to consolidate men of various ranks and con- | ence? The humbling services of the meek ditions, with their several talents and abili- and lowly Jesus, are naturally forced into the ties, into one compact, efficient, well organiz- ministers of pride and vain glory. The traned body, ready to act with one heart and one quillity of the day of sacred rest, and its soul, in the cause of God and their country. gentle, peaceful employments, give a birth, Little shades of difference, in men truly good, which they detest and disclaim, to the whis will unite instead of disjoining. Our great per of envy, and the noise of slander. The national assemblies are obliged, by law, to feast of love is disturbed, the sacrifice of open their sittings for public business, by acts peace is defiled by the impure claws of of public devotion. The reason and intention harpies; and "the house of prayer is turned of the law, and of the practice founded upon into a den of thieves." "Surely, my beit, are abundantly obvious. If the effect does loved brethren, these things ought not so not follow to the extent that might be wish- to be." ed-it must be concluded, that the devotional part of the sitting is neglected; that formality has extinguished the flame; or that difference of religious sentiment, or what is still worse, indifference to all religion, mar and weaken, and distract the whole. The prevalency of a worldly spirit must at length prove fatal to piety, and when piety is gone, public spirit is on the decline, and will not long survive.

But we have in the history under review, a melancholy instance of what frequently happens to this day, and under a happier dispensation of religion-seasons and places of devotion perverted into the instruments of kindling and exercising the ungracious, the unsocial, the unkind affections. How often is the sanctuary of God profaned, by being made the scene of displaying the rivalship of beauty, dress, equipage, rank, and afflu

Happily for us, the influence of the gospel, and the laws of our country, and the spirit of the times, prevent the practice which threw Elkanah's family into such a flame; and which, wherever it has prevailed, has been productive of confusion and every evil work. May a purer religion, and wiser institutions, and a more enlightened spirit produce a more perfect morality, promote domestic happiness, and extend and secure national prosperity.

We now proceed farther to unfold, from the sacred history, the character and conduct of Hannah: earnestly praying, that with "all" the rest of" scripture," which "is given by inspiration of God," it may "prove profitable for doctrine, and for reproof, and for correction, and for instruction in righteousness."

HISTORY OF HANNAH,

THE MOTHER OF SAMUEL.

LECTURE CI.

So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest set upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord. And she was in bit erness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou will indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord, all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. And it came to pass as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth. Now Hannah, she spake in her heart, only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. And Hannah answered and said, No, my Lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.-1 SAMUEL i. 9-18.

THE support and the consolations adminis- | according as we pass from one condition to tered by religion, are adapted to the nature another. There are comforts which no one and necessities of man. The exercises which but God could have bestowed; there is it prescribes arise out of the circumstances wretchedness which God only can relieve. and events of human life; and the being and Hence the soul rises directly to the Giver perfections of God present themselves to us of all good in transports of gratitude, and

me, if you will, that the remark is frivolous, it is the honest effusion of a heart filled with
and the doctrine unedifying. I shall neither its object, persisting in the pursuit, and rising
feel mortified nor complain, provided you gradually into confidence of success. It is a
permit me to think that nothing is frivolous happy anticipation of the Saviour's doctrine,
that tends to unfold the excellence and im-" that men ought to pray always and not to
portance of the female character, and nothing faint:" a happy example of clearness and
unedifying which serves to improve the precision in the subject matter of prayer, of
better part of our species in the knowledge of confidence in, and reliance on the Hearer of
the means whereby both their respectability prayer, of holy resolution to make a suitable
and importance may be effectually promoted. return to prayer heard, accepted, and an-
I repeat it therefore confidently, that Hannah swered.
is here represented as exemplifying a hard
lesson, but one of high importance to all her
sex. Who does not know, my female friends,
that your condition and place in society ne-
cessarily subject you to many cruel priva-
tions, many mortifying constraints? What
heart but sympathizes with you, obliged, as
you are, to bear and to forbear, in patience
and silence, and to practice painful duty,
without so much as the poor reward of notice
and approbation. But trust me, you have
often, when you little think of it, the admi-
ration and esteem of the more attentive and
judicious; you have the sweet consolation of
reflecting that you are endeavouring to act
well; you can look up in humble hope to that
God who seeth in secret; who observes and
records what the world overlooks or forgets.
How pitiable, on the other hand, are those
unhappy females, who dream of deriving con-
sequence from vexing and disturbing all
around them, by perpetually bringing for-
ward their personal vexations, as if the world
had nothing to mind but them, and their real
or imaginary grievances.

