your entire dependence on God, we beseech you to acknowledge your dependence. With affectionate and and grateful hearts, thank the Fountain of all your mercies for past blessings and implore renewed supplies for yourselves and others. Do you not act a very absurd part speculatively to admit that you are dependent beings, entirely dependent on God, and yet never pray to him? By your crimson guilt, as Gospel sinners, we conjure you, as you value your souls, to confess your sins immediately, and earnestly plead for pardon before the door of mercy is shut. By all the endearing ties of the social affections, we call on prayerless heads of families to pray with your households. You are inexcusable for neglecting it another day. Ye dear youth who are called around the family altar by praying parents, we charge you as you will answer it to God another day, that you raise your hearts in the desires which are poured out to by your parents. By all the authority of God's word we warn every prayerless reader no longer to neglect the duty of secret prayer.

2. In the light of our subject we discern that many are grossly deceived respecting prayer. They think that the cry of fear, selfish fear, will be accepted. But what says he who holds the keys of heaven? "Not every one who says, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." How many rest satisfied with the mere cold recital of words in prayer, without ever raising holy affections to the throne of grace. It is heat that ascends, and such prayers are too cold to rise above the head that offers them. Nor are the wild effusions of the flaming enthusiast any better. Habitual holy affections prepare the soul to worship God aright.

Finally, Is prayer an important and imperious duty, binding on all; let us, as Christians, be much in prayer. Let us covet earnestly the best gifts. Let us use every possible exertion to replenish our minds with suitable ideas in prayer, and let us implore grace and strength from on high to render our prayers acceptable.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF SAMSON.

YOUTH is prone to look forward to the future scenes and events of life with eager, and often triumphant, anticipation. But to obtain sober and just views of real life, he should not permit his contemplations to dwell exclusively on those, whose path from the cradle to the grave has shone with a constant stream of prosperity and brightness; or on those whose gigantic powers of intellect, or strength of moral feeling, have disregarded the difficulties of situation, or spurned the allurements of sin; he should also recollect that thousands languish through life under the withering blight of adversity or neglect; and meditate on the lot of those who have yielded to the power of temptation. Let us now engage in an employment so profitable to the reflecting mind, and consider for a few moments the character of Samson, the judge of Israel, endeavouring to draw from it those lessons of instruction which it is intended to afford.

His birth was foretold to his parents and the manner of his education was also pointed out by an angel of the Lord. As he grew up, and the spirit of the Lord rested upon him, he was doubtless an honour to his parents, the comfort of their age, and the hope of those who waited for the redemption of Isreal from the cruel bondage of the Philistines.

The first particular in his life of which the sacred historian informs us, is his choice of a woman of Philistia for his wife. Of this I shall say nothing, for although it was directly opposed to the general laws of the Hebrew government, and contrary to the wishes of his parents, yet as we are told, that it was of the Lord that he thus sought occasion against his enemics, it would be presumptuous in us to pronounce with confidence on its moral character. We may here however note the remarkable interposition of Divine Providence which preserved him from the devouring lion, and that feat of supernatural strength by which he slew one thousand of his enemies with so mean an instrument as the jaw-bone of an ass. From the connexion of the history it appears, that after

these exploits he was elevated to the office of judge over all Israel, which high station he held for twenty years.

The next incident in the life of Samson is of a less equivocal character. While passing through the city of Gaza, perhaps in the execution of his responsible duties, he was drawn away by the allurements of one of those women, whose path leads down to the chambers of death. Forgetful of his character, of his duty, and of his God, he rushed into the thorns of sinful indulgence. By this crime, he violated the most express laws of God and man; he added the whole weight of his example and influence to sanction that wickedness of his people. which had so often drawn upon them the vengeance of their heavenly Ruler; he sinfully exposed his life, so necessary to the protection of his nation, to the machinations of his ever watchful enemies. The kindness of Providence alone preserved him from their malice. How painful, how mortifying is this proof of human weakness! How forcibly is the truth inculcated, that we need strength from above! Let the young here receive instruction; however bright may be their visions of future prosperity, let them not indulge the presumptuous hope, that they shall escape the assaults of the tempter; but let them look foward with trembling, to those occasions which will most surely try their souls, remembering that no privilege can exempt them from trial, no station secure them from danger. Let sober estimates of human life be carefully formed; for if the youthful ardent wish be gratified, and the aspiring mind has gained the wreath of glory or the luxuries of wealth, they not only scatter in his path the most dangerous allurements to sin, but are themselves the beloved objects that wean him from supreme devotion to his Maker.

