Christian has not to let his light shine in the world? And to whom can we go but unto Christ? His grace alone can help us. His Spirit must teach us, or we shall mistake our duty; his Spirit must strengthen us, or we shall fail in the discharge of it. It is not well, therefore, to let the world and Satan get the start with us. If Christ does not fill us with his grace, they will beset us with their lures. And besides, the practice of early rising tends to enliven and invigorate the whole system during the day. It nerves us for our various duties, and seems to give a spring to all our energy. Nor must the Christian forget, that time is a talent for which he must give an account. It is truly awful to calculate the number of months, if not years, which are stolen from the lives of many by late rising.

Dear Reader, bad habits are hard to conquer, but I would rouse you to your duty (and myself too) by the example of Christ. In another place, we find him going unto a mountain and continuing all night in prayer to God. Oh! if you love him, seek to be like him. Let the day-break find you with him. Call upon him with David "early in the morning." Then will you know what it is to be strong for duty, to overcome trials, and grow in grace.

THE CHRISTIAN.

From Bishop Hall.

NO. II.

HIS MANNER OF SPENDING THE DAY.

He lives as a man that has borrowed his time, and is not the owner of it; caring to spend the day in a gracious and well-governed thrift. His first morning's task, after he has lifted up his heart to that God, who gives his beloved sleep, shall be to put himself in a due posture, wherein to enter

tain himself the whole day. To this end, he works his thoughts to a right view of his God, of himself, of all that may concern him. The true posture of a Christian then, is this; he sees heaven still open to him; he sees the allglorious God ever before him; the angels of God about him; the evil spirits aloof off, enviously grumbling, and repining at him; the world under his feet, willing to rebel, but forced to be subject; the good creatures ready to tender their service to him. And he is suitably affected by'all these: he sees heaven open, with joy and desire; he sees God, with an adoring awfulness; he sees the angels, with a thankful acknowledgement; he sees the evil spirits, with hatred and watchfulness; he sees the world, with a holy dignity; commanding it for use, and scorning to stoop to it for observance: lastly, he sees the good creatures, with thankfulness, and care to improve them to the advantage of him that lent them.

Having thus gathered up his thoughts, and found where he is, he may now be fit for his constant devotion; which he falls upon, not without a trembling reverence of him, before whom he is prostrate. Now he climbs up into that heaven, which he before did but behold; and solemnly pours out his soul in hearty thanksgivings, and humble supplications, into the bosom of the Almighty: wherein his awe is so tempered with his faith, that while he labours under the sense of his own vileness, he is raised up in the confidence of an infinite mercy. Now he renews his feeling interest in the Lord Jesus Christ, his blessed Redeemer, and labours to get in every breath new pledges of his grace; so seasoning his heart with these early thoughts of piety, as that they stick by him all the day after.

Having thus begun with his God, and begged his blessing, he now finds time to address himself to the works of his calling. To live without any vocation; to live in an unlawful vocation; not to labour in the vocation wherein he lives, are things which his soul hates. The business of his calling, therefore, he follows with a willing and contented

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industry; not as forced to it by the power of human laws; or as urged by the law of necessity, out of the sense or fear of want; nor yet out of an eager desire of enriching himself in his estate; but in a conscientious obedience to that God, who has made man to labour, and has laid it upon him both as a punishment and charge, In the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat thy bread. In an humble readiness he walks on in the way wherein his God has set him; yet not the while so intent upon his hands, as not to attend to his heart; which he lifts up in frequent ejaculations to that God, to whom he desires to be approved in a his endeavours; ascribing all the thanks both of his ability and success to that omnipotent head. If he meet with any rubs of difficulty in his way, he knows who sent them, and who can remove them; not neglecting any prudent means of remedy, he is not to seek for an higher redress.

If he have occasion of trading with others, his will must not be the rule of his gain, but his conscience; neither dares he strive for what he can get, but what he ought. Equity is here the clerk of the market; and the measure which he would have others mete out to himself, is the standard whereby he desires to be tried in his measures to all others. He hates to hoist prices upon occasion of his neighbour's need, and to take advantage of forfeits by the clock. He is not such a slave to his trade, as not to spare an hour to his soul; neither dares he be so lavish, as utterly to neglect his charge upon whatever pretence of pleasure or devotion. In short, he takes his work at the hand of God, and leaves it with him; humbly offering up his services to his great Master in heaven and after all his labour, sits comfortably down in the conscience of having faithfully done his task, though not without the hindrance of many infirmities.

