ing effects. But the hope of independence is sufficient to sustain the mind under privations still greater than these; and he who can bring himself to think, when lying down to rest on the bare earth, that the day is not far distant when he may happily repose on a more inviting couch, without one anxious thought respecting the future prospects of himself and his family, regards these transient sufferings with a kind of feeling nearly allied to actual pleasure. He sees the time fast approaching, when the wilderness to him shall be a fruitful field, and the desert shall blossom as the rose ;' when the productive soil shall gratefully yield an ample reward to his toils, and when the hardships of his situation shall, by the blessing of heaven on his exertions, gradually disappear, and leave him in possession of health, plenty, and independence. Whilst indulging in such pleasing visions, the wooden pillow of a new and industrious settler becomes softer than bolsters of down, and his solitary blanket feels more comfortable than sheets of Holland 1."

Now if men will readily undergo such sufferings, trials, and inconveniences as these, (and we know that they do so, when cheered by the hope of becoming independent in this world,) how much more readily should the Christian believer undergo any sufferings, trials, and inconveniences of this life for the sake of an eternal state of happiness and peace! What suffering can be so severe, what trial so great, what inconvenience so considerable as not to be submitted to with resignation to the Divine will, by him who is really cheered in his heart by the hope of an immortality of bliss "where the wicked cease from troubling and where the weary are at rest?" If we really were, on sound scriptural grounds, rejoicing in the hope that the day is not far distant when we shall be called, for Christ's sake, to an inheritance unchangeable, incorruptible, and eternal, in the heavens, we should consider all our present afflictions as light, because not to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

1 Talbot's Five Years' Residence in the Canadas.

E. of S.

1833.] SELECTIONS FROM VARIOUS AUTHORS.

CHILD'S PRAYER.

33

O GOD, I pray Thee to take care of me this day; keep me from every thing that may hurt me, and above all keep me from sin. Teach me to love and to serve Thee better every day. Make me dutiful to my parents and teachers, respectful to my betters, kind to my school-fellows, and well behaved to every body. I pray Thee, O God, to take care of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all my friends. Make me a good child now, and take me to heaven when I die, for Jesus Christ's sake;(or) through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

C. I. H.

SELECTIONS FROM VARIOUS AUTHORS.

RELIGION, as it stood in the "Old Testament," is perpetually styled " the fear of God:"-under the "New," it is styled" faith in Christ." But as that" fear of God" does not merely signify being afraid of Him,-but having a good heart, and leading a good life in consequence of such fear-so this "faith in Christ" does not merely signify believing in Him (in the sense in which that word is used in common language), but becoming his real disciples, in consequence of such belief.-Bishop Butler.

Christianity, instead of rendering the love of God and men, and good works superfluous and unnecessary, furnishes us with new motives, and lays us under further obligations to abound in them; and gives us new directions concerning the love of our neighbours, by requiring love to our brethren for Christ's sake, and to our enemies, after the example of his love to us.-Scott.

Malice misinterprets the fairest actions, but love puts the fairest interpretation upon foul actions.-Caryl.

When God calls away our dearest relations by death, it becomes us quietly to say, "It is well both with us and them." It is well,-for all is well that God does : all is well with them that are gone, if they are gone to heaven; and all well with us that stay behind, if, by the affliction, we are furthered in our way thither.M. Henry.

God has given us four books: the Book of Grace; the Book of Nature; the Book of the World; and the Book of Providence. Every occurrence is a leaf in one of these books; it does not become us to be negligent in the use of any of them.-Cecil.

It is not so small a sin as some imagine, to cheat their neighbours, though it be only in a little matter, but extremely hateful and detestable to the great Lord and Governor of the world :-as, on the other side, exactly just and equal dealing, in all our commerce one with another, is highly pleasing to Him.-Bishop Patrick.

We often hear it said, in common language, that men have "good hearts:"-this language, as used in Scripture, is applied only to those whose hearts are made good and holy by the Spirit of God.-Anon.

"If any man be in Christ he is a new creature."-2 Cor. v. 17. To be "in Christ," means to be truly a Christian,and led by the Spirit of Christ. His former affection to the things of this world, and his former designs to promote his worldly interests, are ceased:-he is become a new, or quite different man in these respects, setting his affections on things above, and pursuing his spiritual advantage. Dr. Whitby and Wells.

A Christian, whilst he is making God's service his first aim and object, is often blessed also with worldly prosperity; but this latter is not to be his aim and object,it will not be :-worldly things will not have his affection, and therefore will not occupy his thoughts and desires: he knows their uncertainty, their want of power to give real satisfaction to the mind, and the temptation they offer to draw the heart from God,-he therefore courts them not, but fears them.-Anon.

The study and the delight of a celestial spirit is to observe Infinite Wisdom carrying into effect the designs of infinite Benevolence.-Wolfe.

Jealousy and envy, malice and revenge, are far away from heaven, chained down and driven down in the lake which burneth with fire for ever and ever.- -The same. Many a man seems to pass this life as if he were walking in his sleep.-The same.

1833.]

35

NEWSPAPER EXTRACTS.

The excellence of the wool of Spain is said to be owing to the crossing of the Spanish breed by the introduction of English sheep, which took place in the year 1394. When the hereditary Prince of Castile, son of King Henry III., married Catherine, the daughter of the Duke of Lancaster, that Princess brought with her from England a numerous flock of peculiarly fine sheep. Those animals so throve in the climate of Castile, that they speedily formed one of the most considerable branches of commerce; the manufaeture of cloth flourished in proportion, and so rapidly, that in the year 1419, the deputation of the kingdom requested the prohibition of the sale of foreign cloth, lest it might injure the use of the national fabrics.

EDUCATION AND REFORM OF JUVenile Offenders. It will be gratifying to our readers to learn, from the Fourteenth Report of the Warwick County Asylum, for the above benevolent objects, that eighty youths, some stained with crimes of the deepest die, and on whom sentence of death had been passed at the bar, have, by the Divine blessing on this Institution, been reclaimed from their downhill path of guilt, and are now living in confidential situations and discharging important duties in society-and be it recorded to their credit, that many of them occasionally visit the Asylum to express their gratitude, in having been rescued from the perils of their friendless and exposed condition, and trained up, not only in habits of industry, but to know their God, their Saviour, and their duties to man.— Record.

SAVINGS' BANK.-Mr. J. Tidd Pratt, the barrister appointed to certify the rules of savings' banks and friendly societies, has published a very curious statistical table, compiled from official returns, of the progress of savings' banks in England, Wales, and Ireland, up to November, 1831, showing the number of banks in each county, with the increase and decrease of such class of depositors since November, 1830. Many persons will be surprised to learn that in England the total amount of deposits is no less than 12,161,6071., or nearly 17. per head for each inhabitant; and that in Ireland the amount is 1,004,1897. The increase of the number of depositors in England, in the year, was 9212, of which 8698 were under 201.; the increase in Ireland was 4505, the largest proportion of which were under 50%, and more than half these were in Dublin. The total amount of investments of savings' banks, friendly and charitable societies, in England, Wales, and Ireland, is 14,311,6477., showing the average amount of each depositor to be, in England, 327.; in Wales, 317.; and in Ireland, 30%.— Globe.

England and Wales feed 36,000,000 sheep, each of which yields a fleece of four pounds weight, or one hundred and forty-four millions of pounds, which, at 1s. per pound, is worth 7,400,000l. These manufactured produce twenty millions of pounds, leaving a profit of upwards of twelve millions per annum to the various manufacturers.-Ince's Outline of General Knowledge.

Mr. Thomas Duncombe's recovery from a severe attack of cholera has gained great credit for Dr. Quin's specific, which consists of a few drops of camphorated spirit, taken on sugar, every five minutes.-Globe.

It is a curious fact, that the bedding and clothes of Lady Blane, who died of cholera at Broadstairs, having been ordered by her husband, Sir Gilbert, to be burnt, her laundress fell a victim to the disorder on the following day; and some of the linen of the deceased Lady B. was found upon her person.The same.

4

SWEDISH METHOD OF PRESERVING APPLES.-They are skinned and quartered, and then half-baked, which produces a disagreeable shrivelled appearance; but they retain their flavour, and in that state can be kept any length of time.

DRUNKENNESS AND DEATH.-A cutler of Stannington, near Sheffield, named Flinders, after paying his rent, in company with his wife, had some liquor. On getting home he wished to go back to the public-house, and a scuffle ensued between him and his wife, who strove to keep her husband in doors; he struck his wife on the breast. She fell, but soon got up, apparently not seriously injured, and even went out of doors, in order to fetch some liquor. This was near two o'clock, and in a few minutes she was a corpse. She was an industrious woman, and the mother of seven children, whose distress at the unhappy occurrence is said to be grievous. The husband has been taken into custody.-Exeter Paper.

CONSUMPTION BY SHEEP AND LAMBS.-It is reckoned that a hundred lambs will consume one acre of turnips, of twenty tons, and a ton of hay, in fourteen days; and that a hundred sheep, having a large field to run in, and plenty of water, will consume one ton of hay in seven days.

66 GOOD AND EVIL."

To the Editor of the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette.

Sir,-Did we look only at the pestilential disease with which this city is at present afflicted, the mind would become depressed at this awful visitation of Divine Providence, but when, on the other hand, we think of the harvest, which is of the most abundant description, we shall acknowledge that the Almighty has "crowned the year with his goodness," and be constrained to say with righteous Job, "shall we receive good at the hands of God, and shall we not receive evil?"—especially when the "partial evil,” compared with the "universal good," is but as a grain of sand upon the sea shore, or as a drop of water in comparison with the wide ocean! Let us await therefore serenely and patiently till the cloud shall have passed over us, and the sun has regained his wonted splendour. I remain, your, &c.

Magdalen Hill, Exeter, 7th August, 1832.

A CONSTANT READER.

Lately a poor little sweep, between six and seven years of age, was employed in sweeping an outbuilt flue at the back of the premises of No. 36, Oxford-street, London, when, from the rottenness of the building, the whole fell with a tremendous crash into the back yard, just as he had reached the top, and buried him underneath masses of the brickwork. He survived only a few hours. It is gratifying to know that the improved method of sweeping chimneys by machines is making great progress; and there is good hope that the sufferings of the poor climbing boys will be greatly relieved.

NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS.

We have received the Communications of Y.E.; J.C.W.; W.A.; F.; M.A.S.; W.M.S.M.; E.E.; O.T.K.; J.H.D; C.I.H.: G.B.; X.Y.; Z.Z.; and some Anonymous Papers. The excellent Verses sent by J. M. have already appeared.