of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint and to give unto them that mourn in Zion beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. From the brief consideration of these soul-refreshing doctrines, a part of the congregation followed me to the Lord's table, to eat of that bread and drink of that cup, which were to show forth the dying love of the Saviour, until he come to judge the world: nor have I the smallest doubt but that several did then and there feed on him in their hearts by faith with thanksgiving. It was a season much to be remembered. While standing before the altar, and ministering to these people, I recollected Elba, and all my aggravated sins at that island. I well remembered also that it was on that very day three years, in which I first stood up to officiate in my solemn character-I remembered the dreary aspect of this then almost forsaken house of God, and the few who approached the blessed Sacrament, and I could not but adore the goodness of the Lord, who since that time had much changed the face of things, and increased our numbers more than four-fold; and all this through the instrumentality of one, who, had he received but one thousandth part of his merited punishment, would then have been where hope, and peace, and mercy never

come.

Nor was the evening of the same day a solitary one. If the world had its parties, so had I mine-no sparkling wines or costly viands graced our board, but we

were not without our feast. No loud intemperate mirth did violence to the tender conscience; yet we were cheerful; and although no idle, frivolous, or unchaste theme occupied our tongues, yet we did not want for subjects of conversation. Reader, is thy curiosity excited to know of what description of persons my party was composed? I will inform thee, although in so doing I may incur the contemptuous smile of some, and the loud and illiberally expressed derision of others. It consisted of young people and children, all poor in this world's goods, but not a few of them rich in grace-untutored in the refined duplicity of polite life, and the finesse of higher ranks, but intelligent and sincere in the things of God-children over whom I had watched almost daily for three years past, and who numbered among them not a few who had grown in grace as they had grown in stature—children whose confidence and affection I knew I possessed, and whose troubles and spiritual conflicts had often been made known to me as to one whom they had tried and found their sincere and affectionate friend, as well as minister in Christ Jesus. Of such was my Christmas evening party mainly composed. With this beloved and affectionate group I conversed on my own, and on the generality of men's perverse abuse of the present and other seasons. We then sang some scriptural poetry, expressive of the nature and blessings connected with the day; and afterwards I endeavoured to set before them the exceeding mercy of having an Emmanuel to guide us through all the dangers and difficulties of life by his unerring counsel, and finally to receive us to his glory. Tears of gratitude

and christian joy filled many eyes, and I trust that the Lord approved the desires of many hearts. This done, we knelt down and thanked the author of all our mercies for the means of grace and the hope of glory which he had afforded us, and then we separated in unity and peace.

The following Sabbath concluded the year, the evening of which was spent with the same party. On that night it was my endeavour to lead their minds back through all the parts of the year then expiring: to remind them of the changes, the judgments, and mercies which our parish had witnessed since its commencement—to hold up the flight, the rapidity, and value of time, and the sure and speedy approach of eternity-to display the emptiness and vanity of all earthly good, and the importance and value of heavenly riches-to warn them how reasonable it was to expect death would break in on some one or more then present, ere another such season arrived; and hence to enforce the necessity of standing with our lamps trimmed and our lights burning, and ourselves as those who wait the coming of their Lord. Never in the whole course of my life had I experienced a more full and realizing sense of the truth and importance of these subjects than on that evening. An unusal degree of solemnity pervaded our party, and the greater number seemed deeply impressed with what they heard. Great, very great, had been the mercies of God to many of us, and to myself in particular. He had strengthened my hands in many arduous ministerial undertakings, and carried me for three years through difficulties of no ordinary magnitude.

At the conclusion of this year, many circumstances seemed to indicate to those about me, that my strength was then failing, and that henceforth I should probably do but little in comparison of the past. This impression caused a mutual sympathy and feeling for each other, and drew our hearts closer in the ties of christian affection, and made us more earnest in seeking pardon for the past, and grace to improve all the future. Reader, I feel a conviction, beyond the power of language to express, that in all our services, thoughts, words, and works, we fall infinitely short of perfection. Yet, when I reflect on this day, and compare it with the termination of past years, I can and ought to bless God, and to adore the riches of that grace which has made me to differ from what I once was, and from what many now are. Whether I were ever to meet the same party again on a similar occasion, was known only to the Lord; but I can say with truth, that no place, no season, no society, ever interested my soul more than this did; and especially while the following hymn was singing by so unusual a number of serious young people and intelligent children, whose understandings and hearts, I had every reason to believe, went with the words of their lips.

"Let hearts and tongues unite,
And loud thanksgivings raise!
"Tis duty, mingled with delight,
To sing the Saviour's praise.

When on the breast we hung
Our help was in the Lord;
'Twas he first taught our infant tongue
To form the lisping word.

In childhood and in youth,
His eye was on us still,

Though strangers to his love and truth,
And prone to thwart his will.

Now, through another year,
Supported by his care,

We raise our Ebenezer here;

'The Lord hath help'd thus far.'

Our state in future years

Since we cannot foresee,

He kindly, to prevent our fears,
Says, 'Leave it all to me.'

O may we then all cast

Our care upon the Lord!

And praise him for his mercies past,
And trust his promis'd word."

Most confident am I, that man is justified freely by the grace of God, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; even by faith without the deeds of the law, but still I cannot help saying, "O that I had ended all my past days as I ended this."

The morrow, or Monday, was of course new year's day; a day, whereon thousands of mankind in this land pull down a more than ordinary portion of wrath on themselves by idleness and excess, by oaths and profaneness. On this day, in our villages, as well as in our large towns, the labourer either refrains from his task altogether, or quits it at an earlier hour than usual, to repair to the ale-house, and there he holds a great feast unto Baal; while his impoverished wife and children are pining in wretchedness at home. Knowing that several of my young friends would be at leisure in the