answer secular purposes. It is not a religion of forms, and modes, and decencies. It is being transformed into the image of God. It is being like-minded with Christ. It is considering him as our sanctification, as well as our redemption. It is endeavoring to live to him here, that we may live with him hereafter. It is desiring earnestly to surrender our will to his, our heart to the conduct of his Spirit, our life to the guidance of his word.

The change in the human heart, which the scriptures declare to be necessary, they represent to be not so much an old principle improved as a new one reated; not educed out of the former character, but infused into the new one. This change is there expressed in a great variety of language, and under different figures of speech. Its being so frequently described, and figuratively intimated in almost every part of the volume of inspiration, entitles the doctrine itself to belief, and ought to shield from obloquy the obnoxious terms in which it is sometimes conveyed.

Genuine religion demands not merely an external profession of our allegiance to God, but an inward devotedness of ourselves to his service. It is not a recognition, but a dedication. It puts the Christian into a new state of things, a new condition of being. It raises him above the world while he continues in it. It disperses the illusions of sense, by opening his eyes to realities in the place of those shadows which he has been pursuing. It presents this world as a scene, whose original beauty sin has darkened and disordered, man as a helpless and dependent creature, Jesus Christ as the repairer of all the evils which sin has caused, and as a restorer to holiness and happiness. Any religion short of this, any at least which has not this for its end and object, is not that religion which the gospel has presented to us, which our Redeemer came down on earth to teach us by his precepts, to il lustrate by his example, to confirm by his death, and to consummate by his resurrection.

JUST DISTRIBUTION OF NATURE.

Nature is so impartial in the distribution of her gifts to mankind, that she neither overburdens some individuals with her favors, nor overwhelms others with misfortunes; but by a judicious mixture of good and evil in every creature, none have too much reason to be elated, nor any to despair. For example; to these she gives great riches with an unquiet mind ;— to those a great share of adversity, with much insensibility. If the first with their wealth possessed the indifference of the needy they would certainly be too happy; whilst the latter, if they united mental uneasiness with their ill fortune, would, doubtless, be highly deserving of pity.

If, then, we weigh the wealth of the one with the indifference of the other, the uneasiness of the former with the misfortunes of the latter, we shall find the balance to be nearly equal. The poor man, insensible of the evils of life, despises the miser, who whilst he amasses wealth, is miserable at the apprehensions of losing it.

Nor is this observation confined solely to wealth and poverty. Beauty and deformity have each their consolations. The handsome woman looks with contempt on the ill shapen female, who in turn, despises the beautiful ideot, formed only to be gazed upon.The swordsman considers courage and skill in arms as the greatest accomplishments of a gentleman, and fancies his rank entitles him to adulation from the merchant and mechanic; whilst these on the contrary, maintain industry and trade, to be more important objects than the etiquette of courts, or the glory of a campaign. Thus in every station of life, there is a consolation and solace to be found and, indeed, no rank is contemptible in itself, whilst the person who fills it, acts in character.

THE POINT OF HONOR.

After having paid sincere obsequies, to the manes of Maria, I resumed my chaise, and fell into a train

of thinking on the happiness and misery of mankind; this reverie, however, was interrupted by the clashing of swords in a thicket adjoining the road. I ordered the postillion to stop, and getting out, repaired to the spot from whence the noise issued. It was with some difficulty I reached the place, as the path which led to it was meandering and intricate.

The first object which presented itself to my view was a handsome young man, who appeared to be expiring, in consequence of a wound he had just received from another, not much older who stood weeping over him, whilst he held the bloody instrument of destruction reeking in his hand. I stood aghast for some moments, on seeing this melancholy spectacle. When I had recovered myself from the surprize into which it had thrown me, I inquired the cause of this bloody conflict; but received no other answer than a fresh stream of tears.

At length, wiping away the briny flood which watered his cheek, with a sigh he uttered, my honor sir, compelled me to the deed; my conscience condemned it :-but all remonstrance was vain; and through the bosom of my friend I have pierced my own heart, whose wounds will never heal." Here a fresh gush of wo issued from the source of sorrow which seemed inexhaustible.

What is this phantom, Honor! that plunges a dagger where it should offer balsam! Traitor, perfidious traitor! thou that stalkest at large under the habit of a ridiculous custom, or more ridiculous fashion, which, united by caprice have become a law-a code of laws!-Equally unknown to our forefathers, unknown to those we style unpolished and barbarous, you are reserved for this age of luxury, learning and refinement! for the seat of the muses, the residence of the graces. Ah! is it possi? Are ye not the fair representatives of gratitude, which so often run counter to Honor, and her fallacious blandishments?

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THE CORPORAL.

Tread lightly on his ashes, ye men of genius-for he was your kinsman :-weed his grave clean, ye men of goodness-for he was your brother. Oh! corporal had I thee but now, now that I am able to give thee a dinner and protection,-how would I cher ish thee! thou shouldst wear thy Montero cap every hour of the day, and every day of the week, and when it was worn out I would purchase thee a couple like it. But, alas! alas! alas! now that I can do thisthe occasion is lost-for thou art gone ;-thy genius fled up to the stars from whence it came; and that warm heart of thine, with all its generous and open vessels compressed into a clod of the valley.

But what is this to that future and dreaded page, where I look towards the velvet pall, decorated with the military ensigns of thy master-the first, the foremost of created beings: where I shall see thee, faithful servant, laying his sword and scabbard, with a trembling hand, across his coffin, and then returning, pale as ashes to the door, to take his mourning horse by the bridle to follow his hearse as he directed thee ;-where all my fathers systems shall be baffled by his sorrows; and, in spite of his philosophy, I shall behold him as he inspects the lacquered plate, twice taking his spectacles from off his nose to wipe away the dew which nature has shed upon them-when I see him cast in the rosemary with an air of disconsolation, which cries through my ears, O Toby! in what corner of the world shall I find thy fellow?

Gracious powers! which erst have opened the lips. of the dumb in his distress, and made the tongue of the stammerer speak plain-when I shall arrive at this dreaded page, deal not with me then with a stinted hand.

DVANTAGES OF NOVELTY.

It may not be a useless inquiry, how far the love of novelty is the unavoidable growth of nature, and in

state.

what respects it is peculiarly adapted to the present To me it seems impossible that a reasonable creature should rest absolutely satisfied in any acqui sitions whatever, without endeavoring farther for after its highest improvements, the mind hath an idea of an infinity of things still behind worth knowing, to the knowledge of which therefore it cannot be indifferent; as by climbing up a hili in the midst of a wide plain, a man hath his prospect enlarged, and together with that, the bounds of his desires. Upon this ac. count I cannot think he detracts from the state of the blessed, who conceives them to be perpetually employed in fresh researches into nature, and to eternity advancing into the fathomless depths of the divine perfections. In this thought there is nothing but what doth honor to these glorified spirits, provided still it be remembered, that their desire of more, proceeds not from their disrelishing what they possess ; and the pleasure of a new enjoyment is not with them measured by its novelty, (which is a thing merely foreign and accidental,) but by its real intrinsic value. After an acquaintance of many thousand years with the works of God, the beauty and magnificence of the creation fills them with the same pleasing wonder and profound awe, which Adam felt, when he first opened his eyes upon this glorious scene. Truth captivates with unborrowed charms, and whatever hath once given satisfaction will always do it; in all which they have manifestly the advantage of us, who are so much governed by sickly, and changeable appetites, that we can with the greatest coldness behold the stupendous displays of omnipotence, and be in transports at the puny essay of human skill; throw aside speculations of the sublimest nature, and vastest importance into some obscure corner of the mind, to make room for new notions of no consequence at all; are even tired of health because not enlivened with alternate pain ;and prefer the first reading of an indifferent author, to the second or third perusal of one whose merit and reputation are established.

Our being thus formed serves many useful purposes in the present state. It contributes not a little to