voice of mercy; no day-star of hope; no father, mother, daughter, pastor, angel, to sympathize; no one to breathe for the lost the prayer of pardon; no

great Intercessor to bear the cry of mercy up to the throne of God. It is death-lingering, long, interminable death-the dying sorrow prolonged from age toage; onward-onward toward eternity-ever lingering, never ending. . . . . . . I have no power-no heart to attempt to portray these scenes. They are not topics for declamation. For of whom are these things spoken? Of the dwellers in distant worlds? Of those whom we have not seen? Alas! of many, many of the wicked in this house. How many now in despair may have occupied the seats which you now occupy-not suffered now to go and tell their brethren, lest they also come into that place of torment ! Oh, they are spoken of our kindred and friends of wives, and husbands, and parents, and school-companions, and teachers, and pupils, who are out of Christ. They are spoken of those to whom we are bound by every tender tie, and to whom the heart is drawn by all the gushing sympathy of love; but are they less in danger on that account? Oh, is there no danger? Suppose a voice from heaven should be heard in this house, and saying to the living here, The day is coming in which all that are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of man, and shall come forth, they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation;' the wicked shall be turned into hell; except ye repent, ye shall all perish; is there a heart here that would not feel that there was danger? Should a hand be seen writing on these walls the names of all those here who are in danger of hell, how solemn would be this house! With what anxiety would you trace the record made? How anxiously would you look to see if your name was begun-was recorded-was fixed there! How deep the anguish of the soul! How deep, perhaps, the groans that would be heard in every part of the house!"-Barnes.

A HOTTENTOT BOY.

A POOR black boy, the property of a slaveholder in Africa, having heard of the preaching of the missionaries, felt a strong desire to go and hear about Jesus Christ. For this purpose, he crept secretly away one evening; but being obliged to pass under the window of the house, his master saw him and called out "Where are you going?"

The poor fellow came back, trembling, and said: "Me go to hear the missionaries, massa."

"To hear the missionaries, indeed! If you ever go there, you shall have nine-and-thirty lashes, and be put in irons."

With a disconsolate look, the boy replied: "Me tell Massa-me tell the great Massa."

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mined to follow his slave, and see if there could be any peace for his troubled spirit. Creeping, unobserved, into a secret corner, he eagerly listened to

the words of the missionary, who that day addressed the natives from St John xxi. 15-"Lovest thou me?"

"Is there no poor sinner," said the missionary, "who can answer this question? Not one poor slave who loves Jesus Christ? No one who dares to confess Him?"

Here the poor boy, unable to forbear any longer, sprang forward, and holding up both his hands, while the tears streained down his cheeks, cried out, with eagerness" Yes, massa, me do love Him! Me love Him!-me love Him with all my heart!"

The master was still more astonished; and he went home convinced of the blessings which the gospel brings, and became a decided Christian.

TWO WOMEN PRAYING.

In the county of A. there lived, remote from a village, two pious females, who had been recently united with husbands opposed to the gospel of Christ. These young women beheld, with the keenest sensation, the dear partners of their lives pursuing a path which must soon end in everlasting death. Each had often carried her troubles and sorrows to the throne of grace, and laid them before One who knew the anxiety of her heart, and each had often shed the silent tear. As a great intimacy had existed between those young females, they jointly agreed to spend one hour daily in praying for their husbands. They continued this prayer for seven years without any visible effect. At length, with hearts full of anguish, they met to mingle together their sorrows. Their inquiry was, Shall we no longer pray for our dear partnersmust they, O must they, be for ever miserable? They concluded that although their prayers had not been answered, yet they would persevere even unto the end of life in the course they had adopted; and if their husbands would go down to destruction, they should go loaded with their prayers. They moreover resolved to renew their strength, and to pray more earnestly than ever. Thus they continued for three years longer. About this time one of them was awakened in the night by the mental distress of her husband. Sleep had departed from his eyes, distress and anguish had seized his soul, for the prayers of these females had come up in remembrance before

"Me tell the great Massa, the Lord of heaven, that massa was angry with me, because I wanted to go and hear His word."

