child, who earnestly seeks improvement. Lead me upward by Thy hand to that state of holiness and justification after which my soul languishes. My God, my Father, strengthen me through Thy power!

XXIV.

THE DANGER OF SOCIAL PLEASURES.

PROVERBS iv. 23.

"Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life."

WE very frequently say: Lively youth pursues pleasure, as the object of its chief desire.' It is true. But is this to be praise or censure? or is it one of those common phrases which mean-just nothing? I think the latter-for manhood and age are equally striving after pleasures and amusements; though not indeed after those of youth-because they cannot any longer enjoy them. But, truly, the joys of youth, its plays, its dances, its jokes, its mischief, are often far more innocent than the pleasures of older people-than their cards, their scandal, their ridicule and derision of their neighbours, and their other ways of passing time-as they are wont to call it.

There are persons who would willingly have music, dancing, social games, and such cheerful amuse

ments to be regarded as a sin-the same amusements in which they themselves, in their younger days, took great delight. But now they are grown old, they would willingly see the whole of human society become old also. They are wrong-every season of life, like every season of the year, has its peculiar charms.

Even as a Christian, I may participate in all these enjoyments. Why should I not? My Saviour and Teacher, Jesus Christ, during his intercourse with men did by no means exclude himself from their social recreations. He condemned the hypocrite, the pretended devotionalist, who was secretly guilty of various kinds of sin-but He did not censure the cheerful, in the full tide of their enjoyment: He himself encouraged cheerfulness, and supported the harmless mirth, even of the poorest, by teaching them to trust in God. He condemned, it is true, the reveller, the drunkard, the luxurious prodigal and the gambler-but not the happy guests at Cana, among whom, He Himself was numbered, and for whom He filled the pitchers, miraculously, with wine. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice," says St. Paul to the Philippians, (iv. 4.)

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And yet I dare not conceal from myself, that even the most innocent pleasures ought to be en

joyed with the greatest caution. For I have often

painfully found, by my own experience, that much pleasure has become the source of long and deep disgust, which was far greater than the shortlived gaiety that occasioned it. I enjoy many pleasures, indeed, with a certain degree of timidity, or even anxiety--for I have often found, in the course of my life, that the more delightfully I have passed a day, the darker was the shade which usually succeeded.

I must, as a Christian-and will, like a Christian -consider well the pleasure which I allow myself. The fruit of this religious reflection is, perhaps, my best security against being soon brought into a situation, in which I have to repent of an indulgence, or of the way in which I participated in it; -it will teach me to avoid the serpent, which sometimes lies concealed beneath the roses of festivity.

I see, indeed, generally, that every pleasure may become prejudicial, when it is indulged to excess. I have long known this---but it is far more difficult to know exactly where to trace the boundary line of what is permitted in matters of pleasure; or what I must attend to, in order that I may not push my gratifications beyond their proper limit. Such an error is no where more readily committed than in social intercourse and pleasures. For there one man stimulates another by flattering inducements and example. There many passions are un

expectedly called into action, and many inclinations, before asleep, are suddenly awaked. There the delight we take in what is passing, soon draws us beyond the bounds of strict propriety-and sometimes a false sense of honour, or a still worse motive. We soon cease to be our own masters, or are afraid, on account of others, to remain so, even when we have it in our power.

Herein lies the danger of all social pleasures, that the sense of what is good, is blunted; enjoyment consists no longer in the feelings of the heart, but in the gratification of a violent desire, which exercises a dominion over our whole mind. But "out of the heart are the issues of life" the mere gratification of the external senses is always more or less attended by an unpleasant sensation in the heart, and is fatal to genuine joy. Therefore, if any one feel himself at a particular time perfectly happy, he is accustomed to say: 'I am thoroughly happy-happy at the very bottom of my heart.' The mere satisfying of our desires for outward things, is not inward joy.

The sacred writings, therefore, give us a golden rule to be followed in all circumstances-and especially in the enjoyment of pleasure: "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." (PROV. iv. 23.) This beautiful maxim will I impress upon my memory :--the hour will