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Aged Person Deceased.-Lately, without any previous illness, at Addle Croft, near Huddersfield, Joshua Whitehead, in the 105th year of his age. His death took place on the anniversary of the day on which he was baptized. The only doctor's bill he ever had, amounted but to four-pence, and he never was intoxicated. He lived in the reigns of four of our kings, one of which was the longest reign recorded in English history. He retained his faculties to the last, and his sight was so perfect that he had never occasion for spectacles.-London Paper.

Mr. Justice Park, in his charge to the Grand Jury at the late Wiltshire Assizes, recommended to them the formation of a Society for enabling prisoners to obtain some honest employment when the period of their imprisonment expires.-Morning Post.

An inquest was lately held, on a boy about six years of age. The boy had been allowed to accompany his father to the open fields, where, on the day of the boy's death, his father bad taken a gun, and laid it on the edge of a bank amongst some thistles. Alad named Cooper was desired by the father to fetch the gun. The poor child accompanied him, and the lad, on taking up the gun, pulled the trigger, and the contents of the piece entered the body of the deceased, who expired immediately.-Verdict, "Accidental death."

The late Mr. Gifford (says a contemporary) appears to have been in the receipt of a large income. During the time that he was Editor of The Quarterly Review, Mr. Murray paid him nine hundred pounds a year. He received annually, as one of the Comptrollers of the Lottery Office, six hundred pounds. He had a salary of three hundred pounds as paymaster of the band of Gentlemen Pensioners-two hundred a year as clerk of the Estreats in the Court of Exchequer; and, in addition to all these sums, he enjoyed a pension of, we believe, four hundred pounds per annum from Lord Grosvenor. And this was the same gentleman who in early life was so poor, that, when he was apprentice to a shoemaker, he could not afford to buy a piece of paper to write on, but made calculations and verses with an awl on scraps of leather beaten out.

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS..

We have received the communications of Rusticus; T. A. C. ; F. P.; Ignota; M. A. F.; G. P.; T. H. I.; R. W. W.; T. E.; and A Subscriber to the Visitor.

We occasionally make extracts from such new publications as our obliging Correspondents send us; but those who wish us to recommend their works must recollect that our little Magazine is not a Review. We also must have appeared to neglect. the requests of those who have begged us to notice their works on our cover. This is out of the power of the Editor. Whatever is an advertisement must be sent to the Publisher, and there is a considerable duty to government on every such advertisement.

THE

Cottager's MonthlyVisitor.

JUNE, 1827.

EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY.

To the Editor of the Cottager's Monthly Visitor.

SIR,

I BEG to offer you what seems to be the latter part of a sermon on the text, "So mighty grew the word of God and prevailed."

When we consider the great difficulty of establishing a religion in the world, and the condition of the Apostles by whom the Christian religion was first preached, we cannot but see that a higher Power than their own was engaged in the business. They were twelve unlearned men, without influence or wealth; and the task which they set about was to reform the world, to change the customs and habits of mankind. With this view they left Jerusalem and travelled through a great part of the Roman Empire, every where seeking to turn the hearts of men from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. The vast numbers which became converts, (knowing as we do how decidedly the religion of Jesus is opposed to the corrupt passions and artifices of men) is a proof that God was working with these preachers of the Gospel. For if not, does it seem likely that any man would have embraced it, much less that it would have spread itself over the then known world in the space of about forty years? Let us then adore No. 6.-VOL. VII.

M

the wisdom and power of God for making use of such humble means to accomplish so desirable an end, thereby affording us the strongest possible proof that Jesus was the Christ, the Lord and Saviour of mankind. Till we are sensible of this truth, and turn to Him in faith and repentance, we have not the beginning of religion in our souls. We must first be persuaded that a magistrate has power to enforce the laws, before we shall obey him; and so we shall not come to Christ in sincerity, till we are sensible of His eternal truth and Godhead. The Gospel may be preached in our ears every sabbath; friends may exhort, and rebuke, and implore; but all will be in vain if we have an evil heart of unbelief. We shall do well to remember, that the wisest and best of men, who had better opportunities than any of us possess, of examining the evidences of our religion, have consented with one voice in proclaiming its truth; and some of them proved the strength of their belief by dying for it. If there are a few parts of the New Testament which we do not understand, they may try our faith and keep us humble, but they afford no reason for our neglecting that great salvation. In the world, how many things do we see, far beyond our shallow comprehension! We know not how the grass under our feet springs from the earth; and if a person should refuse to eat his bread, till he understood how the blade of corn produced the full ripe ear, would you not pity his folly? Why then should you deny the soul its necessary support, which is to be derived from the word of God, because, in some particulars, it comes not down to the level of your understanding? But I will not pursue this argument any further. I trust that no man who has fairly considered the prophecies which relate to the Christian Religion, the doctrines which it teaches, and the miracles by which it was established, can lightly disregard the Bible. What bad man would

Short Sermon on Prayer.

243

have written a book which so strongly condemns sin, and what good man would have attempted to deceive others by pretending that an invention of his own was the revealed will of God? This is improbable indeed. Let us, then, as many as are thoroughly persuaded of the truth of these things, diligently study the Holy Bible, and pray to God for the grace of his Spirit, that we may understand it, and obey its commands. Then shall we find, even in this life, such peace as passeth man's understanding-peace with God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

G. P.

SHORT SERMON ON PRAYER.

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thess. v. 17.

THE Apostle Paul would never have left us such advice, had he not known by experience that prayer was absolutely necessary to the Christian. He does not mean that we should be always on our knees, but that we should preserve as much as possible such a frame of mind as to be able to raise our thoughts if not our voices to heaven at any time. The Christian is surrounded by enemies to his soul, and prayer is his chief defence against them. Well indeed it would be if we all knew and valued the privilege of approaching our heavenly Father in prayer. We should think it a great favour, if a king were to say to us, "Come to me at any time if you are in trouble, I will help you, and I will always listen to what you say." Should we think it a trouble to come to him? No, certainly we should not. But what saith that King of kings who dwelleth in the heavens?"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you *." "Call on me in the

Matt. vii. 7.

day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." Shall we, then, despise the calls of God, who is able to bless us abundantly above all that we can ask or think? Rather let us listen to His gracious voice, and take with us his words, and call upon him. Do you feel yourself a helpless sinner? Go to Him for pardon, through Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He will not cast you out. But words without sincerity are of little avail. Let not the want of words discourage you: the Publican was heard, though he only said "God be merciful to me a sinner," because, when he said the words he felt them, and earnestly desired the mercy for which he asked. It is true that we know not what to pray for as we ought, but God has promised his Holy Spirit to help our infirmities. He looks graciously on the humble penitent who comes to him in deep humility, conscious that he is unworthy to approach the throne of grace, except by the blood of Christ, who has made a way of access for us.

May God give us the heart to seek him, and may we all find that peace which He alone can give !

Oh Thou, by whom we come to God,
The Life, the Truth, the Way;

The path of pray'r thyself hast trod,
Lord, teach us how to pray.

M. A. F.

HABITS OF THE VAUDOIS.

To the Editor of the Cottager's Monthly Visitor.
SIR,

HAVING been reading lately a highly interesting book of travels †, I send you a few extracts from it,

* Psalm 1. 15.

+ Gilly's Narrative of an Excursion to the Mountains of Piedmont.

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