much fervengy. To appear in the house of God, claiming a name and a place among his people, while we do not fervently unite in the supplications which are offered to him, shows that we are destitute of the views and feelings which sanctify and animate the minds of those that worship God in spirit and in truth. Yet such appears to be the state of many professing Christians. They can hear the person officiating, making the general confession of sins, and imploring forgiveness in the name of Jesus Christ; but they neither feel the burden of their sins, nor seek for pardon with humble and contrite minds, They listen to petitions for temporal and spiritual mercies, without manifesting a desire to become personal partakers of any divine blessing; and they permit the language of thanksgiving to be uttered without gratitude or praise. Thus, while possessing the means of grace, they continue strangers to the power of vital godliness, and all the spiritual comfort which accompanies the knowledge and belief of the truth,

As we constantly need pardoning mercy-require to have our wants daily supplied and especially as God is always waiting to be gracious, therefore it is both our duty and our privilege to be found "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance.' To those that have been led by divine teaching to form a proper estimate of the value of prayer, no employment will be reckoned so honourable -no exercise will be found so delightful as the lifting up of the soul unto God in the retirement of the closet-in the social worship of the family, and in the united supplications of the public assembly. Then do they

"Prove the power of prayer

To strengthen faith and sweeten care."

I would, then, in the language of Christian affection, say to those who by faith call on the name of the Lord, carefully guard against every thing that has a tendency to unfit your minds for performing the duties and enjoying the pleasures of spiritual devetion. Let neither professional engagements nor worldly employments keep you from the throne of grace—or when there, have that influence on your affections which shall make you pray in a formal and superficial manner. But if you wish to receive much instruction from the word of God, to be greatly profited by the ministry of the Gospel, to successfully withstand the influence of sinful

temptations and as faithful servants of Jesus Christ, finish your course with joy-then "in every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God."

EXTRACTS

FROM MATURE REFLECTIONS OF THE REV. ROWLAND HILL, IN HIS OLD AGE.

I do not know any passage of Scripture, where true faith is mentioned otherwise than as a practical grace.

I once saw a child with a pretty bird, to whose foot he had fastened a string, and so let it fly, while he held it. I bargained for the little captive, and the instant it became mine, I loosened it, and let it go; and away it flew into the air, rejoicing in its release. Had the creature possessed a mind, I question whether it would not have returned to me; but it had no mind, and I could not make it know that I was its friend. Thus the believer flies away when set at liberty from sin, and from the 'world; while God not only gives him freedom, but subdues his soul, acquaints him with his benefactor, and causes him, after all his excursions, to return, and repose believingly and lovingly on his bosom.

Holiness is not the cause of salvation, but it is the invariable effect of salvation; it is the white stone, the evidence of our acquittal.

I love to see all the sweet flowers and fruits which God makes the earth bring forth to please us, and then I think, O that I could bear more fruits of righteousness to please him.

If prayer does not cause us to leave off sinning, sinning will soon make us leave off praying. The great thing is, to live as we pray.

We should not repine at dark providences, for there is light on the other side of them.

There are two sorts of trials, the one of God's sending, the other of our own making. The former are wisely sent, but we must expect to suffer under those we bring upon ourselves.

While God corrects with one hand, he supports with the other, and makes us say, even "in affliction," his mercy endureth for ever.

Affliction's rods are made of many twigs, but they are all cut from the tree of life.

If afflictions work good in us, they will only be as waves to lift our bark into the haven of eternal rest.

If I am right with God, my desire will not be so much that he should help me out of my trials, as that he should preserve and bless me in them. The true Christian is "patient in tribulation;" and if God denies his request to be delivered from trouble, he can even praise him for the denial.

There is not a blessing that grace will not teach me to spiritualize; each mercy I enjoy preaches a sermon to my heart. I want my bread to be an ordinance to me; my bed to represent to me my rest after death; the sun which shines upon me to remind me of the "Sun of Righteousness;" and the air that surrounds me, and wherein I breathe, to teach me to remember that I should live in the element of holiness. I would never quench my thirst without recollecting the fountain of life.

I once reproved a female who was very high in her sentiments, but very unruly in her tempers. "Do you think," said she, "that a few ill tempers will exclude me from the covenant of grace!" My answer was, “I believe no one can be in the covenant of grace who has not the graces of the covenant; and these are love, joy, peace, gentleness, and such like."

