his every sentence with dire blasphemy, without the least compunction from within. The midnight assassin, whose conscience made him so much a coward that he could not bring his hand to the deed of death without first sipping Bacchus's cup, to give him nerve and daring, comes at the last to do his work with the utmost coolness. Only persevere in vice, and if the image of "gaunt death" can be eluded sufficiently long, you will get the better of conscience by and bye, sinner; and may in defiance laugh at what of conscience common sinners have. Becoming "past feeling," you shall hear no more from it, at least, till, at the bidding of God, it is left to prey upon you as 66 the worm that never dieth."

2d. Learn the importance of the knowledge of divine truth. The voice of conscience will not be heard, in the hour when you need its friendly, instinctive impulse in the way of well-doing, unless the eyes of the understanding be enlightened by the light of truth divine. Every faithful minister has, at times, been pained to find no conscience of wrong in members of his flock, according to their testimony, even though guilty of violating the word of God! How shall such a state of things be remedied? "By taking heed to our ways according to thy word, O Lord!"

The plea so often urged, viz:-"My conscience does not condemn me," though one urge it in truth, manifestly guilty at the same time of the violation of some precept or moral principle of "the only and sufficient rule of faith and practice," may be met by the charge of culpable neglect of this Book of books! The way in which some appeal, when convicted of wrong by truth divine, to their conscience as to a superior court, has left the conviction on our mind that the Bible, with them, is not "the only and sufficient rule" of life! One might as well be a Romanist, as, claiming to be a Protestant, to forsake this great, first and central truth of Protestantism, viz: THE WORD OF GOD ONLY," as the rule of life!

One's feelings and will may oppose judgment, but conscience never does; though, as has been said, in substance, it may, through abuse, fail to remonstrate, even though one go contrary to his knowledge of the right; but it never dictates the wrong where there is not a darkened understanding. Darkness of mind and obtuseness of conscience co-exist; the one is not often found without the other. "Search the Scriptures." They are "a light shining in a dark place, whereunto we do well that we take heed,"

even as to conscience that it be right in the sight of God. Conscience should be tested by the same standard as that by which we are to test our moral feelings and actions. If it be unharmonious with its infallible rule, we may know that it is wrong, the same as we may know that our inclinations and will are wrong when they oppose the authority of Heaven.

31. Learn the importance of, as well as how to preserve a tender conscience before God.

To feel no compunction, no misgiving,-not even an opposing whisper from within,-though living in guilt, is awfully lamentable! It may seem desirable to the sinner to get beyond self-condemnation and all remorse. But such a state is hopeless. Rather let your prayer be:

"Quick as the apple of an eye,
O God, my conscience make;
Awake, my soul, when sin is nigh,
And keep it still awake!"

Have you a tender conscience? If so, how may you preserve it? "I believe there is only one possible way of doing it, which is, to obey it. Every act of disobedience tends to blind and deaden it; to put out its eyes, that it may not see the good and acceptable will of God; and to deaden the heart that we may not feel condemnation, when we act in opposition to it. And, on the contrary, every act of obedience gives to the conscience a stronger and sharper sight, and quicker feeling of whatever offends the glorious majesty of God."* Therefore, always obey it. Whatever it enjoins according to the word of God, that do; what it forbids, that avoid. Thus acting up to an enlightened scriptural "faith and a good conscience," we shall ever hold the same. May we never make "shipwreck" of faith and a good conscience!

"O that my tender soul may fly,
The first abhorred approach of ill!"

*J. Wesley's Sermon on Conscience.

HINTS TO A YOUNG PASTOR.

1. On commencing your solemn work, write a minute detail of your views and feelings relative to your ministerial undertaking. 2 Tim. 1. 6; Rev. 11. 4, 5.

2. Embrace a calm interval, at least once in every week, for a careful perusal of the above mentioned detail, that you may justly decide whether you have declined in a feeling conviction of the value of the souls committed to your charge. Mark i. 35.

3. Should zeal and love appear to be diminished, seek a renewal of light, that the understanding may be assured of the unchanging responsibility which attaches to your pastoral office. Lam. iii. 40.