The master was struck with astonishment; his colour changed, and, unable to conceal his feelings, he hastily turned away, saying

"Go along and hear the missionaries." Being thus permitted, the poor boy gladly went. In the mean time, the mind of the master became restless and uneasy. He had not been accustomed to think that he had a Master in heaven, who knew and observed all his actions; and he at length deter

ridicule the tender anxieties of a distressed wife, was now upon his knees in the greatest agony. Now, with earnestness, he entreated her to pray for him; for, said he, the day of grace is almost over, and the door of mercy is ready to be closed against me for ever. His distress and the hope of the wife continued to increase. As soon as the day dawned she went with an overflowing heart to tell her praying companion that God was about to answer their petitions. But great was her surprise, to meet her friend coming or the same errand, to tell her what God was doing for her own husband.

Thus after ten years' perseverance in calling might

ily on God, these Christian females had the unspeakable satisfaction of seeing both their husbands brought on the same day to realize their undone condition, and about the same time to accept, as it is hoped, the offers of mercy.

A DREADFUL RISK.

A FEW Sabbaths since, at the close of a discourse of great pungency and plainness, a preacher made a solemn appeal to his hearers, whether, in view of the truths and warnings he had uttered, they would run the risk of delaying the work of repentance? Will you run the risk of losing your souls? Will you run the risk of losing heaven? Will you run the risk of perishing in your sins and dying without hope? The appeal was kindly and solemnly pressed on the minds of those present. At the close of the service, in passing down the aisle, a lady, deeply impressed with the appeal which had been made, said in a low but earnest tone to a gay young lady of her acquaintance, "Can you resist such an appeal as you have just now heard? Will you venture to run the risk of losing your soul ?" "O yes," she replied in a thoughtless tone, "I will run the risk." A few days after, the pastor who made the appeal was called to attend the funeral of a young lady in a certain street, who had died suddenly. It proved to be the young lady who had ventured to run the dreadful risk of losing her soul. Behind the curtain of eternity we may not penetrate, or follow the spirit to its last account.

A MODEL MAGISTRATE.

THE Rev. Dr Cheever, in a sermon upon the duties of magistrates, says that Nehemiah, who, with Ezra, led the Jews back to Jerusalem from the captivity of Babylon, was the last mayor that Jerusalem ever had, and a model for mayors of all other cities; for he ordered all the spirit shops to be closed on the Sabbath, and all who hung about their gates (doors) to be indicted.

RULES FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF
YOUR TONGUE.

1. If you would have better tongues, labour for better hearts. Get a principle of grace infused. Grace changeth the heart, and sanctifies all the members of the body. Grace makes the heart serious; and that cures the levity of the tongue; when the heart is serious, the words are savoury.

2. If you would not sin in your tongue, call to mind how you have formerly offended in your tongue, and that will make you more watchful for the future. David having observed how he had offended in his tongue, he is more careful of his words, and made a strict vow with himself, that he would look better to them. "I said I would take heed to my ways, that I offend not with my tongue."-Ps. xxxix. 1.

3. Watch your tongue: most sin is committed for want of watchfulness. As the tongue hath a double fence set about it, so it had need have a double watch. The tongue, when let loose, will be ready to speak loosely; watch it, lest it run beyond its bounds in frothy and sinful discourse. " If thou hast thought evil, lay thy hand upon thy mouth."-Prov. xxx. 32. 4. If you would not offend in your tongue, ponder your words well before you speak. "Be not rash with thy mouth."-Ec. v. 1.

5. If you would not offend in your tongue, pray to God to guard your tongue. "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth: keep the door of my lips."-Ps. cxli. 3.

6. If you would be kept from evil speaking, inure your tongues to good speaking. Speak often one to another of Christ and the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.—Song iv. 11. Beware of tongue and bridleth not his tongue, this man's religion is sins. "If any man among you seem to be religious, vain."-James i. 26.- Watson.

RULES FOR TRAVELLERS AND VISITORS. (Prepared by the late Rev. Dr Bedell of Philadelphia, for his own Congregation.).

IF RESIDING IN THE COUNTRY,

1. Never neglect your accustomed private duties of reading, meditation, self-examination, and prayer. 2. Never fail to attend some place of worship on the Lord's day, unless prevented by such circumstances as you are sure will excuse you in the eye of God.

3. Never entertain invited company on the Lord's day, and pay no visits, unless to the sick and needy, as acts of benevolence.

4. Never engage in any thing, either on the Lord's or on any secular day, which will compromise your Christian consistency.

