expanse. Such a scene I actually witnessed, with feelings naturally excited by all the circumstances of local solemnity; for such, indeed, might have been the face of nature when the inspiration of an apostle, kindling in its contemplation, uttered the Alleluias of that mighty voice,* telling of salvation, and glory, and honour, and power. Dr. Clarke's Travels.

VARIETIES.

WAITING UPON GOD.

"My soul waiteth for the Lord, more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning."

"An excellent frame this! There is more true comfort in waiting for the Lord than in the actual possession of all the world besides; and yet there is none that saith, 'Where is God, My maker?' something very different is the object of their eager expectation: who will show us any good? that's all they mind. For that they rise early, sit up late, and eat the bread of carefulness; for that they neglect their souls and their Saviour; from that nothing can divert them. God hath said, "In their affliction they will seek me early; and to be sure, it is natural enough to expect it but no such thing. They do not want for affliction; go where you will you hear complaints in abundance, but not a word about the Lord; all their cry is, we must hope for better times-when things are at the worst they'll mend; poor consolation this, and yet the world in general have no better, while here and there we meet with one whom nothing in the world can satisfy: 'Do not tell me,' he says 'of your treasure, or your pleasures, or any of your vain enjoyments or pursuits; I cannot be put off with husks: what would all the riches of the Indies do towards easing my aching heart, or healing my wounded spirit? no, no; miserable comforters are ye all! I know whence cometh my help, if ever it

* Rev. xix. 1.

comes at all; I know whose prerogative it is to comfort them that are cast down, and I have committed my cause unto Him; I have told him all my burden, and have besought the Lord thrice-yea, many times thrice, for mercy to pardon, and grace to help; though, alas! hitherto, he hath little attended to the voice of my sup-⠀⠀ plication. I know he is gracious and merciful; I know he hath, before now, regarded the prayer of the destitute; I believe he is still as compassionate and bountiful as ever, and therefore, “my soul waiteth for the Lord, more than they that watch for the morning; I say, more than they that watch for the morning.”

THE DISCONTENTED VIOLET.

A Violet that grew in a lonely and deserted spot, bemoaned her sad fate to the Zephyr that floated by. "Why are flowers created," she sighed, "but to gladden the eye and to cheer the heart of man? No human eye can pierce this solitude, and even my precious gift of fragrance must be wasted on the empty air." The Zephyr smiled on the simple flower, and as he passed over the purple bank, where she grew, he gathered of her fragrance, and bore it on his wing to the window of a close chamber in a populous city, where a dying woman lay stretched upon a pallet of straw. The pale sufferer raised her eyes to Heaven, and said to her husband who knelt in speechless agony by her side, " Mourn not my beloved, for in all my sufferings the Lord hath been with me to refresh me, and He will be with me, even unto the end. And lo! even now, the air is filled with a sweet odour, like the incense which the flowers of the field offer to their Creator in the dewy hours of evening. But this is sweeter far than the scent of earthly flowers. It is borne from the Garden of Paradise." Thus she cheered the mourner with her sweet, calm words, and he looked up also and was comforted.

Then flew the Zephyr back, and told the tale to the murmuring flower; and she was glad and thankful. But when she heard the dying woman's words, of the incense

offered by the flowers to their Creator, the little Violet bowed her head and was humbled in sorrow for her sin; and she mourned that she had forgotten her Maker, and thought only of the creatures he had made. The Zephyr soothed her sorrow, and bade her be of good cheer, and seek to offer her incense with a thankful heart while yet there was time.

The Violet raised her head again, a dew-drop glistened in her eye, and a bright sunbeam burst from the clouds, and smiled on the flower a gracious smile. Then was her heart right glad for she knew that her incense was accepted, and her sin forgiven.

AFFLICTION.

"Affliction is God's school. David was trained up in it; Paul was trained up in it; and many, if not most of God's dearest children, have had the principal part of their education there. The lessons there taught are some of the most useful in themselves, and the best remembered of any. "Tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope." Flesh and blood object to go there, and at the first proposal, hesitate and shrink back, with an 'I pray thee, have me excused. Lord, why may'nt I learn as well here as any where else? why will not the school of prosperity do as well? smiling mercies would win upon me sooner than this smarting rod, and I should learn much faster, as well as pleasanter, if I had all things richly to enjoy, without any outward trouble to prey upon my spirits.' So we may fancy, but the Father of our spirits knoweth what is in man better than we do ourselves. He knows how easily our carnal minds are captivated by carnal things, and that if we were to have every thing our own way we should forget God and ourselves too; nothing would be minded but the world, and the things of the world; we should be fond of staying here always; the thoughts of death would be unwelcome, and the great concerns of another world would be little, if at all, attended to. We see this is the case with multitudes; because they have no changes, therefore they fear

not God. And it would be our case too, if the Lord was to say concerning us,-Let them alone, why should they be stricken any more? let them take their fill of wealth and pleasure, I will not restrain them: let them walk after the ways of their own hearts, and the sight of their own eyes, and make this short life as merry a one as they can, I'll not stop them in their mad career; they shall have every thing their heart can wish.' A more dreadful judgment could not befall a person. But God will not Ideal thus with his children: he loves them too well for that; and therefore, when he observes any thing in their temper or conduct amiss, he reproves them, and if necessary, corrects them sharply for it. He hedges up their way with thorns: he removes those objects they were too fond of; and by a sucession of smarting trials, weans them from this earth, and earthly possessions and enjoyments, and disposes them to mind nothing, and relish nothing, but holiness and heaven: so that many, who went first to this school with great reluctance, have come away singing with the Psalmist, (Ps. cxix. 71. 67.) "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes. Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept thy word.""

THE CHRISTIAN, A BEGGAR ALL THE WAY THROUGH.

A lively Christian lives like a king, and prays like a beggar ;—he works in his secular calling as if he were to live long, and in his spiritual calling, as if he were to die to-morrow.

FORGIVENESS OF INJURIES.

To have the courage to take notice of an affront, is to be even with our adversary: to have the goodness to forgive it, is to be above him.

PARDONING MERCY.

As at the deluge the waters covered the highest mountains as well as the lowest hills, so pardoning mercy, through Jesus Christ, cancels the greatest sins as well as the least.

THE LITTLENESS OF MAN.

Philip, king of Macedon, happening to fall down, and viewing (after he rose up) the impression of his body in the dust, "Well" said he, "How much we grasp after, and yet what a small portion of earth will contain us."

THE TWO THRONES.

God has two thrones, one in the highest heavens, and the other in the lowest hearts.

MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE.

Artaxerxes used to say, that "It was a proof of a generous soul to receive a small present with one hand, and (if he were able) to bestow a large one with the other."

FORGIVENESS.

A rash and presumptuous youth, being greatly displeased at the Spartan laws, which Lycurgus made, struck the legislator, and beat out one of his eyes with the blow; the enraged Spartans immediately cried out "Take this wicked youth, and severely punish him." "I thank you," said Lycurgus, and directly took him to his house; but instead of giving him the least punishment, he treated him kindly like his own son.

The young man was so moved by the generous behaviour of Lycurgus in forgiving him, that he became a truly virtuous person, and would often say to the Spartans, "Lycurgus has punished me more severely than you imagine-for as I now so much esteem him, I am continually suffering uneasiness for having insulted the person, and destroyed the eye of so illustrious a man.

TWO REASONS.

A country minister being once called on to supply a neighbouring congregation, refused to have his own pulpit filled in his absence, alleging as a reason, that should any one preach better than himself, his hearers might feel dissatisfied on his return; and if they did not preach as well, they were not fit to preach at all.