On one Sabbath evening, the worthy Doctor discoursed to his congregation from the words of John the Baptist, in the third of Matthew, "He shall gather the wheat into his garner, but shall burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire," and was, of course led to describe the torments of hell. The thunder of his eloquence rolled, and its lightnings flashed in every direction. Indulging his imagination, he exclaimed, "Yonder you see a miserable group, who, while on earth, were companions in swearing and Sabbath-breaking; in another direction you behold a wretched young man who was disobedient to his parents"at this moment turning his eye to the left hand of his vast church, he discovered a pew full of ladies laughing at some trivial incident connected with themselves, and on them he fixed his full gaze, as he closed his powerful paragraph with the words, "and here is a party that went to church to laugh.” He proceeded in his sermon without any further remark on the impropriety, and it scarcely need to be added that the reproof had the desired effect.

Another beautiful illustration of the character and power of this admirable preacher's eloquence, may here be given. The following address formed the close of a sermon before a charitable association :

What more shall I add, my brethren, to excite your liberality? Could I take you severally into the mansion of misery in our city, and show you the pallet where the child of want and distress is lying, whose former condition of life makes the idea of an alms-house affiicting, and whose distresses are cheered only by the hopes that spring will bring better days, and that Christian bosoms are not dead to sympathy;-could I place before your eyes the shivering infant, the starving grandsire, the poor widow, forsaken, neglected, forgotten, or even the

:

repenting, tattered profligate, I know you would melt in spite of all the apologies self-love might suggest, your charity would abound.

Two boats, some time ago, were sent from Dover to relieve a vessel in distress. The fury of the tempest overset one of them, which contained three sailors, and a companion sunk. The two remaining sailors were floating on the deep; to one of them a rope was thrown; but he refused it, crying out, "Fling it to Tom: he is just ready to go down; I can last some time longer." They did so; Tom was drawn into the boat. The rope was then flung to the generous tar, just in time to save him from drowning. Look on the boisterous sea of this world. You have your conflicts, we acknowledge, but there are some that cannot last like you. Throw out immediately to their assistance, or it may be too late. Accomplish now, what I persuade myself you thought of yesterday, during the cold and heavy snow-storm. Come, my brethren, discharge your duty, adorn the gospel, disappoint the devil, and revere a present God.

REV. DR. HUMPHREY.

IN the biography of the late Rev. Dr. Nettleton, we are furnished with a very pleasing account of a sermon preached by Dr. Humphrey, when pastor of the church at Pittsfield. It appears that in 1820, a promising state of things existed there. Dr. Nettleton was present, and it was resolved to devote the day of the declaration of Independence to religious services. To this arrangement many ungodly persons in the neighbour. hood objected, and while the people were assembling and crowding the church, the rioters exploded crackers, and in other ways sought to annoy them.

The service having commenced, and having proceeded with

great solemnity, Dr. H. read as his text, John viii. 36, "If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." He had not proceeded far, when the word "fire" was given, and their ears were suddenly stunned, and the congregation startled, by the report of cannon. It was the attack of the adversary, and it was well kept up. But, unfortunately for him and his agents, every shot preached louder than ten thousand thunders; for while the drums beat, and the fifes played, and the soldiers marched backward and forward, animated by the noise of the cannon, and anticipating a glorious triumph over the cause of God, they were labouring hard to defeat themselves. So skilfully did the preacher allude to, and apply his discourse to the conduct of the opposition out of doors; such advantage did he take of every blast of the cannon, and every play of the drum, by some well-pointed. remark, that it all went, like a two-edged sword, to the hearts of listening sinners. Nothing could possibly have subserved more the object of his discourse. A few persons trembled for the result, but Dr. Nettleton and others were more than hopeful, and they were right. That evening service crowded the place more than ever before-a most powerful impulse was given to the revival, and from that time Emmanuel spread his trophies among great and small. They who thought to crush the work of God were bitterly disappointed, and retired with shame; and one hundred and forty converts declared them. selves on the Lord's side.

A FAITHFUL MINISTER.

A MINISTER, in travelling to fulfil an appointment for preaching, stopped on the way to deliver a sermon to a church that was without a pastor. In his discourse he animadverted

with some severity on the disgraceful practice of intemperance, especially among professors of religion. On visiting the same place some time afterwards, he was told that he had hurt the feelings of some of the brethren; and in a second discourse he apologized to this effect:-"I understand, my brethren, that when I was last here, I was so unfortunate as to hurt the feelings of some of you by remarks upon drunkenness. Since nothing was further from my intention, I feel it my duty to make an apology, which is this:-Being a stranger here, I most solemnly declare that I did not know that there was a drunkard belonging to the church." The hint had its effect. The grumblers were drunkards, and at the next church meeting were excluded.

REV. W. TENNENT.

HIS eminent minister, who, in the last century, was distinguished for great usefulness, was one day passing through a town in the state of New Jersey, in which he had never preached, and stopping at a friend's house to dine, was informed that it was a day of fasting and prayer in the congregation, on account of a very remarkable and severe drought; which threatened the most dangerons consequences to the fruits of the earth. His friend had just returned from church, and the intermission was but half an hour. Mr. Tennent was requested to preach, and consented, after great hesitation, as he wished to proceed on his journey.

At church the people were surprised to see a preacher, wholly unknown to them, and entirely unexpected, ascend the pulpit. His whole appearance, in his travelling-dress, covered with dust, and exhibiting a long and meagre visage, engaged their attention, and excited their curiosity. On his rising up,

instead of beginning to pray, as was the usual practice, he looked around the congregation with a piercing eye and earnest attention; and after a minute's profound silence, he addressed them, with great solemnity, in the following words: "My beloved brethren, I am told that you have come here today to fast and pray; a very good work indeed, provided you have come with a sincere desire to glorify God; but if your design is merely to comply with a customary practice, or with the wish of your church officers, you are guilty of the greatest folly imaginable; as you had better have stayed at home, and earned your three shillings and sixpence." (At that time this was the stated price of a day's labour.) "But if your minds. are indeed impressed with the solemnity of the occasion, and you are really desirous of humbling yourselves before Almighty God, your heavenly Father, come, join with me, and let us pray.

This had an effect so uncommon and extraordinary on the congregation, that the utmost seriousness was manifested. The prayer and the sermon added greatly to the impressions already made, and tended to rouse the attention, influence the mind, command the affections, and increase the emotion which had been so happily produced. Many had reason to bless God for the unexpected visit, and to reckon the day one of the happiest of their lives.

During the great revival of religion in America, which took place under Mr. Whitefield, and others distinguished for their piety and zeal at that period, Mr. Tennent was laboriously active, and much engaged to help forward the work; in the performance of which he met with strong and powerful temptations. The following is from his own lips :

On the evening preceding public worship, he selected a sub