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GRATITUDE FOR THE SCRIPTURES. Gratitude, remarks the distinguished Edward Irving, not only expressing itself in proper terms, but possessing the mind with an abiding and overmastering influence, under which it should sit impressed the whole duration of the interview; such an emotion as cannot utter itself in language, though by language it indicates its presence, but preserves us in a devout and adoring frame while the Lord is uttering his voice. Go, visit a desolate widow with consolation, and help, and fatherhood of her orphan children do it, again and again—and your presence, the sound of your approaching footsteps, the soft utterance of your voice, the very mention of your name, will come to dilate her heart with a fulness which defies her tongue to utter, but speaks by the tokens of a swimming eye, and clasped hands, and fervent ejaculations to heaven on your head! No less copious acknowledgment to God, the Author of our wellbeing, and the Father of our better hopes, ought we to feel when his word discloseth to us the excesses of his love. Though a veil be now cast over the majesty which speaks, it is the voice of the Eternal which we hear coming in soft cadences to win our favour, yet omnipotent as the voices of the thunder, and overpowering as the rushing of many waters. And though the veil of the future intervene between our hand and the promised goods, still are they from his lips who speaks, and it is done; who commandeth, and all things stand fast. With no less emotion, therefore, should this book be opened, than if, like him in the Apoca

lypse, you saw the voice which spake; or, like him in the trance, you were into the third heavens translated, companying and communing with the realities of glory, which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived.

THE DISOBEDIENT BOY ALARMED.

When Adam Clarke was a little boy, he one day disobeyed his mother, and the disobedience was accompanied with some look or gesture that indicated an undervaluing of her authority. This was a high affront; she immediately flew to the Bible, and opened on these words, Prov. xxx. 17, which she read and commented on in a most awful manner: "The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out and the young eagles shall eat it." The poor culprit was cut to the heart, believing the words had been sent immediately from heaven. He went out into the field with a troubled spirit, and was musing on this horrible denunciation of Divine displeasure, when the hoarse croak of a raven sounded to his conscience an alarm more terrible than the cry of "Fire!" at midnight. He looked up, and soon perceived this most ominous bird; and actually supposing it to be the raven of which the text spoke coming to pick out his eyes, he clapped his hands on them with the utmost speed and trepidation, and ran towards the house as fast as the state of his alarm and perturbation would admit, that he might escape the impending vengeance.

Temperance.

NO RESTING PLACE FOR THE DOVE.

TEMPERANCE, remarks Jabez Inwards, came from heaven in a flood of light, with a countenance beaming with joy, and a hand full of blessings for the inhabitants of our fallen world. It flew with the swiftness of an angel through an arena of glittering stars, and all that was beautiful and magnificent in creation welcomed it as a heavenly messenger full of mercy and love. The angels stood on the battlements of the celestial world, and watched its progress with intense interest; but when it approached the confines of this world, like the dove from Noah's ark, it wandered to and fro, but could find no resting-place. Many of the inhabitants of the earth beheld the fair messenger, but they knew not its

name, neither did they understand its mission; deep suspicions were created, and many slanderous reports were raised, and some of the wine-loving watchmen, on the walls of Zion, said, "It was Satan appearing in the garb of an angel of light." Heedless of such representations, it flew to the palace for the purpose of enlisting royal patronage for the more effectual execution of its mission, but was driven back by the flames of Alcohol. Not yet discouraged, it wended its way to the bishops, and presented to them a document signed by the hand of God, in which there was written, "Wine is a mocker, look not upon it when it is red." They looked with amazement, and exclaimed, "We know you not, nor from

whence you come ;" and they went to their politics, and eulogised the evil spirit of wine. Being attracted by the glitter of our universities and dissenting colleges, it anticipated a kind reception there; but on approaching those places it heard the shriek of intemperance, and found even the altars of religion desecrated by alcohol, and thousands of the wine-loving students shook their gowns in derision of Temperance, and shouted so loudly in favour of the mocker, wine, as to threaten destruction to the fair messenger if it dared to alight amongst them. In a state almost approaching despair, it visited the great military establishments, and was laughed to scorn by men of blood; royalty rejected it-bishops opposed itofficers swore at it-publicans abused itbrewers misrepresented it-drunkards blasphemed it--lawyers derided it-doctors despised it-ignorance belied it-fashion frowned upon it-custom hated it-habit abhorred it-the professing church uplifted ita voice against it, and a wicked world tried to frighten it away by its ignorant and clamorous babblings.

THE EVILS OF INTEMPERANCE.

The march of ruin is ever onward! It reaches abroad to others, invades the family and social circles, and spreads woe and sorrow on all around. It cuts down youth in its vigour, manhood in its strength, and age in its weakness. It breaks the father's heart, bereaves the doting mother, extinguishes natural affection, erases conjugal love, blots out filial attachment, blights parental hope, and brings down mourning age in sorrow to the grave. It produces weakness, not strength; sickness, not health; death, not life. It makes wives, widows; children, orphans; fathers, fiends; and all of them paupers and beggars. It hails fever, feeds rheumatism, nurses gout, welcomes epidemics, invites cholera, imparts pestilence, and embraces consumption. It covers the land with idleness, poverty, disease, and crime. It fills your gaols, supplies your almshouses, and demands your asylums. It engenders controversies, fosters quarrels, and cherishes riots. It condemns laws, spurns order, and loves mobs. It crowds your penitentiaries, and furnishes the victims for your scaffolds. It is the life-blood of the gambler, the aliment of the counterfeiter, the prop of highwaymen, and the support of the midnight incendiary. It countenances the liar, respects the thief, and esteems the blasphemer. It violates obligation, reverences fraud, and honours infamy. It defames benevolence, hates love, scorns virtue, and slanders innocence. It incites the father to butcher his off

spring, helps the husband to massacre his wife, and aids the child to grind the parricidal axe. It burns up man, consumes woman, detests life, curses God, and despises heaven. It suborns witnesses, reveres perjury, defiles the jury-box, and stains the judicial ermine. It bribes votes, disqualifies voters, corrupts elections, pollutes our institutions, and endangers our government. It degrades the citizen, debases the legislator, dishonours the statesman, and disarms the patriot. It brings shame, not honour; terror, not safety; despair, not hope; misery, not happiness. And now, as with the malevolence of a fiend, it calmly surveys its frightful desolations; and, insatiate with havoc, it poisons felicity, kills peace, ruins morals, blights confidence, slays reputation, and wipes out national honour; then curses the world, and laughs at its ruin.

A WARNING TO PARENTS.

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I have heard my dear mother say, that when I was a little baby, she thought me her finest child. I was the pet of the family -I was caressed and pampered by my fond, but too indulgent parents. Before I could well walk, I was treated with the "sweet" from the bottom of my father's glass. When I was a little older, I was fond of sitting on his knee, and he would frequently give me a little of the liquor from his glass, in a spoon. My dear mother would gently chide him with "Don't, John, it will do him harm." To this he would smilingly reply, This little sup won't hurt him, bless him?" When I became a schoolboy, I was at times unwell, and my affectionate mother would pour for me a glass of wine from the decanter. At first I did not like it, but as I was told that it would make me "strong," I got to like it. When I left school and home, to go out as an apprentice, my pious mother wept over me, and amongst other good advice, urged me "never to go to the publichouse or theatre." For a long time I could not be prevailed upon to act contrary to her wishes; but, alas! the love for liquor had been implanted within me. Some of my shopmates at length overcame my scruples, and I crossed the fatal threshold. I reasoned thus: "My parents taught me that these drinks were good-I cannot get them here except at the public housesurely it cannot be wrong then to go and purchase them." From the public-house to the theatre was an easy passage. Step by step I fell. Little did my fond mother think, when she rocked me in my little cot, that her child would find a home in a prison cell. Little did my indulgent father

dream, when he placed the first drop of sweetened poison to my childish lips, that he was sowing the seeds of my ruin. My days are now nearly ended-my wicked career is nearly closed. I have grown up to manhood; but by a course of intemperance have added sin to sin. Hope for the future I have not. I shall soon die.A POOR DRunkard.

IMPORTANT FACTS.

REQUISITES FOR A Drunkard.-There are five requisites for a professed drunkard, namely-a face of brass, nerves of steel, lungs of leather, a heart of stone, and an incombustible liver. Unless he have all these, he shall quickly die.

WHO IS A DRUNKARD?-He that drinks for lust, or pride, or good fellowship, or to kill time, or to still conscience, is a drunkard. Water-drinkers escape all temptations from these sources.

FEMALE INFLUENCE, like the mainspring of a watch, though it lies concealed, influences the whole machinery. May it ever be exerted on the side of temperance, and may the tear of wretchedness never blanch the cheek of female virtue !

DESPOTISM OF TRADE CUSTOMS.-No despot, however heartless; no government, however wicked, could inflict more wrongs upon a people, than the working classes inflict upon each other through trade associations and trade regulations.

GOOD SPIRITS.-The friends of temperance are staunch foes of all alcoholic spirits, but dear lovers of ardent spirits in a good work, of strong spirits in a great work, and of good spirits in all sorts of work in such fine spirits they hope never to be deficient.

YOUTH RENEWED.-Before I discontinued the use of narcotic and stimulating drinks I was threatened with consumption. This tendency still remains, but is every year diminishing. My general health is greatly improved. I think my constitution of body and mind more juvenile than six years ago. -W. A. Alcott, M.D.

A MEAN FELLOW.-" Oh! come, treat; don't be mean," said a tippler, coaxingly, to an old friend, near one of our grog-shops, the other day. "Why, when I had money, in '46," he said, with a groan, "I used to let my wife and children go without bread, because I would not be called a mean fellow."

COMPREHENSIVE FREEDOM. The cause of temperance is the cause of freedom-freedom from the House of Correction and the Penitentiary; freedom from premature sickness and death; freedom from domestic want and wretchedness; freedom from sheriffs' writs, and from obligations to en

rich the manufacturers and vendors of strong drinks, and to support the victims of the traffic and their families.

WATER-DRINKING.-If people would drink water, instead of fermented and distilled beverages, they would be free from many diseases, such as tremblings, palsies, apoplexies, giddiness, pains in the head, gout, stone, dropsy, rheumatism, piles, and such like. Drinking water strengthens the stomach, causes an appetite, preserves the sight, makes the senses lively, and cleanses all the passages of the body, especially those of the kidneys and bladder.

"STRONG DRINK IS RAGING."-A few years ago, a tippler was put into an almshouse in a populous town in one of the American States. Within a few days he had devised various expedients to obtain rum, but had failed. At length, however, he hit upon one that was successful. He went into the wood-yard of the establishment, placed one hand upon a block, and, with an axe in the other, struck it off at a single blow! With the stump raised and streaming, he ran into the house, and cried, "Get some rum, get some rum; my hand is off!" In the confusion and bustle of the occasion, a bowl of rum was brought, into which he plunged the bleeding member of his body, then raised the bowl to his mouth, drank freely, and exultingly exclaimed, "Now I am satisfied!"

WORSE THAN A TEMPEST.

A tempest sweeps along our sea-coastvessels innumerable are shipwrecked- -a million of dollars'-worth of property is destroyed. But there it is, harmless at the bottom of the ocean. A million dollars'worth of corn is distilled-there it is, not harmless, but converted into an instrument of expense and injury in all its after stages of existence, until it disappears down the throat of the consumer-and yet its effects end not here. There is the time lost in the distillation, in the vending, in the drinking,

there is the interest on the capital employed, which should have been employed in some business productive of articles of use there is the time spent by the consumer in earning money to pay for itthere are the taxes to meet the expenses of the crime and pauperism it inevitably produces. And for what? To make beasts of men created in the image of their God. The tempest is far less injurious to the community than the distiller. The former destroys property, but renders it innoxious. The latter destroys it in its form of value, and invests it with a vitality for evil, and sends it forth as a destroying angel, armed with a two-edged sword, smiting its victims and society.

Berald of Peace.

THE LENGTH OF A TONGUE.

A certain woman once called upon her minister to tell him how much her mind had been hurt. Her pastor received her with all tenderness, and inquired into the cause of her distress. She went on to say, "She could assure him that her mind was very much hurt indeed, but she did not know how to tell him." The minister, judging it must be something serious, urged her to be explicit upon the subject of her distress. At last she said, "It is the length of your bands, Sir, when in the pulpit." "Oh!" said the minister, "the length of my bands is it that so distresses you? I will take care that that shall be a source of distress to you no more." So fetching his bands he said, "Here is a pair of scissors, cut them to your wish." After she had done this, she thanked him, and professed to feel her mind relieved. “ Well, my friend," said the minister, I may tell you that my mind has also been very much hurt, perhaps even more than yours.' "Oh, Sir, I am sorry for that! what, Sir, has hurt your mind so?" He replied, "It is the length of your tongue. And now, as one good turn deserves another, you will allow as much to be cut off as will reduce it to about its proper length ?" It need not be remarked, that she was speechless; and it is hoped learnt an important lesson with respect to that unruly member.

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THE CURSE OF WAR.

When I saw the difficulties of space and time, as it were, overcome-when I beheld a kind of miracle exhibited before my astonished eyes,-when I surveyed masses pierced through, on which it was before hardly possible for man or beast to plant the sole of the foot, and now covered with a road and bearing heavy wagons, laden not only with innumerable passengers, but with merchandise of the largest bulk and weight -when I saw valleys made practicable by bridges of ample height and length which spanned them,-saw the steam railway traversing the surface of the water, at a distance of sixty or seventy feet in perpendicular height, saw the rocks excavated, and the gigantic power of man penetrating

through miles of the solid mass, and gaining a great, a lasting, an almost perennial conquest over the powers of Nature by his skill and industry,-when I contemplated all this, was it possible for me to avoid the reflections which crowded into my mind,-not in praise of man's great deeds,-not in admiration of the genius and perseverance which he had displayed, or even of the courage which he had shown in setting himself against the obstacles which matter had opposed to his course,-no, but, when I reflected that this peaceful, and guiltless, and useful triumph over the elements, and over Nature herself, had cost a million of money, whilst 1,500,000,000 had been squandered in bloodshed, in naturalizing barbarism over the world, shrouding the nations in darkness, making bloodshed tinge the earth of every country under the sun,-in one horrid and comprehensive word, WAR; the greatest curse of the human race, and the greatest crime, because it involves every other crime within its execrable name, and all with the wretched, and, thank God! I may now say, the utterly frustrated, as it always was the utterly vain, attempt to crush the liberties of the people! I look backwards with shame, with regret unspeakable,—with indignation to which I should in vain attempt to give utterance, upon that course of policy which we are now happily too well informed, and too well intentioned ever to allow again whilst we live,-when I think that if 100, and but 100 of these 1,500,000,000, had been employed in promoting the arts of peace, and the progress of civilization, and of wealth, and prosperity amongst us, instead of that other employment, which is too hateful to think of, and almost now-adays too disgusting to speak of; and I hope to live to see the day when such things will be incredible, and looking back we shall find it impossible to believe that they ever happened, instead of being burthened with 800,000,000 of debt, borrowed after spending 700,000,000, borrowed when we had no more to spend,-we should have seen the whole country covered with such works as now unite Manchester and Liver pool, and should have enjoyed peace uninterrupted during the last forty years, with all the blessings which an industrious and a virtuous people deserve, and which peace profusely sheds upon their lot.

