sins will be pardoned; he knows that it is by the influence of the Holy Spirit that he shall be enabled, for the time to come, to serve God more faithfully, and more acceptably.

And here we see that it is needful to examine ourselves as to our faith; that we may know, in the first place, whether our foundation be right.

ร

Do we then, like Christians, trust wholly for pardon to the merits of our Redeemer, considering the penalty which he paid on the cross as the sole reason why we can be received into favour? Or do we hold a false doctrine on this point, secretly looking for some cause of atonement in our own fancied merits? And, again, whilst we see that no works of ours can be called "good," in such a sense as to atone for our past sins, or to merit salvation,-are we anxious to do such as we know to be acceptable to God, and such as he requires, not as our claim to heaven, but as our necessary preparation for it? Now, if every returning evening calls us to self-examination, how much more forcibly are we reminded of this duty when one year has just passed away, and we have entered upon a new one? This is indeed a time to "examine ourselves;"-let us ask what progress we have made during the past year? -what besetting sins have we been enabled to overcome?-what evil tempers to correct?-what bad habits to forsake. Have we grown less anxious about the things that only concern the present world, and more earnest in our pursuit of those which will prepare us for the next? Have we grown more devout towards God, more anxious to benefit our fellow-creatures? Are we more" stedfast in the faith," and more watchful in the duties of our different callings? Let us examine ourselves on these points, and let us examine ourselves -with a view to amendment -so may we most reasonably expect that this will really be to us a happy new year."

66

V.

SELECTIONS FROM DIFFERENT AUTHORS.

THE settled inhabitants of a country are anxious to acquire riches, to purchase lands, and to build houses. But they who stay but a few weeks in a country, or who only travel through it, are not commonly desirous of securing accommodations which they are so soon to leave. In the same manner, believers, being only sojourners on earth, and travellers to a better country, ought not to place their happiness in the enjoyment of those objects by which the lusts of the flesh are gratified, and which belong only to this earthly state, but in securing to themselves possessions in the heavenly country, the proper habitation of the righteous.

Macknight.

The honour which subjects owe to magistrates, and other superiors, consists not only in paying them outward respect, according to the custom of the country, but in giving due obedience to their commands, in so far as it can be done consistently wih our duty to God, whom we are bound, in the first place, to honour and fear.-The same.

If we are living in any country where the laws are different from our own, whilst we receive the protection of the government of that country, we are bound to obey its laws. But we are not to join in customs which we know to be wrong, merely because we see others do so. The first Christians obeyed the magistrates of the Heathen countries where they resided, but they did not join in those Heathen customs, which were contrary to the law of the true God.-E. D.

The example of a consistent Christian will do much towards winning others to a love of the truth.

It is well known that the patience, fortitude, and meekness, with which the first Christians bore persecution for their religion, and the forgiving disposition which they exercised towards their per secutors, made such an impression on the Heathens, who were witnesses of their sufferings, that many of them glorified God by embracing the Gospel.

Macknight.

When children meet with primroses, nuts, or apples, in their way, those pleasures are often occasions to make them loiter in their errands, so that they are sure to have their parents' displeasure, and oftentimes on their late return find the door barred at their home; whereas those who meet with dangers in the way make haste in their journey, and their speed makes them welcome at home, and brings them praise. I am sent into this world, and I am every day travelling homeward. If I meet with store of misery in my way, discre tion shall teach me a religious haste in my journey. And, if I meet with pleasures, they shall pleasure me only by putting me in mind of my pleasures at home, which shall teach me to scorn these as trifles. A pleasant journey is dearly bought, if we do not get home safely.

Warwick's Spare Minutes.

EXTRACTS FROM THE PUBLIC NEWSPAPERS, &c.

Road-mending.-In making a road according to Mr. Mac Adam's plan, the method is to lift up the old road, and then to make a new coating with stones broken into small pieces: these bind, and fit in together; and thus in a little while, a hard and excellent surface is formed. This every body knows, and the improvement in our roads, since this method has been adopted, is truly astonishing. We often sce, however, a mistake, or a carelessness, in mending a Mac Adam road.

A hollow place is filled up with the loose pieces of stones carelessly thrown into it, and this makes a bad place for a long time. The ground should be broken up before the new materials are laid on, or the stones will not bind and fit in together.

For the Tooth-Ache, if it proceeds from Cold.-Grate some ginger, about a table-spoonful, and wet it with a little gin, brandy, or spirit of any kind; put it in a small linen bag, and put the bag on the face, like a poultice, when you go to bed. The warmth of it is intended to draw you to sleep, and thus remove the pain; no mark will be left on the face.

For Hooping Cough.-Steep a few roots of garlic in half pint of rum, let it stand twenty-four hours, and then rub the chest, back, and stomach of the patient well with it night and morning.

The common ground-ivy is said to be a certain cure for the rot in sheep; and one which instinct leads the animals themselves to resort to, when it is to be found in the fields or hedges they are depastured in.—Morning Post.

Public Houses.-The Magistrates of the Bangor district have lately enforced the provisions of the new act, for regnlating the licenses of public houses. This act empowers the magistrate to impose a fine upon the publican who shall keep his house open at late hours in the night; for the first offence not exceeding 51. for the second 101. for the third 1007.

Two brothers were out shooting small birds, in Hayes Fields, when, by some accident, the youths being on the contrary side of a hedge, the younger discharged his gun at a thrush, and lodged the contents in the arm of his brother. Surgical aid was had from London, and it was found necessary to cut off the arm.

Coroner's Inquest.—An inquisition was taken on the body of a child aged nine months. It appeared in evidence that the child was left in what is termed a press-bed by the mother, and that the servant, not knowing that the chil was there, unfortunately turned it up, which occasioned death by suffocation. After hearing evidence at some length, the jury returned a verdict of-Accidental death.

An inquest was lately held at Nottingham, on view of the body of John Wragg, an infant of two months old, whose death was occasioned by four drops of laudanum being administered the preceding day, for the purpose of lulling it to sleep. Mr. White, a surgeon, stated that one drop of laudanum would have been sufficient to have caused the child to have slept for twelve hours! The jury returned a verdict, That the child's death was occasioned by the injudi

cious and imprudent administration of laudanum by its mother.-Morning Post.

On the Great Bank of Newfoundland, the following ingenious mode of catching fish is said to be practised:-A strong line is passed under the bottom of the vessel, and, being brought over the deck, goes round a vertical wheel, to which it is so fastened, that by turning the wheel with a crank, like a grindstone, the line is made to revolve. To this line hooks are fastened at regular distances. The bait is put on the hooks on one side of the vessel, and the fish are taken off on the other; the line being kept in motion by the turning of the wheel.

Grand Solar Eclipse.-One of the most remarkable becurrences in our celestial hemisphere will take place during the present year. Wednesday, the 29th of November, 1826, there will happen a total and visible eclipse of that distinguished luminary, the Sun, which will be the largest we can expect for another ten years in this country. Amongst the places where this eclipse will be seen, besides England, are France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Norway, Sweden, the greater part of Russia, and also in Turkey. It will begin at about a quarter of an hour before ten o'clock in the morning, and terminate about seven minutes past one o'clock, P. M.

Slave Trade.-The following is an extract of a letter from an officer on board his Majesty's ship Maidstone, on the coast of Africa, dated Prince's Island, Sept. 12. It gives an affecting account of the condition of seven hundred wretched human beings, found on board a French s ave-ship bound for Martinique :

"The French now engross all the trade in slaves. A few days ago we had a long and arduous chace after a large frigate-built corvette ship, which we at last ran alongside of. She proved to be a French ship, with a cargo of seven hundred slaves on board, and in a state that would have made your heart ache to have seen. The rascals had nearly all the men chained by the necks, or most of them; the rest by the legs, to the deck; and, to add to the horror of the thing, the bolts were rivetted; thereby shewing that it was Not the intention of the monsters to let the innocent victims of their cruelty loose until the end of the voyage. She was bound to Martinique. The between-deck was little more than three feet high, and the groans of the poor sufferers almost unmanned me. When I desired them to be released, I thought I should have choked; never were my feelings so much hurt."-London Paper.

The number of deaths in this city, imputed to a free use