"BE NOT OVERCOME OF EVIL, BUT OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD."

This is a beautiful direction to the Christian, and happy they who are enabled to act upon it, as many have had grace to do, and have had cause to rejoice. May I more and more be strengthened to imitate the following example, which I have never forgotten,

since the time I was a school boy, and heard the case from my dear old, and ever valued master.

A pious Christian man, who was hated by one of his neighbours for his religion, was attacked by him, at his door. He bore for a time all the violence of the other's language, who called him all the ill names he could think of. When at length he ceased, being exhausted with passion, the other meekly replying to him said, "will you come into my house, and take some refreshment?" This was too much. The enemy was softened, and at once he was overcome with this Christian conduct, and burst into tears. a triumph!

What

LETTER ON SABBATH TRAVELLING.

SIR, Having had occasion lately to travel to London, and wishing to lose no time on my way, I took advantage of a vacant place in a coach passing through the town from which my residence is a few miles distant, one by which I was not usually accustomed to travel. We passed on our journey without any particular incident till we arrived at the inn for dinner; when, after entering the room, I was soon followed by the coachman, a very respectable man and part proprietor, who took his seat at the opposite end of the table, and the following conversation took place:

"Yours is rather a long drive, Mr. Coachman, from your town to London." "Yes, sir, about seventy miles." "And do you drive every day?" "Yes, sir, one day up and another down." "It must be rather heavy work for you the whole year round.” "It is, sir; and I could not do it if I did not get my rest on Sundays." "You do not run your coach on Sundays, then?" "No, sir, I do not, nor ever will; if they want coaches to run on the Sunday, somebody else will drive them; I will not." "I am glad you do not break the Sabbath; I am quite sure no blessing ever attends it." "I believe there is not, sir." "And I have no doubt but you feel yourself greatly refreshed and strengthened by resting and attending the worship of God on the Sabbath." "I hope I do, sir." "Nor do I think Sunday coach-travelling ever answers any good purpose, even in a way of worldly advantage." "I am quite sure it does not. If I were to drive my horses on a Sunday, I must keep at least one more on a stage, besides working them out sooner. Now, my horses all rest on a Sunday, and one of them, in turn, every day; so that we go on very well, and it would not answer to keep an extra one for Sunday work." "Well, I hope you will get a blessing from the God of the Sabbath; for he has said, 'them that honour me I will honour. father acted on the same plan: he was a coachman, and a coach

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My

proprietor, many years, and he never would suffer his coach to run on Sunday, and he did better than most of them." "Yes! and if men would honour God, and reverence his holy day, they would find his word true, that godliness is profitable for all things; and I should be glad to see Sunday coach-travelling altogether abolished." "It might be, sir: it could be done very well without." "I did hope it would have been abolished by this time, but the attempt has failed at present." "I wish it was, with all my heart; and I am sure there is scarcely a respectable coachman who drives on the road, but would be glad to have his Sunday to rest; but many of them are men with families, and dependent for their bread on their employment, and so are afraid to refuse to do it."

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The time for our repast being expired, we proceeded on our journey; and I have thought our conversation might be worth notice, as adding one more testimony to the many already given, of the desirableness of renewing the attempt in the approaching session of Parliament to relieve the numerous body of men employed in connection with stage-coaches from a bondage under which many of them feel themselves to be unwillingly placed, and for doing away a sad evil, which, among many others, I am painfully obliged to witness on the Lord's Day just about the usual time of commencing the worship of God.

Nov. 30, 1838.

I am, &c.

V. T.

AWFUL VISITATION.

An inquest was lately held before Mr. W., at Tisbury, on the body of George Beling, 30 years of age. It appeared that the deceased had been addicted to drinking, and had, within the last few days of his life, expressed the impious wish, with an oath, "that he might die drunk, like Turner," who a week before had died at Ansty under similar circumstances. Shortly afterwards, the deceased was drinking in a tap-room at Tisbury, when he became so intoxicated that he was placed behind the settle, where shortly after he breathed his last!-Devizes Gazette.

THE TRIUMPH OF DEATH.

No lessons equal those I learn

While seated near the suff'rer's bed;
What nature is I then discern,

When all fictitious aid is fled.

The smile of youth which lit the eye,

The blush of health which warm'd the cheek

I watch them, and I see them fly;

I listen, and I hear them speak.