conciler,, and pledge of bliss. A repentance and unfeigned faith unto faith, which without the merit living members of Christ. of works, doth of grace, and through · The Christian Church constithe deserving of Christ, justify us, tutes here below a body militant, held and then shows itself by love. together in one spirit, and looks

• The Christian church has one forward to appear hereafter in garonly baptism, namely, the remission ments of triumph and glory. of sins by the Holy Ghost, whom Where such sentiments prevail, God poureth out mightily through there surely the truth of the gospel Jesus Christ our Lord, by whose abides, and with the truth its gloenergy we are renewed in true rious author and the anointing.

VIATOR,

ADDRESS TO LABOURERS ON A CANAL.

MR. EDITOR,

as valuable as our own, and are A Pous Clergyman in Lancashire, capable of being themselves enrichdesirous of improving the tempora ed with the inestimable blessings ry sojourn of a considerable number of the Gospel of Christ. Many of of labourers who are employed in them also are far removed from digging a canal through a part of their friends and home on earth; his parish, has printed and circu- and, therefore, there is the greater lated among them the following need that a minister of the Gospel address, which both for its intrinsic should act the part of a friend merit and its valuable example, towards them, and endeavour to I think deserves a place in the direct them to a home in heaven. Christian Guardian. 2. Impressed with these thoughts, To the labourers who are working I have invited as many of you as I upon the Canal, in the township have had an opportunity of seeing, of 0- R-.

to come to public worship; and I My Friends-Since providence am glad to find that several bave has placed you for a time in the accepted the invitation. One of neighbourhood where I exercise my your number, I believe, bas also ministry, I cannot help feeling a attended the Sacrament of the concern for your welfare, and Lord's Supper; and I hope others regarding you as part of the spiri- will be led to think seriously about tual charge committed to my care. that holy ordinance, and feel it And I hope you will all take in their duty and privilege to partake good part the few words which in of it before they leave this part of this paper I feel it my duty to say the country, if they only become to you.

attentive hearers of God's word, I have been grieved to see so and pious observers of that sacred many men wandering and loitering day which He has commanded about on the Sabbath, like sheep every man living to keep holy. having no shepherd--as if no one My Friends, I speak to you the cared for your souls—and I have plain truth when I tell you, that said within myself, God made upon your manner of spending the these men for a more important Sabbath day depends very much, purpose than merely to enrich our under God, both your present and part of the country by labouring at eternal happiness. If you spend it a public work intended for its con. in idleness, drinking, gaming, venience and advantage. They lewdness, or any other kind of vice, have all souls, in the sight of God you will neither be happy here nor

hereafter. For a time God may that God has by one of his minissuffer you to go on in such wicked- ters solemnly warned you against ness; but before very long he will taking encouragement from their be sure to stop your course, and to evil example. You will soon permake you feel by painful experience ceive that the conscientious, upwhat his word declares, “ The way right, and truly valuable people in of transgressors is hard”_" The this place, as well as in every other, end of these things is deuth.”

are those who serve God and keep On the contrary, if you be led boly the Sabbath day; and your by this little address, or by any own character may be fairly judged other means, to spend the day of according as you attend to these strictly as God requires and expects things or habitually neglect them. you to spend it, namely, in secret Lastly, let me express my hopes, and public worship, and in reading that as many of you as may, through and hearing his word, you do not the Divine Blessing, be disposed to know what a blessing may come listen to good advice, and to attend upon you. Though you came here the House of God, will so conduct only to dig a Canal, some of you yourselves, when out of Church, as may perhaps turn up a treasure to make it quite clear that you have more precious than gold-yea, than received benefit from being in it. all that this world contains ; you Indeed I feel assured, that if any may have to thank God from your of your number will be so wicked hearts that you ever came among as to cheat about their lodgings, or us, and gratefully to acknowledge do other dishonest and disgraceful • It was there I was first taught things, it will not be those who the way of salvation; it was there come to worship God in his I found Him of whom Moses in the house, and to enquire the way to Law and the Prophets did write, heaven. The fear of God, the Jesus of Nazareth the son of Joseph. knowledge of Christ, and the grace

In hopes of this, I now invite of the Holy Spirit received in you all to come to the House of answer to prayer, will soon put an God, where we shall be glad to end to wilful wickedness. The welcome you. You will find room men who cheat, and steal, and either upon the forms near the drink, and swear, and fight, and do pulpit, or on the left hand side of all kinds of mischief to themselves the gallery. You need not be at and others, are not (as you well all particular about your clothing, know) those who keep holy the if you only come clean and decent. Sabbath day, but those who proAnd if any of you are in want of fane it. Of this I am quite certain, Bibles or Prayer Books, and will otherwise I should not have written come to me, I will put you in the this paper. And if any of youway of procuring them at a very even one single man — shall, moderate price.

