my portion, fully understanding that these are its terms? And I heartily renew my desire to suffer affliction with the people of God, if needs be, rather than to be left to take up with the pleasures of sin as my portion.

November.-Heard a good sermon from these words, "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises." I trust I tasted somewhat of the sweetness of this text. It is delightful to see what a plentiful provision God has made in His word to overcome the fears, doubts, unbelief, and misgivings of the heart; what a multitude of rich promises are given to suit every case. Oh that I may with an eye of faith travel the whole land of promise, in the length and breadth thereof, and truly plead the promises, and firmly expect what I ask, as I do when I ask for anything from an earthly friend, and much more, because God is faithful and able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think.

December.-Heard a sermon on the Lord hearing the prayer of the righteous, which I much enjoyed. I trust, by the preacher's description of the people whom God hears, I know something of what it is to have my prayers heard and answered. I trust I have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Oh that I may never rest in carnal security, but that I may be continually coming to Christ as to a living stone, ever remembering that a praying heart is a choice gift-it is the earnest of future blessings. Oh that I may take the Lord Jesus in the arms of faith to a throne of grace; that I may realize that I have one to plead for me, and present my case before a just God.

Wednesday. What a sweet command is this, "Call "pon me in the day of trouble." Yes, gracious God, will. Oh that it may be in Thy strength. Rather

let my tongue cleave to my mouth than I should omit calling on Thee daily. And now comes the promise, "And I will deliver thee." I trust I can now set to my seal that God is true, who has answered me in the joy of my heart. Oh, how unlike earthly acquaintances, who in our prosperity will notice us, but when adversity comes will hardly know us. 0 Lord, be it unto me according to Thy word, and enable me to glorify Thee now and at all times.

Thursday. I have had another opportunity of commemorating the death of our blessed Lord, and have found it good to be there. Oh, the wonderful love of God! I cannot comprehend one-half of it. Did ever anything represent love like that of the Lamb of God dying to take away sin by the sacrifice of Himself? What great love, free love, distinguishing love; for we were not redeemed with gold or silver, or such corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Christ! He says, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee." Oh that I may truly love Him who, I trust, has first loved me.

Sunday.-Heard a sermon from these words: "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest,' which I much enjoyed. It matters little where I go or what I do, if Thy presence go with me; or what I suffer from the world, if Thou wilt give me rest. I would say, "O Lord, if Thy presence go not with me, in any position, carry me not up hence."

January, 1832.-Oh that I may be found in every duty in point of practice, and out of every duty in point of dependence. I have had little time this week for meditation, so that I have omitted my usual selfexamination and extra season of prayer before the ordinance of the Lord's Supper. Oh that it may not again occur. May I be found active in the Lord's

service, that I may not have leanness sent into my soul.

Sunday.-I have seen the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. While the King sitteth at His table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. Yes, Thou heavenly King, when Thou spreadest forth Thy table, let me hear Thy voice, let me see Thy countenance; and while Thou givest forth Thyself with all Thy fulness, oh that I may send forth faith and grace in lively exercise, that I may eat Thy flesh and drink Thy blood, and have eternal life abiding in me.

LESSON OF THE COW.

A PRIZE is offered for the best article on the Cow, as mentioned in Scripture.

It is easier to some to die the death of a martyr than to others to live the life of a saint.

ANSWER TO THE LESSON OF THE MINER.

THERE is perhaps no portion of the earth's surface, of the same extent as the isle of Great Britain, which contains so great a variety of those mineral substances which minister to the necessities and comforts of man; and it would seem, from its internal structure, as if Providence had preordained that it should be the seat of an opulent and powerful people, and one of His chief instruments for the civilisation and advancement of the human race. That this is no extravagant, overstrained expression of national vanity may be very easily made apparent, by a few reflections on the vast advantages which the British empire itself, and through it the civilized world, have derived from the circumstance of our possessing an abundance of one particular mineral under the surface of our soil. The almost inexhaustible mines of coal which are found in so many different parts of our island have unquestionably been one of the chief sources of our wealth, and of our influence among the other nations of Europe.

Coal, iron, lead, copper, and tin are the principal minerals of our country, which in common language are usually associated with the idea of the produce of mines. Silver and gold we have none, with the exception of a little of the former, contained in some of the ores of lead, which is separated by refining, when in sufficient quantity to yield a profit beyond the expense of the process; but we have some other metals highly useful in the arts, such as zinc, antimony, and manganese.

Besides the substances above mentioned, we have many other mineral treasures of great importance still to be noticed. Of these the most valuable perhaps is limestone, from its use in agriculture to ameliorate the soil and increase its fertility, and from its being an indispensable ingredient in mortar for building: and there are not many parts of the island far distant from a supply of this material. Buildingstone is found in most parts of the country; and although we must go to Italy for the material for the art of sculpture to be employed upon, we have freestones applicable to all the purposes of ornamental architecture; and we have many marbles of great beauty. If stone be far off, clay is never wanting to supply a substitute; and the most distant nations

have their daily food served up in vessels, the materials of which, dug from our clay pits, have given occupation to thousands of our industrious population in our potteries and china manufactories.

For our supply of salt, that essential part of the daily sus tenance of almost every human being, we are not dependent on the brine which encircles "our fair isle," for we have, in the mines and salt springs of Cheshire and Worcestershire, almost inexhaustible stores of the purest quality, unmixed with those earthy and other substances which must be sepa rated by an expensive process before a culinary salt can be obtained from the water of the sea.

In the structure of animals and plants, the most superficial observer cannot fail to discover a beautiful and refined mechanism; but if we cast our eyes upon the ground, and look upon heaps of gravel, sand, clay, and stone, it seems as if chance only had brought them together, and that neither symmetry nor order can be discovered in their nature. But a closer examination soon convinces us of that which, reasoning from the wisdom and design manifested by other parts of creation, we might beforehand have very naturally been led to expect, viz,, that in all the varieties of form, structure, and change which the study of the mineral kingdom displays, laws as fixed and immutable prevail as in the most complicated mechanism of the human frame, or in the motions of the heavenly bodies; and if astronomy has discovered how beautifully"the heavens declare the glory of God," as certainly do we feel assured, by the investigations of geology, that the earth" showeth His handiwork.'

The men who are exposed to the dark and rough life of a coal-pit must necessarily present many peculiarities. The same family, for many generations, are employed in the same way, and transmit a certain strongly-marked common likeness from one to the other. If the seam of coal in which the men are employed is of a tolerable thickness, many of them possess stalwart figures, as this employment fully developes their muscles; but where the seams are narrow, their spine and legs become crooked from the awkward position in which they are obliged to work. From the peculiarity of the light to which they are exposed, their eyes assume a diminutive appearance, and the eyelids frequently become swollen. Their dress while at work consists generally of a flannelshirt, and trowsers of the same material. The persons