Beer-heba (Robinson's Biblical Researches), cccxxv. 64; Blind Clergyman (Biography of the Blind, by a Blind Man), cccxxvii. 88; Blindness (R. H. Blunt), cccxxiii. 82; Books (Pearls of Great Price), cccxxiv. 48; Can there be peace with Rome (Townsend)? cccxlvii. S76; Cathedral of Reck- iavik (Dillon's Winter in Iceland and Lapland), cccxxvi. 72; Chancel Building (American Episcopal Recorder), cccxxxvii. 232; Christian's Joy, the, (bp. Jewell), cccxxix. Dead Sea, the, ccxlvi. 360; Domestic Life in India, cccxl. 280. England's Blessings (rev. P. Wilson), cccxlii. 304; Evil influ- Fantee (Beecham's Ashantee and Gold Coast), cccxxxiv. 192; Icelanders (Dillon's Iceland), cccxxxvii. 232; Indian Hospi- Lamas of Siberia, the (Professor Ermun's Travels), cccxxxviii. Missionary efforts (Beecham), cccxxxiv. 192; Music, cccxli. Old Age (Rae Wilson's Route in France and Italy) cccxxxvi. Peasants of the Pyrenees (Mrs. Ellis's Summer and Winter Reformers, the English (Blunt's History of the Reformation), cccxxxiii. 176. Rogers, John (Blunt's History of the Reformation), cccxxxii. 169. Royal Marriage (Rae Wilson St. Petersburgh, Perilous Position of (Foreign Quarterly Re- view), cccxliii. 320. Sinai (Robinson's Biblical Researches), MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS (continued)- Wilson's Travels), cccxxxi. 144. Wilson's Travels), cccxxxii. 160. Sweden, Carlstad (Rae Wilson's Travels), cccxxxvii. 292. (Beattie's Castles and Abbeys of England), cccli. 430. Time, Improvement of (Todd's Student's Manual) cccxxxvii. 232. Turkish Justice (Mrs. Damer's Tour in Turkey and Visit of Sir H. Fane to the Rajah of Lahore, ccxliv. 336. Western India, Superstitions (rev. M. Ward), cccxlviii, 392. Wise Men of the East (New Testament Family Reader), *Hymn for the New Year, No. II., cccxxiv. 47. Hymn on Death (Mrs. Abdy), cccxlv. 354. Improvement of Imprisonment (G. Wither), ccclv. 207. *Intercessory Prayer (Mr. W. Duman), eccxxxv. 207. I say unto all-" Watch" (E. Scaife), cccxxv. 63. "It is good to be here" (W. Sparks, Esq.), cccxlvii. 375. Jesus of Nazareth passeth by, cccxxxv. 207. Lays of Palestine, No. XIV., by the rev. T. G. Nicholas Midnight, Dec. 31, 1841 (C. Woolley), cccxl. 279. Nature's Teachings, No. 1. (from the Christian Churchman) *On the distant Prospect of Canterbury Cathedral (W. P *Pilgrim and Sojourner (A. M. Hoblyn), cccxxxi. 143. Sonnets (W. P. Sparks, esq.), cccxlv. 351. *Do. I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, cccxxx. 135. The Ascension (rev. J. Broad, A.M.), cccxlii. 303. The Course of Life (from a Spanish Poem), cccxli. 288. The Death Knell (Thomas Powell), cccli. 480. The Earth shall pass away, cccxxxii. 158. The Fashion of this World passeth away (A. Elliot), cccxxxvi. *The Hour of Death (Dr. Huie), cccl. 423. The Mariner's Hymn (Mrs. Southey), cccxxxviii. 247. The Rainbow (rev. T. Holland), ccclxiii. 319. * The pieces marked * are original. POETRY (continued)- To the Holy Trinity (B. Johnson), cccxxvi. 71. Poor and Factory System, the, cccxxxix. 251. Popery in Paris (from the Midland Monitor), cecxxxviii. 240. Public Morals, there can be no Security for, but in National Religion in other Lands, No. I., Russia; cccxlvii. 363. Do. No. II., Russia; part 2, Religious Ceremonies, Do. No. III., Russia-3, The Clergy, cccl. 419. Sacraments of the New Testament (J. C. Cummings, esq.), Sacramental Address, No. I. (by the rev. C. Hebert, M.A.), Do. Do. No. II., cccxxviii. 89. Sacrifices and Offerings, cccxxxv. 198. Satan's Devices to win Men's Souls from Christ, cccxxxv. 205. Say your Prayers in Fair Weather, cccxxxix. 259. Schism, No. II. (rev. E. Strickland, A.M.), cccxxiii. 21. Do. No. III., cccxxxviii. 234. Scottish Tour, my, No. XIII., Episcopacy-6, its present state, Do. No. XIV., Episcopacy 7, its future Prospects, Do. No. XIV. the poorer Classes, ccclxvii. 365. SERMONS by the following Divines :- BISSLAND, rev. T., M.A. (the Enemies of the cross of Christ), BROAD, rev. J. S., M.A. (the efficacy of Christianity to Hu- manize and Bless), cccxliv. 328. COATES, rev. S., M.A. (Pharoah's question to the Brethren of DUKE, rev. E., jun. (the Love of God in giving his Son to HALL, rev. J. B. D. (Justification before God, its Source and, HARKER, rev. W., B.A. (the Day Spring from on High), HILL, rev. J., M.A. (the Testimony of the Beloved Disciple to the Person and Offices of Christ), cccxlii. 296. HOCKER, rev. C., M.A., (the Place of Safety), cccxlvii. 368. JAMIESON, rev. W., M.A. (Seeing Jesus), cccxxiii. 24. SERMONS (continued)- KETLEY, rev. J., B.A. (Christians exhorted to Patience and KIRKNESS, rev. W. J., M.A. (the Hindrances to a Cordial KNOX, rev. J. S. (The Confidence of Faith), cccxli. 