in the large chapel in Prince's- all gone; for God had taken the street. The people had withdrawn, stone out of our hearts. When the and the deacons and a few friends service was over, we retired; but had retired, with Mr. Hill, into the our hearts were too full to speak, vestry, when two tall, venerable- until we came near our lodgings, looking men, upwards of seventy when my friend at my elbow said, years of age, appeared at the vestryJohn, this will not do; we are both door. After a short pause they wrong; good night.' This was all entered, arm-in-arm, and advanced he could utter. He retired to his towards Mr. Hill, when one of them apartment, I to mine; but neither said, with some degree of trepida- of us durst go to bed, lest we should tion," Sir, will you permit two old awake in hell. And from that time, sinners to have the honour to shake sir, we humbly hope we were conyou by the hand? He replied, verted to God, who, of his infinite with some reserve, "Yes, sir;" when mercy, has kept us in his ways to one of these gentlemen, the other the present moment; and we thought, hanging on his arm, took his hand, sir, if you would permit us, after kissed it, bathed it with his tears, the lapse of half a hundred years, to and said, "Sir, do you remember have the pleasure of shaking you preaching on the spot where this by the hand before we go home, it chapel now stands, fifty years ago?" would be the greatest honour that "Yes, I do," was the reply. could be conferred on us." The old man then proceeded to say, "Oh, sir! never can the dear friend who has hold of my arm, or myself, forget that sermon. We were then two careless young men, in his majesty's dockyard, posting to destruction as fast as time and sin could convey us thither. Having heard that an interesting young clergyman was to preach out of doors, we determined to go and have some fun. Accordingly we loaded our pockets with stones, intending to pelt you; but, sir, when you arrived, our courage failed; and, as soon as you engaged in prayer, we were so deeply moved that our purpose wavered; and, as soon as you began to speak, the word came with power to our hearts; the big tears rolled down our cheeks; we put our hands in our pockets, and dropped the stones one after another, until they were Mr. Hill was deeply affected; the tears rolled down his venerable cheeks in quick succession; he fell on the necks of the old men quite in the patriarchal style; and there you might have seen them, locked in each other's arms, weeping tears of holy joy and gratitude to the Father of mercies. It was a scene at which Gabriel might have rejoiced, and infidelity must have turned pale. The writer is aware that he cannot do justice to it by his description, though he feels, at this distance of time, something like celestial pleasure in recording what he then witnessed. SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRA TION. CHARMING OF SERPENTS. "They are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; which will not | hearken to the voice of the charm- WHETHER any man ever possessed the power to enchant or charm adders and serpents, or whether those who pretended to do so profited only by popular credulity, it is certain that a favourable opinion of magic power once existed. Numerous testimonies to this purpose may be collected from ancient writers. Modern travellers also afford their evidence. Mr. Browne, in his travels in Africa, says, "The serpent most common at Kahira is of the viper class, and, undoubtedly, poisonous. If one of them enter a house, the charmer is sent for, who uses a certain form of words. I have seen three serpents enticed out of the cabin of a ship lying near the shore: the operator handled them, and then put them into a bag. At other times, I have seen the serpents twist round the bodies of these Psylli in all directions, without having had their fangs extracted or broken, and without doing them any injury." There appears to have been a method of charming serpents by sounds, so as to render them tractable and harmless. The ancients expressly ascribe the incantation of serpents to the human voice. Thus Virgil attributes the like effect on serpents to the song as well as to the touch of the enchanter: "His wand and holy words the viper's rage, And venom'd wound of serpents, could assuage.” Music has a wonderful influence upon serpents. Adders will swell at the sound of a flute, raising themselves up on the one half of their body, turning themselves about, and beating proper time. Chardin says, that the way made use of to tame serpents is to break their teeth; and to this custom David is supposed to allude when he says, " Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth," Psa. lviii. 6. By breaking the teeth, or extracting the fangs, the power of mischief may be taken away, but the disposition remains the same. So it is with men in fetters and dungeons; no restraints can do the work of the Spirit in regeneration. Church Matters. CHURCH DISCIPLINE.