nor forward without despair, but as we keep the cross in view. That must be our centre. On him who condescended there to make satisfaction for sin, the eye of faith must

rest.

Through him alone, the heart must seek its repose. Our past benefits, the

favors which we have received, if we are christians indeed, are the purchase of his death. They rightly bear the name of "mercies," because we owe them to the mercy of God, displayed through his atonement. Our afflictions are a part of his discipline, capable of being so overruled, through Him, as to work out “ a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Our sins, our imperfections, our deficiencies, which stain, and blemish, and disfigure all our memorials, need his intercession, and his

righteousness. Even our best duties need his purification. Our better progress in time to come, our improvement in every way and degree, must be the work of his Spirit. Let us earnestly seek that our future memorials may be more distinctly connected with Him. Let Him be the

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the top-stone with which they are

crowned, that “in all things He may have the pre-eminence;" for "of Him, and to Him, and through Him, are all things, to whom be glory, for ever."-BUllar.

THE christian as he advances becomes inured to hazard, toil and trouble, until endurance becomes strong, and the soul

catches the divine spirit of Paul, who, when in the storm, and on the very verge of shipwreck, was able to take bread, return thanks to God, and encourage and inspirit his fellow voyagers. Like the primeval oak, whose roots are said to strike deeper as the storm rages fiercer among its tortured branches, so the virtue of the christian veteran has strengthened by contests with his own frailties, and every fresh struggle has but confirmed its stability.

H. EDWARDS.

"Tis greatly wise to talk with our past hours, And ask them what report they bore to heaven, And how they might have borne more welcome news."

AGED Friend!--Thy day is nearly gonethy sun is setting-thine evening tide draws

;

on ! How sets thy sun? What has been its course throughout life's day? Has it been a light for thy fellow-men? Has its radiance been reflected upon other bodies, or, has it been shrouded in thyself—a cloud of selfishness? Have its genial influences been felt by all within thy circle? or, has it shone, like the sickly moon, upon a stormy night? Hast thou been a centre-light— thy circumference the world-the graces sparkling in their orbits around thee? Have thy endcavours been with burning love to warm the cold professor's heartto animate and fire the christian's soul with lively zeal to cheer the mourner and the weary pilgrim and to light the wanderer to the cross? If this has been thy shining--thy sunset will indeed be glorious: for thou

art about to be transfigured-and art on the eve of hearing the joyful sound"Come, thou blessed-for, as thou hast 'received the spirit of adoption'-whereby thou hast cried unto me, 'Abba, Father,'so now do I welcome thee as a beloved son." As the Sun of righteousness was transfigured-and shone in noon-tide splendour while a cloud overshadowed the sins of men-so shall thy sun shine in glory-in brightness-which it would not be well that we should behold with our natural eyes! And though the cloud of death veil thee from our sight-and thou appear to us no more-thy departing rays shall tinge the scene over which thou for a while didst journey-long after that thou hast set to rise in perfect day-Thy works shall follow