lation to our highest good, are nothing but dreams and reveries. A man will not readily think so while he is in them. We do not perceive the vanity of our dreams till we awake. Sometimes in a dream a man will have such a thought that it is but a dream, yet doth he not thoroughly see the folly thereof, but goes on in it. A natural man may have sometimes a glance of such thoughts, that all those things he is either turmoiling or delighting in are vanity, yet he awakes not, but raves on still in them he shifts a little, turns on his bed as a door on its hinges, but turns not off-does not rise. But the spiritual-minded Christian, that is indeed awake, and looks back on his former thoughts and ways, O how does he disdain himself and all his former high fancies that he was most pleased with, finding them dreams! : O what a fool, what a wretch was I, while my head was full of such stuff, building castles in the air, imagining and catching at such gains and such preferments and pleasures, and either they still running before me and I could not overtake them, or, if I thought I did, what have I now, when I see what it is, and find that I have embraced a shadow? False hopes, and fears, and joys. "He thinks he hath eaten, and his soul is empty," Isaiah xxxix. ADMIRE ME!-A pharisee's trumpet shall be heard to the town's end when simplicity walks through the town unseen. Hence a man will sometimes covertly commend himself, and mysel ever comes in and tells you a long story of conversion, and a hundred to one if some lie or other slip not out with it. Why, the secret meaning is, " I pray admire me;" hence complain of wants and weaknesses; "pray think what a broken-hearted Christian I am."-Sheppard: Ten Virgins. THE WARRIORS.-Luther gives an account of a duke of Saxony who made war unnecessarily upon a bishop in Germany. At that period ecclesiastics could command military resources as well as the secular nobility. But the weapons of the good bishop were not carnal. The duke thought proper, in a very artful way, to send a spy into the company of the bishop, to ascertain his plan of carrying on the contest. On his return the spy was eagerly interrogated by the duke. "O sir," replied he, "you may surprise him without fear, he is doing nothing, and making no preparation." "How is that?" asked the duke; "what does he say "" "He says he will feed his flock, preach the word, visit the sick; and that, as for this war, he should commit the weight of it to God himself." "Is it so?" said the duke; "then let the devil wage war against him; I will not." SPRING OF PEACE.- Faith triumphs over self-unworthiness, and sin, and death, and the law, shrouding the soul under the mantle of Jesus Christ, and there it is safe. All accusations fall off, having nowhere to fasten, unless some blemish could be found in that righteousness in which faith hath wrapt itself. This is the very spring of solid peace, and fills the soul with peace and joy.-Leighton. PRAYER FOR PASTORS.-The office of the pastor is peculiar, and so are his relations to his flock. Out of these relations there spring some of the strongest and holiest ties which the human heart can know. To the faithful minister, whose labours God has evidently blessed in the increase of spirituality and devotion among his flock, the strengthening of his congregation, their growth in the knowledge and love of the church, their disposition to make sacrifices for Christ, and in bringing into the communion of the saints on earth those who hitherto had been far off,-to such a faithful and humble pastor there are ties of very peculiar force which bind him to his flock. the other hand, there is a peculiar On sacredness in the affection which the Christian feels towards one who, with God's blessing, has been the means of turning off his thoughts from this world to the next, and of leading him on, with an anxious and affectionate guidance, in the path of duty. Let the Christian disciple pray for his pastor, that he may be sustained, and cheered, and blessed in his work and labour of love; that the great Shepherd and Bishop of souls would keep "his feet from falling," and shield him with the shield of his own love against all the fiery darts of the adversary; that he may keep inviolate his solemn vows; and that, through the mercy and blessing of Him" without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy," he may finish his course with joy. Every Christian should pray earnestly for those whom the Head of the church has placed in authority over him. RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE.-That the blessed God can impress on the mind so strong a sense of pardon as to leave a repenting sinner, beyond all question, satisfied of its coming from him, none can doubt but those who are for limiting the power of the Almighty, and for prescribing to the wisdom of the Allwise. And that, in many instances, God is most graciously pleased in this manner to manifest himself and his love none can dispute who have been happily acquainted with the lives and deaths of the excellent of the earth.Venn. sery! Says not Zacharias, with good reason, in his song, Luke i., that it was through the tender mercy of God that this day-spring from on high did visit us ?