expedient. This congeniality of heart we have already seen to be elementally necessary. The glory of God will not in any degree be sought unless a predisposition towards the object be first imparted. The reader will remember what were insisted

upon as prerequisites in this case. And as it stands in the nature of the thing, so will it be found in the degree. In or der to seek the object at all we must have a congenial mind. In order to seek it more eminently, we must have increased congeniality. In proportion as earthliness, sin, proud self, and their attendant and. kindred evils are admitted and entertained, and so far as they mould and form the disposition, the mind will shrink with distaste from an end so pure, spiritual and humbling as the glory of God. There will be a proportionate dislike, shyness and distance. But let holiness, spirituality, lowliness, enter into the temper and habit of the mind, so as to form the state of the heart; and they will incline us to the divine glory, will render it welcome and lovely, and make its pursuit natural and easy to us. course is therefore plain. We must diligently cultivate a disposition more and more allied, attempered and conformed to the glorious end we seek. Let us cherish a taste of mind more strongly holy. We shall be in no capacity to move in this race unless we "put off the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." We must have such a state of heart, that the purity of our end shall be our reason for seeking it. "We will worship at his footstool, for the Lord our God is holy." We must have a heart upon which such a reason will prevail. We should endeavour to

Our

escape from the averting, indisposing, disqualifying influences of sin. In a state of mind totally unholy, we cannot even look at our end. We instinctively recoil from it. Much less could we dwell and repose in it. So in proportion to the prevalence of remaining evil, will be our incapacity for viewing and seeking God's glory. Few, and cold, and timid will be the glances we cast towards it, and small the ease we shall find in it, if we strive not against sin, and are not seeking to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. We shall also find one of our greatest facilities for promoting the divine honour, will be, deep and constant lowliness of mind.* This puts the spirit in a position favourable to its object. There is less difficulty, less need of effort and of violence, The mind is in an easy and natural posture for the attainment of its wishes. Pride indulged and tolerated will make our object hard of access. prepared, how eager to sacrifice self and to glorify God, when we feel that we are nothing, less than nothing and vanity!" If we would facilitate our endeavours to excel in these exalted aims, if we would

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How

"Mais outre ces défauts, il y en a un plus caché dans l'orgueil, qui est le plus grands de tous; c'est qu'il nous fait usurper la gloire de Dieu même. Nos perfections sont des talents que Dieu nous confie pour les fair valoir. Le profit qui en resulte, c'est la gloire que nous devons lui rapporter comme etant son bien : mais l'orgueil, cet injuste, ou plutôt ce sacrilége qui dérobe tout, ne respecte pas plus les droits de Dieu, que ceux des hommes. Tous les egards qu'il a pour la Divinité, c'est qu'il n'ose avouer les injustices qu'il lui fait, et qu'il a tant d' horreur pour ses sacriléges, qu'il n'oseroit les mettre au jour, ni en rendre la raison complice."—L'Art De Se Connoître Soi-Meme. Par Jacques

Abbadie,

hold our minds in constant and easy readiness for these high purposes, we must "clothe ourselves with humility." