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day of retirement as I ought to have done the first in self-examination; like one of those foolish virgins who neglected to trim and prepare her lamp and slumbered and slept till she was aroused with the cry that the Lord was at hand, I was suddenly awakened to the consciousness of standing on the verge of eternity without having my soul, that undying lamp within me, prepared to meet my God. What have I done, I solemny asked myself, in the service of Him to whom I must soon render an account? Were I called at this moment to the judgment-seat of Christ, would he not say to me "Oh thou wicked and slothful servant, where are the talents committed to thy charge?"

N. N.

FASHION.

AN anecdote says, I know not with what truth, that a certain gentleman was requested by his wife to buy a bonnet for her, and that, after having made his purchase, he was requested to call at a friend's house, but begged to be excused, saying, "I have bought a bonnet for my wife, and I am afraid that the fashion may change before I get home." Whether or not this story be true, it comments well on the absurdities of fashion. What can be more silly, what less independent, what more ridiculous, than to be whisked into expenditure, and changes of dress and appearance, by the whims of whatever man or woman happens to be at the head of what is improperly termed the beau monde ?—improperly, because the world is fair or beautiful in connexion only, or at least chiefly, with those to whom God says, "all things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos,

or Cephas, or the World, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's." The best method, perhaps, of dealing with fashion,-since we live in a state of society which fashion, more than any thing else, seems to govern,-is to dress in such a manner as to elude observation, to avoid singularity, neither hastily to adopt new changes, nor to retain so long the forms of a by-gone day, as virtually to set up a fashion of our own.

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Correspondence Department.

SERVANTS' HOMES.

W. C. T.

Leamington, Aug. 28th, 1840. OUR Society has prospered exceedingly, and we have every ground for believing that with the blessing of God it will really be of very great public utility, at least if we may judge from the number of applications both from employers and servants."

ADVICE TO MOTHERS.

WE cannot wonder when we see the careless and thoughtless manner in which mothers enter into their responsible stations, if their children eventually become curses instead of blessings. But what a hard task you would impose on us."-they answer. If you feel it so, then cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you. 'But even if we do all we can, we must sometimes leave our children with servants, especially in their infancy." Granted-are those servants the constant subjects of your prayers Have you led them to see the responsibility they

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share with you? Do you pray with them? Do you pray for them? Did you ask, that you might be directed to those best suited to this important office? Do your consciences answer yes to these questions? -Then, take courage; if no;-then wonder not at the results of your own neglect. God has given you the means, you have not used them. Oh! mothers, mothers, awake; I see that the regeneration of the world depends in a great measure on your efforts, on your prayers. What are all other duties to yours? Oh! be women of faith, of prayer, of holiness, of love; see that the generations to come will from you receive their impress; look at the little immortals you are training as the instruments, perhaps of incalculable good, or incalculable evil, to the whole human race; look at them and see in those germs the future man-nay, more, see in them the germs of a future immortal-destined to live on through illimitable ages-destined to exist when the earth shall have been swallowed up in the last flames ; look upon them, and wonder that God has entrusted such precious jewels to such weak hands; look on them, and think my child's destiny through eternity, depends instrumentally on me; oh! look, and fall down with adoring gratitude and praise at his feet, who says, "I will help thee." I have shewn thee the weight of thy burden that thou mightest not rest till thou hadst laid it on me. "I will strengthen the weak and support the feeble knees," and at length thou shalt stand the conflict over, and the trial past, with these immortal spirits before my throne, washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb.

"A GIFT FOR MOTHERS."

THE FEMALES' ADVOCATE.

HUMILITY.

It is one of the most distinguishing and lovely features of Christianity, that it not only inculcates, but actually produces and cherishes, the grace of true humility. So remote is this Christian grace from the spirit of paganism, even in its least exceptionable forms, that the language of the most enlightened nation at the advent of Christ, did not supply a word expressive of what we mean by humility. It belongs to the Gospel to have made the discovery that there is a spirit of self-abasement, which, while it is befitting our character as sinners, is intimately connected with the highest moral dignity.

There is, however, much that passes current in the world for humility, which does not deserve the name; and in respect to this, as of all the other graces of the Christian, it is important that we should be able to detect its counterfeits. There is, for instance, an abject spirit, which is grovelling in its nature, and finds its appropriate element amidst a corresponding set of objects; whereas, true humility lifts the soul from the dust, and brings it in contact with some of the most glorious objects VOL. III.

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in the universe. There is also a desponding spirit, which lives upon doubts and anxieties, in respect to personal religious experience, and turns away from the promises as if they were made only for those who could appropriate them with absolute assurance: this cannot be genuine humility; but is the legitimate offspring of unbelief; because humility is always connected with living faith. There is, moreover, a timid spirit, which attempts little, and therefore accomplishes little, on the ground perhaps, that there may be danger of overrating one's own powers; but humility is perfectly consistent with forming large plans, and entering upon the most extensive field of action provided it be from Christian motives.

But there is nothing in which a spirit of false humility discovers itself more decisively than in speaking more unfavourably of oneself than facts will warrant. Expressions of this kind almost uniformly fail in producing their object; for it requires but little discernment to detect the unworthy motive. If we attribute to ourselves faults with which we and the world know that we are not chargeable, instead of being taken as a mark of humility, it will be regarded as an indication of a weak mind, and an unworthy attempt to provoke commendation which we do not deserve.

Another common and very painful exhibition of spurious humility, consists in the indiscriminate and often somewhat public confessions of professed Chris

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