before such persons. They cannot understand them, but are likely to be distressed by them. This difference between persons of genuine piety arises from constitution-or from the manner in which the grace of God first met them-or from the nature and degree of temptation through which God has led them. A mind finely constituted, or of strong passions-a mind roused in its sins, rather than one drawn insensibly-a mind trained in a severe school for high services-is generally the subject of this deeply interior acquaintance with religion.

THERE is a great diversity of character among real Christians. Education, constitution, and circumstances will fully explain this diversity.

He has seen but little of life, who does not discern every where the effects of EDUCATION on men's opinions and habits of thinking. Two children bring out of the nursery that, which displays itself throughout their lives. And who is the man, that can rise above his dispensation, and can say "You have been teaching me nonsense?"

As to CONSTITUTION-look at Martin Luther: we may see the man every day: his eyes, and nose, and mouth attest his character. Look at Melancthon: he is like a snail with his couple of horns: he puts out his horns and feels-and feels-and feels. No education could have rendered these two men alike. Their difference began in the womb. Luther dashes in saying his things: Melancthon must go round about-he must consider what the Greek says, and what the Syriac says. Some men are born minute men-lexicographers of a German character: they will hunt through libraries to rectify a syllable. Other men are born keen as a razor: they have a sharp, severe, strong acumen: they cut every thing to pieces: their minds are like

a case of instruments; touch which you will, it wounds: they crucify a modest man. Such men should aim at a right knowledge of character. If they attained this, they would find out the sin that easily besets them. The greater the capacity of such men, the greater their cruelty. They ought to blunt their instruments. They ought to keep them in a case. Other men are ambitious-fond of power: pride and power give a velocity to their motions. Others are born with a quiet, retiring mind. Some are naturally fierce, and others naturally mild and placable. Men often take to themselves great credit for what they owe entirely to nature. If we would judge rightly, we should see that narrowness or expansion of mind, niggardliness or generosity, delicacy or boldness, have less of merit or demerit than we commonly assign to them.

CIRCUMSTANCES, also, are not sufficiently taken into the account, when we estimate character. For example-we generally censure the Reformers and Puritans as dogmatical, morose, systematic men. But, it is easier to walk on a road, than to form that road. Other men labored, and we have entered into their labors. In a fine day, I can walk abroad; but, in a rough and stormy day, I should find it another thing to turn coachmen and dare all weathers. These men had to bear the burden and heat of the day: they had to fight against hard times: they had to stand up against learning and power. Their times were not like ours: a man may now think what he will, and nobody cares what he thinks. A man of that school was, of course, stiff, rigid, unyielding. Tuckney was such a man: Whichcot was for smoothing things, and walking abroad. We see circumstances operating in many other ways. A minister unmarried, and the same man married, are very different men. A minister in a small parish, and the same man in a large

sphere where his sides are spurred and goaded, are very different men. A minister on tenter-hooksharassed-schooled, and the same man nursedcherished-put into a hot-house, are very different men. Some of us are hot-house plants. We grow tall: not better-not stronger. Talents are among the circumstances which form the diversity of character. A man of talents feels his own powers, and throws himself into that line which he can pursue with most success. Saurin felt that he could flourish-lighten-thunder-enchant like a magician. Every one should seriously consider, how far his talents and turn of mind and circumstances drive him out of the right road. It is an easy thing for a man of vigor to bring a quiet one before his bar: and it is as easy for this quiet man to condemn the other: yet both may be really pious men-serving God with their best powers. Every man has his peculiar gift of God; one after this manner, and the other after that.

On the Fallen Nature of Man.

I SEEM to acquire little new knowledge on any subject, compared to that which I acquire concerning man. This subject is inexhaustible. I have lately read Colquhoun's Treatise on the "Police of the Metropolis,” and Barruel's "Memoirs of Jacobinism." When we preachers draw pictures of human nature in the pulpit, we are told that we calumniate it. Calumniate it!-Let such censurers read these writers, and confess that we are novices in painting the vices of the heart. All of us live to make discoveries of the evils of the heart-hot of its virtues. All our new knowledge of human nature is occupied with its evil.

BARTHOLOMEW Fair is one of the most perfect exhibitions of unrestrained human nature in the whole world. The monkey, the tiger, the wolf, the hog, and the goat, are not only to be found in their own, but in human form; with all their savageness, brutality, and filthiness. It displays human nature in its most degraded, ridiculous, and absurd conditions. The tiger may be seen in a quiescent state, if we pass through Dyot street: he couches there: he blinks. But, at Bartholomew fair, he is rampant -vigorous-fierce. Passing through a fair in a country town, I witnessed a most instructive scene. Two withered, weather-beaten wretches were standing at the door of a show-cart, and receiving two pences from sweet, innocent, ruddy country girls, who paid their money, and dropped their curtsies; while these wretches smiled at their simplicity, and clapped them on the back as they entered the door. What a picture this of Satan! He sets off his shows, and draws in heedless creatures, and takes from them every thing they have good about them! There was a fellow dressed out as a zany, with a hump back and a hump belly, a lengthened nose, and a lengthened chin. To what a depth of degradation must human nature be sunk, to seek such resources! I derived more instruction from this scene, than I could have done from many elaborate theological treatises.

VIEW man on whatever side we can-in his sensualities, or in his ferocities-in the sins of his flesh, or in the sins of his spirit:-catch him when and where you will-his condition is deplorable. While he is sunk in the mass himself, he has no perception of his state: but, when he begins to emerge, he looks down with amazement. He sees but little, however, of its abomination; because he has still an affinity with the evil.

HUMAN nature is like the sea, which gains by the Яow of the tide in one place, what it has lost by the ebb in another. A man may acquiesce in the method which God takes to mortify his pride; but he is in danger of growing proud of the mortification: and so in other cases.

On the Need of Grace.

THERE is something so remarkable in the genius and spirit of the Gospel, that it is not to be understood by any force of speculation and investigation! Baxter attempted this method, and found it vain. The state of the heart has the chief influence, in the search after truth. Humility, contrition, simplicity, sanctity-these are the handmaids of the understanding in the investigation of religion.

How is it that some men labor in divine things. night and day, but labor in vain? How is it that men can turn over the Bible from end to end, to support errors and heresies-absurdities and blasphemies? They take not the SPIRIT with the WORD. A spiritual understanding must be given→→ a gracious perception-a right taste.

"A VERY extraordinary thing," said one, "if I, who have read the Bible over and over in the original languages-have studied it day and night-and have written criticisms and comments on it: a very extraordinary thing that I should not be able to discover that meaning in the Scriptures, which is said to be so plain that a way-faring man though a fool shall not err in discovering it!" And so it is extraordinary till we open this Bible; and there