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God is our Saviour and Redeemer?" surrendered to Charles V. in 1547, -"Yes," he replied, and soon but returning to it when restored to after departed. The Counts of the Elector. In 1552, she left it Mansfeld would have retained his again on account of the plague, corpse, but the Elector insisted selling her property there, and rethat it should be conveyed to Wit- tiring to Torgau; but on her jourtenberg, where it was interred with ney, the horses attempting to run the greatest ceremony. Catharine away by the side of a lake, she survived him almost seven years, sprang out of the carriage, when being left with three sons and two she was much bruised, and fell daughters. She was treated kindly into the water. She was conveyed by the Elector and other sovereigns, to her place of destination, but died and stayed at Wittenberg for a year about three months after from the after his death, leaving it when effects of her accident.

THE LAND OF REST.

EXTRACTED FROM "VALLIS VALE, AND OTHER POEMS,"

THERE is a land of glorious rest,

Where pure and happy spirits rove,

For ever and for ever blest,

The land of spotless joy and love.

O yes, there is a land of rest,

Free from corroding grief and care;
No storms, no dangers there molest,
Nor discord once shall enter there :
The land of rest-the land of joy,

Where quenchless glories meet and shine,
And fit for angels its employ,

For all its pleasures are divine.

There is no land of rest beside

But where is this blest region found?

It is not bound by ocean tide,

It is not upon earthly ground.

"Tis where bright angels sweep the lyre,
And spirits of the just repose;
'Tis where the seraph's living fire
With undiminish'd ardour glows.

Blest land! methinks I see thee now,
All smiling in perennial bloom,
With rapture thron'd on every brow,
And flowers that breathe divine perfume,

Then hail to thee thou land of rest,

And hail thy harps of holiest strains,

And hail those crowns that grace the blest,
Who rove along thy happy plains.

But ab! that land of rest is far,

And dark and trackless is the road;"
Yet Hope, a bright and glorious star,
Points onward to the dear abode.

Then what though stormy be the way,
Though winds and surges beat and roar,

They only drive from earth away,
And urge to that celestial shore,
And 'mid the storm that voice is best,
That whispers, "There's a Land of Rest."

ON LUKEWARMNESS.

How important to all who profess the Gospel of Christ are the words which John (during his banishment at the isle of Patmos) was commanded to write to the church of Laodicea: "These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God: I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot, I would thou wert cold or hot: so then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth; because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." Yet not unfrequently do we find many, who have some knowledge of the truth, attempting to divide their affections between God and Mammon, though the Scriptures positively declare we cannot serve both. "Set your affections on things above, and not on things here below". Lay up for your selves treasure in heaven," are exour Lord. press commands of

Again, "Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity? "Without holi

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ness no man shall see the Lord". "Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" He that is born of God is a new creature; old things are passed away, and behold all things are become new." These, with numerous others, are plain commands and declarations of Scripture. What cause, then, for selfabasement before the throne of divine grace! What need of relying solely on the teaching of God's holy Spirit, which is so mercifully promised to those who earnestly seek it! How can we know the things pertaining unto God, without his teaching? It is written, "All must be taught of God."

How can we expect ever to be partakers of the inheritance of saints above, where all is pure love, joy, and peace, unless our corrupt natures, our defiled tabernacles, undergo some inward cleansing, some divine purification?"We must be born again." Our hearts must be cleansed by the blood of Christ; our souls and bodies purged and sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Can it be possible, that they who neglect sweet converse, holy communion with God and his children on earth, can sing the song of the redeemed, and shout hallelujahs to Him who sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever? O no! Fatal delusion! Hearken to the voice of the Lord. "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear."-" Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk, without money and without price." Too many, it is to be feared, among young converts, walk afar off from Christ from a fear of reproach, a dread of the world's censure; they mix with unbelievers, fearful of being noted as religious, and are even tempted to deny their Lord and Master. "Come out from among them, saith the Lord, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you." O the unsearchable riches of his grace! What condescension! what love! nite mercy! Is it not sufficient to have despised and rejected him once? Must we again put him to open shame? Must we again crucify the Lord of glory? Can we behold him in the garden of Gethsemane? Can we see him expiring on the accursed tree, for us wretch

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ed creatures, and with his last agonizing breath hear him exclaiming, "It is finished!" and our obdurate hearts not be touched with a sense of our vile ingratitude? Let us humble ourselves at the foot of his cross, beseeching him to nail to it our sins. Let us entreat him to clothe us with his blessed garment which was so conspicuous on him whilst on earth, that our proud hearts may become dead to the

MR. GUARDIAN,

world; and that, denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts, we, by his special grace preventing us, may walk worthy of the vocation to which we are called, and live soberly, righteously, and godly in this life present, that we may rest in lively hope of a blessed immortality, through the redemption purchased by his blood. PIERRE M

BARTHOLOMEW FAIR.

THE public press, in good hands, is a public blessing. It conveys a hint, a caution, an admonition, to many thousands in almost the same moment of time. I would avail myself of this effective engine to check in some measure (if possible) an old grievance, which is again making its annual approach to the centre of this our city of London; namely, that moral pestilence, "Bartholomew Fair."

