And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.-1 JOHN, v. 14.

GOD has placed a limit to our natural desires, as well as to our petitions; if we ought not, as the children of God, to love any thing contrary to his will, how can we dare to pray for any thing which He has not permitted? With regard to temporal blessings, we are too blind, too ignorant, to choose what is best for us, and therefore we are on dangerous ground, when we venture to implore God to bestow that good, which in its nature, or its consequences, may prove to us an evil. With regard to spiritual blessings, our merciful and gracious Lord has set no bounds to our desires, imposed no restraint upon our prayers, neither can we sum up the infinite number of those Christian graces for which he has permitted, and commanded us to pray. But we may in all humility lay before the Almighty all our necessities, and even connect our temporal with our spiritual wants; for whilst it would be presumptuous to request Him to remove affliction, or to give happiness, we may ask for grace to receive, or to resign his gifts with the dispositions of true Christians. Assuredly he will hear us, if we implore that through Christ, all things may work together for our eternal good.

Y.

And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it.-LUKE xix. 41.

WHY did he weep? "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth," was Jerusalem, and to all other eyes "peace" seemed to be "within her walls, and plenteousness within her palaces." She had been called also the Holy City, the City of God; but to the Saviour it was manifest that God was no longer known in her palaces as her sure refuge. She had rejected him, and, therefore, he knew and foretold that her destruction was at hand, though, as a tender and compassionate judge, he wept

over her sins and her punishment. Pride and rebellion were her sins; she had trusted in herself that she was righteous, and had despised him who came to save her; she had said peace, peace, when there was no peace; she had hardened herself in her iniquities, till by a just retribution her true peace was finally hid from her eyes, and her condemnation was sealed by the Son of God.

He is the same Jesus, yesterday, to-day, and for ever; the same who came to his own, and his own received him not; the same God who continues to instruct, to admonish, to warn, even to beseech his creatures to believe in him, and be saved. Let us not only believe in him, but cleave to him as his adopted children; so will he pity and spare us in all our temptations, and all our sorrows, as a tender father pitieth his children, and spareth his own son that serveth him. But let us beware lest he mourn over our impenitency, as he mourned over his lost and guilty Jerusalem.

Y.

THE LISTENER.-No. VII.

In every period of our nature's story, attached to every creed, and making a part of every mode of worship, religious festivals of some kind have been observed; and they have for the most part worn a character not illbecoming the Deity, in whose honour they were held. The Greek kept his festival with arms in hand, and in doing honour to his warrior gods, could find no fitter celebration than games of agility and feats of strength. The more savage Roman, in whose hard bosom inhumanity was the proudest virtue, feasted his deities with gladiatorial sights. The dark Indian, not very much mistaking of the spirit he serves, holds festivals in honour of the Devil, in which his scalped and tortured enemies make at once the offering and the sport. While to his obscene, unholy gods, the unchaste Hindoo holds feasts of infamy, pollution, and dishonour.

Far other festival was theirs, who, mid the darkness of an idolatrous world, were taught to serve the God of truth and love. They kept their Passover with fasting and with prayer. In their year of Jubilee, the oppressed had restitution, and the prisoner went free. Where superstition overclouds our holy faith, the religious festivals have assumed a like character. Saints and martyrs who have come in to share their Maker's glory and divide his worship, have all their festivals; and if we note the idle pomp, and useless offerings, and heartless ceremonies with which they are celebrated, we must confess them not ill-suited to deities of the earth, introduced, with worse than Pagan polytheism, into the worship of the Christian Church.

Restored, in profession at least, to the simplicity of the Gospel faith, disencumbered of all that man had intermixed with the spiritual worship demanded of us from our God-forming their church, whether Episcopal or otherwise, on that which they believe to be the scripture model, Protestants have left their religious anniversaries but few and simple. Christmas and Easter are the two great festivals of their year-the latter only partially observed the former, we believe, universally. How do we keep it? As suitably to our profession as the Hindoo to his? As much in accordance with the character of him we serve, as the Olympic games with the battle-loving gods of Greece?

'Twas so I questioned, and 'twas so I asked, as one evening I sat pensive and alone, close on the hearth of my solitary chamber. No one was nigh to answer to my doubts. I trimmed my candle, and stirred my fire, and listened as if something should bring me a reply. Silence indeed there was not-for there was a sound within of eager footsteps passing to and fro. But what had I to do with that? and there was a noise of carriage wheels without-but what had that to do with the subject of my thoughts? The books that lay crowded on my table were my sole companions. Could I not question them?

I opened one, and it said, When the wise men beheld the star that announced the Saviour's birth, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy: and when they found him, they fell down and worshipped him. And it said again, that when that birth in Bethlehem was announced, there appeared a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

On earth and in heaven, then, this season was a season of rejoicing; and we keep it in memory of an event the most important that ever hapened in this nether world. -so important that exulting angels shared the triumph of the news they brought. We keep it in honour of Him, who on earth despised the pomps and vanities of life-disowned the turbulence of earthly passion-turned aside from the paths of idleness and folly, and spoke with his sacred lips full many an awful "Woe" on all who loved them. His holy soul was bent on other purposes his eyes wept tears of pity for the world's insensibility-his heart was rent and broken for its sins-and his hallowed spirit at last surrendered to purchase manumission for the bondslaves of the earth, and make them heirs of bliss eternal. And now in heaven he sits in unspotted purity enthroned, watching with eye compassionate the people he has loved on earth, to save them from the dangers and temptations that encompass them; to win their hearts to penitence, and faith, and love.

And what to us was that event we celebrate? What share have we in the joy that was proclaimed in heaven at his coming? Ruined, lost, degraded, and condemned, his coming was to us, if it was any thing, pardon, and peace, and restoration to the favour and the likeness of our God. The deepest humiliation that such an interference was needed, the most exalted joy that our need was thus provided-joy, greater than when the captive is set free-joy, greater than when the sentenced criminal is pardoned, becomes us at this season. But what joy? When we celebrate the memory of one we

love, we tell fondly of his deeds-we bring to mind things that had well nigh stolen from our thoughts-we repeat his sayings-bring forth each valued memento of his love -seek the scenes and renew the employments that best remind us of him: if he has been renowned for any thing, our musick, our decorations, and our sports, bear all some reference of his character or his doings. Christmas is the celebration of our Saviour's birth. When angels told it, they gave glory to God on high. When wise men heard it, they fell down, and worshipped. When Christians celebrate it, they-I had not time to finish all I might have said of chastened gaiety, of warm and humble gratitude, of pious recollections, joyful praises, and confiding prayers, when a great increase of noises called off my attention to what was passing beyond the precincts of my solitude.

Our Christmas festival is not confined to the single day, set apart by our Church for religious service. The season of rejoicing we usually call Christmas, extends to the length of weeks, distinguished from all others in the year, by frequent festivities peculiar to itself; especially among the younger part of the community, to whom it is usually a time of holyday and domestick indulgence. And I soon perceived this was one of those nights which peculiarly develope what we mean by Christmas-time and I recollected beside, that it was the New-year's Eve, a night of no common distinction among the distinguished. What a happy opportunity to solve my previous doubts and set my mind at rest. I went forth of my chamber in haste, to list what might be passing. As I drew nigh to the spot, to which a glare of lights and a sound of musick attracted me, I saw many an airy figure passing and repassing in the distance. I drew near-but why need I pause to describe it? Who does not know what is meant by a Children's Ball at Christmas? Many a beautiful little creature, whose cheek in the morning had been flushed with health, was already paling in the midnight glare--their glistening eyes and panting bosoms betrayed