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times they suddenly fall to rise no more. Were this matter properly understood and seriously regarded, there would not be that panting desire for power or rule which too generally prevails. Well," says one, "I think after all, if I had power intrusted to me, I should use it aright and not abuse it." Others no doubt have thought the same; but, the sequel has showed that they have thought wrong, and acted far otherwise than right.

In the next place, we may learn the importance and necessity of resisting a spirit of resentment, which may possibly arise from disappointed ambition, or insulted pride. If Haman had done this, he would have been stopped in that downward course which led to final ruin. A spirit of resentment or revenge, if not checked at the outset, but let loose upon the passions, will sometimes lead a person on to words, and deeds, never before contemplated; and then as a natural consequence fill the soul with deep distress, and heart-rending woe. Beware; O beware, of this horrid feeling. It destroys all peace, kills all love; it incites only to evil, and brings nothing but misery in its train.

Finally. This subject is calculated to assist us in forming right views of the honour or dishonour that come from man. If poor Haman had rightly considered this matter, he would have seen that Mordecai's refusal to take his hat off and bow the knee, made him neither better nor worse; neither added to, nor diminished from, any honour that was worth regarding as such, or being called by that name. It would not be very difficult to prove, that in this vain world of noise and show, there is too much thought and said about rank, reputation, and worldly honour. By the true Christian these things ought not to be held in high esteem, but he should diligently seek to preserve a conscience void of offence towards God, and

towards man."

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Soon, very soon, all earthly honours, emoluments, and distinctions, will appear as worthless as the unsubstantial shadow, and for ever vanish away. Serious reader, be it yours henceforth, to seek that honour which comes from above; to manifest in your life and conversation the graces of the Holy Spirit, and the fruits of righteous. "which are by Jesus Christ, to the praise and glory of God." T. SWALLOW.

ness;

"THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE."

"THE resurrection and the life;" these are thy magnificent titles, Captain of our salvation! And, therefore, we commit to thee, body and soul; for thou hast redeemed both, and thou wilt advance both to the noblest and most splendid of portions. Who quails and shrinks, scared by the despotism of death? Who amongst you fears the dashing of those cold black waters which roll between us and the promised land? Men and brethren, grasp your own privileges ; men and brethren, Christ Jesus has "abolished death;" will

ye, by your fearfulness, throw strength into the skeleton, and give back empire to the dethroned and the destroyed? Yes, "the resurrection and the life," "abolished death." Ye must indeed die, and so far death remains undestroyed. But if the terrible be destroyed when it can no longer terrify, and if the injurious be destroyed when it can no longer injure; if the enemy be abolished when it does the work of a friend, and if the tyrant be abolished when performing the offices of a servant; if the repulsive be destroyed when we can welcome it, and if the odious be destroyed when we can embrace it; if the quick-sand be abolished when we can walk it and sink not, if the fire be abolished when we can walk through it and be scorched not, if the poison be abolished when we can drink it and hurt not-then is death destroyed, then is death abolished, to all who believe on the "resurrection and the life;" and the noble prophecy is fulfilled (bear witness, ye groups of the ransomed, bending down from your high citadel of triumph) "O Death, I will be thy plagues; O Grave, I will be thy destruction."

"I heard a voice from heaven"-O for the angel's tongue, that words so beautiful might have all their melodiousness-"saying unto me, write, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours, and their works do follow them." It is yet but a little while, and we shall be delivered from the burden and the conflict, and with all those who have preceded us in the righteous struggle, enjoy the deep raptures of a Mediator's presence. Then, re-united to the friends with whom we took sweet counsel upon earth, we shall recount our toil only to heighten our ecstacy, and call to mind the tug and the din of the war, only that, with a more bounding throb, and a richer song, we may feel and celebrate the wonders of redemption. And when the morning of the first resurrection breaks upon this long-disordered and groaning creation, then shall our text be understood in all its majesty, and in all its marvel: and then shall the words, whose syllables mingle so often with the funeral knell, that we are disposed to carve them on the cypress-tree rather than on the palm, "I am the resurrection and the life," form the chorus of that noble anthem, which those for whom Christ "died, and rose, and revived," shall chaunt as they march from judgment to glory."

