THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD Nothing can be more true than that God is in nitely wise, merciful, and good, and yet that he has permitted guilt and misery to enter the world, when it is evident his power could have prevented it. To attempt, therefore, to explain and reconcile the decrees of God with the agency of men, the analogy between God and an earthly parent will not always hold. "I remember," says one, ARISTIDES THE "JUST." After the famous battle of Marathon, Aristides was the only general who stayed to take care of the spoil and the prisoners. Gold and silver were scattered about in abundance, in the enemy's (the Persian) camp. All the tents as well as gallies that were taken were full of rich cloths and costly furniture, and treasures of all kinds to an immense value. Here Aristides had the finest opportunity in the world to have enriched himself, with gentleman once said to me,' Would almost an impossibility of being dis- you, if you were God, create any being covered. But he not only was not to misery?' My answer was, "when I tempted to touch any of it himself, am God I will tell you." It is not but prevented, to the utmost of his proper, therefore, to set up the human power, every body else from meddling passions as a kind of standard and with it. READING AND THINKING. model from which God himself must THREE LESSONS. There are three lessons to be learned It was predicted of a young man lately belonging to one of our universities, that he would certainly become a prodigy, because he read sixteen from the history of Judas:-First, hours a day. "Ah"! replied a fellow that profession is not possession; Sizer, "but how many hours a day does he think?" secondly, that there may be the out ward call without the effectual call; SCEPTICISM. The sceptics, who doubt of everything, and whom Tertullian calls professors of ignorance, do affirm something, when they say we affirm nothing, and admit that something is certain, when they maintain that nothing can be certainly known. can DIVINE KNOWLEDGE. A perfect knowledge of nature is no-where to be found but in the author of it; no less wisdom and understanding than that which made the world, and contrived this vast and regular frame of nature, can thoroughly understand the philosophy of it, and comprehend so vast a design. But yet there is a knowledge which is very proper to man, and lies level to human understanding; and that is the knowledge of our Creator, and of To instruct mankind in things the the duty we owe to him; the wisdom most excellent, and honour and of pleasing God, by doing what he applaud those learned men who commands, and avoiding what he for- perform this service with industry bids. This knowledge and wisdom and care, is a duty, the performance may be attained by man, and is suffi- of which must procure the love of all cient to make him happy.-Tillotson. good men.-Xenophon. POPULAR INSTRUCTION. ADMONITIONS OF THE BIBLE. every farm and meadow, and every Among the Lacedæmonians, there was a law that none should inform his neighbour of any evil that had befallen him; but every man should be left to find it out in process of time. How many ministers and people act as if such a law existed in Britain They dare not tell, and are unwilling to be told, that “the wages of sin is death," and that the wrath of God abideth on every unbeliever. But the law of God's house is exactly the reverse of that we have mentioned. "Son of man," saith the Lord, “I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel," PROGRESSION. garden, and that shall flow on every day, and every day, with their gentle, quiet beauty. So with the acts of our lives. It is not by great deeds, like those of the martyrs, that good is to be done, it is by the daily and quiet virtues of life, the Christian temper, the good qualities of relatives and friends and all, that good is to be done.-Albert Barnes. HOTTENTOTS. Low as the Hottentots of South Africa are sunk in the scale of humanity, their character has been much traduced and misrepresented. They are a mild, quiet, and timid people; entirely harmless, honest, and faithful; and kind and affectionate to each other. They are not defective in talent, though they seldom call it into action. Their indolence is a real If a man has stepped forward but one step, it is progressive-if every day he can increase but one in selfcommand and self-devotion to God, and still retain all or the greater part of that which he has before acquired, disease; and rather than be at the God will view his conduct with trouble of procuring food by the chace, pleasure and delight, and will not or by digging the ground, they will withhold or refuse his gracious aid, fast the whole day, provided they may for Jesus Christ came to save sinners, be allowed to sleep. Eating and and to give to sincerity the reward of sleeping form