cannot always be made the subject of public prayer; but whatever reason there is for praying at all, there is the same for making the sore and grief of each man's heart the business of his application to God. This must be the office of private devotion, being imperfectly, if at all, practicable in any other.

2. Private prayer is generally more devout and earnest than when we join in public prayer, because it affords leisure and opportunity for the recollection of those personal wants, by the remembrance and thoughts of which the warmth and earnestness of prayer are chiefly excited.

3. Private prayer has a greater tendency than other modes of devotion to revive and fasten upon the mind the general impressions of religion. Solitude powerfully assists this effect. When a man finds himself alone, in communication with his Creator and Father, his mind becomes filled with awful ideas concerning the universal agency and invisible presence of that Being, concerning what is likely to become of himself, and of the great importance of providing for the happiness of his future existence, by endeavours to please Him who is his judge and the arbiter of his destiny-reflections which leave, when they depart, a solemnity upon the thoughts which seldom fails to affect the conduct of life.

4. Private prayer receives a superior sanction from the authority and example of the blessed Lord Jesus Christ. "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet; and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." "And when he had sent away the multitude, he went up into a mountain apart to pray."

DIVISIONS.

Forbidden and condemned. (1 Cor. i. 10, xi. 18-19; Judges v. 15-16).

A proof of worldliness of spirit. (1 Cor. iii. 3; James iv. 1). Danger of divisions. (Gal. v. 15).

Unbecoming the Church of Christ. (1 Cor. xii. 25-27) Contrary to the design and spirit of the Gospel. (John xvii. 23; Rom. xv. 6; 1 Cor. i. 13).

We should avoid those that cause divisions. (Rom. xvi. 17; Gal. i. 7, 8).

Evil of divisions illustrated. (Matt. xii. 25).

Treasury.

SEQUESTER yourselves from all earthly employments, and set apart some time for solemn preparation to meet God in duty. You cannot come reeking hot out of the world, into God's presence, but you will find a tang of it in your duties. It is with the heart, a few minutes since plunged into the world, now at the feet of God, just as with the sea after a storm, which still continues working, muddy and disquiet, though the wind be laid and storm over: thy heart must have some time to settle. There are few musicians that can take down a lute or viol, and play presently upon it, without some time to tune it. When thou goest to God in any duty, take thy heart aside, and say, O my soul, I am now addressing myself to the greatest work that ever a creature was employed about. I am going into the awful presence of God, about business of everlasting moment. -Flavell.

TREMBLING CHRISTIANS DIRECTED TO THE SOURCE OF JOY AND STRENGTH.-Many of the Church have been so much distressed that I thought it necessary to comfort them, if possible; and on the Sabbath morning preached from 1 Sam. xii. 20-24, "Fear not; ye have done all this wickedness," &c. My desire was to show trembling, desponding Christians that, notwithstanding all their great wickedness, they ought still to follow God with confidence and increasing diligence; and that, if they would do this, they need not despond or despair, when God shows them what is in their hearts. Meditate on the passage if you please, and I hope it may encourage you as much as it did the Church. I have preached more respecting Christ of late than ever; and am more and more convinced that the knowledge of Christ crucified is the one thing needful, the grand source of peace, and joy, and growth in grace. Count all things loss for the excellency of this knowledge, and pray for it more than for anything else, and you will find it to be so.-Memoir of the Rev. E. Payson.

Church Notices

FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER.

1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd. FOUR SUNDAYS IN ADVENT.Advent signifies coming, and is here applied to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the fulness of time, to redeem the world. The services of this season not only bring to our minds the advent of Christ in the flesh, when he came as a Saviour "to visit us in great humility;" but they call our attention to his second advent, when he shall come as a Judge "in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead ;" and we are taught, by way of preparation, to pray for " grace, that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the

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armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life," that at the last day we may rise to the life immortal.” 21th. ST. THOMAS, called also Didymus, which means a twin. Thomas was a Galilean. He preached in Mesopotamia, Parthia, and other countries, and suffered death, a.d. 73.

The Collect for this day is founded on the memorable passage in St. John, xx. 24-30-"Thomas answered and said unto him, my Lord and my God!"

The Syrian Christians, still remaining in India, have a Church which bears the name of the Apostle Thomas, and is the oldest in Malabar. This is one of the branches of the Primitive Church, which was never subject to the see of Rome.

25th. THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST, commonly called CHRISTMAS DAY.-On this day we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ; or the coming of God in the flesh. (See John i. 14). This great event happened at Bethlehem, a city of Judah, in the year of the world 4004.

26th. ST. STEPHEN'S DAY.-St. Stephen, the deacon, a man full of faith and the Holy Ghost, was the first martyr, being stoned to death by the Jews for bearing witness to the truth, A.D. 33.

27th. ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST.-St. John was an apostle, one of the sons of Zebedee: he was "the disciple whom Jesus loved." His writings are the Gospel which bears his name, three Epistles, and the Book of the Revelation. He died at Ephesus, A.D. 100, aged ninety-four.

28th. THE INNOCENTS' DAY.-The murder of "the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under,” is commemorated on this day. Herod intended by this wicked act to have destroyed Jesus Christ. But Joseph, forewarned by an angel of the Lord, had taken the young child and his mother into the land of Egypt. (See Matt. ii. 14, 15; and Hos. xi. 1).

JAN. 30. A form of prayer, with fasting, is appointed to be used on this day: it being the anniversary of the Martyrdom of Charles I.

MAY 29. A form of prayer, with thanksgiving, is appointed in memory of the Restoration of the King, the Royal Family, and the Government, on the 29th of May, 1660.

JUNE 20. A form of prayer, with thanksgiving, is appointed for this day, on which, in the year 1837, her Majesty began her happy reign.

Nov. 5. A form of prayer, with thanksgiving, is appointed for this day; it being the anniversary of the deliverance of James I. and the Parliament from destruction, by gunpowder, in 1605; and also of the arrival of his Majesty William III. in England, A.D. 1688.

W. E. Painter, 342, Strand, London, Printer.