Considering the age in which he lived, the character of his enemies, and the havoc they had made of his coutrymen, he was remarkably humane in his treatment of them. When it was in his power to exterminate the army of the Danes under Guthrum, he not only spared their lives, but gave them a part of the country for settlement, and placed them on the ground of equality with his other subjects. This and other instances of humanity gave a lustre to his character, which far surpassed the glory of military conquests.

In the reign of Alfred, the people of England were professedly Christians, but they had received Christianity in the papal form, and probably had no idea of any other. They were generally ignorant, having advanced but a little from the savage state. By frequent invasions and by a long course of savage warfare, they had become a mixed multitude-a férocious, rapacious and blood-thirsty people. Violence and revenge, private wars, robbery and murder abounded in the land. To establish civil government and equitable laws among such a people was an arduous task, and one that required extraordinary talents. Such talents were found in Alfred, in a degree which has perhaps never been surpassed among men.

That he might render the execution of justice strict and reguJar, and that he might effect a change in the habits of the people, he divided his kingdom in

holders made one tything, and ten tythings one hundred. Each tything had a head, called a tythingman, who was made respon-, sible for the conduct of those under his care. The institution was so formed, that it became not only the duty but for the interest of every man to keep a watchful eye over the conduct of his neighbors. In cases of difficulty the tythingman called his whole class together to assist him in deciding. In affairs of great mo, ment, appeals were allowed from the tything to the hundred, who assembled every month for the settlement of controversies. From the hundred, 12 men were chosen to sit with the presiding magis, trate in deciding causes. Thus originated the present custom of trial by jury in England and in this country. The county court met twice in a year; in this a bishop presided, and from this an appeal was allowed to the king. But such was the incompetency of many of the judges, and such the confidence the people had in the superior wisdom and integ rity of the king, that appeals became so frequent as to be embarrassing, To remedy this evil, he exerted himself to have the nobility well instructed in letters, and in law; he was also careful to have men appointed as judges who were most esteemed for knowledge and probity, and he severely punished malversation in office.

Such was the success of his legislation and efforts, that a remarkable change was produced

in the manners of the people. Robberies and other atrocious crimes were repressed, and a new aspect was given to the state of society. So exact was the police, that it is said, Alfred hung up golden bracelets near the highway as a test of the manners of the people, or of the efficacy of the laws, and no man dared to touch them.

When he ascended the throne, such was the ignorance of all classes of society, that he said he knew not one person south of the Thames, who could interpret the Latin service, or prayers used in the churches; and very few, he said, in the northern parts had attained that pitch of erudition. But he invited the most celebrated scholars from the various parts of Europe to settle in England established schools throughout his kingdom, and obliged parents to send their children to school.

But the most effectual means employed by Alfred for the encouragement of learning was his own example. He divided his days into three equal parts-one third he devoted to sleep, diet and exercise-one third to the dispatch of business, and the other to study. That he might the more exactly divide his time, he made use of tapers of equal length, which he burned in lanthornsclocks and watches being then unknown. By such a careful distribution and employment of time, he acquired much knowledge, and wrote much for the benefit of oth

ers.

Το convey moral instruction to his people, he employed apologues, parables, stories, and a pophthegins, couched in poetry.

He did not think it beneath his dignity to act the part of a teacher among his people. Their moral improvement and happiness was an object dear to him, and for which he was willing to make many sacrifices.

The merit of this prince," says Mr. Hume, "both in private and public life, may with advantage be set in opposition to that of any monarch or citizen which the annals of any age or any nation can present to us. He knew how to reconcile the most enterprising spirit with the coolest deliberation; the most obstinate perseverance with the easiest flexibility; the most severe justice with the gentlest lenity; the greatest vigor in commanding with the most perfect affability of deportment; the highest capacity and inclination for science with the most shining talents for action. Nature also had bestowed on him every bodily accomplishment, vigor of limbs, dignity of shape and air, with a pleasing, engaging and open countenance."

King Alfred died A. D. 901. A greater loss was perhaps neversustained in Britain by the death of one man. How happy it would have been for that nation, had all their kings been Alfreds! Altho' he possessed great military talents, still it appears that he was of a pacific, humane character, and was far from delighting in war and blood. The title THE GREAT, was probably never before or since added to any man's name with greater propriety than to his. And if unwearied endeavors to advance the moral improvement and happiness of a nation, are evidences of goodness, he, in com

THE words of Joshua now be fore us suggest several important ideas.

In the first place they teach us, that religion is a subject of choice. We e are not born religious, nor are we made so by education or the mere care and labors of parents or instructors, without our consent and earnest cooperation. Religion requires our determination, our voluntary choice; and it is also the most solemn question on which we can be called to decide.

To what purpose are all the exhortations of ministers, the prayers of God's people, and the expostulations of the gospel, if we will not be persuaded to choose and seriously act for ourselves? Let us then bring our

selves to the test of serious exam ination, whether we have in very deed chosen a life of real religion. Some perhaps will say for themselves-We bave regularly attended God's worship; we have been trained up to walk circumspectly, to avoid impiety, impurity, dishonesty and falsehood; we have set a good example, and have not deliberately brought disgrace on religious institutions. But it may be asked, Why have you done these things? Has it been from a principle of duty, a sense of obligation and from love to God? Or has it been from a thousand various motives which you have never examined? If the latter, you have yet to choose whom you will serve.

As religion is a subject of

choice, it is not a thing to be forc ed upon us either by God or man. Nor are we to wait in a atate of indifference and indecision, expecting miraculous agency to turn us from a course of sin to the service of God. If we speak it with reverence, we may truly say, that even Omnipotence caunot effect the conversion of a sinner without his consent. For conversion implies the consent and choice of the mind to serve the Lord.

Choosing religion or the service of God, implies more than a consent to be of this or that party among professed Christians, and more than the adoption of any human system of doctrines or opinions. It consists rather in a serious determination of the mind to devote ourselves to the honest study and practice of God's will. Without this we shall be exposed to pass through life in a state of delusion, to confound our zeal for a sect, with zeal for the truth; our attachment to those who bear the same insignia with ourselves, with love for our neighbor; and our choice of a party for devotedness to God.

In the second place we are to remark, that in choosing religion we make choice of some object to serve Choose you whom you will serve. The majority of mankind are the slaves of some ruling passion from which their whole life takes its direction. The passions which hold the world in bondage, may be reduced to a few great tyrants-the love of pleasure of power-of money of fame. "Know ye not," says the apostle, "that to whomsoever ye yield yourselves

servants to obey, his servants ye are whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"

Do any plead for themselves, thus? We have been always devoted to the service of Godour parents dedicated us to him in our infancy and we have yielded to the authority of his law.'

Let this profession be examin ed:-How are you affected by the opinion of the world? What are the vices which you abhor? Do you abhor all the vices which God's law forbids, or only those which happen to be censured by the indulgent moralists of the age? Do you abhor all impurity, profaneness, dissoluteness, revenge, worldliness and irreligion? Dare you in the face of reproach, contempt, and ignominy, refuse to yield to the favorite opinions of those who call themselves the world? Are you so much superior to their condemnation that you dare to forgive a man who has insulted you? Dare you let the world know that you fear God and not reproach-hell and not the contempt of the wicked? Can we be the servants of God, and yet the slaves of the world's law? Can we be the servants of God and yet ashamed to avow our religious principles and to practise according to his requirements?

Do we pretend to serve God while we are buried in avarice, and while we devote our days and nights to the service of mammon or wealth? If the love of wealth engrosses our pursuits and narrows our benevolence, if it quenches our sympathy for oth

ers and closes our hearts against their distresses and wants, if it makes us hard in our dealings and punctilious in our demands, if it renders us more sensible to wrongs done to ourselves than to sins against our heavenly Father, then are we the slaves of wealth rather than servants of God.

There are many who are the slaves of sensuality, who perhaps do not feel their own boudage. How sure, and yet how secret, is the progress of intemperance! How is the whole mind often subjected, and the faculties exhausted by this vice before the poor slave is aware of his danger! He is a slave of sensuality who for the sake of its pleasures neglects the improvement of his mind, or incapacitates himself for the discharge of his duties, or for the enjoyment of the sweets of religion.

Let those who have hitherto preferred the service of the world to the service of God-and who imagine that religion is a burden and the service of God a restraint-believe the voice of all experience, that there is no master so severe as the world, and no service more unprofitable than that which they have chosen, There is no end to the sacrifices which must be made to conform to the capricious laws of custom and popularity. After all that is made in this life there must be a dreadful sacrifice when death closes the state of probation. For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul!

In the last place, observe the time of choosing. Choose you

this day whom you will serves Why this day? Because every motive which can affect a reasonable mind demands it.

Choose this day, because it is the most important thing in life. Our first obligations were to God, and time, instead of diminishing them, only encreases their number, and the sin of our negleet.

Choose this day, because it is the only day of which we are sure. We know not what a day may bring forth; we have no pledge of the continuance of life, we have nothing to depend upon but the mercy of that very God to whose service we are required to devote ourselves.

Choose you this day, because every day's delay renders your choice more unlikely. The motives may never again appear so strong to your minds as they do at present; the subject may never again be urged upon you, and some change in your circumstances may place you out of the hearing of these calls, and out of the power of using the means with which you are now favored. You may be prevailed upon by some considerations of pleasure or wealth, to abandon the ordinances of worship which you now attend. By delay you contract the habit of making excuses, your hearts become more insensible, and the world fastens upon you some new chain.

Choose you this day whom you will serve, because to choose the service of God may be more difficult hereafter, and because late repentance will be bitter and perhaps of little worth. What is thought to be repentance at the eleventh hour is much to be sus