4. Determinately avoid the company of persons whose conversation and habits are liable to draw your mind from God. Prov. iv. 14, 15. Frequent intercourse with the best of men often produces a dissipated state, which unfits for converse with heaven. Psalm lxiii. 25; Luke x. 7.

5. Be accessible and communicative to all; but keep your secrets for God. In every man's house there are private drawers, the contents of which he does not disclose to his dearest friends. John ii. 24.

6. Be silently watchful, that you may immediately discover any new movement among the members of your flock, that, if evil, it may be early counteracted by Christian policy. A spark has destroyed a city, and may a church; therefore quench the spark. James iii. 5.

7. Constantly practice the duties you inculcate upon others; else your exhortations will fail of the effect intended. I Tim. iv. 12; Rom. ii. 21-23.

8. Cultivate a spirit of humility. The greatest and best of beings took the lowest place. Phil. ii. 5—9; Isa. lvii. 15.

6. Make no man's sentiments or experience the standard of yourself and others. Preach the truth-the whole truth, viz.-Christ's doctrines, experience, and practice-and these according to the scripture mode and proportions. Matt. xxiii. 10. And, whenever you preach, be sure to hear too. Matt. xiii. 18-30.

10. Instruct and encourage sincere seekers: faithfully and affectionately admonish the perverse: awe and draw backsliders. 1 Thes. v. 14-24.

11. Beware of both apparent success and seeming discouragement in your work: satan finds an entrance at both these doors. Luke x. 17-20; Isa. xlii. 20, 21.

12. Make no compromise between sin and holiness. He who indirectly allows of any, makes room for all iniquity. Jer. xv. 19; 2 Cor. vi. 15-18, vii. 1.

13. Wherever you are, maintain your character. Let spirituality be the constant tone of your mind, that it may be the governing principle before others. That you may retain such a tone, live and "walk in the spirit." Aim to understand, that you may overcome the devices of the enemy. Luke xii. 14—48.

14. Live so closely upon the verge of time as that eternity may ever be in your view: otherwise shadows will assume an importance above substance. Rom. xiii. 12.

15. Finally. Remember, that your comfort, security, and usefulness, depend upon communion with God; therefore employ all means to promote, and shun whatever can interrupt it. Isa. xl. 31.

B. C.

LONG SERMONS.

IN preaching the gospel there is constant reference to the same truths, facts and arguments; hence, unless the manner of the preacher is uncommonly attractive, his arguments clear and conclusive, his rhetoric beautiful and his illustrations happy, the people will not be satisfied with long sermons; and even if in every discourse are combined the excellencies we have enumerated, it were far better not to be tedious. Precise rules cannot be laid down to govern the length of Sabbath discourses: circumstances will of necessity exercise a controlling power on this as upon other subjects; but, as a general thing, from thirty to forty-five minutes may be fixed as the limits of ordinary Sabbath sermons. To preach with interest and effect, and be thus restricted in point of time, will require much and severe study. The preacher must condense-compress-avoiding all random remarks and discursive flights, have an object, keep it in view, and gain it; that is, make out the point he has in hand. When once this habit is acquired, it will be perfectly easy to preach short sermons, and sermons, too, which will "tell" with remarkable power on an audience.

because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. Acts xvii. 31.

THERE was a singular moral grandeur in the position of St. Paul at Athens. The symbols of idolatry were everywhere, and the priests, philosophers and scholars, of that proud emporium, thronged its streets in thousands. There were "lords many" to rule the popular mind, and "gods many" to claim and accept the popular devotions. Greece was rich in the number of her gods, and might have speculated through indefinite periods in divine commodities, reaping enormous profits from the trade. She had her Jupiter and Hercules for government and strength; Venus for love and passion; Minerva and Mars for wisdom and war. To these licentious and rapacious divinities she erected her altars and temples,-not forgetting, by innumerable devotional acts, to conciliate the good will of countless subordinate deities, who reigned, she knew not where, nor by what authority; and hence the philosophical, literary, pleasure-taking, devout Athenians, lest they should seem to neglect the claims of any of the gods to whom was given the dominion of the universe, built an altar TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.

This mysterious-this dreadful God unknown-Paul declared to the people-to the Epicureans and Stoics who "encountered"