"The facrifices of God are a broken fpirit."-Ps. li. 17. "He that covereth his fins fhall not profper; but whofo confeffeth and forfaketh them fhall find mercy."-PROV. xxviii. 13.

REPENTANCE.

On bended knees, replete with godly grief,
See, where the mourner kneels to seek relief;
No "God, I thank thee," freezes on his tongue,
For works of merit that to him belong;
Deep in his foul conviction's ploughshare rings,
And to the furface his corruption brings;
He loathes himself, in loweft duft he lies,
And all abafed, "Unclean, unclean," he cries.
From his full heart pours forth the gushing plea,
"God of the loft, be merciful to me !"
The light of life defcends in heavenly rays,
And angels fhout, and fing, "Behold, he prays."

BEHOLD here an individual on his knees, weeping. He is in great diftrefs of mind; he

has retired from the busy walks of life, and come to this place of folitude, to give vent to his feelings. His groans break the furrounding filence; they return in soft, but melancholy echoes to his ears. Above his head are feen defcending particles of heavenly light; a little in the rear stands the plough, imbedded in the opening earth.

This is an emblem of Repentance. The man bowed on his knees represents the true penitent, whofe foul is humbled under the mighty hand of God. He withdraws from the vanities of the world; he is fick of fin; he breaks the filence of folitude with his inquiries of, "O that I knew where I might find him!" He does not, in the pride of felf-righteousness, exclaim, “God, I thank thee that I am not as other men," &c. O no! too deeply he feels the plague of his own heart.

As the plough enters the hard foil, and lays bare furrow after furrow; even fo has conviction penetrated the heart of the true penitent, and laid bare its deceitful folds, and discovered its once hidden depths of pollution and guilt. He abhors himself in duft and in afhes; he can only fay, God be merciful to me a finner. The ploughfhare of God's convicting fpirit has entered and broken up the fallow ground of his heart; hence he brings the facrifice with which God is well pleased-that is "a broken and contrite heart;" and the light of Jehovah's countenance falls full upon his foul, as a token of divine acceptance.

Repentance confifts in a change of mind or purpose, wherein the penitent " ceases to do evil,”

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and "learns to do well." The prodigal repented when he faid, "I will arife and go to my father," and departed. The farmer's fon, who, when he had refused to go and work in the vineyard, and afterwards altered his purpose and went, repented. Saul of Tarfus, when he refused any longer to obey the mandates of the chief priests and scribes, and inquired, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" repented. Thus we see it confifts in actually doing the will of God. It is not mere anxiety Simon Magus had this; nevertheless he was ftill in the "bonds of iniquity." Nor mere trembling: Felix trembled, yet retained his fins. Nor remorfe Judas had this, and died in defpair; and Dives alfo, though in the regions of the loft.

Repentance is the gate of heaven. It is the condition, upon the fulfilment of which depends eternal life. "You repent, and I will forgive." Hence the ambassadors of Heaven have invariably directed the attention of finners to this as a first step towards obtaining the favour of God, and every promised bleffing. The prophets, in their denunciations, John of the Defert, in his fiery exhortations, the Saviour, in his divine inftructions, and the apoftles, in their warm appeals, enjoined upon every foul "repentance toward God."

Through this gate all have passed who have at any time been recognized by the Almighty as his fervants. The children of Ifrael paffed through it, typically, when they ate the bitter herbsbefore they beheld the pillars of cloud and of fire in the wilderness; Ifaiah, ere he touched the

facred harp of prophecy; Elijah, ere he ascended in the chariot of ethereal fire; Ezekiel, before he gazed upon the vifions of the Eternal; Daniel, before the Angel of God pronounced him "Bleffed;" Paul, ere he was caught up to the third heaven;" and John of Patmos, before the glorious revelations of "Alpha and Omega" filled him with wonder and aftonishment; and "the hundred and forty-four thoufand," ere they fung the fong of Mofes and of the Lamb. Repentance is a facred duty. God "now commands all men everywhere to repent." Why? Because all have finned, and come fhort of the glory of God;" and, "Except ye repent, ye fhall all likewise perifh."

"The wicked flee when no man purfueth, but the righteous are as bold as a lion."-PROV. xxviii. 1.

FEARFUL AND FEARLESS.

Here is depicted plainly to the eye,
The wicked fleeing when no foe is nigh.
The thunder echoing in its deep-toned peals,
Alarms his confcience, and awakes his heels.
The wind low whistling through the hollow tree,
A call from juftice is, from which they flee
The rolling torrent, in its murmurs loud,
Appears the fhout of the purfuing crowd;
Each object looming through the gloom of night,
His fear increases, and augments his flight.

Not fo the Righteous; fee him walk along,
Bold as a lion, as a mountain ftrong.
Courageous heart, he fears no rude furprise,
He trufts in Jefus, and all elfe defies.

THIS engraving fhows a man running as it were for his life. On the other hand is feen one