A sacred building in design,
A dwelling-place for God.

With finish'd art the pile was rear'd,
Well fitted for its use;

Just symmetry throughout appear'd,
And glory fill'd the house.

God smil'd in friendly visits there,
And thus his dwelling blest,
While solemn acts of praise, and prayer,
The creature's love exprest.

But sin defac'd its form, and broke
The stately structure down;
His ruin'd temple God forsook,
And left it with a frown.

Polluted thus, and thus abhorr'd,
The house in ruins lay,
Until again by Christ restor'd,
His glory to display.

Laid deep in love this building stands,
Cemented with his blood;
Work'd all with unpolluted hands,
And fitted up for God.

Here his transforming Spirit dwells,
To beautify the place;

With kindly influence sin expels,
And sheds forth life and grace.

Oh, dearest Lord! return, reside,
Within each sinful heart:
Be thou our king, and none beside,
And never more depart.

As temples of the living God,
Thus shall we prove thy grace.
We'll sing aloud redeeming blood,
And chant thine endless praise.

DIALOGUE XXXVI.

MR. CONSIDERATE, MR. TRAFFIC, FARMER LITTLEWORTH AND MR. LOVEGOOD.

S

NO GOOD MARRIAGES, FROM BAD MATCHES.

OME time after, Mr. Merryman set the example of marriage, in his union with Miss Worthy, which is said to have been so honourable in itself, and was so honourably conducted by them, that other matches were thought of. Henry Littleworth had the happiness to be united to Mr. Considerate's daughter, and Billy Traffic was determined to make himself happy with Miss Nancy Littleworth; and about the same time, Miss Patty Littleworth, was married to Will Frolic, mentioned in dialogue the sixth.

Previous to the final settlement of these marriages, it was thought necessary that the old people should meet together, to arrange the family concerns of each party. As it would, on the one hand, be very wrong in me to divulge these family secrets, so, on the other, it would by no means prove an interesting subject to the reader. Suffice it to say, the meeting took place at Mr. Considerate's; Mr. Lovegood, for the sake of his wise advice, being one of the party; and in the evening of the day, the conversation took the following turn.

Far. Well, Mr. Considerate, I tells my son Harry, he is in high luck to have your daughter: the Lord keep him humble!

Consid. A difference of a few pounds, as it re

spects money matters, is of very little consequence, either one way, or the other, where the best principle for happiness, is solidly established by the blessings of the grace of God upon the heart.

Loveg. All our happiness between each other, independent of the grace of God, rests upon very slippery ground. Even the common social, and relative duties of life, which so plainly recommend themselves to every man's judgment, and conscience, will be ill practised where this divine principle is wanting.

Far. Aye, aye, so we found it in our house, till we found the grace of God in our hearts. And if dear Harry makes as good a husband, as he has been dutiful and loving to me as a son, since he has been blessed with this precious grace, I have no doubt, though he is but a farmer's son, that they will be main happy with each other.

Consid. Why Mr. Littleworth, your son has his share of good sense, and you gave him a good education, and God has given him the blessing of his grace, and my daughter is an excellent child; therefore I have no doubt, if God preserve their lives, but that they will be a happy pair.

Far. Ah! my poor daughter Patty, she will never be so happy with that wild young blade, Will Frolic, and she is quite bent upon having him!-Poor girl! I cannot help it; if she will please her fancy, I fear she will plague her heart.

Loveg. Why Mr. Littleworth, under these circumstances, things must be permitted to take their course. When children are grown beyond our restraint, opposition oftentimes answers no other end, than to rivet them in their purposes. You can go

no farther than to act a parent's part, and commit them to God.

Far. Yes, yes, Sir, I shan't mind giving her a child's portion; I can afford it without injuring the rest of my children, for the Lord has wonderfully blessed me of late; but I am afraid that spark is more

fond of the money, than of my daughter, though at times, he appears desperate loving. He took it as a hard gripe upon him, when I would have the money settled upon my daughter, and her children, especially, when I did not think it necessary to bind up Billy Traffic in the same way, in his marriage with my daughter Nancy? but why should I? for Billy is a very sober, regular, good young man; but as for Will Frolick, if I had not bound him up pretty tight, he would soon have made ducks and drakes, of all the money.

Consid. Your determination had almost been the cause of breaking the match.

Far. Why that was the upshot of the design. Harry, dear child, said, that would be the best way to settle matters, though he was once so wicked himself; but when his old miserly uncle, Mr. Stingey, the tallow-chandler, happened to be overtaken by a generous fit, he offered first to give him fifty pounds out and out, provided I would give as much towards furnishing the house; and then he said he would give a bond to his nephew of two hundred pounds more to be paid after his death, provided it was all secured to my daughter, and her children, and that brought on the match again; and though they now appear so loving, I am sadly afraid they will soon live like cat and dog.

Loveg. I should not wonder at it; for there is no real foundation for love, but in the love of God. That foolish fondness, which some people discover towards each other, very frequently degenerates inte complete disgust.

Far. It is to admiration how I used to remark, what a different way of courting my Harry, and Billy Traffic, had to Will Frolic. Whenever Billy came to my house to see Nancy, he would behave so decent, and orderly, that it was quite a comfort to see them together. And whenever your daughter visited us, we always found she never would come without Madam Considerate, or yourself; and what

nice profitable talk we always had! But when that wild blade would come to see Patty, he would act as if he was half mad. Neither I nor Harry could keep him in any tolerable order; and I never could get rid of him, till I called the servants in for family prayer, and then he would be off like a pistol.-Poor girl, I am desperately afraid that the match will be her ruination.

Consid. I am sorry to hear that he is such a sad, wild fellow; and I am told also, that he is very insulting in his conversation.

Far. Why, he never could keep his tongue in any sort of order, when at my house; what an uproar he made one night, whenhe told my daughter Polly. that she would never be married, because she had lost two of her fore-teeth, and then she was all in a passion. She is full of envy, that her young sisters Patty, and Nancy should be married before her.

Consid. [smiling.] Perhaps if the loss had been on the tongue, instead of the teeth, it might have been a less calamity.

Far. Ah, poor Polly, even from her cradle, she was a sad crabbed child, and I think she is crosser than ever, since she has taken to spend so much of her time at Madam Toogood's; and then she comes home as brim full of scandal, as ever she can hold; but still she is my child.-The Lord make her his child!

Consid. Well, I am glad Mr. Littleworth, my daughter's visits were so acceptable at your house. I can assure you, Mr. Henry's visits were not less so at ours. His conversation at all times, was much to the purpose; and instead of being driven away on account of prayer, he would often stop and be our family chaplain, and much to the edification of us all.

Far. Aye, aye, dear child, and he prays so humbly, and so much from the heart; I am sure it does my heart good to hear him. And then, as soon as ever he has done the business of the farm, away he goes after some of his good books: and directly he