LORD BROUGHAM.

Our Children and Our Servants.

YOUR CHILDREN ARE IMMORTAL.

PARENTS are naturally and honourably anxious, says an eminent female, about advancing the interests of their children; but they do not always extend this anxiety to their best interests. They prepare them for the world, but neglect to prepare them for eternity: their affection is warm, but short-sighted. Liberal learning need not interfere with religious acquirements; nor ought any human learning to keep religious instruction in the back-ground, so as to render it a subordinate part in the education of a Christian gentleman. Let it be your chief concern to train up your son in the fear of God. Imbue the youthful mind betimes with sound principles and right habits. Consider that such are to be the elements of his future character, the fountain of honourable actions, the germ of whatever may hereafter be pure, virtuous, and lovely. In education never lose sight of this great truth, that irreligion is the death of all that is graceful and amiable in the mind-the destruction of all moral beauty: an irreligious man has no conception of anything that is lofty in virtue, or sublime in feeling. He does not look to God as the model of perfection; he will act nothing that is holy, for he does not honour His commandments. There is no true elevation of soul, but what the youth must acquire by the knowledge of God as revealed in his word; no perfect example but that exhibited to him by our Saviour. Nothing but the gospel, through the grace of God, will check his corruptions, give him a sense of his accountableness, and raise his nature above the degraded state to which sin has reduced it.

Let your child be made familiar with God's word, his providence, his controlling power, his superintending eye. Let him be taught not merely to read, but to understand, to love, to venerate his Bible. Implant in his mind the evidences of Christianity, in the simplest and most explicit manner; furnish him with arguments to defend it, for he will not fail to hear it attacked. Teach him to despise ridicule,that last resort of the defender of a bad

cause.

Learning, though it invigorates the mind, will not reform it; it will correct his taste, but not enable him to resist temptation; it will improve his judgment of the world, but not secure him from its pollutions. Human learning will only teach him the

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Morality is disgusted by vulgar vice, by the practical sins of the sensual man; but mere morality can never extirpate the vices of the heart. His must be the religion of the New Testament. Be not ashamed to teach your son the Gospel of Jesus Christ; other notions will occupy ground which you leave vacant. Oh! stamp right impressions on the heart while it is soft, tender, and ductile.

Fancy not that those pursuits will check his vivacity, or obstruct his amiable cheerfulness. The ingenuous mind is never so happy as when in a state of virtuous exertion. Much less fear that they will depress his genius; his mind will find wider room in which to expand, his intellectual eye will take in a more extensive range: to know that he is formed for immortality is not likely to contract his ideas. And if to know that he is an immortal being will exalt his thoughts, to know that he is an accountable being will correct his habits; to know that "God is the rewarder of all them that seek him," will stimulate him in the race of Christian duty; to know that there is a day in which God will judge the world, will quicken his preparation for that day. From his Bible only let him draw his sense of those principles by which he will be hereafter judged; and be careful ever to distinguish in his mind between the worldly morality of the multitude, and that Christian holiness which is the dictate of the Scriptures. Pleasing manners will attract popular regard, and worldly motives will produce popular actions, but genuine virtue proceeds only from Christian principles.

And after all, though you cannot by your best exertions, seconded by the most fervent prayer, command success, yet what a support will it be under the possible defeat of your fairest hopes, that you strove to avert it? Even if, through the preva lence of temptation, the perverseness of his nature, and the malignity of his corruptions, the best founded hopes should be disappointed, what a heartfelt consolation will it be under this heaviest of all trials, that the misconduct of the child is not imputable to the neglect of the father; though it will not pluck the sting from his guilt, it will render the poignancy of your own anguish more tolerable. But let us indulge

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