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share of his attention; but latterly I perceived they were daily losing their hold of his mind, and things of eternal consequence were taking their place. This gradual ripening for his change was very perceptible during his last illness. For nearly eighteen months he suffered severely, being a great part of his time confined to the house, and the last six months to his bed, having lost the use of his lower limbs. At an early period of his confinement, although of a sanguine disposition, he relinquished all expectation of recovery, and seemed bent on improving his visitation, by preparing for the change that awaited him. While his eyesight lasted, and he could hold a book, he read for several hours every day, and observed to me, "It is a great blessing to be able to spend my time in reading. When I can see, I read prayers; but when I cannot, I pray in my heart--which is just as good, for our Lord hears

me."

(to be continued.)

DISSENTING MATTERS.

The associates with whom the dissenters have thought fit to co-operate, and the proceedings which they have thought fit both to instigate, and actually to take part in, against the Church, are such as to deprive them of all claim to forbearance. If they will be guilty of these things, they must not be surprised that Churchmen expose the shame which they bring upon their cause, and upon the name of religion. Neither will what is due to the fair defence of the Church, allow us to hesitate in bringing to light the abuses of Dissent, and the means by which it seeks support, both pecuniary, and political. All

we shall do in this respect, will be, carefully to exclude any statements, which we are not well satisfied to be correct and authentic.

In the remarks we here make, and in the course we intend to pursue, let us not be regarded, as insensible of the distinction between the many conscientious and truly pious men, who are to be found in the ranks of dissent, and those factious agitators, who make "conscience " a plea for acting not only against the Established Church, but also against both the Spirit, and precepts of the Gospel; for evading or opposing the laws, for putting men into an office for the fraudulent purpose of defeating, not performing its duties; for bringing mobs into the Church, and for profaning it with outrages and blasphemies which would be a disgrace to civilized, not to say religious beings, if used in streets or a bear-garden, instead of a Church.

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We shall be sorry if our statements or remarks, should wound the feelings of such conscientious and pious dissenters, as we mention. But we believe that by appealing to their "COMMON SENSE " we shall take from them ground of offence; and even have their admission, that the exposure we make is called for by the outrages, of those who make dissent and conscience, the clokes for doings and sayings, which not only conscience properly so called, but even "COMMON SENSE must warn them to be an offence in the sight of both God and Man. Indeed we are not without hope, that the more sound and thinking part of the Dissenters (instead of sympathizing, with those whom we endeavour to expose in the light) will be so disgusted with the outrages we shall state, that, seeing these fruits of dissent, they will begin to suspect that the tree is evil; and will avail themselves of our invitation to take the lantern of "Common Sense," and facts and history, to examine the root.

GOD AN EXAMPLE TO MASTERS OF FAMILIES.

(From the Rev. Dr. Molesworth's Domestic Chaplain Sermon XIX.)

"We can adduce manifold instances of God Himself representing His own rule and superintendence over the world, by setting Himself before our imagination under the figure of the father of a family. By this figure He is pleased to picture to our feeble understandings His unwearied love, His universal providence, the dependence of all His creatures upon His wisdom and goodness. He places Himself before us in various offices; sometimes regulating, sometimes controlling, sometimes protecting, sometimes rewarding, and sometimes punishing. We have contemplated Him at large under the character of "the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named." At one time we have him delineated as a father dividing his patrimony, and giving his younger son a share; then receiving this foolish and prodigal, but penitent, wanderer back to the comforts of the home he had forsaken. We have also in that prodigal's return, a representation of the happiness which the servants of a good master of a family enjoy. The son, in his misery, remembers the abundance and comfort of which even his father's hired servants partake; he remembers, that they have "bread enough ;" and he returns home to seek in that household the competence of that situation, which he finds, by sad experience, to be far preferable to the imaginary state of independence, by the weak visions of which he had been deluded to wander from his family. On another occasion we see him committing, in the capacity of a master, talents to each of his ser

vants, according to their respective powers and duties. These were to be usefully employed during his absence; and on his return he is represented as calling them to a strict reckoning for the manner in which they had executed his charge. Again, we have him hearing the complaint of the household against the hard hearted servant, who, though himself just excused a heavy debt, exacted from his fellow servant the uttermost farthing of the hundred pence due to him. And, to cite no more cases, we read the gracious "Well done, good and faithful servant," with which he expresses his approbation of good service, and calls the doer of it to his reward. Here we see God representing his own providence and agency in the government and care of his people, under the various functions of a master of a family. Hence we may reasonably infer, that the character and duties, from which these figurative representations of the GREAT MASTER of the universal family are drawn, must, in some degree, resemble those things which they are chosen to set forth and shadow to our imaginations. Like in kind they must be, though infinitely less in power and extent. What God does to all mankind bears some resemblance to what a master is expected by God to do with respect to his family. He has not, of course, the powers and means which are at the disposal of the Almighty, nor can he act with the same unerring wisdom and unchangeable truth, according to his power, as does the Almighty. But according to that power, and under such merciful indulgences, as God of his goodness, through Christ, may be pleased to make for our corrupt hearts and imperfect nature, we are bound to take beed, and watch, and labour for the temporal and spiritual welfare, for the souls as well as for the bodies, of those committed to our charge as masters of families."

RESPONSIBILITY OF UNQUALIFIED
MINISTERS.

The following extract from Bishop Taylor, presents a lively picture of the danger of those, who take the priestly office (even though "lawfully called and sent") without having duly prepared themselves, or being sufficiently qualified to discharge such a fearful duty. Of course the mischief which may be done is not less, while the responsibility and the sin is still greater, if the man, whose ignorance, or conceit, may cause the shipwreck of the souls of which he has assumed the direction, shall not have been lawfully called or sent; but thrust in either by his own presumption, or the usurped authority of those, to whom the Lord of the Church never committed the charge of sending Ministers into His "Vineyard."

"If any man should desire me to carry a frigate to the Indies, in which some hundred men were embarked; I were a mad man to undertake the charge without proportionable skill; and therefore when there is more danger, and more souls, and rougher seas, and more secret rocks, and horrible storms, and the shipwreck is an eternal loss, the matter will then require great consideration in the untertaking, and greatest care in the conduct.”—Jeremy Taylor.

CHRYSOSTOM'S PRAISE OF ST. PAUL.

The name 66 Chrysostom," or "the golden mouthed," given to this holy man, is no mean proof of his reputation as a preacher. And not unworthy of his reputation will be found that splendid and fervent burst of eloquence in which, in his thirty-second homily on St. Paul's epistle to the Romans, he ex

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