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named Luke Short, then about fifteen years old, and a native of Dartmouth. Soon after he went to America, where he passed the rest of his life, first at Marblehead, and afterwards at Middleborough, Massachusetts. Mr. Short's life was lengthened much beyond the usual time. When an hundred years old, he had sufficient strength to work on his farm, and his mental faculties were very little impaired. Hitherto he had lived in carelessness and sin; he was now "a sinner an hundred years old," and apparently ready to" die accursed." But one day as he sat in the field, he busied himself in reflecting on his past life. Recurring to the events of his youth, his memory fixed upon Mr. Flavel's discourse above alluded to, a considerable part of which he was able to recollect. The affectionate earnestness of the preacher's manner, the important truths he delivered, and the effects produced on the congregation, were brought fresh to his mind. The blessing of God accompanied his meditation; he felt that he had not " loved the Lord Jesus Christ;" he feared the dreadful "anathema;" conviction was followed by repentance, and at length this aged sinner obtained peace through the blood of atonement, and was " found in the way of righteousness." He joined the congregational church in Middleborough, and to the day of his death, which took place in his one hundred and sixteenth year, gave pleasing evidences of piety.

II. CORINTHIANS.

Chap. i, ver. 12.-For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

A clergyman in the county of Essex lately resigned two valuable livings into the hands of his diocesan,

the bishop of London, alleging that he could not conscientiously hold them any longer, dissenting from many articles contained in the liturgy of the church of England. The bishop, knowing how much the circumstances of the clergyman would be reduced by the loss of his livings, in the most handsome and friendly manner, before he would accept the resignations, endeavored to remove his scruples, and to prevail upon him to retain his livings, but without effect.

Chap. i, ver. 20.-For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

The faith of Dr. Watts, in the promises of God, was lively and unshaken. "I believe them enough," said he, "to venture an eternity on them." To a religious friend, at another time, he thus expressed himself: 66 I remember an aged minister used to say, that the most learned and knowing Christians, when they come to die, have only the same plain promises for their support, as the common and unlearned; and so," continued he, "I find it. It is the plain promises of the Gospel that are my support: and I bless God, they are plain promises, which do not require much labor and pains to understand them; for I can do nothing now but look into my Bible for some promise to support me, and live upon that."

Chap. ii, ver. 8.-Wherefore I beseech you, that ye would confirm your love toward him.

Some friends were conversing about a person, who, in spite of many remonstrances, and many opportunities of knowing the path of duty, seemed perfectly steeled against every proper impression, and determined to go on in his evil courses.One of the company, who, before he knew the Gospel, had gone to great excess in wickedness himself, remarked, that he saw no necessity for his friends troubling themselves any further with such a character; adding, "If he has an opportunity of knowing Q*

the truth, and will not attend to it, let him take the consequences." A lady sitting by, who knew this person's history, gently reminded him,-" Ah! Mr.

what might have been your state to-day, if others had argued thus in regard to you?" He had himself been indebted to the affectionate and persevering assiduities of a Christian friend, as the means, under the blessing of God, of leading his attention to the revelation of divine mercy.

Chap. ii, ver. 17.--For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

The late venerable Abraham Booth, was one day speaking of a sermon addressed to a church at the ordination of a minister. "The most serious and awful truths," said he, "were delivered in such a way that the most grave could not avoid laughing; though I detested it, I could not help it." He added, with that gravity and earnestnesss peculiar to him, "Had that sermon been printed, and I had been applied to for a title, I would have written, as an appropriate description, DAMNATION, A FARCE!" Those ministers who indulge themselves in this pulpit drollery would do well to read the valuable Essay of Mr. Booth, on the Kingdom of Christ, when, after describing the pulpit harlequin, he quotes,

"If angels tremble, 'tis at such a sight,

More struck with grief or wonder, who can tell?"

Chap. iii, ver. 2, 3.-Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not on tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.

Dr. Witherspoon, president of New-Jersey College, in America, educated five hundred and twentythree young men, one hundred and fifteen of whom were afterwards ministers of the Gospel. He had the satisfaction to see many of his former pupils filling the first offices of trust under the government; and on returning one day from the General Assembly of the Presbyterian church, then sitting in Philadelphia, he remarked to a particular friend, "I cannot, my dear sir, express the satisfaction I feel, when I observe that a majority of our General Assembly were once my own pupils."

Chap. iii, ver. 14.—But their minds were blinded for until this day remaineth the same vail taken away in the reading of the Old Testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

A learned Rabbi of the Jews, at Aleppo, being dangerously ill, called his friends together, and desired them seriously to consider the various former captivities endured by their nation, as a punishment for the hardness of their hearts, and their present captivity, which was continued sixteen hundred years, "the occasion of which," said he, "is doubtless our unbelief. We have long looked for the Messiah, and the Christians have believed in one Jesus, of our nation, who was of the seed of Abraham and David, and born in Bethlehem, and, for aught we know, may be the true Messiah; and we may have suffered this long captivity because we have rejected him. Therefore my advice is, as my last words, that if the Messiah, which we expect, do not come at or about the year 1650, reckoning from the birth of their Christ, then you may know and believe that this Jesus is the Christ, and you shall have no other."

Chap. iv, ver. 7.—But we have the treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Sometimes God is pleased to enrich, with a more than ordinary portion of grace and Gospel truth, persons of feeble constitutions.-Dr. Doddridge at his birth, showed so small symptoms of life, that he was laid aside as dead. But one of the attendants, thinking she perceived some motion or breath, took that necessary care of him, upon which, in those tender circumstances, the feeble flame of life depended, which was so nearly expiring, so soon as it was kindled. He had from his infancy an infirm constitution, and a thin consumptive habit, which made himself and his friends apprehensive, that his life would be very short; and he frequently, especially on the returns of his birth-day, expressed his wonder and thankfulness that he was so long preserved.

Chap. iv, ver. 18.-While we look not at the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

A certain lady, having spent the afternoon and evening at cards, and in gay company, when she came home, found her servant-maid reading a pious book. "Poor melancholy soul," said she, "what pleasure canst thou find in poring so long over a book like that?"-When the lady went to bed she could not fall asleep, but lay sighing and weeping so much, that her servant overhearing her, came and asked her, once and again, what was the matter with her. At length she burst out into a flood of tears, and said, "Oh! it was one word I saw in your book, that troubles me; there I saw that word ETERNITY." The consequence of this impression was, that she laid aside her cards, forsook her gay company, and set herself seriously to prepare for another world.

Chap. v, ver. 2.-For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven.

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