I am

could cheerfully part with my own temporal ease to fave both of you from eternal torment. The redemption of the foul is precious; my pen, the pen of an archangel could not defcribe the ten thoufandth, thousandth part of its value. fully perfuaded that could I be the inftrument under God of awakening you to reflect on their worth, on the valtness of eternity, on the happiness of heaven, on the miferies of hell, that their inftruction would become your chief employment,and their falvation your chief concern. What is a man profited, fhould he gain the whole world and lofe his foul; what will a man give in exchange for his foul?

I will now conclude this fhort and familiar addrefs by noticing two or three things to encourage you refpecting the fpiritual interefts of you children and give you freedom in bringing them to Jefus the Saviour.

1. The plain and repeated promifes of God, I will be your God and the God of your feed; I will circumcife thine heart and the heart of thy feed to love the Lord thy God. My fpirit which I have given you and my word which I have put in thy mouth fhall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy feed, nor out of the mouth of thy feed's feed from henceforth even forever. Take thefe promises and préfent them with your children, one by one, pleading, Lord do as thou haft faid.

2. Remember that our Lord Jefus when on earth always expreffed a peculiar affection and concern for the young. When the fcribes and the pharifees rebuked the little children crying Hofanna in the temple, did the faviour unite with them in damping their rifing ardour; in breaking

the bruised reed or quenching the fmoking flax No, Jefus encouraged them, and faid, have ye never read, out of the mouth of babes and fucklings thou haft perfected praife?

3. When the faviour was on earth, little children were frequently brought to him; parents came with their offspring, mafters with their fervants and all that came were welcome; there is not an inftance in all the hiftory of his life, that one was rejected; he took them up in his arms and put his hands upon them and bleffed them. The Lord Jefus is as gracious now as he was in the days of his flesh; he is as able and willing to fave to the very uttermoft now as he ever was; and has left it for the encouragement of all following generations, Him that cometh to me, I will in no wife caft off.

4. Remember that the Lord God will have a feed to ferve him while fun and moon endures and why not your feed? Men fhall be blessed in him and all nations fhall call him bleffed, and why may not the offspring of your loins be partakers of thefe bleffings? He has promised to take the children inftead of the fathers and make them noble princes in all the earth, and why not your little ones be fharers of thefe honors ? From all thefe confiderations, in the inftruction of your children, be encouraged to fow in hope of reaping; While you teach and admonifh and entreat, the fire may begin to burn in their little bofoms, even love to a bleeding faviour; that fpark of ` grace may be enkindled by the Holy Gholt which will fhine brighter and brighter until it blaze unclouded in the region of glory. Then how great beyond expreffion would be your honour? You

would receive the heavenly plaudit, Well done good and faithful fervant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, and I will make thee ruler over many things, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. You would be admitted to a feat with those who, turning many to righteoufnefs, fhine as the fears forever and over. How great beyond expreffion would be your happiness? By being inftrumental in rendering thefe children pious towards God, you would render them affectionate and obedient to yourselves; your crown in profperity and confolation in adverfity. When called to clofe your eyes in death you could leave them with their God and your God in the confidence that he is able to keep them from falling, and prefent them faultlefs before the prefence of his glory with exceeding joy. What tranfports of blifs would mutually fill your bofoms when meeting together with all the ranfomed at the right hand of the judge; how would they be conftrained to blefs Jehovah for fuch a mother, for one that taught them the truth in Jefus and you, in return, muft raife the fhout of praife to him who countenanced the word of his handmaid, and rendered it effectual to their falvation. O that men would praife the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works unto the children of men. And let them facrifice the facrifice of thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoicing. Amen.

LIFE THE ONLY ACCEPTED TIME.

66

HILE life prolongs its precious light,
Mercy is found, and peace is given;

WHI

But foon, ah foon! approaching night
Shall blot out every hope of heaven.

2. While God invites, how blefs'd the day!
How sweet the gofpel's charming found?
"Come finners, baste, oh haste away,
While yet a pardoning God he's found."

3. "Soon, borne on time's most rapid wing,
Shall death command you to the grave,
Before his bar your spirits bring,

And none be found to hear or fave."

4. "In that long land of deep defpair,
No Sabbath's heavenly light fhall rise;
No God regard your bitter prayer,
Nor faviour call you to the skies."

5. No wonders to the dead are shown,
(The wonders of redeeming love ;)
No voice his glorious truth makes known
Nor fings the blifs of climes above.

6. Silence, and folitude, and gloom,
In thefe forgetful realms appear,
Deep forrows fill the difmal tomb,
And hope fhall never enter there.

No. 30.

ANECDOTES AND HINTS.

RELATIVE TO A

PREVAILING BUT INDEFENSIBLE PRACTICE.
It chills my blood, to hear the bleft Supreme
Rudely appeal'd to on each trifling theme!
Maintain your rank; vulgarity despise;

TH

TO SWEA is neither brave, polite, nor wife;
You would not fwear upon the bed of death;
Refect! your Maker now could stop your breath.

HE excellent Mr. Howe being at dinner with fome perfons of fashion, a gentleman expatiated largely in praife of King Charles I. introducing fome harsh reflections upon others. Mr. Howe, obServing that the gentleman mixed many oaths with his difcourfe, told him that, in his humble opinion, he had omitted a fingular excellence in the character of that prince. The gentleman eagerly defired him to mention it, and feemed all impatience to know what it was. It was this, Sir,' faid Mr. Howe, He was never heard to fwear an oath in common conversation.' The hint was as politely received as given; and the gentleman promifed to break off the practice.

6

The fame Mr. Howe, once converfing with a nobleman in St. James's Park, whe fwore profanely in his converfation, expreffed great fatisfaction in the thought that there is a God, who governs the world, who will finally make retribution to all according to their works; and who, My Lord,' added he, will make a difference between him that fweareth, and him that feareth an oath." His Lordfhip immediately anfwered, I thank you, Sir, for your freedom; I take your meaning, and fhall endeavour to make a good ufe of it.' Mr. H. replied, I have reafon to thank your lor fhip for faving methe moft difficult part of a dicourfe, which is the appli

cation.

London: Piel by A. PARS, Rolls' Buildings, Fetter Lan; and fold by T. Williams, No 10, Stationer Court.