knew his lord's will and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes; but he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes." In proportion to the degree in which you understand the will of God, your disobedience to that will becomes the more aggravated, and if you die impenitent, your punishment will be the more severe. "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." luted, and we are altogether as an unclean thing. The children of grace are born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. The advantages of your birth and education, lay you under strong obligations to holiness; and should you break through them and walk in an evil way, to you, above others, it will be bitterness in the end. Consider, sooner or later sin must pierce your hearts with penitential sorrow, or with everlasting despair. "Rejoice O young man in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things, God will bring thee into judgment." An opinion prevailed among the Jews, that none of their posterity could be lost: they thought their relation to the father of the faithful would prevent their final perdition. John the Baptist cautioned them against this false opinion: "Think not to say Perhaps you allow, that reliwithin yourselves, we have Abra- gion is important-that it ought ham to our father; for I say unto to be attended to-and mean at you, that God is able of these some future period to become stones to raise up children unto religious; but for the present Abraham." Something like this you cannot think about it: but may have been experienced by is not life uncertain? and have you. Did you never inwardly not thousands been ruined who say, "My father and my mother once flattered themselves with fear the Lord-they often pray such promises? "Procrastination for their children. God hears is the thief of time." The word the prayers of his people, and will of God promises nothing for toregard us for their sakes." We morrow; but says, To-day if assure you that such notions are ye will hear his voice, harden not wrong; religion is personal; as your hearts." To neglect the mere descent from the father of concerns of your souls, is to the Jewish nation could not en-abuse the patience and forbeartitle his posterity to the peculiar ance of God-to sin against the promises God made to him; so convictions of your neither can your being the off-sciences-and to increase your spring of pious parents give you any claim to the salvation of the gospel. Whatever privileges you have derived from your first birth, you must be born again. The very beginning of religion is the renewal of our natures; we are so depraved by sin, that all our powers and passions are pol own con-. natnral aversion to divine things. If your inward corruptions are not opposed, they gather strength; every day you neglect to seek the Lord, you are removed to a greater distance from him, and may in the end be brought to entertain those slight notions of sin, and of your natural state by cause of the infidelity and ruin of multitudes. it, which have been the principal | if indeed any thing could, cast a cloud over the brightness of our glory. O our dear children! suffer us to remind you of the infinite importance of eternal things, and entreat you to seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near. It is with pleasure we direct you to Jesus Christ; he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him: his blood cleanses from all sinand whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. 66 You are the children of our cares and anxieties, the objects of our daily and earnest prayers; next to the salvation of our own souls, we are solicitous for that of yours: we long to see you fear the Lord before the world take possession of your minds; besides, observation teaches us, that if the morning of life pass away, and you are not converted, it is probable you will become hardened in sin, and at last go down to the grave with a lie in To fear the Lord in your your right hand. The thought youth, would prevent your conof this is painful to our minds. tracting bad habits, the cure of How could we bear to see you which, when of long standing, is placed on the left hand of the like cutting off a right hand or Judge at the great day of ac- plucking out a right eye. No counts, and to hear him pro- schemes of pleasure, nor plans of nounce upon you that awful sen- prosperity can succeed, without tence, Depart from me, ye the divine blessing: your future cursed, into everlasting fire, pre-prospects may seem well guarded pared for the devil and his angels." The idea of so tremendous a scene fills us with pain, and awakens in our minds, on your account, the tenderest emotions. Does not the mention of it affect your souls also, and fill you with ardent desires to escape so dreadful a condition? Can you think of being driven from God, and dragged by devils into the place where there is nothing but weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth; to suffer from the worm that never dies, and the fire that is never quenched, and not cry to the Lord for grace to prepare you to dwell with himself, and with all the blessed in that happy world, in which he lives and reigns? Surely to meet you there would add to our felicity in those glorious regions, and cause us to strike our golden harps with new joy to his praise. While to be disappointed of this pleasure would, VOL. X. from every disaster, but in one As we love you, and ardently desire the salvation of your souls, we guard you against irreligious companions. "Evil communications corrupt good manners." Many have been gradually, and, at first, imperceptibly led into sins, which have most awfully terminated their career. Some of those unhappy wretches who have become victims to public justice, have declared with their 2 A I knew his lord's will and pre- luted, and we are altos pared not himself, neither did an unclean thing. Tha In proportion to the degree inould which you understand the will of should God, your disobedience to that and ADDRESS TO CHILDREN OF GODLY PARENTS 177 and call upon him while he will becomes the more aggravated, and if you die impenitent, your punishment will be the more severe. "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." An opinion prevailed amo the Jews, that none of their terity could be lost: they th their relation to the fathe faithful would prevent t perdition. John the B tioned them agains opinion: "Think within yourselves. ham to our fathe stones to rais my ved him above in th lat ney eyes The whole marvel, for be(whispering in one er's ear) the Spirit appeareth a the shape of an owl. And as they stood beholding one another, and advising the Pope, scarcely could they keep their countenances when a sinner from laughter. John himself, upon you, that God ways, he meets whom the owl stedfastly looked, Abraham." expected tokens of di- blushing at the matter, began to may havedness-his sins are free- sweat, and to fret, and fume with Diven and his polluted himself, and not finding by what is cleansed in the fountain other means he might solve the pened for sin and uncleanness. matter, being so confused, dissolved God! In the ways of sin you sion, at which the owle again, after disappointment, and, at the end, I believe, not called, was present, will find nothing but vexation, the manner aforesaid, although, as everlasting misery: "The wages looking stedfastly at the Bishop, of sin is death." Come, then, you. say, fear for the re 2 we Come ye the council, broke up, and departed. prodigals, return to After that, there was another ses your err beseech you, retrace steps; flee for salvation to the glorious Redeemer. He ing whom he beholding to be come again, was more ashamed than he could no longer bear the sight of was before; (as justly) saying, he her, and commanded that she should to be gracious. God the be driven away with bats and or will rejoice over you to shoutings: but she, being afraid do you good: the Holy Spirit neither with their noise, or any will shed abroad his love in thing else, would not away, until hearts: angels and saints will with the stroke of their sticks, welcome you as a partaker of down dead befor them all.' which were thrown at her, she fell their felicity; and from being a forlorn creature without hope, you shall be raised to the dignity of the sons of God. D. your G. which belonged to Mr. Bunyan, is Doth the owle to them appear, 179: Juvenile Department, AL 177 ye been the principal/ if indeed any thing could, cast a ADDRESS TO CHILDREN OF GODLY PARENTS fidelity and ruin cloud over the brightness of ou glory. O our dear children! of our suffer us to remind cts/infinite importance of eternal things, and entreat you to seek ord while he may be found, upon him while he is ith pleasure we diChrist; he is ermost all 25 موم ore, Pond'rous ore." PRIOR.. ER, till a comparatively late ate, was considered as a simple substance, and one of the four great elements. From earth, water, air, and fire, all other substances were supposed to be compounded, in the countles varieties that adorn and enrich the universe. This opinion carried with it a seducing simplicity, and could only be exploded by actual demonstration. In the progress of science, however, it has become evident, that water is itself a compound of oxygen and hydrogen, in the proportions, by weight, of 88 of the former and 12 of the latter, in every 100 parts of the fluid. 