"Ye cannot ferve God and mammon."-MATT. vi. 24. "A double-minded man is unftable in all his ways."-JAMES i. 8.

DOUBLE-MINDEDNESS.

See the profeffor labouring, but in vain,
The world and crofs together to sustain;
The globe is in his right hand dexterous found,
His left the crofs drags fluggish on the ground;
In vain for him appears the narrow way,
The world has led him from the path aftray:
In vain for him fhines forth the heavenly light,
The world has rifen and obfcured his fight;
Two minds he has, both he may call his own,
Sometimes they lead him up, and fometimes down;
Like doubtful birds, that hop from spray to spray,
His will is never at one certain ftay:

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

HERE is seen a man ftaggering under two heavy burdens; a globe, which reprefents the world, and a cross, that reprefents the Chriftian

religion. His knees totter and tremble beneath the cumbrous load. The cross is the badge of his profeffion, 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 fecuring the world, notwithstanding his profeffion. He has fucceeded fo well that the globe has got uppermoft. 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 flips out of his left hand, he ftumbles over it, and falls; the globe falls upon him, and grinds him to powder.

This emblem needs but little illuftration. It fhows the folly and end of a double-minded man. The fabled Atlas, who carried the world on his fhoulders, attempted nothing, accomplished nothing, compared with the man who labours to fecure both this world and the next; he has two fouls, or minds, which govern him by turns; but in the end, the worldly principle prevails. His folly confifts in trying to do what is in itself absolutely impoffible-what no man ever did or ever can do. God himself has feparated the world from the crofs; what God hath separated, no man may bring together; the nature of the gofpel forbids fuch union. Its influences, doctrines, precepts, objects, tendencies, and final iffues are all op

pofed, and contrary to the principles, maxims, practices, and interefts of this world.

In the gospel, provifion is made to renew the heart, and to enable man to fet his affections on things above, not on things on the earth. The crofs is as much as any man can carry, let him have as much grace as he will. If any doubt remains, Chrift the great Umpire of all difputed claims of this kind, has pronounced the decifion : "No man can ferve two masters"—"Ye cannot ferve God and mammon."

The double-minded man is unftable in all his ways; fometimes he is feen among the difciples of Chrift, then again he appears following the 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 curfe refts upon him wherever he goes. True Chriftians are ashamed of him; the ungodly despise him; he is a laughing-stock for devils; his own confcience reproaches him; his own family upbraids him; and a double punishment will be the portion of his cup for ever.

The mad prophet Balaam is a remarkable inftance of double-mindednefs. In profeffion, he would be a prophet of Jehovah; in practice, he followed and "loved the wages of unrighteoufnefs." Despised by the people of God, to whom he was a tumbling-block; defpifed and reproached by Balak for his indecifion, he died under the weight of a double curfe, and left his name a proverb of reproach and fhame:

"Choose you this day whom ye will ferve."-Jos. xxiv. 15.

"How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him." -I 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 fpue thee out of my mouth."-REV. iii. 15, 16.

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

THE HOUSE FOUNDED ON A ROCK.

Lo! on a rock, the wife man marks his plan,
Its deep foundations clofely he would fcan;
Though gentle zephyrs breathe through fummer skies,
He knows that ftorms wide wafting may arise;
On folid bafe his building rifes fair,

And points its turrets through the ambient air.
With tranquil joy, his eyes delighted, greet
The beauteous fabric furnished and complete;
In confcious fafety makes it is abode.
His duty done, he leaves the reft with God.
But foon dark clouds o'erfpread the troubled sky,
And foon is heard the voice of tempeft high;
Deep rolls the thunder, rains in torrents pour.
And floods tumultuous beat with deafening roar.
Floods, rain, nor thunder, nor rude tempeft's fhock,
Can harm the houfe-'tis founded on a Rock.