collected together on the Sabbath morning, too, without something being said to them respecting religion; and hoped he would deliver a short address to them on the subject. He replied, that as all religions services should begin with prayer, he could not perform that duty, not having his prayer-book in his pocket. "However," said the gentleman, "I am persuaded that a gentleman of your appearance and respectability would be able to pray with them, as well as to talk to them. I beg, therefore, that you will be so good as to begin with prayer." After a few modest refusals, Mr. Baxter commenced the service with a prayer at once, solemn and fervid, for which he was so remarkable. The magistrate soon melted into tears. The man of God then delivered a most impressive sermon; after which, the magistrate stepped up to him and said, that he felt truly thankful that Baxter had not come, for he had never heard anything that so much affected him in the whole course of his life. Baxter turning round to him with a pathos not to be imitated, said: "I am the very Dick Baxter of whom you are in pursuit ; I am at your disposal." But the justice having felt sc during the service, entirely laid aside all his enmity; and ever afterwards became one of the most decided friends of the nonconformist, and died, it is believed, a decided Christian.

The True Way to Quiet Conscience.

GENERAL BURN, in recording his experience, says"One Lord's day, when I was to receive the sacrament, before I approached that sacred ordinance, my conscience so keenly accused me on account of this beloved idol (playing at cards) that I hardly knew what to do with myself. I tried to pacify it by a renewal of all my resolutions, with many additions and amendments. I parleyed and reasoned the matter over for hours, trying, if possible, to come to some terms of accommodation; but still the obstinate monitor cried out, There's an Achan in the camp; approach the table of the Lord, if you dare! Scared at the threat, and yet unwilling to part with my darling lust, I became like one possessed. Restless and

uneasy, I flew out of the house to vent my misery with more freedom in the fields, under the wide canopy of heaven. Here I was led to meditate on the happiness of the righteous, and the misery of the wicked in a future state. The importance of eternity falling with a ponderous weight upon my soul, raised such a vehement imagination against the accursed thing within, that crying to God for help, I kneeled down under a hedge, and taking heaven and earth to witness, wrote on a piece of paper with my pencil a solemn vow, that I never would play at cards, on any pretence whatsoever, so long as I lived. No sooner had I put my name to that solemn vow, than I felt myself another creature. Sorrow took wing and flew away, and a delightful peace succeeded. The intolerable burden being removed from my mind, I approached the sacred table of the Lord with an unusual degree of pleasure and delight. This was not my only idol. I had many others to contend with. But while I was endeavoring to heal my wounded soul in one place, ere I was aware sin broke out in another."

A Thrilling Exordium.

In a sea-port town, on the west coast of England, some years ago, there was notice given of a sermon to be preached one Sunday evening, in a dissenting chapel. The preacher was a man of great celebrity in his calling and that circumstance, together with the pious object of the discourse-to enforce the duty of the strict observance of the Sabbath-attracted an overflowing audience. After the usual prefatory prayer and hymn of praise, the preacher gave out the text, and was about to proceed with his sermon, when he suddenly paused, leaned his head on the pulpit, and remained silent for a few moments. It was imagined that he had become indisposed; but he soon recovered himself, and addressing the congregation, said, that before entering upon his discourse, he begged to narrate to them a short anecdote. "It is now exactly fifteen years," said he, " since I was last in this place of worship; and the occasion was, as many here may probably rememDer, the very same which has now brought us together.

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Among those who came thither that evening were three dissolute young men, who came not only with the intent of insulting and mocking the venerable pastor, but even with stones in their pockets to throw at him, as he stood in his pulpit. Accordingly they had not listened long to the discourse, when one of thein said impatiently, Why need we listen any longer to the blockhead? throw!' but the second stopped him, saying, 'Let us first see what he makes of this point.' The curiosity of the latter was no sooner satisfied, than he said, Ay, it is only as I expected, throw, now! But here the third interposed, and said, 'it would be better altogether to give up the design which had brought them there.' At this remark, his two associates took offence, and left the church, while he himself remained to the end. Now, mark, my brethren, continued the preacher, with much emotion, what were afterwards the several fates of these young men? The first was hanged many years ago at Tyburn, for the crime of forgery; the second is now lying under sentence of death, for murder in the jail of this city. The third, my brethren," and the speaker's agitation here became excessive while he paused, and wiped the large drops from his brow-"the third, my brethren, is he who is now about to address you.-Listen to him."