5. Seek to do good to the souls of your family and all others within your reach.

6. Always remember that you are to "stand before the judgment seat-of Christ."

IF TRAVELLING,

1. Never, on any plea whatever, travel on the Lord's day.

2. Make your arrangements to stop, if possible, in some place where you can enjoy suitable religious privileges.

duties of reading, meditation, self-examination, and 3. Every day find or make time for your private

prayer.

4. Carry tracts and good books with you to read, distribute, or lend, according to circumstances. 5. Seek for opportunities to do good to the souls of those into whose society you may fall.

6. Never, by deed or conversation, appear to be ashamed of your religious profession.

7. Remember you are to "stand before the judgment-seat of Christ."

Fragments,

"The smoke of their torments ascendeth up for ever and ever."

TIME cannot finish it, tears cannot quench it. The wicked live always in the fire of hell, and are not consumed. After sinners have lain millions of years in hell, their punishment is as far from ending as it was at the beginning. If all the earth and sea were sand, and every thousandth year a bird should come, and take away one grain of this sand, it would be a long time ere that vast heap of sand were emptied; yet if, after all that time, the damned might come out of hell, there were some hope; but this word EVER breaks the heart.- Watson.

HE doth truly bewail the sins he hath committed, who doth not commit the sins he hath bewailed.— Augustin.

THE ordinance of the Supper is like a tree hung full of fruit; but none of this fruit will fall uniess shaken by the hand of prayer.- Watson.

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LET us try to help the Christian in setting his watch, and give some directions how he may keep his heart in a watchful frame. For this take in these particulars.

First, Harbour not any known sin in thy bosom. Sin hath two contrary effects on the conscience; either it fills the conscience with horror, or benumbs and stupifies it; the latter is the more common. Suffer the devil to anoint thy temples with this opium, and thou art in danger to fall into the sleeping disease of a stupid conscience; and thou wilt have little inclination then to pray. Or if it have the other effect upon thee, thou wilt be as much afraid, as now thou hast little desire, to pray. Secondly, beware of any excess in thy affection to the creature. A drunken man, of all others, is most unfitting to watch; such an one will be asleep as soon as he is set in his chair. Now all inordinancy of affection is a spiritual drunkenness; Christ joins both together,-" Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares," (Luke xxi. 34.) It is a preservative against drunkenness of spirit, that the day of the Lord might not come upon them unawares; and of the two, the drunkenness of the affection is the worst; he that is bodily drunk over-night, is sober by the morning; but he that is overcharged with the cares or love of the world, rises as drunk as he lay down, and how can he then watch unto prayer? We have therefore these two joined together, "Let us watch and be sober," (1 Thess. v. 6.) "Be ye therefore sober, and watch," (1 Peter iv. 7.) Whatever the affection is, the intemperance of it lays the soul under a distemper, and indisposeth it for prayer. Is it sorrow? Our Saviour finds his disciples sleeping for sorrow, when they should have watched and prayed, (Luke xxii. 45.) Is it love? This laid Samson asleep in Delilah's lap. The heart of man hath not room enough for God and the world too: the heart which spends itself in mourning for worldly crosses will find the stream run low when he should weep for his sins; if the cares of this life fill his head and heart, he will have little inclination to wait on God for spiritual purposes.

Thirdly, Resist this spiritual drowsiness when it first creeps upon thee. Sleep is easier kept off when approaching, than shaken off when it hath got possession and bound the senses. This sleepy disease of the soul steals insensibly upon us; when, therefore, thou findest it coming, rouse up thyself, as a man who hath business to do would start up from his chair to shake off his drowsiness. Now thou mayest observe these few symptoms of this distemper. First, an unwillingness to duty. If thou findest this, it appears thou beginnest to be heavy-eyed; when grace is wakeful, the Christian needs not many words to persuade him to come into God's presence : "Thou saidst, Seek my face; my heart said, Thy face will I seek." Therefore conclude thou mayest. He that would run to the door, when awake, at the first knock of his dear friend, to let him in, may, when between sleeping and waking, let him stand too long; this was the spouse's case, and she lost the company of her beloved : it showed plainly she was in a sleepy distemper, in that she was so backward in duty, for that was the door Christ would have met her at. Secondly, formality in prayer is a certain symptom that a sleepy distemper hangs about thee;" grace awake is full of life and activity, at least it discovers itself by making the soul deeply sensible of its deadness, and it proves the soul awake that can feelingly confess its deadness. Thirdly, prevalency of wandering thoughts. In sleep, fancy and imagination rule without control. If thy thoughts range in time of prayer, and meet with no check from thee, it shows thy grace is not awake.

