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under their immediate influence. If a master frequents a public house, he is unfitted to warn his labourer of the evit and danger of doing so. If he absents himself from public worship, he cannot consistently urge this duty on others. on this day cooking and baking, and much serving, engross the time of a mistress, she cannot teach her female domestic the duty of laying aside all worldly occupations; and it is almost a mockery to tell her after a hard day's work "you may go to church in the evening." If the master sears in anger at his labourers for their negligence or ill behaviour, he is unfitted to forbid the like language amongst themselves. If, in fact, he does not by his general conduct prove himself to be a traveller to Zion, and that his treasures are above, that although his barns may be filled with plenty, yet that he is also rich towards God, he cannot possess that influence over his servants, which it would be no less his privilege and duty to exercise, than a blessing to them to be under. I would earnestly, therefore, exhort you, my brethren, to examine whether you are really striving in every way, and by every means you possess, to advance the kingdom of God on earth; whether you are endeavouring to strengthen the hands of your minister amongst you; whether you feel duly that responsibility which attaches to you as masters, and yourselves as servants of the Most High God. I am sure you have the power to do much; may God give you the will. Especially establish family prayer, and make those lads who are sojourners in your house to join in the same. You may be diligent in business, but this must not prevent you from being fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Try what you can 'do to prevent an increase of crime and demoralization; and if you act with firmness, with zeal, and with a real regard to God's honour and glory, you will reap in due time, if you

faint not.

There is one suggestion I will venture to offer for your consideration, which is the payment of your labourers on the Friday and not the Saturday evening, this plan has been followed of late years in many parishes, and I believe with much benefit accruing from it. There is, then, a greater probability that their weekly earnings will be spent for the benefit of their family, and will also enable their wives to procure provision before a late hour on the Saturday, which often causes them to drive off their necessary work to the sabbath morning.

I will now address myself to you who compose the labouring portion of my flock, and I can with sincerity assure you that I have a real concern for your spiritual welfare. I sympathize in your wants and deprivations, and I feel for your sorrows and troubles; but I am quite sure that the only remedy against every temporal evil and suffering, is to be found in an increase of scriptural knowledge, and a total change in your spiritual condition; half your miseries arise from your want of faith in the promises, and love to the service of God, and a concern for your immortal souls. Numbers of you are practically living without God in the world, you complain that the times are hard, provisions dear, your wages low, your rents high, your wants great. All this may be true, but I would ask what remedy have you sought for, or applied to these evils? if you are miserable in this life, have you any reason to suppose that you have a good hope for the future,-that you will be less miserable hereafter? I know your temptations, your trials, your afflictions are great, your poverty much; but I equally know that there is no remedy for them, no peace or comfort for you, excepting in the path which leads to heaven, for "the ways of wisdom are ways of pleasantness." You miserably mistake if you suppose that high wages, low rents, plenty of provisions will make you happy; the wealthy are not exempt from just as many temptations, trials, and affliction as you are, though of a different kind; and if you instantly became wealthy, and were transported to the house of plenty, you would not be more happy than you now are, unless you left your worldly heart behind you, and received from the author of all good, a new heart and a right spirit. Happiness is to be found with God, reconciled to us through Jesus; seek for it elsewhere, you will never find it; seek for it there, and neither poverty nor afflictions can take it from you. But I would ask you, whether much of your distress is not brought on by your own indifference to your spiritual welfare? Is not a great portion of the weekly wages received on Saturday night spent at public houses on that and sabbath evenings? Do you by diligence and frugality make the best of what you have? There is an astonishing difference in the management of a household; and this difference is not caused by the difference in wages, but in the difference of habits, and moral character of persons; for those who receive the higher wages

