fainted after God, and which he actually enjoyed when he said, "Thy loving kindness is better than life," and spoke of his soul as "satisfied with marrow and fatness," while in a state of joyful communion with God, and when he exclaimed, "Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none opon earth that I desire besides thee."

This is the very foundation of all high attainments in holiness. The great and fundamental principle of Christianity is, that the mind of unrenewed man is entirely corrupt and degraded. Even the mind of a renewed man has no self-restoring power. Left to itself, it would again subside into passions and purposes corrupt, and only corrupt. Nor is there any way to restore it to perfect purity, but to bring it under the renovating influence of the pure and holy mind of God. In him are found the only causes adequate to produce this result-infinite power of exhibiting the truth, and infinite holy emotion to destroy the deadness and apathy of the soul. Both of these influences are needed, and either without the other is ineffectual. And both reside in God alone. Hence the whole progress of the work of moral renovation depends entirely on putting the mind wholly under the influence of the illuminating intellect, and holy emotions, of Jehovah. He is our life. In him, holy emotions glow pure, intense, unmixed. And when his glories beam upon the soul, and the elevating and invigorating power of his holiness is felt, then sinful emotions subside and die, and the soul is filled with all the fulness of God. But let him retire, and sin revives again, and we die. On this point I speak to

those who have experienced in their own hearts the influence of holy communion with God. I may fail to describe the state of mind with metaphysical exactness; but do you not know, by your own experience, that the thing itself is a reality? The Bible also speaks on the subject with the utmost fulness. What else is meant by " dwelling in God, and God dwelling in us?" or by the promise, "Ye shall know that ye are in me, and I in you?" or by the promise, "I will love him, and manifest myself unto him?"

But if communion with God is a reality, to increase it throughout the church is the foundation of all efforts to elevate the standard of holiness. It is by the life of God alone that the church can be made fully alive. The first great object, then, should be to remove all that prevents communion with God, to elevate our views, and enlarge our desires, on this subject, and to bring the church of every denomination fully under the power of his own infinitely pure and almighty mind. Then, and then alone, may we hope that the church will truly begin to live. Then, and then only, will she be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.-President Beecher.

FRETFUL DISCIPLES.

I LOOKED into the best book I knew of, and I could find nothing there about fretful disciples. I found such an injunction as this: "Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any."

I found all these things urged and set forth as peculiarly distinguishing Christian character; but not one word is said about its being any part of a Christian's duty, privilege, or happiness, to be fretful.

Not willing to give the matter up, I searched farther, and found the following: "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.” Here is a very full account of the most distinguishing traits of the Christian, but there is nothing said about the quality under discussion. And I reasoned, that if fretfulness were one of these traits, the apostle, who was a very careful and judicious man, would certainly have mentioned it.

Then I thought, however, it might be something very becoming-that which might have been very properly mentioned, at least among the inferior graces of piety; but as everything amiable and lovely could not be mentioned, this was omitted for that reason. I looked therefore for the loveliness of this quality, for the purpose of seeing whether it was not a proper ornament of Christian character. And I contemplated actual cases.

The pig baked for dinner was not thoroughly done. "What a piece of work that provoking cook has made of it. Does he think that I will be abused in this manner? Stupid fellow! I'll-why, I will not have him in my house another day." The disciple was heated enough, I thought, to have finished the baking of the pig had they been in contact; and while he was hot, I tried to see if there was any loveliness in being fretful; but I did not see any.

The boy did not return at the time he was directed. The mother put on what, as was above noticed, I was unable to find in the whole catalogue of Chris

tian graces. She said, in great excitement, "It was scandalous, provoking, intolerable—she would teach him-she would let him know-it would be the last time she would be so treated." This disciple I had seen wear some of the garments which compose the spiritual apparel. The robe she wore now, however, did not belong to that inventory, for I looked over two separate accounts of it, already noticed, and could not find it in either. There was the command to PUT ON;" but then "meekness, gentleness, longsuffering," &c., were the things to be put on, and if that disciple thought fretfulness was one of them, she was certainly mistaken. She could not have carefully examined the record. However, since it was on, I looked to see if there was anything lovely about it, but I did not find it.

A little

The father was reading a newspaper. child, not particularly interested in politics, but attending to its own affairs, upset the chair, and tumbling with it upon the floor, mourned most vehemently over its fallen fortunes. "Out of the room with that child!” said the father, in a voice that almost started the plastering. 66 Do you think I'll be disturbed in this way! Away with that child, I say." Here was a very pure specimen of fretfulness, and it furnished me, therefore, with a very fair opportunity of seeing the loveliness of this article, if it had any. But I did not see any.

I saw a man in a very snappish state respecting a certain antic of his horse. Now I could not justify the beast, for he certainly might have done better ;nor could I the man. He beat the brute vehemently, both with words and blows. As I was in search of the moral beauty of fretfulness, I looked for it here. But I saw no beauty in it; though I think I have seen some in the resolution of President Edwards, "That he never would be angry with a brute."

As I could find nothing lovely in fretfulness, in

looking at individual cases, I thought, perhaps, it might be seen if it were looked at by the quantity.And I saw an obstructed stage-coach, full of fretful persons and a retarded canal-boat full-and then a draw-bridge covered with them. Indeed I have seen several scores of persons in possession of as much of this article as could be reasonably desired. But it looked no better by the quantity than in a small parcel, just as there is no more agreeable emotion in looking into a nest of serpents than upon one alone.

Since, therefore, I could find no mention of fretfulness among the Christian graces, and could find nothing lovely in any case of it which came under my observation, I judged it was a piece of apparel which a disciple should never put on.

"Well," said one, "I did not have it on but a minute—I did fret, but was quickly over it." That handsomely-dressed gentleman, passing down the street, picks up a greasy, sooty sheepskin, just thrown from the shoulders of a Hottentot, and wraps it around his own. But I see it is off in a moment. And this is his apology as he meets you: "I had that vile thing on me but a minute." what did you put it on at all for!"

Fudge! and

"It is so natural to me," says another, "that I cannot help it." That is, it was born with you, I suppose you mean; is a part of your original mental constitution, and is therefore developed as freely and as frequently as other mental qualities, and so it has been as common with you to scold and be out of humour, as it has been to think or remember, and therefore you have been a fretful body ever since you were born. I think you would hit the man in a downright passion who should coolly make the statement concerning you. And as for not being able to help it-"The fact is," said the well-dressed gentleman, "It has been so long my custom to throw every vile rag I find in the streets over my shoulders, that now