ions, at a tavern, the conversation happened to turn on the excellencies and faults of their wives. The husband just mentioned gave the highest encomiums of his wife, saying she was all that was excellent, only she was a Methodist. Notwithstanding which," said he, “such is her command of her temper, that were I to take you, gentlemen, home with me at midnight, and order her to rise and get you a supper, she would be all submission and cheerfulness." The company looking upon this merely as a boast, dared him to make the experiment by a considerable wager. The bargain was made, and about midnight the company adjourned, as proposed. Being admitted, "Where is your mistress?" said the husband to the maid-servant who sat up for him. "She is gone to bed, sir." "Call her up," said he," Tell her I have brought some friends home with me, and desire she would get up and prepare them a supper." The good woman obeyed the unreasonable summons; dressed, came down, and received the company with perfect civility; told them that she happened to have some chickens ready for the spit, and that supper should be got as soon as possible. The supper was accordingly served up, when she performed the honors of the table with as much cheerfulness as if she had expected company at a proper season. After supper, the guests could not refrain from expressing their astonishment. One of them particularly, more sober than the rest, thus addressed himself to the lady: "Madam," said he, "your civility fills us all with surprise. Our unreasonable visit is in consequence of a wager, which we have certainly lost. As you are a very religious person, and cannot approve of our conduct, give me leave to ask, what can possibly induce you to behave with so much kindness to us?" "Sir," replied she," when I married, my husband and myself were both in a carnal state. It has pleased God to call me out of that dangerous condition. My husband continues in it. I tremble for his future state. Were he to die as he is, he must be miserable for

ever: I think it, therefore, my duty to render his present existence as comfortable as possible." This wise and faithful reply affected the whole company. It made a deep impression on the husband's mind. "Do you, my dear," said he, "really think I should be eternally miserable? I thank you for the warning; by the grace of God, I will change my conduct." From that time he became another man, a serious Christian, and consequently a good husband. "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives."

Chap. viii, ver. 3.-But if any man love God, the same is known of him.

An aged Christian in great distress of mind, was once complaining to a friend of his miserable condition; and among other things, said, "that which troubles me most is, that God will be dishonored by my fall." His friend hastily caught at this, and used it for the purpose of comforting him:-"Art thou careful of the honor of God? and dost thou think that God hath no care of thee and of thy salvation? A soul forsaken of God cares not what becomes of the honor of God; therefore be of good cheer; if God's heart were not towards thee, thine would not be towards God, or towards the remembrance of his name."

Chap. viii, ver. 13.-Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

"A chief of Huahine once asked me," says Mr. Ellis, missionary to the South Sea Islands, "whether it would be right, supposing he were walking in his garden on that day, (the Sabbatb) and saw ripe plantains hanging from the trees that grew by the side of the path, to gather and eat them; I answered, that I

thought it would not be wrong. I felt inclined to do so, said he, last Sabbath, when walking in my garden, but on reflecting that I had other fruit ready plucked and prepared, I hesitated, not because I believed it would be in itself sinful, but lest my attendants should notice it, and do so too, and it should be a general practice with the people to go to their gardens, and gather fruit to eat on the Sabbath, which would be very unfavorable to the proper observance of that sacred day."

Chap. ix, ver. 27.-But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away.

The Rev. Mr. S. an eminent divine of the church of England, happened to dine with several other clergymen, in the house of a pious gentleman. After dinner, the conversation turned on the prevailing faults of serious Christians. Mr. S. said, that one of the most obvious sins which those of them who are wealthy, are apt to indulge in, is the keeping too good tables; that various courses, expensive removes, and luxurious dishes, savored too much of the world, had a tendency to draw away the heart from God, to cherish the desires of the carnal mind, and to make people fond of what is unworthy of a man's attention, good eating; and then, in his plain blunt way, he added, "I cannot help saying, that the dinner we had to-day, was not quite agreeable to my ideas of Christian simplicity." The hint was taken, and though Mr. S. repeatedly afterwards dined in the same house, he never once had occasion to repeat his remark.

Chap. x, ver. 13.-God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

When Bishops Latimer and Ridley, who were burnt at Oxford, in 1555, were brought to the stake, Latimer lifted up his eyes with a sweet and amiable countenance, saying, "God is faithful, who will not suffer us to be tempted above that which we are able." When they were brought to the fire, on a spot of ground on the north of Baliol College, where after an abusive sermon, being told by an officer that they might now make ready for the stake, Latimer, having thrown off his prison attire, appeared in a shroud prepared for the purpose; "And whereas before," says Fox, "he seemed a withered and crooked old man, he stood now bolt upright, as comely a father as one might lightly behold." Being thus ready, he recommended his soul to God, and delivered himself to the executioner, saying to his fellow sufferer," We shall this day, brother, light such a candle in England as shall never be put out."

Chap. x, ver. 24.-Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.

In the hard frost of the year 1740, the benevolent Duke of Montague went out one morning in disguise, as was his favorite practice, in order to distribute his bounty to his suffering fellow creatures. He descended into one of those subterraneous dwellings of which there are many in London, and accosting an old woman, enquired, "How she lived in these hard times, and if she wanted charity." "No," she replied, "she thanked God, she was not in want; but if he had any thing to bestow, there was a poor creature in the next room almost starving." The duke visited this poor object, made her a donation, and then enquired of the old woman, "If any more of her neighbors were in want?" She said, "Her left

hand neighbor was very poor, and very honest.”.

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Surely," replied the duke," you are very generous, and disinterested; pray, if it is no offence, let me know your own circumstances." "I owe nothing," said the good woman, "and am worth thirty shillings."

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"Well, but I suppose a little addition would be acceptable." Yes, certainly, but I think it wrong to take what others want so much more than I do."The duke upon this took out five guineas, and desiring her acceptance of them, left the poor woman quite overcome by this mark of his generosity, and expressing in the warmest language her gratitude for his kindness.

Chap. xi, ver. 24.—Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you.

A Roman Catholic gentleman in England being engaged to marry a Protestant lady, it was mutually agreed, that there should be no contests on the subject of religion. For some years after their union, this agreement was scrupulously observed; but in the course of time, the priest, who had paid them frequent visits, expecting to find no difficulty in making a convert of the lady, began to talk about the peculiarities of his religion; He particularly insisted upon the doctrine of transubstantiation, and grew troublesome by his importunity. To avoid being farther teazed by him, she one day seemed to be overcome by his arguments, and agreed to attend at mass with her husband the following Sabbath, provided she might be allowed to prepare the wafer herself. The priest not suspecting any thing, and glad on any terms to secure such a convert, gave his consent.The lady accordingly appeared at the chapel with her husband, and after the consecration of the wafers which she had brought with her, she solemnly demanded of the priest whether it was really converted into the body of Christ? to which question he without hesitation replied, That there was a conversion made of the whole substance of the bread into the body of Christ, and that there remained no more of its form or substance. "If this be really the case," said she, " you may eat the wafer without any danger; but as for myself, I should be afraid to touch it, as it is mixed with arsenic. The priest was overwhelmed by a discovery so unexpected, and was too wise to