and entered on that life of grace on earth, which will issue in the life of eternal glory in heaven! And may the Holy Spirit bless this book to all the children of God who may peruse it, as a means of enabling them, in all time of their tribulation, to cleave more closely to Him who so loved them, as 66 not even to spare his own Son, but to give him as a propitiation for their sins"—to read more clearly the stamp of a Saviour's love impressed on their every trial to reflect more brightly, as purified in the furnace of affliction, his image in the beauty of holiness—to drink more deeply into his meek, resigned, and patient spirit, under every afflictive dispensation—to cultivate more closely, devout communion with him, as the sweetest solace of their every sorrow-to prize more highly that treasury of consolation, the Word of God, and extract from its precious promises more of their healing and sanctifying power-to disentangle their affections from earth, and all its perishable vanities, and concentrate them, with more undivided devotedness, upon heaven and all its unfading glories-and to embrace with more grateful ardour the invaluable opportunity of glorifying Him who died for them, by the exhibition of cheerful submission, and

triumphant hope, which the chamber of sickness supplies! That so the attitude of their spirits may abidingly be that, which, especially in these days of portentous events, so symptomatic of some rapidly approaching crisis in the history of the Church of Christ, should characterize every true believer-looking and longing for the coming of the day of the Lord, and “the glorious appearing of the great God our Saviour, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints"—and when it shall be fully seen, how the believer's " light affliction," which was but for a moment, has worked out for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory! Then shall the trial of his faith, being much more precious than that of gold which perisheth, though it be tried with fire, be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ" for then shall all those who have "come out of great tribulation, and washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb," appear before the throne, clothed in white robes, and palms in their hands; and shall cast their blood-bought crowns before the throne, saying, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power,

and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.”

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Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever."

H. W.

ADDENDUM.

THE suitableness of hymns, such as this volume contains, to seasons of sorrow, is affectingly proved by a reference to that solemn occasion, recorded in Matt. xxvi. 30; and the value of such a collection is still further established by the consideration, that it supplies to the Christian Invalid, a delightful substitute in the sick room, for that participation in singing the praises of God in family worship, from which sickness often excludes him, and which ought ever to be combined with prayer, and the reading of the Word of God, in the devotions of the family and social circle, as it tends so powerfully (when the heart speaks in the language of the lips) to impart to them a spirit of sacred cheerfulness and holy joy! -even joy in the Holy Ghost.

H. W.

ADDRESS TO THE INVALID.

The following selection of hymns has been made for the use of persons in great bodily weakness. At such a period, when it may often be truly said, "the grasshopper is a burden," the variety of a large collection, becomes wearisome, and the small print, and weight of the volume, inconvenient.

The present object is to afford, in large print, a few hymns, which seem most likely to cheer and animate the weak; and to strengthen the faith, and clear the view of that glorious doctrine of the Atonement, which alone can give peace to the guilty conscience, and cause a sinner to triumph in Christ, as the Lord Jehovah, in whom he has both righteousness and strength, 1 Cor. i. 30; and when flesh and heart fail, to enable him to say, "He is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever."