(though reversible by the tribunal of Heaven), is still obligatory upon earth: so as it is my fault that my conscience is misled but it is not my fault to follow my conscience. How much need have I therefore, O my God,

to pray that thou wouldst guide my conscience aright; and keep this great judge in my bosom from corruption and error! and what need hath this intestine arbiter of mine to take special care that he may avoid all misinformations that may mislead his judgment, and all the base suggestions of outward advantage or loss that may deprave his affections! And, oh! Thou that only art greater than my conscience, keep me from doing aught against my conscience. I cannot disobey that, but I must offend Thee, since that is but Thine officer under Thee, and only commands for Thee.--Hall.

SELF-EXAMINATION.

O blind and doting vanity of men,
That hath such power to hide us from ourselves;
And, where our knowledge should be most at home,
Makes most a stranger of it.-HEBER.

Sum up at night what thou hast done by day,

And in the morning what thou hast to do;

Dress and undress thy soul: Mark the decay
And growth of it: If with thy watch, that too

Be down, then wind up both: Since we shall be

More surely judg'd, make thy accounts agree.-GEORGE HERBERT.

Take heed to yourselves that your hearts be not deceived.
Let us search and try our ways, and turn again unto the Lord.
I commnned with my own heart, and my spirit made diligent search.
Watch and pray, that ye euter not into temptation.

RETIRE, O my soul! try thy thoughts; search narrowly and examine their chief scope and direction. Where dost thou place thy supreme felicity? And whither tend thy most ardent desires?

Go to the children of this world, the wise, but not for their souls; and learn of them to pursue thine interest. Do they build in the countries through which they travel? Do they not purchase their estates where they intend to dwell?

And shall they teach and we not be instructed; but shall we still go on to build our best hopes on so sandy a foundation as this perishable earth?

Where our stay can be of no long continuance; where we have no security that we shall abide beyond the passing moment!-Wasse.

THE most frequent impediment to men's turning the mind inward upon themselves is, that they are afraid of what they shall find there. There is an aching hollowness in the bosom, a dark, cold speck at the heart, an obscure and boding sense of a somewhat that must be kept out of sight of the conscience; some secret lodger, whom they can neither resolve to reject or retain.Coleridge.

JUST consider what a delightful occupation would self-examination become, if we had any reason to suppose that our hearts would make a favorable report. Every man loves to hear his own praises, if he believes them to be true. Oh! if we had any idea that our own heart would praise us, there would not be a more delightful task upon earth than that of examining ourselves. How eagerly should we steal away to our closets and our Bibles, if we thought that we should come away satisfied with ourselves,-approving ourselves,-assured that all was safe within! How happy should you be in weighing

your heart, if you thought you should find it really a light and an easy one! How happy should you feel in looking at it over and over, and again and again, if you thought you should find it good and pure and holy. What a luxury would it be to start a new virtue at every step of our inquiry, to indulge in the contemplation of our own goodness, and the applause of our own consciences; and what a beautiful thing would the Bible appear to us, if we thought that at every page we turned, we read our own salvation.-Wolfe.

THE heart may be engaged in a little business, if thou watch it not, as in many and great affairs. A man may drown in a little pool as well as in a great river, if he lie down and plunge himself into it, and put his head under water.-Leighton.

WE do frequently hug ourselves (or rather shadows in our room), admiring ourselves for qualities not really being in us, applauding ourselves for actions nothing worth, such as proceed from ill principles and aim at bad ends; whereas, did we turn our thoughts inwards, and regard what we find in our hearts, by what inclinations we are moved, on what grounds we proceed, we should be ashamed, and see cause rather to bemoan than to bless ourselves: descending into ourselves, we might perchance discern that most of our gallant performances (such as,

not considering our hearts, we presume them to be), are derived from self-love or pride; from desire of honor or love of gain; from fear of damage or discredit in the world, rather than out of love, reverence, and gratitude towards God-of charity, compassion, and good-will towards our brethren-of sober regard to our own true welfare and happiness: which are the only commendable principles and grounds of action.-Barrow.

IF men having done amiss let it slip as though they knew no such matter, what is there to stay them from falling into one and the same evil? To call ourselves sinners availeth nothing, except we lay our faults in the balance, and take weight of them one by one. Confess thy crimes to God; disclose thy transgressions before thy Judge by way of humble supplication and suit, if not with tongue, at the least with thy heart, and, in this sort, seek mercy. A general persuasion that thou art a sinner will never so humble nor bridle thy soul, as if the catalogue of thy sins, examined severally, be continually kept in mind. This shall make thee lowly in thine own eyes; this shall preserve thy feet from falling, and sharpen thy desires towards all good things. The mind, I know, doth hardly admit such unpleasant remembrances, but we must force it; we must constrain it thereto. It is safer now to be bitten with the memory, than hereafter with the torment of sin.-Hooker.