But this, as was said, is only a shade in the character; the great striking feature, is a fervid, importunate; aspiring spirit of devotion. Sighs and tears are the language of nature sinking under its own wo, of a "heart that knows its own bitterness;" prayer is the language of faith in, and hope toward God, the exertion of a soul struggling to get free, casting its burden upon the Lord, and acquiring strength from exercise. There is a beautiful and affecting copiousness in her expression. She addresses God as the Lord of universal nature, who "doth according to his will, in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth;" as "the Lord of Hosts," who has all creatures, all events in his hand and at his disposal. The repetition of the word "handmaid" is emphatical, and powerfully expresses her humility, submission and sense of dependence; and it is humility that lends energy to every other principle of the divine life."From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh," and accordingly we find her diversifying her petition into all the various modes of address: "If thou wilt indeed look on my affliction, and remember me, and not forget me." Is this the vain repetition of the hypocrite, who thinks he shall "be heard for his much speaking?" O no,

But what was here the expression of a devout, a praying spirit? The noise of the Pharisee, the pomp of words, the correctness that courts the applause of men? No, but the ardour of a gracious spirit which neglects forms, which never thinks of appearance, or the opinion of others, which, occupied with God, overlooks man. What need of words, to him who reads the secret recesses of the heart, who hears the half breathed sigh of the prisoner in his dungeon, who collects the falling tears of the mourner, and has already granted the pious request before it is formed in the anxious breast? Strong inward emotion will of necessity imprint itself on the external appearance. The voice may be suppressed, but the features will speak; what bushel will confine the lightning of the eye? The lips will move involuntarily; the hands will raise themselves to heaven, without an admonition from vanity, and the bosom will swell to make room for the expanding heart, though no eye is present to see it, and regardless whether there be or no.

How equivocal are the signs of human passions, and how liable to mistake is the most discerning human eye? What was in the sight of God an indication of faith believing against hope, of a fervent piety which totally absorbed the senses, of a heavenly mind which wrapt the very body up to the throne of God, is, in the sight of Eli, the disorder of a distempered brain, the effect of excess, the lowest, the most deplorable, the most disgusting exhibition of degraded humanity. Alas, the good man, as we shall presently find, had "a beam in his own eye;" and thereby was led to discern "a mote" in that of another, where there was none. In reflecting on the rash judgments of men, the choice of David, when in a great strait, presses itself upon us with redoubled force; "Let me fall now into the hand of the Lord, for his mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of man." "If God justifieth, who is he that condemneth?" But ah! what signifies the applause of the world to him who is condemned of his own conscience, and who trembles every hour at thought of the righteous judgment of God!

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I like the defence of Hannah almost as well as her prayer; it argues conscious innocence and integrity. Not a single parti cle of gall enters into her reply, not even a

particle of honest heat and indignation, at be improved into perfect loveliness, by affa an imputation so odious. A female charged bility, gentleness, benevolence, compassion. with a breach of decency so gross as excess and, above all, by a spirit of genuine piety, of wine, and not break out into a flame! the parent of every grace. If there be a Ah, her calmness and temper refute suffi- human being that really deserves the name ciently the infamous aspersion, infinitely of angel, a term, for the most part, most vilebetter than a torrent of intemperate abuse ly prostituted, it is a sensible woman dewould have done. How calm, how beautiful, scending from the temple, or issuing from her how lovely, how dignified is innocence! It closet, to enter with composedness, sweetseeks the light, it shrinks not from the eye ness, and satisfaction on the employments of of inspection, it defies calumny, and wraps her humble, but important station in human itself up in its own pure mantle; but dis- life. dains not, at the same time, to satisfy the honest inquiry, and to remove the hasty suspicion of true goodness; it is always ready to render a reason, always ready to prevent its good from being evil spoken of.

