He is no cessful operation; and he and his Follow, follow, He is waiting USEFUL EXERCISES. No. IV. THE first and fundamental article of religion is the existence of God; "for he that cometh to God, must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Heb. xi. 6. The doctrine of the Divine existence might be inferred and illustrated in a variety of ways from the works of God around us, and within us. But instead of enumerating all, let our next exercise relate to the one most convincing; or, What is the most conclusive argument for the Divine Existence? and, What is the Scripture which confirms that argument? THE RIGHT WAY. (Lines suggested by reading Useful Exer- BROTHER pilgrims, onward wending; Of the many paths diverging, How to make "the blessed choice;" Shun-it says-yon broad descending See the hand of faith is pointing THE YOUNG MAN WHO HAD NO "Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel." WILLIAM B was the son of intelligent and truly excellent parents, who had made every arrangement for his respectability and happiness, and who had uniformly taken the liveliest interest in his intellectual and moral progress; and yet, they had always deplored one thing-his utter want of decision. There were no fixed principles possessed. Every thing was capricious, fluctuating, and unresolved. He would form plans, and start from them. He would decide on measures of importance; but, without any valid reasons being entertained, a thorough change would speedily be manifested in all his emotions, anxieties, and desires. His conduct was essentially marked by its waywardness. Though a few redeeming qualities might have been possessed, yet the partial and occasional exhibition of these did not inalter their opinion respecting him; duce any of his judicious friends to because there was a constant vacillation of sentiment, and a ceaseless fluctuation in the current of his thoughts and determinations. The parents of William expended a considerable sum on his education, and intellectual training. They were anxious that his knowledge should be varied, accurate, and extensive; that his powers should be appropriately and vigorously disciplined; and that every thing should be done to elicit the best properties and excellences of his mind. His memory, accordingly, was early exercised, and every effort was made to awaken his faculties. He was supplied with appropriate and earnestly with him, and for him. They valuable books, and he enjoyed the uniformly took him with them to the advantages arising from having the house of God. They were much best masters. It was evident, how- gratified in ascertaining that he felt ever, after all the time consumed, considerable pleasure in hearing their after all the means employed, and beloved Minister. Still higher was all the expense incurred, that this their gratification, and still livelier young man made but comparatively was their gratitude, when they found trifling progress. There were no that he expressed a desire to become stores of information acquired. There a Sunday-school teacher. They was no precision in his views, no cherished the hope that serious and proportion or vigour in his powers, important impressions were produced no character of intellectual promise. on his mind, which would be permaHis reading had been productive of nently and inestimably beneficial. merely trifling benefit; and the utmost Accordingly, they were very desirous disappointment and mortification were of acquiescing in his views, and of experienced, especially by those who acceding to his wishes: he was rehad laboured so assiduously for his commended to their Pastor, and introhappiness, and who had felt so duced to a Sabbath-school. Thus he anxiously and tenderly for his wel- was admitted to a field of labour of fare. In the prosecution of all his the most interesting and momentous studies, William was capricious and character, in which all his energies irregular, nothing was fixed and de- might have been vigorously and useterminate. He rambled from one fully employed for God. For some subject, and one volume, to another, little period, William appeared to rein the most heedless and absurd man- alize pleasure in the prosecution of ner possible. There was no chain in his responsible engagements. He was his thoughts, no link in his inquiries, active in his efforts, and assiduous in no perseverance in his efforts and his attention to the company of investigations; all was broken, dis-"young immortals" entrusted to his jointed, and confused; consequently, care. He seemed anxious to benefit surprise cannot be excited that his them, and to be instrumental in proacquisitions were so scanty, and that moting their moral and spiritual welso little benefit was reaped from all fare. Unhappily, however, for his the advantages he enjoyed. As it was own character and happiness, and for with his studies, so it was with regard the religious interests of others, these to religion. The intelligent and pious emotions were not permanent. parents of William were exceedingly, goodness resembled the morning cloud, indeed supremely anxious, to see him -soon dissipated; and his active effort truly devoted to God, concentrating was like the early dew,-soon exhaled; his energies for the advancement of all was short-lived and transient, conthe honour of the Saviour, and rising sequently almost nugatory and powup into life as a genuine and orna- erless. He began very speedily to mental member of the Church of flag in his managements and operaChrist. Hence they employed every tions. Complaints were broadly expossible means, in order that, by divine pressed, and he soon acknowledged agency, this end might be accom- his dislike to the ordinary routine and plished. They taught him, at an monotony of the Sunday-school. early period, to read the Holy Scrip- Little interest was felt in the children, They prayed devoutly and and their religious instruction and tures. His He and his followers; that he was destitute of the self-denial, and the selfrenunciation, which the word of God requires, and had never taken up his cross at all; in a word, that he was entirely without decision in relation to dedication to God were matters that was in William an utter want of awakened but a trifling degree of genuine religion. He had none of the sympathy and tenderness. William holy principles, the devout feelings, or soon manifested irregularity in attend- essential characteristics of the people ing his class, experienced inconsidera- of God. He had not left the world ble pleasure in meeting with his fellow- in thought, sentiment, or desire. He teachers, and conducted the business did not like to abandon its pleasures, of the school, when he did attend, in nor to give up its votaries. the most mechanical and apathetic was unwilling to endure the taunts manner. There were no devout emo- and revilings of his young friends and tions, no holy aspirations, no fer- companions, who despised religion; vent and importunate intreaties for a and he had not that decision of chaspecial blessing from the God of grace racter, and firmness of purpose, which and salvation: when he came to the would enable him to meet their reschool he came without prayer and proaches with composure,-feeling that without enjoyment: if he made any he was in the path of duty, and in the effort, it was done in so cold and so way marked out by Christ for his uncertain a manner, that the effect disciples. Thus William evinced that was feeble, and, indeed, rendered he was devoid of the Spirit of Jesus almost powerless. William became not only dissatisfied with the Sabbathschool, and was capricious in his attendance, but he began to manifest indifference towards his Minister, and the place of worship where so much good was accomplished, and where the care of the soul, the glory of his parents had long been accustomed to hear and enjoy the word of God. He thought he should like to attend some other sanctuary, listen to another Minister, and meet with another congregation. Faults were discovered in his fellow-teachers, and in his Pastor, which he had never perceived before. He began to be captious, carping, and ungenerous in his feelings Young men if you wish to be and observations. He was easily respected by the intelligent, esteemed offended. He could not brook con- by the excellent, and loved by the tradiction; and when opposed he was truly pious, be characterized by your not only warm, but vehement. He decision, especially with regard to reabandoned the school. He became ligion. Let your principles be imashamed of his fellow labourers. He bibed then, and let them be calmly discarded the ministry of his Pastor; and boldly avowed. Let your habits and exhibited, in the clearest and be active, virtuous, and pure; and ilmost convincing manner, that he was lustrate them in a quiet and unprea mere idle, empty, and irregular pro- tending, still, in a very decisive, manfessor. Indecision, it was evident, ner. Beware of capriciousness! Bespoiled all every arrangement was ware of being ashamed of your views altered, every promise was broken, and opinions :-if they are excellent every effort was frustrated. There why should you? Beware of trim Christ, and the realities of eternity. Thus every thing in his character was without influence or beauty, and every thing in his exertions was without effect. His want of decisiveness was “the dead fly in the pot of ointment;"-it was not only unsightly, but was positively injurious ; -it marred and ruined all. ming, to please an ignorant, selfish, tile, the thoughtless, and the more and corrupt world! If you are un- openly vicious. The ardour of youthdecided, you will have no moral ful passions, the high promises held beauty, and exhibit no religious at-out by the world and sin, and even tractions. Besides, what influence the very novelty of forbidden gratifican you exert, and what good can cations, all concur to render the season you effect in the family, in the church, of youth the most important and the or in the world? If not disesteemed, most dangerous. Almost every tempyou will be always suspected. Your tation meets with a friend in the boplans will have no vigour, and your la- som of the young man; and hence bours will have no effect. There will" his steps are always ready to slide." be nothing ornamental associated with It becomes such to attend to the yourselves, nothing permanently be- words of wisdom, which at once exneficial conferred on those around you. pose the danger, and point to the And how can you at all honour that means of defence from it. "WhereSaviour who requires us to leave the withal shall a young man cleanse his world, to follow him, to bear his way? By taking heed thereto