the devotions of the closet; but they will not so effectually promote your happiness. They may exhilirate the spirit, but can they heal its wound? They may beguile the tedious hours of separation from those you love, but can they disarm death of its sting, or prepare you for eternal bliss? And even when your principles are fixed, it will be necessary to prevent one engagenient from proving injurious to the other. How is this to be done? Only by giving to each its proportionate attention.

The Sabbath will allow your devotional exercise, to be more lengthened than on ordinary occasions. Before you appear amongst the people in public, you should appear before the Lord in private. You should be deeply impressed with a consciousness of your entire dependance on him, for every spiritual blessing. When bowing in his presence, you should pray, that he would prepare you for the solemn and responsi bile services of his house-that he would enlighten your understanding to discern the importance and the excellence of truth; that he would impress it, in its separate parts, on your memory, and excite in your heart corresponding dispositions. When there you should guard against that mental distraction, which is often produced

by the multiplied objects which strike the eye; and should listen with profound attention to every sentence which is uttered by the officiating Minister. When you return, if possible, introduce the subject which you heard discussed or enforced; not to criticise on the tones, action, or style of the speaker, but to awaken the interest of others to its solemnity and importance. As soon as an opportunity offers, retire into your closet, deplore any inconsistency which you have discovered in your spirit or deportment, and pray that the influence of the service may be felt during the whole of the ensuing week.

Even in this early stage of your christian expe rience, perhaps you could not adopt a more determined method to give permanency to your pious impressions, than by writing a Memoir of yourself. Comparatively few incidents may be worth recording, but the gradual ascendancy of divine truth on your heart, is too important to be only casually noticed. To watch its progress, and observe the means which the Holy Spirit employs to increase its power, will bring you into such a habit of self-examination, that the danger of self-deception will be proportionably diminished. Suppose, once

or twice in the week, you take an impartial review of your conduct-the principles and dispo sitions which you have displayed-the motives by which you have been governed in the choice of your society, dress, and engagements-the manner in which you have spent your time, especially the Lord's day, and discharged the secret and public exercises of devotion. For what purpose should this review be taken? Not merely to encumber the pages with a detailed account of the places which you have visited, or the company with which you have mingled; but to afford you an opportunity, of delineating the character which you have supported. By this expedient you will be able to detect any improprieties of temper which you have manifested, when contradicted or opposed-any compliance which you have rendered to the ensnaring amusements of the gay and frivolous-any exaggera. tions of which you have been guilty, in relating facts-any propensities which you have felt to traduce the reputation or injure the feelings of others. This regular plan of self-inspection will enable you to discover your "easy besetting sin," and by recording the sentence of condemnation, which justice will compel you to pass, you will more deeply impress on your heart a conviction of its evil nature.

Should you be indulged with any peculiar manifestations of divine love, enkindling the flame of devotion, as when the live coal touched the lips of the holy prophet, it will be proper to notice them. But if such manifestations are withheld, if you are permitted to attend the diversified means of grace, without enjoying their consoling power, do not hastily conclude that you are in the gall of bitterness;" but endeavour to ascertain if your moral improvement does not render their suspension necessary. Very strong emotions of spiritual delight, if not accompanied by affecting views of your own depravity and unworthiness, will imperceptibly inflate the mind with pride and a high degree of self-complacercy; and perhaps you are never in more imminent danger, than after such a season of elevated feeling. Hence it is of importance to observe the influence which all religious enjoyments assume over the general frame of the mind. This is "trying the spirits, whether they be of God."

As your religious character will owe its peculiar complexion to the books which you read, and the sermons which you hear, it will be very conducive to your improvement, to insert in your diary, the passages which strike you with more than usual force, that you may, when the

emotion has subsided, examine them, to see if they accord with the general sentiments of the Scriptures. This practice will not only impress on your memory, beautiful and appropriate forms of expression, but will accustom you to such an accuracy in your judgment, as will effectually guard you against even the most subtle approaches of error.

Considering the influence which the opinions, the habits, the pursuits, and the conversations of others have over the mind, you cannot render a more essential service to yourself, than by recording its prevailing tendency, after you leave their society. This will be marking the precise effect which each individual produces. This will enable you to place each individual in her proper class; and to decide, with the greatest precision, on the comparative worth of different associates. By such a method you will know how to prepare yourself, either to resist or receive an influence to which circumstances may expose you.

If you should be preserved to an advanced period of life, such a Memoir will yield you a degree of enjoyment, of which you can now form no conception; but like the roll of the Apocalypse, it should be inaccessible to every human eye;