H. MELVILL.

LAW OF KINDNESS.

THERE is something attractive and soothing in the word kindness. It goes home to the heart, and kindles the best feelings of our nature. Place us within the range of its influence, and unless we are devoid of every holy emotion, we instantly breath a genial atmosphere, and feel there is something in the world worth living for. Tell us that heaven is a place where the law of kindness finds its highest develop

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ment that its inhabitants partake of the nature of Him, who maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust," and you touch a chord that vibrates in unison with the wants of our moral being. It contains within its depths, harmonies in concert with all that is good in heaven and on earth. Its magic power is yet to a great extent unknown.

The world, in all its legislative enactments, has hitherto failed to interpret the real wants of our fallen nature. There is within every man, a well-spring of gushing affection. Touch it by an act of kindness, and it bubbles up in a refreshing stream. We do not think human nature is so difficult to reclaim as many represent it. We have been too much disposed to put it in chains, and to shut it up in dungeons. Let it see the light, and feel the warmth of the bright It wants more nursing, and less whipping-more of the spirit of kindness, and less of the law of retaliation.

sun.

The

The rule of the past in dealing with mankind has been too much punitive-that of the present and future must be more remedial. mind of the world is only just awakening to an appreciation of the power of kindness, in dealing with the openly vicious and depraved classes of society. Hitherto it has been stripe for stripe-eye for eye-and tooth for tooth. Men have been punished, and then placed beyond the pale of civilized society; a brand of degradation has been stamped upon their forehead, and no after course of conduct has been deemed sufficient to restore them within the circle of civil society, or to wipe away the infamy attaching to former criminalities. Thus there has been trained up a class of persons who could only live by preying upon society, and in whose hearts has been fostered such a spirit of determined revenge, that they have sworn eternal enmity against the laws and institutions to which they have vainly looked for sympathy and help, in their repentant moments.

We

The existence of such a class of persons in our large towns and cities is too well known to need proof. The question that presses itself on the attention of the wise and good is-What must we do with them? To leave them as they are is dangerous to the interests of society at large, and to them, especially, will be destruction. have proved that the stocks, the tread-mill, or the dungeon, are not the best teachers of moral truth. Our business nationally, should be not so much to punish, as to reform the criminal. Have we, in all the departments of our national, and social polity, sufficiently tried the law of kindness? Have we, as a Christian people, holding the Gospel in our hands, acted according to its Divine injunctions, in dealing with the frail and erring sons of men? Its law, is the law of kindness, of gentleness, of love. We have acted on that of force, imprisonment, torture, and death. It is time, that, in all our disciplinary administrations, we come back to the laws and principles of the New Testament. Some of the vilest criminals have been reclaimed by the operation of the law of kindness, when every other system had failed. Miss Martineau, in her "Western Travels," speaking of a Captain Pillsbury, and his treatment of criminals, says―

"His moral power over the guilty is so remarkable, that prison

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breakers who can be confined nowhere else, are sent to him to be charmed into staying their term out. I was told of his treatment of two such. One was a gigantic personage-the terror of the countrywho had plunged deeper and deeper in crime for seventeen years. Captain Pillsbury told him, when he came, that he hoped he would not repeat the attempt to escape which he had made elsewhere. 'It will be best,' said he, 'that you and I should treat each other as well as we can. I will make you as comfortable as I possibly can, and shall be anxious to be your friend; and I hope you will not get me into any difficulty on your account. There is a cell intended for solitary confinement, but we never use it; and I should be very sorry ever to have to turn the key upon any body in it. range the place as freely as I do, if you will trust me as I shall trust you.' The man was sulky, and for weeks showed only very gradual symptoms of softening under the operation of Captain Pillsbury's cheerful confidence. At length information was given to the captain of this man's intention to break out of prison. The captain called him, and taxed him with it; the man preserved a gloomy silence. He was told that it was now necessary for him to be locked up in the solitary cell, and was desired to follow the captain, who went first, carrying a lamp in one hand, and the key in the other. In the narrowest part of the passage, the captain (who is a small slight man,) turned round and looked in the face of the stout criminal. 'Now,' said he, 'I ask you whether you have treated me as I deserve? I have done everything I could think of to make you comfortable; I have trusted you, and you have never given me the least confidence in return, and have even planned to get me into difficulty. Is this kind? And yet I cannot bear to lock you up, if I had the least sign that you cared for me!' The man burst into tears. 'Sir,' said he, 'I have been a very devil these seventeen years; but you treat me like a man.' Come, let us go back,' said the captain. The convict had the free range of the prison as before. From this hour he began to open his heart to the captain, and cheerfully fulfilled his whole term of imprisonment; confiding to his friend, as they arose, all impulses to violate his trust, and all facilities for doing so which he imagined he saw."

