In the year 1709, a packet boat, returning from Holland to England, was so damaged by a tempest, that she sprang a leak, and was in the utmost extremity of danger; when all the mariners and passengers were in the last distress, and the pumps had been worked to carry off the water, but all to little purpose, by a good providence the hole filled, and was stopped seemingly of itself. This struck them all with wonder and astonishment. No sooner did they get safe into port, than they examined the ship to see what was the matter, and found a fish sticking in the very hole, which had been driven into it by the force of the tempest. But for this wonderful providence, they must all have perished.

Chap. xxvii. ver. 44.-And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship: And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.

In October 1811, a vessel was observed in great distress between Portreath and Hale. About 10 o'clock she went on shore, a little to the eastward of Hale bar; and shortly after, the captain, together with the mate and two boys, were washed over board and drowned. Two men, all that remained of the crew, were observed, by the persons who assembled on the beach, to get into the rigging, one on the fore mast, and one on the main mast. In this dreadful situation they remained for some time, every wave completely covering them. The main mast soon went over-board, carrying with it the unfortunate seaman who had taken refuge on it. Just at the time, a native of St Ives, who was a very expert swimmer, stripped on the beach, and to the astonishment of all present, plunged into the waves, then going mountains high, carrying with him the end of a rope, which he purposed to fasten round the men on board, and thus enable the persons on shore to extricate them from their perilous situation. This intrepid and humane individual had nearly reached the vessel, when the end of the rope slipped from him, and he was seen for some time endeavouring to gain the wreck of the main-mast, to which the almost drowned mariner then clung. At length he reached it, and as each wave washed over them, he was observed cheering the poor fellow, by

clapping him on the shoulder. On seeing the danger to which all three were now exposed, a young man of Hale, named Burt, notwithstanding the entreaties of his father, who trembled for the safety of his son, braved the fury of the storm, plunged into the billows, and providentially succeeded in conveying the rope to the first adventurer, who immediately fastened it round the almost exhausted sufferer on the main-mast, and having also fastened to him a rope from the ship, he was drawn on shore by the people on the beach. The other seaman on the fore-mast was got on shore in the same manner; and lastly, their intrepid deliverers. Few actions recorded in history, will outshine the fortitude and generosity of these two young men, and every reader will be glad to find that none of them perished in the humane attempt.

Chap. xxviii. ver. 20.-For the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.

Guy de Brez, a French minister, was prisoner in the castle of Tournay. A lady who visited him, said, "She wondered how he could eat, or drink, or sleep in quiet." "Madam," said he, "my chains do not terrify me, or break my sleep; on the contrary, I glory and take delight therein, esteeming them at an higher rate than chains and rings of gold, or jewels of any price whatever. The rattling of my chains is like the effect of an instrument of music in my ears: not that such an effect comes merely from my chains, but it is because I am bound therewith for maintaining the truth of the gospel."

Chap. xxviii. ver. 30.-And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him.

Mr Newton was in the habit of receiving his religious friends at an early breakfast; when many used to be gratified by his pious and instructive conversation, and esteemed it a privilege to unite with him in family devotions. On one of those happy occasions, a friend introduced to him a young minister from the country, who had expressed a desire to see him. "Ah!" said Mr New

66

ton, I was a wild beast once, on the coast of Africa, and the Lord tamed me; and there are many people now who have a curiosity to see me !"

ROMANS

Chap. i. ver. 21.-Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God.

A gentleman, who seemed strongly impressed with the opinion, that in order to exalt revelation, is necessary to maintain that there is no such thing at all as natural religion, visiting a celebrated public seminary in Edinburgh, on occasion of some mention of the ancient philosophers in a passage which the pupils were then reading, asked a blind boy the following questions: "What did their philosophy do for them ?" The boy returned no answer. "Did it," resumed the examiner, "lead them to any knowledge of religion ?" "They had no RIGHT knowledge of God." "But could they be said," rejoined the visitor in a marked tone of disapprobation, "to have any knowledge of God at all ?" After a moment's thought, the child answered, "Yes." "That," observed the gentleman to the superintendants, "is by no means a right answer." Upon which the pupil was asked whether he had any reason for making this answer, to which he replied, "Yes." "What is it ?" "The apostle Paul, in the first of the Romans, says, that when THEY KNEW GOD," laying an emphasis on these words," they glorified him not as God."

Chap. i. ver. 31.-Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.

Mr Ellis, in his Missionary Tour, relates the following shocking instance of infanticide. A man and his wife, tenants of Mr Young, who has for many years held, under the king, the small district of Kukuwaw, situated on the centre of Waiakea bay, resided not far from Maaro's

house. They had one child, a fine little boy. A quarrel arose between them on one occasion respecting this child. The wife refusing to accede to the wishes of the husband, he, in revenge, caught up the child by the head and the feet, broke its back across his knee, and then threw it down in expiring agonies before her. Struck with the

atrocity of the act, Mr Young seized the man, led him before the king Tamehameha, who was then at Waiakea, and requested that he might be punished. The king enquired, "To whom did the child he has murdered belong ?" Mr Young answered, that it was his own son. "Then," said the king, "neither you nor I have any right to interfere; I cannot say any thing to him."

Chap. ii. ver. 23, 24.-Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

Mr Brainerd informs us, that when among the Ameri. can Indians at one place, where there was a great number, he halted, and offered to instruct them in the truth of Christianity. "Why," said one of them, "should you desire the Indians to become Christians, seeing the Christians are so much worse than the Indians? The Christians lie, steal, and drink, worse than the Indians. They first taught the Indians to be drunk. They steal to that degree, that their rulers are obliged to hang them for it; and that is not enough to deter others from the practice, But none of the Indians were ever hanged for stealing; and yet they do not steal half so much. We will not consent, therefore, to become Christians, lest we should be as bad as they. We will live as our fathers lived, and go where our fathers are when we die." Notwithstanding Mr B. did all he could to explain to them that these were not Christians in heart, and that he did not want them to become such as these, he could not prevail, but left them, mortified at the thought, that the wickedness of some called Christians should engender such prejudices.

Chap. iii. ver. 14.-Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

A minister travelling in a stage coach, had the mortification of being shut up for the night with a naval officer who was much addicted to swearing. At length the conversation turned on the topic of the day, the Boulogne Flotilla; when the officer observed, "If one of our ships meet with them, she will send them all to the devil.” "There is a great deal of propriety, Sir," said the minister, in your observation; for as it is probable there are many profane swearers on board the French ships, should these men die in their sins, they will certainly go to the devil." He looked confounded, blushed, but swore no more, and in the morning took a respectful leave.

Chap. iii. ver. 25.-Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.

Cowper, the poet, speaking of his religious experience, says, "But the happy period which was to shake off my fetters, and afford me a clear opening of the free mercy of God in Christ Jesus, was now arrived. I flung myself into a chair near the window, and seeing a Bible there, ventured once more to apply to it for comfort and instruction. The first verse I saw, was the 25th of the 3d of Romans. "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.' Immediately I received strength to believe, and the full beams of the Sun of Righteousness shone upon me. I saw the sufficiency of the atonement he had made, my pardon sealed in his blood, and all the fulness and completeness of his justification. In a moment I believed, and received the gospel. Whatever my friend Madan had said to me so long before, revived in all its clearness, with demonstration of the Spirit, and with power."

M