"Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face." Be still under sore afflictions.-They are all deserved. They are all ordered of God. They are embraced among the "all things "that shall work together for good to them who love God. Murmuring does not lessen, but rather increases the burden of griefs. Submitted to, acquiesced in, sanctified, every sorrow may distil new joys; every affliction may work out "a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Many a saint has never experienced the infinite preciousness of the Gospel, until the rod of God is upon him. It is when in the vale, with the eyes uplifted and the mouth closed -"I was dumb"-that the stars of promise glisten on the spiritual vision, and the Sun of righteousness darts his rays of comfort and holy joy on the stricken soul. spirit of revenge, all the trials and oppositions we can meet with, till called to the regions of security and eternal peace. The cultivation of this lovely spirit is not impossible. It was manifested by the holy Stephen, when he died praying that his death might not be laid to the charge of his enemies; and still more fully by our blessed Lord, when he prayed with his dying breath for the forgiveness of his murderers. What dignity was thus shown! How clear was the fact that the atmosphere their souls breathed was that of heaven! What an illustration, too, was this language used by David, of the power of religion on his heart. To him thrones and crowns were small affairs, he knew the vanity and impurity of earth, and his constant fellowship with God had shown him the unspeakable realities and glories of heaven. He felt that there, and there only, was full and lasting rest-solid and pure enjoyment. "Rise, my soul, and stretch thy wings, Thy better portion trace; Towards heaven, thy native place." RISING TO HEAVEN. BEAUTIFUL indeed is the aspiration of the Psalmist, "O that I had wings like a dove, for then would I fly away and be at rest," Psa. lv. 6. Who could ever watch the dove in its habits and flight, without feeling his tenderness and devotion increased? Its melting, mourning cooings seem to indicate ardent affection, while its rapid, high, and unwearied flight, intimates its strong desire for higher enjoyments. Pliny describes this bird as without gall, indicating both the purity and the kindness of its nature; and other na-sidered in a twofold light. 1. As an turalists tell us that when it is wounded by an arrow, it will clasp its wings to its side, and conceal alike the wound and its cause, even to its own death. Even so should we bear with quiet It is distinguished from justification patience and submission, free from the thus-justification changeth our law SANCTIFICATION. IT is that work of God's grace by which we are renewed after the image of God, set apart for his service; and enabled to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness. It must be carefully con estimable privilege granted us from God, 1 Thess. v. 23. And, 2. As an all incomprehensible duty required of us by his holy word, 1 Thess. iv. 3. 4. A necessary work, necessary as to the evidence of our state, the honour of our characters, the usefulness of our lives, the happiness of our minds, and the internal enjoyment of God's presence in a future world, John iii. 3; Heb. xii. 14. before God as a Judge; sanctification fession or bare morality, Psa. li. 6. changeth our heart and life before him as our Father. Justification precedes, and sanctification follows as the fruit and evidence of it. The surety-righteousness of Christ imputed is our justifying righteousness, but the grace of God implanted is the matter of our sanctification. Justification is an act done at once; sanctification is a work which is done gradually. Justification removes the guilt of sin; sanctification the power of it. Justification delivers us from the avenging wrath of God; sanctification conforms us to his image. Yet justification and sanctification are inseparably connected in the promise of God, Rom. viii. 28-30; in the covenant of grace, Heb. viii. 10; in the doctrines and promises of the Gospel, Acts v. 31; and in the experience of all true believers, 1 Cor. vi. 11. Sanctification is, 1, A Divine work, and not to be begun or carried on by the power of man, Tit. iii. 5. 2. A progressive work and not perfected at once, Prov. iv. 18. 3. An internal work, not consisting in external pro Sanctification evidences itself by, 1. A holy reverence, Neh. v. 15. 2. Earnest regard, Lam. iii. 24. 3. Patient submission, Psa. xxxix. 9. Hence Archbishop Usher said of it, "Sanctification is nothing less than for a man to be brought to an entire resignation of his will to the will of God, and to live in the offering up of his soul continually in the flames of love, and as a whole burnt offering to Christ." 4. Increasing hatred to sin, Psa. cxix. 133. 5. Communion with God, Isa. xxiv. 8. 6. Delight in his word and ordinances, Psa. xxvii. 4. 7. Humility, Job xlii. 5, 6. 8. Prayer, Psa. cix. 4. 9. Holy confidence, Psa. xxvii. 1, 10. Praise, Psa. ciii. 1. 