new situation, the place put on quite the appearance of a flourishing village. He had exchanged his log house for one of more comfortable dimensions, and of a more respectable exterior, and all his worldly affairs seemed to be going on as prosperously as he could wish. But there was one subject, which weighed heavily upon his mind, and which was the almost constant theme of conversation with his wife when they were alone-it was the Church of his fathers. How to get it planted in that western land was now his greatest solicitude. Often have I seen the big tear roll down his cheek, while talking with his family of those blissful days, when they could go "to the house of God in company;" and then, as he contrasted these blessed privileges which they once enjoyed, with their present destitution of the sacred ordinances, he would exclaim, in the fervent language of the Psalmist "O how amiable are thy dwellings, thou Lord of Hosts! My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the courts of the Lord." "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning; yea, if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy." He saw that other denominations were rapidly gaining ground, while nothing had been done for that of his own. I saw he looked more thoughtful than usual, and when the family had retired to rest, I heard him say to Mrs. M—, whom he always consulted in cases of difficulty, --Harriet, my dear, they are about building a meetinghouse in town for the accommodation of all denominations, and I have declined contributing, as I have no doubt it will cause serious disturbances in our little village. If divisions must exist, I would rather that each denomination of Christians had a house of worship of its own; for I believe charity would thereby be best preserved, and pure religion best promoted. As far as my experience goes, there is always most harmony and Christian love, when those who differ in religious opinions keep perfectly distinct, and the Church and each sect manages its own religious affairs in its own way. We are too few and too poor to erect a building for ourselves. -But I have a plan in my head, which I hope you will approve. I will have a Church in my own house.-There are now several Episcopal families within a few miles of us, and one or two in the village, all of whom will gladly unite with us; and we will meet every Sunday, when I will read the service and a sermon. That large unfinished room up stairs, will probably hold more persons than ever we can collect. But who can tell what good may grow out of this small beginning, with the divine blessing upon our efforts? It will not, I know, be so pleasant to meet in this way, as to have a Church and minister, such as we left in New England; but we can plead the example of those primitive Christians who assembled in an upper room, where prayer was wont to be made.' And we have moreover, the blessed promise of our Redeemer, 'Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matt. xviii. 20.) Mrs. M was delighted with the plan; and the next morning my master mounted his horse, and rode round to see the few families of Church people in his neighbourhood, all of whom expressed pleasure at his proposals, and agreed to meet at his house every Sunday, when circumstances would permit. (To be continued.) THE THUNDER-CLAP. "Did you hear the thunder-clap one night early in last November?" is a question I have heard several times; but I think it was a question scarcely asked the very morning after that thunder-clap. No one then doubted whether another had heard it or not; but as friends met in the morning, there was a solemn expression on the countenances of many. Some looked agitated, as those who had had a sudden awful warning; others were quite calm, but looked pale; many were, to outward appearance, just as usual, but much had passed within; and they took their early meal, and went about their daily task with a deeper feeling than ever of reverence for the mighty God who maketh the thunder, and had kept them from harm, and still held them up and they were safe. My reader, did you hear that thunder-clap? There were some who did not hear it. Strange, indeed; one would have thought all but the dead must have heard it: some even suffering from a degree of deafness heard it; many very sound sleepers were awakened by it; yet some did not hear it at all, and wondered the next morning to hear you talk of something unusual. Strange as this may seem, I can tell of something even more surprising; judgments and warnings are all around us, and many see them not. The Lord has given his own word to teach us, and his own Son to die for us, and his own holy heaven to receive us, and yet many are careless and inattentive, and hardened, even "like the deaf adder, which stoppeth her ears, which refuseth to hear the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely." There is a sound which all shall hear; not a young child nor an aged person, not one afflicted with deafness, nor one sunk in the heaviest slumber, but shall hear the sound of the last trumpet. But this is saying very little; not one resting. in the deepest grave, or buried in the recesses of the mighty ocean, but shall hear that sound. I knew a poor insane woman who used to look from her window and sing, and the continual burden of her song was, in a deep and solemn tone, "Come to judgment, come to judgment, Come to judgment, come away." O, shall even one deprived of reason give warning, and P shall we not take the warning? Shall we not prepare for that "great day for which all other days were made?" How did you feel when you heard that thunder-clap ? Did some trifling business that had occupied you, or some trifling vexation that had annoyed you in the day before, appear of much importance then? Perhaps you were suddenly aroused out of sleep. Did you not give one thought to the trumpet that shall awake the dead? Or perhaps you were awake before, and you listened while the mighty thunder rolled, as it seemed, over your head, with a sound, the loudest sound, it may be, that you ever heard. Were you terrified? Did you think of the God who made the thunder, as a mighty God who will come to take vengeance on his enemies, and with the breath of his mouth to consume the wicked? Were you afraid to meet your God—afraid to die? O, let not the warning of the mighty thunder-clap be in vain! Think, before it be too late, of Jesus and his salvation-of Jesus, the equal Son of God, who trod this earth more than thirty years, and then suffered his enemies to nail to a cross of wood the feet that had carried him on his errands of mercy, and the hands that had been stretched out to bless. You have heard this before, you say: yes, I dare say you have; but have you believed it? Yes, you say you have. I do not look at your heart, but God does. May he teach you what is meant by believing, feeling in your inmost soul, that Jesus is the only Saviour, and that through infinite mercy, he is yours. Jesus and his salvation-His saving grace! A theme for angels through eternity, and yet a theme touched upon in the language that mortals use. Do not fear but he will save you! the very feeling of anxiety proves that his Spirit is even now at work within you. Only believe; he saves to the very uttermost, and casteth out none that come unto him. But it may be, dear reader, that you were enabled to think, when you heard the mighty thunder-clap, of God as a God of love, reconciled to you through his Son Jesus Christ, not imputing your trespasses unto you. Did you remember that the same Saviour God, "who shall be revealed from heaven with his holy angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe?" Then happy are you! All things are yours-things present, and things to come-life and death; for you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. O, call upon that God still, and he will shew you great and mighty things whfch you know not ;"yea, more and more will he manifest his love unto you, till he takes you away far beyond the clouds and tempests of this lower world, to be with Him where he is for ever and ever; where "Nearest the throne, and first in song, While wondering angels round him throng, And swell the chorus of his praise." Things New and Old. A TRUE STORY. John Pratt was once an honest, working, respectable young man, had gained the good-will of his employers, and the affections of a young woman, whom he married. For a considerable time they lived together happily and contentedly; two lovely children might be seen playing before their cottage door; their abode was the picture of comfort and cleanliness: and in the pretty village of R―there was not to be found a happier or better couple than John and Susan Pratt. An event, however, happened, which soon darkened their bright horizon. A Socialist shoemaker came to reside in this peaceful village, nor was he long before he commenced circulating his poison. At first he merely stood at his small shop-door on the Sabbath morn |