their highest gratificaperfection. tions. "To think," says the Hottentot, "is to labor, and labor is the scourge of life." THE RIVULET. THE GRACE OF JESUS CHRIST. It is the bubbling spring which flows gently, the little rivulet which runs along day and night by the farm house that is useful, rather than the My Saviour! it is through Thee swollen flood or warring cataract. alone that I can possibly be saved. Niagara excites our wonder, and we When I do evil, I own, most truly, it stand amazed at the power and great- is all my own fault, it is none but ness of God there, as he "pours it mine; I never did, I never can do one from the hollow of His hand." But good action, think one good thought, one Niagara is enough for the conti- or entertain one good conception, but nent or the world; while the same by thy grace, vouchsafed to man world requires thousands and tens through thy love, thy mercy, thy of thousands of silver fountains and sufferings, thy humiliation, and thy gently flowing rivulets, that water glorification on high. AN HONEST MAN. Milton it is well known, was an enlightened and stern republican. It is said that, at the Restoration, he was many changeable creature," saith another i all in changeable colors as the peacock, as often changed as moved. Besides, friends are not more fickle than offered the situation of secretary to false; like deep ponds, clear at the the king, which he refused, notwith- top, and all muddy at the bottom. standing the most pressing importuni- Fide ergo: sed cui vide. Try before ties of his wife. When she urged him you trust; and when you have tried to comply with the times, and accept your utmost, trust not over far, lest the royal offer, his answer is said to you cry out at length, as Queen Elizahave been to the following effect.-beth did, "In trust, I have found "You are right, my dear: like other women, you are ambitious to ride in your coach, while my whole aim is to live and die an honest man." treason;" or as Julius Caesar, when stabbed by Brutus among others, "What, thou, my son, Brutus ?" He was slain in the senate-house, with twenty-three wounds, given mostly by persons whose lives he had preserved. house." A MISANTHROPE. "House! ain't got no "Well, where do you live?" BIBLE SOCIETIES. These institutions are generally allowed to be of inestimable value in "Where is your house ?" asked a disseminating divine truth among all traveller of a man he met in the depths nations. It is, however, no unpleasing of the "old solemn wilderness" of the consideration, that they have induced great West. numbers to listen to the important statements of Christianity, who would "I live in the woods-sleep on the probably have treated with indifference great government purchase eat raw deer-meat and wild turkey, and drink or contempt all other means of receiving out of the Mississippi. And, he religious information. added, "it is getting too thick with folks about here. You're the second man I've seen within the last month, and I hear there is a whole family coming out about fifty miles down river. I'm goin' to the woods agin." CONSIDERING THE POOR. ACTION & RE-ACTION. It is a story told of Bishop Wilson, that on ordering a coat, he expressly charged the tailor not to make it in the fashion of the day, and only to put in two rows of buttons (buttons all over being then the fashion.) "My Lord," said the tailor," what then be- a hammer, action and re-action are comes of all the poor button makers?" equal, the anvil striking the hammer The Bishop answered, "sayest thou so as forcibly as the hammer strikes the good master Robert." "Aye master, anvil. If the anvil be large enough, they will starve, starve!" then replied a man may place it on his breast, and the bishop, "button me all over." suffer another person to strike it with all his force, without sustaining any injury, because the vis inertia in the anvil will resist the force of the blow; but if the anvil be too small, the blow will be fatal, WORLDLY FRIENDSHIP. "Friends," said Socrates, "there is no friend." And "a friend is a EXPERIENCE THE THRESHER'S CONFESSION. Lassus is reckoned by some, as one of the wise men of Greece. He was noted more particularly for the laconic answer he gave to a man who asked him what could best render life pleahis flail, and with much sant and comfortable. He replied, in one ord-"experience." "I never," said Luther, "knew the meaning of God's word till I was afflicted." "I well know," says Cecil," what it is to have preached from a text which I did not so much as understand, till it was thoroughly opened to me by expe PRUDENCE. now rience." WONDERS OF REDEMPTION. The doctrine of redemption by Jesus Christ is the marrow and essence of the Gospel: great was the work of creation, but greater far the work of redemption. How vast are the blessings of redemption! Believer, is there any consolation in