11. Uniform obedience, John xv. 8. Biography. THE THREE BROTHERS. MAJOR YOUNG has just issued, through Messrs. Aylott and Jones, a Memoir of three brothers, his sons, who all departed this life in the happy assurance of a blessed immortality through the Lord Jesus Christ. We have repeatedly met with tombstones bearing the names of three brothers, who have been removed from the world within a comparatively short distance of each other; but three brothers dying in the faith, is a rare occurrence; and this is the first production from the press recording the fact that has come to our hands. As the publication is one which speaks to the hearts alike of parents and of children, we shall here present a few of the gems of the little tractate, as set forth by the pen of the bereaved father. WILLIAM. William John Young was eleven years of age when he was first seriously and deeply impressed with the realities of religion. He was born Oct. 6th, 1826, at Snape Hall, near Bedale, in Yorkshire; and I find, in a memorandum-book, that it was in the year 1838 that he first began to inquire, "What shall I do to be saved?" On the evening of the 28th of February, 1838, after family prayers, William anxiously asked me that most important question. I pointed to that only hope of a sinner, "the Lamb of God." From that day, and during the following month, he was very much tried and exercised in his mind. He asked me if he should pray for the Holy Ghost. March 18th, William was under great trial, anxiously inquiring the way. He continued in this state of mind till the 24th, when he told me that he had been up in one of the out-houses to sing and pray. His little brother John asked him what he had been doing? He answered, that he had been to sing Psalms and praise God. On the 27th, he was again in great trouble. He asked me if any could fall away in heaven? I spoke to him of the elect angels; referred him to the promises, and insisted on the final perseverance of the saints in this life, as they are elect according to the fore-knowledge of God. He said, "Will our hearts be perfectly clean before we die, or while we are young?" I told him that we had a body of flesh that must be laid in the grave, and that to the last we shall say, "Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner" 29th: At night he said that he had doubts whether he should be happy in heaven. He asked me how he should know that he was one of the elect. I answered, "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, Matt. v. 6. At night, William told me that he had prayed the Lord to forgive him all his sins for Jesus Christ's sake. It seemed to him as though a voice said to him, Yes, William, I forgive them all. He said he doubted if this came from a good quarter. In the beginning of April, his doubts and fears seemed to be daily dispelling. In my memorandum, dated April 18, I find these words, "How bright does the light shine in dear William!" in the fear of the Lord, with a tender conscience. I one day asked him when he first began to think seriously of religion? He told me that sometime previous to the deep convictions of sin, and exercises of mind, of which I have given the above brief notes, he was one day, after school, led to question himself thus-Am I on the right road? He then opened his Bible on 1 John ii. 1, "My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." How exactly suited was this text to the inquiring child. Will it not bring to the mind of the sincere Christian, the words of the prophet Isaiah (xl. 11), "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather his lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom." Faith unfeigned, worketh by love; and I should do injustice to my subject, which is to testify of the grace of God, were I to neglect to add, that this much-favoured youth was zealous of good works. He loved to visit and to read to the poor sick-to use a part of his pocket money for their relief, and for the promotion of the Gospel. I observe, that he did not work for salvation, he did not labour for Gospel blessings, but from them. The Lord had, of his free grace, dropped mercy, forgiveness, peace, salvation, and blessing into his soul. He felt that God was his Father, and had loved him, and taught him that the Holy Ghost had quickened, and led, and comforted him-and that Jesus, the Christ of God, had died for him, and redeemed him by his blood. The principle that influenced him was the same that actuates every regenerate child of God-that is, love; as it is written, "the love of Christ constraineth us," "we love him because he first loved us, and gave himself for us." William felt that he had much forgiven, and so he loved much. After William's departure, I found two MSS. in his handwriting; one containing a text, or remark, for almost every day in the year, and the other a journal. These I highly esteem, as showing how much he valued the William's walk, as a Christian, has been uniform and consistent-walking | Bible. WILLIAM'S LAST ILLNESS. Some days after, I found it necessary to call in medical assistance. I said to him, "You feel the Lord supporting you ?" He answered, "What should we do without him? How good it is to remember the Parables, now that my eyes are weak, and I cannot read?" April 7th. He said that he had been troubled with doubts; it appeared to him as though it had been all delusion, but these doubts were dispelled; he appeared, though suffering a good deal, to be sweetly supported by Jesus. 18th. He said to me, "I wanted chastening-I was too much taken up with architecture; I wanted to be great. I became cold, and felt much deadness. I must not be too anxious to get well." 21st. He complained of pains in his limbs. Suddenly he exclaimed, "Jesus is mine!" and burst into tears. 23rd. He walked a little in the garden; he remarked how beautiful all things looked-"the flowers, the trees, all the works of God praise him!" He thought if he got better, he should live closer to God. 25th to 27th. He suffered much pain, was very sick and weak, but his good Shepherd still supported him. In the evening he said, "Pray for me, that I may see more of Jesus." 