Thus as the night of mortal darkness closes around us, may the sun of righteousness shine more brightly on our souls; thus as "the outward man perisheth may the inward man be renewed day by day." B. Y. QUERY TO E. W. B. A CONSTANT reader will be much obliged to E. W. B. to answer the following query. It is said, that if a narrow white ring be made round the branch of any fruit tree, by stripping off a line of the bark near where it joins the main stem, that branch will bear double the portion of fruit there is on any other branch. Is this so? can E. W. B. assign any reason for it? and does he consider such a practice likely to injure the tree on which the experiment is tried? "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" THIS is a remarkable text: it furnishes a complete answer to those who think and say 'If a man does his duty, if he is charitable, honest, sober, and industrious, it is no matter what he believes;' for it tells us that a man cannot do his duty according to the Gospel precepts, i. e. cannot overcome the world unless he believe in Jesus Christ. There are two things here which should be clearly understood. 1. What is meant by overcoming the world. 2. What it is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. 1. By the world, in the epistle of St. John, must be understood all corrupt principles, maxims, fashions, and customs, which are contrary to, and forbidden by the Gospel. Now it is easy for a man to know when his desires and actions are contrary to the commandments of our Saviour; but it is a difficult thing, we all know, to resist evil desires, and to abstain from wicked actions. There must be a contest; therefore St. John says the world must be overcome or conquered. The young man in the vigour of his strength is tempted by the " lusts of the flesh" to sin against God. Men of corrupt principles tell him that it is only natural for him to satisfy his desires, and that there can be no great harm in so doing; while men of vicious habits entice him by their example. If he resist the temptation, he overcometh the world.-The man of business is tempted by the "lust of the eyes," by a desire of wealth and magnificence, to over-reach and defraud his neighbour. The maxims of the world tell him, that to be happy, it is necessary for him to be rich; that it is proper to provide large fortunes for his children; and the fashions of the world would lead him into much extravagance and expence. If he overcome this temptation, he overcometh the world. The desires of all men are set too much upon earthly things; we are all too much inclined to join in customs which tend to corrupt the mind, and to turn it from devout and religious thoughts. The world, then, offers temptations to all men, and must, if we seek to be good Christians, be overcome. But who is he that overcometh the world? St. John tells us," he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God." This leads us to enquire, 2. What it is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God? It is to believe in his divine nature, and that He died to redeem us.-But how can this faith give us strength to overcome the world?-By believing in His divine nature, we know that all which our Lord Jesus said is true; that the day will come when He will judge the world, and call the righteous to eternal glory, and leave the wicked to misery. The fear of this punishment and the hope 7 of that reward must influence the lives of all who have this faith. By believing that Jesus Christ died to redeem us, to save us from the punishment which our sins justly deserve, our hearts are filled with gratitude and love. This love makes us anxious to do what he commanded; and, finding, in the attempt, the weakness and sinfulness of our nature, we are led to pray earnestly for the assistance of the Holy Spirit to free us from the dominion of our lusts and passions, that we may be able to overcome the world. Perhaps the reader will here say to himself What, do not all Christians believe in the divine nature of Christ, and that by His death he made atonement for our sins? yet we know that this belief has not much effect upon their practice.-I tell him, the faith which overcometh the world, is not a mere casual assent to these doctrines by the understanding, but an abiding belief of the heart cherished and confirmed by devout meditation and earnest prayer. Such a belief must influence the actions of a man. In the hour of temptation, checked by the fear of punishment, and remembering the sufferings which his Saviour endured, he will say, "How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" No one can be made religious by that which is seldom in his thoughts. After the understanding has investigated the grounds of belief, if the heart be unmoved by, and receive not, the objects of such belief, it is certain, however correct that belief may be, that it will produce no fruit. It is with the heart that man believeth unto righteousness. He, then, who wishes to obey the Gospel, but is disheartened by the obstacles which the world' opposes, let him by earnest and persevering prayer, implore the Giver of every good and perfect gift to establish in his heart that faith which overcometh the world. N. C. T. LIFE. (From an old Writer.) LIFE and the scenes that round it rise Like a fair prospect still we make There, brooks and winding streams appear- Farther, fine castles court the eye, There, wealth and honours we espy; Till the remoter distance shrouds The plains with hills, these hills with clouds, When death, alas, perhaps too nigh, And force us from our airy dreams to part: Sent by I. M. T. EARL OF CLARENDON. WE gave, in our last Number, an extract from Lord Clarendon's "History of the Rebellion." Before we read any work, it is satisfactory to know a little of the author; and if it be a book of history, and the author lived at the time that he is describing, we read his work with much greater interest, seeing that he had a good opportunity of knowing the truth of what he is describing. Now, Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, was born in the year 1608, and died in the year 1674, so that my readers who look at the dates in our little History of England, will see that Escape of King Charles the Second. 419 he lived throughout the whole of Charles the First's reign, during all Cromwell's time, and during a considerable part of Charles the Second's reign. He was Lord Chancellor of England; and, from his high station, was acquainted with the principal events, as well as the persons whom he describes. His daughter married King James the Second, who was brother to Charles the Second. Particulars of the Escape of King Charles the Second. (Continued from p. 376.) THE king observed, that he was never carried to any gentleman's house, though that country was full of them, but only to poor houses of poor men, which only yielded him rest, with very unpleasant suste nance. Within a few days, a very honest and discreet person, one Mr. Huddleston, a Benedictine monk, who attended the service of the Roman Catholics in those parts, came to him, sent by Careless, and was a very great assistance and comfort to him. And, when the places to which he carried him were at too great a distance to walk, he provided him a horse, and more proper habit than the rags he wore. This man told him that the Lord Wilmot lay concealed likewise in a friend's house of his, which his Majesty was very glad of, and wished him to contrive some means how they might speak together; which the other easily did, and within a night or two brought them into one place. Wilmot told the King" that he had, by very good fortune, fallen into the house of an honest gentleman, one Mr. Lane, a person of an excellent reputation for his fidelity to the King, but of so universal and general à good name, that, though he had a son, who had been |