Fourthly, Express a conscientious diligence at thy particular calling in the intervals of prayer. They that sit up to watch had need of some work to keep them awake; idleness is but one remove from sleep. I cannot believe that he who wasteth a day away in idleness should find his heart awake to pray at night, for he hath that day lived in the neglect of a duty as necessary as this; and it is bad going to one duty through the neglect of another. There is a generation of men that, under a pretence of watching and praying always, betake themselves to their cloisters, and renounce all secular employments, as if it were as easy

to put off the world as to change their clothes; but the world hath found those places commonly to have proved not houses to pray in, but dens to draw their prey into. It is more likely that those who are pampered with sloth and fulness of bread should be eaten up with luxury and sensuality than with zeal and devotion. The air, when still, thickens and corrupts; the spirits in our body are choked with rest; and the soul needs motion and exercise as much as either; in spiritual offices it cannot hold without intermission, therefore God hath provided our particular callings as a relief to our spiritual devotions, only our care must be not to overdo. The same thing may quicken and weaken, wake us, and lay us asleep. There is no greater help to our religious offices than a faithful discharge of our particular calling; but when it is inordinately pursued, it makes the spirit of prayer dull and heavy. Fifthly, Preserve a sense of thy spiritual wants. As fulness inclines the body to sleep, so doth a conceit of spiritual fulness the soul: the man hath a greater inclination to sleep than to work; whereas, he that is pinched with hunger, his empty stomach keeps him awake. If once thy spiritual hunger be a little stayed (from a conceit of thy grace) thou wilt say, with the rich man, "Take thy ease, O my soul ! thou hast goods laid up for many years." The Corinthians are a sad instance of this (1 Cor. iv. 8 :) "Now ye are full, now ye are rich; ye have reigned as kings without us." Paul is now nobody with you; the time hath been you could not do without him; but now your stomach is stayed, you are full, and can live without him: whereas it was a fulness of pride, not of grace. It is the nature of grace to dilate the heart, and make room for more; but of pride, to cloy the soul. God hath long kept open house in England; the wine-cellar door of his ordinances hath not been shut upon us, we have had free access to drink, and that abundantly, of their sweet wine: but, alas! may it not be for a lamentation to see how many are drunk with spiritual pride, rather than filled with grace, after so long an enjoy. ment of God's ordinances? Such yet there are who decry all ordinances, and who can live without public preaching and private praying also. There are others who are not so mad drunk, but yet are fallen asleep; they have lost their first life in, and love to, ordinances; they sit with sleepy eyes and dead hearts under them. Well, Christian, if thou wouldst keep thy soul awake, take heed thou losest not the

sense of thy wants. Begging is the poor man's trade; when thou beginuest to conceit thyself rich, then thou wilt be in danger of giving it

over.

Sixthly, Retire often to muse on some soulawaking meditations. We seldom sleep when we are thoughtful, especially if the thoughts we muse on be of weight and importance enough to occupy the mind: indeed, trivial thoughts, such as have nothing to invite attention, are given as a ready means to lull a man asleep. That Christian who neglects frequently to meditate on spiritual things, and lets his thoughts walk all day in company with carnal, worldly occasions, I should wonder if he finds his heart awake at night to pray in a spiritual manner. Give me, therefore, leave to present a few subjects for thy meditation, and they will be as the alarm which men set over-night to call them early in the morning. Meditate on Christ's coming to judgment. Surely thou wilt not easily sleep while this trumpet, that shall call all mankind to judgment, shall sound in thy ear. The reason why men sleep so soundly is, because they either do not believe this, or at least do not think of it seriously. The servant that looks for his master would be loth to be found in bed when he comes. Christ hath told us he will come, but not when, that we might never put off our clothes,-" Watch, therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come," (Matt. xxiv. 42.) There are, indeed, negative signs concerning his coming to the general judgment of the world, by which we may know he will not yet come, as the fall of Babylon, the calling of the Jews, and other prophecies, that must be fulfilled before he comes; but there are none from which we can conclude that his coming to any of us by death, and summons of us to our judgment before his bar, shall not yet be. Thou art young, thou canst not therefore say thou shalt not die as yet alas! measure the coffins in the churchyard, and thou wilt find some of thy length; young and old are within the reach of death's scythe; old men, indeed, go to death, their age calls for it; but young men cannot hinder death's coming unto them. Thou art rich, will this excuse thee? Rich men, indeed, can get others to serve for them here when their prince calls them forth to war, but there is no discharge in this war. Solomon tells us, thou must personally do this. Thou art strong and lusty, thou canst not say that death will be longer at work in felling thee down. Some, indeed, he cuts down by chips in consumptive diseases, they

die piecemeal; others he tears up in one night, as a tree by a tempest: think of this, and thy sleep will depart from thee. Secondly, Consider, the devil is always awake. Is it time for them in the city to sleep, when the enemy without watch? Our Saviour takes it for granted, "If the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up," (Matt. xxiv. 44.) Would Saul have slept in his trench if he had thought David had been so near? Or, would Sisera have lain down to rest if he had seen the hammer and nail in Jael's hand to drive through his temples? The devil is at thy door, and is not that enough to keep thee out of thy bed of sloth? What day in all the year is inconvenient to Satan? What place or company art thou in that he cannot make a snare for thy soul? What member of thy body or faculty of thy soul which is not in danger to be abused by him? Hast thou an inmate in thy own bosom that watcheth to open the gate to him? And is there not a constant correspondence between them? O how often doth he beat us with our own staff! And shall we not always watch and pray when he watcheth to tempt? Shall not we keep our correspondence with God and Christ, our allies in heaven, as he doth with our flesh? Shall thy enemy seek to cut thy throat, and wilt not thou rise to save it? Consider, wicked men are awake, and hard at work for Satan and their lusts. O, may it not put the Christian to shame! Thirdly, Consider how watchful the men of the world are to follow their worldly business; do they not rise early, and go to bed late, grudging the very time that is spent to refresh nature in the night with sleep, so bent are they upon their carnal projects! The philosopher observed this, and felt ashamed at suffering the smith to be at his anvil in the morning, sooner than he was at his book. O Christian! should it not make thee blush much more, to see the whole town up, and as busy as bees in a garden, one flying this way, another that way, and all to bring a little more of this world's perishing pelf into their hive, out of which death erelong will drive them, and force them to leave what with so much pains they have gathered for others; while thou sleepest away thy precious time, though thou art sure to carry thy gettings into the other world with thee, and there enjoy the fruit of thy short labour here with everlasting glory! Nay, consider how watchful the wicked are to

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take all opportunities to pursue their works of darkness; and wilt not thou watch unto prayer, that thou mayest fill thy soul with spiritual loves in communion with thy God? The thief is up at midnight to get his prey; and wilt not thou break thy rest a little to obtain a richer treasure than is to be found in the coffers of the richest princes? Shall these be at so much pains to satisfy their lusts, and thou take none to honour and enjoy thy God? O, what a shame was it to the heavy-eyed disciples, that they could not watch to pray with their Master, when Judas, that bold traitor, was so wakeful, as to be up in the dead of the night to betray him into his murderers' hands ! Fourthly, Consider how short the time is that thou art desired to watch: "Could ye not watch with me one hour ?”—(Matt. xxvi. 40.) Erelong, Christian, thou shalt be called off thy guard, and then thou shalt have all rest, though no sleep; it is but for this short life thou art put to stand upon this hard duty; and is that so long O how soon is a life past at play or sin? The great complaint such make, is, Time is short; they wish they could clip its wings. Is time so short and sweet to spend in sin; and can it be tedious to thee to bestow it in devotion? Why should an hour in the closet be thought by a saint long, when day and night spent in an ale-house is too short for the sinAbove all, consider whether it be not better to watch aud pray here on earth for a few days, than to wake in hell under endless torments. Fifthly, Consider seriously how great a loser thou hast been already in thy heavenly trade, for want of watching. It is with the Christian, as with some negligent merchant, who takes notice of some loss, of a round sum, that befalls him; at this he cries out he shall be undone; but regards not the pence and shillings that he idly spends, nor considers the loss which follows upon his daily negligence; whereas would he count what in this way was lost, he might find that it amounts to more than the other. Thus the Christian sometimes is troubled for one great sin into which he hath fallen, but withal, he observes not how negligently he performs his duties; how he sometimes prays coldly for want of due preparation, and what little fruit comes for want of watchfulness after it, whereby in time he falls low; whereas if he could bring the several items of these particular losses together, he would find them swell into a sad reckoning, except, with these losses, he hath also lost the tenderness of his conscience. And shall a

ner?