the roof. It had three windows on the south side, and one on the east, over the altar.

Our readers who possess our volume for 1832 may find, on page 22, some very pleasing verses in which this interesting building is described in a manner which will repay their referring to it.

SCRAPS FROM THE EDITOR'S PORTFOLIO. CHRIST, THE PURIFIER.-The following story (I know not on what authority) is abroad in the religious world :-Some ladies in Dublin met together, from time to time, at each other's houses, to read the Scriptures, and to make them the subject of profitable conversation; and, when they came to the third chapter of the prophecy of Malachi, had some discussion over the second and third verses, respecting the method of purifying the precious metals. As none of the company knew anything about the process, one undertook to inquire of a silversmith, with whom she was acquainted, how it was effected, and particularly what was the business of the refiner himself during the operation. Without explaining her motive, she accordingly went to her friend, and asked him how his silver was cleaned from any dross with which it might have been mixed. He promptly explained to her the manner of doing this. "But,'

She

said the inquirer, "do you sit, sir, at the work ?" "Yes," he replied, " for I must keep my eye steadily fixed on the furnace; since if the silver remains too long under the intense heat, it is sure to be damaged." at once saw the beauty and propriety of the image employed: "He shall sit as a refiner of silver;" and the moral of the illustration was equally obvious. As the lady was returning with her information to her expecting companions, the silversmith called her back, and said that he had forgotten to mention one thing of importance, which was, that he only knew the exact instant when the purifying process was complete, by then seeing his own countenance in it. Again the spi

ritual meaning shone forth through the beautiful veil of the letter. When God sees his own image in his people, the work of sanctification is complete. It may

be added, that the metal continues in a state of agitation till all the impurities are thrown off, and then it becomes quite still,-a circumstance which heightens the exquisite analogy in this case; for, O! how

"Sweet to lie passive in his hand,

And know no will but his !"

MONTGOMERY.

THE HARMONY OF CREATION, I hold there is a general beauty in the works of God; and therefore no deformity in any kind of species of creature whatsoever. I cannot tell by what logic we call a toad, a bear, or an elephant, ugly; they being created in those outward shapes and figures which best express those actions in their inward forms; and having passed that general visitation of God, who saw that all he had made was good, that is, conformable to his will, which abhors deformity, and is the rule and order of beauty there is no deformity but in monstrosity, wherein, notwithstanding, there is a kind of beauty, nature so ingeniously contriving the irregular parts, that they sometimes become more remarkable than the principal fabric.

COMMUNION HYMN.

I BID my pulse more slowly beat,
I bid each earthly thought away,
That I may hold communion sweet
With God, my Maker and my stay.
O God, wilt thou accept me now,
As here I bring my erring heart-
Here once again renew my vow,

And seek thy smile, that better part?

Oh, I have loved the things of earth,
There joy and peace have vainly sought,

Till, weary of the soul's long dearth,
I fly to thee, Lord, to be taught.

Entwine me yet within thy love,

Bless these, its emblems, still to me, Let me not grieve thy Holy Dove

Nor wander in my heart from thee.

Give me a purpose calm and pure;
Give me the ransoin'd spirit's scope;
That I may keep, though worlds allure,
A holy frame and heavenly hope.

Oh, were I in yon heavenly field!—
But no; 'tis mine, while here I live,
The fruitful works of grace to yield--
And thou, for this, thy strength wilt give.

Saviour, that strength I seek, and trust;
Alone to thee my soul shall cling;

Life's changing scenes, death's mouldering dust,
Through thee shall life and glory bring.

E. G.

WAIT, WORKING!

WAIT thou on Jehovah! instinctively cries
The Psalmist of Israel to thee-

A guide to thy steps, and a light to thine eyes,
In darkness and doubt he will be.

Wait thou on Jehovah in poverty's hour-
Before him confidingly stand,

In meekness-and thee will the arm of his power
Exalt, to inherit the land.

Wait thou on Jehovah, when wealth like a flood
Rolls in, and still consecrate this,

In time of thy stewardship, wisely, to God,
Lest thou his inheritance miss.

Wait thou upon Him in importunate prayer,
And he will thy sacrifice own-

If with it 'tis humbly and truly thy care
That labour is joined, at the throne.

For poor is oblation where charity's not

Such formally waiting in vain

Will be found, at the last, on thy garment, a spot-
What ocean may cleanse from the stain!

In trials and blessings that meet thee, do thou-
While glad, or submissively, still—
Rejoice in his love, to his providence bow,
And work, as thou waitest his will.

And thou, whose delight it may be, for thy Lord,
In his Sunday School still to be spent-

While scattering there the good seed of the Word,
Scan truly thy wish and intent.

Thou teachest another-hath Wisdom thee taught
Thy folly and weakness to see?

And hast thou, in weepings and watchfulness, brought
Thy charge where the sinner should be ?

In prayer dost thou wait, where, in secret, each face
Of thy class rises up to thy love-

And toil for these dear ones, believing that grace
Will guide them in safety above?

Wait in all on Jehovah! not passively wait-
With zeal be thou girded and shod-

Sitting down, rising up, in the house, in the gate,
Oh, WORK, as thou WAITEST on God.

His universe serves him. The shining ones touch
Their harps, as they wait his behest-
Obeyers, while waiting; we, too, may be such,
Who more than the angels are blest.
Philadelphia.

W. B. T.

INTELLIGENCE.

DOMESTIC.

LONDON CITY MISSION.-The rise and progress of this invaluable Institution has again and again been presented to our readers. On the evening of the 6th

December, its interests were eloquently advocated at the Poultry Chapel, (Rev. J. Clayton's,) by the Rev. John Harris, of Epsom, whose admirable works, "The Great Teacher," and "Mammon," are now exciting universal attention. Never since the days of Robert Hall have we witnessed such breathless attention as was given to his sermon of about an hour-and-threequarters in length. The interest felt was proved in the collection, at the close, of 1221.

The sermon by the time our number makes its appearance will have been published. For the following abstract we are indebted to the Christian Advocate :

"He selected as his text the first clause of Phil. i. 27, which he read thus:- Act the citizen as becometh the gospel of Christ.' He commenced his discourse by justifying that reading, and by expressing his opinion that it was not necessary to confine the exhortation to the free and inperial city of Christ, the church; but that it might be properly applied to the city or country in which a man's lot may be cast. He proceeded, at some length, to shew that Christianity inculcated the purest patriotism; that it had nothing to do with solitude or seclusion, but made the city, the busiest sphere of the world, the busiest sphere also of religion; that the Christian church ought to be the nursery of all moral beauty and excellence; that Christianity is practical; that it is condescending; that wherever it comes, it aspires to raise the tone, and to become the standard, of public morals. The Grecians and Romans, he observed, formed the most exalted ideas of the duties of a true and faithful citizen. Paul well knew, that, as the gospel carried the theory higher, so it rendered the practice far more easy: it exalted the man to a saint-the citizen to a Christian. He was now addressing the Christians at Philippi, where the gospel first triumphed, where it changed a jail into a church-the receptacle of the city's depravity into a receptacle of believers in Christ. And to the Philippians he said, Act the citizen as becometh the gospel of Christ. You know how that is; for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and what that grace led him to do for men. Aim at the salvation of men as he did; make sacrifices for them as he did; and, if it be necessary, die to accomplish their benefit.' The application of the subject to Christian