-FACTS AND THEIR LESSONS. 1. ONE of the facts which most for-, own selves, and covetous,-the idle, cibly strike a careful reader of the New Testament is, the wide extent or scope of church discipline. It is not confined to the violation of what are commonly understood by the claims of morality,-it is not merely the drunkard, the fornicator, the thief, or the swearer, who is declared to be amenable; but many who pass for creditable and respectable professors, the busy bodies and unthankful,-the proud, highminded, and boasters, troublers, and they who cause divisions, lovers of their who, though able, and having the opportunity, work not, either to obtain support, or to improve their powers and opportunities of usefulness,-these, and many others, not more flagitious than they, are expressly named as parties concerning whom the discipline of the church is to be carried into effect, and respecting whom the precise course to be pursued has been laid down in the word of God. 2. A second fact is this-the number of offences to which the extreme censure of the church-exclusion-ments, or outward violence of any has been assigned. Who are the men kind, but by earnest and affectionate that the church is to exclude? It representations, admonitions, and rehas been said, that there are only proofs, addressed to their reason and three cases mentioned in Scripture, conscience, to make them sensible of as demanding exclusion, viz.: he- their fault, and to induce them resy, Titus iii. 10; immorality, voluntarily to amend. . . . But, if 1 Cor. v. 13; and contumacious these moral and religious means disregard of previous censures by the prove ineffectual, Christ hath ordered church, Matt. xviii. 17. And this the society, of which the offender is statement is correct; but the mora- a member, to shun his company lity of the New Testament is very and conversation, that he may be strict; it censures not only the ashamed, and that others may be votaries of grosser sensual lusts, but preserved from the contagion of his the class to whom we have just example. This last remedy will be referred-busy bodies, proud, con- used with the greatest effect, if the tentious, covetous, idle, and many resolution of the society to have no more on whom no great stigma or intercourse with the offender, espereproach now rests among their fel- cially in religious matters, is openly low-men. Not only are they amenable declared by a sentence deliberately to the church, and subject to some and solemnly pronounced in a public of its milder forms of discipline, but assembly (as in the case of the inthe heaviest of all its censures is to cestuous Corinthian), and is steadily fall upon them; they are to be "cut carried into execution. The wholeoff," "put away,"-not to be asso- some discipline which Christ inciated with "no, not even to eat." stituted in his church at the beThe strictness of the discipline thus ginning was rigorously and imenjoined demands our notice. Little partially exercised by the primitive as we may be prepared for it, the Christians towards their offending duty of non-association with the brethren, and with the happiest fornicator, drunkard, extortioner, success in preserving purity of manidolater, railer, idle, and covetous, is ners among themselves. In modern expressly stated and enjoined. It is times, however, this salutary disan injunction delivered in the name cipline hath been much neglected of Christ himself, that his people are in the church; but it hath been taken to refrain from all familiar associa- up by gaming clubs, who exclude tion with professors who have been from their society all who refuse to proved to be guilty of any such pay their game debts, and shun their crimes. These commands, to use company on all occasions, as persons the language of Macknight, "though absolutely infamous. By this sort seemingly severe, are in the true of excommunication, and by giving spirit of the Gospel. For the laws to game debts the appellation of of Christ do not, like the laws of debts of honour, the winners on the men, correct offenders by fines, and one hand, without the help of law imprisonments, and corporal punish- and even in contradiction to it, have rendered their unjust claims effectual; while the losers, on the other, are reduced to the necessity either of paying or of being shunned by their companions as infamous. I mention this as an example, to show what a powerful influence the approbation or disapprobation of those with whom mankind associate has upon their conduct, and, from that consideration, to excite the friends of religion to support her against the attempts of the wicked, by testifying on every fit occasion their disapprobation of vice and their contempt of its abettors; and more especially by shunning the company and conversation of the openly profane, however dignified their station in life, or however great their fortune may be." pository of his will, and designed to effect his purposes, and his alone. 