28th. Suffering much from sickness and pain, he said to his mother, "I can bear all things, Christ strengthening me." 29th. He said, "It is all of grace," and that he had enjoyed remarkable revelations of Jesus to his soul; and that evening I read to him the 2nd of Canticles. He said, "I like to hear you read very much; my spirit is willing, but my body is weak. I do not enjoy Jesus so much as I want-I want more patience." May 1st. He said, "I feel happy now (he had been troubled with doubts), I see that in myself I am sinful and bad, but I am beautiful in Jesus." I read to him the latter part of Rom. vii., and also chap. viii. He complained that he often felt very dead, and that his mind wandered in prayer to the things of the world. He said that when he was on a visit to his friends in Derbyshire, last summer, he had sometimes such glorious manifestations of God's love to him, the heavens appeared most beautiful, and he was constrained to sing aloud the praises of God. "I have not told you," he continued, "the interpretation I have made of a dream you had some time ago (I had forgotten it): you thought that you and mamma were standing near some very deep but clear water; at the bottom you saw an earthen vessel; you plunged in and dived to fetch it out; but ere you could reach it, it appeared broken, and some one else took it away; you then saw a little shell, which you secured and brought up out of the water. And this was my interpretation:-That I was the broken vessel that was to be taken away, and the shell that you brought up, was the hope that I was gone to glory." I ¦ told him that I had no doubt whatever of his acceptance with God; this caused a tear to spring up in his eye. He said, "I wish sometimes very much that the Lord would take me, but I fear this is impatience. When I was in the country last year, I wished to read my Bible every day, but I found a disinclination to do so. I persevered, and found afterwards the greatest pleasure in reading, so that I should have been very sorry to have been deprived of the privilege." 2nd. I conversed with him in the morning, his eye still bright, his countenance placid: he said, "I long to go to the Lord; pray for me, that he may soon take me. I long to be with him to sing his praises. You once said that we should walk together in the golden streets of Jerusalem, Rev. xxi. 18. The thought | has been a great comfort to me, and his banner is over me,' Song ii. 24. 3rd. William said, "How sweet it is to know that though we may doubt, He changes not!" He begged of me to pray to Jesus to come and take him. 6th. He said to his mother, "It is a blessed thing to suffer as Jesus suffered; for Jesus said, If it be possible, O Father, let this cup pass from me.' Three o'clock, P.M. He said, "Jesus is mine." His mother answered, “You will soon be with him." I read to him 1 Thess. i. and ii. He exclaimed, "What a sweet servant of God was Paul!" I spoke briefly of God's mercy in having called William to be a follower of those who by faith and patience inherit the promises; he answered, "Oh, what a poor thing am I in patience! But (after a pause) the Lord would give me patience, did he call me to the same trials." I said to him, "William, you will soon be with him, to praise him." He said, "And I shall go no more out." "But perhaps it may please the Lord to delay a little longer, William; his will be done." After reading to him Psa. xlv. and xlvi., he said, At the beginning of the seven thousandth year, I believe, Christ will come to judgment, and will gather in his saints.' 7th. I read to him Psalm v. He asked for Isa. xii:; the chapter being finished, he said, "The God of Jacob be with you." I prayed with him, and was about to leave him; he said, "We will praise God." I repeated the first line of the hymn, "Glory, honour, praise, and power, Be unto the Lamb for ever." His countenance gladdened with holy triumph as he took up the following lines "Jesus Christ is my Redeemer. "The Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!" We repeated together, "Hallelujah!" Sth. I prayed with him. When I arose from my knees, he said, "Praise, praise the Lord! Papa, if we had not the God of Jacob for our help, we should have all been in hell long ago." 9th. Towards the night he said, Lord's time is the best time." 10th. About six o'clock, A.M., William asked for his mamma; he thought he was about to depart. We both went to his bed-side, and watched him till he breathed his last. Between seven and eight, his brothers and sisters were called in; he blessed them, and they each took his hand. His last distinct words, though in a very low voice, were, "Glory to God!" We could not discern the exact moment that his spirit departed; it was about eleven o'clock. VERSES FOUND IN WILLIAM'S HAND- Behold, the day is almost gone, 'Tis good upon a harp to sing And with our timbrels to proclaim his soul. SAMUEL. For some time previous to the illness which terminated the earthly career of Samuel, he had given a good testimony of the work of grace upon of doing wrong; his great dread of This appeared from his fear telling a falsehood; the deep sense that he had of his being a sinner before God; his longing after an assurance that Jesus died for him. He died aged eleven years. The following manuscript which he left shows that his faith was much tried, and that the temptations he had to struggle with were very severe. It is written, "All thy children shall be taught of God." "I felt unhappy, and I read the 1st of John, and it comforted me a little. "I felt great temptations, and I prayed to God to help me. "A blessed day; I felt no temptations. "This morning they tempted me to kill myself; but God will not let the devil overtempt me. Sometimes it makes me feel unhappy, but then it goes off for a time, and I feel better; but they are very bad. Oh, Lord, may I love thee for ever, even for everlasting. "Behold, bless ye thee Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord,' P'sa. |