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number. Educated in this faith, they grew up decided Papists in their views and feelings, not even knowing that there was any other or purer form of Christianity. After having joined the camp, and having now arrived at a period of life in which serious reflections were more frequently awakened in their minds, they often felt deep convictions of sin, and were led day after day to prostrate themselves before crucifixes, images and pictures, in order to soothe a disturbed conscience. There was an old woman attached to the camp, acting in the same capacity with themselves, as a domestic in some officer's family, who had formerly resided at Madras, and had been instructed by Kolhoff, or some of the missionaries connected with that station. She had a copy of the Sacred Scriptures, which she was constantly reading; and she used to remark to these individuals, that there was nothing about transubstantiation or kneeling before images, or perpetually crossing one's self; and that these things could never bring peace to a troubled mind. To satisfy them of the truth of what she said, she proposed to read the Scriptures to them; which she did from time to time. The result was, that they became convinced that they were in error, and resolved to gather their creed from the Bible. They obtained a copy of the New Testament in the Tamul language, and met together regularly to hear it read. After a while, there providentially fell in their way a copy of the Prayer-book in the Tamul tongue, which had been published by Bishop Heber. Having appointed one of their number as a reader, they now had worship regularly, according to the order of the Prayer-book on Sundays.

Here was a little body of Christians in the midst of India, surrounded by Mahomedan and Pagan darkness, conducted to a knowledge of the truth as it was in Jesus, not by the voice of a living instructor, but by the silent and simple teaching of a single copy of God's word; and though deprived of all pastoral ministrations, they were enabled to keep up from week to week an edifying worship, by means of a single copy of the Book of Common Prayer. What a proof we have here of the power of God's Word! With what confidence we may rely upon it, in sending it forth without note or comment, among the unevangelized nations of the earth! It will not return void, but accomplish what the Lord pleases, and prosper in the thing whereto it is sent.

EPITAPHS.No. I.

Ir must have pained many of our readers, in passing through our church-yards, to have witnessed the numerous sad proofs of human folly and wickedness which appear in the form of epitaphs or monumental inscriptions. The object of the present and succeeding papers, is simply to suggest a few passages of Scripture, and other poetical fragments, which may with propriety be adopted :

PIOUS CHARACTERS.-Genesis xlviii. 21........Job iii. 17; xix. 25,26....Psalm xvii. 15; xxxvii. 37; lxxiii. 26; cxvi. 15. ...Luke xx. 36....John xvii. 24....Acts vii. 59....Rom. viii. 38,39; xiv. 8...1 Cor. xv. 57...2 Cor. v. 1...Phil. i. 21; iii. 21 Titus ii. 13....Heb. iv. 9; xi. 13....Rev. ii. 10; xiv. 13. MISCELLANEOUS.-Deut. xxxii. 29...Psalm xc. 12.... Eccles. xii. 7....Isaiah xxv. S....Matt. vi. 20....John iii. 16; v. 28,29; viii. 51........Rom. vi. 23....1 Cor. xv. 20-22. 42-44. ...2 Cor. v. 10....Ephes. ii. 8....2 Tim. i. 10....Heb. ix. 27. ...Rev. i. 18.

CHILDREN AND YOUTH.-2 Sam. xii. 23....Job i. 21.... Psalm xlix. 15....Eccles. xii. 1....Hosea xiii. 14....Matt. xix. 14....Rev. xxi. 4.

MANHOOD.-Job xxi. 23....Psalm ciii. 15-17....James iv. 13, 14....1 Peter i. 24.

AGE.-Gen. iii. 19....Psalm xc. 10....Proverbs xvi. 31.... Isaiah xlvi. 4....Matt xxiv. 13.

SUDDEN DEATH.-Psalm xxxix. 4....Prov. xiv. 32; xxvii. 1....Matt. xxiv. 42.

MINISTERS.-Prov. xi. 30...Daniel xii. 3....2 Tim. iv. 7,8.

LIFE is uncertain, DEATH is sure,

SIN the wound, and CHRIST the cure.

