these goodly spangles of light above our heads, their places, their quantities, their motions: but the employment of a Christian is far more noble and excellent; heaven is open to him, and he can look beyond the vale, and see further above those stars than it is thither, and there discern those glories that may answer so rich a pavement. Upon the clear sight whereof, I cannot wonder if the chosen vessel desired to leave the earth in so happy an exchange. O God, I bless thine infiniteness for what I see with these bodily eyes; but, if thou shalt but draw the curtain, and let me by the eye of faith see the inside of that thy glorious frame, I shall need no other happiness. My soul cannot be capable of more favour than sight here, and fruition hereafter.

UPON THE SIGHT OF TWO TREES, ONE HIGH, THE OTHER BROAD.

THOSE trees that shoot up in height are seldom broad, as contrarily, those trees that are spreading are seldom tall. It were too much ambition in that plant which would be both ways eminent. Thus it is with men; the covetous man that affects to spread in wealth seldom cares to aspire unto height of honour. The proud man, whose heart is set upon preferment, regards not (in comparison thereof) the growth of his wealth. There is a poor shrub in a valley, that is neither tall nor broad, nor cares to be either, which speeds better than they both. The tall tree is cut down for timber, the broad tree is lopped for firewood: besides, that the tempest hath power on them both, whereas the low shrub is neither envied by the wind, nor threatened by the axe, but fostered rather, for that little shelter which it affords the shepherd. If there be glory in greatness, meanness hath security. Let me never envy their diet that had rather be unsafe than inglorious.

Bp. Hall.

THE SPIRITS TEACHING. THE substance of the following encouraging facts was related by a lady, who, having tasted of the bread of heaven herself, and found it to be life to her soul, lost no opportunities of offering it, in her Saviour's name, to every sinner who seemed perishing for want of it.

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Some time since we were called by providence to change our residence; and the day before our removal from AI walked round the village to say farewell to all the poor people. In my walk I met a young woman, who, in a most agitated state of mind, addressed me in these words: madam, I am quite a stranger here, but I know you care for the soul of a perishing sinner; my poor brother is even now dying. Alas! he knows not God; he never enters a place of worship; he is an infidel! We are living a short distance from this village; do, do come and speak to him."

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Although I was much pressed for time, I could not resist such an appeal. I accompanied the girl to a miserable abode, and followed her to the bed-side of the dying sinner. His sister listened for his breathing: she raised his hand, and it fell heavily on his side. "Alas!" said she,. "it is too late, he is quite insensible; I am sorry, ma'am, I have troubled you to come." "He still breathes," I replied; nothing is too hard for God, we will speak to him. entrance of thy word, O my God, giveth life. We will even at the eleventh hour use the Divine word; and then we will pray to the Eternal Spirit to seal it upon his heart." I then slowly repeated the following texts close to the ear of the poor man. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die," Ezek. xviii. 4. "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God," Rom. iii. 23. "Sin is the transgression of the law," 1 John iii. 4. "Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all," James ii. 10. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked," Jer. xvii. 9. “Every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart is only evil continually," Gen. vi. 5. thought of foolishness is sin," Prov. xxiv. 9. Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven," Matt. xviii. 3. " Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God," John iii. 3. “Turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die ?" Ezek. xxxiii. 11. I next began to pour in the balm for a wounded spirit. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price," Isa. lv. 1. "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like

"The

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crimson, they shall be as wool," Isa. i. 18. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh," Ezek. xxxvi. 26. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life," John iii. 16; for "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin," 1 John i. 7. "Look unto me, and be ye saved," Isa. xlv. 22. Having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus-let us come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need," Heb. x. 19; iv. 16. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God," Eph. ii. 8. "If ye then, 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," Luke xi. 13. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you,"

ver. 9.

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I then knelt down with the young woman, and earnestly entreated that God would water his own all-powerful word with his own life-giving Spirit: I then took my leave of the poor girl, begging her to come for me immediately if her brother evinced (before the morrow) any symptoms of consciousness. No messenger was sent, and the next day we left the village.

