every one to the house, willingly or not. This may occur on the Sabbath. But in all other cases, especially in cities, towns, and villages, such provision may be made against injury from the weather, that all but the sick and the feeble may fulfil their duty of worshipping God in his house. Most persons may earn enough to provide an umbrella, over-shoes, over-coat, or cloak. The best suit may on such occasions be dispensed with, and garments better suited to the state of the weather are to be preferred.

The word of God gives no dispensation to those who stay away from public worship, because they cannot wear their finery without injuring it. Let the dress correspond with the weather. The weather will not adapt itself to our fashions.

Is not the Christian just as much bound to make provision for these ten stormy Sabbaths, that will certainly occur, as to provide suitable apparel for brighter days? And if he has not, what account can he give to God for these lost Sabbaths?

But why should not the hearer go when it is stormy, as well as the preacher? We have been in the ministry several years, and yet have never in the whole time been kept from the public worship of God on the Sabbath, merely by the weather. We have not known, on an average, more than two Sabbaths in a year, when we have deemed it hazardous to obey God in this particular. What would be thought of the preacher that should look out on Sunday morning, and seeing the rain descending, should say, "Well, I believe that I shall not go out to-day!" How long would he be employed? But if it is his duty to preach, is it not equally your duty to hear?

We entreat our brethren and sisters of the church, to wipe away this reproach from religion. It argues either a want or a laxness of principle, to be so ready to dispense with the public worship of God, merely because of a little rain or snow. It gives occasion to the world to say that religion is a mere matter of conscience, when they see Christians willing to incur

greater hazard for a day's wages, than to obey God; when Christians will be kept from the house of God by a storm, which would not keep a worldling from the theatre, ball, card-party, or public-house. They may well say, that Christians do not love their religion, as much as the world love their pleasures. Oh! wipe away the reproach. Be governed by principle, not impulse. If you can make no sacrifices in order to worship God, what is your religion worth?

ANECDOTE OF A DYING FATHER.

A gentleman of sincere and ardent piety, was still entirely unsuccessful in the religious training of his family. In spite of all his anxious efforts, they gerw up, before his eyes, to man's estate, without at all yielding to the impressions which he laboured to make. Though they held their father in the highest respect, they still resisted every endeavour, and every fond art by which he tried to draw their hearts to God; so that from day to day he had to take up the lamentation of the prophet, "They have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return."

Foiled in every attempt at success in what was, next to his own salvation, the leading object of his wishes, at last he fixed his heart on one remaining hope: it was this-that when he came to die, and when his children, softened by sorrow for a parent whom they loved, would be disposed to listen with peculiar reverence to his dying counsels-that at that solemn and impressive moment, God would give him strength to bear such a testimony to the reality of religion, to the truth of its promises, and to the power of the Gospel, as could not but effect what all his living exhortations had failed to accomplish. In a word, the constant object of his prayer to God was, that, for his children's sake, he might be blessed with what is called a triumphant death.

He came then, at the allotted time, to that dread

hour which awaits us all. But hère also he experienced the utter failure of his expectations. As will often happen with God's most faithful and favoured servant, (and, perhaps, in this case, as a salutary contravention to his will, and check to his presumption,) the sun of this much-tried Christian went down in clouds. His disease apparently overwhelmed and absorbed him. To human eyes, all was dark and gloomy. "He died, and made no sign."

Who would not be ready at once to say that the prayer of this good man had, by an inscrutable Providence, been cast clean out; and that on that death-bed he had bid farewell to his cherished hopes forever?

Who would not anticipate how such an end of such a father must have strengthened his children in their unbelief, and led them to apply, in a spiritual, no less than in a natural sense, those remarkable expressions, "That which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no pre-eminence above a beast?" But no. "God's ways are not our ways." 'The result was altogether the reverse. This awful and distressing scene produced upon the minds of the survivors the happiest effects. They were struck with alarm at so unexpected an end to their father's course. "If these things," thought they, "are done in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? If death be this king of terrors to one who served God diligently and faithfully, as our father did, what will it be to us? If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" Such was the substance of their mutual counsels and reflections. And such was the effect produced upon the hearts and consciences of these young persons, that, though too late to gladden their father's last hours on earth, "his people became their people, and his God their God."