281. MILLER, rev. J. C., A.M. ("To me to Live is Christ"), PHILLIPS, rev. E. (Jesus Christ is the Resurrection and the PRESTON, rev. M. M., M.A. (The Privileges of Christian Be- ROLFE, rev. G. C., B.A. (The Commencement, Progress, and final Triumph of Divine Grace), cccxxviii. 96. SEAMAN, rev. M., D.D. (Parental Obligations), cccxl. 272. WRIGHT, rev. J., B.A. (Divine Wisdom), cccxxxvii. 224. Shipwreck, the, cccxxxvi. 213. Sins, the Remission of, cccxxxiii. 167. Slave Ants (Newman's Introduction to the History of Insects), Solitude, Thoughts on (Joseph Fearn), No. X., Julius a Cen- Do. No. XI., Last Words of Judas Iscariot, cccxl. 269. St. Paul's method of preaching Christ, as illustrated in his MORTALITY. JANUARY 1, 1842. BY THE REV. JOHN CHANDLER, M.A., Vicar of Witley, Surrey. It is a very melancholy view of human life, but who can say that it is not a correct one which the patriarch gives? "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble: he cometh forth as a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not" (Job xiv. 1, 2). What sad marks does our present condition bear of that awful curse which doomed fallen man to travail and sorrow! No: this is not a world of happiness: there are too many dis tresses belonging to it to allow of its being so. But to make us happy is not God's first object his first object is to bring us back to himself, to make us religious: enough for us if we can find in religion something of peace and joy; some slight foretaste of those pure joys which he has in store for his people hereafter. But of happiness, independent of religion, in this life, there is not much of misery and sorrow, which even religion cannot entirely relieve, there is much, very much. This is well it is ordered by infinite wisdom and goodness that so it should be. We are dangerously attached to the world as it is: what would it be if the world was made pleasanter to us, if we had fewer sorrows to sober us, and disappointments to humble us? It is true the Lord in his mercy bestows upon us many blessings: life has its good things as well as its evil things: but how few of these good things are lasting? We most times know not their value till we have to mourn their loss we very often spoil them, VOL. XII.-NO. CCCXXII. PRICE 1d. and make ourselves unfit to enjoy them, by envy or discontent, by a troubled conscience, or a hard insensible heart. How little of innocent pleasure there is, and, even when we do enjoy it, we feel that it cannot satisfy us: how much there is of guilty pleasure which lasts but for a time, and is soon followed by vexation and remorse; thus adding to the gloom instead of removing it. Thus the world around us is full of strange contrasts, noisy counterfeit mirth, and still silent real surrow; silly triflers, and brokenhearted mourners: mirth and gaiety indeed put themselves most forward, and make most show, while sorrow and trouble are more retired and keep back and hide themselves; and thus the world seems to be more cheerful and more joyous than what it really is; but its true character will ever and anon break out. Search a little more narrowly, and you will soon discover te hollowness of its joys, and the reality of its sorrows: you will detect many a troubled mind, and many an aching heart, under the veil of a composed countenance and a little outside gaiety. For one case of mirth uplifting its voice in the street, you will find many of grief sitting alone, and weeping in the inner chamber. What various scenes of sorrow, what constant cases of trouble, might I bring forward to prove the truth of what has been said; but I will now confine myself to one, the most common, the most affecting of all-one in which all my readers have, no doubt, already taken a part, and in which each of us will, sooner or later, be the principal characterthe scene, or rather the series of scenes, of a sick chamber, a dying bed, and a funeral. These are things which we may not pass by [London: Joseph Rogerson, 24, Norfolk-street, Strand.] B as things in which we have no concern: we are dying creatures, and therefore every thing connected with death has an especial and undoubted claim on our attention. Let us stand, then, and gaze for a while on these sad pictures; and, by God's blessing, we shall learn from them lessons of true wisdom. : To begin, then, with the sick chamber. Only think what a contrast to the gaiety, the restlessness of the world, is the sadness, the stillness, the solemnity of a sick room! The sick room is a picture of what the whole world really is; and in its occupations we see what ought to be the occupations of all the inhabitants of the world the sick room