to be like Christ, who was full of holy zeal and heavenly ardour. A gracious mind perceives the importance of truth, values immortal souls, and is concerned for their welfare, and the promotion of the divine glory in the world. What

is it but his zeal that causes him to lament with

David, and say, "Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because men keep not thy law?" Ps. cxix. 136. What but his zeal that makes him even ashamed of himself, that so many years have been past, and so little, comparatively, done for God? What but zeal that makes him sorrowful at the thought of so many being at ease in Zion, who have a name to live, and yet are dead? What but zeal that makes him lament when deprived of divine ordinances, and to say with David, "Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to my eyelids, until I find out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God?" Ps. cxxxii. 3, &c. What but zeal that bears him up with fortitude against opposition, and stimulates him, in the midst of all, to devise and execute benevolent plans for the happiness of miserable sinners? "What shall I

do," says the christian, "that shall best subserve the interests of my fellow mortals? I feel the obligations I am under to the God of my salvation. How much has he done for me! and now what shall I do for him? O how shall I set forth his glory, and speak of his goodness to the children of men! Father of spirits, thou from whom all life, light, and energy proceed, enable me to be an active instrument in the promotion of thy glory. How short is life, how precious are souls,

how awful is eternity! Alas! how many are perishing for lack of knowledge, even in the circle in which I move! O that my temper, my conversation, my influence, my conduct, may be so under thy blessing, as to become the means of doing good! Shall the merchant compass sea and land for wealth? shall the astronomer gaze with rapturous ardor on a new-discovered planet? shall the philosopher spend days and nights in the pursuit of a favourite theme? shall the tradesman labour and toil, and expose himself to continual inconveniences for the things that are passing away? And, what! shall I sit still, and dream. my life away? Shall all creation be in motion ? shall the world exhibit nothing but bustle and ac-. tivity? and shall I indulge myself in indolent repose? I, who have eternity in view, who have turned my back on the world, who believe the awful realities of heaven and hell? O let my whole time be employed in some useful service, that I may be always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that my labour cannot be in vain in the Lord!" Thus the christian, like Ca-. leb, is of a different spirit from the world, and follows the Lord fully; like Phineas, is zealous for the Lord of Hosts, and with Paul can say, that, "it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing." Numb. xiv. 24. Gal. iv. 18.

Grateful recollection forms another part of the christian's happy experience. He considers with thankfulness and pleasure the mercies he has received, the dangers from which he has been saved, the troubles out of which he has been deli-. vered, and the various crosses that have been. turned into comforts; yea, he looks back, even,

to the house of mourning, and remembers well how the chamber of sickness became the place of instruction, the time of bereavement a season of usefulness, and difficulties in circumstances the means of dependance. From opposition he has gained courage; from difficulty he has derived faith; from the vanity of the creature he has been led to see the fulness of the Creator. From a sense of weakness he has increased in strength; and from the valley of trouble he has gathered the sweet fruit of humility, patience, and submission to the divine will. Think too, reader, how hap-. py the christian must be, when not a day passes but his mind is led to reflect on the goodness of his God. Every morning and night brings fresh matter to feed his gratitude. Hear his language! "Have I had a good night; and have I not an errand to the throne of grace to return thanks for it? How many mercies have concurred to make it a good night! Distinguished mercies; mercies, perhaps, granted to me, but not to others! Many have not where to lay their heads; my Master himself had not; but I have a house to dwell in, a quiet and peaceable habitation. I have a bed to lay on, and have not to wander in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth, as some of the best of God's saints have been forced to do, of whom the world was not worthy. Many have beds to lie on, yet dare not or cannot lay down in them, being kept up either by the sickness of their friends, or the fear of their enemies. But I have laid me down, and there have been none to make me afraid; no alarms of the sword, either of war or persecution. Many lay them down, and cannot sleep, but are

full of tossings to and fro, until the dawning of the day, through pain of body or anguish of mind. Wearisome nights are appointed to them, and their eyes are held waking; but I have laid down, and slept without any disturbance, and my sleep was sweet and refreshing, the pleasant parenthesis of my care and toils. Many lay them down and sleep, and never rise again; they sleep the sleep of death, and their beds are their graves; but I have slept and awaked again, have rested, and am refreshed, because the Lord hath sustained me."

"Have I," says the christian, "a pleasant morning? Is the light sweet? The light of the sun, the light of the eyes; do these rejoice the heart? And ought I not to own my obligations to Him who opens my eyes, and opens the eye-lids of the morning upon me? Have I clothes to put on? change of raiment, not for necessity only, but also for ornament? I have them from God: it is his wool and flax that are given to cover me; and shall I not praise him for it? Am I in health and ease? Have I been long so? O how thankful ought I to be!" [See Henry on Communion with God.]

When the evening approaches, he looks back through the day, and calls to mind the manifold instances of divine kindness. How many evils have befallen the sons of men this day! Some have been labouring under racking pains of body, others left to all the rage of despair. Some unexpectedly bereaved of their choicest comforts, others exposed to accidents of the most alarming kind. Many, perhaps, have lost all they had by some unforeseen event; and multitudes been tossed about on the troubled waves of human adver

sity. Some, perhaps, have had their reputation blasted by a malignant foe; others been unjustly deprived of the inheritance they had long expected. How many have been stripped of their friends by removals or by deaths! and how many who are suffering from their friends becoming enemies, and those who are near to them, by the ties of nature, no longer allied to them by the bonds of affection! Ah, my God! how many may be the evils of one day! But here I am signalised by thy favour, and though not without my trials, yet how thankful should I feel for an exemption from these troubles! The pleasures of health, of friendship, of liberty, of peace, of character, of property, have been continued, and much more of communion with thee. "What shall I render unto the Lord for all the benefits he hath bestowed upon me? Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy

name: for he hath crowned my life with loving kindness and tender mercies. Bless the Lord, Ö my soul !"

Again; a constant and ardent breathing after holiness distinguishes the prosperous christian. No attainments he has made, no good works he has performed, ever satisfy him. He never ar rives at a point where he can sit down, and say, I have an enough, I want no more, I am at rest. I feel complacency in what I have done. I can go no farther. I can make no higher progress in knowledge or holiness. On the contrary, the nearer he approaches to God, the more he sees of his own imperfection, the more he discerns of the beauties of holiness, and the more he desires. to be conformed to him. "O that my thoughts,"