tradesman, his less successful fellow-merchants or fellow-tradesmen "can't see " what there is in him that he should carry all before him; and, because they "can't see" his cleverness, his industry, and other good business properties, they hint that there must be a good deal of knavery in his transac tions, or that he is insolvent, and that he will one day come to grief; and they don't stick at circulating reports. injurious to his mercantile credit. Curiously enough, these prejudiced people often cast up to a man's reproach that which really is to his praise; as when they refer to his humble origin, and say that they can remember the time when no one would trust him to the extent of a five pound note, and when he hardly knew, from day to day, how he should get bread to eat. They "can't see" that it is very greatly to the man's honour that he has struggled through such difficulties and made himself what he is. Said one of those envious people to a man who had been the architect of his own fortune" Why, Sir, I remember when you were only "boots' at an inn." "Yes," was the reply, "and if you had been 'boots' there you would have remained 'boots' to this day." And as we are apt to regard persons with prejudice, so we are apt to think of principles, political and religious. A man is brought up in certain notions which, without examination, he believes to be right, and all ideas to the contrary are, without examination, pronounced to be wrong. He "can't see " anything good in them. On such a man evidence and argument are generally wasted. What a farce, for instance, is most of the political speech making that goes on at the time of an election! What a mistake if the deluded speakers suppose that anything they may say will convince their opponents, as if anyone went to a political meeting to be convinced, or in a convincible state of mind! The speaker ought to know

enough of human nature to be himself convinced of one thing— namely, that the sounder his reasoning, the more unanswerable his arguments, the less likely are they to have the desired effect upon those persons, cased in prejudice, who probably constitute nineteen-twentieths of the persons whom he wishes to bring over to his way of thinking. And very much theological controversy is, for the same reason, ineffectual to convince and to convert. Such unhappily is the strength of prejudice, that it closes men's eyes against the clearest demonstration, so that they "can't see it." Prejudice has been a great obstacle to human progress, an obstacle perhaps almost as great as ignorance. It has stood obstinately, stupidly, in the way of almost every reform and every improvement; it has been the source of much injustice and much cruelty; it has kept men in error who, but for its bad influence, would have been led into truth; it has, most unfairly, laid men under suspicion, and darkened and damaged reputations that did not deserve to suffer. Now, in regard both to persons and to principles, we ought to be too manly, too honest, too generous, and too much concerned to know and to honour truth to allow prejudice thus to blind us. I have given credit to the honest doubt that says "I can't see it;" but when "I can't see it" is the expression of prejudice, and especially when we find ourselves saying it under the influence of prejudice, let us show it no mercy.

Once more,-most commonly of all, "I can't see it" is the expression of passion. Take, for instance, the passion of anger. Well does an old proverb say, "an angry man opens his mouth and shuts his eyes." He "can't see" how ugly and hateful he looks, how much he looks like what one should think a devil must be when he is in a rage. He can't see what a fool he

is making of himself, what a laughing stock he is to his neigh bours; and he "can't see the sorrow and remorse which he

is preparing for himself through giving way to the violence of his temper. It is quite possible he may commit murder or manslaughter; rather probable that he will be guilty of some assault, for which he will have to answer before the magistrate; and very certain that he will say or do something of which, when he cools down and comes to his senses, he will have reason to be very much ashamed; but he "can't see it." "Extremes meet;" and, to go from one passion to another, and that its opposite -love, quite as much as hatred, makes men blind, blind even to a proverb. Two young people fall in love with one another, and although it is plain enough to everybody else that they can't afford to marry, or that they are quite unfit to make each other happy, they "can't see it." Similarly, parental love, in its blind partiality thinking its own geese swans, "can't see" any fault in the objects of its affections, "can't see" that they need discipline, "can't see" that sometimes a sharp chiding or a pretty smart chastening would do them a world of good. Another blinding passion is the love of money. Men hastening to be rich and tempted by promising speculations "can't see" the risks they run; and another thing they "can't see" is this-that, even if they succeed to the utmost extent of their expectations and their hopes, they will probably do so at far too great a price. They "can't see" that "gold may be bought too dear," that if health of body and peace of mind are to be paid for wealth, it is a bad bargain, Divine truth solemnly says"What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" but "they can't see it." The passion for luxury and display throws dust into men's eyes. They go on and on in extravagance, and "can't see" that the end of such a course is a break down, leading, it may be, to beggary. The gambler pursues a path which is pretty sure to lead to ruin and disgrace; such is the fate of most men who take to that line of life; but,

reason and remonstrate and warn as you will, the probability is that he "can't see it." Those passions which find their gratification in licentious indulgences have the like blinding tendency. Before the drunkard's eyes other drunkards are, day by day, cut off, thus giving him solemn warning; but he "can't see it." Vice, in its various forms, degrades, beggars, breaks down, and destroys thousands of its votaries; hardly a newspaper appears that does not present some tale of shame, of horror, and of woe, the result of sensual lust and passion; but the profligate "can't see it,"”—at all events, "can't see in such facts reasons why he should turn from his evil ways and lead a sober, righteous, and godly life. Well, if people "can't see "won't see " these things in time, they will have to see them when it is too late. "In hell the rich voluptuary lifted up his eyes." Pity he had not lifted them up when he was on earth, or at all events opened them to see whither he was going; and many are going to the same place who "can't or won't see it," until seeing it will be of no use.

or

Let us beware of "I can't see it,' so far as it expresses ignorance of what we ought to know, and so far as it expresses the blindness of pride, of prejudice, and of passion. Let us be wide awake; let us keep our eyes open; let us ponder the path of our feet; let us keep a good look-out, so as to see, and to see in time, every temptation, every snare, every danger. "To be forewarned is to be forearmed." Beware of the blockhead's lamentation--"had I wist!" "A wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walketh in darkness,”—“ a prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself, but the simple pass on and are punished."- Such is Solomon's comment upon “I can't see it."

ERRATUM IN "I DON'T CARE."

Page 105, for "printed with figures," read "painted with figures."

GEORGE PHILIP AND SON, PRINTERS, LIVERPOOL.

"DO THYSELF NO HARM."

The apostle Paul was often sent to prison for preaching the Gospel. On one occasion, at a place called Philippi, he and his companion Silas, after having been beaten with many stripes, were thrust into a dark and stifling dungeon, where their feet were made fast in the stocks, the gaoler having been charged to keep them safely. The night came on, and the two Christian men spent their time in prayer and praise. "Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, drew out his sword and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying "Do thyself no harm, for we are all here." That is the source whence I take the title of this lecture,-St. Paul's very seasonable interference to prevent a man from killing himself.

But you will say-We are not killing ourselves; we have no intention of killing ourselves; there is no fear of our killing ourselves; and as to these words spoken by St. Paul to a man who was about to plunge his sword into his own heart, what have these words or any such words to do with us? Well, I hope that none of you are killing yourselves, that none of you are likely to kill yourselves; though it is very possible that some one in this assembly is pursuing a course which, if continued