resources, in any condition; for though our own weakness is a truth, of which every moment's consciousness will remind us, yet we can constantly avail ourselves of help from above, which is both ready and sufficient for us. If, indeed, our expectations are exorbitant, we shall certainly be disappointed: for the ordinary course of worldly events, and the general system of God's providence, forbid, rather than encourage, immoderate desires. We must beware of spreading before our eyes such a mist of prejudice, as will exhibit in dimensions larger than the reality those attractive objects, upon which we have set our hearts. One of our first duties is, to form a right estimate of things, and to regulate our hopes and expectations according to them. Then, if, in any essential matter, we "suffer need," there is a sufficient help for us in the mercy and providence of God. He will not forsake us in the hour of necessity. the children of men, not only to observe their actions, but to supply their wants;-and he will the most readily give aid and comfort to those, who call upon him as their Guardian and Father. Their prayers ascend, as an acceptable memorial, to the habitation of His holiness, and are well-pleasing to him, as an acknowledgment of his power and glory. These pledges of faithfulness, and this reliance on his help, will not fail to ensure us his bountiful regard; for his goodness is especially set forth in being a refuge to the poor and the destitute. We cannot more effectually engage his love or promote his glory, than by

His eyes are upon

appealing to him, when the soul is afflicted and the ordinary hopes of earthly aid are withdrawn. Then it is, that he delights in being gracious,-in diffusing over our hearts the consolations of his mercy,-and in assuring us, that, though the present moment is cloudy, yet the gloom will soon disperse and the times of refreshment will come. We should feel the truth of this more intensely than we do, if our faith were habitually fervent, and our reliance on him were unmixed with doubt or presumption:-but our hearts are weak and deceitful; so that we are too often wrong in our estimate of religious affairs, and neglect the best means of our welfare.

The best rule that we can propose to ourselves and act upon, is, to glorify God habitually in our thoughts. If we do this, we shall be safe from evil, and He will continually bless us. We shall be guided, within our own bosoms, by the purest of all motives,―a motive too, which will be strengthened by the approving aid and influence of the spirit of grace. The love of God will "constrain" us to glorify Him more and more; and, his favour, we shall find it. us, while we make it our reverence and serve Him. contemplate the excellencies of his divine nature; and consider that he is the fountain of love, and the giver of all good. We should reflect upon the wonders of his wisdom both in heaven and in earth; the mercies of his providence that are con

in proportion as we seek He will not disregard great point of duty to We should therefore,

tinually extended to us and all his creatures;-the manifestations of his love that have been remarked in our own experience;-and the effects of his power that constantly surround us. This will dispose and enable us to fix our thoughts upon him; and we cannot do it habitually without a feeling and regard to his honour and service. Our hearts will then be open to the operation of Christian principles: for the inner sentiments of the soul are the springs of action and have an influence upon our whole lives. We shall possess within ourselves a guard and a check to every sinful propensity; and the habitual effects of these will be a regulation to our conduct. "Keep thy heart," says Solomon, "with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." If the source of action is pure, there will be an ingenuousness in our characters that will pervade our whole conduct; but if our secret desires are sinful and corrupt, it will be as reasonable to expect sweet waters from a bitter fountain, as to hope that we can exhibit in our lives the genuine fruits of holiness. There must be a devotion of soul, which will keep us intent upon the service of God, and then we shall be enabled to glorify him indeed.

We shall render to him "the fruit of our lips ;" for "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh." Why is it that we ever hear revilings and profane language, in the conversation of professed christians? Why, but because a spirit of wickedness has taken possession of the men? Religion can

have made but a faint impression on the soul, when the tongue is occupied with the outpourings of sin and malice. For this reason it is that, according to our Saviour's own declaration, "by our words we shall be justified, and by our words we shall be condemned:"-" for those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man." It may sometimes happen that from heedlessness and unthinking levity, the language of men is profane and revolting, when their characters and sentiments are not decidedly wicked ; -yet such cases are rare; and, indeed, it is impossible for the thoughts to be pure, where the expressions of thought are licentious. A man cannot be truly religious, whatever his pretensions to that character may be; he cannot be religious at hearteven though his tenets are theoretically good,-if his conversation is loose and immoral. "If," says St. James, "any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain." In vain, therefore, shall we profess to glorify God in our thoughts, if we do not also glorify him in our words.

Our actions are another test of our sincerity; for they will partake of the character of our thoughts and words-and the sentiments which we entertain in our minds or express in language, will be comparatively nugatory and useless, if they are not exemplified and evidenced in our conduct. Thoughts, that terminate in themselves, are but speculation; and

words, that are followed up by no corresponding deeds, are little more than empty sounds: but when our tongues, and hearts, and actions go together, then it is that we give full proof of our sincerity and of the value of our characters. If we do not bear these truths in mind, there is danger of deceiving ourselves: for we may fall into the error of imagining that, provided our intentions are pure, and our speech is guileless, our actions may be disregarded. Or, we may persuade ourselves, that if our faith is sincere, our actions will not be scrutinized by the Almighty. But the truth is, that faith, without the works of holiness and righteousness, “is dead, being alone." Our outward conduct will speak more to the world, as to the principles by which we are guided, than any professions or private sentiments. Good works are the certain and unequivocal produce of the good seed that is sown in our hearts. They are evidences, even in the sight of God, that his grace has not been given to us in vain ; and that the treasury of his goodness has not been resorted to without profit. After all our care, it will and must happen, from the degeneracy of our fallible nature, that we shall be guilty of many sins, and many omissions of duty; so that, on this account also, there is the greater necessity for employing our utmost endeavours to make our principles and our conduct correspond as closely and uniformly as possible. Then shall we exhibit that convincing light, which, according to our Saviour's own declaration,