-Leighton. WHAT IS PRAYER?- Prayer is chiefly a heart-work; God heareth the heart without the mouth, but never heareth the mouth acceptably without the heart. Your prayer is odious hypocrisy, mocking God, and taking his name in vain, when you utter petitions for the coming of his kingdom and the doing his will, and yet hate holiness in your heart. This is lying unto God, and flattering him with your lips, but no true prayer; and so God takes it.Marshall. THE GOOD CHOICE.-Let Diotrephes say it is good for me to have the preeminence; let Judas say it is good for me to bear the bag; let Demas say it is good for me to embrace the present world;-but do thou, O my soul, say, with David, It is good for me to draw near to God.-Arrowsmith. THE RICH AND POOR.-There is one place more than another where all pre-eminence of persons, all distinctions should be forgotten: it is when we are kneeling before God as suppliants of his mercy. "Then the rich and the poor meet together. The Lord is the maker of them all." The next season, THE SLEEPER'S DANGER.-And you that will sleep on may; but sure I am, when you come to your death-bed, if possible you awake then, you shall look back with sad regret upon whatsoever you most esteemed and gloried in under the sun. While they are coming toward you they have some show, but, as a dream that is past, when these gay probably, when the same assembly of things are flown by, then we see how persons is found collected will be bevain they are. As that luxurious king fore the judgment-seat; and there we caused to be painted on his tomb two know all will be regarded according to fingers, as sounding one upon another their spiritual qualifications, and not with that word, All is not worth so according to their outward circummuch. I know not how men make a stances. All will be there in vile apshift to satisfy themselves; but take a parel, James ii. 2, except as far as they sober and awakened Christian, and set have "washed their robes, and made him in the midst of the best of all them white in the blood of the Lamb;" things that are here, his heart would all will be poor there-poor in themburst with despair of satisfaction were selves; and they alone rich who are it not for the hope that he hath beyond clothed with the righteousness of all that this poor world either attains Christ; they are accountable first who have adorned the doctrine of God or is seeking after. O the blessed gospel, revealing God in Christ, and call- their Saviour" by the sincerest lowliing upon sinners to communion withness of humility, the truest meekness and charity.-Sumner. him, dispelling that black night of ignorance and accursed darkness that otherwise had never ended, but passed on to an endless night of eternal mi Poetry. THE INDEPENDENTS ASSERTING LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE IN THE WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY OF DIVINES, 1644. AN HISTORICAL PICTURE, BY J. R. HERBERT, A.R.A. By J. C. Prince, Author of "Hours with the Muses," &c. "FREEDOM of Conscience!" glorious theme for pencil, pen, or tongue! How worthy of the purest fire, the proudest voice of song! More fitting for those lofty thoughts which thrill the harp divine, Than the weak words that tremble through this lowly lyre of mine. "Freedom of Conscience!" let me sing, how slight soe'er my power, God claims the homage of my soul, yet leaves its reason free, Shall human law prescribe my creed, and tell me where to kneel? Oh, no! religion needeth not compulsion or parade, No need of arch and storied pane, of fix'd and formal prayer, The heart that learns to lean towards heaven can worship everywhere: In chapel, closet, cloister gloom, or forest shade, we may, If the spirit, not the form, inspires, cast off the world-and pray. Some love the eye-alluring pomp of fulminating Rome, The blazing altar, dreary mass, the high and gorgeous dome; In whose time-hallow'd grounds how few would scorn a resting-place. And some more simple in their faith, but with as lofty aim, And some on nature's broad, free floor, beneath heaven's boundless gaze, And others, would they were but few, with mingled doubt and pride, Let each who thinks, and by his thought can rise above the clay; But thou, my own creative land! the favour'd of the isles! Freedom of Conscience!" who divulged this thrice-transcendent creed, Great Nye! methinks I hear thy voice within that ancient hall, For full emancipated speech, for thought's immortal right, And, lo! the painter's soul hath caught the greatness of that hour, There, 'mid a mute and anxious crowd, stands Milton's youthful form, And many a mind of generous mood, and many an eye of scorn, Seem to make up the spectacle of that triumphant morn. Like breeze-borne seeds, that pregnant truth went forth from zone to zone, Took root, and flourish'd free and fair, in places wild and lone; And out of that devoted band, the fearless, firm eleven, An independent multitude press peacefully towards heaven! The Children's Gallery. A WHISPER TO THE GALLERY. THE prosperity of a Sunday-school depends greatly on its punctuality. This fact holds true both to teachers and scholars. It should