no impediment. God draws all men by love. He never forces the creature to love him. He ensures obedience by the uplifting of the Cross. Who can by faith behold such a loving Father, without wishing his whole nature to be filled with love, reflecting his image as from glory to glory? "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us, that we should be called the sons of God! and if sons, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ." This is the inberitance of all who fear God, of all who love him. In proportion as we love God, we shall love our fellow-men. This holy principle is not stagnant, but active, vigorous, constant. God is never weary of loving us, and hence we are taught never to be weary in well-doing. "Love is of God," therefore we are to love one another. "Love is the fulfilling of the law." It reigns in heaven-let it reign on earth; then shall joy and gladness break forth on every hand.

The most useful Christian is the most loving Christian, because his efforts to do good spring from an unfailing source:

The love of Christ constraineth him." He imitates his Divine Master, in going about to do good. His course is onward and upward. He is born for God, and he lives for God. The millennial glory will dawn upon the world when Christians love one another with a pure and fervent love-when union is realitywhen all differences of sects and parties are merged by the contemplation of the love of Christ-when they are so completely absorbed in thinking and discoursing on that all-glorious theme, that they will seem to have no leisure to discuss the comparative merits of this or that section of the Christian Church. Until this love is thus displayed more uniformly, and in higher perfection, in vain shall we look for a universal revival of religion. The breezes of heaven are waiting for descent, in answer to persevering prayer by the Israel of God, to bless and renovate the earth; but it is only when the spectacle shall be witnessed of the bonds of love linking, by one vast chain, the entire family of God, uniting heart to heart by one firm and invincible grasp, that God will open the windows of heaven, and pour down the abundant showers of grace, to revive the moral wilderness, and make it blossom as the garden of Eden.

Fervent love is the bright path to fervent prayer; and when this glorious principle is in exercise, and primitive

practice be more fully observed, of Christians meeting together with one accord to pray for the descent of the Spirit, then shall be realized the promise contained in the fourth chapter of the prophet Isaiah, and the Lord "will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all the glory shall be a defence."

Christians! how great is the responsibility resting on you! Let each seek to cultivate the spirit of love; and with this mighty principle, he will be prepared to fulfil his mission, even to glorify his Master on earth, and, as a light, point the way to heaven. F. S. G.

Tiverton, Nov. 2, 1850.

THE CHIEF MOURNER AT NAIN. "Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow."LUKE Vii. 12.

Her

A WIDOW! Then she had formerly had a wedding-day. The hopes of a bride adorned for her husband had once animated her bosom. Her friends had congratulated her on her prospects. parents had kissed her and given their parting benediction. Her beloved had received her, and spoken of pleasant things before them. Now, however, she was walking sorrowfully towards the burying-place-" and she was a widow!" A widow! Then she had known the enjoyments of domestic life. Often, it is probable, had her husband soothed her spirit in seasons of anxiety. On him her hopes had rested for the support she would need in declining years. He was her companion, her guide, her protector. She had seen widows around her, and blessed God that she was not in their case. But the brightness of the morning had passed away; the shadows had lengthened; a dark and gloomy evening had succeeded-" and she was a widow !"

A widow! Then she had trodden the same path before. This was not her first visit to the cemetery. Who can describe her feelings as she followed her husband's remains to their last resting-place, sometimes glancing back upon the past, sometimes forward upon the future; now thinking of conversations abruptly broken off, and now of the circumstances of her father

less boy? On her return, with what emotion had she clasped him to her arms, saying, "Now, I have only you; when

I am in trouble, you must comfort me; when I am ill, you must nurse me; when I die, you must bury me; oh, my son, you must now be my husband!" Many a widow who has spoken thus, has, however, soon perceived fresh sources of anxiety. One has observed that the countenance of her only solace was becoming less healthy; the eye glistened, but the face was pale; the strength was less firm; the cough continued troublesome, the flesh seemed wasting; ah, yes! it became evident at length, that death alone would place him beyond the need of her care. Another has heard as she was sitting, the sound of unusual feet at the door of her habitation; it is a company of strangers carrying one who has met with a fatal accident; her son is living, but he cannot speak; he turnes his eyes towards her with a dying look, and expires. These, or some other distressing circumstances, occurred at Nain; "there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow."

