the way. He professes to love God, but in works he denies him; he makes, consequently, no progress heavenward. The world is too much for him; it obtains more and more power over him, until it, after having made him miserable on earth, sinks him into the gulf of wo, where he receives his portion with the "hypocrites and unbelievers."

When in the light of faith divine,
We look on things below,
Honor, and gold, and sensual joy,
How vain and dangerous too!

Honor's a puff of noisy breath;
Yet men expose their blood,
And venture everlasting death,
To gain that airy good.

While others starve the nobler mind,
And feed on shining dust,
They rob the serpent of his food,
T' indulge a sordid lust.

The pleasures that allure our sense
Are dangerous snares to souls ;

There's but a drop of flattering sweet,

And dash'd with bitter bowls.

Dr. Watts

Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith Rade perfect? James ii. 22.

FAITH AND WORKS.

Lo! where the Boatman stems the flowing tide,
And aims direct his little bark to guide;
With both oars working, he can headway make,
And leave the waters foaming in his wake;
But if one oar within the boat he lays,

In useless circles, round and round, he plays.
So Faith and Works, when both together brought,
With mighty power, and heavenly life are fraught,
To help the Christian on his arduous road,
And urge him forward on his way to God:
If Faith or Works, no matter which, he drops,
Short of his journey's end he surely stops.

Look at the honest waterman plying at his daily occupation. He has just left a passenger on the other side. See with what precision he guides his little boat. By pulling both oars with equal strength, he makes rapid progress, and steers straight. He leaves

the waters foaming in his track; this is called his wake. If he should lay in either of his oars, his progress would at once be stopped. As long as he plies both, he goes ahead; but let him pull but one ever so hard, and he could not advance a foot. Round and round he would float, in eddying circles, forever. In vain would his passengers await his arrival-in vain would his wife and little ones expect his return; he would never more return; probably he would drift out to sea, and be lost in the immensity of old ocean.

The above engraving is an emblem of Faith and Works united. The Christian has a "" calling," or occupation, in which he makes progress so long as faith and works are united. They are to him as a propelling power, urging him forward in his pathway to immortality. He exerts a holy influence wherever he goes, and leaves a brilliant track behind him. It is seen that a man of God has been there. But let him lay in one of his oars; let it be said of him, "He hath left off to do good," and his progress in the divine life will at once be checked. Let him lay aside "Faith,” and the effect will be the same. He may, indeed, go round and round, like a mill-horse, in a circle of dry performances, but he will never reach the Christian's home. In vain will his friends, who have gone before him, expect his arrival ; he will never see the King in his beauty. The current of sin will bear him outward, and downward, and land him eventually in the gulf of the lost.

Some there are who have "faith," yet who are destitute of "good works." "The devils believe," but they neither love nor obey-devils they continue. Deists again, men who believe in the being and unity of God, but reject the Bible as an inspired book, have faith. But are their works perfect [good] be

fore God?-will their faith save them? All antino. mians are of this class.

Some, on the other hand, strive to abound in "works," who yet are destitute of "faith." Cain, who brought his offering, and slew his brother Abel, was of this class. The Pharisees, who paid tithes of all they possessed, and who cried out," Crucify him! Crucify him!" were also of this number. The professors of "good works," in our own day, who have no true faith in Christ, are of this number; for all offerings whatsoever, that are not perfumed with the odor of Christ's sacrifice, they are an abomination to the Lord.

In Abraham we see faith and works admirably combined. "He believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness," "and he was justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar." "Thus faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect."

In fine, where there is a scriptural "faith," that faith which is the evidence or conviction of unseen realities, there will be "works" corresponding thereto, as surely as there is life while the soul is in the body.

On the other hand, where there is no true faith, there can be no "works" acceptable to God, no more than there can be life when the soul has left the body. "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."

With a furious man thou shalt not go. Prov. xxii 24.The simple pass on, and are punished. Prov. xxii. 3.

PRECIPITATION, OR RASHNESS.

Behold the rash, impetuous charioteer,
Who reckless urges on his wild career;
Dangers and darkness thick around him grow,
High cliffs above, and yawning gulfs below;
Yet much at ease. In neither fear nor pain,
He smacks his whip, and freely gives the rein;
Rocks, vast, precipitous, he dashes by,
But frightful chasms now before him lie;
Down, down the dreadful precipice he flies,
And dashed to pieces, for his rashness dies.

Thus wilful youth to passion gives the reins,
And lengthen'd grief, for pleasures short, obtains
By passion drawn, before he's well aware,

He sinks o'erwhelm'd in misery and despair.

THE youth above is seen driving furiously along paths replete with danger. The road, if road it may be called, becomes more and more hazardous. He labors not to curb the fiery steeds, whose speed increases every moment. Instead of restraining them,