witnessing with thy Spirit, that thou art a child of God. A peace which shall flow like a river; not the mere transient current of the mountain stream, appearing at one moment, and failing when most needed, but a steady, abiding, increasing flow; a peace increasing as thou advancest, sustaining thee under the severest trials, filling thee with holy composure, and leading thee to anticipate that blissful place, where there shall be no interruption, and no perturbation, but all shall be light, and life, and love.

O come my brethren, and let us

with true repentance and lively faith lay hold upon that hope which is set before us in Christ Jesus; let us draw near unto him and renew our humble devotion and dedication of ourselves to his service; ashamed of our past backslidings, praising the mercy which has hitherto spared us, resolving to live more closely to God, and praying for the outpouring of His Holy Spirit, that we and our fellow-worshippers may experience more abundant communications of his grace here, and be prepared daily more for his heavenly kingdom hereafter. A. S.

I ASK not when, I ask not where,
My day or place of death shall be;
Enough-Jehovah will be near

To guide, and guard, and comfort me: He hath preserved me through the past, And-no-He will not fail at last.

If earthly fear my hope efface,

Or light of faith grow less, or dim, I'll not despond, but seek His grace,

And turn my wishful eye to Him; I'll call to mind, and keep in view, What He hath said and pledged to do.

What He declared in ages gone,

He does declare as fully now; And, if He whispered peace anon,

To them that did His truth avow, I well may seek, and claim to share, Impartial love, parental care.

If I at midnight hour complain,
• The tomb is darker than the night,'
"Twill sooth at once to think again,
‹ Yet where Thou art, it must be Light;'
And, If I sleep, I sleep in Thee;
Or dying, 'twill be well with me.'

But mine may be a sleepless bed ;-
Then I will raise my heart on high,
And strive t' absorb disease and dread,
In thought and hope of glory nigh;
Or image o'er my future lot-
What Heaven may be and will be not.

"Nor scorching sun nor fleeting time,

As now, will sickness threat, or age; Nor there the prince of curse and crime Attempt his war of woe to wage: No, 'twill be durable as fair, For sin hath never triumphed there.

"Blest Eden of the ransomed soul,

The dear the promised rest to me, Would I might soar above control

Of sight and sense and visit thee! And, like the freed glad dove of yore,* Expatiate and return no more."

In prospect of my parting hour,

"Tis thus that I would muse and pray, 'Tis thus would shun the storms that low'r, And brighten those that mar my stay: And well I ween the high employ Will leave its trace of peace and joy. O well I ween at closing day

My sun would glow with brilliant beam To light my spirit on its way

Thro' waste of Zin and Jordan's stream, And, as it sinks and sets to this, Will lovelier rise in world of bliss.

And I shall be in Canaan blest

From all the ill I feel or fear, And with the good the conscious breast Has only seen in vision here; 'Twas sweet as such-then what will be The rapture of reality?

G. B.

DEAR SIR,-I have for some years been a reader of the Christian Guardian, and highly value it as a channel of communication, in which not only truth is held up to the light, but error is detected. Allow me, then, as a humble individual, briefly to notice a mistake into which many sincere inquirers after truth have fallen, and by which their souls are evidently kept from profiting, namely, the neglect of that divine precept, given by St. Paul to Timothy, "Meditate upon these things."

When the whole of that precious time, which the Christian can spare from the hours of business, is devoted to close reading, whilst none is left for meditation, we need not wonder that the soul is kept lean from day to day.

But I allude more particularly to the manner of spending the Sabbath. Every opportunity of hearing the gospel is embraced, the house of God is visited, perhaps three times; three different subjects for meditation, self-application, and prayer, are set before them; these subjects, well digested, and brought to the test of truth, in imitation of the noble Bereans of old, appears to be quite sufficient for the strongest mind to attend upon with profit. Yet many employ the intervals of time, between and after the services, in reading religious publications, lives of eminent Christians, &c. &c. Such persons doubtless deserve credit for their diligence and supposed application to the things that make for their peace, but still it may, at least in some cases, be found, that they are rather yielding to self-indulgence than following the path of edification.

