CONVERSION. social and religious influences. The Sabbath often overtakes them far from the house of prayer, and their scanty earnings, and the heavy expense attending the rest of a whole day, with a team of six or eight horses, are joften made a pretext for disregarding the rest of the holy Sabbath. The man whom I engaged to transport my household furniture followed this occupation. The journey was too long to be performed in a single week. Saturday night came, and with his weary horses he sought the shelter of an inn. Several brother teamsters were there, who were on the same route. The next morn ing he arose early to attend to the wants of his faithful animals, and found, to his surprise, that the others were harnessing their horses, and preparing to go on their way. "How now! do you travel to-day?" "To be sure," said one, "we can't afford to lie still all day, and pay for the keeping of our horses while they do nothing; and look ye, there's a heavy snow bank in the south; 'twill be heavy doings to-morrow, and if you are wise, you will go too." "I think not," said he drily. Why not, pray? I think, for my part, the Sabbath was made for man, and poor hard. working folks like us are not required to lose one day in seven." True; I am of your mind, but I can't afford to do otherwise than I think the Sabbath was made for man, and I mean to make the most of it, by resting and letting my horses rest too; and as to losing the day, I never found out yet that I lost any thing by giving the Lord his due, any more than by paying my neighbour what I owe him." A contemptuous laugh, and the cracking of whips, followed; and they drove off, leaving our teamster alone. rest. The short winter day was soon over; but long before night, the snow fell in one continued sheet; and the traveller drew closer to the fire, with the book he was reading, and thanked God in his heart that the storm had come on a day when it was right for him to rest. The next morning the storm had passed over; when, thinking the roads passable, he harnessed his horses, and started off at a slow pace. Just before night-fall, he espied a long line of loaded sleighs in advance of him, toiling heavily onward, and a quiet smile passed over his weather-beaten face, as he thought it might be his companions of the previous day. In a short time he overtook them, and it was indeed the same. Weary and jaded, man and horses, they had been all day breaking paths for him. He soon passed them, with a kind "How fare ye?" Some looked up at his cheerful face and sleek horses, and scarcely deigned an answer; but the speaker of the previous morning replied, "Well, parson, I believe, after all, yours was the best policy; for you and your horses look as bright as if you had only just been to a merry-making, instead of 347 dragging all that 'housen-stuff' through the snow." "Well, neighbour, I feel more light-hearted, I can tell you; and let me tell you, the Sabbath was made for man, and there is never anything lost in this world by keeping it. Good night;" and with a cheerful "chirrup" to his horses, he drove forward, and left his weary companions to adjust with themselves the policy of robbing their Maker. THE STEAMER; OR, NOTHING GAINED BY BREAKING THE SABBATH. Gon is jealous of the honour of his name, and most striking are the providences by which he sometimes teaches his erring children that there is a God in heaven. A remarkable instance of this is given us in the Word of God, in the history of the disobedient Jonah; and not unfrequently even now does the Lord thwart the purpoes and disappoint the plans of those who would disregard his ordinances, and go counter to his commands. How often, for instance, do we see the infraction of the Fourth Commandment, and particularly when by those who profess to love and revere the institutions of the gospel, followed by some signal manifestation of the divine displeasure? An illustration of this, and which exhibits to my mind most forcibly the over-watching care of God, occurred not long since. Late in the afternoon of Saturday a steamer stopped at our wharf on her way to. The day was well-nigh spent, and the op portunity a favourable one for such as chose to come on shore, and tarry with us over the Sabbath. Among the passengers were several ministers of the gospel, and some of whom were but now on their way from the sittings of the General Assembly. It was near nine o'clock when the steamer got under way, and the sail to - would require some eight hours or more-it was therefore evident that the Sabbath morning must be deeply trenched upon ere they reached their destination. During the evening the passengers were gathered together, and a minister of the gospel spoke to them of the providence of God as manifested in disasters at sea. All seemed well. But the Lord stood in the way. A portion of the machinery of the boat broke; and when morning the broad lake, and at the mercy of the elements. came the Sabbath morning-they were yet upon During the day ineffectual efforts were made to repair the injury. The cabin was again the scene of religious exercises; and only on Sabbath evening did they reach, not their destination, but the point