gether, as his master doth, though there be no equality. He cannot write as well as his master, yet there is a similitude-he labours to imitate and write like his master: So true Christians, though they cannot live and walk so exactly as Christ did, yet they labour to come as near to him as they can; to imitate and follow him-though not in his Divine acts, as working miracles, which he did as God, yet in his moral and human acts, which he did as man-so they labour to make him their only pattern in their deportment both towards God and man. For instance, his carriage towards God was full of piety, faith, zeal, heavenly-mindedness. He went about doing good to the bodies and souls of others; and in this we are to imitate him, it being the end of our redemption. Follow him also in his carriage or deportment towards man; and in this you may observe from scripture, that it was full of wisdom innocence, truth, justice, humility, meekness, love, mercy, and pity to others, in all of which virtues the scripture commands us to imitate him.-Bartlett. FAMILY PRAYER.-A household in which family prayer is devoutly attended to, conjoined with the reading. of the Scriptures, is a school of religious instruction. The whole contents of the sacred Volume are in due course laid open before its members. They are continually reminded of their relation to God and the Redeemer, of their sins, and their wants, and of the method they must take to procure pardon of the one, and relief for the other. Every day they are receiving "line upon line, and precept upon precept." A fresh accession is continually making in their stock of knowledge; new truths are gradually opened to their view, and the impressions of old truths revived. A judicious parent will naturally notice the most striking incident in his family in his devotional addresses; such as the sickness, or death, or removal for a longer or shorter time, of the members of which it is composed. His addresses will be varied according to circumstances. Has a pleasing event spread joy and cheerfulness through the household? it will be noticed with becoming expressions of fervent gratitude. Has some calamity overwhelmed the domestic circle? it will give occasion to an acknowledgement of the Divine equity, the justice of God's proceedings will be vindicated, and grace implored through the blood of the Redeemer, to sustain and sanctify the stroke. When the most powerful feelings, and, the most interesting circumstances, are thus connected with religion, it is not unreasonable to hope that, through Divine grace, some lasting and useful impressions will be made. Is not some part of the good seed thus sown, and thus nurtured, likely to take root and to become fruitful? Deeply as we are convinced of the deplorable corruption of the human heart, and the necessity, consequent on this, of Divine agency to accomplish a saving purpose, we must not forget that God is accustomed to work by means; and surely none can be conceived more likely to meet the end.— Robert Hall. SLEEP. What a blessing it is to enjoy refreshing repose! While we sleep with comfort, and rise from sleep invigorated, many of our fellow-creatures are very differently circumstanced. There are some every night who lie down to rise no more. They sink at last under the pressure of long-continued disease, or are hurried away, with little or no previous warning, to the bar of God. Solemn thought! There is not a night in which multitudes of our fellow-creatures do not sleep the sleep of death, and awake to find themselves either in heaven or in hell. There are others who cannot sleep in consequence of bodily pain or mental anxiety. They wet the couch with their tears. They toss to and fro till the dawning of the day. What anguish is endured by those to whom such "wearisome nights are appointed!" There are others who will not sleep, in consequence of their unwearied and infatuated pursuit of carnal pleasures. Engaged in works of revelry and riot, ruining their bodies and their souls, spreading around them misery and destruction, "they love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.” While some are prevented from sleep by painful watchings in the chamber of sickness, or by more painful waiting for the return of the sons of dissipation from their midnight abominations, others are kept awake by the incursions of robbers, or the ravages of fire; others have occasion to say, "Thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions." THE LAST TEMPEST.-Terrible will be the hurricane when, in the midst of dissolving elements of fallen worlds, the Son of man shall appear as Judge of quick and dead. Then shall many a noble ship, freighted with reason, and talent, and glorious and beautiful things, be broken into shreds. Then shall many a bark founder which had floated gracefully along, with every flag flowing as though life had been a holiday. And the only vessels which shall ride out the storm, shall be those which, having made the bible their map, and Christ their light, steered boldly for a new world, in place of coasting the old.-Rev. H. Melvill. POETRY. CHRISTIAN CONFIDENCE. Jesus, I my cross have taken, Naked, poor, despised, forsaken, Perish every fond ambition, All I've sought, or hoped, or known; Yet how rich is my condition, God and heaven are still my own. Let the world despise and leave me- Go, then, earthly fame and treasure, Man may trouble and distress me, 'Twill but drive me to thy breast; Life with trials hard may press me, Heaven will bring me sweeter rest. .Soul, then know thy full salvation; Something still to do or bear. Think what Spirit dwells within thee; Think what Father's smiles are thine; Think that Jesus died to save thee; Haste thee on from grace to glory, Arm'd by faith, and wing'd by prayer, Heaven's eternal day 's before thee, God's own hand shall guide thee there. Soon shall close thy earthly mission Soon shall pass thy pilgrim days, Hope shall change to glad fruition, Faith to sight, and prayer to praise. THE COTTAGE MAGAZINE; OR, Plain Christian's Library. SERIOUS THOUGHTS FOR A CLOSING YEAR. Dear Reader! the year is hastening away-the year is dying! Your life too is passing away, you too are dying! The days of your life which are passed cannot be gathered up again; you are so much nearer death by those days which are gone. Soon as this year will close, your life may be ended before it dies away: God only knows whether or the you "Man is shall die first. year like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away." Though scarcely a day passes over our heads without bringing death before our view in some form or other, sparing neither the young nor the middle aged, neither the weak nor the strong; severing the nearest and dearest ties; leaving thousands weeping, and many, perhaps, quite desolate; yet, how little serious attention do the young, and, I fear I may add also, many of maturer years, give to the melancholy details and heart-rending instances that are so constantly meeting the eye and the ear! Though when we reflect that our own days are numbered, and we know not how soon we may be called to a fearful reckoning, in the presence of an offended God,— even, perhaps, before another day is gone, we may be laid on the bed of death!-is it not wonderful that our feelings should be thus unmoved and unaffected by an DECEMBER, 1843. VOL. XXXI. 2 L |