among the people." Then he informs him that his own sons were killed,-" thy two sons Hophni and Phinehas are dead." All these tidings Eli could endure; but when at last the messenger tells him, that "the Ark of God is taken," he could support himself no longer. At the mention of the " Ark of God," Eli fell from his seat back ward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died.

All this shews that Eli was, in truth, a holy and devout man. "Though he was (as Bishop Hall says) a bad father to his sons, yet he was a good son to God." This however did not prevent him from receiving, as a parent, the punishment which fol lowed a parent's neglect of duty.

His piety let us honour and imitate. His faults let us seek to avoid.

"WE MUST ALL APPEAR BEFORE THE JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST."

THIS indeed is an appalling declaration unto many; but why should it be so? Let us search out the reason: and, in order to do this, let us enquire for what purpose are we there to appear. We shall find that it is, "that every man may receive the things done in the body according to that he hath done, whether it be good, or whether it be bad, when those that have done good shall enter into everlasting life, but those that have done evil into everlasting torments." Here our search may stop, here is ample reason for terror to the minds of those who, in their pilgrimage upon earth, are not preparing for that day. We cannot indeed be astonished at the fear and dread which must possess the minds of suck

The Judgment Seat of Christ.

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persons when they read those startling words of St. Peter, if the righteous scarcely are saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" But yet we have still greater reason for astonishment, when we see, after the reading of these, that the ungodly does not forsake his ways, nor the unrighteous man his thoughts." Blind indeed must he be, who for the short-lived pleasures of the body in this world, will betray his soul into such endless torments in the next.

"

What at that time may we suppose to be the condition of the drunkard, the fornicator, the adulterer, and the murderer, all of whom we are expressly told shall have no inheritance in the kingdom of Heaven; and what will be their thoughts, when they see all the sins of their past life, which perhaps they have committed with the greatest secrecy, and said in their hearts" that God shall not see it," what, I say, will be their thoughts when they see all their sins laid open not only before their own eyes and those of their friends and acquaintance, but before a God not only of mercy, but of justice; when they see the books opened, containing an account of all their misdeeds, and out of which they are about to be judged, and much more when they know their sentence is to be, "depart from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels?" In vain then will they cry for mercy, when a just Judge denies that he knows them; in vain then will they call upon the mountains to cover them and the hills to hide them. Dreadful indeed will the judgment seat of Christ be to these men! better would it have been for them if they had never been born! But who can be so unwise as, for the false pleasure of a few hours at best here, to dare to encounter such unspeakable torments hereafter? How frequently do we see brave generals encountering all the dangers and hardships of war, for the short-lived glory that attends

a victory! and yet how few, on the other hand, do we see willing to endure any persecution for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ and his glory, in comparison of which, all the honours, riches, and enjoyments of this world are as nothing! Astonishing indeed it is, that these persons do not arise and say, I have sinned against Heaven, and am certainly not worthy to be an inheritor of its glory; that they are not awakened to their sin, and seem to have no wish that there should be joy over them among the angels of God. Why do they not remember, while they shudder at the indignities and cruelties suffered by our Blessed Saviour, that they are all the time crucifying him afresh, and causing an agony in his heart like that which he endured in the garden of Gethsemane! If the Christian's conflict is often severe, yet the reward is glorious; if the reward of victory is beyond our natural abilities and strength, yet there is One above us who is always more ready to hear than we to pray, and who is ever at hand to strengthen our weakness by his almighty power. We certainly must all wish for the great reward. Let us then be sober and watchful lest the hour of death should come upon us unawares, and we should find our work scarcely begun when the day of preparation is gone for ever.

June, 1825.

J. W. B.

LEEDS FAIR.

Ar the York assizes a man was found guilty of a dreadful crime, committed at Leeds fair. The Judge was proceeding to pass sentence of death upon him, when the foreman of the Jury communicated to his Lordship that they wished to save the prisoner's life, if possible. The Judge said that he wished to know upon what grounds they

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founded their recommendation; and that, if there were any sufficient reason, he should pay it every attention." The foreman said that there was always a great deal of licentiousness and drunkenness at Leeds fair, and perhaps the prisoner might be in liquor when he committed the crime." The prisoner, notwithstanding this application of the Jury, was sentenced to death.

One remark cannot help occurring to every one who reads the above case;" that fairs do introduce such a state of profligacy of mind, and so completely drive away the thoughts of every thing that is good, and open a door to such dreadful wickedness that every Christian-minded man must with all his heart desire to see an end put to these nurseries of crimes. If a crime punishable by death is committed at one of these fairs, and the mind is believed to have been worked up to the commission of that crime by the common habits of profligacy encouraged by the fair, and if the fair is thought to plead any excuse for the crime, it must follow that they who encourage these fairs, are really encouraging the most dreadful crimes. Let every one who wishes well to the cause of religion and of good morals weigh this matter well in his mind; and let him ask himself whether as a Christian he can encourage that which instead of promoting any Christian dispositions or Christian practices, is entirely in opposition to

both.

Some people say that it is hard to try to put a stop to the pleasures of the poor, whilst those of the rich are suffered to go on. How foolish an argument! Those who wish to put an end to these fairs, do not wish to check the pleasures of the poor, but to check that which injures them and leads them to misery. And, besides, if no improvement were to be attempted till every thing could be done, there would be a complete stop to all

kinds of improvement. Those who wish to see a check put upon the vices of the poor, are equally anxious to see an end to the vices of the rich; and great pains have been taken to check the brutal fights and other savage practices, which some who belong to the higher classes so disgracefully encourage. The exertions of law will not however put a total stop to crime. It must be a higher principle, a principle of religion,-a desire to cultivate that state of mind which the religion of Christ requires of every one, who would receive the benefits promised to the Christian. And we do most devoutly believe that there is a very great deal of good going on in the best of all ways, both amongst the poor and the rich; and this leads us to hope for still more good.

Still evils exist; offences will come; and as far as wise laws can contribute to correct these, both on account of the actual misery they produce, the bad example which they hold forth, and the check which they put upon all that is good, it is the duty of every good subject, as well as every good Christian, to uphold the execution of the laws, and to discourage by every means which discretion allows of, such dangers and such crimes.

V.

HINTS TO THOSE CHILDREN WHO ARE
APPOINTED TEACHERS IN NATIONAL
SCHOOLS.

You are appointed to teach others. It is creditable to you that you have been thought worthy of undertaking such an office. Children will be sure to improve in their learning, if they can once be brought to be attentive. Now the National plan of education generally makes children attentive, because they like the credit of taking places, and do not like the disgrace of losing them. But, besides this, as teacher, you must take care to be very at