from which they had started. The Lord had brought all their efforts of the last twenty-four hours gained them back to their starting point-not a mile had them; and only on Monday morning, at the same hour at which they could have left had they kept the Sabbath, were they permitted to go on their journey. kingdom of God!" Not only he shall not, but he cannot. He has no faculty capable of discerning it. If we know not exactly as to particulars what heaven is, we know to a certainty what it is not. We are sure it is not like earth. There are no routs, assemblies, play-houses, or horse-races there; no estates to be bought or sold, no funds to be transferred, no business to be managed upon the Exchange or in coffee-houses. How, then, could they whose hearts are more set upon these things, possibly be happy even in heaven, when separated for ever from all they love? Heaven must be a hell to an unhumbled, unsanctified sinner, even if he could be admitted there. The company, employments, the enjoyments are of the same kind with what he despised upon earth."-John Newton. THE TREASURES OF THE WICKED. (EVERY man is treasuring up stores for eternity; the good are laying up "treasures in heaven, where moth doth not corrupt"-the evil and impenitent are "treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath." What an idea is this? Treasures of wrath! Whatever the impenitent man is doing, he is treasuring up wrath. He may be getting wealth; but he is treasuring up wrath. He may be getting fame; but he is treasuring up wrath. He may be forming pleasing connections; but he is also treasuring up wrath. Every day adds something to the heap. Every oath the swearer utters, there is something gone to the heap of wrath. Every lie the liar tells, there is something gone to the heap of wrath. Every licentious act the lewd man commits, there is something gone to the treasure of wrath. Every day he lives in sin, the book of God's remembrance records it against him. The impenitent man has a weightier treasure of wrath to-day than he had yesterday; he will have weightier to-morrow than he has to-day. When he lies down at night he is richer in vengeance than when he rose in the morning. He is continually deepening and darkening his eternal portion. Every neglected Sabbath increases his store of wrath; every forgotten sermon adds something to the weight of punishment. All the checks of conscience, all the remonstrances of friends, all the advice and prayers of parents will be taken into the account, and all will tend to increase the treasures of wrath, laid up against the day of wrath. -Rev. J. A. James. LONGING FOR HOLINESS. OH what a weariness is it to live among men, and find so few men, and among Christians, and find so few Christians; so much talk and so little action, religion turned almost to a tune and air of words; and amidst all our pretty discourses, pusillanimous and base, and so easily dragged into the mire, self and flesh, and pride, and passion, domineering while we speak of being in Christ and clothed with him, and believe it, because we speak it so often, and so confidently. Well I know you are not willing to be thus gulled, and having some glances of the beauty of holiness, aim no lower than perfection, which in the end we hope to attain, and in the meanwhile the smallest advances to it are of more worth than crowns and sceptres.-Leighton. THE NOBLE GUEST WITHIN. THERE is a noble guest within us. O! let all our business be to entertain him honourably, and to live in celestial love within, that will make all things without be very contemptible in our eyes. Good night is all I add; for whatsoever hour it comes to your hand, I believe you are as sensible as I, that it is still night, but the comfort is, it draws nigh towards that bright morning that shall make amends. Your weary fellow-pilgrim.-Leighton. CHRIST'S CARE. SUPPOSE a king's son should get out of a besieged city, and leave his wife and children behind, whom he loves as his own soul; would this prince, when arrived at his father's palace, delight himself with the splendour of the court, and forget his family in distress? No! but having their cries and groans and entreat him, as ever he loved him, that he would always in his ears, he would come post to his father, send all the force of his kingdom to raise the siege and save his dear relations from perishing. Nor will Christ, though gone up from the world and ascended into his glory, forget his children for a moment that are left behind him.-Gurnall. GOD SEES THROUGH ALL PRETENCES. How simple is this proposition, and yet how amazing!-admitted by all, believed by few, and by them not steadily. God sees through all pretences. Then why should I use pretences? Why be ambitious to appear what I am not, rather than try to be what I ought? God sees through all pretences. And he will one day make his intelligent universe see through them too. No wolf can carry his sheep's clothing to the judgment-seat. He must leave everything false and painted behind. There he must appear as he is, not as he would like to have men think of him. Why then spend my time in garnishing the outside of my character, while my character itself is neglected? God sees through all pretences. And he will blow them away at the last day like chaff before the whirlwind. Everything false and hollow will be carried | into eternal oblivion. Nothing but the naked reality! will remain. O what a wreck of human pomp, and parade, and vain show! How insignificant will the great ones of this world appear, when all the outward pomp and circumstance" in which their greatness lay is left behind, and they appear in their own proper littleness before the Judge of all the earth! 