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him from speaking, and the people from hearing. After a considerable pause, he attempted to resume the subject; but was again interrupted by the extreme sorrow which overwhelmed the people. Upon which, he turned his discourse into prayer; and, with peculiar liberty and fervour, intreated a lenghtening out of their tranquillity; - humbly confessed their sins, and the justice of God in their punishment; — and then, having laid themselves at his feet, by a solemn act of resignation, proceeded earnestly to pray, That if the Lord saw fit to suffer the carcases of that generation to fall in the wilderness, that he would revive his work in the next, so that it might gloriously appear to their children; to which the whole congregation gave their assent by a loud AMEN.

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May we not hope that these, and a thousand more such prayers, are come up for a memorial before God?-that he has appointed a set time, and will remember them? Doubtless, the pious reader will unite his supplications with theirs, and beg that the Lord will shine upon his desolate sanctuary in France and Belgium.

PRAYER

OF THE LATE REV. MR. LAVATER, OF ZURICII;

ON HIS BEING CALLED TO THE MINISTRY.

Extracted from the Account of his Life, published by his
Son-in-Law.

O MY Creator and Father! How great is thy goodness towards me! How often and how readily dost thou give me the desires of my heart! All the wishes of my soul begin to be fulfilled, as soon as I pour them into thy parental heart with sincerity and simplicity. I adore thee, O thou dearest, best, and tenderest Father! How unwearied are thy exertions to strengthen my confidence in thee, to unite me to thee, to fill my inmost soul with peace, happiness, and godly simplicity, and to increase my zeal for every good work! O that I were more worthy of thy love, more sanctified, more blameless in all my walk and conversation! O let that mind be in me which was also in Christ Jesus, thy Son! Behold, now I receive out of thy hand a small place, where I shall have the favour publicly to preach thy gospel; to instruct souls, for whom Jesus Christ, thy Sou, died; to warn them against sin as the most destructive evil; and to exhort them to Christian virtue and real godliness, which has the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

Thou knowest, Father, how readily I embrace this opportu nity of doing good; how my very heart rejoices that I am now

privileged to preach every Sunday in the name of thy Son, and to promote his blessed purposes which reach to eternity. But thou knowest also how anxiously concerned I am, particularly for myself, lest I should soon relax in my exertions to discharge all the duties of my holy office with the most conscientious faithfulness!-lest I should too easily forget many a good resolution, and either quench, or suffer to subside, many a sacred impulse of thy Spirit!

Alas! I know myself, my Creator and Father! I know and feel the fickleness and weakness of my own heart; I dare not rely on myself, or promise much; but this constrains me the more, with childlike and humble prayer, to flee for refuge unto thee, almighty and most merciful Father! and to thee, O thou kind, compassionate, and almighty Saviour! If thou dost strengthen me, I can do all things. O that this conviction might never leave me; but may my heart daily cleave closer to thee by faith! O that I may enter into thy views, and my heart be formed according to thine, that when thou lookest down from thy holy habitation upon thy beloved children, thou mightest look on me with an eye of complacency, as upon a faithful servant! O that I could always look up to thee, out of the darkness of this life, with a serene, unterrified and confidential heart; and in deep humility experience that consolation which proceeds from the inward witness, that I sincerely endeavour faithfully to execute the work thou hast committed to me, and to do all that my abilities and circumstances allow.

O my Lord and Master! thou knowest what I still lack. Give me, I humbly beseech thee, whatever I stand in need of, and grace to make a faithful and conscientious use of thy gifts! above all, help me daily to watch with care over my own heart and life; let me never forget the importance of my station, being called, not to be a Christian only, but a teacher, and a pattern for Christians; and that, therefore, all my words and actions acquire greater weight, by my being raised to a more conspicuous station. I have no power over myself, to recall to my mind these weighty ideas as often as is requisite, nor to give them their due influence on each occasion. But thou turnest the hearts of men as the rivers of water; thou canst banish from me all levity and slothfulness, and every vile affection, by the enlivening influence of truly Christian ideas. Thou alone canst, from time to time, impart to me more uprightness and constancy, and canst daily maintain and increase my zeal. In short, if thou dost strengthen me, I can do all things, even that which at present seems impossible to me. All things are possible to him that believeth. Lord! I believe, help my unbelief! Do thou what I am not able to do! Work in me that which is well-pleasing in thy sight! Sanctify me throughout! Grant that

I may faithfully serve thy cause throughout my whole life, particularly in all that relates to the office committed to me; and that the chief end of all my labours and exertions in watching, praying, exhorting, reproving, comforting, and instructing, may be to save myself and them that hear me!

Give me, O merciful Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, a rich measure of thy Spirit, according to his promise. Grant that I may daily increase in the knowledge and understanding of the Holy Scriptures! Grant me to discover the truths contained therein, and to view them in their divine harmony! Preserve me from error and misunderstanding! Grant me clearness energy, acceptance, and unction, that all my hearers may be enlightened and warmed, and their souls bealed! Let me freely speak all that is true, useful, and salutary! Let no fear of man, or secret desire to please men, ever induce me to withhold any thing that ought to be spoken, or to say any thing that is not perfectly according to truth, or that, not being properly digested, might be liable to do harm! Let me always speak as in thy presence! Let me, being thy servant, never become a servant of men to their own destruction. I am thine,-help me,-let me never do thy work negligently, thou art at my right hand! O may I consider this, and never forget, that all my words shall be weighed in thy balances, and be judged not by men, but by

thee!