A Cure for Duelling.

"Ir was in one of the Prussian Campaigns," says Harte, in his life of Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweeden, "that the irrational practice of duelling rose to such a height in the Sweedish army, not only among persons of rank and fashion, but even between the common soldiers, that Gustavus published a severe edict, denouncing death against every delinquent. Soon after there arose a quarrel between two officers very high in command, and as they knew the king's firmness in preserving his word inviolable, they agreed to request an audience, and besought his permission to decide the affair like men of honor. His majesty repressed his passion, and under the appearance of pitying brave men who thought their reputation injured, he told them that though he blamed much their mis

taken notions of fame and glory, yet as this unreasonable determination appeared to be the result of deliberate redection, he would allow them to decide the affair at a time and place specified: "And, gentlemen," said he, "I myself will be a witness of your extraordinary valor." At the hour appointed, Gustavus arrived, accompanied with a small body of infantry, whom he drew up around the combatants. Having done this, he desired them to fight on till one of them should be killed, and calling the executioner of the army to him, he ordered him the moment one should fall, to be ready instantly to behead the survivor. Astonished at such inflexible firmness, the two generals, after pausing a moment, fell upon their knees, and asked the king's forgiveness, who made them embrace each other, and give their promise to continue faithful friends to their last moments; as they both did with sincerity and thankfulness.

The Christian Wife.

A MARRIED Woman who was called effectually by Divine grace, and became an exemplary Christian, had a husband who was a lover of pleasure and of sin. When spending an evening, as usual, with his companions, at a tavern, the conversation happened to turn on the excellencies and faults of their wives. The husband just mentioned gave the highest encomiums of his wife, saying she was all that was excellent, only she was a Methodist. "Notwithstanding which," said he, "such is her command of her temper, that were I to take you, gentlemen, home with me at midnight, and order her to rise and get you a supper, she would be all submission and cheerfulness." The company looked upon this merely as a boast, and dared him to make the experiment by a considerable wager. The bargain was made, and about midnight the company adjourned, as proposed. Being admitted, "Where is your mistress?" said the husband to the maid servant who sat up for him. "She is gone to bed, sir." "Call her up," said he. "Tell her I have brought some friends home with me, and desire she would get up and prepare them a supper."

The good woman obeyed the unreasonable summons; dressed, came down, and received the company with perfect civility; told them that she happened to have some chickens ready for the spit, and that supper would be got as soon as possible. The supper was accordingly served up, when she performed the honors of the table, with as much cheerfulness as if she had expected company at the proper season. After supper the guests could not refrain from expressing their astonishment. One of them particularly, more sober than the rest, thus addressed himself to the lady: "Madam," said he, "your civility fills us all with surprise. Our unreasonable visit is in consequence of a wager, which we have certainly lost. As you are a very religious person and cannot approve of our conduct, give me leave to ask, what can possible induce you to behave with so much kindness to us?" "Sir," replied she, "when I married, my husband and myself were both in a carnal state. It has pleased God to call me out of that dangerous condition. My husband contiues in it, he must be miserable forever. I think it, therefore, my duty to render his present existence as comfortable as possible." This wise and faithful reply, affected the whole company. It made a deep impression on the husband's mind. "Do you, my dear," said he, "really think I should be eternally miserable? I thank you for the warning; by the grace of God, I will change my conduct." From that time he became another man, a serious Christian and consequently a good husband. Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives.

The Mother of Baron Cuvier.

IN Mr. Lee's memoirs of this eminent naturalist, is the subjoined testimony, to the influence and care of his mother.

The cares of his excellent mother, during the extreme delicacy of his health, left an impression on M. Cuvier, which was never effaced, even in his latest years, and amid the absorbing occupations of his active life. He