POLITICS AND RELIGION.

THERE are scarcely any two things which coalesce with so much difficulty as politics and religion. The man that assiduously applies himself to the one, generally does it at the sacrifice of the other. Meddle as little as possible with politics, if you mean to have any thing to do with religion. Exercise your right of suffrage in behalf of the best men that are presented for office, and if your fellow-citizens select you to serve them, serve them. This is the Christian's duty. But let him stop at this, and not covet office or court popularity. "How can they believe which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only." The politician may sometimes ask with Pilate "What is truth;"-but, like that unhappy victim of the love of place and of popularity, he will rarely wait for an answer or repeat the question, but go out to parley with the people and hear what they have to say.

VOWS.

How many seem to think that there is virtue and advantage in the mere making of resolutions and promises. Acting on this principle, they heap vows upon

vows, and add promise to promise, and really ease their consciences in this way. They seem to think that they pay their vows by repeating them, and perform their promises by renewing them. The vows they made at one sacramental season they break in the interval, and then think to repair the breach by remaking the vow. Was ever such a thing heard of? Was ever a promissory note paid by the renewal of it? And that which is no payment when the matter is between man and man, who will dare to call payment when the matter is between man and God? Nay, the Scriptures teach, that a mere renewal, without a performance of promise to God, only involves the soul in deeper guilt: "Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay."

THE UNPAID VOW.

He was sick-he was near unto death-and the world was receding from him—and hope was like a dying taper-and sore as was the body's agony, it was not like that pang the soul felt when the prospect of parting was before it, and the remembrance of the sunny day and starry night, and spring with all its awakened beauties, and the charm of friendship, and the exultant feeling of health, and the comfort of home, and all that enchains to life, all to be left behind, came

to his heart-Oh! it was a confused mingling of pain, and regret, and dread. All was dark-all was wild. He "mourned sore like the dove-he chattered like the swallow." Then he cried unto God, and petitioned Jesus. And when his strength failed, he moaned a piteous prayer, and "Oh!" he said, "if I might be spared, if God would but raise me up, I would sin no more, and I would never forget the goodness; I would be faithful, and my whole life should be a demonstration of my thankfulness." And God heard and raised him up, and once more he went forth to the world. But, the promise he made to his Maker, he broke; and in the oath wherewith he bound his soul, he perjured himself; and when one reminded him of that which should have been burned upon his memory, he smiled. "My soul, come thou not into his secretmine honor, be thou not joined to his assembly."

HEARING AND HEARERS.

THERE are those, who hear as critics on manner and style, who bring their nicely adjusted balances along with them, to weigh words and sentences, and that they may determine on all the little proprieties of gesture, and attitude, and emphasis, and tone. They came to hear the man, and they esteem it of small consequence what he says, if he does but say it well. If

he is logical, it matters not what he proves; if elo-quent, they care not what he is eloquent about. And, if they will take the pains to examine themselves, they will find that the impression made on them, has been made almost entirely by the manner of the preacher.

Another class of hearers are sullenly complaisant. They never think of rebutting argument with argument, or of dissenting, or, if they should, of giving a reason for their dissent; but, the less they have to say against what is advanced, the more desperately are they set in the rejection of it.

Across what a multitude of souls the truth floats and passes off, leaving no saving impression of itself, but merely disturbing the "mire and dirt of the troubled soul," and causing it, perhaps, to be deposited more fairly on the surface.

TEMPORAL AND SPIRITUAL BLESS

INGS.

TEMPORAL blessings carry with them no promise of spiritual blessings. Spiritual blessing, however, does carry with it the promise of so much of temporal blessing, as God shall see to be either necessary, or for the good of the subject. There is no divine promise that if you seek first the things of this world, the things of the kingdom of God shall be added unto you; but there is

a promise, that if you seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, the other class of things shall be added unto you. Industry, with skill and economy, has the promise of the life that now is, but not also of the life that is to come. It is only godliness that has the promise of both-and hence it is great gain. So the God of truth affirms, but there is scarcely one in a hundred that believes it. I would observe on the points of difference between the two classes of benefits, that a profusion of those which are providential is not, under all circumstances, desirable; and this explains why worldly prosperity does not uniformly accompany piety towards God. It is withheld in love, and therefore let no one conclude from its being withheld, that God is not favorable to him. I scarcely need remark, on the other hand, that spiritual blessings in the greatest abundance are, under all circumstances, desirable.

YOUTH.

YOUTH is the period of greatest interest, because it is the period of decision. It is the decisive season. What life is to immortality, youth is to life. Life decides for immortality, and youth decides for life, not invariably, but so very generally, as that the exceptions prove the rule.

In the whole term of human life, there is but one flood tide. It commences its flow early. It reaches its