culture and development of your own souls, to study his immortal writings. My letters on Milton have not been so adapted to the very juvenile readers as I could have wished them to be. It was impossible to be very simple in writing about so glorious a theme as John Milton. Some, I hope, indeed all of you, have derived some instruction and pleasure in reading what I have written. And now I must bid adieu to the subject. May God bless what has been so feebly but sincerely written. I intend the subject of my next letter to be "The Poetry of Cowper." I am, my dear young friends,

Yours very sincerely,

UNCLE JOSEPH.

THE SUICIDE SAVED.

AN INCIDENT IN THE LIFE OF JOHN FLAVEL.

in

A VESSEL, bound from Virginia to Poole, put into Dartmouth on her return from America; and the surgeon, a state of profound melancholy, attempted violently to terminate his own existence. This dreadful design he endeavoured to accomplish one Lord's-day morning. He first of all cut his throat with a knife which he had secreted for the purpose, and then gave himself a desperate wound in the stomach. He was soon found, by his own brother, wallowing in his blood; and both the physician and surgeon, who were called in without delay, concluded that the injuries were mortal. They applied, however, to his case all the resources of their skill, though without any hope of a favourable result. It was in these deplorable circumstances that Mr. Flavel first had an interview with the unhappy and guilty young man; and, apprehending him to be on the very verge of eternity, he proceeded, without delay, to question him upon the views he entertained of his state. The young man said, as well as he was able, that he hoped in God for eternal life. Mr. Flavel stated, that he feared his hopes were ill-founded, for the Scriptures have declared that "no murderer hath eternal life abiding in

him," and that self-murder was the grossest of all murder. He then described, with so much pathos and truth, the heinous nature of the sin which had been perpetrated, that the young man's feelings were completely aroused, his conscience was convinced, he melted into tears, he bewailed his misery and sin, and earnestly inquired of his kind and faithful instructor, if there could be any hope for him. Mr. Flavel instantly presented to him the encouragements of the Gospel; and perceiving that the object of his solicitude was grossly ignorant of the nature of repentance and faith, he proceeded, as comprehensively as possible, to illustrate the great plan of salvation, and to point out the way of access to the throne of God, through the blood and atonement of the Redeemer. The young man eagerly received the glad tidings which were now, for the first time, communicated to him, and he entreated Mr. Flavel to pray for him, that, though apparently at the close of life, he might be made a sincere Gospel penitent, and a true believer upon the Son of God. When Mr. Flavel was compelled, by other pressing duties of the day, to take his leave, he summed up the counsels which he thought the most requisite for the young man's recollection, and bade him farewell, expecting to see him no more on this side the grave.

Contrary, however, to all expectation, the young man continued alive, and his religious ardour was unabated; he panted earnestly after the knowledge of the Saviour, and he could not endure any conversation which did not bear upon the great object of his intense solicitude. It was in this disposition of mind that Mr. Flavel found him in the evening, when he importunately entreated satisfaction upon one subject alone, "Will the blood of the Son of God be applied to me, when I have been guilty of shedding my own blood?" Mr. Flavel replied, that the Lord Jesus had pronounced the pardon of some of those who had been his murderers, and whose guilt was therefore still more dreadful than his. The answer of the young man was, "I will cast myself upon Christ, let him do with me as he will." In this condition Mr. Flavel left him for the night.

In the morning his wounds were to be opened, and it was the opinion of the surgeon that he would not survive the operation. Mr. Flavel again visited him, and again presented in his behalf fervent supplications before the throne of grace. It was the will of Providence, in spite of the unfavourable appearances of the case, that the young man should ultimately recover. Upon his restoration to health, it was evident an impression had been made upon him which was never to be effaced. A worthy and excellent minister at Poole transmitted to Mr. Flavel, some time afterwards, an account of the consistency and devotedness of the young person to whose salvation he had been made instrumental, and congratulated him upon the blessed results of his interposition.

REMEMBERING GOD OUR CREATOR.

MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS-I have often thought of addressing a few words to you, but hitherto something has prevented; having now an opportunity, allow me to call your attention to the command, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth." Notice

1st. The Being you are to remember, "Your Creator." Every thing that exists, had a Maker; it is impossible for any thing to be produced by that which is not. Existence must be antecedent to operation. The best criterion by which to judge of the skill of a designer, is the arrangement and adaptation of each part to its intended use, and the utility of the thing designed. It was never known that a design manifested a larger amount of ingenuity than its author possessed. "He that builded the house hath more honour than the house." The world had a Maker,-mountains, valleys, islands, continents, rivers, channels, oceans, insects, worms, beasts, birds, fishes, the sun, moon, and stars, were made by some infinitely wise and powerful Being-that Being the Bible calls God. "He that made all things is God." You sometimes sing

"He formed the stars, those heavenly flames;
He counts their numbers, calls their names."

God created you. He made your ears to hear, eyes to see, hands to handle, feet to walk. That wise, great, holy, beneficient Being gave you souls as well as bodies. Your souls make you have an existence more important than that to which any part of the unintelligent creation can lay claim, however vast or grand. Even the "earth and the heavens shall wax old like a garment," but your souls can never wax old. Like their Creator, they will exist throughout eternity.

Your Creator has made you capable of knowing, loving, serving, and enjoying Him in this world, but more fully in heaven. The God in whom you live, move, and have your being, and who gives you all you need, calls on you to remember Him. Surely then you ought to obey.

2ndly. When should you remember your Creator? The proper answer is, "In the days of your youth." You must not think that it is not good to remember your Creator until youth is passed and maturity reached; he should be remembered in manhood and womanhoodyea, as long as life shall last. But it is especially pleasing in the sight of the Lord to be remembered in the days of youth. He says, "I love them that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me." You are pleased to know that your parents, brothers, sisters, teachers, schoolmates, and ministers love you. Would you not like to know and feel that God loves you? You may know this by remembering him.

The sooner you remember your Creator, the sooner you will be prepared to die. It is computed that some one dies every moment; many die every day as young as the youngest child who reads the "Sunday-school Hive." We know not what a day may bring forth; hence the importance of the exhortation of Jesus Christ, "Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh." If you remember your Creator, then, when you die it shall be well with you;

angels will beckon you away, and Jesus will bid you come. What! do children that die go to heaven, to see and dwell with Jesus? Yes, if they remember their Creator. You would like to go to heaven when you die; thank God you may all of you go to heaven.

The sooner you begin to remember your Creator, the easier you will find it to come to him, the longer you live in sin, the more guilty you will become, the harder will be your hearts, and the more power Satan will have over you. Many boys and girls, who do not remember | their Creator, tell lies, swear, steal, break the Sabbath, and bring themselves into disgrace, and their parents into trouble; and, dying as they lived, they must be cast out into outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Do you ask, What it is to remember your Creator? I answer, it implies more than sometimes to think of what he is, where he dwells, and what he does. It is to love him; love is the first and great commandment. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and thy neighbour as thyself." If you would like to be what God is, and what he would have you to be, you must love, for "God is love; and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God and God in him." In exact pro

portion as we love, we resemble God, and are prepared for heaven; so, on the contrary, in proportion as we are destitute of the principle of love, we are like Satan, and are fit to be his companions. Satan may suggest to you that it is a hard, painful, and unprofitable thing to obey God; but it is not so, for "in keeping his commandments there is great reward; more to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb." There never was, nor will there ever be a truly happy man, woman, or child, living in disobedience to the commandments of God; the principle of true obedience is love. "If ye love me," said Christ, unto his disciples, "keep my commandments."