sball rest in peace, till the archangel's trumpet shall summon him to spend an eternal Sabbath in heaven. We cannot attempt to describe the misery of those who will be summoned at the same awful hour, to receive the punishment due to their wilful neglect of God's commandments. Let rather exhort them to forsake their sins while there is yet time for repentance. The returning prodigal will yet be restored to the favor of his Father. His Saviour, who sitteth at God's right hand, will intercede for him ; the Holy Spirit will strengthen his resolutions of amendment; and the angels of heaven will rejoice over the repentant sinner. G. H. June 16th. 1823. To the Editor of the Cottager's Monthly Visitor. SIR, PERHAPS the following Hymn, by Cowper, may afford consolation to some of your readers. It is réprinted in an excellent little work, called “ Pietas quotidiana,” or “ Prayers and Meditations for every day in the week." HYMN FOR A MOURNER. That were a grief I could not bear, QUESTIONS FROM WATTS'S HYMNS. (Continued from page 445.) HYMN III. Praise to God for Redemption. Blest be the wisdom and the pow'r The justice and the grace, That join'd in counsel to restore, And save our ruin'd race. And from his glory fell; To death, and near to Hell. To take our flesh and blood; He for our lives gave up his own, To make our peace with God. He honour'd all his Father's laws, Which we have disobeyed ; He bore our sins upon the Cross And our full ransom paid. Behold him rais'd on high : There on a glorious throne he reigns, And by his pow'r divine Of Satan, and of sin. And, with a sov’reign voice, While waking Saints rejoice. I then with joy appear Sing his redeeming grace. What do we praise God for, in this Hymn? The purchase of God's favour by the death of Christ. What was it that joined in council to restore and save our ruined race? The wisdom and the power and the justice and the grace of God. How came our race to be a rained one? Prove from Scripture that Adam ate of the fruit of which God had commanded bim not to eat. Gen, iii. 6. “ And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food. and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. What were we, who are all the children of Adam, and partakers therefore of his sinful nature, brought to by his transgression? Death. Death temporal and eternal. And when we were all brought into this sad state by the sin of Adam, what did God then do for us? “He sent bis Son to take our flesh and blood.” Prove this from Scripture. John iii. 16. "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” What did the Son of God give up his life for? To save our lives and to make our peace with God. Who honoured all his Fathers laws? Have we kept or broken the commandments of God? Broken them. When we hear these commandments read by the Ministers at Church, what is the prayer which we offer up at the end of each of them? “Lord, have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this law.” Why do we thus call upon God for mercy ? And why do we pray that he would incline our hearts to keep them? Because our hearts are by nature sinful and the cross ? upon The price which our redeemer paid for the pardon of our sins. What was that price? What part of this Hymn speaks of the resurrection of Christ? “ Behold him rising from the grave." Prove from Scripture that Christ rose from the grave. 1 Cor. xv. part of verse 4. “He rose again the third day.” What part of the Hymn speaks of Christ's Ascension? “ Behold him rais'd on high." Prove from Scripture that Christ ascended into Heaven. Acts i. 9. “ And when he bad spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.” What part of the Hymn speaks of Christ's intercession? “He pleads his merits there to save Transgressors doom'd to die.' What do you mean by transgressors ? Prove from Scripture that Christ pleads for us in heaven. 1 John ii. 1. “ If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sius." Where does Christ reign? In Heaven. And what does his divine power redeem as from? “The slavish chains of Satan and of sin.” What do we confess in one of the prayers of our Church service with respect to these chains ? That " we are tied and bound with the chain of our sins." 十 + |