And, when the vain shadows of life are retiring, But the infidel wretch sees no joyous to-morrow, W. C. L. ON HUMAN WEAKNESS. MAN is made for reflection; hence all his dignity and value. His duty consists in the right direction of his mind, and the exercise of his intellect in the study of himself, his Author, and his end. But what is the mental occupation of the world at large? Never this; but diversion, wealth, fame, power; without regard to the essential duties of intellectual man. The human intellect is most admirable in its nature; it must have strange defects to make it despicable; and, in fact, it has so many and so great, as to be supremely contemptible. How great is it in itself, how mean in its corruptions! There is in man a continual conflict between his reason and his passions: he might enjoy tranquillity to a certain extent, were he mastered by either of these singly. If he had reason without passion, or passion without reason, he might have some degree of peace; but, possessing both, he is in a state of perpetual warfare, for peace with one is war with the other; he is divided against himself. If it be an unnatural blindness, to live without inquiring into our true constitution and condition, it proves a hardness yet more dreadful, to believe in God, and live in sin. Pascal. THE obligation of loving God, is one of the strongest distinctive marks of true religion, and no other religion than Christianity ever enjoined it. The degradation and depravity of man,-his moral impotence: the remedies for these corruptions,一 prayer, the love and imitation of God,-all these christianity, and christianity alone, has taught. It teaches the grandeur, and the excellence, the meanness, and the misery of man; it teaches, that man is born to sin,-that he has fallen from a state of glory and of communion with God, into a condition of woe, of depression, of distance and alienation from the Divine Being,-that a Messiah should at length appear, the Deliverer and Restorer of mankind, and that he should form and separate to God, a holy and peculiar people. THINGS WORKING TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THE RIGHTEOUS. We know, says the Apostle, that is, we are assured, not by any doubtful reasonings, with regard to which, the wisest may be perplexed, but by a divine promise, on which the simple can firmly rely, "that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." This is that capital encouragement of religion, which virtually contains in itself all the other promises made in scripture to the righteous, and like a full and exuberant fountain, divides itself into a thousand streams, to refresh the life of man with consolation and joy. It will, therefore, deserve very full and particular consideration, both as to the extent of encouragement given, and the evidence on which our assurance on it rests. The first thing which should here draw our attention is, the character of those to whom the encouragement of the text is appropriated, for it is evidently not indiscriminately given to all, but limited to such as love God, and are the called according to his purpose: that is, chosen by him to eternal life. But lest the latter part of this description should appear too secret and mysterious, to afford the encouragement intended, it is cleared up by the first and explanatory character-them that love God. Here is something plain and satisfactory on which we can rest. We need not say, who shall ascend into heaven, in order to bring us down from thence any information, whether our names are written in the book of life? It is sufficient to look into ourselves, and the state of our heart. The word is very high unto thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. They that love God, and they who are called according to his purpose, are the same. Divine love is the sacred character which marks those who are sealed unto the day of redemption. This love of God is not to be understood as signifying merely some occasional ardour of affection; it imports that steady principle of goodness, which becomes the spring of a pure and virtuous life. The same character is here meant which is described in other passages of scripture, by fearing and serving God. They who truly love God, are they who love and imitate the Divine perfections; they who love and obey the Divine laws, they who love and pursue the Divine approbation as the great aim of their life. Blair. FROM THE SEQUEL TO THE ANTIDOTE TO THE MISERIES OF HUMAN LIFE. I remember, many years ago, hearing a serious and sensible person converse on that important scripture doctrine-regeneration. The company present needed no arguments to prove the necessity of being born again, because they all believed their Saviour's declaration, that except they were so they could not see the kingdom of God; but there were some, who were anxious for more evidence of their being the happy subjects of this new creation. Our friend proposed that each of us should ask, what company am I fit for upon earth? For depend upon it, said he, the society we most delight in here, will be the society we shall join hereafter. This is an awful consideration to those who cannot, from their hearts, declare it is their wish to be companions of all them that fear God, and of them that keep his precepts. TO A VIOLET. SWEET flower! spring's earliest, loveliest gem, Meekly from thy seclusion peeping. Thou, from thy little secret mound, Where diamond dew drops shine above thee: Thine is a short swift reign I know, And be renewed, the hope how blest! may that hope desert me never : Oh Like thee, to sleep on nature's breast, Then wake again, and bloom for ever. Bowring. BRING to mind the various revolutions which you since you became actors Reflect on the changes have beheld in human affairs, on this busy scene-theatre. which have taken place in men and manners, in opinions and customs, in private fortunes, and in public conduct. By the observations you have made on these, and the experience you have gained, have you improved proportionably in wisdom? Have the changes of the |