that a room, by being breathed in, gets its air corrupted; and if there are many people in a room the air soon becomes unwholesome-we perceive this when a large company has been shut up long together, the air becomes hot and close, and disagreeable. Fresh air corrects this; therefore let it be admitted freely. Attention to this would probably prevent many of the diseases which attack large families crowded together in small apartments. V. HYMN XIII. The Danger of Delay. I. WHY should I say, "'Tis yet too soon A flow'r may fade before 'tis noon, II. If this rebellious heart of mine Despise the gracious calls of Heav'n, I may be harden'd in my sin, And never have repentance giv'n. III. What if the Lord grow wrotb and swear, That he'll refuse to lend an ear To all my groans another day. IV. What if his dreadful anger burn, While I refuse his offer'd grace, And all his love to fury turn, And strike me dead upon the place! V. 'Tis dang'rous to provoke a God! His pow'r and vengeance none can tell; One stroke of his almighty rod Shall send young sinners, quick, to Hell. Hymn from Dr. Watts. VI. Then 'twill for ever be in vain Or hope to see my Maker's face. 261 I. QUESTION. Can it ever be too soon to think of death, and seek for heaven? Answer. No. Q. Why? A. Because "A flower may fade before 'tis noon, And I this day may lose my breath." Q. Prove this from Scripture. A. James iv. 14. "Ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." Q. In what words does the burial-service of our Church remind us of the same truth? A. "Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live, and is full of misery. He cometh up, and is cut down, like a flower; he fleeth as it were a shadow, and never continueth in one stay." II. Q. If your heart should be rebellious, and despise the goodness of God, which would lead you to repentance, what may happen unto you? A. "I may be harden'd in my sin, And never have repentance given." III. Q. Who can give us the grace of repentance? A. Our Lord Jesus Christ. Q., Prove this from Scripture. A. Acts v. 31. "Him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." Q. Who is here meant by Israel? A. All the people of God. Q. And if you now refuse to read the word of God, and pray to him, what may you justly expect? A. "That he'll refuse to lend an ear, To all my groans another day." Q. Repeat some awful threatening of Scripture which teaches you this. A. Prov. i. 24-29. "Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you: then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord." Q. What do you learn from this hymn? A. "The danger of delay." Q. Shew, from the example of David, what course we ought to pursue. A. Psalm cxix. 60. "I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments." From "Dr. Watts's Hymns for Children, with Questions and Answers." (By a Lady.) Questions from the History of England. 263 QUESTIONS FROM THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND. (See page 210, Vol. III.) AFTER Richard the Second was murdered, who was king of England? To whose family did the crown properly belong? Did Henry the Fourth enjoy his power in peace? or did any of his subjects rebel against him? Who raised an army to fight against the king? What great battle was fought? Which side gained the victory, and who was killed? Was the king in the battle? Was his son? Who was that son? Was this prince a good young man, or not? Was the king's mind disturbed with the thoughts of the unjust way in which he got the throne, and with his cruelty to the late king? Will the remembrance of past wickedness torment the conscience, and drive away the refreshment of sleep? Which is the happiest, a poor labourer, whose mind is at ease, or a king, whose mind is filled with cares, and whose conscience is stung with the remembrance of sin? In what year * did Henry the Fourth die? V. * 1413. LORD MALMESBURY'S SPEECH. THE Earl of Malmesbury, in his speech, in the House of Lords, on the 11th of May, said, "That the increased quantity of spirits now drunk, was a very great cause of the increase of crime. That it was a fact which might be proved from all the newspapers, that the many horrible crimes which had been committed within the last three months, were all committed by those who were in a state of intoxication"-by drunken people. And nothing can be more true than the noble Earl's assertion. One crime leads to another. Drunkenness is itself a great crime, both against the law of God, and against the peace of man; and it leads to every sort of wickedness. The man's senses and his reason are taken away, and nothing is left but his bad passions, which are thus raised to the utmost violence by the ungovernable power of liquor. We may be thankful that we live in a country where laws are established to punish crimes, and thus to act, in some degree, as a protection. But nothing will ef fectually prevent crimes, but religious principles. How great a duty then it becomes for us to try every means of promoting true religion. An evil spirit within will lead to evil actions,-but the spirit of God in the heart will draw it to the practice of what is good. And this divine principle will not only make us honest and good subjects here, but will prepare us for everlasting happiness hereafter. V. THE SEASONS. To the Editor of the Cottager's Monthly Visitor. SIR, IF you think the following lines worth inserting in the next Cottager's Visitor, I will thank you to put them in. I remain, Sir, A SCRIBBLER. |