what might fall from the skies, and with no direction but a chart and compass, and thus to pass over a wide and tempestuous ocean; some faint picture might be formed of the Christian's voyage to heaven. He too, in a feeble bark, has no chart but the word of God, no compass but the Spirit of God, no provision but the daily grace of God in Christ; no safety from the raging waves of the world, or the roaring winds of the evil spirit, but the power of God; no ability to keep himself for one moment from sinking, but through the faith which God supplieth; and no hope of getting safe to the heavenly shore, but from the truth of God in Christ Jesus. And indeed, when a Christian considers all these perils on the one hand, and his own weakness on the other, it seems an act of most astonishing love and omnipotence, that he should ever reach the kingdom of heaven. He feels it to be mercy, and faithfulness, and rich bounty, and unspeakable kindness altogether, from beginning to end, and is at times lost in wonder, love, gratitude, and praise, for so great, so unmerited, so eternal a salvation. Seeing then these things are so, verily he ought to watch and pray, that he may continue in faith, and charity, and in holiness with sobriety, unto the end,

ON BRIDLING THE TONGUE.

IT hath been a frequent confession of wise and good men, that they have often lamented their speaking too much, but seldom their holding the tongue. In the multitude of words there will be some folly, something that will not tend to edifi

cation, something that may rather weary and offend than delight and improve.

This evil of overspeaking usually comes from an overweening opinion of self. Unchastised and unsubdued self is fond of its own display; although it can display nothing, or, were it not deceiving and deceived, nothing but its own wretchedness and ruin. The apostle hath a striking hint for professors of religion: "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain."

ON IMITATING THE SYMPATHY OF CHRIST.

REJOICE that in the heavenly state, Jesus "still remembers his tears, his agonies, and cries ;" and though no friend on earth should remain to join his voice with your prayer, or to mingle his tears with yours, you can look up to one in heaven, who is touched with the feeling of your infirmities, and "who suffered being tempted, that he might know how to succour them that are tempted." He delights to wipe the streaming eye, and to still the quaking heart. Confide in him in the worst season. In the midnight hour consider that God dwells in the thick darkness, and in the wildest tumults of the storm, that his way is in the whirlwind, and that he sits on the floods. And show, that the scenes of sorrow through which you have passed, have taught you promptitude in mercy. You have been in the house of mourning; let the widow see that you know her heart, and the orphan that his loss is yours. Have you had affliction on your bodies, or tempta

tions in your souls? let the sick and tempted have as much as possible of your care. In studying the sympathy of our Lord, you must labour not only to catch its tones of tenderness, and its looks of pity, but to imitate its gifts and deeds of mercy.

A RELIEF TO THE CHRISTIAN'S FEARS.

YE who have been seeking Jesus who was crucified, have no cause for fear. What is it that terrifies you in the exercises of the sanctuary? Is it the glory to which Jesus is now raised? His heart is the same on the throne as on the cross. The mercy which shed so sweet a lustre round the cross, is now one of the bright ornaments of his throne. Is it the opposition of your enemies that alarms you? They were vanquished when your Lord was crucified; and by the blood of the Lamb you shall be more than conquerors. Is it the consciousness of guilt that troubles you? He will not punish you for that for which he bled and died. Are you afraid that the folly, and the inconstancy of your hearts, will induce him to abandon you? Such fears show that you are jealous of yourselves; but there is virtue in the cross to enlighten you in all wisdom, and to confirm you in all goodness. Do you fear that the gloom on your spirits, in consequence of afflicting dispensations, will unfit you for his service? "The way of the Lord is strength to the upright." And do the terrors of death and judgment agitate you? Behold in Jesus, who was crucified, a hope for the one, which shall not make you ashamed, and a plea for the other, which shall not shame you.

CHRISTIAN FORTITUDE.

THE earth may shake, the pillars of the world may tremble under us; the countenance of heaven may be appalled, the sun may lose his light, the moon her beauty, the stars their glory; but concerning the man that trusteth in God, if the fire have proclaimed itself unable so much as to singe a hair of his head; if lions, beasts ravenous by nature, and keen with hunger, being set to devour, have, as it were, religiously adored the flesh of the faithful man; what is there in the world that shall change his heart, overthrow his faith, alter his affection towards God, or the affection of God towards him? If I be of this note, who shall make a separation between n.e and my God? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? No; I am persuaded that neither tribulation, nor anguish, nor persecution, nor famine, nor nakedness, nor peril, nor sword, nor death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall ever prevail so far over mc. I know in whom I have believed; I am not ignorant whose precious blood hath been shed for me; I have a shepherd full of kindness, full of care, and full of power; unto him I commit myself; his own finger hath engraven this sentence in the tables of my heart, " Satan hath desired to winnow thee as wheat; but I have prayed that thy faith fail not;" therefore the assurance of my hope I will labour to keep as a jewel unto the end, and by labour, through the gracious mediation of his prayer, I shall keep it.

SLANDER.

Too many there are, who, though they do not rob their neighbour of his substance, yet do not think much of taking from him his good name. But if a good name is better than precious ointment, if it is more valuable to an honest man than any worldly possession whatever, yea, I may add, than life itself; to deprive him of it, or to take measures to that purpose, is an act of the most cruel and atrocious injustice. The man of religion, therefore, will be so far from bearing false witness against another, that he will be cautious how he insinuates any thing to his disadvantage. Nay, he will be inclined to put a favourable construction upon actions that are doubtful, and even upon those which may be in some respects blame-worthy. "Put them in mind," says the apostle to Titus, "to speak evil of no man."

DUTY OF RESTITUTION.

HAVE you, in any way, injured another? It is not enough to say, and to say with grief, "I do remember my faults." You are bound in duty to repair the injury, as much and as speedily as pos sible. Have you defrauded another of his property? You are bound to restore it, and with interest too. Have you injured your neighbour in his character, by defamation and slander? You are bound to explain and vindicate his character in the most explicit terms. Have you corrupted the heart of your brother by loose talk and infi del principles? You are bound to use every effort