shun them; and, least of all, should they covet equality with the great of this world in the external circumstances of wealth and power. Their influence will be most extended and most benign, when, in character and labours, they are most like Christ;

and when they partake most largely in the spirit of Him who "rejoiced in his sufferings for the brethren, and in filling up what was behind of the afflictions of Christ, for his body's sake, which is the Church." (Col. i. 24.)

IN one of Scotland's northern towns, a family were seated round the breakfast table, waiting for "the father," and wondering why he was later than usual. At length he appeared; his step was heavy, and his brow cloudy. Having asked the blessing, he sat resting his head on his hand, wrapped in melancholy thought.

This unhappy looking man was one of the elders in a neighbouring chapel he possessed much energy and zeal, and it was hoped real piety; but alas! he was governed by a naturally bad temper, and too often forgot the words of the wise man"He that ruleth his spirit is better than he that taketh a city;" and in consequence of his unrestrained temper, the meetings for the chapel business were the constant scenes of anger and noisy strife.

The venerable minister being a true disciple of the Prince of Peace, deeply lamented his elder's unchristian spirit. On the previous day a meeting had been held, which was even more contentious than usual; for the elder had been particularly angry and quarrelsome.

The good minister's heart sunk within him while he sat amidst this strife of tongues, and most thankful was he that evening to retire to a friend's house some miles from town, for the peace and quiet of the country is soothing to a wounded spirit.

It was on the following morning, that the elder came down to breakfast in so melancholy a mood. His wife, after looking anxiously at him for some minutes, said, "Are you ill, my dear?”

"No."

"Then what has happened to make you look so sad?" He slowly raised himself up, and looking earnestly at her said, "I have had a most extraordinary dream.”

The look of anxiety vanished from his wife's face as she said, with a smile, "Why you, always laugh at my dreams." "Yes, but mine was

so remarkable. I dreamt I was at the bottom of a steep hill, and when I looked up, I saw the gate of heaven at the top; it was bright and glorious, and many saints and angels stood there. Just as I reached the top of the hill, who should come out to meet me but our aged minister! and he held out his hand, crying, 'Come awa, John, come awa, there's nae strife here.' And now I cannot help thinking of the grief, my contentious spirit has given to the dear old man."

The husband and wife sat for some time in mournful silence, which was broken by the entrance of a servant, with a letter. The elder hastily read it, whilst an expression of the deepest grief overspread his face; then dropping it from his hand, he covered his face, as if to hide from those around him the bitter anguish of his soul.

His wife took up the letter, which was from the minister's host-its contents were as follows:

Is it possible to do otherwise than fear that Sir James Graham thus virtually falls in with the libertines and infidels to whom the Apostle is referring? What! Has the Almighty decreed nothing better than this for the creatures of his hands? Are they designed for no nobler end than this? Alas! alas! Sir James gives the lie to the whole testimony of Scripture. He forgets that God has decreed that man, "whether he eats or drinks, or whatever he does, shall do all to the glory of God," and that having so lived, and so died, he should pass to those mansions of rest which Christ has decreed and promised to give to all his true disciples. Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory."

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Oh that the house of Netherby, so sound and Scriptural in its former generation, should have thus deteriorated! Sir James was not so taught his Christianity; and we cannot but hope that the prayers and example, and early teaching of his excellent mother, will lead him bitterly to regret that he should impart such an abominable and fatal poison in

such a place. If those words stand recorded against him, and unretracted, Sir James will need nothing else to plant thorns in his dying pillow, and make his deathbed terrible.

May he yet rise to a nobler view of God's gracious decrees for sinful man, and of man's capacities and destinies. He well knows those who have done something more than eat, and drink, and toil, and die. May he rise to higher expectations for himself! With such sentiments, prompted one fears by his own melancholy experience, he must, of all men, be most miserable; but let him seek for the converting grace of God, to make all new, and then he will be blest with spiritual perceptions, which will enable him to realize an elevated and blessed position of adoption into God's family, of restoration to the divine favour, of interest in the precious promises-all that grace can do now, and all that glory can confer hereafter in the inheritance of heaven.

But alas! for our poor nation, if our senators thus express themselves, and that unanswered! Well may we fear, indeed, that the "glory is departed."

"Dusselthal, Jan. 20, 1847.

"I must tell you of an occurrence, which I know will interest you. One evening lately we were assembled, as usual, to family worship—the count, his family, and myself. He is accustomed to read a chapter out of the Bible; then one from an old work of Bogatzky's, where a section is appointed for every morning and evening in the year; he then concludes with prayer.

"The section marked for that evening was beautiful, and so remarkably appropriate that I must translate it

before I proceed further. The text was from Gen. xxii. 8-14. 'My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering,' &c. Abraham supposed this lamb to be Isaac, who was a type of Christ; but the angel of the Lord called to him, not to lay his hand on the lad, when he had already raised the knife. And Abraham looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. He offered this, and called the place Jehovah-jireh; that is, "The Lord will see. The Lord seeth all our wants and temptations, but will

also see and provide us all that is necessary for our relief, even if the trial, like Abraham's, has reached the highest point, and we see no help before our eyes. 'God dwells,' as Luther said, in darkness, and does not let us look beforehand into his council-chamber.' That does not happen which we foresee; but such help comes as no one foresaw or could foresee. He who has given us, once for all, the true Passover Lamb, will he not with him freely give us all things else that are needful, and provide for our spiritual and temporal necessities?

