become, perhaps, in consequence of your unChristian temper, prejudiced against that very religion whose precepts you thus seek to enforce in a manner so different from what is implied in "bringing your children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Let them be "besought by the meekness and gentleness of Christ;" and if punishment should be necessary, they are more apt to be melted and humbled, if they see that, in punishing them, you suffer more pain than you inflict. At no time, perhaps, is prayer more necessary for and with your child, than when the parent is about to lift the rod of chastisement.

When children become capable of receiving religious instruction, it will be found there is nothing so easily understood by them, or which they are so fond of reading or of hearing read, as many parts of the Holy Bible, particularly the Gospels and the historical parts of the Old Testament. If parents would wish their children to be truly religious, they must not confine their religious instructions, as too many do, to the Sabbath, but must let it form part of the business of every day of their lives. Few parents are so very closely occupied, that they could not, if they were much set on it, spend some small part of every day in | religious exercise with their children. It is even proverbially acknowledged that the time that is spent in this way is far from being a hindrance to worldly business. It is in general better that the time thus spent should be short, lest through weariness the young should get a dislike to religion. The time or times set apart for these exercises, should be fixed so as to suit the convenience of the family. If circumstances will permit, what time can be better than the hour of prime, when all are fresh and composed, and before the children enter upon their tasks, and the parents engage in the business of the day? How delightful is it to hear their matin song, when, assembled round their dear earthly parents, they raise the voice of thanksgiving and praise to their Father in the heavens! Should not the morning song of the birds of the air teach us how much it is our duty to sing the praises of the Almighty? After praise, a small portion of Scripture should be read, respecting the meaning of which, and the lesson of wisdom to be derived from it, it is of the very greatest importance that they should be questioned by their parents, and every encouragement given them to ask questions for further information. This will greatly increase their interest in it, and render the exercise in

finitely more beneficial. If parents are afraid that they are not sufficiently qualified for this important part of their duty, many of them may be able to procure the help of some approved commentator. The short notes and reflections in Brown's Bible are most judicious and pious; and if something fuller is wished, where can a better be found than the excellent Matthew Henry ?-the most useful, and, as Jay says, the "sweetest of commentators!" Let the whole be closed with a short fervent prayer, bearing on the passage of Scripture that has been read, and applying to the circumstances of the assembled family. Many throughout Scotland in the lower ranks of life are fully adequate for all this. Let such as are less able, daily exercise, according to their ability, the gifts and graces, however small, that God has bestowed on them; and he whom they serve will gradually strengthen more and more, and enable them with increasing light, and zeal, and grace, to go on in his service.

Children should early be made acquainted with the pure precepts of the Gospel, and kep: in remembrance that they are ever in the presence of that God who hears, and sees, and knows all things, and has declared, that “though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not pass unpunished." The doctrines which parents should be most anxious to impress on the minds of children are, their own natural sinfulness; the necessity of receiving Christ as their Redeemer; and the necessity of being renewed and sancti fied by the Holy Ghost, that they may deligh in the service of God, and be prepared for relishing the enjoyments of the ransomed in that world which is beyond the grave. Convince them that they offend daily-that in everything they come short; and that as it is written. "Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them," they and all mankind are involved in the curse. Show them that their own way. I wardness is a proof of the corruption of their hearts. Remind them it is not what the world call great and flagrant sins only that expose to | punishment; but every sin committed by crea tures against a holy Creator, deserves exclusion from his blessed presence, and those awful punishments that await the rebellious. Bu tell them that "God so loved the world as to send his only begotten Son, that whosoever be lieveth in him should not perish, but should have everlasting life;" that they have the most gracious invitations to come to God, in the name of the Saviour, to obtain the pardon of the

sins, and the life-giving influence of his Spirit of grace, to work in them both to will and to do of his good pleasure. But that they may be incited to diligence in the service of God, let them not forget that the eye of God is ever on them that he has appointed a day when he will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ his Son; when every work will be brought into judgment, and every secret thing, whether it has been good or whether it has been evil; when he will say to the wicked, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels;" and when he will say | to the righteous, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

Kind parents may injure their children by injudicious praise. When children make rapid progress in learning, how apt are parents to be vain of them! and, either by giving them great praise themselves, or by eliciting, after a display of their attainments, the praises of others, how apt are they to foster the seeds of vanity, plentifully sown in the hearts of their children! Their desire should be, while they stir them up to further progress, to impress them with gratitude for what the Lord has already done for them; and to remind them that "to whom much is given, of them much will be required." On the other hand, if children are not possessed of good talents, how apt are many parents to be fretful and impatient, and to load them with reproaches for their stupidity; forgetful that they are thus not only guilty of cruelty to their children, but of casting reproach on God himself, who made them what they are; and forgetting, also, that by such cruel and sinful reproaches, they are apt to dishearten and distress the minds of their children, and to increase that very dulness by which they are provoked. How much better would it be were they to encourage and stimulate them, by urging them to more strenuous exertions, telling them, under the blessing of God, almost every thing will yield to persevering industry -that many who, when children, seemed dull, have proved the most judicious, and sometimes the cleverest men; and that, at all events, at the great day, the question will not be, Have they been men of genius? but, Have they been found faithful? and that to such only the Judge will say: "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."

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in their endeavours to impress the minds of their children with the supreme importance of religion, and to bring them under the influence of the truth as it is in Christ, even though they should see no good fruit resulting from their pious labours. Let them remember that they are discharging their duty, and if this is done under a deep sense of their dependence on God for his blessing on the means; and if it is followed up by their good example, and by their earnest prayers, what reason have they to hope that their labours will not, in the end, be in vain! “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand; for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that, or whether both shall be alike good." The instructions of parents and pastors may seem long to be fruitless, yielding nothing but unprofitable tares. The good seed may be long dormant; but when the dew from heaven descends on it, what an advantage is found to have the memory stored with scriptural knowledge, which may at once, when the understanding is enlightened, be turned to great account! Though parents should sow in tears, they may, in the end, reap in joy. "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Their labour cannot be in vain to themselves, for it is well-pleasing in the sight of God; and though he should not immediately gladden their hearts, by plucking their children as "brands from the burning," and even though their grey hairs should go down to the dust in sorrow, the prayers that rise may receive a blessed answer, when they who raised them are sleeping in the grave.

FRAGMENTS FROM DANIEL ROWLANDS,

THE WHITEFIELD OF WALES.

too soon to begin with religion until they approach THERE are many people in our country who think it their end. As Christ was sent for to heal the ruler's daughter when she was at the point to die; so there of ministers until they receive the summons of death. are many who desire not the prayers nor the company

They then wish to die in the Lord, though they lived to the devil. They now cry, "Oh! oh! for repentance;" though they despised and rejected the offers of it before. They seek not the ark until they see the deluge coming: they care not for repentance until the devils are around their beds waiting for their souls.

LUTHER IN THE PULPIT.

EVERY writer, possibly, has his own peculiar style; but there are only a few men, in any age, whose genius is of such an original and extraordinary development as to stamp their works with a peculiarity which challenges public admiration. We never forget the delightful impression made upon our youthful minds by first acquaintance with authors of this description. Who, for example, can forget the sensation of pleasure he felt, when, having dealt with meaner poets, his attention was first directed to the pages of John Milton, and he was made conversant with that majesty of conception and expression which divides him, as a writer, from all mankind? Or can the same reader forget the surprise he felt when, having next taken up the pages of the bard of Avon, he was met with a development of genius altogether distinct in species, and in no degree less wonderful? In the eloquence of writing and of oratory, what a vivid impression is made when we come across the meteoric path of Burke? And not less is the astonishment which is felt by the young divine, when, passing from the perusal of ordinary sermons he, for the first time, glances at those of Thomas Chalmers, and finds sound divinity set forth in all the eloquence of a most wondrous imagination, and powerful understanding.

An impression such as this was produced upon our mind when we first glanced at the works of Luther. His style the very form and phraseology which his sentiments assumed-marked him out to be a man by

himself. There was an intrinsic heroism and subimity in them, which, indeed, were constitutionally characteristic of Luther, and suited well with the position in which God placed him, at the most critical era of the world's history.

The public are now well acquainted with the character of the German Reformer, drawn by the pen of one who could appreciate and adequately represent it; nor would we at this time re-exhibit him to the view of our readers, except very imperfectly, in his characteristics as a preacher. These have, indeed, been both noticed and illustrated by D'Aubigné, but the specimens which he has adduced are generally short, detached, and rather designed to elucidate the history, than quoted for the express purpose of conveying an idea of Luther's pulpit ministrations. Besides, through the very elegance of his mind, and his refined taste, the rude energy of Martin Luther seems to lose something in his hands as a translator. Occasionally some expression is left out, which was doubtless considered too vehement for the proprieties of language, or even of Christian temper; whereas our readers will agree with us, that it is infinitely better that his sentiments should be given in manner as well as substance, just as they issued, like burning lava, out of the crustation of an entirely unparalleled temperament.

The passages which we propose giving, in this and a succeeding paper, are extracted from a folio volume, containing such sermons as he preached in the course of his ordinary ministry to the common people

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of Wittemberg. They were originally circulated in the German language, but afterwards translated into Latin. This volume contains a preface by Luther himself, in which he launches a hearty anathema against those who, according to a pernicious custom of the time, should dare to publish the work with interpolations or corrections-men in whose hands "a good book was like a pearl amongst swine "scrupulous weighers of words, religious, and even superstitious in the choice of their expressions, while they taught without scruple the very grossest heresies straining at a gnat, and swallowing a camel-catching at the mote of a misplaced vocable in others, while they adored the beam of downright blasphemies in themselves."

We shall not detain the reader by any general observations of our own, drawn from a perusal of this volume, upon the characteristics of Luther's preaching, but proceed at once to give him specimens, from which he may form a judgment for himself. The first, which represents the Reformer in one of his more vehement moods, is a passage in which he denounces the Popish idea of good works:

"O for a voice louder than thunder, that I might make myself heard through the whole world, and at once banish this word good works from the hearts, the lips, the ears, and the writings of all men;

or succeed at last in convincing them what it means! The universal world thinks, speaks, sings, writes of good works. Not a sermon is delivered, but the theme of commendation must be good works. All our halls and all our universities boast of nothing else than good works. In every man's mouth where are good works done; nor is there a man who we shall find this word, good works. And yet noknows what good works really are. Would to God that all the pulpits throughout the world were burned with fire and reduced to ashes, that a wretched population might no more be deceived and ruined, in a

manner which one shudders to contemplate, by these good works! They give the name to works which God never prescribed: going pilgrimage to the places of their canonized saints; fasting in honour of them; building and decorating temples; bargaining for masses and vigils, as they call them; endless mutterings and unseemly vociferations within their shrines; embracing the state of monks, nuns, and priests; observing distinctions of food, raiment, and places sacred or profane;-but I despair enumerating all their detestable abominations-their foul and most pernicious impostures. And this, forsooth, is that authority of the pope which we must tremble to reject-that sanctity which we must fall down and adore! Is there an individual whom I now address,

who has an ear to hear, and a heart to understand?-| then I adjure him by the living God to hear me when I tell him what alone are entitled to the name of good works. That, then, is a good work which is of use, and profits the person who is the object of it. Otherwise why give it the designation? Good works I pitch a heavy stone to a distance, that is a great are not splendid, dazzling, and imposing works. It work; but where is the use of it? Or say that I excel in leaping, in the race, or in the tournament: these may be fine and graceful exercises, but what practical benefit do they confer? I parade a rich vestment, or rear a magnificent chapel, and who is the better of it? To bring the point home, I line the walls of our temples, and the statues, stones, or beams of this building, in which we are now met with silver and gold, but who benefits by the action

