exceeding great and precious promises of God, and you, having these promises, not cleanse yourself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God? O give evidence that you are indeed under the power of divine grace!If you are, surely you will have a regard to the glory of God and to the credit of grace; that the Gospel of the grace of God may not on your account be evil spoken of. We call you to mortify sin, and to follow after holiness in heart and life; we press upon you a strict conformity to the law, as a rule of life, as you regard the love and favour of God, and your own peace and comfort. For great peace have they that love his law. We call you to holiness, as you have a regard to the welfare of others-their conviction and conversion; and as you have a regard to your family, and to them that shall come after you. In a word, it is by your holiness of heart and life, that the power of grace is seen-the truth of grace is tried-the beauty of grace is discovered-and the comfort of grace is felt. The power of grace will not be seen, if you be not holy; and if it be not so powerful as to make the hardest command easy to you. The truth of grace, (that is, the reality of it,) will not be evident to you, if you be not holy; for sin will cast a cloud over it. The beauty of grace will not appear to others, if you be not holy. They will say, what do you more than others, or what are you better than your neighbours, if you do not shew your faith by your works? The comfort of grace will not arise to you, or be enjoyed by you, if you be not holy-the pleasures of religion and the exercise of it go together. May it then be the blessedness and the happiness of every true believer, to walk in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost! R. Tuesday 11 Deut. 8. 16. Luke 1. 46, 47, 48. Wednesday 12 Deut. 8. 18. Monday 24 Deut. 15. 11. Deut. 17. 19. Deut. 20. 3, 4. Wednesday 26 Luke 1. 49, 50, 51. Luke 2. 37, 38. Psalm 89. 15, 16. Luke 4. 39. Luke 7. 12, 13. Luke 7. 47, 48. Luke 10. 20. Luke 10. 36, 37. xxx Psalm 90. 16, 17. Psalm 93. 5. RULES For promoting brotherly Love. 1. To remember that we are all subject to failings of some kind or other. 2. To bear with, and not to magnify each other's infirmities. Gal. vi. 1. 3. To pray one for another in our social meetings, and especially in private. James v. 16. 4. To avoid going from house to house for the purpose of hearing news, and meddling with other people's business. 5. Always to turn a deaf ear to any slanderous reports of a brother; and to pay no attention to any charges brought against such, except well-founded. 6. If a brother be in fault, to tell him of it first privately, before it be mentioned to others. 7. To watch against a shyness of each other, and to put the best construction on any action that has the appearance of opposition or resentment. 8. To observe the just rule of Solomon; "leave off contention before it be meddled with." Prov. xvii. 14. 9. If a brother has offended, to consider how glorious, how God-like it is to forgive; and how unlike a Christian it is to revenge. Eph. iv. 2. 10. To remember that it is always the grand artifice of the devil, to promote distance and strife among christians; and that, therefore, we should watch against every thing that would further his end. 11. To consider how much more good we can do in the world at large, and in the church in particular, when we are all united in love, than we could do when acting alone, and indulging a contrary spirit. 12. Lastly, to consider the express commands of Scripture, and the beautiful example of Christ. Eph. iv. 32. 1 Pet, ii. 21. John xiii. 5. 35. INSCRIPTION: In the Market Place, Devizes. The Mayor and Corporation of Devizes avail themselves of the stability of this building, to transmit to future times the record of an awful event, which occurred in the market place in the year 1753: hoping that such record may serve as a salutary warning against the danger of impiously invok ing divine vengeance, or of calling on the holy name of God, to conceal the devices of falsehood and fraud, On Tuesday, January, 1753, Ruth Pierce of Pottern in this county, agreed with three other women to buy a sack of wheat in the market, each paying her due proportion towards the same. One of the women in collecting the money, discovered a deficiency; and demanded of Ruth Pierce the sum that was wanting to make good the amount. Ruth protested that she had paid her share, and said, she wished she might drop down dead if she had not. She rashly repeated the awful wish: when to the consternation and terror of the surrounding multitude, she instantly fell down and expired, having the money concealed in her hand. THE NURSERY-MAID AND HER LITTLE CHARGE. A TRUE STORY. There is no station of life, where the humble, pious disciple of Christ may not be useful, both to the bodies and souls of others. Mary was servant in a gentleman's family, whose only child, when an infant, fell from his nurse's arms, broke his leg, and was lame ever after. When six years old, he was sent to school, where he behaved so well, and was so good tempered, that he was very much liked by his master as well as schoolfellows. His parents delighted much in him; and said that no pains should be spared to make his life comfortable and happy. When eight years old, he caught the measles; and after suffering a great deal very patiently, seemed to be getting better, to the great joy of his parents: but God ordered it otherwise; they were soon to lose him; though not before he was made ready to go to heaven. Mary who waited on him, was a very pious young woman: she had been brought up in the fear of God, and did her duty to the suffering child. She read the Bible to him, taught him to love God, and to trust in Jesus Christ. Neither of his parents were serious; and they had never once thought of instructing him in these things. Happy was it for this poor boy, that his nurse knew the value of religion herself, and desired to bring her little charge to the knowledge of it also. Mary prayed earnestly to God to help her to do her duty faithfully, and by her instructions to lead this poor child to Jesus the Saviour; that he might see the sinfulness of sin, and depend upon him for salvation. At first she found it hard to get him to attend, when she talked to him; but by degrees, he became fond of listening to her, and even of his own accord would ask her to read the Bible to him. He soon knew the meaning of the most important parts of God's word; and got by heart many portions of it, which he often repeated in the night, when lying awake. For some months he seemed to be getting better; but being out one day in a shower of rain, he caught cold, and never recovered. His faithful Mary waited upon him night and day. He now spoke to her freely and openly of divine things. He used often to tell her, he was sure he should die, but always added, for her coinfort, "I am not afraid, Mary; I shall go to heaven, and be happy with God and Jesus Christ. 66 He now, in his turn, felt a desire that others should have the same happiness which he enjoyed. He expressed an earnest wish, that his dear parents might be brought to know Jesus; and often did he pour out his heart in prayer for them. One day when his mother sat beside him, he said, "Mama, I am going to die; God is going to take me from you." She replied, my dear boy, we cannot part with you yet." "Mama, (he said) you must submit to what God orders. He loves you; and the Bible says, 'whom he loves he chasteneth'. It is his will to take me to himself. And though I am very sinful, yet God will forgive me for Jesus Christ's sake, and I shall be for ever with him." "Are you not sorry (said she) to leave papa and me, and to leave this world?" No, mama, I am not sorry to leave the world, but I am sorry to leave you and all my friends. But remember, mama, if you will love Jesus Christ, you will come to heaven when you die; and oh! how happy I shall be to see you there!" His mother was much affected with his talking, and was about to leave the room; but he called her back, and begged that when he was dead, Mary might be taken care of; adding, "it was Mary, mama, that taught me to love God and think of death: and if she had not been so kind to me, what would have become of me now ?" 66 A few days after, this dear child was released from his sufferings, and entered into the joy of his Lord. Though neither of his parents could bear to hear him talk so calmly about death, and of his leaving them, yet what he said, with the blessing of God, did much good. His mother, in particular, was deeply convinced of the value of religion and the importance of eternity; and has ever since devoted herself to God and his service; living as a stranger and pilgrim upon earth, and hoping soon to join her dear child in the world of glory, to which he was so early called. |