If, on examination, you find that you, your families, and servants, are free from blame in these particulars, it will indeed be well for you. There are many practices in towns and villages, on the Sabbath day, that want amending. Look to the idleness and profligacy, the drunkenness and sin, that is going on in large places. Would the Almighty have ordered the Sabbath day to be kept holy, if it were not intended for the benefit and true happiness of his creatures? Would he have commanded that neither man nor beast should labour on that day, if the good of both were not designed? 66 Will the innocent pleasures of the Sabbath be less inviting because you have attended the services of the Church, and have read for awhile the Scriptures, and have seriously thought of the state of your soul? No, my friends. Our happiness consists only in a religious, well regulated mind, in a mind at peace with God and man; and this can only be attained by the perusal of God's holy Word, the practice of all the Christian duties, and a constant reliance upon the goodness of God, and his mercy through Christ Jesus. Let me earnestly entreat every reader of this paper to attend to the things that belong unto his peace;" that is, to religion. It will make you, what all the riches of the world cannot make you, acceptable to God. A firm faith in Jesus Christ, and a constant and unwearied practice of all the duties which belong to your Christian calling, will every day prove to the world and to yourself, that you are not a mere hearer of the word, but a doer of it. Nothing but Christianity is worth having in this world; nothing but Christianity can ensure you peace of mind here; nothing but Christianity can give you a chance of happiness in the world to come. I am, your faithful servant and friend, رت We must all repent, or perish, VIII. No bad passions are abiding, Where the Saviour reigns in love, Would we live with Christ above. IX. Would we live with just men perfect, X. Would we live with those who lov'd us, XI. Then in glory all united, We shall live in endless joy, XII. Now the village bells are ringing, ON THE NEW YEAR. FAREWELL to 1831! It is gone, gone for ever! However spent, it is past recall. And how did we spend it? How did we use those hours, now bearing testimony, either for or against us, in the book of life? An awful question! Let each one put it to himself. The reply, I fear, will be mortifying. Sins of omission and commission, will rise up in sad array. "O God, be merciful to me, a sinner," will be the result of each one's self-examination: if we search faithfully, it must be so, for we have all grievously sinned; and, but for On the New Year. 37 our Saviour's merits and merciful intercession, our case would be sad indeed. Years roll on; we may at least draw some good from the past: the circumstances in which we acted wrongly, may occur again; let us reflect on them, and, feeling our past errors, seek to rectify them, when next placed in the same situation. Let us pray to God for grace to enable us to do this. Another year is come, who shall see its close? Before December brings another Christmas, many who now read these pages, I who write these lines, may be num bered with the dead. None can tell how soon this may be; but one thing is certain-we must all die! it may be this year or next; the day will come ; "the spirit must return unto God who gave it." We should all prepare to meet our God; in order to which, we should so live that to die may be gain. Let us so spend our days on earth, that heaven may be our home. Let us strive, then, to make God's service our chief concern during the coming year: the idea that it may be our last will serve to quicken our watchfulness. Let us try to make others happy in the genuine spirit of the wish we give, and receive each first of January-" A happy new year!" What should make it so? Charitable feelings on all sides. "Charity worketh no ill," and "endureth much." To be happy ourselves, we must live the year, not suffer its hours to pass unheeded on. Each one should bear some good report to heaven: we are not stocks, stones, vegetables; it sufficeth not that we eat, drink, sleep, and do no harm; we must all labour, all work one way or other: and blessed indeed shall we be, if our occupations are such, that should death surprise us in them, we need not be confounded. Listen to the inspired preacher, who says, "Hear the conclusion of the whole matter, fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." Eccl. xii. 14. Do this, my friends, and, living or dying, you will indeed have “ A happy new year. Sent by F. CATHERINE MAC ALLISTER. CATHERINE MAC ALLISTER, well known to several respectable families in Glasgow, died in January last. She held no higher rank than that of a house-maid, and yet so careful and prudent was she, that, during her service, she had saved money enough to enable her to lay out 1207. in an annuity for her life, and to leave a considerable sum behind her at her death. She bequeathed 70%. to different individuals, and the following sums to public institutions. Glasgow Royal Infirmary ... Society for Promoting Christian Know £. S. d. 20 30 0 0 30 0 0 19 19 19 19 30 9 0 £130 7 0 Glasgow Royal Infirmary (as Residuary Legatee) She was enabled to make these savings by avoiding all shewy and expensive dress, and taking care to wear such clothes as were suitable to her station in life,-plain, clean, whole, and sufficient. Thus she was enabled to save a sum which, in the evening of her days, rendered her comfortable and independent; receiving from all who knew her the respect which is due to a character such as her's. The Scotch Newspaper, from which this account is taken, describes her as one who, besides her prudence, bore in her general deportment the character of a consistent Christian. V. VERSES. WHEN pleasure waves her wreath of flowers, |