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of wood, which would dry and rot if left by itself; but the gardener fixes it into the stem of a living tree, and thus receiving life or sap frotn the stem to which it is united, it soon becomes one with the tree itself, and thereby buds, and blossoms, and brings forth fruit. In this way we find our Lord teaching his disciples how to succeed in his service. I am, says he, the Vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing.

You see then, my young friends, the Christian's secret. He employs almighty grace for the performance of a work which cannot be done without it. Take my yoke, saith Christ, and learn of me, and ye shall find rest. Bear my cross, and ye shall find it bear you. If your father, or mother, or minister, are pressing forward in the heavenly road, bless God for their example; but, believe me, neither your father, your mother, nor your minister, could bear up under their difficulties, if there was not one mightier to bear thei

He is able to do the same for you, and has already done it in innumerable instances. If even so great a character as David be left to himself, the weakest and vilest creature cannot fall lower than he did.

Upon the whole, you see nothing in religion can be done without Christ, while every thing to which he calls us may be done with him. In this way it is that the Christian becomes a conqueror; for who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God!

I shall leave you with only adding a short word of exhortation. You have been shewn, 1. How you should remember your Creator; 2. When he should specially be remembered; and, 3. Why you should not put off this remembrance. Now let me beseech you to think seriously of the dreadful evil of living longer destitute of a real acquaintance with, and remembrance of, your God; and think, on the other hand, of the blessed privileges of those who truly remember him. Cleave to him, therefore, for he is thy life; and that in the days of thy youth, for then it is not only done with less difficulty, but your youth may be the only opportunity for doing it at all; and, should you even live to old age, I have shewn you how evil these days are for such a work, and how unlikely it should succeed if put off to that time.

Oh, that it may please God to help, if it were but one of you, to become wise unto salvation from this moment! Then shall we, and even the angels, rejoice that another

lost sheep is found and secured. In thus addressing you, we seek only to make you truly rich, truly wise, truly happy; and we know no one can be really so till he remembers his Creator.

When you see a poor, forsaken, wicked child, wandering about the streets, ragged, hungry, and diseased, you are naturally led to pity him; but it would be well if you recollected that his rags, and hunger, and disease, are not the principal parts of his wretchedness; they render him, indeed, very pitiable, and call for such help as we can afford him; but, as I said before, his outward want is not the worst part of his misery; the worst part is, what we call his moral misery; namely, that he knows not God, and never remembers his name but to profane it; that he is a willing slave of the devil, who tempts him to swear, to lie, and to steal; that, in short, he is a lost sheep, wandering from Christ, the true and only Shepherd and Bishop of souls. What are his outward rags, and filth, and wants, and diseases, compared with this! They only respect his dying body; but these wants and disorders beggar and destroy his immortal soul.

But now, suppose that any one of us could bring this poor child to read the Bible, to pray for grace, and remember his Creator in the days of his youth, his wants and disor ders might be removed; but, even if they were to remain, and he lie in the street like Lazarus, covered with diseases, and with none but dogs to pity him; yet, if his heart could rise to God, and his faith take hold of a Redeemer, what then would be the changes and chances of this mortal life to him! and, as it was said of Joseph in his affliction, it must be said of him in his very lowest and worst temporal circumstances, his God is with him, angels are ready to receive him, and a crown of glory is preparing for him.

You have also heard, that your Creator will judge that world which he has made; and that the day cometh when great and small shall stand before him. Consider my young friends, what a joy it will be to any of you in that day to be able to say, "I know the Judge-I have trusted in his promises-I have remembered him in my feeble prayers and endeavours, and now I know that he will remember me!"

Does such an one wish to ask, "Will he remember Will he remember me should I die while a youth, and that among the millions which shall stand before him in that great day? Will he indeed remember me?

Hear what he says (and when you hear any thing from his word, say to yourself, "At least this is certain") They that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened, and heard it; and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

That these truths may be written in every heart, God of his infinite mercy grant, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

ILLUSTRIOUS EXAMPLES OF PIETY.

ANN BAYNARD.

ANN BAYNARD, descended from a very ancient and res pectable family, was born at Preston, in Lancashire, in the year 1672. Her parents perceiving her lively genius, joined with a natural propensity to learning, gave her a very liberal education; which she improved to the best and noblest purposes.

She was skilled in the Latin and Greek languages, in mathematics, and in philosophy. Her compositions, in Latin, displayed uncommon facility and elegance of expression. She had a strong and capacious memory a comprehensive and exalted mind, still coveting more and more knowledge. "In this particular alone," she would often say, "it is a sin to be contented with a little."