is a place where there is suffering, and approaching death; so is the world: in the sick room the sufferer is praying, and resigning himself, and thinking of his God, and the attendants are forgetting themselves in the zeal with which they wait on him. They tread lightly and talk gently they do not disturb him nor distract themselves by any worldly talk: patience, kindness, gentleness, thoughtfulness, are the qualifications for a sick chamber. O that they were equally so for a whole world; that the world in all these respects more resembled a sick chamber! But the illness gains ground: the scene gets more solemn: it will soon be all over: all hope of recovery is at an end. The only wish now is, that the last agonies may be shortened and softened: the attendants are almost worn out: their faces are pale with watching, and their eyes are red with weeping. The sufferer himself is aware that his end is near: he hears the voice that calls him away: he can no longer feel pain: he no longer takes any notice. His friends can do no more for him: they press his hand, but he cannot return the pressure: they whisper words of prayer, but he does not heed them: all they can do is to sit round in silent sorrow and resigned anguish, and watch him as he lies, his features gradually changing, and his breath getting weaker and weaker, and harder and harder; and now they think he is gone. But no: it will be some time yet: and so they sit on, and have time to reflect, and to look back to the past, and to think how short a time ago he whom they now see dying was full of health and strength and good spirits, with all the world before him, and every prospect of a long and prosperous life. But God's ways are not as our ways, nor his thoughts as our thoughts; and he is going we shall see him no more. O God, forgive him his sins, and forgive us ours; and grant that he and we may find mercy of the Lord in that day-that dreadful day! But see! he is going now the silver cord is at length loosed, and the golden bowl broken. Yes, he is gone! he has breathed his last. Pray no longer for him: he is dead; and nothing now remains but to close his eyes, and to lift up the voice of loud unrestrained weeping and wailing. And now the sad party breaks up, and each returns home, thinking of death as perhaps they had not done ever in their lives before. O, my readers, we are dying creatures, surrounded with death, whose business is first to mourn for others, and then to be mourned for ourselves. But are we aware of this?—are we thus dying daily? Are we not rather cheating ourselves into a belief that we have nothing to do with all this, thinking only of life, caring only for pleasure? But what is worldly pleasure to a death-bed mourner? What is life to an expiring sufferer? O God, teach us better! Strip the veil off our eyes, that we may see our real state, and learn true wisdom over a dying bed. And now comes the last scene of all, the funeral; the consigning of earth to earth, and ashes to ashes, and dust to dust; when the man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets. The mournful procession goes slowly on, from the short home to the long home, from the house to the churchyard; and, common though the spectacle be, yet it never fails to strike and to warn and to sober, at least for the moment. The labourer looks up from his work and gazes with sadness at the scene, and then turns again with melancholy thoughts to his task of tilling the ground from whence he was taken, and to which he must return. It meets a gay party on the road, and their gaiety, for the minute at least, is hushed and silenced: even the very children stop their games and stand and look on, partly from curiosity and partly from real sympathy. And now the service is over, and the earth has begun to rattle on the coffin-lid; and all are once more dispersed, and the churchyard is once more empty: all is now over: he is dead and buried: his place in society will soon be filled up, and he will be forgotten. But now, would any one wish to drive away the holy sorrow felt on such occasions, and not rather cherish and preserve it, as really useful, as most improving, as opening the way for true religion to come in and take possession of the heart? for religion is indeed the only cure for sorrow: other things, nay, mere time itself may make us forget it, but religion alone can sanctify it and turn it into joy. There is then, confessedly, very little happiness amongst us; very little, not only of religious joy, but of joy of any sort. How can it be otherwise? Where is our happiness to come from, when we so seldom go the right way to attain it? Some have poverty to struggle |