accross, to live to him, and to be ever cording to thy word." ready to suffer for His sake? Among the evil influences always in operation to induce the young to neglect every religious duty, and to repress every serious thought, the society into which too many of them are thrown, is not the least. From very many circles in all ranks, every thing bearing the least resemblance to genuine piety, is systematically excluded; and epithets are sought out to render that, on which God puts (From Davis's Narrow Way; or, Directions the highest honour, degrading and to the Young.) LET me urge upon your attention the vast importance of every thing which in any way relates to pure and undefiled religion. contemptible. Methodism, fanaticism, and enthusiasm, do not, indeed, define or describe that which gives such ineffable disgust. These epithets serve only to evince the malignity of those who employ them, while they fail to give any accurate idea of that against which they are levelled. There are few young persons who think, and a yet smaller number who examine for Even the man is too The temptations of the young to the entire neglect of religion are numerous and powerful; many are overcome and led captive by them. With the light, the trifling, the vain, and the dissipated, the work of temp-themselves. tation is easy; the victory is sure often the mere creature of prejudices: before the attack is begun. They can we therefore wonder that the are inveigled, and taken, and de- youth is influenced by appearances stroyed, as the thoughtless bird is rather than realities? If we would ensnared by the craft of the fowler. be wise, even for time, it becomes us And it too frequently happens, that to think for ourselves: how much those of whom better things were an- more important is it for us to do so in ticipated, fall a prey to the very same that which relates to eternity! The allurements which beguile the vola- prejudices against correct conduct in the affairs of this life are few in num- ners, "fools." It is said of the Most ber, and confined to certain classes, High, that "He taketh not pleasure and these the most degraded in the in fools;" and the Psalmist teaches scale of society! but the prejudices us, that it is "the fool that hath said against genuine piety are very nume- in his heart, There is no God." Let rous, and to be met with in every it be remembered, that it is not the circle. He who imbibes them swims outward act of sin merely, that meets with the stream, and his progress is the eye and calls down the vengeance without effort; but he who opposes of heaven; but even the thought of them, resists the influence of the iniquity, "the imaginations of the world, and he will find himself en- heart," that are perceived in their gaged in a conflict which requires secrecy by Him who "knoweth what courage, constancy, and perseverance. is in man." These evil principles He will have to encounter and stem and workings are equally hateful in a torrent; for "wide is the gate and his view, with those acts of transbroad is the way that leadeth to de-gression which both heaven and struction, and many there be which earth concur in condemning. The go in thereat; because strait is the emotion of anger, known only to gate and narrow is the way which him who indulges in it; the impure leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." It is obvious that there are certain sentiments and pursuits which are so flagrantly wrong, so inconsistent with every principle of sound morality, that the very enunciation of them involves their condemnation. What can be said in praise, or even in palliation of the following: "Pleasure is the chief good;" "Revenge is sweet;" 66 "Let thought, locked up in the secret chambers of the breast; the vain and lofty imagination, cherished when no eye is on the self-deceiver, are fully exposed to the inspection of that eye, to which "hell and the grave are open," and from which "destruction hath no covering." THE WALL OF CHINA. LET us hope that in the following account of the wall of China, given by a Catholic Prelate, we behold an earnest of the downfall of that mightier barrier of prejudice and ignorance, which has so long made China inaccessible to the Gospel : Humility is unsuitable to a being of such high destinies as man; us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die?" And what can be said in defence of the practice of the drunkard and the glutton; or in vindication of his pursuits who is a votary of sensual gratifications? To prove to you, my young friend, that these On the 7th of October, 1834, we would be injurious to your character, arrived at the great wall, so highly that they are condemned by the well-extolled by those who know nothing disposed among your fellow-creatures, about it, and so emphatically deand are hateful in the view of the scribed by those who have never seen Most High, would be to waste your time in seeking to convince you of that of which you cannot for a moment entertain a doubt. Every kind of sin and folly is hateful in the sight of God. He calls sin, "folly ;" and he designates sin it. This and the other wonders of China should only be seen in pictures to maintain their reputation. The great wall has nothing remarkable but its length, which is about fifteen hundred miles: its principal direction is from east to west; but a little to |