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of the Journals of Missionaries tends to keep open a perpetual wound in the heart; seeing, as we clearly do, by them, that the world is still so deeply sunk under the power of him, who was a liar and a murderer from the beginning. Hence, mankind appear, to a most awful extent, to be as full of debate, deceit, malignity, as were the Heathen in St. Paul's time. Thus, consequently, counting back from the fall of our first father, the space of nearly six thousand years seems to have been spent by a large part of mankind in dishonouring God, in making the earth miserable, and crowding the insatiable pit with lost souls. Of this period, four thousand years were passed in darkness, by the chief part of the world; while the small remnant had but a twilight view of the will of God. Then followed some fifteen hundred years, ere the different books of Scripture were collected into one volume: then nearly three hundred more, up to our own day, before Bibles were copiously distributed among the nations; many of which, in fact, do not as yet possess, in their own language, that Blessed Book, which, so far back as eighteen hundred years ago, had all been committed to writing. Some relief to this dark scene is, indeed, found in contemplating that little company of "babes"!-for

so the Eternal Lord of Glory names all his followers! —and it was over such that Jesus rejoiced in spirit, while confessing that his Heavenly Father had hidden these things from the wise and prudent! But, while I thus mourn, my main desire is to bespeak from you -the hopes of the rising generation!-fervent prayers and strenuous efforts on behalf of our country, and of all unconverted lands. O, never stoop to the meanness of regarding these as party-matters! Let glory to God in the highest, and good-will to men, be your aim. Devote yourselves to promote the observance of the Holy Day of rest. Give heart, and voice, and hand, to the cause of Missions; that Mercy and Truth, Righteousness and Peace may look down from heaven; and all families of the earth be blessed in Jesus, the Prince of Peace!

O never-while your own Time is well economised, and your own Temper brought under wise and happy rules-never rest there! It would be resting in Self! The God of Love, who so blesses you, has a claim on large portions of your time, for others: He would have you to be swift and intelligent in works of mercy, to kindred, neighbours, country, and mankind.

But I return to the essential point of application. I desire to press on you the necessity of reducing

good rules to practice. If any of the excellent passages contained in this volume had been the production of some of your own most revered relatives or friends; if they had been handed to you in manuscript, with leave, as a particular favour, to copy some of them for your own private use ; I can well imagine how you would have prized the possession of such a Gallery of Portraits, such a Treasury of Counsels. With what delight, at intervals, would you have looked them over carefully, shewing them occasionally to a few partial friends! Yet, a portfolio, thus enriched, would be valueless, unless practically used: and, for the same reason, this little volume, now and then read, will be of no use at all, unless the Spirit of the Work be wrought into your daily conduct and temper. One good rule, well kept, excels ten thousand beautiful hints and sketches, merely admired in theory. Nay, theory, without practice, is positively injurious: it powerfully aids self-deception: the very familiarity of the mind with rules neglected, and resolutions broken, paralyzes the heart in its most vital functions.-BISHOP BUTLER well remarks, Going over the theory of virtue in one's thoughts, talking well, and drawing fine pictures of it; this is so far from necessarily or certainly conducing to form a habit of

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it, in him who thus employs himself, that it may harden the mind in a contrary course, and render it gradually more insensible: that is, may form a habit of insensibility to all moral considerations."

One short sentence I leave with you, from HIM who spake as never man spake: it will convey all my meaning; and expresses that, which alone can draw virtue from any useful book, which alone stamps value on the study even of the Bible itself:-IF YE KNOW THESE THINGS, HAPPY ARE YE IF YE DO THEM!

I subscribe myself,

Your faithful and affectionate friend,

WILLIAM JOWETT.

SEPT. 23, 1834.

The Holy Scriptures.

(WITH REMARKS.)

TIME.

AND God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven, to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days, and years:

And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven, to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

And God set them in the firmament of the heaven, to give light upon the earth.

And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.-Genesis i. 14—18.

"Order was Heaven's first law!" This is apparent, not only from the beauty and conveniency of many things around us, even in this fallen, and therefore disordered, world; but yet more, from the undeviating exactness with which TIME is divided into its appointed portions, by the various positions and movements of the Heavenly Bodies and of our Earth. The science of Astronomy, gathering from this

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