ations of the Gospel. Wouldest thou know Christ better, behold him through the glass of his word, and not through the mist of thy fears, and thou wilt see that far from watching over thee for evil, he fixes upon thee the piercing eye of his redeeming love, and waits that he may be gracious to thy soul, and calls, continually calls for thee. Meekly dive into the amazing depth of these words, In quietness and rest shall be your strength,'-'Stand still and see the salvation of God.' Fully surrender thyself to the God of thy life; entirely abandon thyself to Jesus. Freely trust him with thy present and eternal salvation. Whether thou sink or swim, let thyself go into the ocean of mercy: catch at no reed by the way, but calmly venture into the unfathomable depths of redeeming love. Lose thus thy life, and thou shalt find it."-Fletcher. MOTIVE TO DO GOOD. There is a consideration which should encourage persons of apparently little influence to do the utmost good--that the result of a very trifling exertion may be felt for many years to come, and for aught we know, by a train of causes and effects, may reach to the end of the world. The fact may be known: some master mind from it receives a strong impression; it never leaves him to the end of his days; it becomes a constant spur, a mighty motive to urge him forward in the career of his unwearied and unceasing endeavours. I have said it might reach to the end of the world; nor is it the language of a hasty imagination, but "the words of truth and soberness," to conclude that it may last through the countless ages of eternity. TO PARENTS. The mass of mankind have but limited means to do good; a conviction of which prevents them often from doing what they ought to do, and, consequently, robs them of the commendation given by our Lord to a pious woman: "She hath done what she could." It is a question of no common difficulty to ascertain the extent of any man's usefulness: inconceivable good has been done by some who have been grieved on account of their apparent uselessness. The principles implanted in the nursery have vegetated in mighty minds; and they have become, in dignity and usefulness, "cedars in Lebanon." The apostle Paul traced the character of Timothy to his parental advantages, instruction, and discipline. SANCTIFICATION. A correspondent wishes for a few words from the Editor on the subject of Sanctification. The theory, or principle of sanctification is plain, but the practice difficult and mysterious. Just such, however, as the Scriptures lead us to expect; for the Christian's life is spoken of as a constant struggle, a hard race, a fearful fight. Now, the theory of sanctification is this:-man is not only by nature dead to all good, but he is alive to all evil, I mean towards God. There is much in some men that is good and amiable towards each other; but this only, makes the case worse, in that we can love, and fear, and obey our fellows, when we fail to love, and fear, and obey our God. And there may be in some a very considerable shew of religious influence towards God, but the motive spoils it-it secures not the divine glory, but, self-righteous in its character, it gives the sinner whereof to boast. Now, man thus dead by nature to all good, and alive to all evil, is not in a condition to receive the grand salvation which is in Christ, nor in a condition to be happy in heaven, even if he could get there. He is dead, spiritually dead, and he feels not his danger, or his guilt. He feels whole, and he needs not a physician. Man, therefore, must be born again, must have spiritual life implanted by the divine Spirit. Then he spiritually feels, feels his true condition, and the gospel of Christ comes to him with a welcome. Then he breathes the breath of life, and hates sin and loves holiness, and life is spent in keeping down one and encouraging the other. As he is new born from above, so he is new born for above-he has had a new nature imparted, which is the very commencement of his heavenly state of existence, and all his desires, and prayers, and efforts tend to its advancement. But there is no holy principle within which will carry him forward, unconnected with increasing supplies and influences from above. The Christian's "life is hid in Christ with God." Christ is the vine, his disciples are the branches-they only live and bear fruit by virtue of his life, and his sap communicated. Cut off from Christ, they would wither and die. Hence Christ is as much our sanctification as our redemption. All our fresh springs are in Him, and without him we can do nothing; and thus, in the wonderful economy of the covenant of grace, Christ is said to be made unto us "of God wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." (1st Cor. 2.) His Spirit is our wisdom, and teaches; his merits our righteousness, and justiy; his grace our sanctifica. tion, and renews; his blood our redemption, and pardons. So much for the theory of sanctification. Now for the practice. It follows, as a matter of course, that just in proportion as we live upon Christ, and receive out of his fulness grace for grace, we are sanctified; holiness is promoted, sin is kept under. And faith is the instrument whereby we apprehend Christ. Faith brings us to Him-leads us to realize the fact of his being our fountain head of grace and mercy; the fact of his being as able as he is willing to make all grace abound towards us. And thus faith is said, in Acts, to purify the heart; and again in St. John, to overcome the world. On the one hand, faith brings before our view the kingdom and the crown that await the faithful; and on the other hand, faith leads us to apprehend Christ, and believe on him for all we want. And faith takes us in prayer to Christ. Just as we really believe that we can get all we want in Christ, we are ready to go in prayer, and to ask from him. So that believing prayer is the grand channel of Christ's sanctification to the soul. Then to keep faith alive is a grand point. It is the gift of God-he alone can impart such a faith as we are speaking of, but he maintains it by means "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Hence the value of searching the Scriptures, and hearing them read, and expounded, and preached upon in the church. Faith is thus fed and kept from languishing. But, after all, the practice of sanctification, as I have said, is difficult and mysterious. The new nature does not drive out the old. They exist together until the end. There is a restless conflict until death releases us into the glorious and full liberty of the children of God. And it is a fearful conflict-new evils and new temptations constantly arise. No sooner does one sin give way than another presents itself, and if all besetting sins seem subdued, and all entanglements escaped, there sometimes arises a spirit of proud independence and self-sufficiency, as hateful in the sight of God, and as much requiring his painful discipline as a positive sin. Hence his wisdom in the afflictions, the thorns in the flesh which he sends. He must keep his poor, wayward children, in the valley of humiliation, low in their own eyes; they must go forward with a broken and a contrite heart, full of self-loathing, and walking softly with their God. This is God's right way to the city of habitation. Christian, never, never be driven from the firm conviction that believing, patient prayer will prevail. You may be ready to say much, and tearfully, with regard to unanswered prayers, and you may fear that God has forgotten you and cast you off. Your enemies live and are mighty, and terrify you, and lead you to think that you are a self-deceiver, but you cannot go into God's presence, in prayer, without something of a sanctifying influence. Believe and wait, and watch and pray, and the God of peace will, in his own way and time, sanctify you wholly. LETTER TO THE EDITOR. W. The Editor has received a deeply touching letter from an unknown quarter. Fain would he speak a word in season to the afflicted writer. One thing is sure. The complaint that "the heart is, alas! now as hard as adamant," tells of some surviving feeling. Yes, it may be all true that "afflictions have been slighted, and the stirrings of the Holy Spirit rejected;" but Pharoah's model must not be quoted, and judicial hardness must not be pronounced, so long as there is a broken, smitten spirit to send its bitter sighs to the mercy seat, or an omnipotent Saviour to make all new, and to save even to the uttermost extremity. Oh, my poor desponding sister, beware how you seal your ruin, by limiting the Holy One of Israel. I will not try to make your case better than you describe it. I will allow all you say. But are you at ease, and content with your condition? Are you indifferent about the favour of God, and a new life? Tell me, would you not give worlds if you had them, to be able now to break through your bonds, to part with your hard heart, to have the Saviour's look of love, and and to be at peace with God? I am sure you would. Then, though like a paralytic you totter on the verge of yon yawning precipice, conscious of its horrors, conscious of your own impo. tency," still let the paralytic cry, "Lord, save, I perish," "if thou canst do any thing, have compassion upon me, and help me." Still say, "though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." And then tell me whether you can be lost. Tell me whether there are not bowels of compassion to sound towards you. Tell me whether there is not a meaning in those words, "To Him will I look, even to Him who is of a humble and contrite spirit, and who trembleth at my. word." And again, "I will heal their backslidings, I will love them freely. I know that God alone can soften, and subdue, and 66 satisfy. But lie at his feet. Plead his promises. Appeal to his faithfulness, and you shall yet praise Him. He will turn away his anger, and yet comfort you. "Yes, Lord, I shall see the bliss of thine own- W. SERVANTS. The true feeling of a servant is, that he hath a sacred place within the hallowed circle of a family's confidence; to whose interest, as to his own, he should have an eye; of whose largest possessions he should be as careful, as of his own smallest portion; of whose affairs, which a servant cannot but look upon, he should be as trusty as of his own; of whose failings he should be tender, not to reveal them, except upon legal penalty of concealment; of whose words he should be careful not to repeat them, that the walls of the house, and the protection which the law giveth to all within the threshold of the house, may be the emblem of that unobserved affection, unhindered freedom, and undisturbed confidence, which reigneth over the family circle which God hath gathered together. And let me say, that the servants who dare to betray, or care notto feel, or despise to be under these holy obligations; who stand up for separate interests of their own; who feel no obligation but to do their work; who conceive no affection, nourish no reverence for their master's person; are not far from proving traitors unto the sacred rights of the family, and will give way to the tempter whenever he solicits them: and that those who open their master's door to strangers, without first obtaining their master's consent; who reveal their master's secrets, and carry out family reports; who waste their master's substance, or spend their master's time; are not liable to become, but actually are, traitors in the true sense of the word. PLEASING ACCOUNT OF THE CREW OF A SWEDISH TRADING VESSEL. The good Swede had a great regard for his crew; and it is much to the credit of their country, that neither from them nor him did we hear an oath or an angry word all the time we were on board. The regularity with which they performed their devotions was most exemplary; and the same sight may be witnessed on board of most Swedish ships. At a certain hour, before setting the night-watch, they assembled together in a small place on deck. When each had uncovered, a prayer was made by the captain, and then all united in singing a Psalm; after which they separated, each going to his post with mutual blessings. Those quiet sunsethours in the Baltic, hallowed by such a touching scene, will long |