the desire of your eyes been taken away with a stroke.

'We are little aware now of the obligations we are under for our preservation to the goodness of God; and the reason is, because the preservation which hinders the injury, hinders the discovery. But there are no blessings for which we shall be more thankful in the world of light, than preserving mercies; and we shall then perceive that the greater part of these were administered by afflictions. These often answered the prayer, ' and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.' These checked us; but it was when going astray.'

Afflictions are sometimes sent to call into exercise the varied principles of the Christian character; and thus to strengthen them. Hence they are found to promote humility. There is a native independence in some minds, which in relation to man is a high and noble virtue; but in relation to God, is a daring and presumptuous sin. When one is made rich, and the glory of his house is increased, he is apt to assume this language: 'who is the Lord that I should obey him?' and if this language be not always uttered by the lips, the principle of its dictation may be found lurking in the heart. It must be removed, and the hand of adversity is employed to do it. Death enters

F

the dwelling place of domestic bliss, and turns it unto the house of mourning: the imaginary connection between a judicious speculation and success is broken asunder: losses and disappointments follow each other in rapid succession, and the wreck only is above the waters, and that is in danger of sinking. The sufferer is roused and alarmed: he begins to mistrust his own wisdom, to reproach himself for confiding in his own arm of strength; falls down humbled and self abased, and prays, 'Lord, save, or I perish.'

They call faith into more direct and vigorous exercise. The Christian professes to believe, that if he acknowledge the Lord in all his ways, he will direct his paths; but when all things move on in perfect harmony with his wishes and feelings, his faith remains in a quiescent state. A change takes place : tribulation and anguish are come upon him, and he sees no way of escape. Friends are either powerless or unfaithful: it is with him the hour and power of darkness. But why? That faith may, in this darkened hour, perform her perfect work, by trusting, for support, for deliverance, or for the harmonious adjustment of these discordant affairs, in God alone, who 'is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.'

And can the Christian ever exercise the grace of

submission unless he is called to endure the chastening of the Lord? or the grace of resignation, unless he is required to surrender some of the objects of his affection and endearment? He often prays, 'thy will be done on earth as in heaven,' and his prayers are answered by these dispensations of Providence, which give him an opportunity to do it, or endure it.

Afflictions are often employed to moderate our attachment to earth; and towards the period of our departure, they sometimes set in with greater violence to wean our affections entirely from it. There are some who may repeat with great propriety the following verse

'Lord, what a wretched land is this,

That yields us no supply;

No cheering fruit, no wholesome trees,

No streams of living joy ;'

and we can easily believe, that if they are anticipating the bliss of immortality they require no extra dispensation to induce them to long for its possession. But there are others who may with equal propriety quote the language of the Psalmist,' the lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.' They abound in wealth; occupy the high places of distinction; and have all things richly to enjoy; and though they look forward to a superior state of honour

and felicity in the heavenly world, yet it often requires the agency of affliction to loosen and untie the cords that bind them to earth. Hence there is a necessity that they should be in heaviness through manifold tribulations at sundry times, that they may listen with more devout attention to the voice of the Lord, speaking to them from the cloud, 'arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest, because it is polluted.' And when the hour of release comes, and they are just entering into rest, if permitted to record their testimony to the divine dispensation towards them, they will say, Not one trial too many, not one too severe. 'For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.' 'For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.'

SACRED LYRICS.

I.

I GIVE THEE ALL.

I GIVE thee all, I can no more,
Though poor the offering be;
A broken spirit's all the store
That sin has left to me.

My trembling lip but half reveals The prayer my heart would tell: But throes my panting bosom feels Thy spirit sees full well.

Deep in despair my spirit lies,

And sinking clings to thee: