people of unclean lips." What need have we to pray with David," Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, keep the door of my lips."-From a Plain Commentary on the Bible (Hurst's). (Sent by a Worcestershire Correspondent.) ILL-GOTTEN WEALTH NEVER SPENDS WELL. MR. EDITOR, I WISH to impress upon the minds of your readers an old and true saying: "Ill-gotten wealth never spends well" and we very often see examples of this, not only in the person who has wrongfully scraped his riches together, but also in the relations or friends, to whom his riches are bequeathed. If the rich oppressor or cheat has the spirit to spend his own money, we very often observe that he has no comfort in it; he is a man of bad feeling; he quarrels with his friends or neighbours; his household goes on badly. If he leaves his wealth to children, we commonly find that it does them little good; that it is spent in folly and vice, in ruining their health and reputation. So many instances of this kind occur, that we cannot help considering them as a judgment of providence upon dishonesty and wrong. God sets himself against such evil dealings; he will not suffer them to bring happiness; they may prosper in a worldly sense, but they have the curse of God on them, to shew his displeasure, and to serve as a warning to mankind. If we could "gain the whole world," it would not afford us the least happiness, without the Lord's blessing; as God is the giver of all possessions, so does he keep the power over all, even when they are given: he can mar or bless them as he pleases: he can make then spend well or spend ill. Whatever is gotten, in a selfish or worldly spirit, with a view to earth alone, always spends ill; whatever is honestly and industriously gotten, in an humble dependence upon God's providence and in a sense of thankfulness to God's bounty, A Short Letter from a Father to his Children. 515 generally spends well: and this applies equally to rich and poor: "the blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it." Prov. x. 22. I would not receive a farthing, to which I had not a fair and honourable claim; not a farthing, which I could not in my conscience beseech the Almighty to bless. J. S. B. A SHORT LETTER FROM A FATHER TO HIS CHILDREN. "The tear forgot as soon as shed, The sunshine of the breast.” MY DEAR CHILDREN, It has pleased the Almighty, in his infinite wisdom, to remove from you one of the best of mothers; and from society an ornament to her sex; whose life was a bright example for your imitation. She was indebted, under Providence, to the instruction of an amiable female, who superintended her childhood, and whose chief desire was to infuse into her infant mind the principles of true religion. Thus was laid a foundation for the formation of her future character, which, during life, was marked by a steady perseverance in, and adherence to, the doctrines and precepts of Christianity, which happily influenced and regulated her conduct in the relative duties of wife, mother, and friend; possessing at the same time a heart glowing with benevolence and charity towards all. During many years of affliction, of no ordinary kind, she was supported by faith, and animated by hope, sustaining her trials with patience, fortitude, and resignation. May her children not forget the tear as soon as shed;" but may they, by Divine assistance, be enabled to tread in her steps, and may they treasure up in their breasts, with reverential affection, her maternal instructions and advice, relative to their temporal and 66 eternal interests; and may they cherish the remembrance of her last hour, when internal tranquillity beamed on her pale, but placid countenance, and when her features were lovely even in death. MR. EDITOR, PATER. You will oblige a constant reader by inserting the above in your valuable little work, the "Cottager's Visitor." Oxford, Oct. 12, 1831. VERSES (From Catechism in Rhyme for Little Children.) GOD made the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, The glorious sun, and the stars so bright, And the beautiful moon, with her soft clear ight; The lightning-flash, and the thunder-cloud; The violet beds that smell so sweet On the grassy carpet beneath our feet; The hare-bell bright with its merry blue eye, And the cowslip cups where the dew-drops lie, On attending Public Worship. 517 ON ATTENDING PUBLIC WORSHIP. MR. EDITOR, I FEAR Some of my cottage friends think me a very troublesome body, yet I can assure them I have their interest deeply at heart, and that it always grieves me to find fault; but, surely, they would think that man a bad surgeon, who, from fear of causing a little present pain, should heal over the top of a wound before it was sound underneath, and thereby cause them in the end much greater agony and suffering; therefore I shall ever frankly disown and exclaim against that false species of charity, which would let people go on in their evil courses, from the dread of giving them a little disturbance now, when the "end of these things is death," eternal death. But to proceed to the immediate subjects of my censure. In the place where I live there is a poor man, who is the village barber-a very necessary and useful person-and I doubt not many of the good wives were very thankful to you for the hints which once appeared in your useful publication, on the practice of shaving, and which induced their husbands oftener to submit to that cleanly operation: but there is a season for every thing, and a time for every purpose under heaven," and all I would fain persuade my poor neighbours (with regard to this business of shaving) is, the necessity of having it done, where they cannot on Saturday evening, as early as possible on the Sabbath morning, that so none may be prevented from attending the public worship of God, as it is their bounden duty to do. But, alas! as it is now managed, Sunday is made, with this trade, a complete working-day. Another breach of the Sabbath, in the farming district where I live, is often, I believe, owing to want of management and consideration, and therefore I am not without hope that a hint upon the subject will set the matter right. The farmers engage one of their men (giving him, I suppose, a little extra wages,) to come on a Sunday morning, to assist their in-door lads in taking care of the horses, feeding the pigs, &c. &c. Now I know these are works of necessity, which must be done, and to neglect them would be a gross breach of duty-for God "will have mercy, and not sacrifice;" but by calling in still further help, the work might be done in good time, so that the men might all go to church. Some of these poor men cannot read, and therefore, to prevent them from going to the house of God is depriving them of their only means of religious instruction. In some country parishes there is no sermon in the afternoon, and, therefore, if they do attend then, though one great end of our assembling together, viz. to pray to God, and praise him, will be answered, yet they wholly lose the opportunity of hearing his holy word preached and explained by the ministers of the Gospel: and, as this is an ordinance of God, it is surely by no means to be neglected. Besides, many of the men have young children, so that, at this rate, when are their wives to have an opportunity of attending public worship? I cannot believe that those farmers whom I have the pleasure of seeing, with their families, reverencing the command of God, and regularly attending his house upon his holy day, would willingly deprive any of their labourers of such a privilege, if they duly considered the matter; or suffer one over whom they had any authority to stay away from Church, unless from absolute necessity, such as accidents or disease amongst the cattle, which might really require incessant attention. As, however, it is sadly to be feared, there are but too many who feel no concern for their own immortal souls, and therefore cannot be supposed to care for the souls of others; if such should be so wicked and unreasonable as to refuse to listen to a respectful request on the subject from their workmen, I must say to my cottage friends, who are thus situated, |