Mr. I. T. Hopper, a prison inspector in America, has been extraordinarily successful in reclaiming criminals. The following may be given as an instance of the way in which this noble-hearted American acts up to the Divine law of love: "Patrick Mc Kever, a poor Irishman in Philadelphia, was many years ago sentenced to be hung for burglary. For some reason or other he was reprieved at the foot of the gallows, and his sentence changed to ten years imprisonment. He was a man of few words, and hope seemed almost dead within him; but when Friend Hopper, who became inspector during the latter part of his term, talked to him like a brother, his heart was evidently touched by the voice of kindness. After his release he returned to his trade, and conducted himself in a very sober, exemplary manner. The inspector often met him, and spoke words of friendly encouragement. Things were going on very satisfactorily

when a robbery was committed in the neighbourhood, and Patrick was immediately arrested. His friend went to the mayor, and inquired what proof there was that he committed the robbery. 'No proof; but he is an old convict, and that is enough to condemn him.' Such was the answer! Nay, it is not enough,' replied Friend Hopper. 'He has suffered severely for the crime he did commit; and since he has shown the most sincere desire to reform, it never ought to be mentioned against him. I think I know his state of mind, and I will take the responsibility of maintaining that he is not guilty.' But to all his urgent representations he received the answer, 'He is an old convict, and that is enough.' The poor fellow hung down his head, and said in tones of despair, 'Well, then, I must make up my mind to spend the remainder of my days in prison.' Thou wast not concerned in this robbery, wast thou?' said Isaac, looking steadfastly in his face. 'Indeed I was not. God be my witness I want to lead an honest life, and be at peace with all men. But what good will that do? They will say he is an old convict, and that is enough.' Friend Hopper told him he would stand by him. He did so; and offered to be bail for his appearance. The gratitude of the poor fellow was overwhelming. He sobbed like a child. His innocence was afterwards proved, and to the day of his death, he continued a virtuous and useful citizen. What would have been his fate if no friend had appeared for him?—if every human heart had refused to trust him?"

Ragged schools are now claiming the attention of the country, as one means for the moral regeneration of a large number of juvenile delinquents. Many pleasing instances of good have been achieved in connection with their establishment, though only of yesterday's origin. By what law do these self-denying men, collect and keep together the actual and incipient vagabonds and thieves that swarm their rooms. No law could reach them but the law of kindness-of love. To every other they seem to have become insensible, and this only can bind together in one harmonious whole, the discordant elements of which the schools are composed. Many of the scholars never heard a kind word till the voice of the teacher fell on their ears. Many a tear has coursed down the cheek, from eyes unused to weep, and many a smile of thankfulness has rewarded the toil of the teacher, from those who had only known the brutal laugh. What is it kindness will not effect, short of a change of heart? On the brute creation, its magic influence is almost proverbial, then how much more on those who were created to bear the image of God.

For ages the contrary system has ruled around the domestic hearth, and the rod has been more frequently applied to the back, than the impelling motive of kindness to the soul. The pedagogue, whether in the city, the town, or the village, has reigned paramount with the instrument of torture-that which should have been made attractive and pleasing, has become irksome and painful, and our children have left the school in perfect disgust with their books. Every task is associated in the mind with a system of cruelty, more suited to brutes than to men. The man of capital has too often treated the labourer