being buried in it; but above all, how safely doth it keep our bodies for the resurrection; we are here but laid up for custody: balms and cere-clothes, and lead, cannot do so much as this lap of our common mother; when all these are dissolved into her dust, (as being unable to keep themselves from corruption,) she receives and restores her charge. I can no more withhold my body from the earth, than the earth can withhold it from my Maker. O God, this is thy cabinet or shrine, wherein thou pleasest to lay up the precious relics of thy dear saints, until the jubilee of glory, with what confidence should I commit myself to this sure reposition, whilst I know thy word just, thy power infinite!

UPON OCCASION OF A SPIDER IN HIS WINDOW.

There is no vice in man, whereof there is not some analogy in the brute creatures; as amongst us men, there are thieves by land, and pirates by sea, that live by spoil and blood; so is there in every kind amongst them variety of natural sharkers; the hawk in the air, the pike in the river, the whale in the sea, the lion, and tiger, and wolf in the desert, the wasp in the hive, the spider in our window. Amongst the rest, see how cunningly this little Arabian hath spread out his tent for a prey; how heedfully he watches for a passenger; so soon as ever he hears the noise of a fly afar off, how he hastens to his door, and if that silly heedless traveller do but touch upon the verge of that unsuspected walk, how suddenly doth he seize upon the miserable booty; and after some strife, binding him fast with those subtile cords, drags the helpless captive after him into his cave. What is this but an emblem of those spiritual freebooters, that lie in wait for our souls; they are the spiders, we the flies; they have spread their nets of sin, if we be once caught, they bind us fast, and hale us into hell.

O Lord, deliver thou my soul from their crafty ambushes: their poison is greater, their webs both more strong, and more insensibly woven; either teach me to avoid temptation, or make me to break through it by repentance. O let me not be a prey to those fiends that lie in wait for my destruction.

Bp. Hall.

A WORD FOR THE PRESENT TIMES.

ADDRESSED TO THE RICH AND TO THE POOR.

WE live in a very beautiful world, which is richly supplied with numerous blessings, by the Divine bounty; yet how few there are who enjoy comfort and happiness, and how many think that others have enjoyments which they do not themselves possess! And this is true when spoken of the rich as well as of the poor; indeed, the wise man has said, "The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the Maker of them all," Prov. xxii. 2. There is, in fact, an equal degree of suffering and of enjoyment among mankind, and though in appearance some may differ very much, yet these apparent differences are, for the most part, of a superficial nature, and at any rate soon pass away. My attention was engaged not long ago by some particulars related to me, respecting one of those men who seem to be favoured beyond others with every comfort of this life. In addition to vast wealth, he had family connexions, relatives, health, and every outward advantage. To the casual observer he seemed to possess more than enough to make him happy, but those who knew all the circumstances of his case, knew that the very reverse was the fact. The particulars cannot be stated here: it is enough to say, that he would probably have been glad to have changed his lot for that of the beggar who sought alms at his gate, while it is not probable that the poorest beggar would have consented to such an exchange.

How little do we know of the real state of any one of our fellow men; the words "comfort" and "happiness" are often spoken of, but how few really possess them! And why is this? is it not because men do not consider that "Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come ?" 1 Tim. iv. 8. We too often forget that this text, and the same may be said of every precept and promise in the Bible, is addressed to every man, of every rank and class in life. The rich man is prone to forget this as well as the poor, yet he is plainly warned in the word of God, not to trust in uncertain riches, and told that he is but a steward, accountable for all com

mitted to his care. He is expressly reminded that abundance cannot support in the hour of sickness and affliction; moreover he is warned, that riches cannot satisfy.

"He that

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loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of · them with their eyes? The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind? All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness," Eccles. v. 10-17.

Thus the insufficiency of worldly possessions to make mankind happy, is clearly shown by one who, more than any other of the sons of men, had every earthly gratification at his command.

The poor are kept from many snares and temptations, with which those that will be rich pierce themselves, (see 1 Tim. vi. 10;) but they have much to endure of which no one should speak with indifference, or in a slighting way. Hunger, cold, and other privations that affect the body, are hard to bear, and to these too often is joined oppressions, which are said to be enough to make “ a wise man mad." How hard these are to bear, we learn from Eccles. iv. 1-3: "So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive. Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

Such is the dark state of things in this world, as is proved if we look abroad on every side, or examine our own houses, or even our own hearts. And what is the cause? is it our laws, our polity, our institutions? It is from a deeper

source.

IT IS SIN. Our first father, Adam, sinned, and all his descendants have sinned after the similitude of his transgression in the same manner. What then is the way to diminish this mass of misery and woe? It can only be done by our being freed from the guilt and power of sin. Till this is done, every effort is in vain, and the like painful results will ever follow; for it is but attempting to remove a quicksand. If it were possible to take a thousand of our unrenewed fellow creatures, and place them under every circumstance of outward happiness, how many years, months, weeks, or days, would they continue free from misery? No longer than they continued free from sin, and that would not be a single hour! Reader, consult your heart and conscience. If it speaks truly, it will say, that unless man is altered, or, in the Bible phrase, " born again," he cannot be happy. He cannot be so unless he has a sense of being pardoned through Christ, and renewed by the Holy Spirit. This alteration brings a change of heart, and new desires. All the endeavours to obtain happiness on earth, by earthly means, are in vain. Men may think that this or the other worldly plan and device will bring happiness, but all will be found to fail. The change must come from above, and begin in the heart of man.

Are we then to be indifferent to our own happiness, or to that of our fellow men? Oh no: let us seek it by every means possible, but let us not deceive others, or deceive ourselves, by thinking that any human devices can produce happiness on earth. Yet we are diligently to seek the good of others. How this is to be done the Scripture plainly tells us; each is to use the talent entrusted to him; whatever that is, it is to be employed for the good of others, and thus we shall best promote our own welfare. There is not space here to enter upon the details which are fully and plainly set forth in the New Testament. A summary will be found as follows:-" Yet shew I unto you a more excellent way. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my

body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth," 1 Cor. xii. 31; xiii. 1-8.

Too

Observe that this "excellent way," is suitable to the poor as well as the rich; the poorest has these gifts entrusted to him as well as the rich, the only difference is as to the extent of influence. But let not the humblest suppose that his example has no influence. Fearfully is this often shown for evil; let it be not less exercised for good. In these words to the Corinthians is a looking glass for every one. many, indeed, act like the Jews, whom the apostle James addressed when the destruction of Jerusalem was at hand. "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers. who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth; and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you,” James v. 1-6.

It has been truly said that "heaping up" is a besetting sin of the present day. But what was the course which the apostle was inspired to direct the oppressed to pursue, "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the Judge standeth before the door. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience