matter should succeed, of which I have not a shadow of doubt, "your praise will be in all the churches." If, with God's blessing, you be permitted to be the means of raising up temples to His worship and glory in this darkened and benighted land, you will not have laboured in vain. That His blessing, who alone can make all things work to His glory, may rest on you and your endeavours, is the sincere prayer of your constant reader,

C. J.

PETER PROVEIT; OR, COUNTRY CONTROVERSIALS.

Peter Abbot was the youngest of nine children, who were the offspring of James and Susan Abbot, poor, but decent people, dwelling in a small village on the western coast of Ireland."

of

His father and mother, like many other fathers and mothers, though very fond of their children, did not consult what was for their real benefit. They would have considered it the height of cruelty not to have given them plenty of the best food which their means could procure, or not to have provided for them sufficiency of clothing; nor would they be easy if the least sickness attacked any their little ones, till the Dispensary Doctor had visited them, and given them proper medicine to restore them to health; but beyond doing this for their children they had no idea. They allowed them to indulge in sloth and dirt-they allowed them to resist their commands, and follow their own inclinations when it suited them. Although pride, and passion, and envy, and hatred, with such other evil dispositions of mind, showed themselves in the conduct of their children-it gave them no alarm; for, as they said, " every child is so." Here, indeed, they were very right; for every one born into the world brings with him dispositions to evil; but they were exceedingly blameable in not endeavouring to check and counteract them. They should have known that though man is born sinful, he may become holy, through the power of God's grace. They should have sought to train up their little ones in "the nurture and admonition of the Lord," teaching them to watch over the sinful thoughts and wishes of their hearts, and to pray against them. But they did not; for the truth was, they thought little and cared less about such matters. They did not value religion themselves, and of course would not be anxious that others should possess it. In consequence, they reared their children as if they were all body and no soul. Any preparation for another world they never dreamed of. Thus, while they had the character among their neighbours of being most tender-hearted and affectionate parents, they really were guilty of great cruelty; for they allowed their offspring to form the worst habits, to live on under the anger of a holy God, and to despise those offers which are made in Scripture, of having bestowed upon them a new nature in Christ Jesus. If their children lived

and did well in this world, that was all these poor people looked

to.

Peter, as we have said, was the youngest of the family, a great favourite, and therefore particularly indulged. You could nowhere see a more complete picture of a spoiled child. If he wanted any thing he had only to cry for it, and he would surely get it: if he did not like to do any particular thing, he had only to get into a passion, and no more would be said upon the subject. "I will have that," or "I won't do that," settled the point finally. As Peter, therefore, did just as he liked, he never set his foot within the school-house door above two days in the week, and this only by bribing him with large pieces of white-bread with butter on them, and perhaps sugar on that again, though his mother could very ill afford such extravagance. The remainder of his time was at his own disposal, and was nothing but total idleness from January to December, although the manner of his idling varied as the season changed. The spring was spent in robbing birds' nests and playing marbles: the summer days in making pipes of the hollow stalks of a particular kind of grass, with which he contrived to keep a perpetual squeaking; and the summer evenings were given up to groping for trouts in all the small streams of the neighbourhood, and laying snares for rabbits in an adjoining demesne, for which he got well flogged more than once by the game-keepers. Autumn was devoted to gathering and eating blackberries, (which cost him two worm fevers,) and to stealing nuts from Moyglass wood; and winter gave him employment in throwing snow-balls and setting cribs for the destruction of many an unhappy black-bird and robin-red-breast, whose hunger prompted them to venture near.

As time, whether ill or well spent, passes quickly on, so it was with Peter Abbot, who, from being an idle headstrong boy, became speedily an idle headstrong lad. Even when arrived at the age of sixteen, though he would be punctual at meal-times, he would be very unpunctual at work-he loved indeed to eat his dinner, but he did not like earning it. Sometimes his father would break out into a rage, and would storm and threaten, using many fearful words, such as should never be spoken; but on such occasions his mother would be sure to interfere in behalf of her darling; and whether or not, Peter, who knew no more of what was meant by “honour thy father and mother," than did the terrier dog which followed him, generally ran off with himself in the midst of the turmoil, leaving his parents to settle the matter as they pleased.

One particular day proved, however, more eventful than he antici pated. The Rector of the parish, who was a man of considerable property, having a large quantity of corn to draw home, employed several additional hands for some days, and among them James Abbot, As Peter liked to be about horses, he joined himself to the workmen as a volunteer, riding back and forward upon the carts as they passed and re-passed between the fields and the stack-yard. The last train of loads was just going off, when Peter, coming up from a far part of the field, where he had been examining a hare's form which had been discovered close to the dyke, found his younger bro

the

ther, Ned, seated triumphantly upon the very back of Blackfoot, one of the Rector's cart horses, the management of which said horse, Peter had, in fancy, appropriated to himself. With ill-reared boys a trifle serves to provoke wrath. It was but "come down or I'll make you,” and “touch me if you dare," when the two brothers grappled with each other like tigers. In the scuffle, Ned, who had the bearing rein in his hand, pulled the horse's head suddenly round, and he setting forward at the moment, the off wheel passed over a large stone which was in the way, and the cart was turned over instantaneously. This quickly brought the overseer and most of the labourers to the spot, among the latter, James Abbot, who, spying his two sons holding each other by the throat among scattered sheaves of corn, their eyes sparkling with anger, and every muscle of their faces swelled with passion, without asking a question, pro or con upon the subject, ran up, and, with the handle of a fork which he held in his hand, bestowed such a thwack upon the shoulders of Peter, as almost levelled him to the earth. This, certainly, was not the best method of proceeding; but with such a temper as that of Peter Abbot, it was an insult not to be endured; he sprang forward like lightning, rushed down the lane which opened upon the main road, and hurrying forward to the village, flung himself upon the horse block which stood at the door of one of the publichouses which had been a favorite place of resort, where he lay, for some time, with his face buried in his hands, burning tears of pride and passion rolling down his cheeks, and his breast swelling with short thick sobs which shook his whole frame. He had not been long in this position when his ears were saluted with the sound of a drum and fife from a recruiting party, which was stationed at the place; and "how's this, Peter?" sounded from the lips of the serjeant, who, coming up at the moment, addressed him. How's this, my lad-anything wrong with you? Pooh, pooh, take my advicepocket the king's money, and come with me to fight the French it's not for a sightly lad like you to be stuck between the ploughhandles, when he should be wearing a cockade." Peter had often heard such words before-for the serjeant had a wish to have him, he being a remarkably tall, strong, well-made youth; but never before did the yellow lace upon the serjeant's coat glisten so brightly in Peter's eyes. "Here," thought he, "I may follow a jovial, pleasant life, and see the world; and besides, I shall escape from my father's tyranny." Such were the foolish and wicked notions which floated in this foolish young man's head. The serjeant saw his time: "Come, my boy," said he, taking him by the arm, "I see you'll be a soldier." The drummers at the moment rattled their loudest, the fifers rent the air; and before sunset the news was at his father's cabin, that Peter Abbot was listed for a soldier!

REVIEW.

1. The Christian Student, designed to assist Christians in general in acquiring religious knowledge;-with lists of books adapted to the various classes of society, By the Rev. E. Bickersteth, Minister of Sir George Wheler's Chapel, Spital Square, London.-Seeley and Sons, 1829.—pp. xii. 629.

2. The Reformed Pastor: by Richard Baxter; revised and abridged by the Rev. William Brown, M.D.; with an Introductory Essay, by the Rev. Daniel Wilson, A.M., Vicar of Islington.-Glasgow, 1829; p. 290.

3. The Christian Ministry; with an inquiry into the causes of its inefficiency, and with an especial reference to the Ministry of the Establishment. By the Rev. Charles Bridge, B.A., Vicar of Old Newton, Suffolk, and author of " Exposition of Psalm cxix." London, Seeley and Sons. pp. xii. 511.

4. The Church in Danger from Herself, or the causes of her present declining state explained. Dedicated to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. By the Rev. John Acaster, Vicar of St. Helen's York, and Domestic Chaplain to the Right Hon. the Earl of Mexborough. London, Seeley and Sons, 1829.Pp. x. 172.

(Continued from page 302.)

We know not a more interesting subject than the institution and employment of the Christian ministry: that the supreme God should condescend to carry on a plan for the renewing and salvation of his sinful and rebellious creatures, is the most amazing and soul-filling sentiment that imagination can conceive; but that he should condescend to employ for that purpose a portion of those very creatures-and to call to the knowledge of himself by the instrumentality of their fellows, those who are to be the heirs of immortality, that the Lord works at all by means is in condescension to our weakness; but that these means should be thus proportioned to our wants and our weakness; that he should honor the rebels against his authority by making them "fellow workers" with himself, is the most amazing exhibition of Divine wisdom and Divine goodness that even the mysteries of redemption unfold. How elevated is the office, and how humbled should be the instrument! What sanctity is required from those who are engaged in the Lord's work, and how deeply sensible should they be, that they are but instruments, as insufficient of themselves to execute the task assigned to them, as the rod of Moses, the brazen serpent, the trumpets of Joshua, the pitchers of Gideon, or the prophecying of Ezekiel in the " valley of dry bones," but the power of God, and the wisdom of God are manifested in their weakness and their insufficiency, that they may be taught "to glory in their very infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon them."* Is it then unbelief that would sedulously make use of all the means that the providence of God affords us to qualify us for the work? Is it unbelief that, in reliance on the promise of assistance, seeing the danger and the difficulties, would go forth, having sought of the Lord to make his strength perfect in our weakness? Assuredly not; unbelief shows itself rather in a neglect of the means pointed out for us by him who

* 2 Cor. xii. 9

:

hath promised to bless them and whenever we see a permanently successful ministry, there we shall be sure to find one that labours assiduously in the cultivation of every gift of God, as well as in its employment in his master's service. Such observations to many may seem unnecessary; but we fear that they are called for, and that among even the pious, and excellent, and devout of our own church, there are to be found those who think it unnecessary that the minister of religion should seek by his acquirements to possess any influence over his flock; many who think such study would seem to depreciate the work of the Spirit, and its power. Such, assuredly, is not the lesson to be learned from the example of the Old Testament, when the inspired seer instituted the very schools in which the education essential to the prophet's office was matured: such was not the fact, when to bear the gospel message to the Gentile world, an individual was selected, whose education and station had eminently fitted him for convicting and converting Jew and Gentile, and who left the admonition with his friend, until I come, give thyself to reading" nor such the practice of the church through the ages in which it has been learning wisdom from experience. We trust the period is as remote when the interpretation of the word shall be handed to an illiterate clergy, as that in which learning shall be substituted for piety, and the employment of worldly wisdom supersede the gifts of the Spirit.

From the" Christian Student" of Mr. Bickersteth, we pass to the excellent works which follow, and which are addressed to the student now matured and sent forth to preach the Gospel; they consider that at all times it is expedient to have the watchman armed upon his post, to have set before him the difficulties and the dangers of his state, to be cautioned against his slumbering, and having his garments soiled. Of the second book on our list, it must be unnecessary to speak; Baxter, a man of whom a high authority has said, that "his practical writings were a treasury of divine wisdom," has in none of his voluminous Essays written more from the heart and to the heart than in his Reformed Pastor; addressing himself in love but in grief to his brethren, he speaks forcibly, clearly, and Scripturally on the obligation of the ministry and the duty of self-examination, and points out their defects with plainness and fear:* he at the same time directs them to the source of divine mercy for pardon, and divine grace for assistance.

We know not, indeed, a more heart-searching or spiritually affectionate appeal to the ministry, upon the oversight of themselves and their flocks, and the important duties of the pastoral office and instruction, than that which this treatise contains, which has received considerable, improvement in its modern dress from the hands of

*When the sin is open in the sight of the world, it is in vain to attempt to hide it; and when the sin is public, the confession should also be made public. If the ministers of England had sinned only in Latin, I would have made shift to have admonished them in Latin, or else have said nothing to them, But if they will sin in English, they must hear of it in English.-p. 3.