gling in all its pleasures, and leaving it when it was most fascinating and most capable of giving delight; and when too we see the desolate husband standing by her grave, and hearing the clods of the valley rattle upon her coffin, the obduracy of the stoutest mind is melted down, and the full heart swells almost to bursting.

I rode precipitately from this scene of suffering, but could not escape from the reflections which it inspired. What, I asked myself, are the pomp, the splendour, the pleasures, riches, and honors of a world, whose brightest distinctions and highest enjoyments terminate in a scene like this? What will the diadem of the warrior, or the laurel of the scholar avail those who win them, when life is ended? Will the form of that which was once beautiful, sleep more sweetly in its shroud, because it has been admired and flattered?

"Can storied urn or animated bust

Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath?
Can honor's voice awake the silent dust;

Or flattery sooth the dull cold ear of death?"

I asked myself too, how atheistical principles would support either the sufferer or the mourner through such trials, trials which we must all undergo, how distant soever they now appear-clouds which like that the prophet beheld, will come on and overshadow the sky, though they now seem but specks in the distant horizon. Let the blind votary of chance go to the mourner, as he stands, in the anguish of his soul, over the tomb of a buried friend, and tell him, that friend will never burst her lonely prison; and that when her body ceased to act, the bright flame which lighted it up was forever extinguished. O, the noblest triumph of revealed truth is the consolation it gives to man in situations like this; assuring him that the separation which the tomb can make, is but temporary, and thus disarming death of its sting, and the grave of its victory.

Often, when engaged in the chase of some trifle, with all the impetuosity of youth, the remembrance of this funeral has checked my ardor, by the reflection, that success will profit me nothing, when I lay my head on the same cold pillow with the lamented young bride of the village.

FROM SCOTTS LIFE.

"YOU seemed to think, when you were with us, that I wanted to impose a set of notions upon you in religion: but that is not my aim. If you ask me what my belief is, I am willing to declare it: but otherwise I have no ambition to make proselytes to an opinion. My design is to make converts to the substantial duties of a religious and godly life: to persuade people that eternity is of most consequence: that they ought not to be so careful and troubled about many things, as to neglect the one thing needful; that our religion is all contained in the Bible: that we ought to read that book

not only to learn what to do, but what to believe: that God is the giver of wisdom; the Holy Spirit the teacher of the truth: that, before we understand the scripture aright, we must have our minds opened and prepared by the Spirit of God-for the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned:-in short, that we are to trust in the Lord with all our heart, and not to lean to our own understanding: that therefore we ought to be constant in prayer to God, that he would teach us the true way of Salvation-for his secret is with them that fear him, and he will shew them his covenant :-that he would preserve us from mistake, lead us to know his truth, free from prejudice, and pride, and give us that true wisdom which is from above. Three years and a half I have day by day, and many times a day, done this. Since I did so, I have found myself much changed in my views and notions of religion: and, as I am comfortably assured that the Lord hath heard and answered my prayers; and as I not only feel the effect of it in myself, but see the effect of the alteration of my preaching, in the very wonderful change of many profligate sinners to a sober, righteous, and godly life; I therefore, wherein I suppose I was before wrong myself, hint it to you and others dear to me. If you think differently from me, you cannot deny that the means I prescribe are right, safe, scriptural, and a duty. There I leave it. I profess to believe it the Lord's work: when I have used the means, I leave it to him: and my daily, and more than daily prayer for you, all and every one, is, that the Lord would set you right where wrong; teach you where ignorant; guide you to the knowledge of his saving truth; and fulfil all his gracious promises, spiritual and temporal, to your souls and bodies.-I should be glad if you would say a few words on this subject: if not, I must be satisfied to leave it where it is. We any of us may be wrong, and therefore we ought not to be too sure we are right; for confidence is no mark of wisdom. It is worth our enquiry and our prayer, and you will not find me hasty to dictate."