And how did Jesus feel and act when he saw this mournful spectacle? "He had compassion on her." Well he might; he knew the bitterness of her grief, and the helpless of her condition. He remembered that it was written of the righteous, that he caused the widow's heart to sing for joy, and he delighted in exemplifying the character of the righteous. He knew that it had been said of his Father, "He relieveth the the fatherless and the widow ;" and he delighted in displaying his conformity of disposition to him of whom he was the visible image.

"The Son of God, in all the majesty
Of power illimitable-all the zeal

Of pure benevolence-now raised his arm,
And as it rested on the moveless bier,
His voice imperative the silence broke:
'Young man, arise!'

A deep responsive groan,
An undulation of the spreading pall,
Convulsive motion, and thick-spreading sobs,
Declare the spirit heard its Maker's voice,-
Heard, and obeyed."

"And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And Jesus delivered him to his mother."

WALK WITH GOD IN YOUR CALLINGS.

Be upright in your way; admit nothing into your particular callings that is inconsistent with the principles of your general calling, as you are Christians. So carry yourselves, every one of you, that all that deal with you may know you are a real Christian. Were there a great savour of

grace and of the power of godliness in your shops; did you buy and sell in the fear of God, doing all things in faith, as to the Lord, as in his sight, conversing with others as in the fear of God-what a comely sight would this be! You would be "living epistles, seen and read of all men," 2 Cor. iii. 1, 2.

And such sermon-notes, gathered out of the lives of professors, may make deeper impressions than those that are gathered out of the mouths of preachers. Godliness exemplified in practice, shows itself more clearly in the thing, than it is possible for us to do in words. Words convey notions of things to our ears; but a holy life holds forth the things themselves to our eyes. Nothing is so like a man as himself. Godliness in practice is godliness itself, extant in the thing, in its own substance and nature; it is visible grace; it is the very matter and subject of our sermons, standing forth in the lives of professors.

I wish we had more of this divinity walking about our streets-more of these "living epistles, seen and read of all men. These are the books that will convince gainsayers, and provoke them to real holiness. You hear good sermons, and read good books; but doctrines without examples edify little. You do not see and read that in the men of this generation that agrees with Gospel principles. The truth is, saints are not so visible, so legible as they should be; we can hardly spell out anything that savours of true Christianity. It would pose a discerning Christian to pick out grace from the lives of some professors; it is couched under such sinful mixtures, it is in such a worldly dress, that it does not look like itself. Hence it is that many real saints go for hypocrites in this world-are suspected by good men, and hated by bad men, upon this account. Let your light shine out more; away with the bushel that keeps in the light, and take the lantern of prudence that only keeps out the wind.-Cole.

"WHOM SHALL I FEAR?"

TRUE piety elevates its possessor in the scale of being, exalts his feelings, dignifies his character, and sanctifies his heart. It provides for us a suitable relief in every trying state, and enables us to exult in God as the God of our salvation. Let us notice

The confidence of the Christian. "Whom shall I fear?" This is not the language of vain presumption, but the expression

of Christian assurance. to fear?

Whom have we

God? He is reconciled. The love of God is shed abroad in the believer's heart, and the possession of love softens the feelings of fear; shall we be afraid to approach a reconciled Father?

The law? It is satisfied. Those who are under the bond of the covenant, need not fear the curse of the law; its threatenings are averted, and the curse is turned into a blessing.

Satan? Ile is conquered. He can go no farther than the length of his chain. "The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly."

Afflictions? They are sanctified. Shall I fear that which comes from my Father, who loves me? Shall I fear that which is designed for my good? Shall I fear

that which is sent to promote the spiritual benefit of my soul? The diamond of piety never sparkles so brightly as when the Christian is surrounded with the darkness of affliction.