Christ? it is thine; any privileges in the Gospel? they are thine! any glory in heaven? it will be thine: then long for the time when Prudence is the art of choosing: he you shall be freed not only from is prudent who among many objects the power, but from the presence of can distinguish that which deserves sin; shall be clothed in the glorious robes of immortality, and enjoy the the preference. Prudence has two offices, to inform the understanding blessings of full and glorious redempand regulate the will. She determines tion. The creation was the work of both on maxims of speculation and God's fingers; redemption was the practice. She keeps the mind work of his arm: in the creation God its guard against prejudice and pre-gave us ourselves; in the redemption cipitation. To desire objects which he gave us himself.-Puritan Gems. are probably inconsistent with our happiness, on the whole, would be a dangerous imprudence; to desire those Authority over others is an imporwhich are contrary to good morals, tant talent, for the use of which we would be criminal; and whatever is must give an account unto God! How criminal, cannot fail to produce misery; sadly is it abused! Power and because there is in heaven an impar- tyranny too generally unite in a tial Judge, by whom every deviation depraved heart. Religion only can from virtue is, sooner or later, ade- regulate the one, and subdue the quately punished. upon AUTHORITY AND TYRANNY. other. Entelligence. BETHNAL GREEN. ABBEY STREET SUNDAY SCHOOL.-The anniversary of this school was held on Thursday evening, December the 9th. A large company of teachers and friends to the institution assembled and partook of tea together, in the infant schoolroom, which passed off in a very orderly and pleasant manner. After tea, the company adjourned to the spacious boys' school-room, where the numbers were so increased, by the attendance of the parents and friends of the children, as to fill the room completely. The schoolroom was tastefully decorated for the occasion, with banners, garlands, festoons of flowers, mottoes of counsel and encouragement, and wreaths of various kinds, the whole presenting a very pleasing and joyous appearance. Charles Buxton, Esq., M.P., presided. The Chairman, in opening the proceedings of the evening, alluded to the extraordinary benefits which had been produced by Sunday schools since their establishment. As regarded the method of teaching, he thought the present system defective, and feared that too often the children became wearied and tired by the dull, uninteresting, instruction of the teachers. He therefore suggested that the teachers should endeavour to render their instruction more attractive to the scholars. The chairman, in concluding, said he took a great interest in this Sunday school, which was founded by the late Sir T. F. Buxton, Bart., in conjunction with the late Mr. Henry Althans. Mr. Andrew Althans, the secretary, then read the report, which stated that there were 33 teachers connected with the school. The number of children on the books was 602, being 280 boys and 322 girls; the average attendance during the past six months had been 498: the largest attendance on any one occasion was 598, the number of children which had been admitted into the school since the commencement, in 1840, was 5,260. As a means of causing the Sunday school influence to be felt at home, 3,290 magazines and small books had been circulated during the past year. Several instances of the great usefulness of the school were mentioned, as well as two happy and triumphant deaths. In the course of the evening, the numerous assembly was addressed by Joseph Maitland, Esq., in his usually interesting and lively manner; by the Rev. J. Colborne, M.A., the incumbent of the district; by the Rev. A. P. Black, M.A., who stimulated and urged the teachers to greater efforts while speaking upon the topic of "Earnestness." The meeting was also addressed by Rev. W. Tyler, Rev. W. Woodhouse, Messrs. Smither, Caldwell, Dollwood, and Brain. Several anthems were sung by the teachers, which added a charm to the proceedings of the evening; and the whole may be pronounced as a happy, interesting, and instructive occasion, one that should cause the teachers to rejoice, "to thank God, and take courage." SALISBURY Sunday School Union, THE annual meeting of the Sunday School Union in this city was held in the Milford Street School Room, on Wednesday, December 1st, when upwards of sixty teachers and superintendents, with their respective ministers, sat down to tea. The chair was occupied by the Rev. II. J. Chancellor, who read an excellent paper prepared by Mr. S. Hill, one of the superintendents of the Scot's Lane School, who was prevented from being present through indisposition; the subject being-"The Influence and Management of Sunday School Libraries and Literature." Some D |