Breaks the dread spell that bound to sense and sin,
And turns the eye of scrutiny within.

There, there, the heart—that hidden world explored,
Yields to the search its deep and cherished hoard,
And many a thought, and many a feeling too,
Which in its shade, unseen, unbidden grew,
Brought to the light, a poisonous plant appears—
A root of bitterness-to bathe with tears,
To extirpate with never-ceasing care,

And plant, instead, the Rose of Sharon there.
In such an hour, when fades the flattering glow
That oft invests the shadowy scenes below,
When Conscience scans the secrets of the heart,
And all the illusions of our pride depart ;
And Time hath shrunk into his little bound,
And all eternity is open round ;-

Then, then, dear Saviour! is Thy cross most dear,

And heaven shines brightest through contrition's tear!

ANON.

At evening to myself I say,

My soul, where hast thou glean'd to-day,

Thy labours how bestowed?

What hast thou rightly said or done?

What grace attain'd, or knowledge won,
In following after God?

Rise, O my soul, with thy desires to heaven,

And with divinest contemplation use

Thy time, where time's eternity is given,

WESLEY.

And let vain thoughts no more thy thoughts abuse;

But down in darkness let them lie;

So live thy better, let thy worst thoughts die!

And thou, my soul, inspired with holy flame,
View and review with most regardful eye
That holy cross whence thy salvation came,
On which thy Saviour and thy sin did die!
For in that sacred object is much pleasure,
And in that Saviour is my life, my treasure.

To Thee, O Jesu, I direct my eyes,

To Thee my hands, to Thee my humble knees; To Thee my heart shall offer sacrifice,

To Thee my thoughts, who my thoughts only sees: To Thee myself, myself and all I give ;

To Thee I die, to Thee I only live!

SIR WALTER RALEIGH.

A soul in commerce with her God is heav'n;
Feels not the tumults and the shocks of life,
The whirls of passion, and the strokes of heart.
A Deity believed is joy begun ;

A Deity adored, is joy advanced;

A Deity beloved, is joy matured.

Each branch of piety delight inspires;

Faith builds a bridge from this world to the next, O'er death's dark gulph, and all its horror hides;

Praise, the sweet exhalation of our joy,

That joy exalts, and makes it sweeter still;
Pray'r ardent opens heav'n, lets down a stream

Of glory on the consecrated hour

Of man, in audience with the Deity.
Who worships the great God, that instant joins
The first in heav'n, and sets his foot on hell.

YOUNG.

Ah! sweet and sacred Olivet,

My pensive spirit oft would go
And watch where love and sorrow met,
And caused the Saviour's tears to flow;
In the still silence of the night
Imagination there would fly,
And with a solemn, sweet delight
Feel in my Saviour's company.

What sacredness pervades the ground!
Methinks the light breeze scarcely stirs ;
Awe seems to rest on all around,

As if all things were worshippers.
'Tis good in thought to watch awhile
In such a solemn, sacred scene;
Thus the rapt spirit to beguile,

Though seas and ages roll between ;
'Tis good to journey with my Lord,
To Tabor, Bethlehem, Calvary,
Till memory may almost record,
Saviour, I too have been with Thee.

EDMESTON.

XXIII. EARNESTNESS, SINCERITY, SELF-DENIAL, AND PERSEVERANCE.

My son, give me thy heart.-PROV. xxiii. 26.

If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and follow me.LUKE ix. 23.

Be not weary in well doing.-2 THES. iii. 13.