Death? It is vanquished. To the believer it is only "the shadow of death :" there is no substantial evil in it-the shadow of a serpent will not sting; the shadow of a lion will not devour; and the shadow of a sword will not kill. Death is only a dark passage that leads to our Father's house. The unbeliever has everything to fear; God is his enemy, he is under the curse of the law, led captive by the devil, his afflictions are unsanctified, and he is unprepared for death. "God is my strong salvation;

What foe have I to fear?
In darkness and temptation,
My light, my help, is near."

A HEART-RENDING REPROOF.

A short time since, a lady who had been remarkable for her thoughtlessness, requested a professedly pious lady to accompany her that day to visit another lady, who was also professedly pious.

The afternoon passed away, and the subject of religion was not mentioned-probably for fear of offending the gay friend who proposed the visit. As the two neighbours walked towards home, the first-mentioned remarked that she had lost the afternoon, for nothing would have induced her to leave home, but the expectation of hearing something about religion; but she added, "I came to the conclusion that there is nothing in religion, or that my neighbours do not possess it, for if they did they would speak to me about my soul." She said she had been greatly alarmed about herself for several days; but had concluded that afternoon, that if religion was not worth talking about, it was not worth thinking of.

"Never," said that pious neighbour, "shall I forget that look of despair and reproach. I felt that I had murdered a soul by my neglect."

"THE WORLD HATH NOT KNOWN
THEE."

THEN what has the world known? Not known God! Not known him with whom it has to do! Not known its Saviour-its best Friend! What, then does it know to the purpose? If you inquire of the world, it will not only tell you that the present age in particular is the most illuminated of any, but it will tell you of its wonderful discoveries in science, its great knowledge in politics, its progress in the arts, &c. Some will profess to tell you what progress religion has made in the world; and they will go on to say more, as knowing what progress it will make; the world is so illuminated-so comprehensive! Now, with all this knowledge, discovery, and instruction, I read the text, "O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee!"

Not

known thee, and yet so wise! With all its little discoveries cannot it discern the things belonging to its peace? Then it is but telling me of the bustle and industry of ants-of the ingenuity and politics of bees! All this is trifling to him who wants a shelter.

THE MISER'S DAUGHTER.

ONE cold winter, when the ground was so covered with snow that the little birds could not find any thing to eat, the little daughter of a miserly rich man gathered up all the crumbs she could find, and was going to carry them out and scatter them on the snow. Her father saw her, and asked her what she was going to do. She told him, and he said, "What good will it do? The crumbs will not be enough to feed one in a hundred of the birds." "I know it, dear father," said she, "but I shall be glad to save even one in a hundred of them, if I cannot save them all." The father thought a moment; he knew that many poor persons were suffering in his village, and he had refused to help any, because he could not help them all. His conscience struck him, and he told his little daughter to break a loaf of bread into crumbs for the birds, while he went to scatter a purse of money among the poor villagers.

CALVINISM.

As to the doctrines which are stigmatized by the name of Calvinism, I cannot well avoid the epithet rigid, while I believe them; for there seems to be no medium between holding them ; between ascribing salvation to the will of man, or the power of God; between grace and works; between being found in the righteousness of Christ or my own. Did the hard consequences often charged upon the doctrine called Calvinism really belong to it, I should have much to answer for, if I had invented it myself or taken it upon trust from Calvin; but as I find it in the Scriptures, I cheerfully embrace it, and leave it to the Lord to vindicate

his own truth, and his own ways, from all imputations which have been cast upon them.John Newton.

PRESIDENT EDWARDS.

"ONCE," says Edwards, " as I rode out into the woods for health, in 1737, having alighted from my horse, in a retired place, as my manner commonly has been to walk for divine contemplation and prayer, I had a view that to me was extraordinary, of the Son of God as mediator between God and man, and his wonderful, great, full, pure, and sweet grace and love, and meek and gentle condescension. This grace that appeared so calm and sweet, appeared also great above the heavens. The person of Christ appeared ineffably excellent, with an excellency great enough to swallow up all thought and conception, which continued, as near as I can judge, about an hour; which kept me the greatest part of the time in a flood of tears and weeping aloud. I felt an ardency of soul to be, what I know not otherwise how to express, emptied and annihilated; to lie in the dust, and to be full of Christ alone; to love him with a holy and a pure love; to trust in him, to live upon him, to serve and follow him, and to be perfectly sanctified and made pure, with a divine and heavenly purity. I have several other times had views very much of the same nature, and which have had the same effects. God, in the communications of his Holy Spirit, has appeared in an infinite fountain of divine glory and sweetness; being full, sufficient to fill and satisfy the soul; pouring forth itself in sweet communications, like the sun in its glory, sweetly and pleasantly diffusing light and life."