Let us now turn to the last melancholy scenes in the life of Samson. His past sad experience had not taught him prudence; he perhaps too confidently relied on his own strength, and his subsequent fall was intended as a severe rebuke to his presumption. The blandishments of another woman of Philistia again enticed him from the paths of duty, and led him to the dreadful precipice

whence he fell, never more to rise. While thus entangled in the snares of the artful Delilah, the vigilant chiefs of Philistia bribed her to be the instrument of their vengeance on their thoughtless, intoxicated victim. The treacherous deceiver readily united her endeavours, and used her every wile to draw from him the secret of his strength. With no less inability to flee from the scene of temptation, than to meet the tempter with a frowning refusal, and apparently as unsuspicious of danger, as his situation was alarming, he parleyed, he deceived, he wavered. Once more she plied him with tears, with reproaches, and with tenderness, and the fatal words were spoken. He fell, and how great was the fall! He is now no more the proud champion of Israel, a terror to his enemies, and a shelter to his friends; but a poor, sightless prisoner, alike contemptible and helpless. Here doubtless, while chained to his instrument of labour, he felt the sharp pangs of remorse, and shed the bitter, scalding tear of shame over his past misdeeds; here also perhaps, with all the humble sorrow of penitence, he sought his offended God, and found forgiveness and peace. But his implacable enemies permitted him not long the poor indulgence of obscurity and labour; with all the haughtiness of triumph and malice they brought him forth on a great feast to mock and reproach him. And here, while they mingled with scoffs at their fallen enemy, high praises to the God of Philistia, and blasphemies against the God of Isreal, both the prostrate victim and his malicious adversaries were overwhelmed in one common ruin, and ascended together to receive their final reward.

Behold pourtrayed in living characters the consequences of sin, it allures, betrays, and ruins us. One compliance easily led the way to a second, that to falsehood, to violation of oath, to death. If we once pre

sumptuously dare to place one foot a single step beyond the boundary that divides duty from sin, we cannot tell how far we shall be allured by the deceitful wiles that first enticed us; we cannot tell but the grace of God may never recal us, and we be left forever to wander

in the ways of sin and punishment. Let us then close our ears to the first notes of the syren song that would draw us into the tremendous vortex.

While meditating on the unhappy history before us, let us not hastily draw the sorrowful conclusion, that his melancholy fate was inevitable, that all must sin, and sin grossly; but let the sad memorials which Samson, David, Solomon, and Peter have left of the weakness and depravity of human nature, induce us to cling closer to a throne of grace; let us not indulge unmanly dispondency, but watch and pray. In these alone is our safety, for as neither rank, nor influence, nor success, nor our own strength can save us from falling, our security must be in God only. While then we stand on the threshold of active life, and look foward with panting anticipation to its business and enjoyments, view not merely the glowing colours which youthful hope would throw around the landscape, regard also the sober tints which past experience reflects on every object; at the same time let the ardent petition ascend to our heavenly Father, that he would guide and support our weakness. And when engaged in the pursuits of life, let every day and every hour witness our sincere and humble supplications for the same grace; then shall we resist the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and come off conquerers through him that hath loved us.

Mr. EDITOR,

STRICTURES ON FEMALE EDUCATION.

IN addressing you at this time, I do it with the humble, I may say, the implicit confidence, that I shall be heard. Engaged as you have been and still are in your lauable endeavours to improve the youth of our country, whatever may tend to promote this your favourite object, I am sure will not be suffered to pass unnoticed. subject of FEMALE EDUCATION, for so many years almost wholly neglected, has of late attracted much more attention than formerly. Their relations, and duties in life. and in society have been felt and acknowledged, wherever females have been blessed with a birth and educa

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