visted with violent storms, that hurricanes are frequent, and that the rivers frequently overflow their banks, and sweep away bridges, houses, cattle, and inhabitants, altogether. This makes him cautious. He sacrifices what is merely ornamental for what is useful and essential. He fixes upon a rock for the site of his mansion. He builds in such a manner that his house looks like a part of the rock itself, it is so imbedded within its shelvings. When all is snug and complete, he enters his new dwelling, thankful that he has been enabled to finish it. In a little while, one of those storms come on so common to the country, the rains descend, the winds blow, the floods beat against the house, but it stands unmoved. All night the tempest lasts; at length morning comes; the son of wisdom opens the door and goes forth, like Noah when he left the ark after the waters of the deluge had abated. He looks around: all is desolation except his own house. At a little distance from him he discovers some of the fragments of his neighbour's house. The foolish man had studied only ease and present convenience; he chose a showy place, but the foundation was sandy. The hurricane swept them all away together.

The house on the rock, and its builder, is an emblem of the man who hears the word of God and keeps it. He makes the word of God a ladder by which he climbs to heaven. Beginning at repentance, he goes on to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, then to holiness; thus he mounts from faith to faith, till finally he reaches glory.

Observe, it is not the person who hears, or understands, or remembers, or believes, merely, the word of God; but the DOER, that is, the prudent or wise man. He fastens on the Rock of Ages: Christ is his foundation, where, in obedience to the word, he has fled for refuge; hence, he is protected against all the storms of earth and hell.

"To obey is better than sacrifice, to hearken than the fat of rams." The word of God is compared to seed, which, if received in good ground, beareth much fruit. As the seed requires that the ground should be prepared, watered, weeded, &c.; so the word requires that it should be received with attention and nourished by meditation, much prayer, and faith. No one can enter the kingdom of heaven unless he is a disciple of Christ; but he is not a disciple unless he bringeth forth much fruit. He, and he alone, that doeth the will of God shall abide for ever.

A person having just returned from church, was met with the following exclamation: "What, is it all done?" "No, by no means," was the prompt reply; "it is all said, but not all done."

"Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool than of him."-PROV. xxvi. 12.

SELF-CONFIDENCE.

See how Self-confidence his friend doth treat,
Nor heeds the danger from beneath his feet :
With head erect, he proudly stalks along,

The warning voice is but an idle song ;

As to the precipice he draws more nigh,

His friend yet louder lifts his voice on high,

But deaf and blind, he neither sees nor hears,

From friends or foes he nothing wants nor fears;

He "knows, and that's enough-and right," when lo

At once he falls into the gulf below:

Adown the rocks he tumbles o'er and o'er,

And sinks in darkness to arise no more.

He is on

THE engraving shows a traveller in the greatest peril. the brink of an awful precipice: he knows it not. But this is not the worst of his case: he is confident in his knowledge, and that he is fully prepared for every emergency, although he has not examined any book of roads, or any charts, or maps, nor has he made inquires of others who have travelled these parts before him. A friend is seen who endeavours to apprise him of his danger; he calls to him, but he turns a deaf ear to his remonstrances, and still proceeds. As he draws near the fatal brink, his friend, knowing his danger, exerts himself to the utmost to have him stop-to listen-but for one moment; but no, he has no need of advice-on he goes. The ground, which is hollow, gives way beneath his feet, he falls, and

is instantly dashed to pieces. The name of the man is "Selfconfidence.'

The moral of this is, that dangers stand thick all through the path of human life; dangers such as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life with their numerous attendants. False doctrines, also, the tendency of which is to destroy the happiness of makind, prevail. They are covered with a flimsy garb, which deceives superficial observers.

Moreover, youth is presumptuous, self-willed, and self-confident. They are too much inclined to follow the light which their own vanity has kindled. But their self-confidence does not remove the dangers from their path, nor render them invulnerable. But man is ignorant-how shall he know? Helpless-what shall he do? If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God. "Do" ponder well the paths of thy feet. Lean not to thine own understanding. He that trusts to his own heart is a fool. In all thy ways acknowledge God; He will direct thy paths. Here, then, is the conclusion of the whole matter; imminent perils surround the youth, but the greatest of all perils is the danger of trusting to his own heart. Lean upon God, and all will be well. Though weak and ignorant, yet God is wise and strong, able to guide and preserve all those who trust in Him.

