directly home to the business which took you all to the Turk's-head this evening. "Blessed," says our Lord, are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God.' Now, if the peace-makers only are blessed, what are the peacebreakers ? And if we are not the children of God, whose children are we?"

E

CHAP. IX.

Bible Reading and its Effects.

is the glory of true religion, that it makes its way to the heart and understanding: a glory no false religion can claim. Indeed the unmeaning rites and ceremonies practised by the poor heathens, cannot pretend to address either the heart or the understanding, and the few wise persons found amongst them, only conform to them from an opinion that they were favourable to the particula modes of government they wished to adopt.

The answer given by the simple Mason to my questions, proved that a wayfaring man knew how to understand an application of Scripture. "Why look ye," said he, "I don't wish to belong to the devil, or to lie under the curse of my Maker: but I can't think that making a stir for the good of the nation is any wickedness. If you can prove it is, I'll have no more to do with it." "Blessings

break the

on you master," added his wife, "if you can persuade John from going to the Turk's-head." "It often happens," replied I," that people are mislead by false notions, as to the best way of doing a good work, now if you and I knew how to stir for the good of the nation, it would be right for us to stir: but we only know how to peace, and that we are forbidden to do. The Jews in old times were ordered by God himself, speaking by his servant Moses, to seek the peace of every eity where they went; and to do them justice, we must say that to this day, they are not found amongst rioters. And the first Christians were obedient to every government under which their lot was cast, though by all account the best of them, was not to be compared to old England's. These good Christians were greatly oppressed, but as we read, 'they took joyfully the spoiling of their goods,knowing that in heaven they had an enduring substance.''

"Don't you mind John," said his wife, "what Humphrey Preach said last time he was here, when you talked about mending the nation? He said, let every body mend one, and then all will be mended,' no man was ever mended by sitting drinking in a public-house, and God never gives his blessing to those who use wicked means, tho' they are overruled sometimes to bring about good ends." "I defy you to say," returned John," that I have ever come home drunk from

the Turk's-head." "You have only gone four times," replied she, "and you know what a strong head you have got you owned that you drank Shape, the taylor out, and that the money you spent there would have found the children and I beer the whole week. And don't you mind Humphrey said too, how the going into temptation was like inviting Satan into one's company; and that if you made so free with him in his own houses, he might follow you home to yours." "Well," observed the Mason, "'tis better to have done ARGUFYING any more about it. I was casting in my mind and just going to say it out, when the boy routed us all off, that if Spade was to write a sort of petition in all our names, and send it to the parliament-house, it might do some good in a quiet way." "Why John," said his wife, "do you think the great folks would mind what such as we should say?" "They might," replied the Mason. Some of them have no pride at all, and will shake hands with a poor man. It would have done your heart good to hear how free the parliament-men talked last election, and how kindly they enquired after the wives and children of the voters, and there was not one in twenty richer than farmer Grumbleton." "Ah !” observed I, we think much of the condescension of these great folks when they are pleased to shew us any but 'tis melancholy to think how the best of us neglect to offer petitions to the great ruler of all rulers, and make light of the invitation graci

ously given by him to the poorest of us to enter into his presence."

I then proposed to my companions joining in prayer before we went to rest, to which the Mason replied he had no objection, if I was scholar enough to make a prayer, which he owned he was not. Here again 1 remarked, the poor unlearned man stood on an equal footing with the richest and wisest, since both must be taught of the Spirit how to pray, and what to pray for, as well as inclined to the work. The first petition which ought to be: for the gift of this Holy Spirit being granted, that person would use the best words and the most suit-able, who knew the most of his Bible. It happened indeed sometimes that för want of a ready way of speaking, and the gift of a good memory, even such might not be able to pray aloud in company, but there were prayer-books for them.

Greatly encouraged by the serious air manifest in the countenances of my two companions, I offered up, confessions, praises and petitions in the most simple style, particularly among the latter remem bering our national wants, and undeserved mercies. They both seemed properly affected, and thanked: me, observing that I must have read my bible well, and to a good purpose to be able to make such prayers. "And now," said I, don't you wish. “Indeed

you had kept yours from the children?”