through its means, be preserved Some of you, I fear, will disre- from the disgrace and misery to gard this friendly admonition, and which Sabbath-breaking necessarily go on profaning the Lord's day as leads, and be brought to know long as He will permit you. You something of the value and comfort will spend six days in the service of true religion, I shall be abunof an earthly master, but not one in dantly repaid for writing it, and the service of a heavenly master ; feel thankful to God for putting it and in this sin, I am sorry to say, into my mind. you will find but too many of the Believe me your sincere friend regular inhabitants of the neigh- and servant in the Gospel of Christ. bourhood to keep you in counte

E. W. nance. Do not, however, forget C- , April 24, 1828.

DISCOURSE ON ISAIAH LV. 8, 9.

“ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the

Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts,"

The thoughts and ways of the ours, how infinitely more excellent Lord in his dealings with sinners are they! and happy are we, that are very different and contrary to the Lord deals not with us by such those of men, and as far above rules, He chooses the poor of them as the highest heavens are this world in preference to the above the depths of the earth, yet we rich, that they should be rich in are apt nevertheless to judge of the faith, and heirs of the kingdom.-Almighty agreeably to our super- Learn hence, ye that are poor, to ficial and limited ideas, and to be contented in your low estate, compare him with human beings. to rejoice in your spiritual privileges The wicked almost reduce him to and expectations, to be cheerful in a level with themselves in a moral the station appointed you in the view, and even the righteous, form world, looking forward with earnestvery inadequate and imperfect con- ness to a higher and a better–be ceptions of his ways and works. thankful for the many advantages

We may observe that God's you possess, and pray for those ways are different from ours, who are rich, and abound in this First, in the objects of his choice. world's goods, that they may not

If we were to choose relations, be put off with a perishing inwe should most probably prefer heritance. God, who is the perthose who were rich and noble; fection of wisdom, imparts his two properties of wonderful esti- divine knowledge to the ignorant mation in affording us the ability in preference to the learned—to of gratifying the pride of our hearts those whom we should despise for by splendor, and luxury, and the their meanness, inexperience, and pomp of worldly honors. If we ignorance. He oft-times reveals undertook to instruct we should that wisdom unto babes, which he select those who were most intel. withholds from the wise and pruligent and docile, whose under- dent, as it is written, " I will destandings were most capable of stroy the wisdom of the wise, and readily attaining knowledge, who will bring to nothing the underwould incline their ear unto wisdom, standing of the prudent.” He also and who would receive instruction selects the humble penitent sinner, with meekness and gentleness of before those who pride themselves spirit. If we were to confer favors on account of their morality. The we should bestow them upon those self-righteous Pharisee who witwhom we considered most worthy, nessed that affecting and interesting and deserving our bounty or kind- scene between our blessed Saviour ness; we generally conceive the and her that was a sinner, instead unworthiness of an object a pre- of rejoicing at the hopeful tokens ventive to kindness, and reject those which she manifested of repentance, who have brought trouble on them. confined his hard thoughts entirely selves by their own misconduct and to her former scandalous character ; imprudence; and should they have while she, convinced of her guilt provoked or injured us, we deem and danger, and repenting truly of it a sufficient reason for withhold her sins, threw herself at the Reing our favor.-But mark the deemer's feet, she bathed them difference of our ways from the plenteously with her tears, wiping Lord's, how greatly His transcend them with her hair, kissing them

in the most affectionate and respect. sins of the whole world. By faith ful manner, and anointing them in Christ, and his righteousness, with valuable ointment.--The Lord we may stand justified before God, seeth not as man seeth, he pene none are too vile, all are invited to trates into the inmost recesses of come without exception, and this the heart, therefore he said unto is the gracious invitation : “ Ho the woman, “ thy sips are for- every one that thirsteth, come ye given." And who art thou, o to the waters, and he that hath no sinner, that darest to call in money, come ye, buy and eat; yea, question the just decrees of thy come buy wine and, milk without Creator, and presumptuously to money and without price.” “Indictate to tbe Sovereign Lord of cline your ear unto me, hear, and heaven and earth; rather bow thy- your soul shall live.” None are self down in the dust before him, here excluded, only “Let the and hearken with reverential awe wicked forsake his way, and the to the words of his mouth. “For unrighteous man his thoughts, and as the heavens are higher than the let him return unto the Lord, earth, so are my ways higher than and he will have mercy upon your ways, and my thoughts than him, and unto our God for he your thoughts."-This accords with will abundantly pardon." Therefore the experience of the primitive let the discouraged and fearful Christians, and with the church penitent remember that where sin of God in every age and place, abounded, grace doth still more The Apostle declares that “ not abound, for the blood of Christ many mighty, not many noble, are cleanseth from all sin. Who could called, but that God hath chosen have conceived also that God the foolish things of the world to would send his holy Spirit to dwell confound the wise, and the weak in our hearts as our instructor in, things of the world to confound righteousness, our sanctifier and the things that are mighty, and comforter? Thus hath God quickbase things of the world, and things ened us together in Christ by his that are despised, hath God chosen; Holy Spirit, for he is our peace, yea, and things that are not, to who hath made both one, and hath bring to nought the things that broken down the middle wall of are, that no flesh should glory in partition between us. He is the his presence,”