The mariner who should put to sea without chart or compass, trusting to his own knowledge, would, without doubt, on the first stormy night, repent heartily of his folly. O how much greater is the folly of those who, trusting to self, neglect to use the lamp of God's truth, or to seek the enlightening influences of his Holy Spirit, or to follow the advice of the wise and good.

The case of Pharaoh, the Egyptian monarch, affords a striking example of self-confidence. When the children of Israel had left the house of bondage, and were well on their journey towards the land of promise, the king, confiding in his strength, exclaimed: "I will pursue, I will overtake," and presumptuously set forth for that purpose. Each recently received plague remonstrated, and forbade the rashness of the monarch; but all in vain. On he rushed, even to the division of waters. In his self-confidence he engaged in battle with Jehovah, God of Armies. The conflict was of short duration; the arm of the Lord prevailed; Pharaoh and his men of war were swept away with the waters of destruction.

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."-Ps. cxix. 105. "The Lord God is a sun and shield."-Ps. lxxxiv. 11.

THE SUN OF TRUTH.

Lo! on a path that through the mountains sweeps,
And climbs their summits, and descends their deeps,
The sun pours wide his bright diffusive rays,

And shows two travellers on their different ways;

His shade behind, his pathway always bright,

One travels forward with increasing light,

Till equatorial o'er his head it burns,

And all of shadow into day it turns ;

The other turns upon the sun his back,

blis lengthening shadow darkens all his track.

Which now not seen, he turns him from the right,
And ends his journey in the realms of night.

SEE where, among the mountain heights, a long, straight path stretches itself till it is lost in the distance beyond. The sun pours wide his rays of living light, illuminating the path and shedding lustre all around. Two travellers are pursuing their different routes. One advances towards the sun; his shadow is behind, his path is bright before him. As he proceeds, his shadow diminishes, while his path grows brighter and brighter, until directly over head the sun pours the full tide of its glory upon him, and the whole of the shadow disappears.

The other has turned his back upon the orb of day. See, he

follows his own shadow. It darkens his pathway before him. Now he leaves the track; his shadow lengthens more and more; he wanders into sunken labyrinths, and finally loses himself amidst the darkness of night.

This emblem represents the moral world. The sun designates the Sun of Truth. The travellers denote, first, those who follow the light their path shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day; their souls become enlightened, vivified, and purified; darkness disappears, and heavenly light shines on their souls for ever. Secondly, it signifies those who turn their backs on the light, and who, as they journey, wander farther and farther from his bright beams; their path becomes darker and darker; their shadow lengthens as they proceed, until, having forsaken altogether the way of truth, they lose themselves among the wilds of error, and perish in the darkness of everlasting night.

Where shines the Sun of Truth? In the holy Bible. The Scriptures are a "light" to the weary traveller, illuminating all his goings, pointing out his proper path, and showing where the mountains of error lift up their desolating heads. This Sun of Truth shines on the traveller himself. It discovers his ignorance. guilt, danger, helplessness, and at the same time, his immortality, Again it shines, and he beholds Calvary, with all its weeping tragedies. It reveals to him now his "wisdom justification, sancification, and redemption." Where shines the Sun of Truth? In the person of Jesus Christ. He who wisely uses the light of the Scriptures will be led to contemplate Him who is the "Light of the world," "the Sun of Righteousness," "the splendid Glory of Jehovah," the Way, the Life, and the Truth."

The Christain following the light of the glorious Son of Truth, discovers ever-opening mines of richest knowledge. Fountains of living waters roll their treasures at his feet. Trees of Life overhang his pathway, and drop into his lap their golden store, till at length he beholds the opening gates of the New Jerusalem.

The infidel, turning his back upon the light, walks in the vain shadow of his own opinion. Darker, and yet more dark, the shadow grows; he waxes worse and worse; one truth after another is given up one lie after another is embraced; farther and farther he wanders from God and bliss, and finally he takes his fearful ""leap in the dark," and finds himself, contrary to his expectations, in outer darkness, where there is weeping, and wailing and woe.