and your friends. Be not eager to justify yourself, nor over-forward to make converts by much speaking: an irksome truth becomes more so by being unseasonably urged. Besides, godly people are set down as loving to hear themselves talk; and novices are proud to gain proselytes before they are themselves established in the truth, or know their own religion. But in victory over pride, anger, and all wickedness-in stedfastly observing every rule of holy living laid down by our Saviour in courteous behaviour to all men-in calmly urging the word of God, when some favourable opportunity occurs of bearing testimony to the truth-in these things you cannot exceed. Wait patiently; and you will, by such irreproachable and wise conduct, stop the mouth of prejudice, and win over some to come forth and live a Christian life, as you do.

:

I wish you much of the presence and peace of God in your soul in your practice and tempers, much steadiness and love; and a gracious answer to your prayers for your friends, relations, and fellow-sinners. May we remember each other before God; beseeching him, that we may strongly recommend his truth and service, by great usefulness, till we are for ever with him! From yours, &c.

H. VENN.

RELUCTANT DEVOTIONS.

It is said, that a certain great man once excused his late attendance in parliament, by saying that he had been detained with a party of soldiers who were dragging a volunteer to his duty. Is there no occasion to fear, that many perform their duty with the same spirit with which the volunteer went to his? Prayer and praise, and holy meditation an irksome task! a piece of drudgery undertaken and gone through just because it cannot be safely neglected! Reader, are you of this spirit? With all your sins, and guilt, and weakness, and dependence, do you find it hard to pray? Does your knee bow reluctantly before the throne of grace? Living in God's world, feeding upon the bounties of his providence; your life crowned with his loving-kindness and tender mercy; and above all, enjoying the rich blessings of the gospel, do you find it

a burden to pour forth into the ear of your Heavenly Father the language of praise? And when attempting these exercises, are you like Doeg-detained before the Lord? If so, thy case is pitiable indeed. Where this feeling is habitual, there can be but little solid ground of hope, sin must have dominion. Prospects for eternity must be dark, and growing darker. How little is such a spirit like that of the Psalmist; "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none on earth besides thee." "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee; my soul thirsteth for thee; my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is." My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips; when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night-watches."

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Reluctant devotions! Brother, sister, in the Lord-professing Christian-disciple of a bleeding Saviour, think I pray you of these words; think long and intensely. How do reluctant devotions look to that God "who so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son to die" for its redemption; to that Saviour "who was rich, but for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich;" to angels and glorified spirits whose notes of bursting praise are always echoing through the lofty arches of the upper temple! Alas for us! if the privilege of holding intercourse with God is lightly esteemed; if communion with a glorious and infinite Saviour is a vain thing; holy meditation of little worth; and the service of heaven is regarded as a weariness. Such is not the temper of heaven. It is not a growing meetness for that blessed world. It savours of unbelief, of want of love to God, of interest in spiritual and eternal things: it is an ill omen—an alarming symptom. If this hateful, wicked spirit is about us, let us be in trouble. "It is high time to awake out of sleep"-" To seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near"-to repent of this great wickedness, and cast ourselves down at the foot of the cross, that our "sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord," and that we may be "baptized with the Holy Ghost," and be brought fully into "that liberty wherewith Christ makes his people free."

THE WOUNDED SOLDIER.

An English soldier, being mortally wounded in the battle of Waterloo, was carried by one of his companions some distance from the ranks, and placed under a tree, to die there quietly. When he perceived that the man who had placed him there was about to return into the battle, he begged him most earnestly not to leave him, before he had read something from his precious divine Bible, as he expressed it, which he might find in his knapsack. His com

panion fetched the Bible, and asked him what passage he wished to hear. "Read me," replied he, "the conclusion of the fourteenth chapter of John; I must hear once more from the lips of my Divine Redeemer, what he says there." The other read, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you." When the dying soldier exclaimed, "Yes, that is what I mean; I wished to hear these words once more, now I die in peace, in peace that passeth all understanding." At this moment an officer came, and asked the cause of his lying there. "I am dying," said he: "but I die in peace with God, through faith in the gospel of his Son Jesus Christ." The officer hurried into the battle, and before it was ended was mortally wounded. Expecting every moment to be his last, he told those who surrounded him, that he was oppressed with the greatest anguish. "I die," said he, "but in what a different manner from one of my men, whom I saw expire under a tree! He died in peace, because he enjoyed, as he said, the peace of God; and this peace he had acquired by reading the Bible. Alas! I have had the Bible likewise, but I did not regard it. I neglected it, and now I am deprived of that peace which it breathes into the soul, and must die—a prey to despair!"

OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH.

It is delightful to see what efforts are everywhere making for the better observance of the Lord's Day. The business is going on, I rejoice to see, successfully. After all, much will depend upon the conduct of individuals, of shopkeepers, and others to keep the Sabbath-day holy. It rests with such to do their duty uprightly and in the fear of God, more than to wait to see what others are doing, some of whom will not move except in a body. Now I think if any real Christian simply acts in faith, and in a simple dependence on God's providential care over him, he will be no loser.

Many years ago, I had the following account from a shopkeeper in the town ofHe used to attend the ministry of a devoted servant of God, whose Church was six miles distant from the town in which he carried on business, in a large shop. As soon as he became a Christian, he immediately conferred not with flesh and blood, but told his customers he would serve in his shop till twelve o'clock on Saturday night. He would not sell any article on the Lord's Day. Of course he was laughed at, and abused, and told This language of the world had no He told the writer, with much feel

he would lose his business.

influence on his determination.

ing, that so far from losing anything, his business increased; and he was better off in obeying God's will than in complying with the violation of the Lord's Day, to which he had been before accustomed. We know who has said, "godliness hath promise of the life that now is, as well as of that which is to come."

"IT SHALL BE PAID HIM AGAIN."

I have always liked the beautiful expression of the verse quoted among the sentences, at our Communion Service, as the encouragement to give readily to the poor. “He that hath pity on the poor, lendeth unto the Lord; and look, what he layeth out, it shall be paid him again." This is always done in God's good time. Sometimes immediately, and according to promise, as in the case of the poor widow of Sarepta, when she received a prophet and had a prophet's reward.

The following anecdote I had from the person many years ago. She had been to some church in London on a Sunday evening. There was a charity sermon at the time, though I do not recollect the occasion. She was so interested with the subject of the charity, that though she had only half a crown in her pocket, she gave it willingly to the plate. Her circumstances were slender, and some would have thought she ought not to have given what she did. But she did it in faith, trusting in that God who had often supplied her necessities. When she reached her lodgings, she was met at the door by her good and pious landlady, who told her that while she was absent, a gentleman had called of whom she had never heard before, nor afterwards, and who had, after enquiring the name, left a guinea for her. So quickly did God graciously reply to her work of faith and labour of love. Surely we are encouraged

THE WOUNDED SOLDIER.

An English soldier, being mortally wounded in the battle of Waterloo, was carried by one of his companions some distance from the ranks, and placed under a tree, to die there quietly. When he perceived that the man who had placed him there was about to return into the battle, he begged him most earnestly not to leave him, before he had read something from his precious divine Bible, as he expressed it, which he might find in his knapsack. His companion fetched the Bible, and asked him what passage he wished to hear. "Read me,” replied he, "the conclusion of the fourteenth chapter of John; I must hear once more from the lips of my Divine Redeemer, what he says there." The other read, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you." When the dying soldier exclaimed, "Yes, that is what I mean; I wished to hear these words once more, now I die in peace, in peace that passeth all understanding." At this moment an officer came, and asked the cause of his lying there. "I am dying," said he: "but I die in peace with God, through faith in the gospel of his Son Jesus Christ." The officer hurried into the battle, and before it was ended was mortally wounded. Expecting every moment to be his last, he told those who surrounded him, that he was oppressed with the greatest anguish. "I die," said he, "but in what a different manner from one of my men, whom I saw expire under a tree! He died in peace, because he enjoyed, as he said, the peace of God; and this peace he had acquired by reading the Bible. Alas! I have had the Bible likewise, but I did not regard it. I neglected it, and now I am deprived of that peace which it breathes into the soul, and must die-a prey to despair!"

OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH.

It is delightful to see what efforts are everywhere making for the better observance of the Lord's Day. The business is going on, I rejoice to see, successfully. After all, much will depend upon the conduct of individuals, of shopkeepers, and others to keep the Sabbath-day holy. It rests with such to do their duty uprightly and in the fear of God, more than to wait to see what others are doing, some of whom will not move except in a body. Now I think if any real Christian simply acts in faith, and in a simple dependence on God's providential care over him, he will be no loser.