66 Would men take a hundredth part of the pains to be, that they do to seem good and fair, how well would it be for them and society too!-Christian Observer. LIFE. THE slow motion of a living man (though so feeble, perhaps, that he cannot go a furlong in a day), yet coming from life, imports more strength than is in a ship, which (though it sails swiftly) hath its motion from without. Thus possibly a hypocrite may exceed a true Christian in the bulk and outside of a duty: yet because his strength is not from spiritual life, but from some wind or tide abroad that carries him on, while the Christian is from a divine principle within; therefore the Christian's weakness is stronger than the hypocrite in his greatest enlargements.-Gurnall THE CHRISTIAN TREASURY. 349 THE BELIEVER A BLESSING THE UNBELIEVER A CURSE. BY THE LATE REV. R. M. M CHEYNE, DUNDEE. "And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing."-ZECH. viii, 13 DOCTRINE. Unconverted men are a curse to all about them; but when converted, they be. come a blessing. I. Unconcerted men are a curse by their example. This is true, whether they be outwardly decent and moral, or be living in open sins and wickedness. 1. If they be outwardly decent men, then they are generally much respected in the world; and so their example is not only followed, but followed without any scruple. Though they have no love to Christ-though they have no prayer in their families-though they never gather their children upon their knees to tell them of the only way of salvation-though they have little or no secret prayer in their closets; yet, because they are outwardly honest men, and sober, respectable men, they are set up as patterns to be imitated, and even believers are tempted to think themselves and their children safe in their company. These men are whited sepulchres-men walk over them without fear. They do not know that within there is nothing but dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Oh, what a curse outwardly decent unconverted men are to every society they come into! 2. But still more, unconverted men are a curse by their example, if they be living in any open sin. (1.) They are a curse to their children, to their servants, to their neighbours, by leading them into the same sins. Just as a man infected with the plague is a curse to every society he comes into, for he communicates the infection to ali; so a man infected with sin infects everybody around him. Nothing teaches so soon as example. How easily do children pick up the oaths they hear their parents using! And there are no bounds to this curse; for every man stands in the centre of a circle of companions, and to each of these he communicates the hateful infection that is in his own bosom. Each of these companions stands in the centre of another circle, to each of whom he transmits the same hateful infection; so that one unconverted sinner may be a curse to thou sands. Ay, even when he is lifting up his eyes in hell, the infection of which he was the origin may be raging among thousands whom he has left on earth. Oh, brethren, it is a fearful thing to think that an unconverted man in hell may yet be a curse upon the earth! (2.) They are a curse to those that sin along with them. Objection. My companions are sinful already, and therefore if I sin along with them, I cannot be blamed for making them sinners. Answer. True, you cannot be blamed for making them sinners; but you can be blamed for making them worse sinners. Is it no crime, think you, to make bad worse? Is it no crime to help him to a deeper place in hell? Now, this is what all sinners are doing by their example. Nothing encourages a man in sin so much as example. When so many are on the broad way, it becomes very easy. How many a man would have been a sober man this day, if his companions had not pushed the bottle to him! How many a man would have turned at the voice of Christ, if his companions had not laughed him out of it! Oh, what a curse an unconverted man is by his example! (3.) They are a curse to the sober, decent, unconverted These men will not go with them to the same excess of riot. They stand aloof and are shocked at open sin, and say inwardly in their hearts, I thank God I am not as these men are —extortioners-unjust-adulterers. Surely I must be on the right way, for I am so different from these open sinners. Ah, brethren! who! knows how many unconverted souls that never came to a saving close with Christ-that never knew what it was to receive the Spirit of Christ to dwell in them-have been hardened into deadly peace by the sight of the openly wicked and profane! Oh, what a curse an open sinner is to all the world. men. Brethren, are you unconverted ?