God. It is slighting the threatenings of his law, a contemning the promises of his Gospel; and opposing the gracious designs of his word and ordinances and providences. It is a high contempt cast on the blessed God; it is a dishonourable reflection on his wisdom and love in Christ; it is a reproaching his justice, holiness and truth; it is a defiance of his infinite power; an abuse of his mercy, and a mocking of his patience! it is an insolent spurning at his favour, neglecting his service, misemploying the time and talents he has given you, and preferring the devil before him. Further, it is a denying the Lord that bought you, and trampling under foor the Son of God. It is also a resisting the Holy Ghost and doing despite to the Spirit of Grace.

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Your security then is a heinous iniquity. And what is an unspeakable aggravation hereof, it immoveably fastens upon you the guilt of all your other sins. O secure young man, labour to see what horrible guilt lies upon you! And let the time past suffice to have been spent in this dreadful wickedness. Now awake to righteousness and sin not.

II. Consider the absolute inexcusableness of your sinful security. You have no plea in the world to cover your guilt. Your security is wilful and chosen. It is against many calls and cautions both in the word and providence of God; you cannot therefore plead, you have not been duly, warned and called; God and men are witnesses to this. You cannot plead invincible ignorance of the way of salvation, the necessity of conversion, the need of convictions, and the methods in order hereto: for light has come into the world, and you choose darkness. You cannot plead insuperable difficulties in the way: for Graee is offered, Grace sufficient; and you refuse it. You cannot pretend want of encouragement; for great and precious promises are set before you. You cannot pretend want of helps to assist you; for you have all needful means of conviction and awakening. You cannot have the face to pretend want of leisure; that you have no time to attend the necessary care of your soul; being engaged in other matters of higher importance; for there is nothnig of equal or comparable moment with that: or being as a servant in a continual hurry of care and employment, and not at your own disposal: for you may, y 2d Edit...

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you should in this case, redeem time from your bed and table, and otherwise; as knowing you have a Master in heaven whose service must not be dispensed with on any score whatever. You cannot be so absurd as to pretend any unfitness of the present time, or say that you are too young, to concern yourself about the grave matters of religion for that which is at all times your indispensable duty, and so necessary to your present, as well as future, safety and comfort, cannot be begun too soon. Besides, how many others no fitter by nature nor riper in years than you, have early sought and aright improved eonvictions, to their saving repentance? What then will you say, when God shall arise? How wilt thou answer it, O young man, when God shall bring thee into judg ment, that thou hast not remembered thy Creator in the days of thy youth, but walked in the ways of thine own heart, and in the sight of thine eyes? Verily you have no cloak for your sin. Every mouth shall be stopped. Behold heaven, earth, and hell shall bear record against you; yea your conscience will be instead of a thousand witnesses, and strike you into silence and confusion. "Whoever remains graceless in the day of grace, will be found speechless in the day of judgment."

ADVICE TO AN APPRENTICE, IN A LETTER FROM THE REV. MR. HERVEY,

[Concluded from page 22.]

SECONDLY.-Obedience to his commands.

See how fully the Apostle speaks to this purpose, Colossians ii. 22, Servants obey in all things your masters according to the flesh." Observe likewise from this passage not only the necessity, but also a compass and latitude of your obedience, how large and extensive it is. It reaches not barely to a few, but to all and every instance. If you should receive orders that are ever so much against the grain of your inclination, you must force yourself to comply with them; receive them as you used to do nauseous physick; though they be unpleasant at first they will do you good, and be comfortable to you afterwards; your own pleasure must always stoop, and

give way to your master's. If he sets you such, a, task. as is mean and ignoble, and such as (according to the ex-pression of the world) is beneath a gentleman's son, do, not scruple it dear brother, but dispatch it cheerfully.. Remember who hath said, "Servants obey your.masters. in all things." And oh! remember, that be as well born. and bred as we will, yet he that was higher than the highest of us all, even the most excellent and illustrious person. that ever lived, condescended to the lowest and (as our. fine folks would account) the most shameful offices. The Lord Jesus Christ, though the brightness of his Father's. glory, disdained not to wash his disciples feet. Neither be dejected though you be treated in an unworthy man-. ner, or set to do some mean or low office for him, or his, family; but rejoice rather in that you are made like unto your Redeemer, and in the happy prospects you will have of becoming great in heaven, by being so little on. earth. I am aware that this piece of advice is not so un-. exceptionable as the rest; it may possibly be adjudged the mark of too yielding and sneaking a spirit; but never forget, that the things which are most highly esteemed by God, are held in least repute by men. I know and am sure, that if any apprentice would make such a compli ance for the sake of preserving peace, and out of conscience to the command of God, and with an eye to the example of Christ, there is a day coming when he will. not repent of it; when it will not be deemed a blot in his character; but be an ornament of grace to his head, and. more comely than chains about his neck. Well, you see your obedience must be universal; you must come when he calls and you, go where he bids do all that he commands you, and let alone all that he forbids you. This moreover must be done, not grudgingly, or of necessily, but readily and gladly; for hear what the Scripture saith, "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily; and again, with good will doing service;" so that we must not creep, but be quick and expeditious in our business howsoever disagreeable. You must not go about it with grumbling words and muttering in your mouth, but with so satisfied an air as may shew that you are pleased with whatev er pleases your master.

