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evangelical, were at the commencement of his min istry erroneous. About the year 1788, he went to visit a woman distinguished by her humility and piety, who was dangerously ill. In endeavoring to prepare her for death, he said to her, "I doubt not but you will die calm and happy." "Wherefore?" asked the sick woman. "Because your life has all been made up of a series of good works." The sick woman sighed; "If I die,” said she, “ confiding in the good works which you call to my recollection, I know for certain that I shall be condemned; but what renders me calm at this solemn hour is, that I trust solely in Jesus Christ my Saviour." "These few words," said Boos, "from the mouth of a dying woman who was reputed a saint, opened my eyes for the first time. I learned what that was— Christ for us.'—Like Abraham, I saw his day; from that time, I announced to others the Saviour of sinners whom I had myself found, and there are many of them who rejoice in him along with me."

Chap. iii, ver. 2.-This only would I learn of you, received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

I preached up sanctification very earnestly for six years in a former parish," says the Rev. Mr. Bennet, in a letter, "and never brought one soul to Christ. I did the same at this parish, for two years, without having any success at all; but as soon as ever I preached Jesus Christ and faith in his blood, then believers were added to the church continually; then people flocked from all parts to hear the glorious sound of the Gospel, some coming six, others eight, and others ten miles, and that constantly. The reason why my ministry was not blessed, when I preached up salvation partly by faith, and partly by works, is, because the doctrine is not of God; and he will prosper no ministers, but such as preach salvation in his own appointed way, viz. by faith in Jesus Christ."

Chap. iii, ver. 10.-Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them.

A laboring man who lived in a sequestered part of one of the counties in England, having lost his wife, and being left with two small children, was much affected with his bereavement. He was led, however, to read his Bible, which he had formerly neglected, together with some other religious books. A tract entitled, "a Dialogue between Thomson the carpenter and Mr. S-," had been left at his cottage. While perusing it, he was peculiarly struck with one of the texts which the carpenter had frequently mentioned. It was, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them;" from that time he saw his guilty condition; his sorrow which had hitherto flowed on account of his wife, was now excited by his own condition, and his mind became deeply alarmed; he sought for rest, but found none: his burden became intolerable. In this state he continued for the space of three months, when he found peace and joy in believing. By a conversation becoming the Gospel, he has continued for a considerable time to prove the reality of the saving change wrought in his soul.

Chap. iv, ver. 10.-Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.

Soon after the coronation of Henry II, of France, a tailor was apprehended for working on a saint's day, and being asked why he gave such offence to religion, his reply was, "I am a poor man, and have nothing but my labor to depend upon; necessity requires that I should be industrious, and my conscience tells me there is no day but the Sabbath which I ought to keep sacred from labor." Having thus expressed himself, he was committed to prison, and being brought to trial, was, by his iniquitous judges, condemned to be burnt.

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Chap. iv, ver. 20.—I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

Mr. Whitefield, in a sermon he preached at Haworth, having spoken severely of those professors of the Gospel, who by their loose and evil conduct caused the ways of truth to be evil spoken of, intimated his hope, that it was not necessary to enlarge much upon that topic to the congregation before him, who had so long enjoyed the benefit of an able and faithful preacher, and he was willing to believe that their profiting appeared to all men. This roused Mr. Grimshaw's spirit, and notwithstanding his great regard for the preacher, he stood up and interrupted him, saying with a loud voice, "Oh sir, for God's sake do not speak so, I pray you do not flatter; I fear the greater part of them are going to hell with their eyes open."

Chap. v, ver. 27.-For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

An Indian visiting his white neighbors, asked for a little tobacco to smoke, and one of them having some loose in his pocket, gave him a handful. The day following, the Indian came back, inquiring for the donor, saying, he had found a quarter of a dollar among the tobacco. Being told, that as it was given him, he might as well keep it; he answered, pointing to his breast," I got a good man and a bad man here, and the good man say, it is not mine, I must return it to the owner; the bad man say, why he gave it you, and it is your own now; the good man say, that not right, the tobacco is yours, not the money; the bad man say, never mind, you got it, go buy some dram; the good man say, no, no, you must not do so;

so I don't know what to do; and I think to go to sleep; but the good man and the bad kept talking all night, and trouble me; and now I bring the money back I feel good.

Chap. v, ver. 21.-Drunkenness, revellings, and such like, of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

A short time since, a man of intemperate habits who had been indulging to excess for a fortnight, having, while in a state of insensibility, slept on the brow of a precipice, was told of bis being mercifully preserved from a danger so great, and warned of the awful consequences of such iniquitous courses. He made light, however, of the admonition, observing, "If I die, I shall go to heaven, I suppose; I am only an honest drunkard." He became once more intoxicated, and, stretched on the cold earth, was found dead next morning.

Chap. vi, ver. 5.-For every man shall bear his own burden.

Bishop Burnet, in his charges to the clergy of his diocese, used to be extremely vehement in his exclamations against pluralities. In his first visitation to Salisbury, he urged the authority of St. Bernard; who being consulted by one of his followers, whether he might accept of two benefices, replied, " And how will you be able to serve them both?" "I intend," answered the priest, " to officiate in one of them by a deputy." "Will your deputy suffer eternal punishment for you too?" asked the saint. "Believe me,

you may serve your cure by proxy, but you must suffer the penalty in person.' This anecdote made such an impression on Mr. Kelsey, a pious and wealthy clergyman then present, that he immediately resigned the rectory of Bernerton in Berkshire, worth

two hundred a year, which he then held with one of great value.

Chap. vi, ver. 10.-As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

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The celebrated Dr. Franklin informs us, that all the good he ever did to his country or mankind, he owed to a small book which he accidentally met with, entitled, Essays to do good," in several sermons from Gal. vi, 10. "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." These sermons were written by Dr. Cotton Mather, a very able and pious minister of the Gospel in Boston. "This little book," he says, "he studied with care and attention-laid up the sentiments in his memory, and resolved from that time, which was in his early youth, that he would make doing good the great purpose and business of his life."

EPHESIANS.

Chap. i, ver. 11.-In whom we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.

Toplady relates the following anecdote of King William III, and Bishop Burnet. The Arminian prelate affected to wonder, "how a person of his Majesty's piety and good sense, could so rootedly believe the doctrine of absolute predestination." The royal Calvinist replied, "Did I not believe absolute predestination, I could not believe a Providence. For it would be most absurd to suppose, that a Being of infinite wisdom would work without a plan; for which plan, predestination is only another word."

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