"For I am in a ftrait betwixt two, having a defire to depart, and to be with Chrift; which is far better."-Phil. i. 23. HEAVENLY DESIRE. Behold the Chriftian where he doubtful ftands, As when fafe anchored in fome foreign bay, He fain would weigh, and homeward point his prow, This done, he'll trip, and loose the flowing fail, THE engraving represents an affectionate Father who, though standing on the world, and bound with the ftrong cords of affection, yet looks upward evidently longing to depart and be. with Chrift, which, as the Apoftle fays, is far better. Though he may feel this, yet often times he feels ftrongly bound with the cords of love to remain with the objects of his affection here on the earth, to whom his stay at present seems needful. He, however, does not confider this world as his abiding-place; he has it beneath his feet, he is looking upward, and waiting for his translation to one above. Thus the Christian stands ready prepared, and longs to depart and be with Chrift; but the interefts of earth exercise an influence over him and bind him down with the golden bands of affectionate love. When a finner becomes a faint, his relations become changed, "old things have paffed away. Behold all things have become new." A " new heart" is given, filled with love to God and man. A new world is prefented full of glorious realities, fubftantial and eternal. A new God is given, Jehovah is His name. He formerly worshipped the gods of this world. A new Saviour is embraced, who is the "altogether lovely." New companions, the nobleft, the wifeft, and the beft. He is the fubject of another King, one Jefus,-the citizen of another city which is out of fight, whofe Builder and Maker is God,-the heir of an inheritance, which is incorruptible, undefiled, and which fadeth not away. No wonder, then, if he fhould often times de F fire to depart in order to poffefs all this happiness. Wandering on earth, "here he has no abiding city;" aftranger and pilgrim as all his fathers were. Nevertheless, he has interefts, affections, and duties of an earthly kind; these have a weighty claim upon him; they are connected with God and eternity. The religion of the Bible, while it ftrengthens the powers of the intellect, and fanctifies the foul, does alfo increase the power of natural affection, and makes us capable of the moft lively emotions. The true minifter of the Gofpel, like the great Apostle, would cheerfully lay down his work and away to Jefus, but the interefts of his Mafter demand that he should stay, and build up the wafte places of Jerufalem; therefore he says, "All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come. The pious parent, when vifited by fickness, would fain regard it as a call to heaven, but the dear pledges of love are weeping round the bedfide, and their youthful ftate demands a faithful guardian. He can only fay, "I am in a strait betwixt two, having a defire to depart and be with Chrift, which is far better. Nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you; the will of the Lord be done." "How happy is the pilgrim's lot! How free from every grovelling thought, Confined to neither court nor cell, "Nothing on earth I call my own : WESLEY. "Efcape for thy life."-GEN. xix. 17. world."-Ephes. ii. 2. "The courfe of this THE FATAL CURRENT. See! where the fatal current, broad and deep, THE engraving fhows the fatal current hurrying on its rolling waters to the dread abyfs; fee where the boiling cataract fends forth its cloudy vapours; like volumes of thick fmoke |