friend's leave to write the history of the "Broken Shaft," for which I beg his forgiveness; I know he would not willingly consent to run the risk of wounding the feelings of his old friend, and yet I felt that the history was too useful a one to be forgotten. A. N.

The reader is recommended to look out the following texts: Ephes. iv. 26. 31, 32. Colossians iii. 8. 12-15. James v. 9. 1 Peter iv. 8. 2 Peter i. 7-9. 1 John ii. 9—11. iii. 15. iv. 7—11. and to read the Parable of the unforgiving Servant.

SABBATH EVENING SERVICE.

A SABBATH evening, spent in holy worship, must needs be a help and a blessing to all who desire to be led on in the way of scriptural truth and righteousness;-but there are some who have not the same opportunity that others have, of attending the morning and afternoon service in the Church. It is a matter clearly to be seen, that, in any place, where public worship is neglected, the religious and moral state of the people is there proportionably bad; and, on the contrary, where the means of grace are offered, and where the people are anxious to partake of them, there, a manifest improvement is generally seen in the habits and morals of the neighbourhood. Those fruits of the Spirit indeed ought to be expected, from the use of appointed means; for God has promised his blessing to those who seek it; and, even though but two or three are gathered together in the name of Christ, there He has promised to be with them. God's blessing is with those who diligently seek Him; He will give them more grace; and every successive sabbath may be expected to leave them better prepared for an eternal sabbath in heaven.

V.

RELIGIOUS REFLECTIONS.

(SELECTED.)

No man has a right to expect God to hear him if he do not call earnestly. Indeed, how shall he be heard, if he do not importunately cry. There are multitudes who expect the blessings of God as confidently as if they had

prayed for them most fervently; and yet such people pray not at all!

Oh! how it adorns the doctrine of God our Saviour, when believers, by a blameless, useful, and prudent conduct, conciliate the good will of many, and silence the reproaches of all!

Our deceased friends still live, and we shall meet again; though separated from the body, a reunion shall certainly take place. Therefore we commit the body, with decent respect, unto the ground, in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life of all true believers; and whatever our hopes or fears may be, God is the only infallible Judge, who are, and who are not, true believers.

God never ceases to help, so long as we pray. When our hands hang down, and we restrain prayer before Him, we may then justly fear that our enemies may prevail.

If

Prayers, that have a right aim, will have a prompt answer: and he who sends up his petitions to God through Christ, from a warm, affectionate heart, may confidently look up for an answer; for it will come. an immediate answer be not given, let not the upright heart suppose that the prayer is not heard. It has found its way to the throne; and there it is registered.

There is nothing, that a wicked man does, that is not against his own interest. He is continually doing himself harm, and takes more pains to destroy his soul than the righteous man does to get his saved unto eternal life. This is a weighty truth! and the Psalmist says, Selah: meditate on this; mark it well. "The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.”

The way to increase spiritual comforts is to be strict in the offices of humble obedience; and we never lose any thing of our joy, by laying it aside to attend a duty.

The returns of prayer, and the blessings of piety, are certain; and, though not dispensed according to the expectances of our narrow conceptions, yet shall they so come, at such times, and in such measures, as shall crown

1 Ps. ix. 16.

the piety, and satisfy the desires, and reward the expec

tation.

All thanks and praise, without a right-ordered conversation, are but the echo of religion, a voice and no substance; but, if those praises be sung by a heart righteous and obedient, that is singing with the spirit, and singing with the understanding, that is the music God delights

in.

It is a sure rule, that whatsoever heights of piety, union, or familiarity, any man pretends to, it is of the devil; unless the greater the pretence be, the greater also be the humility of the man'.

Those, who would substitute the virtue or the morality of fallen man in the place of the religion of Christians, would do well to consider, that sound virtue, and sound morality themselves know no support like that of Christianity. This divine religion comprehends every possible excellence that can be found in all others; and has, over and above, its own peculiar virtues. It possesses a fund of consolation and an energy of support under the prospect of death itself; and it points out the only safe and sure' road to a blissful immortality.

It is the office of solid and genuine charity not to desire our own salvation only, but also that of all the brethren.

There is more necessary connexion between principle and practice than the world is ready to believe; for pure practical holiness can only be the effect of Christian truth.

If you were permitted, says a Father of the Church, to purchase eternal salvation, what would you not give for it? And now you may obtain it by faith and love ;-there is nothing can hinder you from acquiring it;-neither poverty, nor misery, nor old age, nor any state of life. Believe, therefore, in one God, who is God and man, and receive eternal salvation for a recompence.-Seek God, and you shall live for ever.

Eternal salvation cannot otherwise be expected, eternal torments cannot otherwise be avoided, than by believing in Jesus Christ, and by living conformably to His laws. Sent by the Rev. G. BONNER.

1 Bp. Taylor.

2 Milner.

DR. CHANNING ON INTOXICATING DRINKS.

ABOVE all, let me urge on those who would bring out and elevate their higher nature, to abstain from the use of spirituous liquors. This bad habit is distinguished from all others by the ravages it makes on the reason, the intellect; and this effect is produced to a mournful extent even when drunkenness is escaped. Not a few men, called temperate, and who have thought themselves such, have learned, on abstaining from the use of ardent spirits, that for years their minds had been clouded, impaired by moderate drinking, without their suspecting the injury. Multitudes in this city (Boston, in America) are bereft of half their intellectual energy by a degree of indulgence which passes for innocent. Of all the foes of the working class, this is the deadliest. Nothing has done more to keep down this class, to destroy their self-respect, to rob them of their just influence in the community, to render profitless the means of improvement within their reach, than the use of ardent spirits as a drink. They are called on to withstand this practice, as they regard their honour, and would take their just place in society. They are under solemn obligations to give their sanction to every effort for its suppression. They ought to regard as their worst enemies (though unintentionally such)-as the enemies of their rights, dignity, and influence-the men who desire to flood city and country with distilled poison. I lately visited a flourishing village, and on expressing to one of the respectable inhabitants the pleasure I felt in witnessing so many signs of progress, he replied that one of the causes of the prosperity I witnessed was the leaving off ardent spirits by the people. And this reformation, we may be assured, wrought something higher than outward prosperity. In almost every family so improved, we cannot doubt that the capacities of the parent for intellectual and moral improvement were enlarged, and the means of education made more effectual to the child. I call on working men to take hold of the cause of temperance as peculiarly their cause.-Channing's Address on SelfCulture.