more closely with God. He was alway for gravity and seriousness in company. addressed by a gentleman of rank,-" M like you and your company well enough, too precise!" "Oh, sir," replied Mr. R a precise God!"

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I. JOHN.

Chap. i, ver. 3.-That which we have seen. and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

The Rev. D. Taylor used frequently to repeat with approbation, the saying of a countryman, who bearing a preacher often introduce the phrase, "I think," called out in the midst of one of his sermons,- -"What' signifies it what you think? Tell us what God says."

Chap. ii, ver. 6.-He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

Scipio Africanus had a son, who had nothing of the father but the name;-a coward,-a dissolute, sorry sake, the son of one of the greatest generals in the world! This son wore a ring upon his finger, wherein was his father's picture. His life and character were so opposite to those of his father, and so anworthy, that, by an act of the senate, he was commanded to forbear wearing that ring. They judged it unfit that he should have the honor to wear the picture of his father, who would not himself bear the resemblance of his father's excellency. The divine command is," Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity."

Chap. iii, ver. 1.-Behold what manner of

Love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.

When the Danish missionaries in India appointed some of their Indian converts to translate a catechism, in which it was mentioned as the privilege of Christians to become the sons of God, one of the translators started at so bold a saying, as he thought it, said, "It is too much; let me rather render it, They shall be permitted to kiss his feet."

Chap. iii, ver. 18.-My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed, and in truth.

A fire having broken out in a village in Denmark, a poor man, who was one of the inhabitants, was very active in giving all the assistance he could, in the parts where it seemed most necessary. But every endeavor to extinguish the flames was in vain; the fire continued to increase. At length the poor man was told that his own house was in great danger; and that he had not a moment to loose, if he wished to save his furniture. "There is something more precious," said he immediately, "that I must first save. My poor sick neighbor is not able to help himself. He will be lost if I do not assist him. I am sure he relies upon me." Thus saying, he flew to his neighbor's house; and before he paid any attention to his own house, or to his furniture, which was all the wealth he had, he rushed, at the hazard of his life, through the flames, that were already coming very near the sick man's bed, took him in his arms, and carried him to a place of safety. The Economical Society at Copenhagen were much pleased when they heard of his noble conduct; and, to show their approbation of it, sent him a present of a silver cup, filled with Danish crowns. On the cup was engraven, in a few words, an account of his generous behavior to his poor helpless neighbor.

Chap. iv, ver. 10.-Herein is love, not that

we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

The following lines, composed by a lunatic, were found written on the wall in his cell after his death:"Could we with ink the ocean fill,

And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;

To write the love of God above,

Would drain the ocean dry;

Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
If stretch'd from sky to sky."

Chap. iv, ver. 21.-And this commandment we have from him, That he who loveth God, love his brother also.

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"I was conversing with a Brahmin one day," says the Rev. H. Townly," respecting the relative morals of Hindoos and Christians; and he said,' Our religion is superior to yours. See what excellent fruits our religion produces; see what saints we have amongst us Hindoos. Such a man was actuated by the principles of Hindooism; he left wife, and children, and family, and extensive property; he left every thing, and spent his life in a wood. Can you produce such a saint as that?' I replied, That we should call him a very great sinner.' Upon what principle?' said I answered, God has given us two commandments, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength, and thy neighbor as thyself; and your Hindoo saint, who went to live in a wood, as long as he lived there, was violating the second great commandment; for, forsaking his neighbors, and kindred, and friends, he could not render them any assistance; he had no longer the opportunity of administering food to the hungry, and relieving the miserable; and can a man, who is living a life of continued disobedience to one of God's commandments, be deemed a saint?"

Chap. v, ver. 14.—And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.

Lord Bolingbroke once asked lady Huntingdon, how she reconciled prayer to God for particular blessings, with absolute resignation to the divine will. "Very easy," answered her ladyship; "just as if I were to offer a petition to a monarch, of whose kindness and wisdom I have the highest opinion. In such a case, my language would be, I wish you to bestow on me such or such a favor; but your majesty knows better than I, how far it would be agreeable to you, or right in itself, to grant my desire. I therefore content myself with humbly presenting my petition, and leave the event of it entirely to you."

III. JOHN.

Ver. 4.-I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.

Lady Stormont, mother of the late Lord Chief Justice Mansfield, on being complimented by another lady, that she had the three finest sons in Scotland to be proud of," made answer, "No, madam; I have much to be thankful for, but nothing to be proud of."

Ver. 10.--If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed.

It is said of the Rev. Mr. Hart, that he made it an inviolable rule, not to let an Arian, an Arminian, or any unsound preacher, occupy his pulpit so much as once. His usual saying on such occasions was, “ I will keep my pulpit as chaste as my bed."

Ver. 5, 6-Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; which have borne witness of thy

charity before the church; whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well.

The late Dr. Waugh of London was once on board a small vessel sailing from Whitby to Hull, when they encountered a very severe storm, and very narrowly escaped being lost at sea; but at last with difficulty they entered Yarmouth roads. On reaching the shore, he immediately walked to the church yard, and kneeling behind a grave-stone, poured out his heart in gratitude to his God and Deliverer: After which, finding himself quite worn out with anxiety and fatigue, and wanting much the comfort of a Christian friend, he wandered through the burying-ground, to find an introduction to one who served his Master. On a neatly-made tomb, it was said that the departed had died in Jesus. This was what he wished; he went to the house where the family resided, introduced himself, and told his interesting tale; and with the aid of their kindness and hospitality, was soon able to pursue his journey.

Ver. 12.-Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true.

Bishop Jewel, amidst all his attainments in learning, was so distinguished for the fervor of his devotion, the sanctity of his life, and the affability of his behavior, that he was admired, and almost loved, by the bitterest enemies of the Protestant faith. In the reign of Henry the VIII, the dean of his college, who was a fierce and bigoted Papist, sometimes said to him, "I should love thee, Jewel, if thou wert not a Zuinglian. In thy faith, thou art an heretic; but surely in thy life thou art an angel. Thou art very good and honest, but a Lutheran."