when it is done? What though every paltry village should have ten such splendid halls as that at Erdford? Would that advantage one single individual? What boots it though every edifice, monastery, and university were more magnificent than Solomon's Temple? Who is the better of your fasting to St. Catherine or St. Martin? Of what earthly consequence is it whether you be whole shaven or half -whether you be clothed in black or white? Tell me of what use it were that all men should join in celebrating mass every hour in succession, or that psalms should be chanted night and day without intermission, as at Mysia? Or who would reap one atom of benefit though every shrine were filled with as many idols of silver and gold as they have at Halle and Wittemberg? Mere dreams are all such works together, and unspeakably pernicious impostures! One and all of them we owe to men's lying inventions. They forge them, then they call them good works, and preach that they merit Divine favour and procure the remission of sins. Just as if God cared for our works, or the saints needed them! Stocks and stones are not so senseless and stupid as we are. May I not say, rather, that the very trees of the field teach us what good works are? They bear fruit, not for themselves, but for man and beast. And these are their good works. O stupidity O frenzy! O inconceivable madness! Ay, and bishops and princes, who should countermand such mad follies, are the first to run into them! Blind, and leaders of the blind! What shall I compare them to? Girls playing with puppy dogs, and boys riding upon a stick? Truly they are nothing better than players with puppy dogs and riders upon a stick. The maid servant who waits upon the mill, if she have faith, does more good, and gets more (truly much more would I trust in her merits), when she but takes the corn from the ass' back, or does some like servile occupation, than all the clergy and monks taken together, though they should even chant whole days and months, and mangle themselves till they vomited blood O your stark folly, ye Papists!your absolute madness! Ye, then, will save men by your ceremonies! ye will give to others of your merits, and your spiritual benefits! when there is not in the wide world a more miserable set of menmore devoid of the Spirit-more destitute of all that is spiritually good! Then steps forward the pope, and sells you his parchments, and carries you right to heaven-not God's heaven, but his own-that is, the very profoundest hell! These are the fruits of our unbelief and ignorance of Christ! This the reward we have earned for having the Gospel, and suffering it to lie hid under the benches, while we give prominence to the doctrines of men. Again I say it: I wish from my soul that the whole pulpits, one and all in a mass, and the monasteries, colleges, temples, cells, and chapels along with them, had been in the flames long since, and burnt to ashes, when I consider the awful seduction and destruction of souls with which they have inundated the world!"

The passage which we next extract could scarcely be credited to have come from the same pen with the preceding; but, as Carlyle observes, there was a vast deal comprehended between "the two poles" of Luther's genius; and those who are acquainted with his writings will at once recognise the following as conceived in a style which he frequently adopted. It comes in when commenting upon the well-known words of Christ, in which he refers us to the fowls of the air and the lilies of the field for the confirmation of our faith:

they are supported. Our Lord does not mean that we should give up working, but dismiss anxious cares. The bird, it may be true, cannot ply the processes of agriculture, like us; and yet it has its own work. It fulfils the end of its being; it brings forth its young, cherishes and feeds them, and sings unto our God a song for all his goodness. If God asked it to do more, it would do it. In the morning it is early astir, and, perched upon a branch, sings the song which it has learned, nor ever once thinks about its food or cares for it. Afterwards, when hungry, it flies off in quest of the grain which God has placed for it somewhere, but of which it never thought as it sung, though it had good reason to be anxious about its provision. Let us blush to think that the little birds have more faith than ourselves, who can carol in such a cheerful strain, although they know. nothing as to where their food is to come from. We are referred to them that we may feel deep shame at not being able to do what is done by the fowls of the air. A Christian should be ashamed every time he looks upon a little bird, and considers that it knows an art which he has not learned. Should you in spring, when the little birds generally sing sweetest of all, say to one of them: Why dost thou sing so sweetly and cheerfully when thou hast gathered no corn into the barn? it would laugh you

to scorn.

"But I bring forward another illustration to upbraid your unbelief. For there stand these flowers, and cover us with shame, and are teachers to us. Thanks to you, ye little flowers, which the cows chew in the field! Does God then raise you to be our masters, and doctors of divinity? What! Are we fit to live on the earth? If this be not a shame to us, I know not what is. Here we are forced to confess that the meanest flower, which the cow or the sheep treads under its foot, is our master of instruction! Now, are we not brave creatures? Solomon is brought forward, the wealthiest and the mightiest of all kings, who was arrayed in purple and gold, and we are told that his clothing cannot be compared with the flower. Is it not incomprehensible beyond measure that the adornment of the flowers of the field should be thus set above all gold, silver, and jewels? But we are blind, and cannot see what our Lord meant. There stands the little flower and glories over us, saying: Though thou wert clothed with all the orna ments in the world, though wouldst not be like me, who, standing here, never think whence this garniture of mine must come from: nothing of the sort disturbs me; for in sooth, here I remain, and nothing more besides do I. Indeed thou art gorgeously decked forth, but sickly withal, diseased, and a slave to detestable mammon. Whereas I am fresh and blooming, and wait attendance upon the trus God.'”

JESUS, JUSTICE, AND THE SINNER. "Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified."-Ps. cxliii. 2. Jesus. Bring forth the pris'ner. Justice.

Thy commands Are done, just Judge; see, here the pris'ner stands, Jesus. What has the pris'ner done? Say, what's the

cause

Of his commitment?
Justice.
He hath broke the laws
Of his too gracious God; conspir'd the death