I fhould go aloft without my prayer book, he would throw me from the maft head into the fea, and take me to hell. So I ran from the fhip, and as I was walking along, trying to read my prayer book, an old man came and talked with me, who told me he would have me come and hear preaching, and while I was hearing you, I thought I would make bold and come and talk with you. I am afraid every hour the Devil will come for me, only I always carry my prayer book next my heart, (taking it from his bofom) but I am ftill afraid of him; what shall I do Sir?"—" Read your Bible." "Is that better than my Prayer Book, Sir?"—" Yes, furely but what makes you fo much afraid? You have done fomething that terrifies you."-Sighing and looking frightened, he faid, "How do you know that, Sir?"-" From your being fo unhappy."-" I am the greateft finner in the world. O pray for me, I am afraid I thall go to hell.”— "But tell me what makes your heart fo heavy.”—“ Sir I never killed any body outright."-" But who have you injured?""My wife was one of the best women in the world, but I have been the death of her."

I now began to think the man was deranged; but from further converfation, I found he had almoft ftarved a wife and three children, and had behaved to her in other inftances fo cruel, that her life was in imminent danger when he put to fea. The guilt of his confcience was fuch as to render him miferable. I endeavoured as much as poffible to imprefs on his mind the heinoufnefs of fin in general, and of that fin in particular, and the danger he was in; explaining the neceffity and nature of a new heart; and pointing him to the Blood of Chrift, as fufficient to atone for the vileft finners. He heard with aftonishment, faying, "But will he pardon me?"-I offered to buy him a bible; but he said he would buy one himself, as he had plenty of money. I directed what chapters he fhould read firft, and preffed the neceffity of clofe attention to the fcriptures.

He came to me the next week; but appeared very dif ferent; informed he had heard that his wife was alive and getting better. As foon as he heard from her he fent her all the money he had, and promifed to be a kind husband in future. He thanked me for my advice, faid he had read the chapters I recommended, and hoped he should be a better

man.

How awful are the effects of ignorance! How neceffary is inftruction! How tormenting a guilty confcience! How valuable the feriptures and the blood of atonement!

Portsea.

G, G.

THE UNION OF KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE.

IF ye know these things, faid our bleffed Lord, happy are ye if ye do them. Knowing and doing, then, are diftinct matters, though too often feparated by profeffed Chriftians. Knowledge is neceffary to practice, and there are fome who never attain it, however advantageous the means they enjoy. There are others well informed in judgment, "they know thofe things," but they forget to do them; they are however, not happy, if the opinion of Jesus may be taken; for holiness and happiness are infeparably connected.

The genuine influence of divine truth on our minds, with its proper and vifible effects in our converfation, is a fubject that deferves our ferious confideration.

We profefs that we know God, let us not " in works deny him." Is he Almighty? Let us dread his wrath; let us rely on his protection. Is he omniprefent? How can we forget it, daring to fin under his all-feeing eye, while the prefence of a mortal is a fufficient reftraint? Is he a fovereign? So we think and fay. Why then do we murmur at his difpofals, and why do we fwell with rage against fellow worms, who are merely the inftruments of his will?

We know that we are fallen, ruined, helpless creatures: How then do we conduct ourselves towards God and man? Before the former we should be all humility and contrition; and among the latter we fhould be all meekness; but we fometimes forget our principles, and are proud before our God, and haughty among men.

We know, and loudly maintain, that Jefus is the only, the all-fufficient Saviour; and we contend earnefly against Arminian pride and popith merit: But at times, in the view of our dreadful guilt, we are ready to defpair; or elated with our duties, frames and ufefulnefs, we begin to prefume. We fay, that Jefus is the good fhepherd, and call ourfelves his theep; but in a dark and diftreffing feafon, we are afraid to trust him, and put far more confidence in an arm of flesh.

We boaft of our Chriftian privileges. As children of God, we have liberty of accefs to our heavenly Father; his word, we fay, is fweeter than honey; and communion with him, is heaven upon earth. All this is very true, and per

fans thus perfuaded, fhould live very near to God, and be very happy in him. But practice fails. A worldly trifle keeps us from the clofet; a human production, is frequently fubftituted for the facred pages; and the company of a mortal, debars us from the enjoyment of our God.

The Chriftian, as depicted in the New Teftament, is a lovely character; juft what man fhould be. He exhibits the meeknefs and gentlenefs of Chrift. He forgives injuries, like his dying mafter. He puts a charitable conftruction on doubtful actions. He earnestly endeavours to be ufeful to the bodies and fouls of men; and ftoops to perform the most menial fervice for the least of his brethren. This is pure religion and undefiled. We know these things and approve them; but do we perform them? In anfwering the queftion for myfelf, I hefitate-and blufh-and pray, God be merciful to me

A SINNER.

