logs, on which the fire could take no hold but through the intervention of such smaller sticks as were at first wanting here: witness that I had no sooner laid on a little brushwood, but the flame from those kindled twigs invading and prevailing on the billets, grew suddenly great enough to threaten to make the house itself part of its fuel, and turn it to such ashes as it reduces the wood into. Methinks the blaze of this fire should light me to discern something instructive in it. These blocks may represent our necessary, these sticks our less important religious practices, and this aspiring flame the subtile inhabiter of that of hell. It will be but successlessly that the devil can attempt our grand resolves, till he have first mastered our less considerable ones, and made his successes against them not only degrees, but instruments, in the destroying of the others. Our more neglected, and seemingly trivial affections, having once received his fiery impressions, do easily impart them to higher faculties, and serve to kindle solider materials. It is, therefore, the safest way to be faithful, even to our lesser determinations, and watchful over our less important passions; and whensoever we find ourselves tempted to violate the former or neglect the latter, not so barely to cast one eye on the inconsiderableness of what we are enticed to, as not to fix the other upon the consequences that may attend it; and therein to consider the importance of what such slighted things may, as they are managed, prove instrumental either to endanger or preserve.

BOYLE.

ON THE TOO EAGER PURSUIT OF
WORLDLY THINGS.

THERE is a third portion of seed that falls among thorns. This wants neither root nor depth of earth. It grows up; but the misfortune is, that the thorns grow up with it. The fault of the soil is not of bearing nothing, but of bearing too much; of bearing what it ought not, of exhausting its strength and nutrition on vile and worthless productions, which choke the good seed, and prevent it from coming to perfection. "These

are they," says our Saviour in the parallel place of St. Luke," which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares, and riches, and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection." In their youth, perhaps they receive religious instruction, they imbibe right principles, and listen to good advice: but no sooner do they go forth, no sooner do they leave those persons and those places from whom they received them, than they take the road either of business or of pleasure, pursue their interests, their amusements or their guilty indulgences with unbounded eagerness, and have neither time nor inclination to cultivate the seeds of religion that have been sown in their hearts, and to eradicate the weeds that have been mingled with them. The consequence is, that the weeds prevail, and the seeds are choked and lost.

Can there possibly be a more faithful picture of a large proportion of the Christian world? Let us look around us, and observe how the greater

part of those we meet with are employed. In what is it that their thoughts are busied, their views, their hopes, and their fears centred, their attention occupied, their hearts, and souls, and affections engaged; is it in searching the Scriptures, in meditating on its doctrines, its precepts, its exhortations, its promises, and its threats? Is it in communing with their own hearts, in probing them to the very bottom, in looking carefully whether there be any way of wickedness in them, in plucking out every noxious weed, and leaving room for the good seed to grow and swell and expand itself, and bring forth fruit to perfection? Is it in cultivating purity of manners, a spirit of charity, towards the whole human race, and the most exalted sentiments of piety, gratitude, and love, towards their Maker and Redeemer? These, I fear, are far from being the general and principal occupations of mankind. Too many of them are, God knows, very differently employed. They are overwhelmed with business, they are devoted to amusement, they are immersed in sensuality, they are mad with ambition, they are idolaters of wealth, of power, of glory, of fame. On these things all their affections are fixed. These are the great objects of their pursuit; and if any accidental thought of religion happens to cross their way, they instantly dismiss the unbidden, unwelcome guest, with the answer of Felix to Paul-" Go thy way for this time; when we have a convenient season we will send for thee."

But how then, it is said, are we to conduct ourselves? If Providence has blessed us with riches, with honour, with power, with reputation,

are we to reject these gifts of our heavenly Father; or ought we not rather to accept them with thankfulness, and enjoy with gratitude the advantages and the comforts which his bounty has bestowed upon us? Most assuredly we ought. But then they are to be enjoyed also with innocence, with temperance, and with moderation. They must not be allowed to usurp the first place in our hearts; they must not be permitted to supplant God in our affection, or to dispute that preeminence and priority which he claims over every propensity of our nature. This and this only can prevent the good seed from being choked with the cares, the riches, and the pleasures of the present life.

BISHOP PORTEUS.

OF SELF-DECEPTION, AND THE
DANGER OF IT.

OF self-deceit, in the great business of our lives, there are various modes. The far greater part of mankind deceive themselves by willing negligence, by refusing to think on their real state, lest such thoughts should trouble their quiet or interrupt their pursuits. To live religiously, is to walk, not by sight, but by faith; to act in confidence of things unseen, in hope of future recompense, and in fear of future punishment. abstract the thoughts from things spiritual is not difficult; things future do not obtrude themselves upon the senses, and therefore easily give way to external objects. He that is willing to forget religion may quickly lose it; and that most men

To

are willing to forget it, experience informs us. If we look into the gay or the busy world, we see every eye directed towards pleasure or advantage, and every hour filled with expectation, or occupied by employment; and day passed after day in the enjoyment of success, or the vexation of disappointment.

Nor is it true only of men who are engaged in enterprises of hazard, which restrain the faculties to the utmost, and keep attention always upon the stretch. Religion is not only neglected by the projector and adventurer, by men who suspend their happiness on the slender thread of artifice, or stand tottering upon the point of chance. For, if we visit the most cool and regular parts of the community; if we turn our eye to the farm or to the shop, where one year glides uniformly after another, and nothing new or important is either expected or dreaded; yet still the same indifference about eternity will be found. There is no interest so small, nor engagement so slight, but that, if it be followed and expanded, it may be sufficient to keep religion out of the thoughts. Many men may be observed, not agitated by very violent passions, nor overborne by any powerful habits, nor depraved by any great degrees of wickedness; men who are honest dealers, faithful friends, and inoffensive neighbours; who yet have no vital principle of religion; who live wholly without self-examination, and indulge any desire that happens to arise, with very little resistance or compunction; who hardly know what it is to combat a temptation or to repent of a fault; but go on, neither self-approved nor self