EVIL COMPANY.

THE following beautiful allegory is translated from the German :

Sophronius, a wise teacher, would not suffer even his grown up sons and daughters to associate with those whose conduct was not pure and upright.

"Dear father," said the gentle Eulalia to him one day, when he forbade her, in company with her brother, to visit the volatile Lucinda, "dear father, you must think us very childish if you imagine that we should be exposed to danger by it."

The father took in silence a dead coal from the hearth, and reached it to his daughter, "It will not burn you, my child, take it."

Eulalia did so, and behold her beautiful white hand was soiled and blackened, and, as it chanced, her white dress also.

"We cannot be too careful in handling coals," said Eulalia in vexation.

"Yes, truly," said the father; "you see, my child, that coals, even if they do not burn, blacken; so it is with the company of the vicious."

NEWSPAPERS.

W. C. BRYANT, speaking of newspapers, said:"Books are the precious metals in massesnewspapers coin them for general use, put them into the most convenient forms, and pass them from hand to hand." "Newspapers," he said, "are the ushers of books. Who would know when a book is published, but for the friendly information of the newspaper ?" He added, that he had been sometimes tempted to regret that the wise, witty, or eloquent things which

appeared in these "folios of four pages," as they were called by Cowper, should not be inscribed on more durable tablets, instead of going the next morning to wrap parcels or light kitchen fires; but he was fully satisfied with their fate, when he reflected that they had first been read by thousands, and whatever was good in them had passed into the general mind.

THE OLD FAMILY BIBLE. REMARKABLE INCIDENT.-On the banks of the Wabash the effects of a poor widow, who had been left comparatively destitute at the death of her husband, had been seized by a sheriff for debt, and were being sold by auction; and among these effects an old family Bible was put up for sale. She begged the constable to spare this memento of her dear and honoured parents, but he was inexorable. The good book was about going for a few shillings, when the widow suddenly snatched it, and declaring she would have some relic of those she loved, cut the thread that held the brown linen cover, with the intent of retaining it. The cover fell into her hands, and with it two flat pieces of thin, dirty paper. Surprised at the circumstance, she examined them, and what was her joy and delight to find that they each called for five hundred pounds on the Bank of England. On the back of one, in her mother's handwriting were the following words;-"When sorrow overtakes you seek your Bible." And on the other, in her father's hand:-" Your father's ears are never deaf." The sale was immediately stopped, and the family Bible given to the faithful owner.

NEVER GIVE A KICK FOR A HIT.

I LEARNED a good lesson when I was a little girl, says a lady. One frosty morning I was looking out of the window into my father's barnyard, where stood many cows, oxen, and horses, waiting to drink. It was a cold morning. The cattle all stood very still and meek, till one of the cows attempted to turn round. In making the attempt, she happened to hit her next neighbour; whereupon the neighbour kicked and hit another. In five minutes the whole herd were kicking each other with fury. My mother laughed and said, "See what comes of kicking when you are hit. Just so, I have seen one cross word set a whole family by the ears some frosty morning." Afterwards, if my brothers or myself were a little irritable, she would say, "Take care, my children. Remember how the fight in the barn-yard began. Never give back a kick for a hit, and you will save yourself and others a great deal of trouble."

SELF-EDUCATION.

