hement desire to become acquainted with | increase our faith and spirituality of mind: him: "As pants the hart for cooling streams, When heated in the chase, So longs my soul, O God, for thee "For thee, my God, the living God, O when shall I behold thy face, Thou Majesty divine?" My dear brethren, when you enter into your closet, remember that your Father seeth in secret. What you say there say within yourselves, feel within yourselves: you need not study language. Hannah prayed unto the Lord; and she prayed successfully; yet "she spake in her heart: only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard" (1 Sam. i. 13). Whenever, therefore, you approach the throne of grace, let your heart speak: heartlanguage is the language of prayer. And the prayer of faith will meet with a welcome on high, whether that prayer be the breathing of the high or the low, the rich or the poor; "for there is no respect of persons with God." Again, as it regards public worship-this is a most important Christian duty; and, if there be no desire within ourselves to attend the house of God, we may readily conclude there is no real religion within us. The congregation of his people God is peculiarly pleased to behold; and with them, as before mentioned, he has promised his presence. It is a great privilege to one and all to be among the number of the congregation on earth; for they who faithfully serve him here shall ere long be admitted to their Father's house above. It is a blessed thing to be permitted to send up our united prayers to God; for this is the promise that he hath promised: "that, if two of you shall agree on earth, as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven" (Matt. xviii. 19). But here, as in the closet, the prayer must be from the heart. "God is a Spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." What is done must be done with the heart; what is said, said within ourselves as well as with the lip. "Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heaven." The public worship of God need not be attended with pomp and show. "God is not a man," or subject to like passions as we are, that he should require his service to consist in, or be attended with, grand exhibitions; but that worship should be conducted with all simplicity, provided the apostolic junction be not infringed: "Let all things be done decently and in order." "stablish, strengthen, settle us," that we may "meddle not with those who are given to change," but "stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." He "Ye are a chosen generation, as lively stones, built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” "Old things are passed away: behold, all things are become new. ." Christ received into the heart is our salvation: there is virtue in him: faith is the instrument whereby we touch him: in touching him thus we draw that virtue out of him, in the strength of which we are made whole. Covet therefore, brethren, a simple heartfelt faith in him; endeavour most deeply to feel your need of him; and to this end pray for that Holy Spirit of promise; for "it is the Spirit that quickeneth." it is that convinceth the world of sins, and will give to you that "godly sorrow for sin which worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of." He will cause you not merely to hear of Jesus; but he will reveal him in you. "He will guide you into all truth", take of the things of Christ, and show them unto you, give you to see the striking adaptation of the work and character of Christ to your wants. Then shall you, with a heart overflowing with love and gratitude to him "who hath loved you, and washed you in his own blood," take up, and make your own, the simple, heartfelt, beautiful language in the text, and "say within yourselves, If I may but touch his garment I shall be whole." O the blessedness of being thus taught of God-taught to "follow the Lamb," to draw nigh to him, with faith to "touch him," to embrace him, to love him, to cling to him as our life; for with him is the well of life. "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.' Be Do you thus know him? Have you learned that first and humbling lesson-to know yourselves as "vile earth and miserable sinners"? This is the first step towards the knowledge of him as your Saviour and your God. Be going on to know the Lord: "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." constant in your attendance on the means of grace. Be both almost and altogether Christians: endeavour, by "all holy converin-sation and godliness," to "show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." For this is the design of " the glorious gospel of Let it be our prayer to God that he would AMAZON*. the blessed God," that "being made free | DELIVERANCE FROM THE WRECK OF THE from sin, and become servants to God, ye should have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life" (Rom. vi. 22). Finally, "Ye, that do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbours, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walketh from henceforth in his holy ways, draw near with faith, and take this holy sacrament to your comfort." The only worthy guests there are such as deeply feel their utter unworthiness; who have been taught to "abhor themselves, and repent in dust and ashes;" who not only "acknowledge and bewail their manifold sins and wickedness," but feel themselves to be the chief of sinners. us, Come, therefore, ye who are humbly stationed at the foot of the cross, "this