you,

Thirdly, In faithfulness in his business. This is the last branch of your duty to your master: and since Moses has

obtained an honourable testimony, on this account, be you also faithful in all his house. You may find this, as indeed all the qualifications of a good servant, described by St. Paul, ('T'it. ii. 10.) " Not purloining," says he, "But shewing all fidelity." You are charged not to purloin, i. e. not to keep back from your master, nor to put into your own pocket, nor to convert to your own use, any of that money which in the way of trade, passes through your hands. You were taught from your childhood, to keep your hands from picking and stealing, and I hope you abhor such abominable practices from the bottom of your heart. You must not sell at a cheaper, and buy at a dearer rate, in order to have some valuable con-sideration made you privily in your own person: these differ from robbing on the high-way, (they are flagrant acts of dishonesty, and will cry to heaven for vengeance,) only in being less open and notorious. Such tricks and villainous devices do the same thing by craft and treachery, as house-breakers do by force and vio-lence; therefore, dear brother, denounce, detest, and fly from them as much as from fire, arrows, and death. Besides you are not only to abstain from such clandestine knavery, but also to shew all good fidelity. What is meant by this, you may understand by reading how Joseph conducted himself in Potiphar's service. Your master it is likely will commit the management of some of his affairs to you; and you must endeavour by a discreet behaviour, and pious life, to bring the blessing of the Lord upon all that you take in hand. You must lay out your time and your labour, and give all diligence, to answer the trust reposed in you. You must not delay the business that is urgent, nor do your task by halves, nor transfer that to others which is expected you should do yourself. The slothful man (says Solomon) is brother to him that is a great waster; therefore you must avoid idleness, and carelessness. In a word you must do nothing knowingly and wilfully that is likely to impoverish your master, but seek by all lawful and laudable means to increase his substance; all this you must observe not only when he stands by you, and inspects you, but when his back is turned, and you are removed from his view, otherwise your service is nothing but eye

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service, such as will prove odious to man, and is already condemned by God, for if you appear to be industrious and in earnest, before your master, but to loiter and trifle when out of his sight, you will be chargeable with hypocrisy, a sin extremely hateful to Christ, and grievously peruicious to the soul. But 1 am afraid I tire you; this one sentence therefore and I have done. You must carry yourself throughout the whole of your apprenticeship, so respectfully, so obediently, so faithfully, that, at the end of it, you may truly say with Jacob, "With all my power I have served your father" 1 had more to write. but will send you (if you care to accept it) the remainder some other time. May God bless you all, and your affectionate brother, &c.

CATACOMBS OF EGYPT AND ROME

"THE Egyptians," (says the New Edinburgh En cyclopædia,) believing that if the human body could be kept entire, it would be revisited by the soul, contrived, by means of embalming, to preserve it from decay. Then it was deposited in catacombs excavated in the earth, to await the return of the animating principle. Hence resulted those wonderfully extensive and intricate subterranean galleries and chambers which have remained to the present day.

"Excavations are always found in the vicinity of the most extensive cities; and they are always seen in remote and sequestered places. But those of Thebes, from the reputed splendour of the city, have been viewed with peculiar interest during many succeeding ages.

"The whole chain of mountains in the neighbourhood of Thebes is penetrated for almost three fourths of its height, by an incredible number of openings, leading to an immense labyrinth of catacombs.

"The catacombs of Rome, like those of most other places, are long, narrow, subterranean galleries, crossing each other at right angles, or passing off obliquely. Chambers at each side occasionally appear, and a glim mering of light is admitted by openings above, distant by intervals of 300 yards or more. But in the interior it is as