acknowledge God; he will direct thy paths. Here, then, is the conclufion of the whole matter; imminent perils furround the youth, but the greatest of all perils is the danger of trusting to his own heart. Lean upon God, and all will be well. Though weak and ignorant, yet God is wife and ftrong, able to guide and preserve all those who trust in him.

The mariner who fhould put to sea without chart or compass, trufting to his own knowledge, would, without doubt, on the firft ftormy night, repent heartily of his folly. O how much

greater is the folly of those who, trusting to self, neglect to use the lamp of God's truth, or to feek the enlightening influences of his Holy Spirit, or to follow the advice of the wife and good.

The cafe of Pharaoh, the Egyptian monarch, affords a ftriking example of felf-confidence. When the children of Ifrael had left the house of bondage, and were well on their journey towards the land of promise, the king, confiding in his ftrength, exclaimed: "I will pursue, I will overtake," and prefumptuously set forth for that purpose. Each recently received plague remonftrated, and forbade the rafhnefs of the monarch; but all in vain. On he rufhed, even to the divifion of waters. In his felf-confidence he engaged in battle with Jehovah, God of Armies. The conflict was of fhort duration; the arm of the Lord prevailed; Pharaoh and his men of war were swept away with the waters of deftruction.

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

Ps. cxix. 105.

Ps. lxxxiv. II.

THE SUN OF TRUTH.

Lo! on a path that through the mountains fweeps,
And climbs their fummits, and defcends their deeps,
The Sun pours wide his bright diffufive rays,
And fhows two travellers on their different ways;
His fhade behind, his pathway always bright,
One travels forward with increafing light,
Till equatorial o'er his head it burns,
And all of fhadow into day it turns ;
The other turns upon the fun his back,
His lengthening fhadow darkens all his track.
Which now not feen, he turns him from the right,
And ends his journey in the realms of night.

SEE where, among the mountain heights, a long, ftraight path ftretches itself till it is loft in the distance beyond. The fun pours wide his rays of living light, illuminating the path, and fhedding luftre all around. Two travellers are

purfuing their different routes. One advances toward the fun; his fhadow is behind, his path is bright before him. As he proceeds, his fhadow diminishes, while his path grows brighter and brighter, until directly over head the fun pours the full tide of its glory upon him, and the whole of the fhadow disappears.

The other has turned his back upon the orb of day. See, he follows his own fhadow. It darkens his pathway before him. Now he leaves the track; his fhadow lengthens more and more; he wanders into funken labyrinths, and finally lofes himself amidst the darkness of night.

This emblem represents the moral world. The fun defignates the Sun of Truth. The travellers denote, firft, those who follow the light their path fhines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day; their fouls become enlightened, vivified, and purified; darkness disappears, and heavenly light fhines on their fouls for ever. Secondly, it fignifies those who turn their backs on the light, and who, as they journey, wander farther and farther from his bright beams; their path becomes darker and darker; their fhadow lengthens as they proceed, until, having forfaken altogether the way of truth, they lose themselves among the wilds of error, and perish in the darkness of everlafting night.

Where shines the Sun of Truth? In the holy Bible. The Scriptures are a "light" to the weary traveller, illuminating all his goings, pointing out his proper path, and showing where the mountains of error lift up their defolating heads.

This Sun of Truth fhines on the traveller himself. It discovers his ignorance, guilt, danger, helpleffness, and, at the fame time, his immortality. Again it fhines, and he beholds Calvary, with all its weeping tragedies. It reveals to him now his "wifdom, juftification, sanctification, and redemption." Where fhines the Sun of In the person of Jesus Christ. He who wifely uses the light of the Scriptures will be led to contemplate Him who is the "Light of the world," "the Sun of Righteousness," "the Splendid Glory of Jehovah," the Way, the Life, and the Truth."

Truth?

The Chriftian, following the light of the glorious Sun of Truth, discovers ever-opening mines of richest knowledge. Fountains of living waters roll their treasures at his feet. Trees of Life overhang his pathway, and drop into his lap their golden ftores, till at length he beholds the opening gates of the New Jerusalem,

Where Light and Truth their mystic powers combine, And o'er the realms of Love for ever fhine.

The infidel, turning his back upon the light, walks in the vain fhadow of his own opinions. Darker, and yet more dark, the fhadow grows; he waxes worse and worse; one truth after another is given up one lie after another is embraced; farther and farther he wanders from God and blifs, and finally he takes his fearful "leap in the dark," and finds himself, contrary to his expectations, in outer darkness, where there is weeping, and wailing, and woe.

"Unto the upright there arifeth light in the darknefs."-Ps. cxii. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the fhadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me."-Ps. xxiii. 4.

4.

LIGHT IN DARKNESS.

Lo! where a Chriftian walks in darkest gloom,
As though enclofed in fome monaftic tomb;
And clouds of darkest night furround his head;
A Pall, like that which canopies the dead ;
His path lies through the palpable obscure,
Nor can he yet difcern an open door ;.
Yet he's refolved to penetrate his way,
Nor doubts but darkness will be turned to day :
To Chrift he prays, the light of mortals here;
And Chrift, the light of mortals, fhines out clear,
Full on his path, pours down the heavenly light,
And on he goes, with vigour and delight.

THE engraving represents a Chriftian walking through a dark and fhadowy vale, wherein is no light; the mantle of darkness encircles him, the pall of the grave has enfolded itself around him.