argument, Gal. iii. 18, 19: "If the inheritance be of the law it is no more of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise;" and this Peter says, is "according to his abundant mercy." 1 Peter i. 3.

This view of the believer's title to heaven appears to myself satisfactory; but I have proved more than once the truth of Solomon's words, Prov. xviii. 17: "He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbor cometh and searcheth him." I wish therefore, to submit it to the examination of your correspondents, believing the investigation may be useful to others, as well as myself.

We are sanctified through the truth, and those truths which respect the conscience, touch the springs of action both in heart and life; hence it will assuredly be found, that we labor in vain for purity of heart, unless purity of conscience be first obtained and preserved.

A SERIOUS INQUIRER.

EARLY PIETY.

DISTINGUISHED usefulness springs from piety early commenced in the soul, and which therefore, matures and bears much fruit to the glory of God. The late Dr. John Ryland, president of the Baptist College at Bristol, (Eng.,) and the bosom friend of Andrew Fuller, and one of the most eminent divines of his day, was converted at thirteen, by hearing some of the pupils in his father's school, talking of Jesus Christ. "These boys," thought he, "are going to heaven, and I shall be left behind." He earnestly prayed, rejoiced in the pardon of sin, in his fifteenth year was baptized and united to the church, and at eighteen began to preach. The indefatigable Rev. John Dyer, secretary, for a quarter of a century, of the English Baptist Missionary Society, was brought to Christianity at about thirteen, by a suggestion of an aged minister, that his beautiful handwriting might some day make him secretary of the Missionary Society. A deep sense of his sinfulness led him to Christ, and soon he began to labor in his service, and that with very happy results. And the distinguished Robert Hall, even from infancy, was devoted to prayer and the love of Christ; the blessed results we all know. May our children be sanctified and brought by us to Jesus, and so be ready to serve him through the whole of life!

B.

A WORSHIPPING FAMILY.

BY REV. DR. BELCHER.

Does pure religion charm thee

Far more than aught below?

Would'st thou that she would arm thee

Against the hour of woe?

Her dwelling is not only

In temples built for prayer,

For home itself is lonely,

Unless her smiles be there :
Wherever we may wander,
'Tis all in vain we roam,
If worshipless her altar

At home-sweet home!

BARTON.

It is an important and impressive view which is sometimes given of a family, that it is a nation in miniature. Here, the empires of the world had their origin, and here is the most delightful state of society which earth can present. A family devoted to the service of God places before us a scene which attracts the attention of men to religion, and which ensures the warmest regards of holy angels. It surely, then, becomes every man who feels the importance of his own salvation, and who is concerned for the extension of the Divine glory, to take care of the spiritual interests of the little nation which God has committed to his government. "The private affections," as an excellent preacher remarks, "are not incompatible with the public, but conduct to them; and the way, the best way, the only way, by which we can promote the good of the whole, is by advancing the goodness of a part. The man who, in opposing patriotism, pleads that the world is his country, and all mankind his fellow-citizens, has no country, no fellow-citizens. The object for which he pretends to be concerned is too indistinct to impress; too extensive to grasp. To come nearer—if a man were to disregard his family under the pretence that he was acting on a broader and nobler principle, and for an object less selfish and contracted, even the nation at large, he would soon be told that the nation consists of families; that one of these is committed to his care; that this he can improve; that this he ought peculiarly to regard, even for the sake of the public! 'He that provideth not for his own, especially those of his own house, hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.'

If, then, the reader be asked what he would wish to be the intellectual and moral character of the world, and he replies that he would it were

intelligent, holy and happy, let it be his concern to make his own family So. Let him rule his household in the fear of God; let him conduct them to the family altar; let them hear him pour out his ardent petitions to the throne of mercy on his behalf, and he may then hope that the blessing of Heaven will rest on him and his household, even forever. In order to this, let him be careful to maintain religion in his own heart; let him aim to be lively and ardent in the service of God, and let it be seen by the evenness of his temper, and the cheerfulness of his life, that he is governed by evangelical religion.

I have been led to these remarks by thinking of the conduct and the happiness of a pious family, with whom I have had the pleasure of living on terms of Christian friendship.

In the proper government of a family there needs a considerable share of decision of character and of prudence; and in the maintenance of domestic worship the mind must be impressed with the importance of perseverance in the holy employment. These excellencies have been displayed in the house of my friend, and to them in a considerable degree, has been owing the success which it is now my pleasing employment to record. It has never been his habit to enforce religion on his children and domestics, he would rather have it seen than heard; yet he takes care to omit no favorable opportunity of dropping an appropriate hint, of making a suitable inquiry, or of conveying an impressive remark, looking up to the God who can accompany such means with his blessing, and of making any one of them " a word in season.".

