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much is given of him will be much required." Bear this constantly upon your minds, "Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound" of the Gospel, love the gospel and desire to be more and more conformed to the holy precepts of the gospel: "Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your ownselves." Consider again the peculiar bappiness of those who experience the power of religion in their souls: the light of a reconciled Father's countenance beams around their path to the heavenly Zion, whilst his glorious perfections are the source of their continual joy. The righteousness of Christ is their plea for justification and acceptance with God, and in that righteousness shall they be exalted to the perfection of felicity for ever. CHARLES.

A MEDITATION,

On awaking one morning refreshed with sweet repose, after many restless nights during a severe illness.

"WHO is sufficient for these things?" None but God! He can give a restless night, or he can give a night's rest. He can soothe the soul with the sweet repose of his love, or he can cause cloud and darkness instead to surround the pillow.

And what is this?" doeth he not all things well ?" Can the feverish distress of a sleepless night be given to the child of God in vain? Can it be otherwise

than for his good? Does he sweetly rest in untroubled repose, is not that also for his good? The unclouded smile of Jesu's love beams upon him, and can it be doubted that this is for good?

The darkness of spiritual night is for a season the heavy portion of the believer; yet, this also, even this, be sure is for his good. O believe, and bear in mind always, this blessed promise, "All things work together for good to them that love God." That text has been a sweet solace to many a tried and troubled soul in the hour of dark temptation, and will ever be, while time shall last to all those who "lay hold on eternal life."

'Though rough and stormy be the road,
It leads thee home apace to God;

Then count thy present trials small,
For heaven will make amends for all.'

C.

ANECDOTE OF COL. GARDINER.

THE Commanding Officer of the King's forces at Edinburgh, with the other Colonels, and several other gentlemen of rank in their respective regiments, favoured him on one occasion with their company at dinner at his country house. He too well forsaw what might happen amidst such a variety of tempers and characters; and fearing lest his conscience might be ensnared by a sinful silence, or that on the other hand he might seem to pass the bounds of decency, and infringe upon the laws of hospitality, he happily

determined on the following method of avoiding each of these difficulties. As soon as the guests were come together, he addressed them with a great deal of respect, and yet at the same time with a very frank and determined air, and told them that he had the honour in that district to be a Justice of the Peace, and consequently was sworn to put the laws in execution; and, among the rest, those against swearing;-that he could not execute them upon others with any confidence, nor approve himself as a man of impartiality and integrity to his own heart, if he suffered them to be broken in his presence by persons of any rank whatever; and that therefore he entreated all the gentlemen, who then honoured him with their company, that they would please to be upon their guard, and that if any oath or curse should escape them, he hoped they would consider his legal animadversion upon it as a regard to the duties of his office, and the dictates of his conscience, and no want of respect to them. The Commanding Officer immediately supported him in this declaration, essentially becoming the station in which he was, assuring him that he would be ready to pay the penalty if he individually transgressed and when Colonel Gardiner on any occasion stepped out of the room, he himself undertook to be the guardian of the law in his absence ; and as one of the inferior Officers offended during this time, he informed the Colonel, so that the fine was exacted and given to the poor, with the universal approbation of the company. The story spread in the neighbourhood, and was perhaps applauded highly by many who wanted the courage to go and do likewise. But it may be said of Colonel Gardiner with the

utmost propriety, that he feared the face of no man living when the honour of God was concerned. In all such cases he might be justly said, in Scripture phrase, to "Set his face like a flint;" and I assuredly believe, that had he been in the presence of a Sovereign Prince, who had been guilty of this fault, his looks at least would have testified his grief and surprise, if he had apprehended it unfit to bear his testimony in any other way.-Doddridge.

LECTURES ON THE CHURCH SERVICE.

No. VI.

PSALM LXV. 4.

"We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house."

"Give us this day our daily bread."-This petition follows naturally; having sought first the kingdom of God, we are at liberty to seek the other things which God hath promised indeed to add, but for which he will yet be enquired of by us.

The matter of our prayer "bread."-Supply of all those things needful for us in our passage through

this world, and that according to the station in which God hath placed us. Prov. xxx. 8.

Bread-it reminds us what we are permitted and taught to pray for as to this world's wants. Bread, i. e. necessaries, not luxuries, which are all we want, considering the only end for which the child of God does want is that he may be strengthened and enabled in his body and spirit, which are God's, to glorify God. And if God give him more than that necessary portion, it is not his to spend on himself, but to glorify God with it as a good steward, laying it out on the temporal and spiritual distresses of those that need it.

Again, It is daily bread we are to ask for, Prov. xxx. 8, daily allowance, an allusion to the stated measure of food allowed to slaves by the month. Here we are taught faith, Matth. vi. 30, child-like dependance-a contrast to Luke xii. 19, and daily drawing near to God in prayer.

Our daily bread-ours in Eden by God's gift-ours by restoration in Christ, as promised to his disciples, "seek ye first," &c. -ours as appointed by God, each suitably to the station in which God has fixed us. Day by day-that which we receive to-day will not do for the morrow, we have daily wants, and therefore must pray for a daily supply-man liveth not by bread alone, but by every word, &c. We must have his daily blessing, or our daily food may choke us, or become poison. This prayer teaches a life of child-like dependance-of moderation; the end for which we want daily supplies it teaches a life of thankfulness-of contentment.

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