MR. W. CHAMBERS, of Edinburgh, gave the following account of his early struggles:

"I stand before you a self-educated man. My education was that which is supplied at the humble parish-schools of Scotland; and it was only when I went to Edinburgh, a poor boy, that I devoted my evenings, after the labours of the day, to the cultivation of that intellect which the Almighty has given me. From seven or eight in the morning, till nine or ten at night, was I at my business as a bookseller's apprentice; and it was only during hours after these, stolen from sleep, that I could devote myself to study. I assure you I did not read novels; my attention was directed to physical science, and

other useful matters. During that period I taught myself French. I look back to those times with great pleasure, and am almost sorry I have not to go through the same troubles again. I reaped more pleasure when I had not a sixpence in my pocket, studying in a garret in Edinburgh, than I now find when sitting amidst all the elegances and comforts of a parlour."

THE DIVINE and the DOCTOR. A DEVOUT minister was once asked by a sceptic if he preached to save souls; and on replying that he did, the caviller rejoined, "Did you ever see a soul?" "No." "Did you ever hear a soul?" "No." "Did you ever taste a soul?" "No." "Did you ever smell a soul?" "No." "Did you ever feel a soul?" "Yes, thank God," said the preacher. "Well," said the cavilling

doctor, "there are four out of the five senses against one that there is no soul." So the matter might have dropped; but the preacher, as subtle in understanding as he was pious in heart, turned the table upon the cavilling doctor, and being informed that he was a doctor of medicine, asked, "Did you ever see a pain ?" "No," was the reply. "Did you ever hear a pain ?" "No." "Did you ever taste a pain?" "No." "Did you ever smell a pain?" "No." "Did you ever feel a pain ?" "Yes," said the doctor. "Well, then," rejoined the preacher, "there are, you see, also four senses against one to prove that there is no such thing as a pain; and yet, sir, you know there is such a thing as pain, and I know that there is a soul." The doctor appeared confounded, and walked off.

This pre-eminent scholar has finished his course, and closed his mighty labours. He who for forty-eight years has defeated the attacks upon the Church from the side of Rationalism and Philosophy-who, through all the controversies among theologians in Germany, has remained true to the faith of his adoption, the pure and holy religion of Jesus Christ-Neander, the philosopher, the scholar-better, the great and good man-has been taken from the world.

Augustus Neander was born in Göttingen, of Jewish parentage, in 1787; studied at the Gymnasium at Hamburgh; at the age of seventeen was converted to Christianity and baptized. After his conversion he went to Halle to study theology under Schleiermacher. Having completed his studies, he was first appointed in 1811 private lecturer in Heidelberg, and in 1812 professor at the newly-founded University in Berlin. He was never married, but lived with his maiden sister. Often have I seen the two walking arm-in-arm upon the streets and in the parks of the city. Neander's habits of abstraction and short-sightedness rendered it necessary for him to have some one to guide the way whenever he left his study to take a walk, or to go to his lecture-room. Generally, a student walked with him to the University; and just before it was time for his lecture to close, his sister could be seen walking up and down on the opposite side of the street, waiting to accompany him home.

Many anecdotes are related of him illustrative of his absence of mind, such

as his appearing in the lecture-room halfdressed; if left alone, always going to his old residence after he had removed to another part of the city; walking in the gutter, &c. In the lecture-room, his manner was in the highest degree peculiar. He put his left arm over the desk, clasping the book in his hand, and after bringing his face close to the corner of his desk, effectually concealed it by holding his notes close to his nose.

In one hand was always a quill, which, during the lecture, he kept constantly twirling about and crushing. He pushed the desk forward upon two legs, swinging it back and forth, and every few minutes would plunge forward almost spasmodically, throwing one foot back in a way leading you to expect that he would the next moment precipitate himself headlong down upon the desks of the students. Twirling his pen, occasional spitting, jerking his foot backward, taken with his dress, gave him a most eccentric appearance in the lecture-room. Meeting him upon the street, with his sister, you never would have suspected that such a strangelooking being could be Neander. formerly had two sisters, but a few years ago the favourite one died. It was a trying affliction, and for a short interval he was quite overcome; but suddenly he dried his tears, calmly declared his firm faith and reliance in the wise purpose of God in taking her to himself, and resumed his lectures immediately, as if nothing had overtaken him to disturb his serenity.

He

Neander's charity was unbounded. Poor students were not only presented with tickets to his lectures, but were also