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be pardoned and purified, then he undertakes for us, and makes us such as he would have us to be. We seem here to be separated from all our relations and friends, and banished to a far country. Oh! that we may hold more frequent and endearing intercourse with heaven. May we completely realize and fully enter into the meaning of that blessed declaration, "I am not alone, because the Father is with me." That which supported Joseph, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and Daniel, and Paul, and Silas, amid their various trials, can render any place or circumstances not only tolerable but delightful. Well would it be for us all, if we held more converse with the celestial world; the affairs of this wilderness, through which we travel, would then have less influence in our minds, and the enjoyments and occupations peculiar to the temple above, would become more familiar to us before we reach the gates of Zion.

What profitable lessons we may learn from the season of harvest! How important that we be all ripe for the great harvest. What a solemn separation between the tares and the wheat; but how blessed for the righteous. Surely we ought to seek for a rich abundance of the showers of the Spirit, and bright beams from the Sun of Righteousness, to ripen us for the sickle of death. It is well when our happiness does not depend upon times, circumstances, or situations. For the consolation of Israel is always and every where present, and if we are vitally united to him, he can turn a barren and gloomy desert into a fruitful and joyful land. Dear Madam, I beg to write a line, though I am now lying on the bed of death; I can truly sympathise with you in your afflictions, having myself suffered so much from nervous affections. But I have been in the habit, for many years, of taking all my trials and troubles to Jesus; and I have always found relief and comfort. Yes, at the foot of the cross, must we lay all our burdens, spiritual and temporal, all our sorrows, all our difficulties; the Saviour can turn them all into sources of joy and consolation. He did this to such a degree in the case of Paul, as made him exclaim, "I take pleasure in distresses for Christ's sake." By going to Jesus with our burdens, we obtain more faith; and oh! it is wonderful what an effect a little increase of faith will have over us, with respect to our views of trials and afflictions. It will give them quite a differ

ent aspect. It makes dark things bright, rough things smooth, crooked things straight. By applying to Jesus, moreover, we get new strength, and power from on high, which will make as nothing circumstances which have been as mountains. From Jesus, also, we obtain fresh armour, and this shields us against the harassing attacks of our great enemy. From him too, who is called the consolation of Israel, we obtain renewed comfort, renewed intercourse and communion with him. By thus going to Jesus, we come away strengthened like a giant refreshed with new wine, and then trials and perplexities will appear little. As a dying man then, and as one who has never failed to find consolation in carrying his troubles to Jesus, I would say to any afflicted, tempest-tossed Christian, be much with Jesus in prayer; go to him and tell him all that is in your heart, as the queen of Sheba did to king Solomon: apply to him with enlarged expectations of his help and strength; lean on him, trust in him, and he will assuredly comfort and help and uphold you with the right hand of his righteousness. I have no doubt, dear Madam, you have often tried this method, and found the benefit of it; but none of us makes use of it enough. The true art of being happy and holy, making progress in grace and in meetness for glory, consists in seeking with increased earnestness out of the fulness of Jesus all we want. I will add, that that Saviour, who so often made me happy, when I went to him in health and under troubles, has made this my last, dying affliction the most happy and blessed one I ever knew.Glory be to rich grace.

CHRISTIAN PILGRIM.

The Christian Pilgrim bid depart,
Departs without a sigh;

Fear can no longer chill his heart,
Or sorrow dim his eye.

In heaven's own garments see him stand

On death's much-dreaded shore;

He gazes on the promis'd land,

And seems already o'er.

We saw him oft betray a fear,
As near this flood he drew;
But now a willing pilgrim here,
He kindles at the view.

