words he employed, and the soured temper he exhibited, were the effects of beer. Conceiving in his mind from this a kind of horror at the indulgence, and dread of the name of the thing which brought so much misery into the house, he one day exclaimed to his mother, when he saw his father intoxicated, that "as long as he lived he never would taste a drop of beer!" This exclamation was heard by the father, although not intended to reach his ear. It made a deep impression upon his mind, as it well might be expected to make if we did not know the difficulty of impressing the victim of drunkenness with any serious convictions whatever. He reflected on the circumstance a long time, and, ashamed to think that he was practising a vice which his child was able so pointedly to condemn, he soon after ceased to drink beer at all, and has for a very long time continued to abide by the resolution made by his child for himself. Happiness and comfort have consequently been restored to his family. Just at first he missed the drink that he had so long been accustomed to; but he now tells the person who related the story to me, that he never felt so well and strong as he does now-far better than he ever did in his beer-drinking days.

SELECTIONS.

God to be praised in his glorious works.-The Creator doubtless did not bestow so much curiosity and exquisite workmanship and skill upon his creatures, to be looked upon with a careless incurious eye; especially to have them slighted and contemned: but to be admired by the rational part of the world, to magnify his own power, wisdom, and goodness throughout all the world and the ages thereof. The more we search and discover his works, the greater and more glorious we find them to be; the more worthy of, and the more expressly to proclaim, their great Creator. To make such researches then is to answer the ends for which God hath bestowed so much art, power, and wisdom upon his works, as well as given us senses to view and survey them, and an understanding and curiosity to search into them: it is to

trace and follow Him, where and whither He leads us, that we may see and admire his handy work ourselves, and set it forth to others, that they may see, admire, and praise it also.-Dr. Derham.

The works of God an argument to fear and obey Him. -Since the works of Creation are all of them so many demonstrations of the infinite wisdom and power of God, they may serve us as so many arguments exciting to the constant fear of God, and a steady hearty obedience to all his laws. And thus we may make these works as serviceable to our spiritual interest as they all are to our life and temporal interest. For if, whenever we see them, we would consider that these are the works of our Divine Lord and Master, to whom we are to be accountable for all our thoughts, words, and works, and that in these we may see his infinite power and wisdom; this should check us in sinning, and excite us to serve and please Him who is above all control, and who hath our life and whole happiness in his power.-The same.

The works of God a display of his Divine wisdom, power, and goodness.-Every thing is indeed wisely contrived and adapted to the ends for which it was designed. The works of Creation demonstrate the all-sufficient power of God, who made heaven and earth by his word, and "all the hosts of them by the breath of his mouth :" nay, who can produce a world with no more labour than by merely willing it to be. The Divine goodness is highly magnified in the works of Creation. There was a time when there was nothing but God; but there was no time when He was not infinitely happy; therefore He was infinitely happy in Himself, and wanted not his creatures to add any thing to Him. But his good pleasure and free grace disposed Him to create them, and impart a share of his own happiness to them.-Reading.

We must turn unto the Lord with all our heart.-He that would so turn to the Lord, as to find mercy with Him, must not turn from one sin to another, or from one sect to another, or from one religion to another only; but he must turn from all his sins, from all his former wicked ways and unrighteous thoughts, and must "turn unto the Lord with all his heart" (Joel ii. 12); that is, our

hearts must be wholly inclined to God, and our souls be offered up as a whole burnt-offering unto Him, without any mental reservation or hypocritical equivocation. There is no agreement between Christ and Belial, between God and sin in the same heart.-Bp. Beveridge.

"I drew them with cords of a man."-The prophet (Hosea xi. 4) means such cords as are proper to draw men with, as they are men, endowed with reason, to discern between good and evil, and with freedom of will to choose the one before the other; and with such a temper and agreement of both, that what we apprehend to be good, that we freely choose, and refuse what we think to be evil. Thus God draws us with cords, suitable to man's constitution: in explanation, He adds, "" with bands of love," or with expressions of his love and kindness towards us. In this way one man commonly draws another: how much more can Almighty God do it, who hath the hearts of all men in his hand, and the greatest favours to bestow which man can possibly desire? This is the meaning of the Apostle, "that the goodness of God leadeth us to repentance." It doth not force or drag us, but it leads to repentance, and so to Christ.-The

same.