do, in remembrance of him," who for you endured the cross, despising the shame. "For, as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come." Receive these creatures of bread and wine in token that you are looking for salvation only in him, and by him, and through him, whose body was broken and whose blood was poured out. Testify, verily, your gratitude to him who "gave himself a ransom for you"; and receive them as a pledge and an assu rance of your Saviour's faithful love to you. For" to the end that we should alway remember the exceeding great love of our Master and only Saviour Jesus Christ's dying for and the innumerable benefits which by his precious blood-shedding he hath obtained to us, he bath instituted and ordained holy mysteries as pledges of his love, and for a continual remembrance of his death, to our great and endless comfort." He did not institute his holy sacraments to give you pain or cause you gloom, but for your comfort, for the strong consolation" of all those "who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us." "Be not faithless," therefore, "but believing," "nothing wavering"; but "draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith"; and doubtless we shall find it good to be here. He," whom having not seen ye love," will manifest himself unto you; he will increase in you his manifold gifts of grace, bless you with his favour, "guide you by his counsel, and afterwards receive you to glory." DISMAL were the thoughts suggested on that day as to the future. Will a storm arise? If so, our little vessel cannot live; she must be overwhelmed by the raging billows! How long can we remain in the midst of the wide-extended ocean? Shall gloomy forebodings, when the thrilling, joyful we starve-perish with hunger? Such were the exclamation of, "A sail!" burst from the lips of one of the crew. Then followed the exclamation of, "O, I hope she sees us! Does she hear us? Is she coming this way?" She was then on the very verge of the horizon, and-disappeared! Mute despair was then plainly perceptible in every but thought I could exist without food for a long face. I had made up my mind to die of starvation, time; for, having once been ill in Paris for three weeks, without even having tasted food of any sort during the whole of the time, I felt now prepared to go through the same ordeal. But again the joyful sound was uttered by Lieut. Grylls"I see another sail!" We then commenced tearing up the boards from the bottom of the boat, and, converting one of them into a mast, upon which we attached a shirt as a signal of distress, and, breaking the rest of them into paddles and a helm, we determined, as our lives depended upon it, to make a desperate effort to approach the welcome visitor. Hour after hour was passing away -our progress through the waves was slow, and the paddles in utter hopelessness. The sun was the sailors were beginning to relax their efforts at fast fading away, and the horrors of another night at sea, in an open boat, stared us in the face. I begged, prayed, entreated the men to continue their exertions, that with the light of day we still had hope : an hour-perhaps a few minutes-may bring us near enough to be seen. poor Angus, the man who had lost his fingers, were four out of the thirteen quite helpless, viz., a boy, and the Spanish gentleman, who appeared to have become quite paralyzed. The sun was just about to shed his last ray of light upon our eyes, and hope in our hearts, when those on board the vessel saw us, heard us, bore down upon us, and took us on board. Had not the great God sent us this timely succour, no account of our fate could have ever been made known; for any one of the storms which prevailed during the following eight or nine days must have destroyed us. We were hauled on board by means of ropes, and stowed in a little cabin, 6 feet by 4 only; but yet, what a palace compared to the horrors from which we had just been rescued! This vessel was a small Dutch galliot, and had a cargo of sugar from Amsterdam, consigned to Leghorn; and was, therefore, desirous of landing at Gibraltar, it being on her course. However, adverse winds set in: the captain of the galliot knew not his position; he was unable to take an observation; and was, in consequence, knocked about for nine days, with this serious addition to his crew. I had been * From " The Amazon; a sermon preached at St. Andrew's, Plymouth, by the rev. W. Blood (one of the survivors), incumbent of Temple Grafton, Warwickshire." London: Aylott and Jones. This discourse is most interesting in itself, and doubly so as uttered by one who had partaken of the horrors he describes. We wish it the widest circulation.ED. Alas! there visiting the house of a noble friend but a few weeks before; but what was it compared to our present little home? 66 more highly relished, and appetites more keen than ours. Indeed our health has been improved by our buffetings with the billows-our exercise After contending in vain for eight days, with the continued effort to retain our equilibrium in contrary winds and a boisterous sea, in our efforts the rocking barque, and by the refreshing wind, to make for Gibraltar, we at last changed our which tossed about our little vessel. She rode course, and after three days more obtained the gallantly over the breakers and the swelling friendly port of Plymouth, where we were met by waves, until we were safely landed in Plymouth. many kind-hearted, with tearful eyes. During Never can I forget the feeling