impart the holy and delightful confidence he feels to the whole world, while he says in the language of the psalmist, "the Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice, and let the multitude of Isles be glad thereof.” PASTORAL SKETCHES. No. I. The Village Prayer Meeting. μ. lous must acknowledge and say with the astonished Magicians: this was the finger of God." But we may subjoin, that every day of the succeeding forty years, during which the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, was marked by the finger of Providence; witness the pillar of cloud and of fire, which never disappeared; witness the manna that fell with dew, and covered the ground like hoar frost every morning round their tents: and witness the stream issuing from the rock A DILIGENT and attentive obHoreb, that followed them through server of Divine Providence, will the desert. It is true, miracles have frequently derive from what passes ceased; the sun does not stand around, very striking illustrations still, nor the sea become dry land, at the word of a prophet. But miracles are not in all ages necessary to Divine Providence. Its channels may be the ordinary, regular, and beautiful laws of nature; and the volitions and actions of rational agents. This we believe to be the case at the present time. In the government of God there is no needless expenditure of means; it is marked throughout with great simplicity. When miracles are necessary they are not withheld; but when they are unnecessary, Jehovah, as it were, withdraws his hand, and "conducts unseen the beautiful vicissitude." What unspeakable consolation does the doctrine of Divine Providence afford to the devout mind! How must the good man rejoice, when amidst all the changes of the world, and the disasters of time, and the vicissitudes of his own life or feelings, he remembers that the Lord God omnipotent reigneth! He acquires a buoyancy of mind that lifts him up above trouble. He looks beyond the shadows of this life to the realities of the life to come. He fearlessly resigns himself to the gale and tide that bear him along. He wishes to of the Sacred volume. He will see its promises fulfilled, and its threatenings executed; he will be encouraged to trust in God, who still hears the prayers of his people, and delivers them from their sorrows; and will be encouraged to persevere in his exertions for the spiritual welfare of mankind, from knowing that his labours cannot be in vain in the Lord. An attention to the duties of the Christian ministry for some years past, has brought before me a series of pleasing and interesting facts, which have encouraged me amidst many trials, and, I trust, have both increased my disposition to watch the hand of Providence, and my zeal for the promotion of that kingdom, which is destined to flourish, in defiance of every opposition with which it can meet. The facts to which I have alluded, and the details of which I purpose in this and some future papers to present to my readers, have nothing about them of an extraordinary kind. We are by far too apt to look for marvellous displays of the hand of God in carrying on his work. The mercies we most commonly receive from the Divine Being are the most valu able. And the constant bestow-village, near the centre of the ment of these common mercies is kingdom. Its inhabitants were awfully addicted to almost every vice, and were not statedly favoured with any thing in the form of religious instruction, excepting from their clergyman, whom Cowper would describe as a remarkable display of infinite goodness towards us. Were we, however, more observant of the ways of heaven, we should often see what we should consider truly striking. If the short narratives I purpose introducing to my readers, should have the happy effect of inducing them to look around, and see the finger of God" in occurrences similar to those detailed, but which had never before excited their attention, and should thus lead them to praise the Lord for his goodness, an important object will be gained. Just fifteen minutes huddle up their work, scene!" I have often been struck with the close connection that exists between the means we are com- And yet this was all the religious manded to use to obtain spiritual instruction given in a parish, which blessings, and their enjoyment. contained several thousand inhabiSome persons will tell us, that if tants, except, indeed, what was said God pleases to impart this or that in a small meeting-house, where favour he will do it; true, he will doctrines were taught that debased do so, but not unless we use the the Saviour, robbed him of his digmeans he has appointed as the me-nity, and made his atonement "as dium of communicating them. The nothing worth;" and which place, kingdom of Christ is decreed to fill the whole earth, but not till prayer be continually presented for it; he is to have the heathen for his inheritance, but such gift is the effect of his asking for it. It would, I presume, be impossible, on the one hand, to point to a congregation where the work of the Lord is prosperous, where a spirit of prayer for such a blessing did not previously exist, and on the other, to show the instance where supplications for such favour were long presented in ardent sincerity, and the blessing itself denied." The following short narrative will illustrate what is meant by these remarks. as might naturally be expected, was well nigh deserted. It is true, that attempts had been made by the neighbouring congregations to introduce the knowledge of Christ into the village, and that at different times, for the long period of seventy years. Among the preachers who occasionally went to address them were men whose labours the Lord had very eminently blessed elsewhere, and who possessed, according to all human appearance, every qualification to break up the fallow ground of so barren a spot. All their attempts, however, proved fruitless, and they retired one after another from what seemed to them an hopeless About eleven years ago, in the contest with the powers of darkcourse of Divine Providence, Iness; nor has a single instance of was directed to unfurl the banners their usefulness in the conversion of the cross in a very populous of a sinner ever yet transpired. Since that period, however, a de- | pearance, and knowing who I was, lightful change has been experi- told me, that she supposed Thomas enced a meeting-house has been | F and his wife were gone to erected, which is crowded with the Prayer Meeting. Prayer Meetattentive hearers; a church has ing! thought I; what, does this been formed, which is receiving wicked village ever present such a frequent accessions; and a Sab- scene as a company of sinners bath School established, where the meeting to pray for mercy? I have infant voice lisps the name of Jesus, often heard of preaching here, but and is taught to present prayer to who would have thought of a Him for mercy. Prayer Meeting! I was struck. It is pleasing to mark the growth with wonder, with delight, and of an acorn till it becomes an oak, with an anxious curiosity! How and the progress of a little spring long I should have indulged the till it becomes a river, in which a reverie into which my indescribaman may swim; nor is it less de- ble feelings had thrown me, I canlightful to behold the day of small not tell; but I was interrupted by things in reference to the success the woman asking me to walk into of the