will become weakness; and the earth itself, and all its pomps, and honors, and attractions, will disappear. Why have we been spared even till this time? We know not why, nor yet can we say that a moment is our own. The summons for our departure may now be recorded in the book of heaven. The angel may now be on his way to execute his solemn commission. Death may already have marked us for his victims. But whether sooner or later, the event will be equally awful, and demand the same preparation.

One, only, will then be our rock and our safety. The kind Parent, who has upheld us all our days, will remain our unfailing support. With him is no change; he is unmoved from age to age; his mercy, as well as his being, endures for ever; and if we rely on him, and live in obedience to his laws, all tears shall be wiped from our eyes, and all sorrow banished from our hearts. If we are rebels to his cause, slaves to vice, and followers of evil, we must expect the displeasure of a Holy God, the just punishment of our folly and wickedness; for a righteous retribution will be awarded to the evil as well as the good.

Let it be the highest, the holiest, the unceasing concern of each one of us, to live the life, that we may be prepared to die the death of the righteous; that when they, who come after us, shall ask, Where is he?-unnumbered voices shall be raised to testify, that, although his mortal remains are mouldering in the cold earth, his memory is embalmed in the cherished recollections of many a friend, who knew and loved him; and all shall say, with tokens of joy and confident belief,-If God be just, and piety be rewarded, his pure spirit is now at rest in the regions of the blessed.

Harmony of God's Works.

Ir has been very justly and beautifully observed by a distinguished poet, that "order is heaven's first law;" and the remark is confirmed by the united testimony of the works of nature, providence, and grace. If we look into the natural and intellectual world, we every where find indications of the most perfect system; from the highest to the lowest order of intelligence, and from the suns and stars that blaze in immensity, down to the flower, the insect, or the atom. The untutored peasant may gaze upon the heavens, with an eye of admiration, that Jehovah should have lighted up the firmament with so much splendour, and decorated the evening sky with so many gems of glory. But the christian philosopher must have sentiments of the most devout reverence awakened, when by the aid of his telescope, he discovers thousands and thousands of these luminaries, too distant for the naked eye to reach; and when by the aid of his philosophy, he is brought to feel that all these are suns, and worlds, and systems, moving in the most exact and harmonious combinanation, and is even enabled, with respect to some of them, at least, to calculate the period of their changes and revolutions. Yes, philosophy has made it certain, that the remotest star that twinkles in immensity, is not insulated; that it is in some way or other connected with the great family of worlds; that there is in all probability, a mutual relation and dependence among them all; so that it is not for us to say, that the extinction of the smallest luminary, that sheds its dim lustre on our sky, might not break some invisible cord, in conse

quence of which, the universal system might rush into confusion.

But if philosophy, in her researches among the more magnificent parts of creation, discovers nothing but order, equally true is it, that she finds harmony and system in all the more minute objects of her inquiry. The human body, which is open to the observation of every one, is a piece of mechanism, which ought to put atheism for ever to the blush; and something of the same exquisite skill may be seen in all the inferiour orders of animal existence. There is not a flower that blossoms in the field, but the marks of infinite wisdom are left upon it; and the meanest and most short lived insect, when thoroughly inspected by the eye of science, will be found to be complete in all its parts and powers, and exactly adapted to the element in which it is destined to move. In short, there is nothing in nature, but from a careful examination of it, we may detect the marks of a master's hand; and whatever of disorder appears in the system, is to be attributed not to its original author, but to the deranging and blasting influence of sin.

From the works of providence, also, there is sufficient evidence, that God is not a God of confusion, but of order. The great laws by which Jehovah's kingdom is regulated, are easily discovered; and their harmony and adaptation to the purposes for which they are designed, are equally apparent. I know, indeed, that there is sometimes to our short sighted vision, an apparent confusion in the kingdom of providence; but it is only because the Deity veils himself under a cloud. Let it be remembered, that he plans not for an individual only, or for a world, but for the universe; and not Let it be re for a year, or an age, but for eternity.

membered too, that ours is a world in which evil dwells, and that the dispensations of providence have respect to our character as sinners. Is it strange, then, that the conduct of such a Being as God, towards such creatures as men, should appear sometimes to be wrapped in obscurity? But if there be any secret on this subject, revelation has disclosed it. This has assured us, that what we know not now, we shall know hereafter. It has bid the christian set his heart at rest with respect to the providence of God, because the clear light of heaven will shew him, that there was order and system pervading all those dispensations, which, to human view, seemed the most inexplicable; that every event was part of a mighty plan, which he will then, in some measure, understand, but which can be fully comprehended, only by that Omniscient God, who sees the end from the beginning.

Nor does the dispensation of grace constitute an exception from the other works of God, with respect to the order that pervades them. In the scheme of mercy, which the gospel discloses, every part is most wisely adapted to the end, which it is designed to answer. All the attributes of Deity shine forth i" clear and glorious combination. The gospel does not provide for the pardon of the sinner merely, and still leave him under the dominion of wicked passions and unholy desires; but it sheds a purifying influence into his soul, and gives him a relish for heaven, as well as a title to it. In the terms which it proposes, it is also perfectly consistent. It demands a life of holy obedience; but it teaches us, that after we have done all, we are unprofitable servants, and that eternal life is the gift of God. It requires faith in Christ as a condition of salvation; but it knows no faith,

which is not productive of a holy life. If it opens the door of heaven, it is only to the holy, who are prepared for it; and if it uncovers the abyss of despair, it is only for those whose wicked life has qualified them for no other place, and no other society. All the doctrines of the Bible are consistent and harmonious; and though the beautiful system of christian faith has too often been marred and deformed by useless and wicked speculations, yet if we take it as we find it in the Bible, there is no discrepancy or confusion in any of its parts. The institutions and ordinances of religion, too, are perfectly accommodated to the purpose for which they are designed; to nourish the principle of piety, to make man more humble, and charitable, and forgiving, and to help forward the great work of our salvation. They all dis cover marks of wisdom more than human; and an attempt to modify or amend them, is nothing less than daring impiety.

Let us learn, from these reflections, the importance of a regular and holy life. If we are living amidst the works of so wise and wonderful a Being, all of which are arranged with the utmost skill, and exactly adapted to their respective ends; nay, if we are ourselves examples of this divine workmanship, and if every thing within us and without us, bears the evidences of system, except so far as it is obscured by human folly and guilt; then let it be our highest endeavour to form our characters in such a manner, that they shall not constitute an anomaly amidst the works of God. If we yield ourselves to sin, we violate the order of Jehovah's kingdom, and contravene the purpose for which we were created. But by a life devoted to God, we become co-workers