It is indeed obvious, that the hearing of the word cannot of itself be productive of any permanent advantage. It is the cordial reception of the truth, the applying it to our own hearts and consciences, the endeavouring to store

it up in our minds, and to bring it forwards as circumstances arise, for the direction of our conduct, and the communication of support and encouragement. Hence arises the importance of meditating in the law of the Lord day and night. By which I apprehend is to be understood careful repeated recollection and consideration of what we have heard, and application of it to our own especial case. Now when every moment of leisure time is devoted to reading, though the Christian may appear well employed, yet there is no small danger lest he should be amused, rather than instructed and edified; and this danger will increase in proportion as the books he reads are of the lighter and more entertaining kind, such as Religious Histories, Tales, Tracts, &c.

A part of our time may perhaps be thus well improved, but when persons attend church twice or thrice on the Sunday, maintaining also family worship and instruction, the duties of the closet will often call for a great part of the remaining time. Many excellent persons are in the habit of endeavouring, on their return from church, to recall to their recollection the principal heads of the discourse, to make memorandums of them for future reference, to pray over them in their closets, and to converse about them in their families. The reading of these persons is often very limited, but by this incessant improvement of what they hear, they become well established in the faith, and attain solid experience and abiding consolation.

Should these few remarks lead any, under the divine blessing, to a discovery of their errors, and point out to them a more excellent way, it will afford much satisfaction to Dear Sir,

Your obedient Servant,
AN OBSERVER.

As under

"MEMBER OF Christ." the Jewish economy there was a church which enjoyed the outward ceremonies, privileges, and covenants ordained by God to the Israelites, as a nation or people in whom he delighted, which must be viewed as distinct from, though it necessarily included, that body of true believers who through the shadow, were enabled to behold the substance, and waited for the consolation of Israel; so under the Gospel dispensation there is an external church which participates in the external privileges of that dispensation, which though it includes, must by no means be confounded with that spiritual church which by reason of a genuine faith is enabled to enjoy not only the "outward and visible sign," but the "inward and spiritual grace. Hence St. Paul says,

What, know ye not that your bodies are members of Christ ?" 1 Cor. vi. 15. because the persons he addressed were members of the professing body of Christians at Corinth, while it will be seen that he takes occasion to charge many of them with fornication, incest, drunkenness, &c. So the branch which bears no fruit is still a member of the vine, previously to its separation therefrom, though it derive no life from the parent stock and is devoted to the flames.

"Child of God." Among the congregated multitudes to whom Christ delivered his exposition of the moral law upon the mount, it may be fairly inferred that many though pressing to hear the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, were nevertheless

* When we call the King Head of the Church, we mean of the outward and political church; Christ alone is Head of the spíritual church.

strangers to that spiritual life which God imparts, and consequently uninterested in the spiritual and everlasting blessings of the gospel dispensation, and yet Christ teaches this whole multitude to address God as their "Father" who is in heaven. Surely then it will be allowed that those who are admitted into covenant with him by the ordinances which Christ himself appointed, and participate in the privileges of the visible church, in a more especial manner, bear that relation, though they may afterwards abuse his mercy, and forfeit his favour for ever! So when a child who has enjoyed the benefit of his Father's instruction and vigilant care, becomes so abandoned and depraved as to compel his parent to disinherit him, no one surely will deny that he is still his child.

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Inheritor of the kingdom of Heaven." By this phrase in many places in the New Testament is signified, not the state of final and everlasting blessedness, but those outward privileges which were purchased by the death of Christ, and which all who profess a belief in him are permitted to enjoy. As for instance the parables, where a similitude is drawn between some objects in nature or some circumstances in life and "the kingdom of Heaven," alluding to its apparently insignificant origin and its mighty and irresistible diffusion. Such a meaning may be attached to the phrase in the text. By baptism the subject thereof is put in possession of certain outward means and ordinances, since to inherit implies possession. These outward means and ordinances ought to lead every individual to seek those spiritual blessings which they were intended to convey, the which if they neglect

ON COACHMEN

BEING obliged lately to take my place on the outside of a coach during the night, I was compelled to hear much profane and improper conversation. The coachman and guard took their seats together on the box, and by their conversation gave me considerable pain. The circumstance led me to think whether any means could be adopted to check the evil. Passen.. gers will often assert a degree of independence, and say, 'our tongues are our own;' but the case is, I presume, somewhat different with the proprietors' servants. This profaneness and ribaldry, are fearful evils, to which our children are early exposed in passing to and from school: every pious parent will therefore be interested, that his children's minds should not be contaminated by the sinful language which is so often heard among those who have the management of our public conveyances.*

