injure no one openly, and to give obedience to the constituted authorities and the law of the land, in order to perform their duty towards men.

Ah! let us not deceive ourselves; God is not mocked! Let us not deceive ourselves-the salvation of our soul is not to be trifled with! The lukewarm Christian is not a true Christian. He neglects himself-he neglects that which is eternal, which dwells within him. He is zealously careful for the splendid decking of his corpse, which will come speedily to corruption; and he forgets the importance of that heavenly exhortation, "Seek first the kingdom of God." And the kingdom of God is the empire of the spirits of just men made perfect-of exalted souls it is the dominion of higher powers; it is that seat of superior intelligences, to which our spirits should aspire.

Thou also, my soul, art called to this eternal kingdom; wherefore wilt thou so often sink into that indolence and inactivity which fetter thee in thy course to perfection? Why lettest thou thy courage so often fail; thy zeal so often slackenthy zeal to become a more worthy child of God, a more virtuous and holy being, more like God?

Glow then again, my heart, with that love to thyself to thy vocation-to thy Father in Heaven which thou once didst feel! Glow again with that love which animated thee, in auspicious hours, to

act well and nobly,—as Jesus, as each of His disciples in thy place would have acted. Glow again with that love towards all mankind with which Christ was filled, and in the ardour of which He offered all, lost all, bore all, to diffuse happiness over the human race.

O God! O Thou all-animating, all-blessing-vast Spirit of the universe! O Thou Most High, Unknown, Invisible! Thou Almighty Lord of worlds and Creator of the humblest worm! O Thou, who art also my Creator, my Father, who dost regard my soul with eternal love-I had also days in which my thoughts were lukewarm towards Thee. O Thou Omniscient, Thou knewest my works, that I was neither cold nor hot? And yet, Thou, O God, who art alone perfect, alone good-yet hast Thou continued to support me. And if I forgot Thee,--forgot Thee, for the sake of man-heaven, for the world-the immortal soul, for the dust-yet hast Thou loved me more and more,-Thou hast not forgotten me!

No; my Saviour, I again belong to Thee! my love, my gratitude shall not again grow cold. Thou didst once die for me-why should I not live entirely to Thee and to Thy will? Thou wilt confess me before God-why should I deny Thee before men? Away then with false shame-miserable foolish prejudices. Let your greatest pride be such mag

nanimity as Jesus showed. This alone is permanent, and at the hour of death rises above the transitory world. Let your highest glory be the glory of being a Christian. Let the weak world laughI will be still a Christian. Let it call me a hypocrite, a fanatic, or a fool; I will openly venerate the Divine Teacher and Saviour of mankind. Let the world call me imprudent, yet will I endeavour to act honourably, truly, uprightly, placably, and faithfully, even should it conduce to my loss or danger. I will-and the will alone belongs to man—the success of my actions depends on GodI will; and let my will be pure, be holy, be the witness of my unextinguishable love to Thee, O God, Thou source of my life, and of my everlasting happiness.

XI.

THE DIVINE NAME.

EXODUS XX. 7.

"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain."

"O COME, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God."

(Ps. xcv. 6, 7.)

Who is greater, more glorious, wonderful, and gracious, than the ETERNAL-before whom the mighty of the Earth vanish away-as nothing; and the pomp of mortals is as dust? Can the most powerful here below construct a blade of grass, or draw down a drop of water from the clouds of Heaven? Can the most formidable man prolong his life for a single moment, when the measure of his hours is full?

Wherefore do the foolish boast of their greatness -those of whom after a few years nothing more is heard? Why do they imagine themselves allpowerful, because they are able to oppress a feeble

fellow-creature? Fall not the strongest under the strokes of their enemies, or into a similar grave with the poorest inhabitant of the earth? Only ONE is really great and all-powerful and eternal; and HIS NAME is God.

Why are you astonished at the ingenuity of the human mind; what are its works-even the most precious? Man puts together dust with dust, in order to build himself a dwelling-to weave garments,

or to form resemblances of the works of nature, after their outward appearance. Does not animal instinct also teach the brute to frame its dwelling as ingeniously as man; and often more cleverly than he? We must admire the foresight of Bees and Ants, and observe how the birds of Heaven choose and build their nests, or take their passage from one region to another. ONE only is infinitely wise, incomprehensibly wonderful in His worksHe joins not dust to dust like the wild beast or artful man; but He endues the dust with secret powers, and a living soul. And this wondrous Being is GOD HIMSELF.

What can you praise, that is not His work? What can you love, that He has not formed? What can delight you here below, that is not the gift of His Grace and Bounty? What can you fear, that is not subject to His sceptre? For what can you hope, that He is not capable of bestowing?