for it." (Psalm lxv. 10.) How easily then may our national or individual sins frustrate all the effects of industry, by provoking God to make the "heavens as brass, and the earth as iron;" or to curse the ground with that original sterility which it contracted by the fall of our first parents. This curse, it should be recollected with gratitude, has been greatly mitigated in the lapse of years, through the mercy of that God "whose thoughts are not as our thoughts, nor his ways as our ways." The ground does not now bring forth thorns and thistles merely; nor is man reduced to the necessity, as Adam was, of eating the herb of the field. Nevertheless, we must not forget that the curse was so far fulfilled as to exemplify, in the most striking manner, the evil consequences of sin. The early history of man has in most countries been that of a wild wandering savage. Such was the state of Britain, (at least of the far greater part of it) before its conquest by the Romans. It was a land of forests and of bogs, whose inhabitants trusted to that scanty and precarious mode of existence which was to be obtained by the chace, or by the feeding of cattle upon some of the more luxurious spots. For the introduction of all the more valuable arts of agriculture they were indebted to their Roman conquerors, who to their praise, left behind them here, as in other lands, a knowledge of this and many other useful arts. Thus by the overruling Providence of God, that lovely plant, which is every where the symbol of plenty and prosperity, was destined to spring up in the wan footsteps of war. Rome was then the mistress of the world, as Great Britain is now; and it may well become her to consider whether she has conferred upon other lands where she has obtained an ascendancy the same advantages, that her heathen conquerors of old did. The best blessings she can confer are the blessings of the Gospel, for all others follow in the train of these; but alas! it must be confessed that till within the last few years, she did nothing to improve the condition of those whom she found living in a moral wilderness. Happily, however, of late, her conscience has been aroused to the necessity of this great work. But even yet her efforts are far from being sufficiently national to testify that her sense of gratitude equals her privileges. Christian agriculturists, consider this, for you especially share in the blessing of a plentiful harvest; you especially depend on the favour of Providence. Now, then, while you behold your fields teeming with the bounty of an indulgent God, let your gratitude awake, and urge upon you the duty of being more anxious to lend your aid to those missionary exertions, whose object it is to scatter abroad to the hungry famishing heathen that spiritual "bread of life which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world." That fertility which presents so striking a feature in your corn fields at this season, is but a feeble type of that abundant harvest of the Church of God which must at length be gathered in from every quarter of the globe. And truly it may be said, that the fields are already white to this harvest. Bible Societies, and Missionary Societies, have not scattered the seed of the Gospel in vain; and the days, we trust, are not far distant, when the glorious prophecy of the Messiah's kingdom shall receive its full accomplishment. There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon." (Psalm lxxii. 16.) But the corn-field suggests other ideas of an equally interesting kind. It is our Lord's own emblem of the Church, as at all times existing in the world. The crop before us though strong, and heavy, is not free from weeds. And thus the Church of Christ in the present day, though promising and prosperous, is not devoid of false professors. The tares of Judea are unknown in this land; just as many of the heresies of ancient times are no longer apparent. But there are other tares which still mingle with the corn, and cannot be separated from it without injury to the crop. There is the shewy weed, aptly resembling the gay -the carnal professor, but known and distinguished by every eye from the true follower of Christ. There are also weeds less shewy, but still more obnoxious; fitly representing the barren professor, having a name to live but spiritually dead. Again, there is the true tare so much like the corn itself, that none but an experienced observer could discern the difference between them; forcibly presenting an image of those whose life and conversation so outwardly resemble the true Christian, that none but the eye of an omniscient Judge can detect their insincerity. Lastly, In every corn-field there are plants of sickly as well as of luxuriant appearance, supplying a fit emblem of the various characters which compose the true Church of Christ. Some indeed are stunted in their growth by various causes; others ripening into the full measure of the stature of Christ, having received a larger measure of the Spirit of all grace, and enjoyed a more copious effusion of the beams of the Sun of Righteousness. Yet all these must be permitted to mingle together till the harvest. Each have their separate uses; and as the wise husbandman is content and thankful if the weeds do not overpower the corn, so the wise Christian will be grateful to God that errors both in doctrine and practice are not more abounding than they are, being satisfied that in the final issue and separation of the tares from the corn, there will be nothing to complain of; but, on the contrary, that the purposes of God will work their way through all human hypocrisy and weakness, so as to fulfil the truth of the gracious promise, "As the rain cometh down from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I sent it." (Isai. lv. 10.) REV. H. A. SIMCOE, (Penheale-press) Cornwall. "That thou givest them, they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good." Ps. civ. 28. HARVEST HOME! What delightful feelings are To the eye of the Christian awakened by these words! Naturalist, the scenes which have just been passing before him-a rich and splendid harvest safely gathered in-have presented a lovely mirror, in which he has been enabled to contemplate anew some of the noblest of the divine perfections. For what are all the bounties of our God, as displayed in this lower world, but so many varied manifestations of himself—so many different expressions and shadows of his character-designed to arrest the attention, and kindle the devotion of thoughtless, cold, insensible man! "These are thy glorious works, Parent of good: Thus wondrous fair! Thyself how wondrous then To us invisible, or dimly seen In these thy lowest works; yet these declare L |