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sion: the Christian esteems the forgiveness of many offences his fittest temper and disposition.

Sunday School Catechist.

Swear not at all, says our Saviour. Swearing is a profane calling upon God, and must be sin. It always arises either from passion, and a spirit of sinful anger, or from contempt of that God whom the swearer calls upon. To say he means nothing by his words is no excuse. It is taking God's name in vain, and this will not be considered as nothing by God. The same.

Great is the goodness of God in creating man, and placing him in a world where all things minister to his use and comfort. But what do the rarest earthly blessings profit those who can only look forward to the terrors of judgment when they are at an end?

Sumner.

It is an excellent rule, that a Christian should undertake nothing on which he cannot honestly implore the divine blessing. Bear in mind this rule, in the direction of your families. Forget not

that the prayer of the heart can be carried on in the midst of the busiest and most laborious life. In all your undertakings for the good of your children, when engaged by the employments and cares of the day, happy will it be, if you can secretly lift up your heart to your heavenly Father, and look to him for help! Especially remember this, when called upon to correct your children. How can a parent, who is looking for a blessing from his Lord, act in passion and revenge? All correction should be that of love, inflicted not for your pleasure, but for the profit of the child.

Friendly Advice on the Management of Children:

EXTRACTS FROM THE PUBLIC NEWS. PAPERS.

Diet.-Mr. Abernethy, being, from his long experience, fully convinced that a vast proportion of our maladies arise from filling the stomach too full, either of meat or drink, insists so strongly on the necessity of caution on this point, that he orders his patients to weigh their food every day, that they may be sure not to exceed the regulated quantity; and he, has performed astonishing eures by this method. A gentleman who had suffered for many years from indigestion, was restored to health, simply by reducing the quantity of his food. As the quantity of the food was reduced, he began to thrive, he encreased in strength and in weight. When he was a little better, he thought (in his doctor's absence) that he might exceed a little, and then he grew thinner and lighter daily.

Dr. Paris gives us advice different from this, and somewhat more cheerful, but perhaps there is not much difference in fact. Dr. P. says, The quantity of food must, in every case, be regulated by the feelings of the patient: let him eat slowly, masticate thoroughly, and, on the first feeling of being satisfied, let him stop; and he will then not have occasion for weighing or measuring his food. But he must, in such a case, keep to one dish; an indulgence in variety provokes an artificial appetite, which may be mistaken for a natural feeling.

Caution.-A house was robbed, in Stamford-street, Blackfriars Road, not long ago, by a daring fellow, who found the area gate unlocked, and went down the steps, and saw nobody in the kitchen. He took away many very valuable articles. After he had nearly finished his work, a maid-servant came into the room. She behaved with great resolution, but has since suffered severely from the blows which she received in her struggle with the robber.

Many robberies have lately been committed in this way. When the door is left open, the villains get in; and, if they find any one there, they make a sort of message, as if they had come on an erraud. If nobody is there, they proceed to robbery.— London Paper.

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On Saturday last, four children, from the age of eleven down to five years, belonging to a man named Draddy, living near Cork, were poisoned by eating a quantity of the wild parsnip root. They were dreadfully convulsed for some hours, and died in the most excruciating agony. This poisonous weed is generally found in moist. grounds, growing amongst water-cresses. Children ought to be strictly cautioned, especially at this season of the year, against tasting any thing in the fields and gardens.-Irish Paper.

An inquest was held on Wednesday night, the 16th of May, before Mr. Unwin, at the Crown and Sceptre public-house, on

Extracts from the Public Newspapers.

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the remains of Henry Calver, an infant about eighteen months old. From the evidence it appeared that the deceased had, while in play, taken a marble into his mouth, which, slipping down the throat, stuck about midway, and caused a suffocation from which death ensued.Verdict "Accidental Death.". Times.

Ague.-Sea water is said to cure the ague, by being taken, a tea-cup full every morning, for eight or ten mornings.-Norfolk Chronicle.

Parentage, and Education of a Book.-It may, perhaps, not be known to the generality of readers, that the following twentytwo occupations are engaged to produce a single book:-The author, the designer, the rag-merchant, the paper-maker, the stationer, the type-founder, the press-maker, the ink-maker, the roller-maker, the chase-maker, the compositor, the reader, the pressman, the gatherer, the folder, the stitcher, the leatherseller, the binder, the copper-smith, the engraver, the copperplate printer, and the bookseller!

