The light of knowledge doeth well, but the due ordering of the affections doeth better.-Bishop Hale. Lust is fatal to the best understandings, it perfectly besots and reigns over them with uncontrolled power.---Abp. Tenison.

The stars in their courses fight against" unbelief; the works of God give hourly confirmation to the Law, the Prophets, and the Gospel, of which one day telleth another; and the validity of the sacred writings can never be overthrown, while the moon shall increase and wane, and the sun shall know his going down.-Dr. Johnson.

It is the mind that is the seat of happiness; it is there God pours his blessings when he would reward us: and when we are looking for instances of happiness, there are thousands who lie unnoticed by us who are the truest examples of it; who furnished with the conveniences of life enjoy that contented serenity of mind, which affords them a much more even flow of happiness than pomp or affluence can yield.-South.

Real Christian believers, as they grow older in grace, become wiser in the kingdom, more catholic, patient, forbearing, candid, and forgiving. They see a thousand mistakes, and often wilfulness in their own early profession; and these incline them, through an increase of wisdom and strength, to suffer kindly the infirmities and frailties of others. They then love what is sincere, encourage what is weak, pardon what is childish, endure what is troublesome, correct what is evil, and pray, not rave, when they see but slow improvements.-Leighton.

That which linketh Christ to us, is his mere mercy and love towards us. That which tieth us to him, is our faith in the promised salvation revealed in the word of truth. That which uniteth and joineth us among ourselves in such sort that we are now as if we had but one heart and one soul, is our love.-Hooker.

No one who is earnest in prayer for deliverance from the power of sin, did ever continue to be under the dominion of sin.-V.

Extracts from the Public Newspapers.

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Man is required to cease from his labour every seventh day, and thus is made to feel that, even for the supply of his bodily need, he may not depend exclusively on his own exertions. By the silent admonition of a weekly sabbath, he is taught to place a calm reliance on that glorious Being, who, of his own free bounty, feeds the sparrow and provides for man. Quesney.

EXTRACTS FROM THE PUBLIC NEWSPAPERS.

Extraordinary contest with a Hawk.-A large grey hawk lately appeared over the Tower of London, and seized one of the young rooks from a tree where the parent birds had built their nest, on the parade, in front of the White Tower, and was making off with its prey, when the old birds (about 100 in number) attacked the falcon, setting up a loud cawing, making the air resound with their noise, and alarming the inhabitants of the garrison. The hawk had flown but a short distance when it was assailed on all sides by the rooks, who compelled it to drop the young one; but, before it had reached the ground the hawk again darted upon it and seized it in its talons. The rooks had by this time increased in number, and the cawings were redoubled, continually pecking at the hawk, which twice dropped the young bird; but it was as quickly seized again, and its feathers flew about in all directions, and the blood fell on the wharf adjoining the Thames. The soldiers on duty and the crews of the various ships in the river, who witnessed this curious scene, endeavoured by their shouts, to frighten the hawk; but it ultimately flew away towards Bermondsey, with the young rook in its claws, followed across the river by the old rooks; but they soon gave up the chase, and returned to their old haunts, and, by their noise, which continued for some time afterwards, deplored the loss which their community has sustained.-Morning Herald.

English National Schools.-It was stated at the General Meeting, that during the last year 328 schools had been received into union with the National Society, making a present total of 2,937 schools; and 6,6437. had been voted in aid of building school-rooms in 104 places, the total expense of which is estimated at 20,000l. It is calculated that there cannot be less, in England and Wales, than 710,000 children receiving instruction under the care of the Clergy.