great author, centre and substance Secondly, In the extent of his of our reconciliation with God. love (or mercy).

Who could have imagined or how Were we, as indifferent persons, could it have entered into the heart to be informed of the whole history of man to conceive, that he should of the human race; of God's mercy not only bestow upon us his favour to man from the first; of man's and love here, but also the promises ingratitude and continual rebellion of his glory, and the enjoyinent ever since--if we knew that man of himseif hereafter ! To be joint deserved the heaviest vengeance; heirs with Christ and dwell with but that God had determined to be him for ever! oh, wonderful love! merciful, yet we should scarcely we shall there see him face to face, have conceived that his mercy we shall be one with Christ and would have extended farther than Christ with us. Is not this glad to have granted us pardon. But news of salvation and perfect hapbehold the stupendous love and piness as much above our compremercy of Almighty God to re- hension and desert, as the heavens bellious sinners! He so loved the are higher than the earth ? world that he gave his only be- Thirdly, as to God's dealing or disgotten Son to be a sacrifice for the pensing of his favour to his servants. We might naturally suppose that and circuitous; but rest with firm God's servants and faithful people, confidence on the rock of ages, and who walk in his commandments, he will carry you in safety through delight in his ordinances, and ob- every peril to that place of peace serve his statutes, would enjoy even and felicity, prepared for the faithful the abundance of his temporal bless. in the Lord, and the time will come, ings; be seldom, if ever, visited by yea, is even now fast approaching, pain and sickness; that sorrow and when you shall bless God for every calamity would be strangers to pang you have endured, and for their dwellings ; that they would every affliction he has laid upon you, be delivered from the danger of “Weeping may endure for a night, falling into sin, and be freed from but joy cometh in the morning!” the temptations, snares, and arts Let us then, first, in all the conof the Devil. So imperfect is our cerns of this mortal life, commit knowledge of the Most High, and ourselves entirely unto God : in the so incompetent are we to fathom hour of affliction, and in the season the mysterious dispensations of his of adversity let us more especially providence towards those whom he trust in Him for help and deliloves. For infinitely good and wise verance, remembering that his purposes, the reverse of this is thoughts are not our thoughts, nor generally the case, “ for whom the his ways our ways. The darkest Lord loveth be chasteneth, and providence may be the most necescorrecteth every son whom he re. sary and useful to us. While we ceiveth.” If we had no afflictions exclaim with Jacob—" All these we should attach our hearts entirely things are against me ;” let us to this world, its pleasures and reflect that the burden which is so enjoyments, which are at the best grievous and hard to be borne empty and insufficient to satisfy may be absolutely indispensable for our immortal souls; we should our eternal salvation, otherwise we never know what a sure refuge might never have felt ourselves God is to his people ; and if we had weary and heavy laden with our no internal conflicts, no spiritual sins, hungry and thirsty, poor and enemies to subdue and overcome, naked. “But fear thou not, saith we should be apt to presume on the Lord, for I am with thee, our own strength, and trust in our neither be dismayed, for I am thy own righteousness; we should not God; I will strengthen thee; yea, think of the depravity of our nature, I will help ; yea, I will uphold thee nor feel our great need of divine with the right arın of my rightegrace and assistance; we should not ousness." Let these considerabe impressed with our urgent want tions silence every murmur, restrain of a Saviour, an intercessor and every repining and discontented mediator before God; we should thought, and animate and encounot perceive that we are miserable, rage us to say with confidence, and poor, and blind, and naked, even under the most afflictive cirand that it is only through the all- cumstances, “ Though he slay me, prevailing merits of Christ and his yet will I trust in him.” For when righteousness, that we can meet afflictions humble us for our sins, with acceptance from God, and be and make us flee to Jesus for parrescued from condemnation and don and salvation, they then become everlasting death. If we experi. real blessings. enced no storms in the ocean of Secondly, Let us magnify and life, we should not so anxiously long adore our God for the blessings to reach the haven of everlast of his grace. Well may every ing rest. The paths God chooses humble believer exclaim “What for his people may be intricate manner of love is this that God, the