The Infidel Abashed.-Some months ago the Reverend James Armstrong preached at Harmony, when a Doctor of that place, a professed unbeliever, called on his associates to accompany him, while he "attacked the preacher." At first he asked Mr. Armstrong, "If he followed preaching to save souls." He answered, Yes. He then asked Armstrong "If he ever saw a soul?" "No." "If he ever heard a soul?" "No." "If he ever

"No."

tasted a soul?" "No." "If he ever smelt a soul?" "If he ever felt a soul?” "Yes, thank God," said Armstrong. "Well," ," said the Doctor, "there are four of the five senses against oue, that there is a soul."-Mr. Armstrong then asked the gentleman if he was a doctor of medicine, and he was also answered, Yes. He then asked the Doctor "If he ever heard a pain ?” "No." "If he ever "If he ever saw a pain ?" No." tasted a pain?" "No." "No." "If he ever smelt a pain ?" "If he ever felt a pain?" "Yes." Mr. Armstrong then said, "there are also four senses against one to evidence that there is no pain, and yet, Sir, you know that there is pain, and I know that there is a soul." The Doctor appeared confounded, and walked off.-Indiana Gazette.

· Swindling.—During the fair held at a town in Buckinghamshire, some sharpers duped a respectable old farmer out of about 23l. in a curious manner:-The farmer was standing in the fair looking about him, when he observed two men apparently engaged in tossing for sovereigns, and he went up to them. One of these fellows bad, as he himself said, been loosing largely, "but," added he, addressing the farmer, "if you will lend me 201. I will soon get my losings back, and a much larger sum to boot, half of which you shall have." In an unguarded moment, the farmer advanced the money, and, fortune seeming to favour the borrower, the sovereigns quickly passed into his hands, greatly to the satisfaction of the farmer, who stood looking on, quite delighted with his own, and his new friend's good fortune. His

exultation, however, was of short duration. The winner soon made a pretence to absent himself for a minute or two, and the loser began to swear lustily at his suspicious conduct, "for," said he," the rascal is gone to the Bank to see if the sovereigns are good, but I'll soon fetch him back." Away he then went after his companion, leaving the farmer a little uncomfortable, and so, it is said, he remains to this day, having of course heard nothing more of cither his money or his friend.-Country Paper. The Deadly Yew.-Two cows, the property of Mr. John Gelderd, and Mr. Stephen Warhurst, which had been incauti. ously permitted to enter the church-yard of Ulverston, on the night of Tuesday last, were found dead the following morning, having been poisoned by browsing upon the branches of a yew tree growing there.-London Paper.

Ploughing. A very animated and interesting scene took place on the farm of Bedrule, part of the estate of Stobs belonging to Sir William F. Elliot, Bart. Messrs. Brodie, of Haddon, having lately taken that extensive farm, their friends and neighbours agreed to give a day's ploughing, and at dawn of day one hundred and seventy-three ploughs appeared on the ground, and, before the close of evening, turned over in fine style a great proportion of the fallow-break, consisting of about 260 acres; the great number of ploughmen plying cheerfully their useful task in such a space, and the fineness of the horses, aided by an excellent winter day, rendered the appearance of the whole very grand and striking. Whatever tends to encourage industry, is the best of all methods of preventing poverty.—Kelso Mail.

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

We bave received A. B.; Catherine Careful; L. C. K. H.; Ignota; Y; and an Anonymous Article.

Albanus, dated April 15th, has just been received. We cannot answer his question until we have seen the article which he proposes to send us.

It

We beg to inform X. that we do not answer for the originality of every article that is sent us. We subjoin the signatures of the Correspondents who furnish us with the articles. would, however, be right, for the Author's name to accompany those contributions which are really extracted from printed

works.

As X possesses our Volumes, he may find a useful course of Family Reading in the "Remarks on Genesis," at the beginning of the Numbers. The Chapter should be read from the Bible. The " Scripture Characters," too, are full of useful matter. The Editor may say this, because neither of these are written by himself.

THE

Cottager's MonthlyVisitor.

JULY, 1827.

Remarks on the first twelve Verses of the 49th Chapter of Genesis.

Now we come to the last act of Jacob's life. We see him calling together his twelve sons, not merely to address them, (as any pious parent may warn and exhort his children, before he takes his last farewell,) but, as a prophet, he delivers a message to them from God. He is enabled, by the Holy Ghost, to foretell events, some of which did not take place till nearly seventeen hundred years after his death.

V. 1, 2.-We may well suppose that the sons of Israel listened with great attention to the last words of their dying father; but it is left for us to trace out and admire the accomplishment of his prophecies.

V. 3, 4.-If the hopes of Reuben were raised by the excellent things said of him in the third verse, how great must have been his disappointment to find that he had forfeited all title to the privileges of the eldest son, by the crime recorded in chap. xxxv. ver. 22. In the course of the history, we find that this prophecy was fulfilled. No one of this tribe ever came to the throne of Israel, or greatly distinguished himself. In arraying the tribes in the order of march, &c. the post of honour was given to Judah, not to Reuben, (Numb. ii. 3—10. vii. 12-30. x. 14-18.) When the genealogies were given, his degradation is again mentioned, (1 Chron. v. k, 2.) NO. 7-VOL. VII. 0

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