or to any of them, a share of your time and personal attention, of your influence and pecuniary help, and above all, of your earnest and constant prayers. Here, however, let me suggest a salutary caution, one which may be peculiarly useful to the young and inexperienced. Be zealous-but let christian wisdom temper and direct your zeal. Even when engaged in such labours of love, there are evils lurking within and around, against which it becomes us to watch. Self-deception, in matters of religion, was never more easy than in the present day. Too possibly may apparent zeal for God, attachment to peculiarities of doctrine, and lively interest in religious societies, be mistaken for the genuine spirit of christianity. Too easily may they be substituted instead of the holy affections and practical duties of a religious life. Even where the practical influence of christianity is not wanting, but happily felt and exemplified, there is still danger. We may begin in the spirit and end in the flesh; we may be tempted to offer strange fire on

the altar of Jehovah; our connection with
public institutions may encroach on pri-
vate duties, and occupy the time which
should be spent in the retirement of our
closets. Such are some, and perhaps
only a few, of the evils to which we

more or less exposed, and against which
we must guard, even in our best-intén-
tioned endeavours to do good. Oh! bre-
thren, make personal religion your first
object, and let this be sacrificed to nothing;
nor let any thing stand in competition
with its gracious influence and self-deny-
ing duties; let public activity and secret
devotion go hand in hand. See that those
professions and labours which bring you
under the observation of your fellow crea-
tures, do indeed spring from christian
principles and motives; and let the influ-
ence of the self-same motives and prin-
ciples on your spirit and practice in the
most retired walks of life be in full pro-
portion. Copy the example of your
Divine Master, who, when most actively
employed in works of public usefulness,
devoted long seasons to retirement and

devotion, and spent whole nights in prayer to his heavenly Father..

There is surely much in this subject calculated to feed the flame of holy love, and to foster every pious affection. Let us then call to mind the days of our unregeneracy, those melancholy days when we also were without Christ, entire strangers to his fold, and having no hope in his name. Let us look unto the rock from whence we were hewn, to the dreadful precipice from whence we have escaped-and those privileges and hopes, those present blessings and future prospects to which, throngh Christ, we are restored; and may such recollections excite within us fresh humility and gratitude on our own account, and renewed emotions of the most lively compassion towards others. Thus may we retire from the consideration of these things, confirmed in our resolves to cultivate such a spirit of gratitude towards God as will constrain us to keep his commandments, and such a feeling of benevolence to the whole human race, as will induce

practical attention to their spiritual interests; and that such may be the blessed result, to Him let us look, and on Him let us depend, who is able to exceed our utmost expectations and hopes, to whom be glory in the church, by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end.

J. J Hadley, Printer. Journal Office, Cheltenham.