that ?" I endeavour to prevent law suits, and concis liate the parties; I act in such a manner that no traces of difference remain on the archives; if I am wrong, your indulgence will excuse me." "I wish," replied the Czar, "that all governors would act upon your principles. Go on, God and your sovereign are equally satisfied.".

66

Chap. iv. ver. 11.-Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law; but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

Dr Waugh being in company with a number of ministers, the bad conduct of a brother in the ministry became the subject of conversation, and every gentleman in the room joined warmly in condemning him. Dr Waugh sat for a time silent. At last he walked up to his companions, and said, "My dear friends, surely we are not acting in accordance with our profession. The person you speak of is one of ourselves, and we ought not to blow the coal. But do you know that he is as bad a man as he is represented ? and if he is, will railing against him do him any good? It is cowardly to speak ill of a man behind his back; and I doubt if any of us would have sufficient courage, if our poor friend were to appear among us, to sit down and kindly tell him of his faults. If there be one here who feels himself quite pure, and free from error, let him throw the first stone; but if not, let us be silent, and I confess that I feel that I must not say one word." He resumed his seat, and the company looked at each other, struck silent by this rebuke from one so good and mild.

Chap. v. ver. 1.-Go to now, ye rich men ; weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

Monsieur Foscue, one of the farmers general of the province of Languedoc, in France, by grinding the faces of the poor, had amassed an immense sum of money,

Some

which being known to the government, he was ordered to raise a considerable sum. Not being inclined to comply with this demand, he pleaded extreme poverty; and lest the inhabitants of his province should give information to the contrary, he resolved to hide his treasure in such a manner as to escape the strictest search. He dug a kind of cave in his wine-cellar, so deep as to require a ladder in going down to it. At the entrance was a door with a spring lock, which on shutting, fastened of itself. time afterwards he was missing, and, though diligent search was made, he could no where be found. At length his house was sold, and the purchaser, making some improvements on the property, discovered a door in the cellar. Going down, he found Mons. Foscue lying dead on the ground with a candlestick near him, and on searching farther, he found his hidden wealth. It was supposed he had gone into the cave, and the door by some accident shutting after him, he was out of the call of any person, and perished for want of food. He had eaten the candle, and even gnawed the flesh off both his arms! "Trea ́sures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death."

Chap. v. ver. 12.-But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath; but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay, lest ye fall into condemnation.

The late excellent Mr J, of G-, was remarkable for the cheerfulness as well as the fervour of his piety. When he administered a reproof, it was frequently accompanied with a kind of pleasantry, which fixed the attention and disarmed the resentment of the person whom he addressed. Being once in company when a gentleman occasionally embellished his discourses with the names of devil, deuce, &c. and at last also took the name of God in vain

"Stop, Sir," said the old man ; "I said nothing while you only used freedoms with the name of your own master, but I insist you shall use no freedoms with the name of mine."

1. PETER.

Chap. i. ver. 8.-Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory.

John Lambert suffered in the year 1538. No man was used at the stake with more cruelty than this holy martyr. They burnt him with a slow fire by inches; for if it kindled higher and stronger than they chose, they removed it away. When his legs were burnt off, and his thighs were mere stumps in the fire, they pitched his poor body upon pikes, and lacerated his broiling flesh with their halberts. But God was with him in the midst of the flame, and supported him in all the anguish of nature. Just before he expired, he lifted up such hands as he had all flaming with fire, and cried out to the people with his dying voice," None but Christ! None but Christ!" He was at last beat down into the fire, and expired.

Chap. i. ver. 18, 19.-Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

The late Rev. Mr Latrobe visited a certain nobleman in Ireland, who devoted considerable sums to charitable purposes, and among other benevolent acts, had erected an elegant church in his parish at his own expence. The nobleman took particular pleasure in shewing Mr L. his estate, and among other things, pointed out to him the

church which he had built; at the same time saying, "Now, Sir, don't you think that will merit heaven ?" Mr L. after a moment's pause, said, "Pray, my lord, what may your estate be worth a year ?" "I imagine,' said the nobleman, "about thirteen or fourteen thousand pounds." "And do you think, my lord," answered Mr Latrobe, "that God would sell heaven even for thirteen or fourteen thousand pounds ?"

Chap. ii. ver. 12.-Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles; that, whereas they speak against you as evil-doers, they may, by your good works which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

was.

An under gardener, with whom his majesty George III. was accustomed familiarly to converse, was missed one day by the king, who inquired of the head gardener where he "Please your Majesty," said the gardener, "he is very troublesome with his religion, and is always talking about it." "Is he dishonest," said the king," does he neglect his work ?" "No, your Majesty, he is very honest, I have nothing to say against him for that." "Then send for him again," said the monarch, "why should he be turned off? Call me defender of the faith! DEFENDER OF THE FAITH? and turn away a man for his religion ?" The king had learnt from this good man, that the place of worship where he attended was supported by voluntary contributions, and was in the habit of giving him a guinea for the quarterly collection.

Chap. iii. ver. 9.-Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing; but contrariwise, blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

Arcadius, an Argive, was incessantly railing at Philip of Macedon. Venturing once into the dominions of Philip, the courtiers reminded their prince, that he had now an opportunity to punish Arcadius for his past insolences, and to put it out of his power to repeat them. The king, however, instead of seizing the hostile stranger, and put

ting him to death, dismissed him, loaded him with cour tesies and kindnesses. Some time after Arcadius's departure from Macedon, word was brought, that the king's old enemy was become one of his warmest friends, and did nothing but diffuse his praises wherever he went. On hearing this, Philip turned to his courtiers, and asked, with a smile, "Am not I a better physician than you?"

Chap. iii. ver. 12, 13.-For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

Where

During the rebellion in Ireland in 1793, the rebels had long meditated an attack on the Moravian settlement at Grace-Hill, Wexford county. At length they put their threat in execution, and a large body of them marched to the town. When they arrived there, they saw no one in the streets nor in the houses. The brethren had long expected this attack, but true to their christian profession, they would not have recourse to arms for their defence, but assembled in their chapel, and in solemn prayer besought him in whom they trusted, to be their shield in the hour of danger. The ruffian band, hitherto breathing nothing but destruction and slaughter, were struck with astonishment at this novel sight. Where they expected an armed hand, they saw it clasped in prayer. they expected weapon to weapon, and the body armed for the fight, they saw the bended knee and humble head be fore the altar of the Prince of Peace. They heard the prayer for protection; they heard the intended victims asking mercy for their murderers; they heard the song of praise, and the hymn of confidence in the "sure promise of the Lord." They beheld in silence this little band of Christians; they felt unable to raise their hand against them; and after lingering in the streets, which they filled for a night and a day, with one consent they turned and marched away from the place, without having injured an individual, or purloined a single loaf of bread. sequence of this signal mark of protection from heaven,

In con