Lo! at thy feet I prostrate lie:

O Jesus! hear my fervent cry!
Behold a wretch oppress'd with grief:
O Jesus! hear, and send relief!

Helpless am I, if left by thee:

O Jesus! Jesus ! strengthen me!

SIR,

ON THE LOVE OF GOD.

To the Editor.

HAVING lately read a Discourse (and a volume of Letters consequent to the Discourse) On the Entire Love of God, founded on Matt. xxii. 37.; wherein the author advances many things out of the common track on the subject, it would be a great gratification to me, if some of your valuable correspondents would, through the medium of your work, favour me with their thoughts On the Nature and Measure of the Love required on the Two great Commandments of the Law; and as our love is, even in its highest exercise, so lamentably defective towards the Author of our being and happiness, I doubt not, any remarks which may have a tendency to regulate and increase it, will be acceptable to many of your readers, as well as Westminster. Sp yours, very sincerely,

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HAVING, in a preceding Magazine (for February) drawn the picture of that ngly vice, Idleness, from the Natural History of the Sloth,-in this I shall attempt to delineate Christian Diligence, from the Natural History of the Beaver: an animal, in almost every respect, the reverse of the former.

The sacred writers often send us to the brate creation for lessons of wisdom and of virtue: "Go to the ant, thou sluggard!" is the advice of Solomon; and for the same reason we may say, "Go to the beaver;"-many of whose habits are not dissimilar to the ant's.

The beaver is a native of most of the northern parts of Europe and of Asia, but is most plentiful in North America; and there is reason to believe, that they were formerly found in Wales, particularly in Cardiganshire. The general length of this animal is about three feet; and its form may be judged of by the above cut. Its front teeth are very strong; and it lives chiefly on the bark and leaves of trees. Its hair is very fine, glossy, and of a chesnut brown, sometimes nearly black; and is an important article in the manufacture of hats, &c.

The natural sagacity of this animal is very remarkable,, especially in its social habits; living in an economy very similar to human society, and superior to what we sometimes see in the savage part of the human species. Capt. G. Cartwright, wha resided fourteen years on the coast of Labrador, paid particular attention to them, and gives the substance of the following ac

Count:

"The beavers live in general in associated communities, of two or three hundred; inhabiting dwellings which they raise to the height of six or eight feet above the water. They select, if possible, a large pond, and raise their houses on piles, forming them either of a circular or oval shape, with arched tops,which give them, on the outside, the appearance of a dome,

See Buffon's Nat. Hist, and Bingley's Animal Biography, vol. 1.

whilst within, they somewhat resemble an oven. The mumber of houses is, in general, from ten to thirty. If they cannot find a pond to their liking, they fix on some flat piece of ground with a stream running through it. In making this a suitable place for their habitations, a degree of sagacity and intelligence, of intention and memory, is exhibited, nearly equal to that of some part of the human race.

To do this, it is necesand of course that they This seems a very ex

"The first object is to form a dam. sary that they should stop the stream; should know in which direction it runs. traordinary exertion of intellect, for they always do it in the most favourable place for their purpose, andnever begin at a wrong part. They drive stakes, five or six feet long, into the ground, in different rows, and interweave them with branches of trees, filling them up with clay, stones, and sand,-which they ram so firmly down, that though the dams are frequently 100 feet long, Capt. Cartwright says, he has walked over them with the greatest safety. These are ten or twelve foet thick at the base, gradually diminishing towards the top, which is seldom more than two or three feet across. They are exactly level from end to end, perpendicular towards the stream, and sloped on the outside, where grass soon grows, and renders the earth more united.

"The houses are constructed with the utmost ingenuity, of earth, stones, and sticks cemented together, and plastered on the inside with the greatest neatness. The walls are about two feet thick; and the floors so much higher than the surface of the water, as always to prevent them from being flooded. Some of the houses have only one floor, whilst others have three. The number of beavers in each house is from two to thirty. These sleep on the floor, which is strewed with leaves and moss; and each individual is said to have its own place. When they form a new settlement, they begin to build their houses in the summer; and it costs them a whole season to finish the work, and lay in their winter provisions, which consist principally of bark and the tender branches of trees, cut into certain lengths, and piled in heaps under the water. The houses have each no more than one opening, which is under the water, and alwaysbelow the thickness of the ice. By this means they are freed from the effects of frost."

How truly may we say, the Lord "teacheth the beasts of the field!" For what but his wisdom could give such sagacity to these animals? Their buildings are indeed extraordinary; and it is well worthy of observation, that whatever is done by animal sagacity, is even more correct than the labours of human skill. "He makes the spider parallel, design,

"Sure as Demoivre, without rule or line."

"At the head of one of the rivers of Louisiana, where he

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