Gen. xxxii. 26-Exod. xxv. 2-xxxv. 5-Num. xiv. 24-Deut. iv. 9, 29-v. 29—vi. 6, 17—xi. 22- Josh. xxii. 5–xxiii. 8— 1 Sam. xii. 20, 21, 24-1 Kings ii. 4-viii. 18, 23-xviii. 212 Kings xviii. 6–xxiii. 25—1 Chron. xxii. 19-xxviii. 9— 2 Chron. xii. 14-xv. 2, 7, 12, 15-xxxi. 21-Ezra vii. 23-Neh. i. 11-iv. 6-Job viii. 7-xvii. 9-Psalm xxv. 15-xxxii. 2— xxxvii. 4—xlii. 1, 2—xlv. 10-liv. 6—–lvii. 7—lxiii. 8—lxxiii. 25 -lxxvi. 11-lxxx. 18-lxxxiv. 7-lxxxv. 8—xcii. 12-14-cxix. 2, 4, 10, 31, 33, 34, 58, 60, 69, 80, 112-cxxxviii. 1-Prov. i. 5iv. 18, 23, 25-27-ix. 9-xv. 9-xxiii. 26—Cant. i. 4-iii. 4— Isaiah xxvi. 9-xl. 31-li. 14-lv. 6-lxiv 7-Jer. iii. 10-vi. 16 vii. 23, 24-xiii. 11–xxiv. 7—xxix. 13—xxx. 21-xxxii. 40—1. 5 -Lam. iii. 49, 50-Hos. vi. 3, 4—x. 2—xii. 3, 4—Joel ii. 12, 13 -Amos v. 14.

Matt. vi. 19-22, 33-vii. 13, 14-x. 22—xi. 12-xv. 8-xvi. 24, 26-xxiv. 13—xxv. 15-23—Mark viii. 34-x. 28-30-Luke v. 11-ix. 23-25, 62–xii. 29-34—xiii. 24—xiv. 27, 33-xvi. 13, 16-xvii. 32—xviii. 28-30, 39-42-xix. 13-John iii. 21-vi. 27 —viii. 31—ix. 4-xii. 25, 26, 35-xv. 4, 9—Acts xi. 23-xiv. 22 xx. 31-xxvi. 28, 29-Rom. ii. 6, 7—vi. 13, 17, 18—viii. 13—xi. 22-xii. 9, 11, 12—xiii. 11, 12—xiv. 8-xv. 3-1 Cor. v. 8-vii. 20, 22-24-ix. 24-27-x. 31-xii. 31-xv. 58-xvi. 13-2 Cor.

i. 12-v. 9, 15—Gal. iv. 18—v. 1-vi. 9, 14-Eph. iv. 14-16-v. 14-16-vi. 6, 7, 10, 12-18, 24-Phil. i. 9, 10, 16, 27-ii. 12—iii. 3, 8, 11-14, 16-iv. 1-Col. i. 10, 21-23-ii. 5-7, 19, 21—iii. 1, 2, 5, 17, 22-24-iv. 2, 5-1 Thes. iii. 8-iv. 1, 10-v. 21-2 Thes. iii. 3, 13-1 Tim. iv. 6, 15, 16-vi. 12-2 Tim. ii. 1, 3-5—iii. 10, 14-Tit. ii. 14-Heb. ii. 1, 3-iii. 6, 12-14-iv. 1, 11, 14-v. 13, 14-vi. 1, 11, 12, 15-x. 23, 36, 39-xi. 6-xii. 1-4, 14, 15, 28— xiii. 9, 14-Jas. i. 8, 25-v. 8-1 Pet. v. 8, 9-2 Pet. i. 5-10— iii. 14, 17-1 John ii. 6, 24, 28-2 John 8, 9-Jude 3, 20, 21Rev. ii. 2-5, 10, 25, 26, 28-iii. 2, 3, 5, 10-12, 15, 16, 19—xiv. 13 - xxii. 11.

Awake, my soul, stretch every nerve,

And press with vigour on;

A heavenly race demands thy zeal,
And an immortal crown.

A cloud of witnesses around
Hold thee in full survey:
Forget the steps already trod,
And onward urge thy way.

"Tis God's all-animating voice

That calls thee from on high;

'Tis His own hand presents the prize
To thine aspiring eye.

Blest Saviour, introduced by Thee,

Have I my race begun ;

And crown'd with victory, at Thy feet

I'll lay my honours down.