The blessedness of reliance upon God.-The natural homage which such a creature as man bears to an infinitely wise and good God, is a firm reliance on Him for the blessings and conveniences of life, and an habitual trust in Him for deliverance out of all such dangers and difficulties as may befal us. The man who lives in this disposition of mind, when he reflects upon his own weakness and imperfection, comforts himself with the contemplation of those Divine attributes which are employed for his safety and welfare. He finds his want of foresight made up by the omniscience of Him who is his support. He is not sensible of his own want of strength, when he knows that his Helper is almighty. In short, the person who has a firm trust on the Supreme Being is powerful in his power, wise by his wisdom, happy by his happiness. He reaps the benefit of every Divine attribute, and loses his own insufficiency in the fulness of infinite perfection.-Addison.

Consideration for the brute creation. In the declaration of God's unwillingness to destroy Nineveh, that compassion of the Creator, which extends to the meanest rank of his creatures, is expressed with wonderful tenderness in the last verse of the book of the Prophet Jonah: "And should I not spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?" And from this, in common with other considerations, it is not extravagant to imagine that mankind are no less in proportion accountable for the ill use of their dominion over creatures of the lower rank of beings, than for the exercise of tyranny over their own species.-Guardian.

The life of faith.-A Christian's life is a life of faith, according to the saying of the Prophet Habakkuk, which is thrice quoted by the Apostle with reference to the life that now is, as well as that which is to come. As it is by faith that the just shall come to heaven, and live there, so it is by faith that they live upon earth too. And it is their living by faith upon earth whereby they come to live in heaven. There they live by sight, and not by faith; but that we shall never do, except we first live by faith and not by sight.—Bp. Beveridge.

reason

The heavenly conversation.-The actions of true Christians have a tendency and reference to heaven. As they govern themselves by the laws, and conform to the manner and way of their heavenly country, so moreover the of their actions, and of their whole conduct in this world, is, that they may be so happy at last as to arrive at that resting-place which "remains for the people of God." This is not only the reason of their avoiding plain sin, and doing necessary duty, but what governs them even in matters of prudence and expedience. The discretion wherewith a good Christian orders his worldly affairs, has in all cases this consideration evermore to guide it, "Which side am I to choose for the furthering of my salvation?" And if there be a discernible difference upon that account, it weighs with him, and he acts as a prudent man, not only for this world, but for a better. He is very careful not to make his temptation strong, nor

his danger great, but as far as in prudence he can, to put himself into all circumstances of safety for his soul. This influences a Christian in the choice of his company, and in the choice of recreations, in the choice of a husband or a wife, of a master or a servant, of the manner of educating and disposing children, and in a word, of all notable circumstances of life, which to him or her may prove safest, according to the knowledge they have of themselves.-Dr. Clagett.

Our Lord Jesus Christ laid down his life for us, to assure his poor creatures that God was thoroughly reconciled to all such as would be reconciled to the way of salvation which He had appointed, and close with it. And then to confirm our faith and hope in God, He was raised from the dead; and by that instance He convinced the world of the truth and importance of all his promises, threatenings, revelations, commands, and ordinances.Bp. Wilson.

Consider what we go to church for? Why even to beg God's pardon for those sins, which, if not forgiven, will most certainly be our everlasting ruin; to beg those graces and helps, without which we can never please God, nor go to heaven; and to give God thanks for those mercies, which we have no reason to expect will be continued, when we are so ungrateful as not to acknowledge them. We are also to hear God's holy will and word read and preached, which is one of the great means of grace and salvation. And we are, by a public appearance at God's house, to testify our dependence upon God for life, and breath, and all things; and to profess openly that we are members of his family and household. But remember, once for all, that it is no honour done to God to be acknowledged, adored, and worshipped in the church, by one who dishonours Him out of it.-Bp. Wilson.

Watch!-Let us do what we will, after all our care, curiosity, and penetration, the circumstances of death, as to the time, the place, and the manner of it, will be always uncertain and precarious. These are points of knowledge which, happily for us, God has reserved to Himself; it is not for us to "know the times and the