be strictly enforced. There is life, vigour, pleasure, when all come in good time. When the superintendent and teachers are never late, the scholars will follow their example. Why should soldiers be more punctual in their duties than scholars? Punctuality is the soul of business in a school as much as in trade. An example may be of use in stirring up others: A teacher was accustomed to come a quarter of an hour too late. This was observed by a lady, who said to her one Sunday morning, "Do you know how much time you have lost this morning?" She replied, "A quarter of an hour." "Oh, more than that, a good deal; one quarter of an hour for yourself and one for each of your six scholars will make seven, or nearly two hours lost, and lost for ever!" A little boy, who had a long way to go to his Sunday-school, and could not bear to be late, told his mother he had a plan for getting there in time. She asked what it was. He said, if she would give him his Sunday breakfast on Saturday evening, he should lose no time in the morning. Another good boy asked his mother to let him put on his Sunday clothes on Saturday evening, that he might lose no time by putting them on in the morning. These were children of the right sort to get on. They had some mind in them. I have had children in my Sunday-school come without waiting for breakfast, in order to be in time. Knowledge is better than eating. The soul is more important than the stomach. Rise TALK WITH ELDER SCHOLARS. Teacher. Well, Alfred, what is your fact for the night? Alfred. Sir, it respects Benjamin Franklin. Soon after his establishment in Philadelphia Franklin was offered a piece for publication in his newspaper. Being very busy, he begged the gentleman would leave it for consideration. The next day the author called and asked his opinion of it. "Why, sir," replied Franklin, "I am sorry to say that I think it highly scurrilous and defamatory; but being at a loss, on account of my poverty, whether to reject it or not, I thought I would put it to this issue :-at night, when my work was done, I bought a twopenny loaf, on which, with a mug of water, I supped heartily, and then wrapped myself in my great coat, slept very soundly on the floor till morning, when another loaf and a mug of water afforded a pleasant breakfast. Now, sir, since I can live very comfortably in this manner, why should I prostitute my press to personal hatred or party passion for a more luxurious living ?" Teacher. That is good, and not unworthy of the manly printer. David, do you recollect any scripture it exemplifies ? David. Yes, sir, the temptation was, in effect, that referred to in Rom. iii. 8, to "do evil that good might come." Teacher. It was; and if Franklin's philosophy spurned it, how much more should Christian principle! Stephen, do you recollect anything in history analogous to this case? Stephen. Yes, sir; it reminds one of Socrates' reply to king Archelaus, who had pressed him to give up preaching in the dirty streets of Athens, and come and live with him in his splendid courts: "Meal, please your majesty, is a halfpenny a peck at Athens, and water I can get for nothing." Teacher. Alexander, what have you got? Alexander. A fact, sir, that shows the moral effects of Sunday-school training. It is to this effect :-A gentleman jumping from an omnibus in the city of New York, dropt his pocketbook and had gone some distance before he discovered its loss, then, hastily returning, inquired of every passenger whom he met if a pocket-book had been seen; finally, meeting a little girl of ten years old, to whom he made the same inquiry, she asked, "What kind of a pocket-book?" he described it; then unfolding her apron, "Is this it?" " Yes, that is mine; come into this store with me." They entered; he opened the book, counted the notes, and examined the papers: "They are all right," said he; "fifteen notes of a thousand dollars each; had they fallen into other hands, I might never have seen them again; take, then, my little girl, this note of a thousand dollars, as a reward for your honesty, and a lesson to me to be more careful in future." "No," said the girl, "I cannot take it; I have been taught at the Sunday-school not to take what is not mine; and my parents would not be pleased if I took the note home; they might suppose I had stolen it." "Well, then, my child, show me where your parents live." The girl took him to an humble tenement in an obscure street, rude, but cleanly. He informed the parents of the case; they told him their child had acted correctly; they were " poor, it was true, but their pastor had always told them not to set their hearts on rich gifts." The gentleman told them they must take it, and he was convinced they would make a good use of it from the principle they had professed. The pious parents then blessed their benefactor, for such he proved; they paid debts which had disturbed their peace; and lived to rejoice in the lessons of integrity which their daughter had received at the Sunday-school. Teacher. That is a beautiful fact, and the history of Sunday-schools supplies many of a similar character. The gentleman's conduct, which merits particular approbation, furnishes a strik |