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Rom. 5. 5 Eph. 4. 1, 2 1 Peter 3. 14 1 Cor. 2. 15 Rom. 8. 30 1 John 4. 18 2 Cor. 5. 14 Heb. 7. 25 Gal. 5. 13 1 John 4. 21 Rom. 12. 13 Eph. 2. 17 1 John 3 1 2 Pet. 3. 18 Rom. 8. 38, 39 Heb. 4. 16 1 Cor. 13 3 Eph. 6. 15 Titus 3, 3 3 John 11 Phil. 2. 15 2 Cor. 5. 17 1 Pet. 4. 8 Eph. 6, 18 1 John 1. 8 Phil. 4. 8 Rom. 8, 16 1 Thess. 4. 9

KIRKBY LONSDALE: PRINTED BY A. FOSTER.

THE FRIENDLY VISITOR.

No. CLXXIX.]

AUGUST, 1833.

[VOL. XV.

THE LOVE OF MONEY.

I little thought when I was drawing up the account of Mr. J. the old farmer, that I should so soon have a case to put in contrast with it, as shewing the ruinous effects of the love of money. Though I have dwelt largely on the subject, in my last number, I feel I cannot do better than pursue it. It is true that many of my readers are very poor, and therefore not in danger from the possession of this world's goods: many however, who are now poor, may be gradually growing into the danger; while many are now in a condition to profit by the solemn caution, "take heed and beware of covetousness." Indeed there is no condition of life, in which we are safe from the dangers of covetousness: for men may indulge the sinful spirit as well in the wrong desire of what they have not, as in the idolatrous attachment to, and wrong use of, what they have.

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I have been much struck with the following extract from "Fuller on religious declension." Pray, reader, give it your best attention; and may the Lord give you the spirit of honest, serious self-application!

"It is worthy of special notice, that when our Lord had warned his followers to take heed and beware of covetousness,' the example which he gives of this sin is not of one that was a plunderer of other men's property, an unfair dealer, or an oppressor of the poor; but of a 'certain rich man, whose ground brought forth plentifully:' and whose only object appeared to be, first to acquire a handsome fortune, and then to retire from business and live at ease. (Luke xv. 21.) This also appears to be the character which is blessed by wicked men, "but abhorred of God.' (Ps. x. 3.)...... It has long appeared to me, that this kind of covetousness will in all probability prove the eter nal overthrow of more characters amongst professing people, than almost any other sin; and this, because it is almost the only sin which may be indulged and a profession of religion at the same time supported. If a man be a drunk

ard, or a fornicator, an adulterer, or a liar; if he rob his neighbour, oppress the poor, or deal unjustly, he must give up his pretensions to religion; or if not, his religious connections, if they are worthy of being so called, will give him up: but he may love the world, and the things of the world, and at the same time retain his character. If the depravity of the human heart be not subdued by the grace of God, it will operate. If a dam be placed across some of its ordinary channels, it will flow with greater depth and rapidity in those which remain. It is thus perhaps that avarice is most prevalent in old age, when the power of pursuing other vices has in a great measure subsided. And thus it is with religious professors, whose heart is not right with God. They cannot figure away with the profane, nor indulge in gross immoralities: but they can love the world supremely, to the neglect of God, and be scarcely amenable to human judgment."

I fear that John, who died lately, has but too fully exemplified the truth of this most weighty passage. I knew John from a boy. He was long a most regular and hopeful Sunday Scholar; and left his school with the highest character from his minister. The situation into which he went afforded him every religious advantage and comfort; and he gave the greatest satisfaction to his employer. He was afterwards assisted by a friend into a higher condition of life, where he prospered in his worldly circumstances, and secured the highest respect and esteem from all who knew him. His health failed him in the course of the last year, and the clergyman under whose eye he had been placed on his removal into the south, being written to, to inquire after his health, replied that he was dying in the most happy state of mind, and that it was the greatest privilege to visit his sick chamber. In fact I know not when I have read a more cheering, interesting account. I have since seen the clergyman; and on asking him after John, he replied with a look of sorrow and disappointment, "ah! poor John is dead, but he has died under a cloud: since I last wrote, such discoveries

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