The last depicted is one who is carrying worldly honor and glory; who foolishly thinks he can love God and the world together. No man can serve two masters of opposite interest. "How," said Jesus, "can ye be saved who seek honor one of another, and not the honor which cometh from God only."

Perhaps it was on one of those beautiful evenings of surpassing loveliness, seen only in the Holy Land, that the Blessed Redeemer delivered his unexampled lessons of benevolence and wisdom from the mount made sacred by his presence. Then Jesus opened his mouth and taught them, saying, "Enter ye in at the strait gate; strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." By which words the Saviour would have us to understand the nature and requirements of Religion. Its nature-that it consists in a change of heart. Its requirements that we do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord.

Hence, by the "strait gate" we may learn that compliance with the first table of the Law is intended, viz.: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. By the " narrow way," obedience to the demands of the second table is enjoined, viz.: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; or, as it is expressed by the Saviour, more copiously-"Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so to them." As no man can love God, as required, without a change of heart, so neither can any one-Do unto others as he would they should do unto him-unless he first love God, for "he that loveth not his brother abideth in death."

Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Matt. vi. 24.man is unstable in all his ways. James i. 8.

-A double-minded

DOUBLE-MINDEDNESS.

See the professor laboring, but in vain,
The world and cross together to sustain;
The globe is in his right hand dexterous found,
His left the cross drags sluggish on the ground;
In vain for him appears the narrow way,
The world has led him from the path astray:
In vain for him shines forth the heavenly light,
The world has risen and obscured his sight;
Two minds he has, both he may call his own,
Sometimes they lead him up, and sometimes down;
Like doubtful birds, that hop from spray to spray,
His will is never at one certain stay:

Too late he learns, with deep regret and pain,
He loses both who more than one would gain.

HERE is seen a man staggering under two heavy burdens: a globe, which represents the world, and a cross, that represents the Christian religion. His knees totter and tremble beneath the cumbrous load. The cross is the badge of his profession,

which he holds, or rather drags along, with his left hand; this shows that religion is only a secondary concern with him.

In his right hand he carries the globe. The right hand being the most dexterous, shows that the practical part of his life is employed in securing the world, notwithstanding his profession. He has succeeded so well that the globe has got uppermost. It monopolizes his attention, and controls his movements. It has turned his feet from the narrow way; it has hid from his view the glorious light of the heavenly city. In going down hill, the cross slips out of his left hand, he stumbles over it, and falls, the globe falls upon him, and grinds him to powder.

This emblem needs but little illustration. It shows the folly and end of a double-minded man. The fabled Atlas, who carried the world on his shoulders, attempted nothing, accomplished nothing, compared with the man who labors to secure both this world and the next; he has two souls, or minds, which govern him by turns; but in the end, the worldly principle prevails. His folly consists in trying to do what is in itself absolutely impossible-what no man ever did or ever can do. God himself has separated the world from the cross; what God hath separated, no man may bring together; the nature of the gospel forbids such union. Its influences, doctrines, precepts, objects, tendencies, and final issues are all opposed, and contrary to the principles, maxims, practices, and interests of this world.

In the gospel, provision is made to renew the heart, and to enable man to set his affections on things above, not on things on the earth. The cross is as much as any man can carry, let him have as much grace as he will. If any doubt remains, Christ, the great Umpire of all disputed claims of

this kind, has pronounced the decision: "No man can serve two masters"-" Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

The double-minded man is unstable in all his ways; sometimes he is seen among the disciples of Christ, then again he appears following the course of this world. He takes no comfort in religion, and none in the world. Every thing connected with him is double; a double curse rests upon him wherever he goes. True Christians are ashamed of him; the ungodly despise him; he is a laughing-stock for devils; his own conscience reproaches him; his own family upbraids him; and a double punishment will be the portion of his cup forever.

The mad prophet Balaam is a remarkable instance of double-mindedness. In profession, he would be a prophet of Jehovah; in practice, he followed and loved the wages of unrighteousness." Despised by the people of God, to whom he was a stumbling-block; despised and reproached by Balak for his indecision, he died under the weight of a double curse, and left his name a proverb of reproach and shame.

Choose you this day whom ye will serve. Joshua xxiv. 15.

How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. 1 Kings xviii. 21.

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Rev. iii. 15, 16.

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and beat upon that house, and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. Matt. vii. 25.

Not so the simpleton who built on sand,
And wrought his labor with penurious hand;
'Midst howling tempests, and loud thunder's roar.

His housed, and was seen no more.