trate our subject; the same thing, no doubt, is of frequent occurrence. An insect had entered the house and was upon the back of a chair; having walked to the end, it very circumspectly employed its feelers above, below, and all around. Ascertaining that the side was slippery and precipitous, it turned round and went back again; this it did several times, nor would it leave its position until it could do so with safety. And yet man-man, with the powers almost of an angel, rushes blindly on to ruin.

It is well known that the elephant, when about to cross a bridge, puts his foot down inquiringly to ascertain its strength, nor will he proceed unless he is satisfied the bridge is strong enough to support him; but the transgressor ventures on the bridge of sin, beneath which rolls the river of eternal woe, bearing with him the weight of his immortal interest, the "vast concerns of an eternal state."

By the law of motion, the boy sliding or skating on the ice cannot easily stop himself, and sometimes he rushes into the openings or air-holes, that are often found on the surface, and meets with an untimely end.

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It is so with the laws of sin; the sinner increases his momentum as he advances; from hearkening to the counsel of the "ungodly," he proceeds to the way of open sinners," -a little further and he sits complacently in the seat of the "scornful." Now his doom is sealed!

Thus it was with Babylon's proud king; not content with having been an idolator all his life, against his better knowledge for the judgment that befell his forefather, Nebuchadnezzar, must have instructed him-he would ridicule the true religion, he would insult the Majesty of Heaven. He sends for the sacred vessels of the Sanctuary, that he and his companions may magnify themselves over the captive tribes of Israel. But behold! in the midst of his blasphemous revelry, the Handthe terrible hand appears, and the presumptuous monarch, after having seen his doom recorded on the wall of his own palace is suddenly cut down, and his kingdom given to another.

"My heart is fixed."-Ps. cviii. 1. "I press toward the mark for the prize."PHIL. iii. 14.

DECISION AND PERSEVERANCE.

See where the Alps rear up their giant brow;
King of the mounts, with coronet of snow;
Scorning all time and change, his stalwart form,
Endures the peltings of eternal storm;
In awful pride, enthroned above the skies,
Peaks upon peaks in matchless grandeur rise :
'Mid frowning glaciers, on whose icy crest
The savage vulture builds its craggy nest,
The fathomless abyss extends beneath,
And leads the traveller to the realms of death;

Napoleon comes in quest of fame and power,
He scans the mounts that high above him tower.
Though "barely possible," he will" advance,"
And in Italia plant the flag of France;

In vain the mountain, like a dreadful ghost,
Rises to frighten the advancing host.

O'er towering cliff and yawning gulf he speeds,
He means to pass, nor aught of danger heeds;
He scales the summit with his conquering train
And like the vulture swoops upon the plain.

HERE the Alps lift up their snow-capped heads in awful sublimity; their icy pinnacles tower above the clouds; their colossal forms arise, mountain on mountain piled. To all save the bounding chamois or his intrepid pursuer, they appear inaccessible; here vast overhanging precipices threaten destruction, and there the treacherous abyss lies concealed, ready to ingulf the unwary traveller. Winter reings supreme upon his throne of desolation; eternal tempests increase the horror of the scene. In vain does the famished traveller search for some stunted lichen, or the smallest animal, to save him from approaching death; he sees nothing but boundless seas of ice-no signs of life are there-it seems the very tomb of nature; the solemn solitude is broken only by the roar of the tempest or the thunder of the avalanche.

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Yet over all these obstacles Napoleon would advance; he inquires of the engineer Marescot, who had just explored the wild passes of the St. Bernard, if it is possible to pass. Barely possible," answers the officer. "Very well," says Napoleon, en avant," advance," and at the head of his army of above 30,000 men, with their arms, horses, and artillery, he commences the arduous passage. The mountains seem to bid defiance to the utmost efforts of the martial host; but dangers and difficulties deter him not; like the gale that wafts the vessel sooner into port, they only urge him on towards the object of his ambition; he conducts the army over slippery glaciers, wide yawning ravines, and eternal snows; he braves the fury of the tempest, and the crash of the avalanche-and overcoming every obstacle, he swoops upon Italy like the Alpine eagle upon his prey.