CHRISTIAN PURPOSES.

NO. II.

My son, saith Solomon, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither be weary of his correction. He correcteth him whom he loveth best, even as the parent doth the child

in which he delighteth. There are some that are only followers of his table, and not of him. Let never so little evil come upon them, they put in practice the counsel of that foolish woman, "curse God and die." Let not the Shuhite then upbraid the afflicted Job, nor allege his punishment as an argument of his sin. Those eighteen, on whom the tower of Siloam fell, were not greater sinners than others in Jerusalem. Let not him, therefore, who hath not so much as tasted the bitterness of sorrow, say in his boast, my holiness hath preserved me. For howsoever he conceiteth of himself, surely the Lord accounts him but a bastard. Did he esteem him a son, he should not want a portion. He would look more nearly to his bringing up.

With all humility, therefore, of heart, I will submit my judgment and my will to the sharpness of his censure. The flesh will perhaps think it grievous for the present, but the spirit will rejoice in the peaceable fruits of righteousness that are yielded. It is a bit whereby he curbs our headstrong affections; and a bridle wherewith he reins them up, from running headlong with us into everlasting damnation. Shall David in the meekness of his mind, account the smiting of the righteous as a benefit, and his reproofs as a precious oil? And shall I think hardly of the red of the Lord? No, no, let him beat me, let him bruise me; let him hew me; let him hack me here in this world, so he save me in the world to come. Let him strike me here with the hazel wand, so he cast me not there into the boiling cauldron. He maketh the wound and bindeth up; he smiteth, and his hands make whole.

AWFUL EVENT.

On Sunday the 8th of last December, David and Thomas Burton, of the parish of Sedgeford in Norfolk, went to a public house in Burnham. As a Clergyman in that town was going to Church in the afternoon, they were swearing and making such a riot at the door, that he ordered the

constables to take them to the cage. After service, he learnt that they continued very violent for some time, when David, the eldest brother dropped down dead! His former course of life was one of folly and transgression. There is too much reason to fear, that he was deeply engaged with the smugg lers, who unhappily abound on that coast: and so hardened and desperate had he become by the practice of unlawful traffic, that many of his neighbours had long considered him ripe for any dreadful act. But he is suddenly summoned away from his scenes of wickedness; and has gone into eternity with all his unrepented sins to answer for before his God and Judge! Now he knows the folly of making a mock at sin. Now he curses the day when he first engaged with the smugglers. Now the echo of his oaths gives him no rest in that place, where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched. Now the remembrance of his broken Sabbaths fills him with anguish. And calling to mind the Sunday School and other advantages he might have had in his native village, he cries, "Oh! that I had known the things which belong unto my peace!" An excellent funeral sermon was preached by the Clergyman of the parish from Jer. 13. 21. What wilt thou say, when he shall punish thee?" The unhappy brother Thomas was at Church, with others of the family; and a young woman who was soon to have married the deceased. The bearers were four Docking young men, who had been at the party the Sunday before. Oh! that they may all lay this awful warning to heart! Should this paper meet their eye, or that of similar characters, I would kindly and solemnly speak to them. It may be a source of lasting sorrow to you through life, that you have in any degree been aiders and abettors in those crimes for which David Burton is gone to answer. But as you can. not help him now, let your cares turn home; and have mercy upon yourselves. Oh! reader, are you a smuggler? It matters not whether you are a principal or only an assistant. If your time, and labour, and carts, or your house-room are lent to the work, you are cheating the king and your country; you are breaking the command of him, who has said "thou shalt not steal;" of him, who has also said, "the soul that sinneth it shall die." What though the shade of night hides thy unlawful traffic from the eye of man? The darkness and the light are both alike to God, and his eye watches thy unhallowed steps in the dead of the night; and his hand registers thy crime in the book of remembrance; and his voice will soon call thee to judgment !

May you feel the power of the call of God in this awful