LET NOT THY LEFT HAND KNOW WHAT THY RIGHT HAND DOETH.

BEWARE that temporal motives and aims do not intrude in matters of Christian beneficence, and mix themselves with acts of a strictly religious character. This unhallowed union takes place in different ways; but these may, in the greatest number of cases, be resolved into ostentation, or a selfish desire after the good opinion of our fellow-men. This is the principle and motive of the Pharisee, who performs his almsdeeds, as he does his religious worship and services, to be seen of men; but is directly opposed to the Gospel principle and precept, requiring that these deeds should be done in secret, that is to say, from the inward principle of duty, and motion of the affections, as distinguished not only from the mere outward act, but from all desire of human applause. Although there is no age and time of the world when these unworthy motives do not operate, yet there are certain seasons and states of society where they are apt to prevail to a greater extent, and with a more numerous class of persons, than at others. And it will be allowed that one of those periods is the present day, when extensive and powerful associations have been formed for religious purposes, which embrace a large portion of the community, and of which the proceedings are carried on with great publicity, and proclaimed, as it were, on the house-tops. Men of worldly, or at least doubtful minds, may, in such circumstances, not seldom be induced to take a part in these operations, with the hope of sharing in the honour of the work; or, at all events, of rising in the estimation of their fellow-creatures, and obtaining, at the expense of some pecuniary sacrifice, perhaps of no great amount, the rank and character of Christian philanthropists. It is to be feared that if the operations of those great religious societies could be conducted so as not to meet the public eye, if they too, could, like individuals, not let their left hand know what their right hand doeth, the amount of their revenues might suffer no trifling diminution. Whether, and how far, the treasure swelled by such contributions, may, notwithstanding the unworthy motives of those who so contribute, be overruled for the promotion of pure and truly Christian ends, is not a question to be decided by man. But,

with respect to the individual acting on such worldly inducements, who shall say that he is authorized to expect any profit from the deed to his own soul? 66 'Verily," says the Saviour himself, "he has his reward;" inasmuch as that applause on which he secretly set his heart, will certainly be bestowed; but, in so far as the false principle operated, there too must his reward not only begin, but end.

[James Glassford, Esq., Covetousness brought to the Bar of Scripture.]

THE LORD'S SUPPER.

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"THEN we spiritually eat the flesh of Christ, and drink his blood; then we dwell in Christ, and Christ in us; we are one with Christ, and Christ with us." The three members of this sentence would seem to stand together in a graduated order. Spiritually to "eat the flesh of Christ," and to "drink his blood," is the effectual means of blessing; to "dwell in Christ, and Christ in us," is the substance of that blessing; and to be one with Christ, and Christ with us," is its consummation and perfection. "To dwell in Christ," is to possess an effectual refuge from the strength of every possible temptation, and to have an unfailing resource in every trial, during our earthly pilgrimage, to which our mortal nature remains exposed. If we dwell in Christ," we no longer live in sin; we no longer cleave to the world; we are no longer the helpless victims of earthly vicissitudes; but, amongst the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts are surely there fixed, where true joys are to be found. "In the world," saith our Lord to his apostles, “ye shall have tribulation; but in me ye shall have peace." To "dwell in Christ," therefore, is to enjoy this peace; the peace of a mind no longer led astray by foolish and hurtful lusts, but preserved from inward as well as outward deviations by its adherence to its centre of rest and safety, and kept, as in a fortress, by the power of God, through faith unto salvation. To have "Christ dwelling in us," though necessarily consequent on our "dwelling in him," implies something still more excellent and happy. Our “ dwelling in Christ" includes all that belongs to spiritual liberty and security. It is the perfect verification of what the Psalmist has declared: "whoso dwelleth under the defence of the Most High shall

It is, then, by the infusaid in the New Testament, This is that spiritual mys

abide under the shadow of the Almighty." But to have "Christ dwelling in us," is to be made spiritually rich, as well as spiritually secure. He dwells in us only so far as he inspires us with the minds and tempers, the virtues and graces, of which he himself is the infinite fountain. "We saw his glory," says St. John, "the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace;" each particular grace which is in him being specifically infused into the members of his mystical body. sion of this fulness, that Christ is to dwell in his faithful disciples. tery, the riches of the glory of which St. Paul was divinely commissioned to make known among the Gentiles; for nothing less than this would verify his sublime definition of it, which is, "Christ in you, the hope of glory." There is no support or resource which the Gospel holds out to us, which is not included in our dwelling in Christ; there is no height of moral and spiritual excellence to which it invites our aspiring, which is not comprehended in "Christ's dwelling in us." But these blessings and graces, when most real and genuine, still admit of advancement; and that advancement being described by St. Paul, as the "growing up unto Him, in all things which is the head, even Christ," our Church has terminated its statement of eucharistic blessings, in our being "one with Christ, and Christ with us."- -ALEXANDER KNOX, Esq.

THE POACHER AND HIS CHILD.

ONE of my first objects after entering on my new sphere of duty was the establishment of a Sunday-school. Most of the older parishioners among the poor could not read. The afternoon of the Sabbath, as a natural consequence, was too frequently spent in the summer on the cricket-ground, and in the winter at the ale-house fireside. I felt that my greatest hopes for improvement rested with the young; and I confess have always been at a loss to conceive the principle on which opposition to Sunday-school instruction has arisen; surely it cannot be the old papistical notion, that "ignorance is the mother of devotion." I can easily conceive that among

the ungodly and the lawless there may have been a strong feeling, that such a means of educating the poor would prove a most important barrier to the encroachment of infidelity and every evil work; but it was my painful lot to experience opposition not only from characters of this description, but from those who ought to have known better, and from whom I might have expected kind co-operation. My younger brethren in the ministry will scarce credit the fact, in these days when religious instruction is so amply provided for the younger members of the community, that at the period to which I refer, education was at the very lowest ebb. The labourer who could read was the prodigy, not the labourer who could not; and I can safely declare that, in the cure which I now served, the vast majority of the lower orders had never received the benefits of a school education. How much reason have all ranks among us to be thankful for the important amelioration which has taken place in this respect! I well recollect the astonishment of a Scottish friend, who came to visit me, when I told him the state of the people with respect to education. He was the chief landholder, or heritor, as he styled himself, in a large parish; and he told me that he did not know one single instance of a resident in the parish who was not fully competent to read the Scriptures. Such were the good effects of the parochial schools. Much have we to be thankful for, that Mr. Raikes, of Gloucester, brought the subject of Sabbath instruction to bear upon the wants of the people; and that within the pale of the Establishment there is such ample means for the spiritual instruction of the rising generation. May God abundantly bless every effort that is made for their growth in grace and in Christian knowledge!

Notwithstanding the opposition which I met with-and among the opponents none was more vehement than the lay rector-I managed at length to establish a Sunday-school. Many stepped forward, both with their purse and superintendence, to aid the good work; and many who were originally opponents, I am thankful to hear, are now energetic supporters. The number of the children sent exceeded my most sanguine expectation.

I had many very pleasing and striking instances of the great benefit derived by the parents of the children as well as by the children themselves, from the institution. One

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striking instance recurs to my recollection at this moment, and is the only one to which I shall refer in this paper. Ꭺ little girl, the child of a notorious poacher, and a man of the most depraved habits, was, after much persuasion, sent to the school by her mother; more, it is to be feared, from the desire of gaining the favour of those who called upon her on the subject, than from a desire for the child's good. The child, who had previously received some instruction from her grandmother, in process of time read extremely well. She was very diligent, very teachable, and very humble, though often kept from school by her parents on some vain pretext. A New Testament was given to her, as a reward for her diligence; and she used to read it aloud to her parents in the winter evenings. She did so regularly, for two or three months, together with a small selection of prayers and hymns.

In process of time I noticed a great change for the better in the child's outward appearance. She had lived in constant dread of a beating from her father, when he came home drunk, as he generally did. Her person was more clean, and her dress more tidy: she was far more regular than she was wont to be at school; in fact, she now never missed. Her father and mother began to attend most punctually at church; always clean, though homely in appearance. The cottage in which they lived assumed a far neater appearance; it used to be little better than a pigsty. The voice of prayer was now heard, instead of the blasphemous imprecation; the hymn of praise, instead of the song of licentious revelry. There was a complete alteration of the whole manners of the family: their conduct was a mystery with many, the subject of ridicule to not a few, while some regarded it as suspicious. I could not fail to trace in it the ameliorating power, even in a worldly point of view, of a cordial reception of the Gospel.

Time rolled on, and the same consistency presented itself. Will-for such was the father's name-was now never seen at the tap. He had not offered a hare or a brace of birds for sale for more than twelve months. He was never caught, as used to be too often the case, suspiciously lurking among the copses; and a lurcher which he had was sent away. He was, on the afternoon of a market-day, not unfrequently to be found at the butcher's, purchasing a piece of coarse meat for his family, or at the grocer's buying a few necessary articles, although his wages had been lower than usual: whereas he