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observed, that if so, he must have acquired considerable aptness in this exercise. The poor man replied, that, as to ability, he had nothing to boast of. The marquis then insisted on his kneeling down, and praying aloud before him; which he did, and poured forth his soul before God with such copiousness, fluency and ardor, that the marquis took him by the hand, and said, he was satisfied that no man could pray in the manner who did not live in the habit of intercourse with his God. He not only revoked the sentence, but received him into his peculiar favor, placing him among his personal attendants, and in the way to promotion.

Chap. x, ver. 42.—And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

Adalbert, who lived in the tenth century, was appointed Archbishop of Prague. This preferment seemed to give him so little satisfaction, that he was never seen to smile afterwards; and on being asked the reason, he replied, "It is an easy thing to wear a mitre and a cross, but an awful thing to give an account of a bishopric before the Judge of quick and dead."

Chap. xi, ver. 6.—But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning: and expounded it by order unto them.

"I don't know," said a gentleman to the late Rev. Andrew Fuller, "how it is that I can remember your sermons better than those of any other minister, but such is the fact."-"I cannot tell" replied Mr. Fuller, "unless it be owing to simplicity of arrangement; I pay particular attention to this part of composition, always placing things together that are related to each other, and that naturally follow each other in succession. For instance," added he, "suppose I were to say to my servant, Betty, you must go and

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buy some butter, and starch, and cream, and tea, and blue, and sugar, and cakes,' Betty would be very apt to say, Master! I shall never be able to remember all these.' But suppose I were to say, 'Betty you know your mistress is going to have some friends to tea to-morrow, and that you are going to wash the day following; and that for the tea party, you will want tea, and sugar; and cream, and cakes, and butter; and for the washing you will want soap, and starch and blue;' Betty would instantly reply, Yes, master, I can now remember them all very well.'"

Chap. xi, ver. 18.-Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

In one of the counties in England, which is famous for its mines, lived a collier, who had spent a great part of his life in a careless and ungodly manner. Not accustomed to attend the preaching of the Gospel, he was grossly ignorant of divine things. From his habits of vice, and aversion to the worship of God, his case appeared very hopeless. God was pleased, however, to accomplish his conversion to himself in a way exceedingly simple, yet truly marvellous. Though regardless of concern for his own spiritual welfare, he was induced to permit the attendance of his children at a Sabbath school. It pleased God to visit one of the daughters of this wicked father with a mortal sickness; but before her death, she was rendered instrumental in exciting the attention of her parent to the concerns of his soul. "Father," enquired the dying child, "can you spell repentance?" This artless question, through the blessing of God, was effectual to awaken concern. "Spell repentance," repeated the astonished father, "what is repentance?" Thus he became desirous of knowing, and ultimately was taught its sacred meaning. He also discovered that he needed repentance, that he was a guilty sinner, deserving God's everlasting wrath. Repentance unto life was granted him, and

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he was enabled by grace to bring forth the fruits of righteousness in his conversation.

Chap. xii, ver. 5.-Peter therefore was kept in prison; but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

Mr. Elliot, who labored as a missionary among the American Indians, was eminent in prayer; and several instances are recorded of remarkable answers having been given to his petitions; the following is striking.

Mr. Foster, a godly gentleman of Charlestown, was with his son taken by the Turks; and the barbarous prince, in whose dominions he was become a slave, was resolved, that in his lifetime, no captive should be released: so that Mr. Foster's friends, when they had heard the sad news, concluded that all hope was lost. Upon this, Mr. Elliot, in some of his next prayers before a great congregation, addressed the throne of grace in the following very plain language: "Heavenly Father, work for the redemption of thy poor servant Foster. And if the prince, who detains him, will not, as they say, dismiss him as long as himself lives, Lord, we pray thee, kill that cruel prince : kill him, and glorify thyself upon him." In answer to this singular prayer, Mr. Foster quickly returned from captivity, and brought an account, that the prince who had detained him had come to an untimely death; and that by that means he had been set at liberty. "Thus we knew," says Dr. Cotton Mather, "that a prophet had been among us."

Chap. xii, ver. 11.—And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

One Mr. Barber, a Protestant, was, in the reign

of Queen Mary, condemned to the flames. The morning of execution arrived. The intended martyr walked to Smithfield, and was bound to the stake. The faggots were piled round him, and the executioner only waited for the word of command to apply the torch. Just at this crisis, tidings came of the queen's death; which obliged the officers to stop their proceedings, until the pleasure of the new queen (Elizabeth) should be known. In memory of so providential a deliverance, by which the good man was as a brand plucked out of the fire, he was no sooner released from his imprisonment and troubles, than he got a picture of Queen Elizabeth made, decorated round with significant ornaments, and ordered in his will that the picture should be transmitted as a memorial to future times, in the eldest branch of his family..

Chap. xiii, ver. 9, 10.-Then Paul said, Oh full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

While Polycarp was at Rome, he employed his time in confirming the faithful and convincing gainsayers, whereby he reclaimed many who had been infected with the pernicious heresies of Marcian and Valentinus; and so very fervent was his affection for the truth, that whenever he heard of any of the mischievous opinions of his times mentioned, he used to stop his ears, and cry out, " Good God! to what times hast thou reserved me, that I should hear such things!" And one day meeting Marcian, who called to him, saying," Polycarp, own us," he replied, "I own thee to be the first-born of Satan."

Chap. xiii, ver. 38-41.-Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that be

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lieve are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware, therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets; Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man‘declare it unto you.

A candidate for the Gospel ministry was lately invited to settle over a congregational society in NewEngland. In giving the invitation there was a general union in the church and society. A few, however, on the ground of religious sentiments, were opposed to the settlement. Among the opposers, one man was exceedingly bitter. This person was open and explicit in expressing the hatred of his heart toward those doctrines, commonly called the doctrines of grace, that were preached by the candidate. The invitation was accepted, and the day appointed for the ordination. A few weeks previous to the day, in conversation with some neighbors on the subject of the candidate's settlement among them, the man expressed himself in the following manner :-" "I wish I may die before he is settled here." The appointed day approached, and the man remained unrelenting in his opposition. On the morning of the Sabbath preceding the day of ordination, being in usual health, and busied in some domestic concern, he was seized in a very surprising manner. In an unexpected mo→ ment, he was struck into a state of insensibility, speechless, and hopeless. In this melancholy state he continued till Wednesday morning, the day of ordination, when, about two hours before the commencement of the public solemnities, according to his own desire, he expired! His case was so extraordinary as to baffle the attempts of skilful physicians, either to restore him, or to satisfy themselves as to the natural cause of his situation. To all who witnessed the olemn scene, it evidently appeared that, like Uzzah,

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