Gospel, and mark its ex- her house and take a seat. Thus tending light till its sun shines roused from a state of deep thoughtwith the brightest and most ex-fulness, I eagerly enquired where tensive glory. Let us trace this the Prayer Meeting was; and was little church to its origin. soon directed to John J's house, It sometimes happens, that the in Lane. With hasty steps I circumstance of a new minister hurried to the door. . . . Arrived making his appearance in a con- there, I heard a voice.. I regregation excites some attention; cognised it as that of a man who this in connection with the re- had been pointed out to me as a moval of the preaching to a more very notorious transgressor of laws central part of the village, pro-human and divine. He was duced a spirit of curiosity in the instance now under review. The new house was crowded, and this on every Lord's day evening, for some months in succession. Still we were not aware of any lasting good having been effected, till the following circumstance brought it very prominently forward. On one Saturday evening, circumstances wholly unconnected with my ministry, conducted me to this village. I thought that before I returned, I would call for a few minutes on the man, at whose house I had so frequently preached, and where also I expected to be similarly engaged on the following evening. I arrived there about seven o'clock, but found no one at home. As I stood knocking at the door, a neighbour made her ap pleading with God for mercy. The frankness with which he confessed his sins, the fervent supplications he presented that those sins might be forgiven through the blood of Christ, the ardour with which he prayed that God would make the preached word a blessing to him and his neighbours, and the rustic simplicity with which all this was clothed, made an impression on my heart which never can be erased. It was the first time I had heard an illiterate villager pray, and I almost thought I had never heard prayer before. I saw more of the nature and tendency of genuine religion that night, than all my reading and study had ever taught me. When the prayer was concluded I walked in; and if I had heard SCRIPTURE PARALLELISM. No. IV. much that gratified my best feelings, I now saw more. The house was full of the poor of this world, who had met to close the week with HAVING trespassed very far, both God, and seek his blessing on the upon your space and your readers' means of grace they hoped to enjoy patience, in my last communicaon the approaching Sabbath. Some tion, allow me to make amends on of them had not yet risen from the present occasion, by submittheir knees; and the eyes of each ting only two or three short, though seemed bathed in tears. An ex-I trust, not uninteresting illustrapression of surprise sat on every tions. They are cases in which countenance when they recognised some advantage is afforded for me; nor was I less astonished to ascertaining the sense, by observfind such a meeting for such a ing the parallelism. purpose! I delivered a very short address to them, expressing the pleasure I felt that they were thus employed, commended them to the Father of mercies, intreating Him to carry on the good work thus happily begun among them, and thus closed that evening's service. This meeting, I found, had originated entirely among themselves, not a word having been said by any one to them on the subject; this was the fourth or fifth week they had thus met; and it was soon evidently shown that from the commencement of this meeting was to be dated the success of the Divine word among them. With what sort of feelings I returned home, after this most interesting visit, I shall leave my readers to imagine. The beauties of nature, the grandeur of the setting sun itself, presented nothing that could compare with the moral beauty of which I had been the delighted spectator. 1. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign, through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. v. 21. A degree of complexity exists in the latter part of this verse, which an observation of its parallelism will remove. Its structure is as follows: That, as sin hath reigned Unto death, Even so might grace reign, Through righteousness, By Jesus Christ our Lord. That, as sin hath reigned Even so might grace reign . Unto eternal life. Such a statement of facts needs no comment. It most impressively teaches the importance of social devotion; it encourages the servants of God to continue their labours in the most unpromising stations; and it shows the pro- ment pertaining to the latter clause. priety of encouraging as far as possible Village Prayer Meetings. B. lar The second conveys, in a simimanner, the additional senti Even so might grace reign, Through righteousness, Unto eternal life, By Jesus Christ our Lord. unto That is to say, in direct terms, we have been established in it; Christ himself being the object of faith, and his obedience death, and not our faith, constituting our justifying righteousness. that grace might reign to eternal life, through righteousness, or justification, by Jesus Christ our Lord. 2. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace, wherein we stand. Rom. v. 1, 2. An attention to the parallelism of this passage will, perhaps, throw more light on the import of its last clause. Therefore being justified by faith, We have peace with God, through our By whom also we have access, By faith, Into this grace Wherein we stand. 3. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed, from faith to faith. Rom. i. 17. This short text has occasioned much perplexity. Of the various interpretations which have been given of it, however, there is one which clearly agrees with the parallelism of the passage, and which derives therefore, a sort of definitive sanction from it. I slightly alter the translation, only for the necessary purpose of retaining the words in their real order. For righteousness from God In it is revealed, For faith. The structure, if properly alter-Through faith, nate, seems to suggest a slight, but perfectly warrantable change in the translation. By whom we have access, By faith, Into this grace, BY WHICH we stand. Or, relinquishing the alternate form, Or, substituting direct for the alternate parallelism: For righteousness from God through faith, In it is revealed for faith. That is to say, God in his Gospel has revealed his method of justifying the ungodly through faith, By whom we have access into this grace, in order that men may believe and By faith, by which we stand. be saved. *H* ESSAYS ON DIVINE REVELATION. No. I. On the Being and Providence of God, as discovered by the Light of Nature. The advantage of this may not be obvious, but it may appear on a close examination. The apostle had just said that we are justified by faith, and that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; but he now shows, that it is through Christ also that we are THE existence and supreme authojustified, which, though his lan- rity of an eternal, all-wise, and guage may be considered as im-infinitely powerful Being, is obviplying it, had not been directly ously the first principle of religion expressed. He therefore adds, under every form, whether natural that through him we have gained or revealed, by a denial of which access to this grace, or privilege of the foundation of morality, as well justification, by the faith by which as the institutions of religion would |