are oftentimes in a more deplorable condition than others who receive less. There is no greater mistake than to suppose that plenty of temporal goods, and a freedom from daily toil, will make you happy. You may even be perfectly sober, industrious, honest, steady, and frugal characters, but there is something still wanting to make you happy and comfortable --and that is religion. There are many schemes devised in the present days for bettering your condition, but they all hold out false hopes, and all begin at the wrong end, if the fear of God is not made the first and chief object,—for this is the "beginning of wisdom." By the fear of God I mean an heavenly concern about your souls, a conviction of your sinfulness, an earnest desire for a saving knowledge of, and an interest in Jesus, with a no less desire to follow the precepts of God's word. Now, only observe what a difference there would be in your temporal conditions, if your spiritual one was changed. A changed heart would speedily beget changed habits. You would soon find that godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of this life, and of that which is to come. This world affords you but little happiness; you would then have a bright hope for the future, and be ever looking forward for the prize of eternal happiness; whereas you have been accustomed to frequent places of public resort; the evenings would find you occupied at home either in improving your own hearts by the study of the Bible or some holy book, or in instructing your children in the words of God, and examining what progress they had made at the daily school: instead of angry words, or murmuring discontent, you would with your wife and family worship the Lord in sincerity and truth, and commit your soul to His keeping before you committed your body to rest. Your fare may be homely, but you would remember that man doth not live by bread alone, and that the christian must learn both how to be in want as well as how to abound; and that since all is permitted by our gracious parent in heaven, you need not despond since he will certainly clothe you and feed you, if you first seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness. If you are tempted to join in revels or fairs, or public amusements, you will remember that God has said, "come ye out from amongst them and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters," Your chief happiness will

consist in your hope founded upon Christ in a future state. Your miseries, your privations, your poverty will all be felt less, in proportion as your hearts and your affections are set upon heavenly treasure: they will be much magnified in proportion as your hearts are hardened against the truth,contentment with godliness is great gain.

I know, my brethren, you have many temptations, and so you will have as long as you live here below, for we never read of any time when the Devil ceases from going about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. But if you wish for happiness here, or hope for it hereafter, I beseech you to become anxious and concerned about your souls. I fear that numbers of you are in the most awful danger; both young and old, the greater part of you have not the knowledge of God, if you had, we should have more, many more sabbath observers; praying parents, fond husbands, loving wives, and obedient children, our church would be crowded morning and evening.-Bible reading would be your sabbath occupations.-Your poverty would be less felt, and your miseries much mitigated,-this is no fancy, no false description; it is the case with those few amongst you who are seeking the road to heaven. A degree of comfort, of cleanliness, of cheerfulness, of contentment is seen about their dwellings, which plainly tell me the inmates are lively candidates for heaven. My brethren, it is folly for any person to complain of misery and poverty so long as he continues to live a life of wordliness and sensuality, his pleasures derived from beer drinking, or public house company; so long as the labouring poor in this country can maintain upwards of fifty thousand beer shops, they ought not to complain of poverty or distress. High wages will only increase the misery and wretchedness of those who know not how to spend their earnings, or who can squander it away in dissolute and drunken habits. No one will be bettered in his outward condition, however great his weekly wages may be, if christian principles do not restrain him from spending his earnings in the indulgence of sensual pleasures. I confidently appeal to those amongst you who have not bowed, or have ceased to bow the knee to Baal, and I ask what fruit had ye in those things whereof ye are now ashamed; did they not bring misery and death? Did they not increase your

poverty and add to your troubles? And are you not now as a God serving and God praising people, possessed of that hope and happiness which you would not now exchange for all the riches of Egypt? Oh, my christian friends, tell it out among the heathen, what God hath done for your souls, proclaim aloud that your riches are now laid up in heaven, and there your hearts are also. That in the knowledge of Jesus as your Saviour, and God as your parent, you fear no evil, you dread no afflictions; that you possess a peace which the world never gave you, and of which the world cannot deprive you; that your wish and desire now is to do the will of God, and to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ your Lord. Tell your brethren, that it is not poverty which can make you wretched, if you are rich in faith; nor riches which can give you ease or happiness, if destitute of the spirit of Jesus. Oh my brethren, may God bless you, with the light of His truth, and may the son of righteousness arise with healing in his wings. Oh God of mercy, behold, visit, convert, renew these thy creatures, and sow the seed of eternal life in their hearts, that whatsoever in thy holy word they shall profitably learn that they may indeed fulfil the same.

I have a few words to say to you, the youths of my parish.

If you are in the habit of joining in the soul destroying amusements of the age, such as revels, fairs, and public or barn dances, I caution you most strongly against them,-I caution you against following the multitude who do evil. Remember that whilst the multitude seek their own desires and go after false gods which cannot profit, and false pleasures which cannot truly benefit them, you have immortal souls to save, and every occupation or amusement, which tends to bind you closer to this world, leads you further from happiness here, and heaven hereafter. Your public house dances and your barn dances are most injurious to your best interests; they are those very vanities and pomps, which you have promised to renounce, and form that world which is at enmity with God. If you love these things, you cannot be a converted sinner, nor a lover of God; you cannot be turned from darkness to light. I am addressing not only the labouring youth, but also the youth of a better station, and of both sexes. You may tell me that