66 1 of the latter, by measure; so light is hydrogen. "The decomposition of water, and its subsequent reformation," says Mr. Parkes, in his interesting Catechism,, may be shown by the following easy experiment: Add gradually one unce of sulphuric acid to four ounces 'water in a large phial, containing v iron filings. The temperature . the mixture will be so much raised by the union of the water with the ous womb, acid, as to enable the iron to decompose a part of the water. If a hole' be neatly made through a cork which fits the mouth of the phial, and a piece of tobacco-pipe with a very small orifice be fitted into it, and the whole cemented into the phial with a mixture of resin and bees' wax, the hydrogen gas, as it is separated from the water, will p pass in a continued stream through the pipe, and may be set on fire by the flame of a candle brought in contact with it. The gas will continue to burn with a blue lambent flame, as long as the decomposition goes on. This shows that the gas is really hydrogen, and that it arises from the decomposition of the water. That water may be reformed by the combustion of this gas, may be shown by holding a glass bell over the flame of the gas: as the hydrogen burns, it unites with the oxygen of the atmosphere, and the union of the two gases produces water, which will soon be seen to deposit itself like dew on the inside of the glass. It is advisable to fold a cloth round the bottle to prevent any injury from the fragments of glass, in case of an explosion." Oxygen is not only a constituent part of water, but the basis of vital air. It is essential to life and heat, and greatly contributes to the most important changes that perpetually take place among minerals, vegetables, and animals. Hydrogen is the basis of what was called inflammable air, and in its æriform state is incomparably light.It unites with oxygen only in one proportion, and water is the produce of such union: It may be proper to add, that though water is composed of one part of hydrogen and 74 of oxygen, by weight, as already observed, it contains 2 parts of the former to In what an interesting light do the studies of philosophy place the works of nature! By the improving lessons of that most useful of the sciences, chemistry, we behold this earth as one of the grand laboratories of the great last breath, that wicked com- ANECDOTE. In some copies of Fox's Martyr, ology is a wood cut, entitled "The holden at Rome, in which appeared description of the Pope's councel a monstrous owle, to the utter defacing of the Pope and all his clergie." The story is thus related by Fox, vol. i. p. 675. "When Pope John and his council, in 1410, were assembled to decide on some articles exhibited against Wickliff, behold an ugly and dreadful owle, or as the common proverb is, the sign of some mischance to follow, flew to and fro with her evil-favoured voice, and standing upon the middle beam of the church, cast her staring eyes company began to marvel, for be upon the Pope sitting. The whole hold, said they, (whispering in one another's ear) the Spirit appeareth in the shape of an owl. And as and advising the Pope, scarcely they stood beholding one another, could they keep their countenances from laughter. John himself, upon whom the owl stedfastly looked, blushing at the matter, began to Should these lines be read by any who have already broken through parental restraints, and plunged into debasing vices, let them remember, that if they wish to return to the paths of virtue, even their case is not without hope. The promises of God and the blood of Christ unite in encouraging them to return from their wanderings, and seek the Lord. When the prodigal son said, "I will arise and go to my father," his father received him with gladness: so when a sinner forsakes his evil ways, he meets with unexpected tokens of divine goodness-his sins are free-sweat, and to fret, and fume with ly forgiven and his polluted himself, and not finding by what soul is cleansed in the fountain other means he might solve the opened for sin and uncleanness. the council, broke up, and departed. matter, being so confused, dissolved Come, ye prodigals, return to After that, there was another sesGod! In the ways of sin you sion, at which the owle again, after will find nothing but vexation, the manner aforesaid, although, as disappointment, and, at the end, I believe, not called, was present, everlasting misery: "The wages looking stedfastly at the Bishop, of sin is death." Come, then, whom he beholding to be come we beseech you, retrace your erragain, was more ashamed than he ing steps; flee for salvation to could no longer bear the sight of was before; (as justly) saying, he the glorious Redeemer. He her, and commanded that she should waits to be gracious. God the be driven away with bats and Father will rejoice over you to shoutings: but she, being afraid do you good: the Holy Spirit neither with their noise, or any will shed abroad his love in your with the stroke of their sticks, thing else, would not away, until hearts: angels and saints will which were thrown at her, she fell welcome you as a partaker of down dead befor them all." their felicity; and from being a forlorn creature without hope, you shall be raised to the dig-written in his own hand writing under nity of the sons of God. the picture as follows: In the copy of Fox's Martyrology which belonged to Mr. Bunyan, is Doth the owle to them appear, |