I would earnestly recommend, that some notice of the approach of this evil should be made from the pulpits of our spiritual watchmen, exhibiting in plain and practical observations, the mischiefs accruing to society from this mass of corruption concentrating in one point-a point so accessible too by our apprentices, journeymen, and servants. All fairs and wakes are prolific of disorder and mischief. Those at country towns, however, differ materially from such as are held in or near great cities in this respect, that the former are marts for business, for conveying necessary supplies to surrounding villages; while the latter present nothing to our outraged feelings but buffoonery, obscenity, and blasphemy from miserable groups of mountebanks, prostitutes, and thieves, who contrive by various means to allure and ensnare the young, the dissipated, and the sensual. Were these frantic

orgies restricted to the hours of sober daylight, the evil would indeed be extensive enough; but when we reflect that they rage throughout the night, and are then most animated and boisterous, the mischief is scarcely calculable. I have just been informed by a friend, that he knows a family who lost a female servant in consequence of her absenting herself clandestinely the whole night at Bartholomew Fair. She had stayed till a late hour, and was then (as she afterwards stated) afraid to return home, not having asked permission to go. This, Mr. Guardian, is not a solitary instance. Observant persons have noticed the ranks of prostitution in their immediate neighbourhood to be visibly increased after these annual revelries. The youth of both sexes lay the foundation of many new and dangerous associations at these seasons, to their future loss of all that is dear to themselves and valuable to the community of which they are members.

What then can be done to lessen these evils? Let individuals, and especially heads of families, excrt their influence at home and among their neighbours. Moral and even religious families require, it is to be feared, frequent admonition to be more vigilant over their children and dependants at such seasons as these. For want of due care on this head, the morals, cha

racter, and property of the latter become seriously and extensively injured; and the peace and security of all proportionately shaken. Leave of absence is frequently granted on these occasions with more readiness than on others far more appropriate; whereas it would be wiser to postpone, if possible, to a safer opportunity, even errands of business which would carry their thoughtless bearers near this dangerous vortex.

A suitable tract might be given to the elder children of Sunday and other schools to read and deliver to their parents; and a few imparted to them for the purpose of distribution among their neighbours and companions. By being thus made the instruments of warning to others, a decent sense of shame might become a wholesome restraint upon themselves.

Perhaps a forcible, well-written tract is wanted upon this subject,

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ESSAYS ON THE FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. ESSAY IX.-CHRIST'S HONOURABLE BURIAL, CONTRARY TO THE DESIGN OF HIS ENEMIES.

Isaiah, liii. 9.—And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

THE inspired Prophet having spoken at large concerning the death of Christ, proceeds now to foretell some circumstances concerning his burial. In our meditations upon the former part of this chapter, we have been led to view Jesus as expiring on the cross, we shall now follow him in our minds to the grave, where it was necessary that his body should be laid for a time, that his humiliation might be complete. This, the Prophet foretells, was to be "with the wicked;" i. e. it was intended so to be, not by God, but by those who crucified Jesus; and herein we shall see a wonderful instance

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of Divine Providence in overruling the designs of ungodly men, and bringing about its own purposes contrary to their intentions.

He made his grave with the wicked," i. e. "a grave was ap pointed for him with the wicked;" for it was the intention of those who put Jesus to death to dishonour him as much as they possibly could, and they would never of themselves have given him an honourable burial. As they crucified him between two thieves, so most likely they would have buried him with them, and thus have "made his grave with the wicked." Nay, they bought a piece of ground, as if for the purpose, with the money which they had given to Judas as the price of his treachery; and when that wretched man, unable to bear the horrors of his mind, re

turned the pieces of silver," they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field to bury strangers in." There perhaps they would have cast the body of Jesus, and have buried him with those who suffered justly for their crimes. They would have made his grave with the wicked, not merely with sinners, as all men are, but with those who are cut off by the hand of justice, who had been publicly condemned and executed as transgressors, With them the holy Jesus was to have made his grave, and when he died in company with them there seemed, perhaps, no way of preventing it. It cannot be doubted, but that those who put him to death would have been the last to have given him an honourable burial, They would have rejoiced to have seen him put with the thieves into one common grave, because it would have been disgraceful in itself, and at the same time a public testimony that he deserved to suffer that death which they had inflicted upon him; whereas an honourable burial would have looked as if others thought that Jesus was innocent, and had been unjustly condemned. It would have been

some reproach in their proceedings, and some testimony to our Lord's character; and yet this was actually the case, for Jesus was not only decently, but honourably buried; and the intention of his grave being made with the wicked, was set aside contrary to all human expectation, by the overruling providence of God.

For he was "with the rich in his death." Some rich and honourable person was to come forward, and rescue our Lord's body from an ignominious burial. In, or after, his deaths (for the word in the original is plural, and seems to denote those deadly sufferings which Christ endured for our salvation), he was to be with the rich; for, having suffered all that was necessary, and borne as much reproach

as our sins required he should bear, it was fit that his sacred body should be decently and honourably interred. A rich man was to provide the tomb, and there the body of Jesus was to be laid until the morning of his resurrection. All this was punctually and exactly fulfilled; for, "when the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was himself Jesus' disciple: he went boldly to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus: then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered; and when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb which he had hewn out in the rock." Matt. xxvii. 57-60. "And there came also Nicodemus (which at the first came to Jesus by night), and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen cloths with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury." John, xix. 39, 40. Humanly speaking, it was very unlikely that either of these honourable persons should come forward to bury the body of Jesus: they were both fearful disciples, and it was not known decidedly that they were disciples, until they appeared on this occasion, when all his immediate followers had forsaken him and fled. Joseph had absented himself from the council because he would have no share in our Saviour's condemnation. He went boldly to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. Pilate, convinced of our Lord's innocence, granted his request, and then with great respect and affection Joseph buried the body of his Saviour in his own tomb, where never man before was laid. Nicodemus also, that fearful disciple who at first came to Jesus by night, willingly joined with Joseph in the sacred office of burying the body of Jesus; and thus the prophecy was fulfilled,

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