-then you have been a curse all your life long up to this day. You are decent and sober, and much respected in the world, it may be-but still unconverted. You have no love to Christ-no prayer in your family-no prayer in your closet. Do you not see what a withering blight you' have cast all around you? Look at your children and your servants-have you not frozen them into as icy coldnes as yourself? Or perhaps you have lived in some darling sin. Do you not see how you have infected all around you? Have not some of your children or neighbours learned the very same sin? Nay, do you not see some who have grown more wicked since you joined them? They were like men running down-hill before; but you gave them a push, and made them run faster. Oh! how many may be in hell this day, who are cursing you for teaching them, or helping them to sin. Stop, poor soul! before you take another step in sin. Do you not think your own curse will be heavy enough, that you are heaping the curses of others on your soul? The rich man in hell did not wish his five brethren to come there; and O, have you less compassion on your friends than a soul in hell? It may be you have no compassion on your own soul, or perhaps you think you will try and bear the wrath of God; but have you no pity for your little children. You cannot bear to hear them cry on earth; oh, how will you bear to hear them cry in hell? II. Unconcerted men are a curse by being cumberers of the ground. so much of the shepherd's time and care to seek them. The backward state of believers in our day is mainly to be attributed to this. So much time and labour has to be expended on the barren fig trees, that the precious vines are left unprotected and uncultivated. When a soul is brought to Christ, it is but just born againit is but a babe in everything, and needs to be nursed and fed with milk, and tenderly cared for. But ministers cannot do everything; and how often do they leave that soul, knowing that it is saved, and expend their labours upon the unsaved and unconverted! He was a blessed man of God who made it his rule never to preach one sermon without some word for poor unconverted souls. But, see how much of our time and anxiety this takes up. And what a curse unconverted sinners thus are to the Church of God! Are you unconverted? Then you have been a curse all your life long up to this day. How many sermons have been filled up with your case!-how many of the prayers of the servant of God have been taken up with you!-how much of his labour has been expended upon you! And are you still unconverted? Ah, then, are you not a cumberer of the ground? are you not a curse? III. Unconverted men are a curse negatively, by not doing any good. Man is a social creature. It is not good for man to be alone; and, therefore, God has put us into families, and neighbourhoods, and countries, just that every one might be a blessing to every other. But unconverted men do no good to others-they do not answer the end for which they were placed in the world; and thus they are a curse. The sun was placed in the centre of our system to give light and heat to all around him; but if he were to leave the end for which he was placed there, if he were to keep all his beams to himself, instead of warming and lighting the world, then he would be a curse instead of a blessing. Such are unconverted men they do no good, they keep all they have to themselves; like barren sands, they take in sun and shower, but give back neither flower nor fruit. Just as the fig tree was a curse to the other trees of the vineyard, for all the time, and expense, and care that were wasted upon it might have been bestowed upon them; so unconverted men, who bear no fruit to God, are a curse to all around them, they take up so much room and care in the Church of God. Just as a boy at school who will not learn is a curse to the whole school, for he takes up so much of the master's time and care, that might all be expended on the other boys; just so the unconverted are a curse to all around, for they take up so much of the care and anxiety of ministers. Just as the criminals of a country are a great curse, not only because of their wicked example, but because of the care and expense that must be laid out upon them-the thou sands of pounds that must be paid for jails, and judges, and officers, which might all be employed in aiding honest industry; so the unconverted are a curse in every parish, taking up so much of the care and time of the minister, which all might be employed in helping the dear children of God. Just as a stray sheep is 1. Men have a great hold on the affections a curse to all the flock-for the shepherd must of other men. This is a wonderful gift of God leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go-given that we may lead one another to good after the sheep that is lost-he must trace it and heavenly things. But unconverted men over the mountains and through the valleys, do not use this gift. They often use it in leadand may not find it after all; so lost sinners are ing others to sin; but they never use it in leada curse to all the people of God-by taking up ing others to Christ. An unconverted parent 1 THE BELLE OF THE BALL ROOM. never uses this talent in leading his children to the Saviour. Oh! what a curse he is to them, then, instead of a blessing. 