In the conduct of Napoleon in this instance we have a striking example of decision and perseverance. If we can "out of the eater bring forth meat," and can "from the strong bring forth sweetness," it will be well.

The importance of possessing a decided character is best seen in its results, as the value of a tree is best known by its fruits; by its aid Napoleon accomplished the objects of his ambition-fame, and wealth, and glory, and power. With it, a man attains that which he sets his heart upon; without it, he becomes easily discouraged and fails. With it, he controls his own movements, and influences also the conduct of others; without it, he loses his own individuality, and becomes a creature of circumstances. In fine, a man without decision, is like a rudderless vessel, tossed upon an uncertain sea; while the decided character, like the genius of the storm, commands the winds and the waves, and they obey him.

The importance of decision being so apparent, it becomes an interesting inquiry, "How can it be obtained?" After a proper object of pursuit is selected, it seems essential that a fuller knowledge of the object should be secured; no pains ought to be spared in order to obtain a perfect knowledge of the object or profession, in all its parts; this is necessary to the foundation of such a character. The traveller who knows his way walks with a firm step, while he that is in doubt about his path advances with hesitation.

Another thing deemed essential, is Confidence in the object of our choice, that it will yield us satisfaction, then possessing a knowledge of our route, and a belief that at the end of our journey we shall be at home, the things that discourage others have no influence at all upon us. So it is with the decided character, in the path he has chosen. Does opposition present itself? he assumes the attitude of a gladiator, determined to conquer or die. Does danger appear, as it did to Shadrach and his companions, when the burning fiery furnace stood in their path? he burns the more ardently to fulfil his mission. Is he ridiculed, as were the builders of the walls of Jerusalem? he heeds it not, he still goes forward. Finally, does he find himself forsaken ? it throws him on his own resources, it makes him firmer in his purpose, as the tree that stands alone and braves the storm strikes deeper its roots into the ground. If engaged in a good cause, he is, like Milton's Abdiel,

"Faithful found

Among the faithless, faithful only he
Among iunumerable false, unmoved,
Unbroken, unseduced, unterrified,

His loyalty he kept, his love, his zeal.

Nor number, nor example, with him wrought

To swerve from truth or change his constant mind
Though single."

In the case of Napoleon the above points were exemplified; he selected, as the object of his choice, military warfare-he made himself acquainted with every thing belonging to it as a science. He had confidence in it, as a means of procuring him the highest objects of his ambition; hence his devotion to it-hence his perseverance; dangers and difficulties are seized as allies-he rises with the storm, and "barely possible" is to him an assurance of success.

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To the Christian soldier, decision is of the highest importance; he has selected the Christian warfare as a means of procuring to him, Glory Honour, and Immortality." "If the righteous are scarcely saved," it behoves him to know what belongs to "his calling." He needs a knowledge of himself, of his duties, and of his privileges; a knowledge of the way, its dangers and its difficulties; a knowledge of his enemies, their methods, and their power; a knowledge of his A'mighty leader, of His Spirit, and of His word. He needs a living, practical faith, in religion, that it will secure to him "Eternal Life." Opposition, danger, and death, may stare him in the face, but if decided, he will say, "None of these things move me," My heart is fixed, I will sing and give praise;" and having fought the good fight of faith, he will be enrolled among those who persevere to the end, and are saved :—

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"Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees and looks to that alone,
Laughs at impossibilities and cries, "It shall be done!'"

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Decision of character may, however, belong to very different individuals; to the bad as well as the good, to Satan as well as to Abdiel. We may, like Enoch, 'set ourselves to walk with God; or be like the wicked whose "heart is fully set in them to do evil." We may say with pious Joshua, "Choose you this day who ye will serve, but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord;,, or with ambitious Pizarro, we may draw the line with the sword and say, "On this side lies poverty and Panama, on that, Peru and gold; as for me and the brave, we will cross the line." With the martyr Paul, we may exclain, "I go to Jerusalem, though bonds and afflictions await me there." Or with the patriot Pompey "It is necessary for me to be at Rome, though it is not necessary for me to live."

The following anecdotes related by Foster, exhibit striking examples of decision and perseverance :—

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"An estimable old man, being on a jury in a trial of life and