work of the Lord, and even eager to depart and to be with Christ. I remain, Dearly Beloved, Your affectionate Minister and Servant in Christ, EDWARD WARD. THE VALUE OF THE SCRIPTURES.* DEARLY BELOVED, SUFFER the word of exhortation to be again addressed to you, at the beginning of the new year! Give due heed, I pray you, to the admonition of one who is appointed to watch for your souls, and who verily seeks not yours but you!-God knows I have no greater joy than to see my children, the family over whom God has called me to be a spiritual parent, walking in the truth; shewing by their good works the sincerity of their faith; and proving, that the religion of Jesus, if it has not made them greater and richer in the world, has made them holier and happier! Dearly Beloved, were I to give my best advice to the dearest friend I had on earth, it would be the advice I now give you: "acquaint yourselves with Him, the true Jehovah, as he is re * The subject of this Address suggested by the establishment of the Uxbridge Bible Society. vealed in Scripture, and be at peace!"-In order to attain this saving knowledge of your God and Saviour, let me beseech you, diligently to search the Scriptures with a humble, teachable, praying spirit! You are now, by the especial mercy of God, and the kind bounty of your richer neighbours, presented with this precious Book-a blessing as yet withheld from thousands and tens of thousands,-who live without God in the world, and die without hope in the Saviour!Highly ought you to prize your happy lot, to be born in a land of light and knowledge, where the pure Gospel of Christ is preached, and the word of God is brought to your very doors, and put into your hands. While you thankfully acknowledge your own distinguished mercies, cast an eye of pity and compassion on your benighted fellow-creatures, who know no better than to fall down before senseless idols; nay, who worship devils rather than God, and mingle their own blood with their sacrifices! The word of God, I repeat, is of fered to you without money and without price! Take it freely and bless the kind friends, who provide you with this heavenly gift!—But if you can afford to give something in return, however small it be, to aid in spreading the sacred Scriptures at home and abroad, do not forego the opportunity of doing so good a deed! Remember, the widow's mite was approved and accepted by Jesus! Be ready then to lend a helping hand to save those, who are perishing for lack of knowledge; -but, above all things, be sure you work out your own salvation! If, after all God has done to enlighten you, and to save you, your minds still remain in spiritual darkness, and and your souls perish for ever the blame must lie at your own door; and eternal misery itself will surely be aggravated by the thought, that you might have been rejoicing at the right hand of God, instead of groaning in despair, had you not wilfully neglected so great salvation! Oh! that those blessed times would come, when the word of God shall be valued, as it ought to be, by sinners! when that zeal for religious instruction which marked the Reformation, shall again be witnessed in our country-and prevail throughout the world! Then the churches were thronged from one end to the other-to hear the Scriptures read; and crowds beset the doors-to catch some of the words of eternal life! those, who had but a few pages of the blessed Book, esteemed themselves rich; and he who possessed a whole copy, was regarded as the peculiar favourite of heaven! Then Dearly Beloved, you are in this highly favoured state! to you the word of this salvation is sent! for you the fountain of living waters is opened! and lo, a voice from Heaven invites you; "Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters!" -thankfully accept the Scriptures then, and diligently use, This best of gifts the best of Friends can give ; I remain, Dearly Beloved, Your affectionate Minister and Servant in Christ, EDWARD WARD. ON SWEARING, DRUNKENNESS, AND SABBATH-BREAKING. DEARLY BELoved, A FEW lines of affectionate admonition from your Pastor, as usual on this day, will not, I trust, be unacceptable. Your salvation lies very near my heart and I would willingly promote it, to the utmost of my power, by the pen and by the pulpit. I sincerely hope, there are many amongst you, that have made progress in Grace and Holiness during the past year-and know by blessed experience what it is to walk with God. Would that I could think thus of all!-and that the cautions I am about to give against SWEARING, DRUNKENNESS, and SABBATH-BREAKING, were not needed by any, who profess the name of Christ! 1. What can tempt you to SWEAR, my Brother? what excuse can you make for so wicked a practice? how dare you thus affront the Almighty? Is HE not able to strike you dead, by the breath of his power, and to cast both body and soul into hell? Why has he not done it already? Why has he not taken you at your word, and fulfilled the curses you have again and again called down upon your precious sight, and your immortal soul?-It is, because he was patient, though you provoked him every day; it is, because he loved you better than you loved yourself; he hoped, nay, he still hopes, that his goodness and long-suffering may lead you to repen tance. 2. What shall I say to the DRUNKARD? My Brother, you are the worst enemy to yourself. For the sake of a little jollity, a short season of noisy mirth, you deprive yourself of that reason, which not only raises you above the beasts that perish, but brings you near to God himself.What, I pray you, are the consequences of drunkenness HERE? An aching head, and an empty purse ;-a feeble body, and a starving family! And what are the consequences HEREAFTER? The word of God says, "The Drunkard shall not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven!" What think you of dying in a drunken state, of going stupified with liquor into the presence of a holy sin-avenging God!-Do you not shudder at the thought? Oh, may the Lord touch your heart, with a sense of your danger, and give you grace to break off this besetting sin! 3. It remains to say a word to the SABBATHBREAKER. God numbers it, my Brother, though you do not, amongst his especial mercies, that |