351 will be diminished many fold, for this is the first great temptation. But Helen will not be ware. While the warm kiss is on her cheek she forgets her Saviour. The melody of that rich voice is dearer to her than the pleading of gospel memories. 2. Men have money. This is a gift of God -given that we may use it all to his service. But unconverted men never use their money for Christ. God made them stewards of it; but they cheat both God and man. They pre-death unto life. tend it is their own, and they may do what they will with it. 3. Men may pray for one another. God intends all Christians to be like Christ-intercessors for one another, and for the world. But the unconverted never pray for others. They have no wish to do so. Most unconverted parents never pray for their childrenmost unconverted children never pray for their parents. What curses they are to one another! Truly the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. But when the unconverted becomes a converted man, then this word is fulfilled, and he becomes as much a blessing as ever he was a curse. (To be continued.) THE BELLE OF THE BALL ROOM. (From the Christian Watchman.) "ONLY this once," said Edward Allston, fixing a pair of loving eyes on the beautiful girl beside him "only this once, sister mine; nay, I will even kneel to you;" and he bent, half playfully, half seriously, before her. "Your dress will be my gift, and will not, therefore, diminish your charity fund; and beside, if the influences of which you have spoken do indeed hang so alluringly about a ball-room, should you not seek to guard me from their power? You will go, will you not? For mefor me?" The Saviour, too, whispered to the maiden. "Decide for me, thou redeemed one-for me." But her spirit did not recognise the tones, for of late it had been bewildered with earthly music. She paused, however, and her brother pressed a kiss upon her thoughtful brow, and waited her reply in silence. Beware! sweet Helen Allston, beware! The sin is not lessened that the tempter is so near to thee. Like the sparkle of the red wine to the inebriate are the seductive influences of the ball-room. Thy foot will fall upon roses, but they will be the roses of this world, not those that bloom for eternity. Thou wilt lose the fervour and purity of thy love, the promptness of thy obedience, the consolations of thy trust. The holy calm of thy closet will become irksome to thee, and thy power of resistance Two years previous to the scene described, Helen Allston hoped she had passed from For some time she was exact in the discharge of social duties, regular in her closet exercises, ardent, yet equable in her love. Conscious of her weakness, she diligently used all those aids so fitted to sustain and cheer. Day by day she rekindled her torch at the holy fire which comes streaming onward to us from the luminaries of the past-from Baxter, Taylor, and Flavel, and many a compeer whose name will live in the hearts, and linger on the lips, of the generations which are yet to come. She was alive to the present also. Upon her | table, a beautiful commentary upon the yet unfulfilled prophecies, lay the records of missionary labour and success. The sewing circle busied her active fingers, and the Sabbathschool kept her affections warm, and rendered her knowledge practical and thorough. But at length the things of the world began insensibly to win upon her regard. She was the child of wealth, and fashion spoke of her taste and elegance. She was very lovely, and the | voice of flattery mingled with the accents of honest praise. She was agreeable in manner, sprightly in conversation, and she was courted and caressed. She heard with more complacency reports from the gay circles she had once frequented, and noted with more interest the ever-shifting pageantry of folly. Then she lessened her charities, furnished her wardrobe more lavishly, and became less scrupulous in the disposal of her time. She formed acquaintances among the light and frivolous, and to fit herself for intercourse with them, sought the books they read, until others became insipid. Edward Allston was proud of his sister, and loved her, too, almost to idolatry. They had scarcely been separated from childhood, and it was a severe blow to him when she shunned the amusements they had so long shared together. He admired, indeed, the excellence of her second life, the beauty of her aspirations, the loftiness of her aims, but he felt deeply the want of that unity in hope and purpose which had existed between them.' He felt, at times, indignant, as if something had been taken from himself. Therefore he strove, by many a device, to lure her in the path he was treading. He was very selfish in this, but he was unconscious of it. He would have climbed precipices, traversed continents; braved the ocean in its wrath, to have rescued her from physical danger; but, like many others thoughtless as himself, he did not dream of the fearful importance of the |