ciple that the whole body of Christians resemble their Divine Master, and illustrate, with peculiar beauty, the metaphor of the "true vine and its branches."

Once more, it is requisite, says Conscience: to illustrate this, I shall content myself with barely alluding to the experience of two conspicuous members of the Church of Christ. I mean the Apostle Peter, at an early period, and Bishop Cranmer, at a more recent period of the Church.

The character of the former is known to every one who has read his Bible. He was, in general, a zealous professor of Christianity; but, in one instance of his life, he lost sight of his usual firmness. Intimidated by a servant maid, he denied his Master; and the language of his conscience, upon reflection, may be easily conceived, when we read that he "went out and wept bitterly."

In the bloody reign of Mary, Queen of Eugland, Cranmer became obnoxious to her persecuting spirit. She was determined to bring him to the stake; but previously employed emissaries to persuade him, by means of flattery and false promises, to renounce his faith. He was deceived, he was overcome, and subscribed the grossest errors of the Church of Rome. His conscience smote him; he returned to his first persuasion; and, when he was brought to the stake, he stretched forth the hand that had made the unhappy signature, held it in the flames, exclaiming, "this hand has offended!" and was not satisfied till it was entirely cousumed; after which he submitted patiently to martyrdom, and ascended to receive its reward.

Those two examples sufficiently demonstrate the absolute necessity of firmness of principle to preserve the peace of our minds, and avoid the accusations of conscience.

Upon the whole, it is hoped that these few thoughts, if favourably received, will enforce the loveliness and necessity of that important virtue, Christian Fortitude; and to God be all the glory! Amen. Witney.

Mr. Editor,

A WORD TO THE WISE.

J. B.

I HAVE, during the past year, travelled nearly through the length and breadth of this highly-favoured island; and have enjoyed considerable pleasure in the company of my old and new acquaintances. In my visits, which have been confined to the professors of the gospel, I have met with the kindest usage. By day, I have been introduced to the best parlour, where the table has been served with the best the market could afford; - by night, I have been directed to the

best chamber, which has wanted no kind of furniture that could conduce to my comfortable repose. But one thing was yet wanting in every chamber to which I retired, with a single exception: this was a Bible.

:

I apprehend, Mr. Editor, this was entirely an oversight in my Christian friends; and that, by a Word to the Wise, this necessary piece of furniture will also be supplied. The Christian visitor makes his chamber his closet; and the Bible his morning and evening companion; for want of this, he must, in a strange house, be stretching on the bed, when otherwise he would be consulting the oracles of God. To many eyes, a portable Bible would be useless, if carried about; to some it may be extremely inconvenient to carry a Bible with them. Are any of the visitors carnal?a Bible in the chamber, with some appropriate passages turned down, with the addition of Watts's Hymns, and some small useful book, may be taken up and read when shame would prevent it in an accessible sitting-room; and who can tell, but " bread thus cast upon the waters may be found after many days!"

ON THE SLAVE TRADE.

What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth to me from the ground.

MANY and fruitless have been the attempts to abolish this unnatural, disgraceful, and cruel merchandize. In Great Britain some eminent persons have very seriously and laudably distinguished themselves of late, in order to prevail on the legislature to abolish it in all the British dominions. Yet these well-designed and well-directed efforts have, hitherto, proved abortive; but, amidst all the various principles employed against this trade, Religion has never yet, in right earnest, set her hand to the work. Christians should ever remember, that their Master came into the world to give life, and to save it; "to proclaim deliverance to the oppressed, to set at liberty them that are bruised." To him that believeth, all things are possible! Charity never faileth! "The prayer of a righteous man availeth much!"

Should not Christian ministers, therefore, in discharging the duties of public worship, always give the enslaved Africans a distinct department in their supplications? Should they not introduce these, our poor suffering brethren, in all their devotional exercises, public, social, domestic, and private? Were ministers to adopt this line of conduct, it would be taken up by our churches at large, in a manner more seriously

D

than it has ever yet been; "for all these things I will be enquired."

It may not be improper to add, that the abolition of this iniquitous traffic was much nearer effected by the last efforts of Mr. Wilberforce than on any former occasion: it was very nearly effected; but something was wanting; and is it not likely, that that something is a spirit of prayer to aid the endeavours of that good man ? We are told, in our divine book, that the apostle Peter was once bound in affliction and iron;" but prayer was made without ceasing of the church for him;" and happy was the result! "If two of you shall agree on earth, as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father, which is in Heaven." "In every thing, by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known unto God." J. S.

Croydon.

A HINT TO MINISTERS.

66

THE late Rev. J. Brown, of Haddington, Tutor in Divinity to the Associate Synod, in a letter of paternal counsels and cautions to one of his pupils, newly settled in a small congregation, wrote thus: "I know the vanity of your heart, and that you will feel mortified that your congregation is very small, in comparison with those of your brethren around you; but assure yourself, on the word of an old man, that when you come to give an account of them to the Lord Christ, at his judgment-seat, you will think you have had enough!"

This agrees with an anecdote we have met with elsewhere: Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, in the reign of Henry VIII, wrote thus to his friend, Dr. Fox:-"If other Bishops have larger revenues, I have fewer souls to take care of; so that when I give up my account for both to God, which I must soon do, I shall not wish my condition to have been better than it is!" Biog. Brit. vol. iii. p. 1929.

ANECDOTES.

FORGIVENESS OF INJURIES.

ABUH HANIFAH, a most celebrated Doctor among the orthodox Mussulmen, having causelessly received a malicious and violent blow on the face, spoke thus to him who struck him: "I could return you injury for the injury you have done ine; but I will not: I could also inform against you to tire Khaliff; but I will not be an informer: I could, in my prayers and addresses to God, represent the outrage done me

but I will forbear that. In fine, I could, at the day of judgment, desire God to revenge it; but far be it from me; nay, should that terrible day arrive at this very moment, and could my intercession then prevail, I would not desire to enter Paradise without you!" How noble an instance of a calm, serene, and forgiving mind! How happy would it be for all Christians, and how honourable to the name of Jesus, were there more frequent exercises of this grace of Forgiveness, like this wise and virtuous Mahometan; and more especially like his who, upon the cross, prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!"

The following Anecdotes are translated from a Periodicał
Publication at Basil:

AN eminent servant of Christ being suddenly introduced into a large and respectable assembly, was requested to deli ver an extemporary address on "The Peace of God." To this request he replied, in terms of the deepest humiliation, that it was impossible for him, at present, to speak on that subject, as he had unhappily deprived himself of that invalua ble blessing by his unfaithfulness to God. He then sat down, silently humbling himself before the Lord. This noble and frank confession was rendered so impressive to one of the com pany, that it was made the effectual means of entire con

version,

A NUMBER of young students, assembled for convivial purposes, drank to such excess, that one of them was carried senseless to bed. The rest, heated with wine, and bent upon mischief, took him out of bed, and, treating him as a corpse, carried him about, singing over him a funeral hymn: but their consternation was inexpressible, when they perceived him quite motionless; and, on closer examination, found that he was really dead.

THE late celebrated Dr. Franck, of Halle, in Saxony, received two letters while sitting at dinner. Having read the first, which was replete with the most severe censure, expressed in language extremely abusive, was so far from being incensed at it, that he appeared unusually cheerful; and immediately prayed for his poor blind adversary, that the Lord would inaminate his soul with the light of his Holy Spirit. But when he had read the second letter, he laid it aside with every mark of grief and displeasure, having been too much flattered and exalted therein by one of his friends.

Such is the proper conduct of a real Christian, who possesses true humility and a pure conscience; he would rather be unjustly censured than exalted above measure.

Dbituary.