January 6.

MATTHEW ii. 11. And when the wise men had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts, gold and frankincense, and myrrh.

A festival called the Epiphany, which signifies " an appearance of light, a manifestation," is kept on the 6th of January, to celebrate the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, and especially to the magi above-mentioned. His Majesty offers annually by proxy at the chapel royal, St. Jame's gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

In the eastern nations, when they did homage to their kings, they made them a present. Thus the subjection of the kings of Sheba to Christ is spoken of, Psalm Ixxii. 10. What the wise men presented, were intended by Providence as a seasonable relief to Joseph and Mary in their poor condition. These, says Mr. Henry, were the products of their own country. What God favours us with, we must honour him with. Happy are they who are enabled not only to give their substance, but themselves to him.

January 7.

ROMANS Viii. 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
PSALM XXXI, 5. Into thine hand I commit my spirit.

The Rev. JAMES ANDREAS, a famous Lutheran divine, died 1528, aged 62. When he found death drawing near, he made a declaration to several of his friends concerning his constancy in the faith which he had preached, and published for forty-four years. When his physician inquired of him how he found himself, he answered, "By nothing separated from God." Soon afterwards hearing the clock strike, he asked what hour it was? and upon being told it was six, he added, "My hour shall soon draw near." He used many edifying expressions to those about him, and declared great thankfulness to his gracious God and Saviour for his manifold mercies to his body and soul. At length he breathed out his soul with this sentence, Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit! The following character is given him by Melchior Adam. "He was (says this author)

an excellent preacher, had an easy manner of instructing the people; and delivered the most obscure points in such a perspicuous style, that they were understood by the generality of the audience. When he exhorted them to the reformation of their lives, or remonstrated against sin, he made use of great energy of language and elevation of voice, being extremely well qualified for both by nature and art for moving the passions. And when there was occasion for it, his eloquence was forcible like thunder, and he spoke with such vehemence, that he would perspire even in the midst of winter. In executing the several branches of his duty, he spared no labour, and was deterred by no fatigue. He was perpetually engaged in composing some work or other, or writing letters upon various subjects to persons of all ranks who consulted him. These things he dispatched with admirable quickness and success. There was hardly a day passed but he gave advice to several persons; being always ready to gratify those who solicited his assistance. He was in great favour with some princes and men of the highest rank; his conversation being very agreeable and facetious. He had a warm zeal for the religion which he professed, and was extremely sorry whenever he heard that any person had abandoned it."

January 8.

JOHN V. 40. And ye will not come to me that ye might have life.

GALILEO, a most eminent philosopher, died Jan. 8, 1564. He invented, or at least improved, the telescope, so as to make it fit for astronomical observations. Great prejudice however was entertained against him: and it is said that there was a philosopher at Florence who could not be persuaded to look through one of Galileo's telescopes, lest he should see something in the heavens that would disturb him in his belief of Aristotle's philosophy. Thus it is with many; they are afraid of examining God's word, lest they should find themselves condemned.

January 9.

ROMANS Viii. 37. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquer. ors through him that loved us.

LORD NELSON's funeral, 1806. His Lordship was buried at St. Paul's; and his funeral was one of the most splendid ever witnessed in this country. He gained the victory over his enemies, but he lost his own life. Let us pass from this melancholy event to consider the felicity of the christian warrior.

"In our patient bearing of the trials allotted to us," says one, "we are not only conquerors, but more than conquerors, that is, triumphers. Those are more than conquerors, that conquer with little loss. Many conquests are dear bought; but what do the suffering saints lose? Why they lose that which the gold loses in the furnace, nothing but the dross. It is no great loss to lose things which are not; a body that is of the earth, earthy. Those are more than conquerors who conquer with great gain. The spoils are exceedingly rich; glory, honour, and peace, a crown of righteousness that fadeth not away. In this the suffering saints have triumphed; not only have not been separated from the love of Christ, but have been taken into the most sensible endearments and embraces of it. As afflictions abound, consolations much more abound.

There is one more than a conqueror, when pressed above measure. He that embraced the stake, and said, Welcome the cross of Christ, welcome everlasting life: he that dated his letter from the delectable orchard of the Leonine prison: he that said, In these flames I feel no more pain than if I were upon a bed of down; she that a little before her martyrdom, being asked how she did, said, Well and merry, and going to heaven; those that have gone smiling to the stake, and stood singing in the flames; these were more than conquerors."

Dr. Evans.

January 10.

DECT. xxxii. 47. For it is not a vain thing for you, for it is your life. The Rev. CORNELIUS. WINTER, of Painswick, died 1808. He was a man of the most unblemished reputation, exemplary piety, benevolence and tenderness. To him religion was not a vain thing. He found it his greatest support under all his afflictions.

When a medical man attended him, and saw how resigned he was under à fracture, he said, "I always thought before, that religion was only something to talk about; but now (though unfortunately I have no religion myself) I see it is a fact."

Thus we see so far from religion being a vain thing, it produces such happy effects, as even to astonish and convince ignorant by-standers.

January 11.

PSALMxvi. 13. Come and hear all ye that fear God, and I will de. clare what he hath done for my soul.

The Rev: GEORGE TROSS died 1713, aged 81 years. He was in danger of being starved at nurse; and in his advanced age was much affected with this early deliverance. He was well furnished for ministerial service. His apprehension was quick, his invention rich, his judgment solid, and his memory tenacious. He read over the Bible in English, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and French several times. He preached funeral sermons for no less than fourteen of his brethren in the ministry. He laid aside the tenth part of all his income for charitable purposes. A little before his death, his friends expostulated with him for preaching under such weakness as he had done. He replied, " It becomes a minister to die preaching." He left the following account of himself. « Till I was four or five and twenty years old I lived in a course of sin and folly, which I experienced to be base, unreasonable, and destructive to health, estate, name, rest, and reason, leading to horror, despair, rage, and hell. Ever since, for many years, I have kept on steadily in the ways

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of holiness, and found them blessed, honourable, and comfortable, both with respect to body and soul, and to all outward and inward concerns. I can say, that godliness has the promise of this life and that which is to come; and must declare that I never heard or read of any one so almightily saved from sin and hell, and so wonderfully blessed with all favour and mercies, as I have been." He was buried at Exeter, the place of his nativity.

January 12.

AMOS vi. 9. I will darken the earth in a clear day.

There was extreme darkness at noon in England, Jan. 12, 1679. How easily can the Almighty deprive us of the common blessings of life. How soon can he punish his enemies by inflicting the most dreadful judgments, and turning all their blessings into a curse. But how were the above words fulfilled in the darkness that attended our Saviour's crucifixion. Thick darkness covered the land, and some think the whole earth for three hours, from noon till three o'clock. The Jews, as one observes, had often demanded a sign from heaven, and now they had one, but such an one as signified the blinding their eyes. It was a sign of the darkness that was come and was coming upon the Jewish nation. They were doing their utmost to extinguish the Sun of Righteousness, which was now setting, and what then might be expected among them but a worse than Egyptian darkness.

January 13.

JOHN vi. 27. Labour not for the meat that perisheth.
LUKE X. 42. Mary hath chosen the good part.

Monasteries were suppressed in France, 1790. However useful these institutions were as the preservers of learning; it must be owned that they were too often the haunts of ignorance and superstition. In that, however, where Sylvanus was abbot, there seemed an exception.