ter in this point:-One of his people had travelled all the way from Newton to his father's, where he usually resided, to communicate to him an unfavorable report concerning another member of the congregation. Some friends being with him, this person was requested to stay and dine with them. After dinner, he took occasion, in a jocular manner, to ask each person, in his turn, how far he had ever known a man travel to tell an evil report of his neighbor; when some gave one reply, and some another; he at last came to this individual, but without waiting for his self-condemning reply, or unnecessarily exposing him, Mr. Waugh stated, that he had lately met with a Christian professor, apparently so zealous for the honor of the church, as to walk fourteen miles with no other object than that of making known to his minister the failings of a brother member. He then in a warm and impressive manner enlarged on the praise of that" charity which covers a multitude of sins; which rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth."

Chap. iii, ver. 9.-But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

While Melancthon was at Spires, he paid a visit to Bretten, to see his mother. This good woman asked him, what she must believe, amidst these disputes. She repeated to him the prayers she was used to make, and which contained nothing that was superstitious. "Continue," said he, "to believe and pray as you have done hitherto, and never trouble yourself about controversies."

PHILEMON.

Ver. 11.—Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and

to me.

The servants of Lord were greatly impressed, and evidently reformed, under the preaching of the Gospel at His lordship being one day on the promenade, was jeered by some of the company upon the revolution which had taken place among his servants by the change of their religion. The noble lord replied, "As to the change of their religion, or what their religious sentiments are, I cannot tell; but one thing I know, that since they have changed their religion they have been much better servants, and shall meet with no opposition from me."-How happy it is when servants thus adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour, and by well-doing put to silence the ignorance of foolish men!

HEBREWS.

Chap. i, ver. 6.—And again, when he bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

It was during the reign of Theodosius the Great, in the fourth century, that the Arians, through the lenity of the emperor, made their most vigorous attempts to undermine the doctrine of the divinity of Jesus Christ. The event, however, of his making his son Arcadius partner with himself on his throne, was happily overruled to his seeing the God-dishonoring character of their creed. Among the bishops who came to congratulate him on the occasion, was the famous and esteemed Ampilochus, who, it is said, had suffered much under the Arian persecution. He approached the emperor, and, making a very handsome and dutiful address, was going to take his leave. "What," says Theodosius," do you take no notice of my son? Do you not know that I have made him a partner with me in the empire?"-Upon this the good old bishop went to young Arcadius, then about six

teen years of age, and putting his hand upon his head, said, "The Lord bless thee, my son!" and immediately drew back. Even this did not satisfy the emperor. "What," said he, "is this all the respect you pay to a prince, that I have made of equal dignity with myself?" Upon this, the bishop arose, and looking the emperor in the face, with a tone of voice solemnly indignant, said," Sir, do you so highly resent my apparent neglect of your son, because I do not give him equal honor with yourself? What must the eternal God think of you, who have allowed his co-equal and co-eternal Son to be degraded in his proper divinity in every part of your empire ?"—This was as a two-edged sword in the heart of the empeHe felt the reproof to be just and confounding, and no longer would seem to give the least indulgence to that creed, which did not secure divine glory to the "Prince of Peace."

ror.

Chap. ii, ver. 3.-How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation! which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.

Mr. Blackader has recorded some instances of the powerful preaching of Mr. Welsh, a cotemporary minister. "At one time, after having removed all impediments that might hinder sinners from embracing the salvation offered in the Gospel, he said at the conclusion, I must enter my protestation in my Master's name, against any here who will not close with A woman in the the offer, and give their consent.' company cried out, Hold your hand, sir; do it not, for I give my consent.'

Chap. iii, ver. 4.-For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

"See here," says Mr. Robinson, “I hold a Bible in my hand, and you see the cover, the leaves, the

letters, the words, but you do not see the writers or the printer, the letter-founder, the ink-maker, the paper-maker, or the binder. You never did see them, you never will see them; and yet there is not one of you who will think of disputing or denying the being of these men. I go farther, I affirm that you see the very souls of these men in seeing this book, and you feel yourselves obliged to allow that, by the contrivance, design, memory, fancy, reason, and so on. In the same manner, if you see a picture, you judge there was a painter; if you see a house, you judge there was a builder of it; and if you see a room contrived for this purpose and another for that, a door to enter, a window to admit light, a chimney to hold fire, you conclude that the builder was a person of skill and forecast, who formed the house with a view to the accommodation of its inhabitants. In this manner examine the world, and pity the man who, when he sees the signs of the wheat-sheaf, hath sense enough to know that there is a joiner, and somewhere a painter, but who, when he sees the wheat-sheaf itself, is so stupid as not to say to himself, this had a wise and good Creator."

Chap. iv, ver. 1.-Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

Mr. Philip Henry said to some of his neighbors who came to see him on his death-bed, "Oh make sure work for your souls, my friends, by getting an interest in Christ while you are in health. If I had that work to do now, what would become of me? I bless God, I am satisfied. See to it, all of you, that your work be not undone when your time is done lest you be undone for ever."

Chap. v, ver. 2.-Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are

out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

"I received a most useful hint," says Cecil," from Dr. Bacon, then Father of the University, when I was at college. I used frequently to visit him at his living, near Oxford: he would frequently say to me, "What are you doing? What are your studies ?"— "I am reading so and so."-You are quite wrong. When I was young, I could turn any piece of Hebrew into Greek verse with ease. But when I came into this parish, and had to teach ignorant people, I was wholly at a loss: I had no furniture. They thought me a great man, but that was their ignorance; for I knew as little as they did, of what it was important for them to know. Study chiefly what you can turn to good account in your future life."

Chap. v, ver. 12.-For when for the time. ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God, and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong

meat.

Mr. Grimshaw once apologized for the length of his discourse, to this effect: If I were in some situations, I might not think it needful to speak so much; but many of my hearers who are wicked and careless, are likewise very ignorant, and very slow of apprehension. If they do not understand me, I cannot hope to do them good; and when I think of the uncertainty of life, that perhaps it may be the last opportunity afforded; and that it is possible I may never see them again, till I meet them in the great day, I know not how to be explicit enough; I endeavor to set the subject in a variety of lights; I express the same thoughts in different words, and can scarcely tell how to leave off, lest I should have omitted something, for the want of which, my preaching and their