January 15, 1779. Whether you know it or not (I hope you will know it,) before you can serve God with comfort and acceptance you need these two things. First, forgiveness of sins. You have been sinning against God in thought, word, and deed, all your life; as we all have. Your sins of heart and life, of omission and commission, stand against you, and, till they be accounted for and forgiven, your services cannot be accepted. Every duty you do is short of its perfection, and as such adds to your sins and needs forgiveness. In this case the gospel reveals forgiveness, through the blood of Christ, freely given to every sinner who believes. Believe, and thou shalt be saved. Accept this freely, as it is offered, and seek, by prayer, for faith to believe this record which God gives of his Son: and then, your sins being forgiven, you will no longer look upon God as an austere master, or severe judge, but as a loving father, and will with acceptance and comfort pay your services, though imperfect. For, secondly, you need moreover a willing mind, and

strength to resist temptation. Hitherto, I dare say, you have constrained your inclination in what you have done in religion: but, if you are brought to faith, living faith in Christ, he will give you other inclinations, a new heart, and a new spirit, a new nature. Then his yoke will be easy; his commandments not grievous; his ways, ways of pleasantness."

"One thing is needful: but this one thing includes many, and may be considered in various respects. The one thing for a sinner is to know Jesus and his salvation. The one thing for a believer is to live to his will, and to make him his all; to admire, contemplate, resemble, and serve him. A believer is a child of God; a minister is, in an especial and appropriate sense, a servant, though a child likewise. The one thing for a servant, or a steward in the house of God, is to be faithful; that is, to be simply and without reserve, or any allowed interfering motive, devoted and resigned to his will; to have no plan, connexion, prospect, or interest, but under his direction, and in an immediate and clear subserviency to his interest. Happy the man who is brought to this point! How honorable, how safe his state! He is engaged in a league offensive and defensive with the Lord of heaven and earth: and, in the midst of changes and exercises which can but affect the surface, if I may so speak, he has an abiding peace in the bottom of his soul, well knowing whose he is, and whom he serves."

PULPIT ELOQUENCE.-Etract from BossUET.

HUMAN life is like a road, of which the termination is a frightful precipice. We were warned of it at our first step; but the law is passed, and we must continue to advance; I would willingly retrace my steps; but onward; onward; an invincible weight, an irresistible power ever hurries us, and we are compelled to advance, without resting, towards the precipice. A thousand crosses, a thousand pains trouble us on the road. Yet could I but avoid that frightful precipice! No, no; I am forced to proceed, to run; such is the rapidity of one year rolling after another. We are consoled, however, because from time to time we meet objects that divert us, limpid streams, and flowers, that pass away. We are anxious to stop-Onward, onward! and yet we behold all that we have passed, falling behind us, in fearful desolation, inevitable ruin. Still we comfort ourselves, because we carry off some flowers, gathered as we pass, which we see wither between our hands, from morning to evening, and some fruits, which we lose, while we taste them: enchantment! illusion all! drawn on forever, we approach the frightful gulf; already, all around begins to be disfigured; gardens are less blooming, flowers less brilliant, their colours less lively, the meadows less smiling, the waters less clear; all is tarnished, all is effaced. The shade of death presents itself. We begin to feel the approach of the fatal gulf; but it is decreed that we must

still advance. One step more; already horror agitates the senses, the head swims, the eyes are bewildered. We must yet advance; most eagerly do we desire to return; but it is not possible; all is fallen, all has vanished!

BE YE ANGRY, AND SIN NOT. EPH. iv. 26.

How then

can a man

To

MY neighbour, the other day, was very angry, for which I reproved him. He said it was a duty to be angry, and what the Bible required, and quoted this passage to prove it; "Be ye angry, and sin not."-This led me to reflect on the apostle's meaning. Be ye angry, and sin not. Is this possible? Is not anger a sinful passion ? be angry and sin not? solve the difficulty, I found it was necessary to attend to the meaning of the term anger. On examination, I was satisfied it contained these two ideas-displeasure and desire. This displeasure, or an inward dislike, is occasioned by some injury, either real or imaginary.

