dress,) she has treasured up a stock of clothing of various kinds, sufficient, in many cases, to sustain the wear and tear of a long life. Hence the very rare phenomenon among the poor of this country, of the want of warm and comfortable bedding; and I have heard a medical man assert, that in the whole of his experience he had never known a case in which there appeared to be an urgent deficiency on the score of this essential requisite to health and comfort. The other advantages, affecting the adjustment of the difficult question of the correspondent demand and supply of labour, arising from this habit of prudential calculation, it is needless to point out.

"When you connect with these most important and influential considerations the palpable fact, that in everything which ministers to luxury or even to enjoyment, in the various departments of social life, the French are content with a much lower grade in the economical scale, there can be no difficulty in understanding how, with a scantier relative rate of remuneration, they are far less liable to be harassed by still varying seasons of overwhelming embarrassment and distress. It is but fair to add, that this system of prudent economy seems to rise through all the gradations of society."

THE FORBEARANCE OF CHRIST.

FREQUENTLY as our Lord had to repress the insults of the unfriendly, or to correct the misconceptions of the {ignorant, his answers are always remarkable for that heavenly mildness which never forsook him, even in the most trying scenes; this spirit was never more touchingly displayed than in cases where his disciples were concerned. When Peter denied him, he upbraided him for his apostacy only by a look. "The Lord turned and looked upon him." When Judas betrayed him, his only reproach was conveyed by the use of a term which must have reminded the conscience of the traitor of the familiar relation in which he stood to his Lord: "Friend, wherefore art thou come? Betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss?" When Thomas doubted, instead of giving him up to unbelief, he granted the additional testimony which the apostle required, and gently cautioned him "to be not faithless, but believing."

After Christ's death, Ananias and Sapphira, Herod and

Elymas the sorcerer, were all rendered examples that the Lord's hand was as able to strike as it had been to save; but during his own ministry not a single instance occurred in which he laid aside the compassionate character of a Saviour, to assume the severer part of an avenger or judge.

There is also a perfect analogy in this respect between the language of our Lord and his actions. The tone of kindness which was manifested in all his discourses, coincided uniformly with the gracious errand of his ministry. I allude particularly to his frequent use of the word " son," and to the strength and variety of the terms he employed to designate the nature of his affection for those whom he was about to redeem with his precious blood. The same feeling prevailed in the condescending notice which he took of the poor widow who cast in her two mites into the treasury. also be observed in the subject of many of his parables-especially in those of the lost sheep and lost piece of money, of the good Samaritan and of the ungrateful servant,-parables which could only have been conceived by a mind wherein love towards man was the ruling principle.

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Men are apt to excuse themselves for momentary expressions of unkindness or peevishness, under the pretence that they proceeded from temporary irritation, or the pressure of accidental distress. But, from the contemplation of the habitual temper of Christ, who at such an hour (when he was in an agony, and his disciples were sleeping) did not forget to be gracious, let us learn, even in the unhappiest moments of life, to practise that forbearance in our intercourse with others, of which we ourselves stand in daily need from them as well as from God.

[From the Bishop of Winchester on the Ministerial Character of Christ.]

COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE INCUMBENTS OF POPULOUS COUNTRY PARISHES.

Ir will give me pleasure to send you from time to time extracts from the registers kept by my Visitors, from which you will select anything which you may think worthy of more extensive circulation.

It may not be amiss to communicate a plan which I have myself adopted, and find both encouraging to the Visitors and gratifying to the poor with whom the tracts are left. It

is to accompany each Visitor in the course of the year. I did so last year; and have nearly completed this year's round*. By this expedient I have an opportunity of urging the people to send their children to the Sunday School, and pressing their own attendance at the house of God. Sometimes an opportunity is thus afforded of speaking a word of comfort to a heavy heart; I also witness myself the cheerfulness, in some cases I may say affection, with which the Visitors are received, the value which is put upon the tracts, and the beneficial effect with which the Visitors have acted as Bible Collectors, inducing some to subscribe for a Bible or Testament, others to become free contributors. Few houses are without a Bible or Testament. Mr. has expressed his intention of acting upon the same plan in his district, which I have no doubt he will do, if his health and strength permit.

The work of the Visitors has, in one respect, been more gratifying this year than in the former. There has been less want, work is plentiful, provisions low: but want there always is; and I am sorry to say that much of it arises from drunkenness. Most of the wretchedness which our Visitors see in wives and children, arises from drunken husbands and fathers.

And here is a delicate point which the Visitors hesitate to put in their registers, and I to transmit. Perhaps it will be enough to say on this head, that when a poor woman, seeing her children and herself ill fed and ill clothed, through the misconduct of her husband, pours her griefs into the ear of the Visitors, they exhort her to bear with him—not to exasperate him by harsh language; to make his home as comfortable as circumstances will admit; to pray for him, and to seek her own comfort in religion. You will see some interesting specimens of this in the extracts which I copy; though those which are most so, point perhaps too distinctly to the parties concerned, to be sufficiently general, even when the names are concealed. Drunkenness, however, is not confined to the men. Some of the women have fallen into this degrading vice; and there are among our Visitors those who know how to treat such, wisely, and firmly, and 'tenderly.

* This valuable plan is earnestly recommended to the attention of the Clergy.

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I proceed to give a few extracts— May 11.-0- who has a constant trial in a drunken husband, pressed me to sit by her, and seemed indeed to prize a word of consolation in reading one or two verses from Philippians iv., 'Be careful for nothing,' &c., and also, Rejoice in the Lord.' She seemed to receive much comfort, expressed much gratitude for my visit, and a hope that when I came again, our conversation would be renewed. .... I urged upon her the duty of praying for her husband. She spoke of him with grief, but affectionately."

May 15.-I was later than usual to-day in visiting my district. O whom I parted with last week in great dejection, met me to-day with a most cheerful face, and said she had been so very happy last week: her husband had been so steady-she herself had been to church the two preceding Sundays, and everything bore an encouraging appearance. We spoke of the duty of persevering prayer, and the benefit to be expected. I left her much encouraged myself."

The next instance is of a drunken woman, from the same Visitor

"I have often spoken to R- on her sad habit of drinking. To-day I said, perhaps she had failed hitherto in keeping her good resolutions, from leaning only on her own strength. After we had spoken on the money wasted and harm done to soul and body by this sad propensity, I spoke to her now, to show her sincerity, by giving the small sum of a penny a fortnight, as a free subscription to the Bible Society. She consented, and immediately gave me her first penny." Respecting this same unhappy woman, the same Visitor writes, August 3rd

Rwhose case I have referred to before, told me this morning, that every article of her Sunday dress was in pawn. She avowed great contrition for her past misconduct; but in the present case declared that she had not pledged her gown, &c. She promised to pray for strength to keep her present resolutions of amendment, and to labour hard to redeem her clothing, that she might be able to go to church again. She wept much, and appeared greatly softened; but I much fear for her."

"Nov. 9.-Expected to find the wife of M-to-day in affliction for her child; but was greatly comforted to perceive her meekness and resignation. Nature evidently felt

the stroke; but she herself mentioned so sweetly the practical benefits of affliction, that I scarcely sustained the office of a comforter. She said it taught us not to set our affections on earthly things; also, when she thought of the happiness of her dear babe, she could not but feel fully reconciled."

Another Visitor writes thus

Sept. Went to Mrs. J. - ; she, as usual, in distress, owing to the intemperate habits of her husband. I observed to her that I hoped the trial would in the end work for good to her; that it might be permitted for a season as a chastisement, she having united herself to a person of such indifferent character, when she knew the truth, and had been a high professor of religion. She said she did sometimes view it in that light; that she had a book which she much delighted in, Drelincourt on Death;' but the story of Mrs. Veal and her friend pleased her most. She pointed out a passage in the conversation between the ladies, which I thought very good, and applicable to her case, and told her the observations were just, but the story a fabrication. She was rather shocked at my setting so light by it, when the particulars were so minutely given. I must add, her Bible is this woman's greatest consolation."

Respecting the above woman, the same Visitor reports in November

"Mrs. J spoke most gratefully of's visit with me the preceding fortnight, and the great consolation his advice had afforded her. She said her husband had been unusually quiet lately, but still she dared not leave the house on Sundays, to go to any place of worship. I asked her if her husband had not at one time gone with her to church. She said he had, and even talked of taking sittings in Church. I advised her, when she saw him more orderly disposed, to propose, in a gentle, affectionate manner, that they should resume their good practice; not setting about even this in her own strength, but first earnestly praying to God to give her wisdom, that she might speak in such a way as would not be offensive but pleasing to him; and also that his heart might be prepared to receive her words with kindness. She said she should make the attempt."AMICUS.