It has occurred to me, that if Christians would make it a rule, not to give money to such coachmen and guards as they hear swearing and using ill language, the habit would soon be broken. The remedy would be easy of application and speedy in its effects. Let a passenger say, 'I have made it a rule to give no coachmen, guards, or other servants, money who swear, or use improper language,' and the reproof will be

* The appearance, character, and behaviour of many coachmen, indeed is very respectable. Those who are usually the most criminal are the night-drivers of those coaches which go far from London. JULY 1827.

felt, without the danger of altercation with others.

I would hope that some of your Christian readers who travel in the way of lawful business, the ministers of religion, and the servants of our public institutions, will take up this matter in the way which it deserves. Whether the clergy of the Establishment ought ever to travel without bearing some conspicuous sign that they belong to the sacred order, seems to me very doubtful. When it is immediately known that a clergyman is present, evil may receive a check, and but few will be found to insult religion when its appointed guardians and ministers are present.

I hope no reader will infer that he may keep back the accustomed gratuity without explaining the reason, when it is called for; and as circumstances admit, promising to allow the person to claim it when he has reformed his conduct. I remain, Sir, your's,

A. W.

Perhaps there are few cases in which a Christian is more decidedly called upon to bear testimony to his Master than in travelling by public vehicles. A mild and gentle request to a rough and boisterous individual, not to repeat improper language and expressions; a kind, conciliating, and affable demeanour; a willingness to converse on general topics; and a studious avoiding of any thing like hauteur, will very often dispose even habitually profane persons to avoid for the time what they discover to be unpleasant

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to their fellow-traveller. Should such mild and pacific remonstrances prove ineffectual in the first instance, the Christian traveller may with great propriety repeat them again after a short interval, and if they then prove unavailing, his recourse should be to silence and secret prayer. Should the guard take his seat by the coachman, the Christian traveller will, generally speaking, do well to remind the guard that he has quitted his proper post, and mildly but firmly intimate his intention of communicating such negligence to the proprietors. Communications of this nature, however offensive to the parties complained of, are acts of charity to the proprietors and the public at large. Many robberies are effected, and frequent accidents occur, in consequence of guards and coachmen quitting their proper places. The suggestion of withholding the customary fee, is at least of doubtful expediency. The accompanying of it with a kind and affectionate re

monstrance, with the gift of a tract or book, &c. is more likely to produce a beneficial effect. The sobriety and temperance of Christian travellers frequently excites a suspicion of their being covetous and close-fisted; and the withholding any customary remuneration, except in very flagrant cases, is calculated to strengthen such suspicion, and excite a prejudice against religion in general. Nor should it be forgotten, that where coachmen, &c. convey their passengers safely to their appointed destination, they, like other labourers, are entitled to their customary hire, which cannot justly be withheld, except their behaviour has been very improper. Christians should ever remember, that, in travelling by a public conveyance, they often associate with persons for a few hours whom they may never meet again on this side the grave, and should therefore earnestly endeavour to improve the passing moment to some beneficial purpose.

SIR, A correspondent, styling himself Ebor, in your Number for May, p. 184, objected to the title of the late Duke of York, which was inscribed on the plate of his coffin. He considered, that the title "savoured of impiety;" and that they, who applied it, could not consistently censure the conduct of an infidel usurper of a neighbouring throne, who claimed and received divine homage. Having the honour of knowing the principal official agents, who were responsible for the inscription, and one of whom is connected by marriage with my family, I should perhaps have felt myself called upon to communicate Ebor's letter to them, in order that they might, if possible, prevent a similar occurrence for the future; but upon second

consideration I thought, that your correspondent must have been deceived himself, as well as have deceived me, by omitting a part of the title, which materially affected the whole. He writes, that " prefixed to his Christian name was the sacred title of The Most High and Mighty' Frederick :" and he gravely asks, whether it falls far short of blasphemy to apply such a sacred title to any but " The Most High and Mighty," even the ETERNAL GOD? But it must have escaped his observation that after the words, "The Most High and Mighty," he omitted the substantive, to which those honourable epithets were annexed, viz. PRINCE; which at once and without any unusual adulation defines the title, and sufficiently distinguishes it from "the Most