by which I was every day we were enabled to seek the guidance then greeted. One gentleman, in particular, took of that almighty Being who so mercifully de- my hand in his, and said, while the tears rolled livered us when in great distress; for I had sucdown his handsome and noble countenance, "0, ceeded, with Lieut. Grylls and Mr. Kilkelly, sir, you are as one risen from the dead: I cannot though a Roman catholic, in establishing a re- but weep." I could stand it no longer; and, turngular form of daily worship; and it had begun to ing away from him, I gave vent to my own feelhave its effect, when we came in sight of Ply-ings, I trust in humble praise and gratitude to my mouth. Every day to us was a sabbath, and our heavenly Father. little barque our church, within which our feeble voice of prayer ascended, and our notes of praise mingled with the music of nature, in the whistling winds and the roaring billows, while the great God of nature-of the storm and of the tempetsheard our supplications, and sheltered us as in his pavilion. Often too his blessing descended, which softened the hardened heart, and brought forth the tears of holy sorrow for sin, and of joy and gratitude for his mercies, so bountifully bestowed; while the penitent listened to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. On Friday evening my little flock came in a body, newly clad, to bid me " good bye," and to offer their thanks. They bowed down in the house of the Christian friend who gave me shelter beneath his hospitable roof, and lent me his own clothes to cover me. I committed them once more to the care of that gracious Being who snatched us from the double death by fire and water, and provided for us a home, and preserved us upon the stormy ocean. To him be all the glory. The little cabin, in which we were huddled together on board the galliot, and in which we worshipped every day, was small indeed. It answered for kitchen, sleeping-room, and a temple for God's service; and never did he enable me so to preach his word as then, or give me so attentive an audience. Often was my own soul so overpowered in prayer and preaching, that deep feeling and tears interrupted for some time utterance, while I listened to the sobs that responded in sweet and holy sympathy. O that I could always so utter his blessed truth! but "as your day is, so shall your strength be." My happiest and holiest hours in sweet communion with a reconciled Father in Christ were spent on board that little barque. We had no bible or prayer-book in English; but memory, with God's assistance, supplied their want: we had a bible (the captain's companion), but it was in Dutch. He was a godly man; and often during the moonlight nights did I sit upon the deck with him, while my companions were asleep, as he sang the songs of the sweet singer of Israel, in his own native tongue. Frequently too, in the day, had he his faithful bible with him, thoughtfully perusing it; and no doubt his effort to pick us up, and his kindness to us while on board, may be attributed to his religious principles and feeling. Our food was coarse, and at times scanty; but he gave us willingly the best he had. But, having food and water, we should be content; and never was food Permit me, in all humility, to ask you, my dear hearers, is not the goodness and mercy of God manifested in these circumstances? But I must not confine myself to them. I must direct your attention to a wider sphere-to the proofs, to the incontrovertible proofs of his character, of his benevolence, as displayed in the universe around The volume of creation stands wide open before us, courting its perusal; and on its pages we may read the great truth. us. Behold the glorious sun: his warming refulgent beams are even now pouring their brilliance through those windows, bringing clearly to the eye objects the most insignificant and minute. When that splendid orb disappears, and bis light is temporarily withdrawn from us, and we are left in darkness, is he not succeeded by the silvery moon-the lamp of night, hung out, as it were, by the hand of the God of love from his throne of glory, to lend us light amidst the gloom? Behold the stars as they gem the heavens in countless myriads: they glitter and revolve in their different spheres, as if bounding in delight to acknowledge that God who placed them there is a God of love? Do they not seem as if speaking to thoughtless, ungrateful man, reminding him of how forgetful he is of the gifts he has received from that good and gracious Being? Then let us regard the earth around us; and what does it tell us? Behold, the flowers of the garden, painted with the most beauteous colours, and spreading forth upon the air the most delicious fragrance, to testify, as it were, to your very senses that the God of nature who gave them is a God of love. Go, take your stand upon one of the lofty hills which surround you, and gaze upon the grandeur of the picture below and above; and does not every object, even to the most minute, im press you with the inward conviction that the God of nature is indeed a God of love? Behold these gently sloping hills, covered with verdure and teeming with abundance; and is there not, even there, the hand of a God of love made evident?