ON THE ABUSES OF THE CHRISTIAN SAB

As

BATH.

S it is the highest privilege of the Chriftian to draw near to God, as his reconciled Father in Christ, it is a matter of much joy to him, that his Lord has appointed a ftated portion of time to be fet apart as wholly devoted to his fervice. Was it not for this divine institution, his heart would be fo enveloped in the concerns of the world, as to leave very little leifure for the confideration of his most important interefts; but this appointment of infinite wisdom affords him opportunity to retire in fome measure from the world, and leave its concerns at the foot of the mount. Whilft he afcends to meet his God, and hold communion with him by faith and prayer, he has fome foretaste afforded him of thofe joys, which are the portion of glorified spirits in the house not made with hands. But it is not only his privilege, but his duty; the law of his God has enjoined it; in which law he delights after the inner man, and derives abundant advantage from its fanctions, which procure him a peaceable, unmolefted Sabbath.

To enumerate the abuses of the Sabbath by those who are merely professors of Chriftianity, would be an endless task ; my prefent defign therefore is, to confider fome which more

particularly appear in the conduct of those who are partakers of the grace of God, and ought therefore to fine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life by a strict attention to every duty their divine Lord has enjoined upon them.

As every advantage the believer enjoys on the Sabbath, proceeds from communion with Jefus, he should be particu-larly watchful against whatever has a tendency to interrupt that communion; and, of courfe, fhould be very cautious in the choice of his companions, especially on the Lord's Day. Believers lofe much of the benefit of the word, for want of attention to this particular; how many go from the houfe of God, without the leaft appearance of neceffity, into communion with the world whofe converfation, as an instrument in the hands of the wicked one, catcheth away the feed which was fown in the heart! Others, following the example, and joining the company of mere professors, feem to lofe fight of the great end of hearing the word of God, and waste that precious time, which ought to be devoted to his glory, in ufelefs difcuffions on the manner, gifts, or comparative excellence of different Minifters.

I would here offer a word of advice to young believers, who are diftreffed on account of their connexions with the world, which appear to lead them unavoidably into Sabbath breaking. If they are single persons, who are placed by Divine Providence in ungodly families, let them retire in the intervals of public worship, as much as poffible into folitude, where they may enjoy communion with God uninterrupted by their earthly friends, and pray earnestly for thofe with whom they have to do, as well as for themfelves; and they will not fail to come forth refreshed and ftrengthened to fill their respective stations, as becometh the Gospel of Christ. Others, who are heads of families, are perhaps complaining that they cannot avoid the intrufion of worldly company, who call to fee them without invitation on the Sabbath day; but if they keep their Bible on the table, and entertain their vifitors with reading the word of God, Family Prayer, and finging his praifes, they will foon find that those who do not love to hear of Chrift, will refrain from calling, and the fewer vifits we receive or pay upon the Lord's Day the better, even among true believers; as our natural proneness to a worldly fpirit, is too apt to lead us into fuch converfation, as drowns the word which we hear at the house of God.

Whatever may be faid of Chriftian liberty from the reftraints of the Jewish ritual, we never find our bleffed Lord

engaged in any other works on the Sabbath, than thofe of neceflity or mercy; and his faithful followers find the whole of that facred day too fhort a period for thofe divine employments, which more immediately attach themselves to it; and too often have to regret at the close of it, that they are not a Sabbath day's journey nearer Zion; while we find many (of whom we could hope well) allowing themfelves in things, that are direct violations of the Sabbath.

We would here notice that inattention to the early duties. of the Lord's houfe, fo prevalent in the prefent day. Thofe who habitually enter his courts when the congregation are confiderably advanced in worship, manifeft an indifference to communion with Jefus, and give their brethren much reafon to fear they are feeking the preacher rather than the Lord; for there is no doubt, but if they were appointed to receive a large fum of money at a certain hour, they would take efpecial care to be punctual in their attendance. J. T.

BRIEF REFLECTIONS ON JOHN X. 16.

"Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I "must bring, and they shall hear my voice: and there shall "be one fold, and one shepherd."

THE

THERE is a richness in the expreffions of our divine Redeemer, the great Prophet of the Church, which is not to be found in any human compofition whatever. "He fpake as never man fpake." The above verfe, is a fmall fpecimen. Let us mark the words, and weigh the expreflions.

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Sheep." The elect of God, are fheep in the purpose of Jefus Chrift, when they are, as yet, wolves in themselves. -"Other theep." This is a fine antidote against bigotry, An evil, which has long prevailed, and which we hope is dying apace. May it never have a refurrection!" I have." Chrift hath them--in the covenant, where their very names are registered: In his thoughts, though they have no thought of him: In his heart, having loved them with an everlasting love. "I must bring" Bring-out of darkness into marvellous light; from a ftate of sin into a ftate of holiness; from self-confidence to confidence in the