to counteract the influence of such deadly evil, and to furnish him with the knowledge of scriptural truth. Have you injured the health of your friend, his peace of mind, his family comfort; have you in any way drawn him into sin, temptation, and danger? You are bound, by every tie of humanity and justice, by every bond of reason and religion, to repair the awful mischief you have done, and to benefit your friend by every possible means. Repentance is nothing without reformation; and reformation, in many instances, is a mere name, without restitution.

SWEARING NO PROOF OF BRAVERY.

Do men reckon it a sign of bravery to use freedom with the name of God Almighty? If this is bravery, I will tell you another way in which you may distinguish your courage, by showing that you fear neither God nor man. Speak contemptuously of your king: Let his name be treated by you with as much contempt as ever you showed to the name of God Almighty. Why do you not make it evident that you fear the gallows as little as the lake of fire and brimstone ?

KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.

SUCH as do not truly know God, can never sincerely aim at the glory of God in what they do: for what I do not know, I cannot love; what I do not love, I cannot desire; what I do not desire, I can never intend. And, therefore, if I do not know God, I can never intend his glory in

my actions; and if I do not intend his glory in my actions, I sin upon that very account, because I do not intend his glory.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRUE AND FALSE ZEAL.

FALSE zeal is uncertain and mortal: it must be fanned by the gale of adventitious circumstances; it is merely occasional; it intermits; it is a meteor which streams through the sky with momentary beauty; now it sparkles; now it expires. Not so pure and undefiled zeal: this is permanent ;-kindled by the breath of the Almighty, it shines like the glory of the day, and is destined to shine when that glory is turned into gloom ;-destined to soar above pyramids, and hills, and clouds, and stars ;-destined to survive the catastrophe of the earth and the visible heavens, and then to mingle with the flame of devotion, which blazes eternally around the throne of God.

THANKFULNESS.

OUR whole life should speak nothing but thankfulness; every condition and place we are in should be a witness of our thankfulness: this will make the times and places we live in the better for us. When we ourselves are monuments of God's mercy, it is fit we should be patterns of his praises, and leave monuments to others. We should think life is given us to do something better than to live in; we live not to live; our life is not the end of itself, but the

praise of the Giver. God hath joined his glory and our happiness together; it is fit we should refer all that is good to his glory, who hath joined his glory to our best good in being glorified in our salvation. Praise is a just and due tribute for all God's blessings, for what else do the best favours of God especially call for at our hands? How do all creatures praise God but by our mouths? It is a debt always owing, always paying; and the more we pay, the more we shall owe. Upon the due discharge of this debt, the soul will find much peace. A thankful heart to God for his blessings is the greatest blessing of all. Were it not for a few gracious souls, what honour should God have of the rest of the unthankful world? which should stir us up the more to be trumpets of God's praises in the midst of his enemies; because this (in some sort) hath a prerogative above our praising God in heaven; for there God hath no enemies to dishonour him.

RICHES NOT DIGNITY.

THE world cannot show us a more exalted character than that of a truly religious philosopher, who delights to turn all things to the glory of God, who, from the objects of his sight, derives improvement to his mind, and in the glass of things temporal sees the image of things eternal. Let a man have all the world can give him, he is still miserable if he has a grovelling, unlettered, indevout mind. Let him have his gardens, his fields, his woods, and his lawns, for grandeur, ornament, plenty, and gratification;

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while at the same time God is not in all his thoughts and let another have neither field nor garden; let him only look at nature with an enlightened mind,—a mind which can see and adore the Creator in his works, can consider them as demonstrations of his power, his wisdom, his goodness, his truth-this man is greater, as well as happier, in his poverty, than the other in his riches. The one is but little higher than a beast, the other but little lower than an angel.

USE OF RICHES.

How much positive evil may wealth be the means of preventing or removing! How much positive good may it be the instrument of promoting or confirming! How many deserts can it make to "blossom as the rose!" How many habitations of distress can it transform into the abodes of peace, of joy, of praise! How many dying pillows can it smooth! How many "widow's hearts" can it cause "to sing for joy!" To how many villages can it send the "glorious gospel!" To how many parts of our earth, now "in the region and shadow of death," can it be the cause of saying, "Arise, shine, for the light is come, and the glory of the Lord is arisen upon thee!" It can be the gale of heaven wafting missionaries to distant coasts; the tongue of the learned, addressing all nations in their own language, and declaring the "wonderful works of God;" the instrument of accelerating the triumphs of Emanuel upon earth, and facilitating his "seeing the travail of his soul until he is satisfied."

DANGER OF RICHES.

How few are aware of the danger of riches! Instead of fearing, do not almost all covet an exalted rank? The affluent, in general, desire no better portion than their temporal possessions, and consider not that these may be the means of excluding them from heaven. On the very same principle also, the poor repine at the appointment of God, when they ought to be thankful, that he has placed them in a situation the most favourable to religion. Surely we should be more anxious for spiritual advantages than those which are merely secular, and pray to be preserved from the love of money, through which so many have forsaken Christ and perished eternally.

PLEASURE ATTENDING THE EXERCISE OF

BENEVOLENCE.

Ir there be a pleasure on earth which angels cannot enjoy, and which they might almost envy man the possession of, it is the power of relieving distress. If there be a pain which devils might pity man for enduring, it is the death-bed reflection, that we have possessed the power of doing good, but that we have abused and perverted it to purposes of ill.

Liberality is never so beautiful, as when the hand which betows the gift is concealed.

It is found by experience, that such Christians as are most forward to supply the wants of the