And thus the prayer which the Lord refused to answer in the letter, he abundantly granted in the spirit. And he who "chose the weak things of the

world to confound the things which are mighty," was pleased to accomplish, by the withdrawal of succour and comfort, all that human wisdom had anticipated, as a blessing to be attained by a victorious and triumphant death alone.

LETTER FROM MR. BACON, JUN., TO HIS SISTER,

A SHORT TIME PREVIOUS TO HER DEATH,

Which took place Dec. 24th, 1809, after a lingering illness, through which she was supported by that God whose name she was enabled to glorify in death, and through whose strengthening grace she was enabled likewise, in the days of health and youth, to make choice of, to serve, and love.

If not,

Is my dear sister well enough to hear my letter read? let it be omitted, for it is a mere tribute of affection from a brother who resides more distant than he now could wish. That blessed book, the Bible, has compelled me to put my feelings on paper; well, indeed. may we call it altogether a blessed book; for in parts where we least expect to find instruction, there on a sudden may we meet with an invaluable spiritual treasure. Just after having seen my beloved sister, I opened my Bible at the 34th chapter of Numbers; it is filled with hard names of places, and I had nearly past it over; yet I determined to read, nor could I read without making a striking application of the chapter to my beloved sister.

I here read that the inheritance of the people of God has one of its borders by the river of Egypt. Delightful thought! that though so closely connected with this evil world, the kingdom of God may be within us, we may enjoy a view, a foretaste, a commencement of our heavenly inheritance; so that to the real Christian may at all times be used the words of our blessed Redeemer, even whilst he is in this spiritual Egypt: "Thou art not far from the kingdom of heaven." Verse the 7th particularly directs the people to point out for themselves Mount Hor. Oh what beautiful meaning is in all this! The preceding chapter tells us that the death of the high priest took place there; and has, then, the Lord our Creator passed by the nature of angels, and perhaps passed by all other worlds and come within our borders in this lower world, that he might lay down his life as our great High Priest? Amazing condescension

and love! Again, verse the 12th, "the border shall go down to Jordan." The believer is not exempt from the common lot of man in being obliged to pass this river; but the border of his heavenly inheritance is the opposite shore; he no sooner has passed the flood than he has gained the promised land. "The border shall go down to Jordan!" A hope full of immortality and glory shall come down into the soul of the believer, even while he is in this river; and he shall find the fulfilment of that promise, "when thou passest through the water, I will be with thee." Finally, verse the 12th, "the going out of it shall be at the great sea." The heavenly land is bounded, if we may so speak, by the boundless sea of the love of God: that sea of life and love, without a bottom or a shore! Remember, my sister, that when only the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant touched the waters of Jordan, they fled, and disclosed a firm and sure path for the people of God.

Christians in this lower world are still spiritual members of Christ. May you then, as one of them, when called to touch the stream, find it divide, and all its waters flee before that ark of the covenant of God which we are assured will then be with you; and may we, who are suffered to remain a short time longer in the wilderness, by faith and patience inherit the same blessedness!

I pray the Lord to bless and be ever with you, my beloved sister, and your most affectionate brother,

J. BACON.

HIS SISTER'S EPITAPH, WRITTEN BY HERSELF.

Reader, whilst "heart and flesh fail,"

I desire that the marble which shall cover my remains
be inscribed not as a memorial to myself,
but of the free grace and mercy of my

Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ;
By which alone

I was brought to a knowledge of divine truth,
Preserv'd from the evil of this world,
And can now say,

Not any thing has failed of what the Lord has promised.
If thou, reader, art a seeker of the kingdom of heaven,
Receive for thine encouragement this dying tribute
From thy sister, in the name of the Redeemer,

ANN BACON.