know very well that you are no- able service; - meanwhile, your thing; and we know also that friends are determined to be gratiChrist is all in all; who, if it be fied, in spite of you, by possesshis will, can speak as he did to ing themselves, through you, of Balaam by an ass—why, then, not Paul's meaning. Observe, if you by a man? Art not thou' a man? are angry, I do not ask pardon; Art not thou a servant of Christ? the truth is, we are the offended Has he not endowed thee with ca- party, and you should seek forpacity? If you should choose to giveness of us for your displeasure. improve this volume by some God for ever keep you!" additions, it will be an accept [To be continued.] THE OLD CREATION. God spake, and said, “ Let there be light !" And Chaos the firm mandate heard ; Light sprung obedient to the word. That stud the sky and cheer the earth, Heard, and from nothingness came forth. And promptly the High Will obey'd: “ Thus far they came, and here were staid !” Matur'd at once, its bounties spread; Its form display'd, its fragrance shed. Burst into life, in all their names; Nor thought of then were strife or chains. Eden was fix'd for his abode; He walk'd on earth, and walk'd with God! Not e'en endued with half his powers! E'en Adam fell in Eden's bowers ! Give place to sin's defiling stains; And thorns and thistles curse the plains ! Sin tainted all man's unborn race; Was preach'd the glorious news of grace. To let thee bruise thy conqu’ror's heel! The crush of death thy head shall feel ! 66 That cross shall be erected high, And thou shalt writhe beneath its base! THE NEW CREATION. This fair Creation's wondrous frame, From heaven's high courts the echo came ! It well employ'd each angol tongue; The morning stars with transport sung. A new Creation vaster still; Exceeds in power, exceeds in skill! Opposing principle was none : give command-my voice obey," Was scarcely said, ere all was done ! To form the rebel-soul anew t, Alone sufficient to subdue. The gloom of hell enwraps the soul; Satan leads on and claims the whole. Ye sons of men, “Why will ye die ?" “ That cross has brought salvation nigh.” Tbeir ears they stop, and spurn the voice; Make fetters, sleep, and death, their choice. Not common death it is that reigns ; "Tis wilful death-'tis heart-lov'd chains ! For ours the slumbers, chains, and death ; And breathe on us thy quick’ning breath. Still, still shall reach each deep recess;. A new Creation yet shall bless. Till Paradise again is seen; NOVIT A * John, iii, %. t Ephes. i. 19. John, v. 10. THE VILLAGE PASTOR, No. X. but joy cometh in the morning. -to contemplate him in all his blessed and gracious attributes as In many departments and ope- among ten thousand, and rations of the natural world, we altogether lovely; But, alas! the behold a striking analogy to the vail is at present before her eyes; state and operations of the work of she walks in darkness and has no grace on the heart of man. On a light. She seems more than any gloomy morning in May, tidings other of my flock to fear taking any came that widow Sanders was re- comfort to herself. She groans, moved to a new residence, and und weeps, and prays, and loves was more than usually indisposed to hear of the Redeemer; but her in body, and more than ever dis- naturally sorrowful spirit, her deep tressed in her mind. The day was sense of sin, and the inany dismal advancing, but the sky was over- suggestions of Satan, are as a dark cast with a November-like hue. and wintry cloud'; they shut out the Our vallies were obscured in a cheering beams of the un of sheet of small rain, and the ga- Righteousness from her soul; and thering vapour lay on the sides of much she fears that that soul will our lovely hills, and shut out all one day set in the blackness of their diversified beauties from our darkness for ever. Oh! that this view. As I rode along, I turned ber night of weeping might give frequently to those parts of the ho- place to the promised joyous mornrizon where so many natural objects ing which so many have already of delight were wont to present experienced to their everlasting themselves to the traveller, but comfort. they were all concealed. The ima- This poor woman had, in her gination might easily figure to itself younger days, paid some attention a dreary waste of inhospitable and to the concerns of her soul. But barren rocks ; a forlorn and deso- as she advanced in life, she delate country, where wolves, and clined in grace; and when she betigers, and untamed men, took up came a wife and a mother, the cares their dwelling. It would have been of this world, and the objects of a difficult task to impress on a her natural affection, became as the stranger's mind what à cheering thorns on the good seed-all was and delightful piece of scenery lay choked for many days. How comaround him. What beauties of na- mon and how melancholy a case ture would at once break on his is this; and how completely does eyes the instant those clouds and such conduct prove, that the heart mists should pass away! And of man is deceitful above all things, this, thought I, is the case with and desperately wicked! Were my poor widowed sufferer, whose it not so, as an increase of cares soul is bowed down beneath the and anxieties crowded upon us, we presence of many fears; whose should feel an equally increased faith is, at present, too weak to desire to cast our burdens and pierce the surrounding gloom. cares on the Lord, and should reThere are given unto her, and to joice that he had promised to care all in her situation, many great and for us. So far, however, is this precious promises. The Holy from being the case, that poor wayScriptures abound with consola- ward man makes those very trials tions and encouragements; and and circumstances a plea and excuse Prophets and Apostles call on her for neglecting God, which, of all to behold the Lamb of God who others, should bring him more ear Westly to seek and serve him. But had slighted, a kingdom whieh she to return to the poor widow. It had almost forgotten, and a somust be remarked, that although ciety which, if she had not deshe long seemed disposed to forget spised, she certainly had not hunand forsake God, yet God would gered and thirsted after. Her case neither forget nor forsake her. much interested me. She was naHe visited her backslidings with turally placid, gentle, and timid. the rod more than once or twice. Like Hannah of old, a woman of A part of her family were removed sorrowful, tender spirit, not fretful by the ordinary course of sickness, and peevish, but depressed, and and some were called hence by ready, like a bruised reed, to break very afflictive providences they down under every rude blast which were cut off by accidents, as the assails it. In addition to all this, world terms those calls of the Al- the Lord had now given her a very mighty which come in the form and tender conscience; and Satan, as character of sudden, violent death. has been already binted, harassed In short, her gourd of earth bore her with continual accusations of happiness withered. The noon- her past sins and present imperfectide sun of affliction fell on its tions, and by every means endeabranches, a worm was at its root, voured to perplex her understandand it sunk to the ground. She ing, darken her soul, and destroy looked around her dwelling, but her little faith. Now, although there was neither child nor husband this self-abasement, this sense of to sooth her sorrows or to share sin, and humiliation of soul before her joys; they were all gone. She God, are sure signs of genuine rewas left alone, childless, and a pentance, especially when coupled, widow, and poor and friendless in as was the widow's case, with an a world which too often frowns on earnest desire to give up the whole distress altogether, and at best can soul to Christ, and to love and administer but little comfort to one obey him with all the heart, and all in her situation. For a consider the mind, and all the strength; yet able while her strength and health so long as the individual continues had been on the decline; and at to walk in darkness and distress, the time when her case more parti- the pastor cannot but deeply symcularly called for my attention, she pathize with the sufferer, whose was labouring under much of a con- want of faith, and of clearer views sumptive cough and great difficulty of the freeness and fulness of the of breathing. An internal fever salvation of the Gospel, cause them was progressively consuming the to go mourning all the day. Nay, whole frame; her days were days his own heart will sometimes sink, of pain, and her nights were those and he will be ready to fear lest, in of tossing to and fro. These af- the hour of trial, he also may feel Alictions were, however, absorbed, nothing but the waves and billows and, as far as possible, forgotten going over his soul. But to return in the heavier trials of her soul. She again to the poor widow: it will be looked backwards on days and gratifying and encouraging to the years. spent in labouring for the Christian reader to learn, that He meat which perisheth, and had who for wise and gracious purposes now to bewail how much she had does sometimes hide himself from undervalued and neglected to pro- his mourning and praying children cure that living bread which comes for a season, that with everlasting down from heaven. She looked mercies he may gather them at the forward to a dying hour and a fittest season and most precious judgment near at hand; and could manner, even He was pleased to only contemplate a God whom she look on this his afflicted and dis man on to inform me, 66 7 1 form ; storm. 1 tressed bandmaid. Light and her that “ Bless me, here is Mr. M.!” exAnd for my relief will surely appear ; claimed widow D. as I approached By prayer let me wrestle, and he will per- the door. I had scarcely entered and shut it to after me, before the With Christ in the ressel, I smile at the widow and two other women burst into tears. “ Poor dear Betty is Her deep sense of personal unworthiness never forsook her, but gone at last; and so happy! 0, her former distressing fears were Sir, I wish you had been here, said the former. gone for ever. A calm composure “ I wish so too; but I trust all is now marked her countenance with well; and as I could not witness an unusually interesting cast, while a Scriptural peace rested in her her last moments, tell me a little about them." heart. She could now hear portions of God's word read, and be “ Well, Sir," answered D. “ I lieve that she had an interest in had been reading for some time, and talking to her in my poor way, them. It was comfortable to visit her, and edifying to converse with not thinking her end was so near. her. To myself it was more than “And was she quite sensible?”. comfortable; for as her former dark “ O yes, Sir, and she did so and distressed state had often seem to enjoy it, her whole soul greatly depressed my own spirits, seemed taken up with it! All at in this her victory over those fears and I said, Betty, you are going, once I saw her change for death ; which once so powerfully assailed her, the Lord in effect said again you are going! Now, how is it to me, “Why art thou so fearful, Lord present and precious ? But your soul? Do you find the O thou of little faith ?" she could not answer, Sir; "her On Sunday afternoon, I was informed that the widow's most speech was gone, she only looked I said again, Betty, now threatening symptoms had much at me, increased. As it was not possible you are going: if your soul is hapto see her that evening, I hastened, py, if Christ Jesus is present and precious to you, and you cannot other calls of duty would admit , to speak, do hold up your hand in wards her distant cottage, and had token of your assurance. And, Sir, as soon as ever I had said so, approached within a quarter of a mile of it, when I met a poor wo poor dear soul! she held up both |