soul! How couldst thou dwell with ever-new delight in the contemplation of that God, who was not in all thy thoughts ?—Of that Redeemer, who was despised and rejected by thee ?-Of these awful mysteries, which were never revealed unto thee in their native sweetness and glory? How couldst thou join in the song of salvation, when the voice of melody was never heard in thy dwelling; and praise in thy lips was never comely?

Be merciful, O God, to miserable sinners.Rouse them from their slumber. Awaken them from their delirious dreams of happiness hereafter, without a present participation of thy divine nature. O gracious God, enlighten their eyes; convince them of their fond delusion, before thou vindicate thy own holiness and truth with fiery indignation. For, "thou art not a God that hast pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with thee; the foolish shall not stand in thy sight. Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou wilt destroy them that speak leasing. Thou, Lord, will abhor the bloody and deceitful man."

HE is a pretender to those good qualifications of which he is really destitute, and a dissembler of those vices which he secretly practises. He is that in the church, which a knave is in the state. The one is

not fit for civil society; nor the other for christian communion. Were he to appear in his real colors, men would clap their hands at him, and hiss him out of his place. Therefore he paints his face, like Jezebel, with a varnish of goodly words, of sanctified looks, of actions seemingly benevolent and devout. prays with great fluency of expression; you would think him an angel for fervency and rapture; but it is only in the presence of others. And though his

He

words are flaming, his heart is ice. He gives alms indeed, but must always take witnesses upon it. He is very punctual in going to church, where he seats him-" self in some remarkable corner, in order to attract all eyes upon himself. He seems to be all attention and composure: he lifts up his hands and eyes in a religious manner; or covers his face, or heaves a sigh, or sends forth a groan. O how mightily he is impressed with the sermon, if you believe his face; while, in the meanwhile, he is indulging his lusts, and his heart going out after his coveteousness!

When he fasts he assumes a sorrowful air, and a disfigured face; and is grieved for sin as much as the bulrush when it hangs the head. When he is in religious company, he talks of his experience, the plagues of his heart, and complains of the great decay of religion in the day.-He is a most uncharitable censurer of others, while he practises far greater villanies himself.

All his religion, at least the greatest part of it, is left behind him in the temple, or in the street; for he neither carries it to his family, nor to his closet.-He is like the rainbow, whose glorious colors are reflected from a dark vapor, only when the sun shines. Notwithstanding his ostentation, he hates the light; and refuses to come into it except when his mask is on.He cannot endure a minister, who rakes into his conscience; nor a christian friend, who gives him faithful admonition. When he is reproved for any miscarriage, he says to the reprover, it is none of your business; meddle with your own matters. Were it not for his eager desire of applause from men, and the roaring of his angry conscience, he would bid adieu to all the duties of religion, whether private or public.

His most admired and pompous services can find no acceptance with God; and his most fervent devotions are no more regarded, than if they were the howlings of a dog.-What is all his religion, but like the kiss of Judas, or the bowing of the knee by the cruci

fiers of the Lord of glory? He makes God an idol; and considers the creature like a deity, whom he worships and serves more than the Creator. He is like a grave, which may be covered by a white sepulchral stone of polished marble, and engraven with some lying panegyric for an epitaph; but within a ghastly corpse presents itself to your eye, or noisome stench offends the nostril.

The longer you grow in his acquaintance, your respect for him will lessen; and at length, perhaps, will turn to a just hatred and aversion. For he is sometimes discerned and despised by men, but always by God.

The character of a sincere christian.

HE is one who needs not affect to appear in a character foreign to himself; nor to conceal thať character which really agrees to him. He studies to approve himself to God, and does not value himself upon the applause of men. Fame and reputation he will not court, but will deserve them. He will not hunt

after them, but they will follow him through the deep est shades. His real glory is not obvious to any eye, but the penetrating eye of God, who delights in him, approves him, and commends him. When he prays, he pours out his heart; when he praises, he makes melody in his heart unto the Lord. And his heart is bigger than his words. He is not an enemy to public religion; but secret devotion is an essential part of his happiness. He not only mourns over these sins which himself has committed, as Ahab did; but he laments for the sins of others, of which he is personally innocent; like Christ, who wept over the sins of Jerusalem, though himself knew no sin. He indeed regards every the smallest precept of the law; but when he tithes mint, anise and cummin, he neglects not the weightier matters. He is not for dividing religion,

like the pretended mother of the child, who thereby evidenced she had no interest in the babe. Though he has the remainders of sin in him, hypocrisy not excepted, he has not a heart and a heart, nor is he a monster with a double mind. His religion is not the fulsome compliments of a well bred gentleman, who is your humble servant, glad of your welfare, and is extremely sorry for your slightest inconvenience; but like the tender affection of an ingenuous friend.

As the beauty of Absalom surpassed the daubings of Jezebel; so does the holiness of the sincere christian excel the painting of the hypocrite. He is not like a smoky chimney, with a marble frontispiece; nor like a rotten grave, with a marble monument; but like a mountain replete with precious ore, while perhaps, the surface is barren and unsightly. He does not want to bring down the word of God to his private inclinations; but is desirous of bringing his private inclinations to be judged by the law and the testimony. He is not ashamed to own, that he was once in an error; nor afraid to know the worst about himself; but, on the contrary, it is the language of his heart, what I know not, teach thou me.

Though he is far from ostentation on the one hand, and prudent enough not to blaze abroad his seeret faults on the other; yet he loves to come to the light, and needs not be ashamed, though all the world were a sun. Though he should not, with Balaam, build seven altars, and offer up a bullock and a ram on every one; but, like Abraham, content himself with one altar, and a single victim; yet is his sacrifice accepted. His turtle-doves, and young pigeons, are no less grateful than thousands of rams. Silk and purple, and even goats hair, for the service of his sanctuary, are not despised of the Lord, when his circumstances cannot afford precious stones and gold.-His inward groans, his secret sighs, are a powerful rhetoric, effectual and fervent. He puts their tears in a bottle; and a cup of cold water, given to a thirsty disciple, shall not lose its reward. His rejoicing is the testi

mony of his conscience, when he hears the scorning of the people. Death, with all his grisly features, cannot stare him out of countenance and he needs not be afraid of the awful judgment. he should die in battle; yet he

Though like Josiah, comes to his grave in

peace.

ON CHRISTIAN PRUDENCE.

THERE is a prudence which is so essential to the being of a christian, that it is but another name for that faith by which he lives. He that is wise unto salvation; he that knows thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent; he that is instructed in the kingdom of heaven, to understand the truths he should believe, the duties he should practise, and the happiness he should pursue; he-he is å prudent man, though he should be neither a wise economist in matters of this world, a plodding statesman, nor a cunning artificer; for his God doth instruct him to discretion; and though a fool, in his own and others opinion, he errs not in the way of holiness.

But there is a prudence of a much narrower kind; which, if it be not essential, is highly ornamental to the christian, in the whole tenor of his life.By this he does not so much avoid immoralities, as improprieties of behavior; which, though they should not make him guilty in the eye of God, would, notwithstanding, render him contemptible among men.— In him the wisdom of the serpent is happily married with the simplicity of the dove; whilst he defends himself from the injuries of the world, without incurring the guilt of being himself injurious.

There is not perhaps any one description that comprehends more of his real character, than this, that his heart discerns both time and judgment. It is a maxim worthy to drop from the pen of the wisest of all men," that for every thing there is a season, and