Others,' they will say, 'more favourably situated, may find time for all the requirements of the Gospel; but how can we in the multiplicity of our worldly cares, and borne down, as we are, with the fatigue of our daily avocations? Do you then seriously ask how you can find time for the duties of religion? For what was time given to you? Can you find any thing more important to do, than to glorify God? Remember the command of the Almighty: What soever ye do, do all to the glory of God.' What prevents your taking care of the body and the soul at the same time? Why may you not, while you are diligent in business,' be also fervent in spirit serving the Lord?' Neither exclusion from the world, nor exemption from its cares and business is essential to growth in grace; indeed they are both unavoidable to the person who would aim at distinguished usefulness in life. We are all to serve God and our generation in the world, and not by going unbidden out of it--in the lawful business of our respective callings, and not by neglecting it. The Psalmist lived not in solitude, but in society; and the public cares and burdens of his exalted station must have been most oppressive. But instead of asking to be delivered from them, his prayer was, that he might be taught how to perform every duty, so as to glorify God and fill up every day with the highest degree of useful

ness.

We number our days best, not when we retire from the world in disgust, nor when we find nothing to do; but when we are brought into the widest sphere of usefulness, and fill it to the greatest advantage.

If we loved God with all the heart, it would be easy for us so to number our days as to secure his approbation in whatever situation he might place us, whether in the desk, or on the bench, or in the hall of legislation; in the field, or shop, or countingroom. Those who are always complaining of their peculiar hindrances and temptations, and who are confi

dent they should number their days better in some other situation, are generally self-deceived. Were they differently situated, they would find obstacles quite as great, as those of which they are now so ready to complain. The chief difficulty lies in their own hearts. The great thing is for a person to be faithful according to what he hath, whether it be ten talents or but one. Let him fill up his proper sphere well, and it matters not whether he is a ruler, or a subject; whether he wears a crown, or dwells in a cottage; whether he turns up the soil, or ploughs the ocean. He may in any condition, fear God and keep his commandments. He may any where, if he will, so number his days, as to apply his heart unto wisdom.

4. We proceed to mention some of the principal Motives which ought to stimulate us to the faithful discharge of this great duty.

First then, the authority of God should be ever present to our minds. He who made and preserves us and sent his Son to die for us, has an undoubted right to our services. And what is the tenor of his requirements?

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,' and 'thy neighbour as thyself. Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.' Ye are not your own, ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's.' Jehovah demands the undivided service of all our faculties; and who will dare to question his right to our obedience? What ingratitude, what madness is it to rebel against his authority. How dare you, my friend, waste a day, or an hour in sloth, or in any of the ways of actual transgression? Beware, I beseech you, my fellow sinner, how you longer trifle with the authority of Omnipotence. It is owing to his goodness that you have been spared to see the beginning of this new year; it is of the Lord's mercies, which you have nevertheless trampled under

Who can show a lease of another year or day, or even moment? What multitudes now living will be in their graves, before this year closes. And who, where are they? Some of you doubtless, who read this sermon, will be found among the number. And are you all ready for the summons ?

Aged reader art thou ready? See, but a few more sands are left. Thy sun is just setting. How do the keepers of thy frail house tremble, and the strong men bow themselves! If thou hast so numbered thy days as to apply thine heart unto wisdom, if thy gray hairs are found in the ways of righteousness, all is well; but if not, fly, O fly to the ark of safety, while yet a ray of hope glimmers upon the mountain's top.

Busy mortal, now in the midst of life, how art thou numbering thy days? I see thine abundance and hear thy self gratulations. But what if God should say unto thee, "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee ?" Ah, think how brittle is the thread, on which thou reliest, and no longer boast thyself of tomorrow. 'Behold, now is the accepted time: behold, now is the day of salvation.

My dear youthful reader, what shall I say to you? So number your days, that you may apply your heart unto wisdom. Is it no concern of yours, that so many will certainly die this year? Can you claim exemption on the ground that you are too young to die? Go then into the nearest grave yard, aud " Ask tombstones, they can tell." Gird up the loins of your mind. Watch and be sober. "Be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. And what I say unto you, I say unto all, watch."

The last motive to christian diligence which I shall mention, is drawn from the world to come. The state to which we are hastening is an eternal dwelling, and every thing depends upon the improvement of this little span of life. There is not another period of probation. No other days will be given

ment of temporal things.

N. C.

For the Christian Spectator. Exposition of Hebrews xi. 39, 40. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, receiv ed not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

This passage occasions considerable perplexity in the minds of common readers. The learned also have differed in their explanation of it.

