The sacrifices_ of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilf not despise.— PSALM. li. 17.

S

TURN AND LIVE.

HALL men pretend to pleasure,

Who never knew the Lord?
Can all the worldling's treasure
True peace of mind afford?
They shall obtain this jewel

In what their hearts desire,
When they by adding fuel
Can quench the flame of fire.
Till you can bid the ocean,
When furious tempests roar,
Forget its wonted motion,
And rage and swell no more:
In vain your expectation
To find content in sin;
Or freedom from vexation
While passions reign within.

Come, turn your thoughts to Jesus,
If you would good possess ;
'Tis He alone that frees us

From guilt and from distress :
When He by faith is present,
The sinner's troubles cease;
His ways are truly pleasant,
And all his paths are peace.

REFLECTIONS.

Christian Miscellany.

THE universal and only wisdom, Almighty God, which examineth the depth of hearts, hath not His judgments fixed upon the event of our actions, but the motives.-SYDNEY.

To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.—PROVERBS, xxi. 3.

From the end of the earth will E cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than E.-PSALM lxi. 2.

FOR A BETTER LIFE.

ORD, when Thy day of dread account,
For squander'd hours shall come,
Oh! let not this increase th' amount,
And swell the former sum.

Teach me in health each good to prize
I dying shall esteem ;
And every pleasure to despise

I then shall worthless deem.

For all thy wondrous mercies past,
My grateful voice I'll raise,
While thus I quit my bed of rest,
Creation's Lord to praise.

Barbauld.

REFLECTIONS.

EVERY wrong propensity may be finally subdued or considerably corrected; every right one may be assisted by additional motives and carried on to yet higher perfection. Even in the worst characters some capacity for virtuous improvement, of which no vestige has yet been observed, may be discovered or drawn forth; and upon the best, restraints may be employed against vicious inclinations, which, from the mere absence of opportunity, have not hitherto been suspected.—BLAIR.

The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.-PROVERBS, XV. 31.

When the wicked man turneth away from his wicked. ness that he hath_committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.—EZEKIEL, xviii. 27.

That I

may prove

Therein my love.

If Thou hadst not
Been stern to me,
But left me free,
I had forgot

Myself and Thee.

For sin's so sweet,

As minds ill bent

Rarely repent,

Until they meet

Their punishment.

REFLECTIONS.

Ben Jonson.

HOW many instances there are, in which persons manifestly go through more pain and self-denial to gratify a vicious passion, than would have been necessary to the conquest of it. To this it is to be added, that when virtue has become habitual, when the temper of it is acquired, what was before confinement, ceases to be so, by becoming choice and delight.—BISHOP BUTLER.

A man shall not be established by wickedness; but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.—Proverbs, xii. 3.

He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him; was not this to know me, saith the Lord.-JEREMIAH, xxii. 16.

SELF-ABASEMENT.

GOD, whose thunder shakes the sky,
Whose eye this atom globe surveys;

To Thee, my only rock, I fly,

Thy mercy in Thy justice praise.

The mystic mazes of Thy will,
The shadows of celestial light,
Are past the powers of human skill—
But what th' Eternal acts is right.

Oh, teach me in the trying hour,
When anguish swells the dewy tear,
To still my sorrows, own Thy pow'r,
Thy goodness love, Thy justice fear.

Chatlerton.

REFLECTIONS.

L ET a sense of justice be the foundation of all your social qualities. In your most early intercourse with the world, and even in your youthful amusements, let no unfairness be found. Engrave on your mind that sacred rule of "doing in all things to others, according as you wish that they should do unto you. For this end, impress yourselves with a deep sense of the original and natural equality of men. At present it becomes you to act among your companions as man with man.-BLAIR.

The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips; but the just shall come out of trouble.-PROVERBS, xii. 13.

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, ane jat or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled.—ST. MATTHEW, v. 18.

RELIANCE ON GOD'S JUSTICE.

F the Lord our leader be,

JF

We may follow without fear;
East or west, by land or sea,

Home, with Him, is everywhere ;-
When from Esau, Jacob fled,

Though his pillow was a stone,
And the ground his humble bed,
Yet he was not left alone.

Kings are often waking kept,

Rack'd with cares on beds of state;

Never king like Jacob slept,

For he lay at heaven's gate;

Lo! he saw a ladder rear'd,

Reaching to the heavenly throne,

At the top the Lord appear'd,

Spake, and claim'd him for his own.

Newton.

REFLECTIONS.

CHERISH a spirit of devotion—a simple-hearted, fervent,

and affectionate piety. Accustom yourselves to conceive of God as a merciful and gracious parent-continually looking down upon you with the tenderest concern, and inviting you to be good, only that you may become everlastingly happy.-CHRISTIAN LIFE.

There is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord.—Proverbs, xxi. 30.