Ornithology of London.-A few years since, London numbered among its inhabitants a company of rooks, who occupied the boughs of the great plane trees of St. Dunstan's in the East; but being disturbed during the building of the Customhouse, they took their departure, and have not since deigned to return. A few years since a crow actually built his nest between the wings of the dragon on the top of Bow church steeple. The place was well selected for security, as the head of the dragon always pointed to the wind, and the two wings protected the nest on each side; the place was also sufficiently capacious, for the body of the dragon is almost as large as that of a horse. A gentleman, with much bad taste, amused himself by shooting balls at the crow from an air gun; but between the wings of the dragon he sat secure. Unfortunately, the steeple required repair, and the scaffolding and workmen disturbed the family, and they took their flight from the ungrateful city. A pair of crows, supposed to be the same, this spring, took up their abode in the top of the lofty plane tree in Wood-street, close to Cheapside. The last season a hawk built his nest under the dome of St. Paul's, and a similar oc

currence took place half a century since. A few years ago one of the falco tribe took up his abode in the steeple of Spitalfields church, to the sad annoyance of the amateurs in that pigeon-fancy neighbourhood, where he remained until it became necessary to repair the steeple, when his nest was found crammed with the feathers and bones of his victims. He had often been fired at, but in vain.-Globe.

Honesty. A poor man, named John Walsh, lately found a purse containing twenty-five pounds. This poor but honest man, although pressed by his companions to divide the sum, resisted their entreaties; and, having ascertained that Mr. Christopher Harvey had lost a purse answering the description of the one found, proceeded with the money to that gentleman, who rewarded him with five pounds for his sterling integrity. This sum would give him far more real pleasure than the whole sum would have done, with the consciousness that it was not fairly his own.-Wexford Independent.

NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS.

We have received the communications of L.P.; F.; M. I. E.; J. M.; C. H. K. L.; F. S.; Kirdfordiensis; A Constant Reader; C. C., C. S. R.; A Friend of the Poor; H. S. T.; Laicus ; J. F. M.; and Q in a corner.

THE

Cottager's Monthly Visitor.

AUGUST, 1831.

ON THE EPISTLE FOR THE FIFTH SUNDAY IN

LENT.

Hebrews ix. 11.

"Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He entered in once into the Holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for

us."

By attentively reading the 16th chapter of Leviticus, we shall be enabled to understand clearly to what ceremonies St. Paul here alludes. We shall there find that on the great day of atonement, the High Priest, and he alone, was admitted within the veil, into the innermost part of the Tabernacle, when the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud upon the mercy-seat. On the same solemn day, he made an atonement for the people, by sprinkling the mercy-seat with the blood of a young bullock, and by offering two goats, one of which was sacrificed; while he confessed, over the other, the sins of the congregation, putting them on the head of the goat, and sent him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness. This was appointed to be done every year, in token of the Great Sacrifice which should, in the fulness of time, be offered.

When our Lord came into the world to lay down NO. 8.-VOL. XI.

His life for us, He was both the Sacrifice and the High Priest, for, as He was God as well as Man, He could not be deprived of life but by His own permission and consent. He declared to the Jews, "I lay down my life for the sheep; no man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself." Thus was He both the spotless Sacrifice and the undefiled High Priest; for, after he had submitted to death, for the completion of the atonement, He rose from the grave, and ascended to His heavenly abode, "there to appear in the presence of God for us." He then entered into that greater and more perfect tabernacle, whereof the former was but the faint shadow. Henceforth, those sacrifices which Moses commanded, were no longer to be offered for sins, for Christ had put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. The old covenant was at an end: "He is the Mediator of the new covenant *," the benefits of which are not confined to the Jewish nation, but extended to the whole human race.

Let us now turn to the practical lesson which the apostle draws from the great doctrine of Christ's atonement and mediation. If the blood of bulls and goats could sanctify and cleanse from impurity and sin, and if the Jewish people, stedfastly believing in its efficacy, eagerly had recourse to these appointed means of deliverance from the deserved punishment of their sins, how shall we escape if we neglect to seek for the pardon and remission of our transgressions by that far more glorious and enduring propitiation, by that new and living way, which Christ hath wrought for us? If we impiously and ungratefully refuse to acknowledge that by His precious blood alone, our imperfect endeavours are accepted, that for the sake of His meritorious sufferings alone, our sins are blotted out, if, too, despising the riches of God's mercy and long-suffering, we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge

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* The word translated Testament, is the same as that which is elsewhere translated Covenant; consequently these two words are to be considered as signifying one and the same thing.