light and love are now vanished, which did the one shine with such heavenly brightness, the other burn with such pious fervour. The golden candlestick is displaced, and thrown away as a useless thing to make room for the throne of the prince of darkness. The sacred incense which sent rolling up in clouds its rich perfumes, is exchanged for a poisonous, hellish vapour; and here is instead of a sweet savour, a stench. The comely order of this house is turned all into confusion; the beauties of holiness into noisome impurities; the house of prayer into a den of thieves, and that of the worst and most horrid kind; for every lust is a thief, and every theft a sacrilege: continual rapine and robbery is committed on holy things.-Howe.

FORCE OF CONSCIENCE.

Confession of Murder.-Within the last few days rumours have been rife that a mason residing in Douglas (Isle of Man), and who was not expected to live, had sent for one of the ministers of the town for the purpose of making a confession of murder, as he felt that he could not die without revealing the secret. The murder was said to have taken place some eleven years ago, and was perpetrated by three parties, one of whom struck the unfortunate man with a mason's hammer, and afterwards threw him into Douglas Harbour, where he was found the next morning with his skull fractured, but which was supposed to be occasioned by a blow against a vessel at the time of his fall. The man said to be murdered was Robert Cannon, of the parish of Marown, who was very well known throughout the island.-Globe.

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

We have received the communications of C. S.; a Layman; M. B.; S. B.; X. Y. Z.; and M. J. A.

We have received from the Editor, and are much obliged by, a copy of the First Number of the "Family Economist."

We beg to thank those Correspondents who send contributions to our pages, and may add, that any accounts of facts relative to the "cottager," "which may be known to them, and useful for circulation, or any other articles of a character suited for our readers, will be gladly received.

Ir is an idle thing to say we believe there is a God, when we do not sincerely serve Him, or purpose to do what He commands. We may say we believe the earth goes round the sun, and do nothing different on account of this truth, and yet our belief may be quite sincere: but if we say we believe in God, and do not his will, we are liars, and the truth is not in us. Why is this? Because the truths themselves are quite different, and require different treatment and effects. The last-named truth does not require actions to be done by us on account of it; a labourer may rise in the morning, and fulfil his daily duties as well whether he knows it or not: but with the other truth it is quite different; when we know there is a God, we know we have a Lord and Master in heaven, above all other lords and masters, and that He has a claim upon us, and a right over us, above every thing else, greater than the right we have over ourselves. From the moment we know this truth, we cease to be our own. If we still consider ourselves at liberty to live as we like and please ourselves, we are not truly believing in God. We are believing, perhaps, in a great and powerful Being who lives in heaven; but

VOL. XXVIII.

F

we do not believe in God, because that word means a King and Lord over ourselves. A great many people have faith in God only in the same way as they believe there is a great emperor in some distant country. They do not acknowledge his power or authority over them; or if they do so in words, they do not in practice: they neither feel towards Him, nor act towards Him, as if they believed Him their Lord and their God. The power of true faith is very great indeed, when it is in the heart; it soon influences the conduct and the feelings. When we believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, in his saving righteousness and death, with a heartfelt faith, we are drawn towards Him, to love Him, to think of Him with joy, to adore Him, and to cleave to Him. It then becomes easy, because it is pleasant, to begin to learn his commandments, and to attempt to do them. Let us, then, pray God to enable us to believe, with our hearts, in his Son Jesus Christ; and the difficulty, so much dreaded, of walking in his holy ways, will be practically removed, although it will have to be overcome afresh every day by the power of faith.

"He that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him1.”

E.

THE NEW CHURCH.

No. XV.

By a careful examination of the holy Scriptures, it will be clearly seen that no human effort is of itself sufficient to change the heart. God employs various instruments, but with Him alone is the power. "Paul may plant, and Apollos may water, but it is God only who giveth the increase." If we attentively consider what is passing before us every day, we shall not require any lengthened argument to prove this truth.

If we look into families, do we not often see those children who have had every advantage that education and religion can give, going on in the "broad road that leadeth to destruction, and throwing far from them

1 Heb. xi. 6.

the wholesome restraint of paternal discipline and example? On the other hand, it sometimes happens, that those who seem placed in circumstances most fatal to growth in grace, come out from the ungodly world around them, and, by letting their "light shine before men, glorify their Father who is in heaven." But is this view of the power and efficacy of the Holy Spirit to make us indifferent as to the manner in which our families are trained and educated? By no means, so long as one gracious promise remains on record like the following: "Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it," no parent can put aside his awful responsibilities by saying he has no encouragement for his labour of love. The Christian parent, sensible of his own weakness and insufficiency for any thing spiritually good, is led continually to seek and depend upon the grace of God, and the promised assistance of his blessed Spirit; and when any good is accomplished in him or by him, he will acknowledge, with humble thankfulness, "Not I, but the grace of God which was with me." And though at times tempted to despond, yet the written word again gives confidence; for by the comforting influence of the same Spirit, he is reminded of the gracious declaration of our condescending Saviour, "If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him ;" and though he may sow in tears, he shall assuredly reap in joy." There are, however, many instances on record, where God, by his Spirit alone, has manifested Himself without any apparent human instruction; and children have been made partakers of His grace and blessing, unknown to all about them until illness or death has revealed the fact. Having witnessed a circumstance of this nature, I will endeavour to give a short account of E- H-. Let us remember the words of our Lord to Nicodemus "Marvel not; the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." We may admire the unmerited grace of God

in offering salvation to ruined man, and only marvel at his forbearance and mercy. Alas! how pride and prejudice darken the understanding, and keep us from seeking that holiness without which no man living can see the Lord: for holiness in principle, and the fruits of it in practice, are necessary to our final enjoyment of eternal life, but not necessary to our believing the Gospel, because that belief itself is necessary to our holiness; for the heart is said to be purified by faith, and by faith to take possession of that free and perfect salvation which the Son of God purchased for us. Let us also remember that faith is the gift of God, and that we can have no good thing but what we receive from Him. Let us be sensible we have nothing to bring that can in the least render us worthy of Christ and his great salvation. Let us earnestly seek for the teaching and sanctification of the Holy Spirit, whose office it is to lead to truth and holiness.

No

Ellen H. was, in every sense, a lovely child. person ever saw her without remarking her beauty. She was very fair; and her hair, which was bright auburn, hung in natural curls over her neck and face. She had a full laughing blue eye, which seldom was dim, either by tears or temper. Her disposition was affectionate and gentle. Often, when she seemed engaged with her doll, and talking to it in her peculiar manner, she would repeat a whole conversation which she had heard from the elder branches of the family, much to their astonishment, and often to their great amusement. Her memory was surprising; she could repeat many little poems, and used to sing any thing that took her fancy, very accurately. She delighted in Church because of the music. She often requested her sister to sing to her; and her especial favourite was, "Come, ye sinners, poor and wretched." Without being offensively forward, she had very little diffidence; so that, if told to do any thing to amuse, there was no foolish hesitation. In fact, she was the idol and pride of the family. Notwithstanding that the dear child received little or no religious instruction, (for she did not belong to a religious family,) yet her mind often dwelt upon