But with all her genius, and all her acquirements, she was free from vanity and affectation. With profound humility, and prostration of mind, she testified, with St. Paul, "I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord."

She used often to say that, "human learning is of little worth, unless, as a handmaid, it leads to a knowledge of Christ, revealed in the Gospel, as our Lord and Saviour."

"What avails," said she, "Solomon's skill in the works of nature, if we do not discern the God of nature? Of what advatage is it to be versed in astronomy, if we never study by our holy practices, to arrive at the blessed regions? or to be so skilful in arithmetic, that we can divide and subdivide to the smallest fraction, if we do not learn to num

ber our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom? or to understand the diseases of the body, if we do not know where to find the balm of Gilead, the wine and oil of the good Samaritan, the Lord Jesus, to pour into the wounds of our own soul."

She was diligent, and fervent, in performing her religious duties. She constantly attended the prayers of the church, and the sacrament, unless prevented by sickness, to which, in the latter part of her life, she was much subject. She embraced all proper opportunities of retirement, for the purposes of devotion and meditation. Like David, she communed with her own heart, privately examining the state of her soul, that she might stand in awe, and sin not. She had a high regard and veneration for the sacred name of God; and made it the business of her life, and the great end of her study, to promote his glory, and the interests of religion.

Her alms could not, from her circumstances, be very extraordinary as to the amount; but they were so as to the cheerfulness and constancy with which they were bestowed. Whatever her allowance was, she duly laid aside a certain portion of it, for the relief of the poor. Neither did her charity rest here; but raised itself to a higher degree of spirituality, and beyond the scene of this world. She observed, with deep concern, the errors, follies, and vices of the age; and was not only importunate in her interces sions for the good of the world, but solicitous to benefit the souls of those with whom she conversed, by friendly reproof, good counsel, or learned and pious discourse.

In the exercise of this Christian love, she lived and died. On her death-bed, she said to the clergyman who attended her: "I wish that young people may be exhorted to the practice of virtue, and to the study of philosophy; and, more especially, to read the great book of nature, that they may see the wisdom and the power of the Creator, in the order of the universe, and in the production and preservation of all things. This will fix in their minds a divine idea and an awful regard of God; which will heighten devotion, lower the spirit of pride, make them tremble at folly and profaneness, and coinmand reverence for his great and holy name. That women are capable of such improvement is past all doubt, if they would set about it in earnest, and spend but half that time in study and thinking, which they do in visiting, in folly, and vanity. They would thus acquire a stability of mind, and lay a sound basis for wisdom

and knowledge, by which they would be the better enabled to serve God, and to assist their neighbours." This learned and pious young woman died at Barnes, in Surry, on the 12th of June, 1697.

ELIZA CUNNINGHAM.

Written by the late Rev. Mr. Newton.

IN 1782 my sister-in-law, Mrs. Cunningham, was unexpectedly and suddenly bereft of an affectionate and excellent husband; and in the same year she lost an amiable daughter. Her trials were, thus very great, but she was prepared for them. Her faith was strong, and her conduct exemplary. Her character, as a Christian, and the propriety of her behaviour in every branch of relative life, appeared with peculiar advantage in the season of affliction.

Though she had many valuable and pleasing connections in Scotland, yet her strongest tie being broken, she readily accepted my invitation to come and live with us. She was not only dear to me as Mrs. Newton's sister, but we had lived long in the habits of intimate friendship, and I knew her worth. She had yet one child remaining, her dear Eliza, who was then in the twelfth year of her age. We already had an orphan niece, whom we had, about seven years before, adopted for our own daughter. My active fond imagination anticipated the time of my sister's arrival; and drew a pleasing picture of the addition which the company of such a sister, such a friend, would make to the happiness of our family. The children likewise, there was no great disparity between them either in years or stature. From what I had heard of Eliza, I was prepared to love her before I saw her, though she came afterwards into my hands like a heap of untold gold, which, when counted over, proves to be a larger sum than was expected. My fancy paired and united these children; I hoped that the friendship between us and my sister would be perpetuated in them. I seemed to see them like twin sisters, of one heart and mind, habited nearly alike, always together, always with us. Such was my plan; but the Lord's plan was very dif.ferent! I admire his wisdom and goodness; and I can say from my heart, "He has done all things well."

My sister had settled her affairs previously to her removal, and nothing remained but to take leave of her friends, of whom she had many, not only at Anstruther, where she

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