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good treasure of the heart, bringeth forth good things; and an evil man, out of the evil treasure, bringeth forth evil things.

The Rev. John Flavel being in London in 1673, his old bookseller, Mr. Boulter, gave him the following relation,-"That some time before, there came into his shop a young gentleman to inquire for some play books. He told him he had none, but showed him Mr. Flavel's small treatise of Keeping the Heart, intreated him to read it, and assured him it would do him more good than any play book. The gentleman read the title, and glancing upon several pages here and there, broke out into profane expressions. Mr. Boulter begged of him to buy and read it, and told him he had no reason to censure it so severely. At last he bought it, but told him he would not read it. "What will you do with it then?" said the bookseller. "I will tear and burn it." "Then," said Mr. B. "you shall not have it." Upon this the gentleman promised to read it, and Mr. B. told him, if he disliked it upon reading, he would return him his money. About a month after, the gentleman came to the shop again, and with a serious countenance thus addressed Mr. B. "Sir, I most heartily thank you for putting this book into my hands. I bless God that moved you to do it,—it hath saved my soul; blessed be God that ever I came into your shop." He then bought a hundred of the books, and told him he would give them to the poor who could not buy them.

Chap. xiii, ver. 1, 2.-The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the seaside. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

George Wishart, one of the first Scottish martyrs at the time of the Reformation, being desired to preach

one Lord's day in the church of Mauchline, went thither with that design; but the sheriff of Ayr had, in the night time put a garrison of soldiers into the church to keep him out. Hugh Campbell of Kinzeancleugh, with others in the parish, were exceedingly offended at this impiety, and would have entered the church by force; but Wishart would not suffer it, saying, "Brethren, it is the word of peace which I preach unto you; the blood of no man shall be shed for it this day. Jesus Christ is as mighty in the fields as in the church, and he himself, while he lived in the flesh, preached oftener in the desert and on the seaside, than in the temple of Jerusalem." Upon this the people were appeased, and went with him to the edge of a moor on the south-west of Mauchline, where, having placed himself upon a mound of earth, he preached to a great multitude. He continued speaking for more than three hours, God working wondrously by him; insomuch that Laurence Ranken, the Laird of Shield, a very profane person, was converted by his discourse. The tears ran from his eyes, to the astonishment of all present; and the whole of his after life witnessed that his profession was without hypocrisy.

Chap. xiii, ver. 51.-Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.

The Rev. Mr. Berridge was remarkably careful to preach with great plainness of speech; so much so, that, if possible, there might not be a word uttered which the meanest of his hearers could not understand. On one occasion, when the Rev. Mr. Romaine had been preaching at his church, after the service the good vicar said, " Brother Romaine, your sermon was good, but my people cannot understand your language." Mr. Romaine, whose style was remarkably simple, did not recollect any expression in his sermon that could be above their comprehension, and therefore requested him to mention it. Mr. Berridge said,

"You have endeavored to prove that God is omniscient and omnipotent; but if you had said Almighty, and knew every thing, they would have understood you."

Chap. xiv, ver. 4.-For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.

Dr. Edmund Calamy was a bold reprover of sin, and was never known to be intimidated when he thought his duty was concerned. He dared to censure the conduct of Cromwell to his face. His grandson informs us that he had General Monk for his auditor in his own church, soon after the restoration; and that, having occasion to speak in his sermon of filthy lucre, he said, "Some men will betray three kingdoms for filthy lucre's sake;" and immediately threw his handkerchief, which he usually waved up and down while he was preaching, towards the General's pew.

Chap. xiv, ver. 27.—But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

A certain vessel being overtaken in a storm, the passengers were all much alarmed, and in fear of being drowned, except one, a sweet looking boy, who betrayed no fear nor sorrow. When the storm was over, one of the passengers asked him how he came to be so calm, when all the rest were so terrified. "Oh!" said he smiling, "my father is the pilot." A sweet reflection for a Christian in distress.

"In life's short course, the Christian finds
The force of adverse waves and winds;
But let him not in storms despair,

His Father is the pilot there."

Chap. xv, ver. 9.-But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

"A serious man, from a neighboring parish," says Dr. Latrobe," being one evening at my house on secular business, took occasion to inform me, that there was a great revival of religion in his neighborhood. I expressed much pleasure at the intelligence, but asked him in what manner this happy revival discovered itself;-whether the people appeared more humble, more meek and peaceable, more kind and charitable, better united in their social relations, more virtuous in their lives, &c. He could not answer particularly with respect to these things; but said, 'People were much engaged in attending religious meetings; they had private lectures as often as a preacher could be obtained; and they had conferences almost every evening.' I observed to him, that an attendance on the word preached was highly important, and a hopeful sign; but asked him how it was on the Lord's day; whether they attended on the instituted worship of that day better than they used to do, (for I knew they had been shamefully negligent of that duty.) Why, no,' said he, we don't go to meeting on the Sabbath.' What! I inquired, do you neglect God's institution to observe your own? The prophet marks this as a token of decay in religion."

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Chap. xv, ver. 12, 13.-Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? But he answered, and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.

Mr. Dod having preached against the profanation of the Sabbath, which much prevailed in his parish, and especially among the more wealthy inhabitants, the servant of a nobleman who was one of them, came to him and said, "Sir, you have offended my lord to-day." Mr. Dod replied, " I should not have offended your lord, except he had been conscious to

himself that he had first offended my Lord; and if your lord will offend my Lord, let him be offended."

Chap. xvi, ver. 23.—But he returned and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an offence unto me; for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

"I remember many years ago," says one, "being struck by a little incident, in a parish where the incumbent, a man of most extraordinary Christian benignity, when in company with a clerical friend, rebuked in very plain terms one of his parishioners, for gross misbehaviour on a recent occasion. The reproof was so severe as to astonish his friend, who declared, that if he had addressed one of his flock in similar language, he should have expected an irreconcilable breach. The clergyman of the parish answered him with a gentle pat on the shoulder, and with a smile of Christian wisdom, 'Oh my friend! when there is love in the heart, you may say any thing.''

Chap. xvi, ver. 26.-For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

A person lately deceased, and who possessed a speculative acquaintance with divine truth, had, by unremitting industry, and carefully watching every opportunity of increasing his wealth, accumulated the sum of twenty-five thousand pounds. But, alas! he became engrossed and entangled with the world, and to its acquisitions he appears to have sacrificed infinitely higher interests. A dangerous sickness, that brought death near to his view, awakened his fears. Conscience reminded him of his neglect of eternal concerns, and filled him with awful forebodings of

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