* If we wander into the valleys beneath, we find them rich to overflowing with every blessing destined for man's use we see the clear, limpid waters wandering and murmuring their tortuous course, beautifying and fertilizing as they go— are not these the gifts of God, and do they not prove him to be a God of love to man? Whether we look upon the mighty ocean, pouring its majestic waters upon the sea-shore, as a means for * Peculiarly appropriate to the scenery around Plymouth. enabling man to hold intercourse with his fellow-| man in far distant climes, or look abroad and consider the vastness of this great universe, we see, in all, proofs of the benevolence and goodness of God. Look from the greatest of God's creatures, down to the lowliest worm that crawls upon the earth, and you see the love of God manifest in each and all. From the lofty oak of the forest down to the insignificant blade of grass in the field, we discover the infinite and inestimable gifts of God, and should learn that he is indeed a God of love. And yet, amidst all these glorious gifts of richness and abundance and luxury, gushing out around us, and in the midst of which man, ungrateful, thoughtless man, lives and moves and bas his being, are we not unmindful of that God to whose bounteous hand we are indebted for these vast blessings? Yes, even God himself has said that, notwithstanding his love to man, man is ungrateful. Has he not, as in the language of complaint and lamentation, exclaimed, "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider"? Yes, even the horse knows the hand that feeds him, and the dog feels pleasure in obeying his master's commands; but we do not know, we do not serve the God who loves us. No; alas! Alas! the sinner is like the dove which left the ark of Noah-it fled away over the wild waste of waters; but, amidst the clashing elements of nature, it could find no rest nor shelter. The soul of the sinner, unmindful of the God who has done so much for him, leaves that gracious Being, and goes forth, wandering about in the darkness and desolation of sin; but it can find no rest until it returns to the God of love, from whom it has departed. O that God may bring back to himself, the only Ark of safety and mercy, some souls to-day who are still wandering in darkness, and can find no resting-place; for in him only can they find a shelter and a refuge from the storms of the world-from the agonizing fears which sin and affliction occasion. But it is not enough that the minister of the gospel should direct the attention of his flock to the boundless gifts of God in nature. No; his great duty is to expatiate upon that greatest of all his gifts-that gift with which there is no comparison-the gift of his own Son," "his well-beloved Son." And so great was the love of God displayed in this gift, that we are told that even the angels of glory desire to look into the mystery, to meditate upon its depth. They come, as it were, to the precipice of this unfathomable abyss of the love of God, and, bending over, they look down into it; but they cannot penetrate its depth. They are disappointed in the attempt: it is too vast, too sublime, too glorious, even for their vision. Eternally they may gaze upon the sublimity of this divine truth; and now rising, they ascend, exclaiming, "Glory be to God in the highest; peace on earth, and good-will to men." And so well they might, though they are not personally interested in the fact-for they never sinned-when they heard that God, the God of heaven, 66 so loved the world, a guilty and rebellious world," that he, who might in justice have spurned the rebel from his presence, who might have banished him to the regions of eternal woe, have consigned not only his body to the dust, but his soul to everlasting darkness; that that glorious and gracious Being so loved the sinner, notwithstanding all his rebellion and his vileness, as to give for him his own and "only Son." "Be astonished, O heavens, and stand amazed, O earth," at this wonderful display of benevolence! PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS FOR DAILY WALKING WITH GOD. perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for "Not as though I had already attained, either were already which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus."-PHIL. iii. 12. 1. RESOLVE, in the strength of divine grace, to walk this day humbly with your God, drawing near unto him (Ps. lxxiii. 28) in renewed acts of repentance and faith, coming unto Christ, depending upon him, and looking to him as your atonement and example, and as the Author and Finisher of your faith. 2. Give diligence to make sure to yourself, and to evidence to others, your personal interest in the Son of God, your covenant relation to the Father through him, and consequent title to an everlasting inheritance in heaven. 3. Let nothing prevail on you to omit secret duties, or to perform them in a negligent manner. Earnest, believing prayer, the diligent study of the scriptures, devout reflection, and selfexamination, must be your every-day employment, if you would keep up communion with God and walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing. Thus, in the faithful and diligent use of these precious means, the man of God trims his lamp, and replenishes it with the heavenly oil, girds up the loins of his mind, becomes fruitful in every good work, and increases in the knowledge of God. 4. "Keep thine heart with all diligence." Examine well your thoughts and motives, guard particularly against the occasions of sin; vigilantly watch every avenue by which sin, Satan, or the world may approach to hurt you. This will be found the best preservative of inward peace and outward consistency, of tenderness of conscience, brokenness of spirit, and spirituality of mind; and thus will you be prepared, 5. To live under the comforting sense of God's favour, the reverential impression of his presence, and the constraining influence of his love. 6. Mark the dealings of the Lord with you, as a God of providence, and resign yourself with entire trust and confidence to the whole of his providential will. 7. Whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, making his glory, and the interests of his kingdom upon earth, your continual aim. 8. Endeavour to unite diligence in business and fervency of spirit; in a word, to glorify God in this world whilst making progress towards a better. 9. When in company with others let all things, as far as in you lies, be done and said to mutual edification; and in your intervals of solitude endeavour more particularly to realize God's presence, and let your thoughts and affections be much with him." 10. In order that you may redeem time live continually, as it were, within the precincts of the grave, and on the borders of an eternal world (Eccles. ix. 10). 11. As you would thus walk with God, by faith in his dear Son, never lose sight of your own corruption, weakness, and insufficiency, or of your entire dependence on the help of his Holy Spirit; nor ever cease to implore his promised influence to work in you effectually both to will and to do, as the Spirit of light, holiness, and love, the Comforter of the church, and the glorifier of Jesus. 12. When you have done all, account yourself an unprofitable servant, and repose your every hope on the Saviour's finished work, regarding this, and nothing in yourself, as the spring of all spiritual comfort, peace, and joy. Christian reader, a perusal of the above brief directions, if God shall graciously bless it, may serve the threefold purpose (1.), of giving you a glimpse of gospel holiness; (2.) of convincing you how greatly you come short, and of humbling you on account of it; (3.) of awakening your earnest desires after higher attainments, and putting you upon renewed resolutions (in dependence on the divine Spirit) and earnest cries to God for renewed strength. And in this view nothing can be more sweet and encouraging than that precious promise which you find in Ezek. xxxviii. 27: "I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes; and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." O plead with God, cry earnestly to him, wait diligently upon him, to accomplish in you more and more what he here engages to do for his people. He is rich in grace unto all that call upon him, as his word and the experience of his people fully testify. But "thus saith the Lord God, I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them." For, remember, holiness, heart holiness, practical holiness, real holiness of life, is a sweet part of God's salvation; and, while enabled sincerely to wait and long for this, you have the manifest token of God's love towards you, the seal of the Spirit and pledge of eternal life in Christ Jesus. If you ask what it is to walk in God's statutes, I answer, it is to walk in the Spirit (Gal. v. 16), to walk in Christ Jesus the Lord (Col. ii. 6), to walk in the light (1 John i. 6, 7), to walk in love after his commandments. And these are intimately connected with each other: they are so many links, forming one chain which cannot be broken. He that has in very deed been made partaker of the Spirit will live and walk in the Spirit. The Spirit by his teaching will lead him to Christ. Christ is the light of the world: no follower of his shall walk in darkness, but shall see the light of life; and the light of saving knowledge is ever attended with the fire of holy love, which cannot fail to warm the heart and stimulate it to all holy obedience. The Cabinet. THE PRODIGAL SON.-That is to be seen in the prodigal son, which when he had spent all his goods lecherously, and brought himself to most miserable poverty, and to such extreme famine that he would have been glad to have eaten the meat prepared for the pigs, besides the great heaviness of heart that weighed the time of prosperity, and conferred it with his estate of so extreme misery; yet nothing made him so sorry and pensive as the calling to his remembrance how unreverently he had used his most gentle, loving, and benign father, who was not only liberal and free to his children, but also to his hirelings that lacked father made him a great deal more sorry than all the nothing. This consideration of his offence towards his pains he otherwise sustained. And thus must every Christian wait upon the Lord; and then doubtless consolation shall follow, as it appeareth by the same prodigal son, and by this psalm of the prophet.— Bishop Hooper on Psalm lxii. Poetry. NIGHT*. MAJESTIC night! who on thy sable vest HYMN. BY MRS. PENDEREL LLEWELYN. (For the Church of England Magazine). REV. VII. 14-17. On, where the springs of life, Eternal life, flow on, Press, full of earnest prayer; Heed not the pain and strife That soon shall all be gone, To heaven each feeling bear. The clime of blessed day Shines forth in silvery light, Guiding us to its better shorePress on the glorious way, Through faith in Jesu's might, His love shall bear us o'er. Llangynwyd Vicarage. From "Titus before Jerusalem, and other poems." Bath: Binns and Goodwin. We have before noticed this volume. We now insert this specimen of it, which we think our readers will agree with us is a graceful one.-ED. 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