4. The happy results of a steady, impartial, and faithful maintenance of Christian discipline are manifest and great. The world has been impressed with awe by the dignity of true religion rising above every dictate of interest, pleasure, ambition, and pride, and "putting away," " cutting off," the richest, the mightiest, the wisest, and the most beloved, when once the purity of the church and the laws of Christ required it. The moral power of the truth has been presented to the view of man in its most impressive form. The church has been blessed. Its members have been put, and kept, upon their guard; a defence has been thrown around it. The offender has been removed; the channels of communication being closed, the contagion has been stayed. The times of purity in state have commonly been times of prosperity in numbers. When the church has been right in itself, it has generally been blessed with increase from the world. 3. Another fact worthy of remark is this: the advantages possessed by a church, governed by the Scripture rule, over any institutions founded by human laws. That rule is of permanent and universal obligation; its authority is unquestionable; its appeal is to Christian principle, and not to temporal interests; it has been voluntarily espoused by the offender himself; it is enforced by brethren who, if they act rightly, are not to be suspected of motives opposed to those of brotherly affection; it can be administered with all the promptitude that the case demands; it bears practical testimony to the holiness of Christian doctrine; it shows the efficiency of spiritual oversight; and knows of no reversal by any hostile or mistaken worldly power. The discipline of the church is the discipline authorized by Christ, maintained in his name, ex- honour." The reproof and warning The offender himself has been recovered. Men who have remained in a cold and indifferent state, while allowed to continue members of a church, to the neglect of Christian discipline, have been quickened and aroused when once the church has fulfilled its duty; and they have realized the fact that they are now shut out from the communion of saints. The Lord of the church has been honoured, and has fulfilled his word, "Them that honour me, I will are not heard: "Thou hast them that hold.... the thing which I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth," Rev. ii. 14-16. On the contrary, the approval is pronounced: "I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil," Rev. ii. 2. May every Christian community be able to endure the inspection, and be privileged to receive the approval of him "who walketh in the midst of the golden candlesticks." "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." C. J. MIDDLEDITCH. The Sunday-School. BENEFITS OF SUNDAY-SCHOOL TEACHING. THE least of the good which we shall derive from engaging in the work will be the moral benefits, and these are by no means insignificant. There will be the habits of punctuality and perseverance, which, when carried out in business affairs during the week, will certainly lead to prosperity. There will be the advantage of accustoming yourself to restrain your anger, check rash words, and avoid all appearance of evil; greater sensibility in feeling for and alleviating the destitute condition of the poor, and thankfulness that you yourself are removed from poverty; a more lively interest in the well-being of society, and more enlarged views of your duty towards your neighbour; an increased desire to "be what you seem to be;" not to hurt the feelings of others, as you would do by laughing at a child for an answer which, in its innocence, it might think a very proper one. You will see more clearly the evil consequences of a vicious, and the good effects of a virtuous, life, exhibited in the parents and friends of the children with whom you will be brought into contact; and, more than all, you must have the moral courage to avow boldly that you are on the Lord's side. These will be seen to be no trifling advantages; but there are yet still greater ones to be considered. Of the second of these, the intellectual, we have now to speak. To be able to teach well, a man must understand his subject; and to do this he must make himself acquainted with all the minutiæ of it; nothing, whether in science, literature, or art, that bears upon the matter he may have in hand, should be neglected. He should be able to enunciate his truths clearly, and to illustrate them by suitable examples. Continued practice will enable him to do this; and his own intellect will become daily more bright, and his powers of mind enlarged, by a regular preparation of the lessons for Sunday. In how many places in the Scriptures do we not find allusions to ancient manners and customs? How often will not a knowledge of these elucidate an obscure passage, and |