In a few years the poor girl's sorrow and her dying brother's awful state vanished from my remembrance, but our God has said, "My word shall not return unto me void," Isa. lv. 11. About eight years after we had settled at H, I was one day sitting in my drawing room, when my servant said a man wished to see me. He entered the room, and with much respect, and the deepest emotion, and with streaming eyes, exclaimed, “Oh, ma'am, how can I express my gratitude to you! I am the man whom you visited eight years since at I could not move; I

could not speak; but I heard every word you repeated from that blessed, blessed book. And it pleased God, whose name is love, to make his own truth a savour of life unto life to my dead soul. I have found Jesus to be indeed the chiefest among ten thousand, yea, altogether lovely, and he

has enabled me to hold on my way rejoicing; and I have now, after much difficulty, discovered your abode, that I might have the sweet privilege of telling you, what your God has done for my soul."

Reader! do you visit the sick and the dying, and those who are dead in trespasses and sins? and are you often discouraged by your little success in entreating them to flee from the wrath to come? are you unable sometimes to find language in which to express your desire for their salvation? Take courage from this narrative; use not your own words; seek not to conquer with your own weapons; take only the sword of the Spirit as this lady (now in glory) did; simply repeat the very words of God, and ask of God the Spirit to seal them upon the heart, and your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord.

THE ATONEMENT OUR ONLY REFUGE.

From a Sermon by Miles Smith, Bishop of Gloucester, one of the translators of the Bible, and the writer of the "Preface" usually prefixed to the larger edition of it.

Ir a tree be sound at the root, there is hope that it will sprout forth, notwithstanding it should be lopped and shred ever so much. But now, if it be rotten at the root, then fare it well. In like manner, if the soul be safe; if it live by faith in the Son of God; if it fight the good fight of faith, and win the field; all other losses are not to be reckoned of; we are more than gainers, more than conquerors. But if the soul perish (and it will perish, except it be fed with the word of the gospel; and it will make shipwreck, if Christ sit not at the stern; and it will be overcome in the day of battle, if Christ be not its Captain, its Saviour, its Deliverer,) then all the world is gone with us; it had been better for us if we had never been born. Our sins do threaten God's vengeance upon us; our consciences do accuse us; the law contains matter of indictment against us; the devil follows the suit; all the creatures of God which we have abused, all the callings of God which we have neglected, all the threatenings of God which we have despised, do witness against us. In a word, the Lord sitteth on his throne as an angry Judge-hell openeth her mouth wide, being ready to swallow us up-the world forsaketh us—our friends have no power to help us. What is to be done in

this case? what shift shall we make? what place of refuge shall we flee to? Only this is our comfort, that the Son of God became the Son of man, to make us the sons of God; vile he became to exalt us, poor to enrich us, a slave to enfranchise us, dead to quicken us, miserable to bless us, lost in the eyes of the world, to save us; lastly, partaker of our nature, of our infirmity, of our habitation, to advance us to his kingdom and glory; that is, to be unto us, according to his name, Emmanuel," God with us;"-God to enlighten us; God to help us; God to deliver us; God to save us.

CURE FOR DESPONDENCY.

I HAVE found nothing so salutary as to turn the mind immediately to the Saviour; "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved," Acts ii. 21. To pray immediately to Christ, to cast ourselves incessantly upon his power and grace, as revealed in the gospel, appears to be the best antidote to every tendency to despondency. I have no doubt that we are much wanting to ourselves in not having more direct dealings with the Saviour, or not addressing him now in the same spirit in which he was applied to for the relief of bodily disease. He is exalted at the right hand of God for the express purpose of dispensing pardon, peace, and eternal life to all that humbly seek his aid; and, wonderful condescension! he has declared that he will in no wise cast out whomsoever cometh to him, John vi. 37. R. Hall.

PUBLIC WORSHIP IN FRANCE.

A CLERGYMAN who resided in France a part of the present year, (1841,) wrote as follows from a small town on the north coast:

"The interior of all the churches that I have seen is marred as to effect by the profusion of gilding displayed on the compartment of the high altar, but altogether most tawdry, and in very bad taste. The virgin retains all her ancient honours. She is manifestly set forth as the mother of God.' There are in church many every side shrines and altars to her, and as many little candles burning as in the darkest times. Sculpture and statuary, as well as painting, are scat