tions. I could not worship God, I could not say my pray ers at home, or avail myself of ministry abroad, without considering what would be said, what would be thoughtand when my heart grew cold for want of encouragement, and careless for want of exhortation, I could not go where they were to be found, because circumstances made it convenient, or at least expedient to do otherwise. In my habits, in the ordering of my house it was the same. The religious benefit of my servants was of course the first consideration-but, some how or other, they were irreligiously inclined, and as they suited me in other respects, I was obliged to connive at their irregularities, and keep them in good humour by giving up the regulations suggested by my pious interest in their welfare. As 1 grew in years, being ever much admired for judicious piety, many young persons came about me for advice, and looked to me for example. Doubtless their salvation was my greatest care-how could it be otherwise, when I considered it the one thing needful to which all else was nothing, for them as surely as for myself? But for the most part I was so circumstanced, it would have been very injudicious to tell them so-if by advice or example I revolted them, they would leave me for more dangerous companions-it was necessary to be cautious what I said to them, because they had connections who were very jealous of religious influence-above all things it was necessary to make religion inviting-and so well did I know how to accommodate others' circumstances as well as my own, I parted from every body in better humour with themselves than I found them, and particularly avoided exciting suspicion that any body connected with them could be in the wrong. In great things-yes, a few times in my life great things came to be determined-then to be sure there was too much at stake-God did not require the sacrifice-my earthly happiness-my establishment in life—the keeping of my station in society-my means of usefulness-my very means of existing-of course God knows the circum stances of his creatures, and judges them accordingly. I always intended to make religion my chief object; it so happened that I was obliged to yield to circum stances. Thus, day after day, day after day went by. Think not it was an easy, unobstructed path. On the contrary, there never was a day but my conscience needed to be appeased for equivocation of opinion and compromise of principle-the words judicious, expedient, conciliatory, indifferent, non-essential, were in perpetual requisition to reconcile me to myself. And difficulties O what a tangled web we weave, When first we practise to deceive— the world, myself, and God-I had undertaken to please all, and as each stood opposed to the other, it could only be done by all-deceiving. A thousand opinions I asked and controversies held, whether it was lawful to do things, which to have left undone would have ended all controversy. To a thousand painful struggles and arduous contrivances I was driven, to reconcile the word of God with the opinions of men, when to have chosen between them would have made the path of duty plain. Year after year, year after year went on. If any would know the result, listen, and I will tell that too. The sun is in the horizon. There are clouds about it that did not obscure the brightness of its meridian. The vigour of life is exhausted and the activities of health are decayed. The spirits have lost the zest of being, and the quick interests of fresh-born life. The greater part, perhaps the whole of life is gone, and all that I have gained of it, is to have proved at last what I knew at first, that one thing is needful" and all else is vain. I have proved it, because all other happiness has evaded me--because all other favour has discontented me-because my eye has not been satisfied with seeing, nor my ear with hearing -because I have taken of earth's joys, and found their earthliness, of earth's cares and found their uselessness, and seen both absorbed in the prospect of eternity. But this which I have expended fifty years in learning, is no more than the first thing I was told, the first thing I believed. Meantime, those whom my connivance encouraged in their choice of earth, are gone to abide the preference in eternity. Those whom I might have warned and did not, are bitterly gathering the fruits of their mistake. They whom I disowned and defamed for the world's sake, are in mansions of glory at their God's right hand. They for whose sake I did it, have forgotten me, but are using still the pleas, and subterfuges, and accommodations I taught them. And the hours that I have suffered to pass in mischievous discourse which a word of disapprobation might have checked, can never be purchased back. And the days of ungodly compromise are more than the days that remain for devotedness to God. And now when I would persuade any one to decision, they answer me that I did not always think so. And when I speak with any one of the inferiority of earthly things, they answer that it is indeed very true-but unhappily we none of us think so: and though my heart disclaims the ungodly fellowship, conscious memory seals my lips. And-worse consequence than all!--He to whom I was devoted at my birth, in whose name I was brought up, whom at my entrance on life I hired myself to serve-He to whose gracious bidding I answered "I go," but went not-He has had nothing of me yet but treachery, equivocation, doubt, undecided preference, cavil and evasion-and nothing remains to offer him but the diminished capacities of a few diminished years. SERIES OF ESSAYS ON THE SUBJECT OF ARCHITECTURE. ESSAY THE NINTH. The Composite Order-The Cariatides. THOUGH it is the custom now to name the Orders of Architecture as five, there were properly no more than three. The Tuscan, as we have before observed, was probably but a corrupt imitation of the Doric. The Composite was certainly but a barbarous intermixture of Ionic and Corinthian, introduced in the latter days of the Roman Empire. The practice of the Greeks was confined to three orders; and it is observable that the most perfect example of each kind is to be found within the walls of the same city. The majestic grandeur of the Parthenon, the chaste elegance of the Erectheum, and the beautiful and splendid decoration of the Choragic Monument and of the columns of Adrian, which are supposed to be the ruins of the temple of Jupiter Olympus, are alike unrivalled in their several characters of excellence. As, however, the Composite or Roman is always ranked among the ancient orders, it is necessary we should present a specimen of it, Plate 9. The desire of introducing something new, probably induced the Romans thus to intermix the Ionic and Corinthian; uniting with the proportions and ornaments of the Corinthian, the Volutes and Denteles of the Ionic. The chief peculiarity of the Composite is the omission of the upper row of leaves in the capital, and the introduction into it of the angular Ionic Volute. There are many examples remaining in Rome, which show the estimation in which this order was held there. In their triumphal arches it was often introduced; an excellent example of the order is the triumphal arch |