"Lord, give us Abraham's faith and obedience, with Isaac's patience, that in every distress we may say, "The Lord will provide.' Yes, O Lord! thou seest all our troubles, and knowest all our concerns, when we cannot help ourselves, and do not even understand how we can be aided. Thou knowest how we can and shall be relieved. We, too, will say, 'The Lord will provide;' he will care for us, and procure help where we see none; for, from all eternity, thou hast determined how we can be succoured. Strengthen our faith in thy providence and protection, and let us not despair in the greatest distress, but be obedient, and hold fast the promises of thy word as Abraham did. Give us the firm faith of Abraham, with the perfect peace of Isaac. May we close our eyes, that we, too, may be led by faith instead of sight, believing thou wilt conduct us well, and furnish us with all things needful, and appoint the means and persons to bring us aid, though we may not know them, as we have often experienced; for it is written, I will lead them in paths that they have not known:' thou wilt therefore continue to support us, till we are guided to thy everlasting kingdom. Amen.

"After prayer, the count took up the post-bag, which was just brought in, and his eye fell first on a letter from a solicitor, requiring the immediate payment of 531 thalers, which was due by the institution, and threatening, in no gentle terms, an instant execution in case of nonpayment. We parted for the night with aching, but, I trust, not unbe

lieving hearts. As we could not raise so much money amongst us, the count went next morning to the town, and on his earnest entreaties our good banker lent him 100 thalers to stop the execution, saying, however, he must have it again very soon, having just then large payments to make. The dear count brought the post-bag back; and, after remarking with a sigh that there were no money-letters in it, he opened it, and one which he thought from the post-mark was on uninteresting business, contained the information, that a rich merchant, who died lately in Bidefeld, had left the institution 1,000 thalers! Thus was the means of satisfying the impatient creditor provided, without incurring a new debt, and, after that business is settled, leaving above 400 thalers for other necessaries. Nor was this all a servant brought, the same afternoon, a letter containing ten Louis d'Ors, with the words, 'a mite to buy food for the orphans in Dusselthal, and for the strengthening of faith, with the fervent wish that the Lord may bless this trifle.' The kind and generous donor remains unknown to us, but not to our heavenly Father. Has not the Almighty thus appointed means and persons to aid us, of whom we could not think? Is not our God indeed a God that heareth prayer; are not all his promises Yea and Amen? Oh! he is very, very good; his name is indeed wonderful and mighty. My heart was filled with awe and thankfulness. What were the good count's feelings, you may best conceive. His silent tears, and look of deep emotion and gratitude, spoke plainer than words.

Lord!' he exclaimed, 'what am I, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto ?""

"The distress in this country augments from day to day, in a fearful degree, caused partly by the failure of the crops, partly by the total stagnation of trade; add to this the severest winter that has been for many, many years. The excessive heat of last summer dried up the smaller streams; and the frost has set in with such severity, that in the manufacturing places the deepest suffering is the

consequence. This sad state of the country has naturally a similar influence on this institution.

"Of 300 thalers which are long due to the establishment for printing, bookbinding, books, pension for some few of the children, not a farthing can be obtained. All declare their utter inability to pay; and the post, in the last few days, has brought nothing but excuses, instead of money. You will easily conceive the distress this disappointment occasions. The count hoped to have received at least a part.

"Besides the failure of the potatoes, the rye, which is the principal food here, yielded last summer only onesixteenth of the usual quantity. This is exhausted, and more already bought, which will not last longer than the end of this month. How more is to be then procured, God knows! There is no money in the purse, and no prospect at presentno hope, humanly speaking, of a supply as the subscriptions and donations naturally fail, from the same causes which render those indebted to the institution unable to discharge their debts.

"In this painful situation, the dear

count is obliged to entreat the aid of his English friends to obtain bread for his numerous household. I know our countrymen may say, 'We have enough to do with our own poor in England and Ireland.' Ah! there is, indeed, distress enough; but have the rich in our still favoured land nothing remaining for their poor German brethren? Are they not, indeed, our brethren-children of the same heavenly Father? Have those who live in affluence, nothing left for such an institution as Dusselthal? nothing to procure bread for the 160 poor children who have found a refuge there, and who, if they were turned abroad into the world, must perish, or obtain their subsistence as so many do now by crime?

"Forgive my pressing the cause of Dusselthal so warmly: it lays heavy upon my mind. The faith and hope of its benevolent founder have often been severely tried. The institution has experienced many storms and many trials, but none more threatening and more painful than the present, when the state of the country precludes the hope of help from those who are near.

THE position of Ireland altogether is most singular and most perplexing. With all the unfathomable and apparently interminable distress, we hear from all quarters only one and the same testimony borne to the general spirit of religious inquiry and awakening. It is evident that the Roman Catholics are ready by thousands and tens of thousands to shake off the Papal yoke, but the system of tyranny and barbarous oppression pursued by the priests alone prevents it.

Can nothing be done to extend to the poor Roman Catholics of Ireland the common privileges of British subjects? Is it to be endured in these days, that men, calling themselves the ministers of religion, shall resort to the most savage and bloody means to impose upon the free agency of

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Britons? availing themselves of their influence in the Relief Committees, and the Board of Works, and in every possible way crushing and ruining those who venture to think and to act for themselves in religious matters ?

Will no Member of Parliament become, in the best sense of the term, the bold and enlightened advocate of the liberties of British subjects? All that we want is fair-play. We would oppress no one who conscientiously revokes and renounces Protestantism for Popery, however greatly we should pity him: we have a right to demand the same at the hands of the priests.

Is there no one in either House of Parliament who will take this important matter in hand? Would it not be well to make it the subject of petitions ?