I will relate to my reader one little incident which had a considerable effect on the mind of the person most nearly interested in it, and which places the character of my friend in a light worthy of imitation. Some few years ago, a young man was received into his family as an assistant in his business. He had previously lived for some years in a household where God was not feared, and where, in the concerns of business, a system of falsehood had been much practised. A day or two after this young man had entered on his new situation, my friend informed him that it was a standing law in his store to permit nothing like an untruth to be told to his customers with a view to induce them to purchase his goods; and that, however common the practice might be, he was persuaded that business could be much better transacted without it. The young man was astonished; he could not have supposed the world to con tain a man who had so much regard to truth; he had always supposed it impossible to do business to any extent without falsehoods; of course he obeyed the request of his employer, he saw the blessing of God rest on the house, and the advice thus given, connected with the holy conduct of the head of the family, was not without advantage to him.

But when I took up my pen it was to tell my readers of some of the good effects resulting from the constant attention, in my friend's family, to the duties of the domestic altar. My space will only allow me to advert briefly to two cases, where the blessing of Heaven rested upon it. And even this I cannot proceed to do, without entreating my readers to introduce another beautiful extract from the author I have already quoted, because it is so admirably illustrative of my subject:

"God has revealed himself under a domestic relation, and calls himself the God of all the families of the earth.' And will you refuse him in this endearing character? Will you rob yourselves and your families of your greatest mutual honor and blessedness? An angel, in his intercourse with this world, sees nothing so uninviting and dreary as a house, though rich as a mansion, and splendid as a palace, devoid of the service and presence of God! But what so lovely, so attractive, as the family altar, ' garlanded by the social feelings,' and approached, morning and evening, by the high-priest of the domestic temple, and his train of worshippers? There the master's authority is softened, and he feels respect for the servant who is kneeling at his side, and free indeed! There the servant's submission is sweetened, and he loves, while he obeys, a master who is praying for his welfare. Here the father, worn down with the labor of the day, is cheered and refreshed. Here, the anxious mother hushes her cares to rest. If any thing in the day has been diverted from its course, now all finds its place, and glides along in its wonted channel. If the relative affections have declined during the day, the evening service, like the dew of heaven, revives and enlightens them. If offences have come, they are easily forgiven where all are asking for pardon for themselves. Every angry word-every wrong temper-every petulent feeling, flies before the hallowing influence of social devotion."

I may, perhaps, be allowed to go even a step farther than the admirable author just quoted, and remark that the religion of a pious household has often been blest to the conversion of an impious inmate. It is to circumstances of this kind that I now briefly refer.

In the first instance, a thoughtless and gay youth had been introduced into my friend's family. He manifested no opposition to its regulations, but it was evident that he had no love for them. He attended the public worship of God on the Sabbath, but he had no wish to be present at the devotions of the domestic circle; in a word, he proved himself to be a Christian in name only. My friend embraced an opportunity to invite him to the Lord's day morning early prayer-meeting; and finding an increasing disposition to listen to his gentle instructions, he told him of the declaration solemnly made by a Christian minister now in heaven,

who, when exhorting a congregation to the duty of prayer, assured them that if any of them who had never sought the mercy of God would only undertake to pray with their whole heart for three months, if their prayers were not answered, he would give up even the profession of religion. The words penetrated the heart of the young man-he began to prayhe found the mercy which he now felt he needed, and at present he lives as an ornament to Christianity.

The other case to which I shall allude is that of a female assistant in the family, who came into it prayerless and thoughtless, but who will ever, it is hoped, adore the good hand of God who directed her footsteps into the house of his servant. In the order of family reading, on the first evening after her arrival from the country, her employer read the tenth chapter of the prophecies of Jeremiah, which contains this solemn prayer of the prophet: "Pour not thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name." In the petitions he presented at the footstool of mercy, my friend expressed thanksgiving that they were not in the state of those who were ignorant of God, and who never sought his favor; and prayed earnestly that she who had that day been directed to their dwelling, might feel the importance and prize the privilege of drawing near unto God. The family separated for the night, its affairs passed on as usual, and no idea was entertained that a mighty change had so soon occurred in the heart of the new assistant.

It is a gracious promise of Jehovah that his word shall not return to him void, but shall accomplish the purpose for which he has sent it:

'Though seed lies buried long in dust,

It shan't deceive our hope:

The precious grain shall ne'er be lost,
For grace ensures the crop."

And so it proved in the instance now under our review. Some weeks elapsed before the fact was disclosed that the prayers of the pious parents, which for many years were presented to God for her, were now answered, and that the first time this young person had knelt at the family altar under her new employer's roof, she had learned to pray for pardon and submission. With holy rapture did she bless the name of the Lord, for the blessings she had received-happiness almost more than she could sustain, and which, indeed, for a season, seemed beyond what her delicate animal frame could bear. A calm and holy serenity of mind soon succeeded, and she became, with her whole heart, engaged in the service of God. Happy, indeed, are those who imitate her example!