Damaging our property, abusing our persons and characters, are injuries which produce that displeasure or dislike included in the term anger. This displeasure is attended with a desire, in sinful anger, to retaliate the injury received-to return evil for evil. These are the ideas signified by anger, which are generally attended, sooner or later, with voluntary exertions to produce the effects necessary to repay the injury received. As when one person strikes another, the blow returned is the effect of volition. Hence, in anger two things are to be noticed, the cause, and the effects connected with it. The cause is some injury, real or imaginary; the effects are displeasure and desire, with the voluntary exertions necessary to repay the injury. As the gratification of every desire produces pleasure, and repaying an injury gratifies a desire, and affords pleasure, by this process anger is appeased. Hence, it is not common for men to be angry with inanimate beings: because, being destitute of feeling, we cannot injure them. The injuries received from them may displease us, but commonly, for the reason given, we have no desire to return the injury, nor make any exertions for this purpose. I say commonly, because men sometimes endeavour to punish lifeless things for injuries they have received from them.

Now anger may be a sinful or holy passion, according to the nature, object or design of those desires signified by the term. Here are two persons, one of them is the object of sinful, and the other the subject of holy anger. They are, each of them, displeased with something, and have desires for something. They are, therefore, each of them, according to the meaning of the term, angry.

The desire of one leads him to repay the injury which caused his displeasure, by returning evil for evil. The desire of the other leads him to use means to convince the person who has injured him, of his wickedness in so doing, with a view to his repentance and

salvation. The object of the desire of one is evil; it aims at the destruction of the happiness of others. It is, therefore, sinful, and the indulgence of it prohibited in the word of God. Return not evil for evil, but overcome evil with good. The object of the desire of the other is good; the advancement of happiness, by bringing men to repentance for sin, which is the only obstacle in the way of the happiness of men. Every injury is an evil. And when moral agents commit injuries, they are guilty of moral evil. Hence, when one man injures another, the latter may be displeased, on account of the wickedness which is committed; and he may be displeased, because he is injured without any regard to the sinfulness of the deed. And his displeasure may be attended with a desire to return evil for evil; and it may be attended with a desire to do the injurer good, by convincing him of his wickedness, and bringing him to repentance for it. Thus, parents may be angry with their children, and chastise them, not with a view to injure, but with a view to do them good, to amend and reform their lives. Theft is injurious to the public good; the public mind is displeased with such conduct, and desires the punishment of the criminal with a view to his amendment, and the public good. God, and other holy beings, may be displeased with the injuries done to the moral system, and may desire and actually inflict punishment, when necessary to repair the damage, and thereby promote the highest good. Such anger is holy, because it aims ultimately at the good of intelligent being. But in sinful anger, although the person injured is displeased, and desires to inflict some punishment on the injurer, yet he desires it not for the sake of his good, nor with a view to the public good, but for the sake of the pleasure experienced in returning evil for evil. These observations are sufficient to bring into view the circumstances which constitute the difference between sinful and holy anger.

It is holy anger which Paul had in view, when he said, Be ye angry, and sín not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Let it be remembered, these words were directed to the brethren or church at Ephesus. Keeping this in view, the words in connection with the context may be thus paraphrased :-Seeing you have put off the old man, and have put on the new man by profession, put away lying, yea, every sin; be ye angry, that is, displeased with the wickedness of others, with the injuries they have done you, others, and the interest of religion, but sin not; let not the desires, which attend your displeasure, aim at returning evil for evil, but aim at their repentance and salvation, and the public good in their punishment, if it become necessary to secure and promote it. As that evil, injurious conduct of a brother, which displeases you, is a breach of your charity, and an obstacle in the way of his salvation, till he repents; let not the sun go down, until, if it be possible, by using means to bring him to repentance, he is restored to your charity, and the obstacle to his salvation removed, together with your displeasure occasioned by his wickedness; or improve the earliest opportunity to have your uneasiness, occasioned by his conduct, removed, by effecting a reconciliation between him and you, and Almighty God,