"Lord, who fhall abide in thy tabernacle? He that speaketh truth in his heart."-Ps. lv. 23. "Thy word is truth."-JOHN xvii. 17.

TRUTH.

Truth, glorious truth, of heavenly birth, and fair,
In fimple majefty array'd, is there;

Her right hand holds the faithful mirror clear,
Where all things open as the light appear:
Her left, upon the facred
page reclines,

Where unadulterate truth refplendent shines ;
The world's falfe mafk fhe tramples down with fcorn,
Adorn'd the most when she would leaft adorn.
As her own temple on the margin feen,
Stands forth reflected in the filvery stream:
So what by her is thought, or faid, or done,
Appears confpicuous as the noonday fun;
Truth is the image of our God above,
That fhines reflected in his fea of love.

All hail, bleff'd Truth! thou daughter of the fkies,
Reign thou on earth, and bid earth's fons arife;

Bid Virtue lead, and Juftice hold the fcale,

For thou art mighty, and wilt foon prevail.

TRUTH is represented in the drawing above in the person of an artless female. She is attired with fimplicity. In her right hand fhe holds a mirror. As the mirror reflects objects that pass before it as they are, without addition, alteration, or diminution, fo Truth presents every thing juft as it is. The left hand rests on the Holy Bible. This is to fhow that it is from thence the derives the principles which regulate her conduct, the fource of unadulterated truth to mankind. She is feen trampling a mask beneath her feet. It is the mask of hypocrify, which fhe rejects with fcorn, as being utterly at variance with her principles and feelings. In the background stands the Temple of Truth, the image of which is plainly reflected by the clear, placid stream that glides before it.

Truth, in an evangelical sense, is all-important. It alone will give character to an individual, more than all other qualities put together. It is of itself a rich inheritance, of more worth than mines of filver and gold. It is more ennobling than the highest titles conferred by princes. Everybody loves to be refpected, but an individual to be loved and respected must be known. He only can be known who speaks the truth from his heart, and acts the truth in his life. We may guess at others, but as we do not know we cannot refpect them, for, like pirates, they oftentimes fail under false colours.

"Nothing is beautiful except Truth," is a maxim of the French, although, it has been most

deplorably neglected. Nevertheless, the sentiment is correct. Truth is glorious wherever found; Jefus, who is "the Truth," is the altogether lovely, and the fairest among ten thousand. Truth is the glory of youth, and the diadem of the aged. But Truth is effential to happiness, both in this world and alfo in the next. For "what man is he that defireth life, and loveth many days that he may fee good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.' Lord, who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that "fpeaketh the truth." It is related of Cyrus, that when asked what was the first thing he learnt, he replied, "To tell the truth." Cyrus must have been very fortunate in having fuch good inftructors. Lord Chesterfield would have inftructed him differently.

In the days of Daniel (as the tradition fays), the wife men were ordered by the king to declare what was the strongest thing on earth. Each man brought in his anfwers; one faid wine was the ftrongeft, another mentioned women; Daniel declared that TRUTH was the moft powerful; which answer pleased the king, and the palm of victory was decreed to Daniel.

"Seize, then, on truth where'er 'tis found.
Among your friends, among your foes
On Chriftian or on heathen ground,

The plant's divine where'er it grows."

"Let not mercy and truth forfake thee ; bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: fo fhalt thou find favour and good understanding in the fight of God and man."-PROV. iii. 3.

"The lip of truth fhall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.”—PROV. xii, 19.

"Buy the truth and fell it not."-PROV. xxii. 23. "Lie not against the truth."-JAMES iii. 11. "Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth."-ZECH. viii. 16.

"Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord; but they that deal truly are his delight."-PROV. xii. 23.

"Till we all come in the unity of the Faith."-EPHES. iv. 13.

SYMBOLS OF CHRISTIAN FAITH.

See on the right, all glorious Hope doth stand,
And gives to heavenly Truth the plighted hand :
With Seraph's wings outfpread, Love ftands between
And binds their hearts with his celeftial chain.
These are Faith's emblems;-thefe its Parents three :
To produce Faith, Hope, Truth, and Love agree.

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CHRISTIAN Faith is reprefented above, by a union of Truth, Hope, and Love. The hope of heaven is represented by the apostle Paul as the anchor of the foul, confequently Hope is ufually depicted leaning on an anchor. She holds Truth by the hand, fhowing that they must be in clofe alliance. Truth holds in her hand the Holy Bible as a mirror, whereby finful men can see the deformity of their hearts. With her right hand, she receives the overtures of Hope; fhe tramples