We might naturally suppose that the apostle, after following the ancient believers through their conflicts and triumphs, would speak of their entrance into the world of glory. Having finished his account of the whole, what should we more reasonably expect than that he would pass to their reward? Many readers have, therefore, viewed the apostle as speaking in this passage of the world to come. But they are surprised to find that the reward is withheld. Justead of reading—and these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received the promise'-they find "they received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect ;”—a reason which they do not understand, and which affords them no satisfaction. The 13th verse, say they, is plain The promises there alluded to are of a better country-an heavenly, and not to be obtained by any in this life. But here it is asserted that the people of God had not received the promise, after they had obtained a good report through faith. Those who believe that the soul sleeps until the resurrection, have claimed this passage as favouring their system. Here, in their view, the apostle expressly declares that the Old Testament saints did not, at death

of insensibility, for all who come after them. God having provided that they without us should not be made perfect.

The Roman Catholics have considered this passage as affording proof of a purgatory, where the souls of believers are detained until the rethat all the blessed should enter heav surrection God having provided en together.

To ascertain the meaning of the apostle in the passage before us, it is necessary to determine the object of the promise of which he speaks. Is it the promise of eternal life? Has the apostle in this part of the chapter, any allusion to the future world? The context shews that he has not. And if not, then the Priestlians and Catholics have their foundation destroyed. Paul in this Epistle is contrasting the Old and New dispensation, and shewing the superiority of the latter to the former. This he does in a masterly manner in his view of the Authors of the two dispensations, of the rest for the people of God, provided in each of the priesthood employed in them, and finally, of the objects of their faith and their motives to holy obedience. This chapter is upon Faith. Having represented the ancient believers as doing wonders through faith, he now comes to his argument, which is, that notwithstanding all the extraordinary things they did, the Old dispensation is still inferior to the New. Why? Because they received not the promise. What promise? The promise of a Saviour. Their dispensation was dark. They had the promise of a Messiah and a better state of things; but the promise was not fulfilled to them, God having designed this fulfilment as the glory and blessedness of the new dispensation. The promise then to which the apostle has reference was that of the Messiah. With this view of the subject, the passage is perfectly clear And these all having obtained a good report

through faith in a promised Messiah received not the promise-did not live to behold the actual arrival of the Messiah: God having provided some better thing for us, under the new dispensation, who have ourselves

witnessed the fulfilment of what was to them only prophesy, that they— the church under the old dispensation without us should not be made perfect.

For the Christian Spectator. Mr. Editor,

The following interesting letter of the Rev. John Newton, whose praise is in all the churches, has never, I believe, been published. It has remained some time in my possession in the form of a manuscript copy, and it is now submitted to the press, that the admirers of that excellent man may be gratified with this relic of his piety and worth. It was addressed to the Rev. Mr. Robbins of Plymouth, Mass. G. B.

LONDON, 19th April, 1794.

Rev. and Dear Sir,

I am afraid you will think me, as I certainly think myself, very tardy in not sooner acknowledging your obliging favour which I received in September last. I have often proposed it, but it is not worth while troubling you with a detail of the multiplicity of business,engagements, and hindrances which have hitherto prevented me. I trust my heart rejoiced in the account of the gracious revival with which the Lord has visited Plymouth under your ministry, and many have rejoiced with me, for I have seen the purport of it in a periodical paper. May it spread through all your states, and penetrate westward, till the present desolate wilderness shall become as the garden of the Lord, and blossom like the rose.

There has been a monument of the like kind in a part of North Wales, which I believe has not wholly gone off, and I am assured that in many persous, the impression though sudden, was not transient, but has produced an evident and abiding change. We hear likewise at present of a more than

usual awakening in several parts of Yorkshire. But in general we are not favoured with a net to enclose a great multitude of fishes at once; we are mostly anglers, and would be thankful if now and then we can take one. Yet I hope that upon the whole, the success of the gospel is upon the increase among us, both as to the spread and efficacy, especially in the establishment. The Lord adds to the number of the Gospel preachers every year. Promising young men are ordained; and now and then we hear of one who is brought to the knowledge and experience of the truth, after having been long a blind leader of the blind. London is highly privileged. Mr. Romaine and myself indeed are the only parochial ministers. But we have curates, lecturers, and ministers of chapels ; many of them are men of zeal and abilities, and are attended by large auditories, I trust with good effect. There is likewise much preaching by irregulars and itinerants, and I believe much good is done by them. But as the path is easily open to any who may think themselves qualified to tread in it, there is a great mixture. Some attempt to teach others who themselves have need of being taught. They have neither the right message nor the right spitit, but are rash and self-confident. So that novelties, errors, strifes, and divisions are multiplied. It was so you know in the Apostles' times, and therefore we need not wonder it is thus in our days, and in our land, where every man is at liberty to do that which is right in his own eyes.