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back to bear your trouble, or lightened your burden, or opened an unexpected door of escape, so that the evil which you feared, came not upon you. You read, that the word of God is the only support and relief to a gracious soul in the dark day of affliction, Psalm cxix. 50, 92; 2 Sam. xxiii. 5; that for this very purpose it was written, Rom. xv. 4. And is not this a sealed truth, attested by a thousand undeniable experiences? Hence have the saints fetched their cordials, when fainting under the rod. One word of God can do more than ten thousand words of men, to relieve a distressed soul. If Providence has at any time directed you to such promises, as either assure you that the Lord will be with you in trouble, Psalm xci. 15; or that encourage you by inward peace to bear cheerfully outward burdens, John xvi. 33; or satisfy you of God's tenderness and moderation in his dealings with you, Isaiah xxvii. 8; or that you shall reap blessed fruits from them, Rom. viii. 28 ; or that clear up your interest in God, and his love under your afflictions, 2 Sam. vii. 14; O what sensible ease and relief ensue! How light is your burden, compared with what it was before!

Divine Conduct.

FLAVEL.

Review of Books.

A MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION on the use and governance of Time and Temper: containing selections from Holy Scripture, with remarks and extracts from various English authors. With an introductory address to the young. By the Rev. William Jowett, M. A. Late fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge. 3s. 6d. Seeley and Burnside.

Ir this volume contained nothing more than the introductory address, and the few remarks' of the author on some of the selected portions of scripture, we should pronounce it an important acquisition to the young; and to all ages. But we have a long series of valuable extracts from the pens of Hooker, Bacon, Watton, Bishop Hall, George Herbert, Sir Matthew Hale, Bishop Jeremy Taylor, Archbishop Leighton, Baxter, Bishop Ken, Watts, Law, Doddridge, Wesley, Scott, and a striking passage from the evidence of Dr. Farre, before a Committee of the House of Commons. All these bear upon the subject matter of the book, the use and governance of Time and Temper; while the brief notice of each writer, contained in the introductory address, gives us a key to the respective quotations. The plan of the volume is excellent: and its execution equally so,

From among many things that we should like to lay before our readers, we will select a specimen or two of Mr. Jowett's remarks, which we think will fully justify us in recommending the book, as one of great practical utility.

On an expression in 1 Kings viii. 59, which is literally rendered by Mr. Jowett, he has these observations,

A most exact

Of all, con

And there is

"The thing of a day in his day." description of all that a man can do. sequently, that is required of him. great comfort in thus viewing all our duties, trials, and difficulties, as being the affair of one day at a time, and therefore quietly to be committed to God, in daily prayer and thanksgiving.

The endeavour to crowd into the present day more than belongs to it, seems like flying in the face of that God who has limited our powers. Not to be content with leaving a work unfinished which is not imperative, and which needs only the additional aid of to-morrow to finish it, is like saying to God, Why hast thou made me thus? Is it not also, sometimes, a mark of low faith, to aim at completing a work, under such circumstances, before its time? As if we doubted whether God would bestow upon us, day by day, the requisite faculties of memory, judgment, and application, with which he has hitherto endued us. Moreover, eagerness to dispatch a favorite project late at night, may so hurry us, as to leave no sufficient space for prayer, and the preparing of the soul to lie down in sweet peace with God.

'There is such a thing as false diligence, an impatience to finish and be beforehand with our work:

this is often connected with a desire to be as much as possible independent of God, and free from the claims of duty in its regular order. The cause of God requires effort, but not to a high pitch of excitement; diligence, but not to excess. God is a gracious Master, who will himself supply all the deficiencies of those whose two talents are gaining other two; or whose one talent is unambitiously, and evenly gaining one more. These remarks, however, afford no encouragement to such persons as are habitually behind hand with their work. They are only designed for the over-doers, who, bent upon some end in view, forget moderation in the means of reaching it.'

Again, on James iv. 13-15.

Eagerness and anxiety are, as it were, the two feelers of the mind, reaching into time future. Eagerness, darting forward, and apprehending some imagined good. Anxiety, sensitively forecasting many evils, some of which never come. Eagerness is the raging fever of youth; anxiety the low fever of later years. Both these dispositions, though in different ways, dishonour God, and disturb our peace. When very eager about a matter, we should suspect that all is not right: when very anxious, we may be equally sure something is wrong. A placid, cheerful, and regular activity, can only proceed from a hearty disposition to do and to suffer the whole will of God, during all the time of our pilgrimage. "Thy will be done!" expresses the thing best.'

On Prov. xvii. 12.

The man who has "a will of his own," uncontrolled by religious principle, bent on its purpose reckless of all consequences-seems to be the "fool

in his folly," here described. Woe to those who meet or confront him, when in that mood.

'But it is possible that persons, considered to be pious, may occasionally verge towards this very state. Through the power of unmortified corruption, and from sudden strong temptation they may be led to play the fool, and err exceedingly. They are the more likely thus to fall, if they ever use that common, but vain excuse, “It is my way”—My way! Why, that is the very cause of grief to a contrite spirit, calling for renewed, and redoubled watchfulness.

Anger, or peevishness; ridicule, or invective; levity, or eagerness for pleasure-may be the besetting sin of a man. It is the more perilous to meet a professing Christian under the influence of any of these passions, because it comes unexpectedly from him. While folly is on him, how to check, or how to escape him, are questions alike difficult. An unmoved countenance, an unprovoking silence, a fair transition to some other subject, above all, a heart fixed by prayer, will be our helpers at such a moment: -and, be aware the next time!'

These are not the remarks of a superficial thinker.

TWENTY SERMONS, by the late Rev. William Howels, Minister of Long Acre Episcopal Chapel. Shaw, 7s.

THE Editor remarks, and very justly, we think, 'The lamented preacher was one who had no time to polish the hilt of his sword; it was enough for him, that the blade was kept with a keen edge. His maxim

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