Does the grave affright thee?
Learn to look beyond it.

This simple stone shall bear a simple line;
Here lies a sinner saved by grace divine.

When in dust thy dust shall lie,
Whither will thy spirit fly?

Who seeks a world of brighter bliss,

Must never fix his heart on this.

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THE VILLAGE CHURCHMAN'S SABBATH

MEDITATIONS.-No. X.

"Every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner and another after that."-1 Cor. vii. 7.

How much beauty and advantage are diffused over the natural world, by the diversity so generally prevailing: a perfect level is most wearisome to the eye, which delights to range over hill and dale, resting alternately on the sunny upland and the sheltered meadow. Even in a garden we find the same principle produces similar results: were flowers all of the same hue, the pleasure of cultivating them would be much diminished, or even with their present variety of tint if they were all of exactly the same height they would lose much of the beauty of their effect; but a wise gardener so alternates their size and contrasts their colour, that the humblest plant and most aspiring shrub, the brightest tint and most delicate pencilling, meet with their appropriate situation, and contribute to the interest of the whole.

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If we turn to the moral garden, shall we not find a similar principle of diversity prevailing; which by analogy we may conclude to be one of the ordinances of the All-wise, who appoints unto all their position in society as he sees best for its general well-being, while every one "hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner and another after that." fect equality of station is an impossibility: were uniformity established one day it would be dissolved the next, for were there no evil-disposed persons in the community ready to raise themselves by despoiling their neighbour, yet, unless all minds, talents, and dispositions, were rendered uniform also, the weak, the gentle, and the indolent would remain stationary, while the strong, the active, and aspiring would shoot past them, and thus terminate the short-lived equality.

But society as now constituted is a general benefit, where there are some who govern and others who obey-some dependent upon daily toil for daily bread, their labour tending to the general advantage, and its remuneration providing for individual necessity; others endowed with ease and leisure, who can thus apply the energies of the mind to the formation of laws or the regulation of commerce, to the improvement of arts or of agriculture; or who promote the intellectual culture of others by imparting the result of their own observations. Shall we then envy those whom God has raised above

us, and seek to reduce them to our own level? No, let us rather endeavour to profit by what they impart, and pray that God may be their guide and render them useful to their day and generation.

Every station has its peculiar duties; the high and noble are but fulfilling theirs when they employ their time and talents for the good of others; the duties of those beneath them are of a different class, but yet in consonance with that "proper gift" which God has bestowed not only upon every rank, but upon every individual.

The expression "gift," shows that whatever portion we possess, God is the bestower; and as we believe him to be a God of wisdom, knowing all things and foreseeing all events, we must acknowledge him best capable of adjudging our lot, and the portion he has assigned we must improve to the utmost. It is no excuse for sloth or negligence to say, God has placed me in a lowly station and there I must remain. Our country affords many examples of individuals who, by the energies of an active mind and the exercise of honest industry, have risen from the lowest ranks in life, benefiting others and enriching themselves. There is no bar to advancement in England, but on the contrary every stimulus and aid are offered to improvement; but, as I said before, it must be won by honest and lawful means, for he who seeks to raise himself by any other mounts a treacherous ladder, where every step of the ascent but renders his position more perilous.

It is a mistaken idea that those above us must be happier than we: we know our own cares, but are ignoraut of their anxieties; we feel the temptations which surround ourselves, but cannot foresee how rapidly those temptations are accumulated by the possession of wealth, rank, and influence. The sovereign in addition to the trials of mortality has the cares of state; those who guide the councils of our country have a weighty responsibility-the interests of a mighty empire are entrusted to them, and woe be unto them if they be found unfaithful, for they are the servants of the King of Kings.

We who dwell in villages, removed from the turmoil and agitation of public life, have still our respective duties; others better fitted than ourselves are authorized to govern, our easier task is to obey: but no one is permitted to fancy that he is unimportant to society even in a political sense. Loyalty and submission to the powers that be, are our bounden duty, because authorized by God's word; but a mighty engine is still entrusted to our use, and if we fail in our individual duty, we

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