The conduct of Eli is estimable in two points of view. Observing, as he thought, the temple of the Lord profaned, and the female character dishonoured, he honestly speaks out his suspicion and censure to the party concerned; instead of whispering them in the ear of a third person: and thereby affords an opportunity of explanation, and of coming to a right understanding; and, once satisfied of his having been mistaken, he retracts his hasty judgment, and exchanges reprehension into blessing, and supplicates Heaven in favour of her whom he had rashly condemned.

It was through the disorder of a divided family, it was through the wo of an afflicted woman, it was amidst the corruptions of a degenerate church and a disjointed state, that God was pleased to raise up a prophet, a priest, a judge in Israel to stem the torrent, to restore the lost dignity of religion, to save a sinking nation. When events flow in an even channel, when the powers of nature produce their effect in an uniform tenor, a blind chance, an irresistible fate, or an unintelligent arrangement receives the homage, which is due only to sovereign wisdom, and all-comprehensive beneficence. For this.. reason, God sometimes permits the great machine as it were to stand still, that men may observe by what hand it is stopt, and by what hand it is put in motion again.

Isaac, Jacob, Samson, Samuel, four of the To what a happy serenity is the mind of most eminent, among the types of the great Hannah now restored! She has poured out Restorer of fallen man, were introduced into her soul before the Lord, and vindicated her the world through the agonies of desponding innocence to man. The tranquillity and joy nature, through the exercise of undaunted of her spirits shine in the whole of her out- faith, and the unwearied importunity of ward deportment; her countenance bright- prayer and supplication. They were the ens up, she partakes in the festivity of the successive lights of the world, each in his season, and "is no more sad." What a dif- day; and having every one fulfilled his day, ferent figure does the same man present to were successively extinguished. The great the eyes of the world, inflamed with rage, Light of the world has arisen, the stars distorn with envy, stung with remorse, distract- appear, the shadows are fled away. Patried with anxiety, degraded with debauchery; archs and prophets bring their glory, and lay or with a visage beaming benevolence, eyes it at his feet, a voice from heaven proclaims, animated with love, a form firm and erect"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well from conscious integrity. pleased, hear Him."

Would you wish to appear to advantage before others, take care to cleanse the inside of the cup. Purify thyself "from all filthiness of the spirit." Let order and peace reign within; no artificial daubing applied on the outside, no splendour or elegance of apparel, no studied arrangement of the features will do it half so well.

Looks and appearance are perhaps of inferior consequence to one sex, but they are of much to the other. With some, appearance is all in all. In that view, it is not easy to imagine the effect which the inward temper and character produce. Beauty becomes perfect ugliness, and inspires nothing but disgust, from the moment that the face begins to wear the traces of pride, contempt, envy, fury, or insolence. On the other hand, be assured, that a very homely external may

Let not the apparently declining state of any interest preach despair; for every evil has its remedy, except despair. That cause must perish, which all agree to give up as lost; a dying cause may revive and flourish by the wisdom and honest exertions of one man. Impaired health often issues in death, embarrassed circumstances in bankruptcy, an irregular life in irretrievable perdition; because the patient, the debtor, the sinner, gave himself up too hastily, and was lost through fear of being lost. While there is "balm in Gilead, and a physician there," no wound, however grievous, is incurable. While there is friendship, while there is compassion on earth, honest distress will find While the throne of sympathy and relief. grace is accessible, there is hope "for the chief of sinners."

HISTORY OF HANNAH,

THE MOTHER OF SAMUEL.

LECTURE CIL

And they arose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah; and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about, after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord. And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. But Hannah went not up: for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever. And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the Lord establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.-1 SAMUEL i. 19–23.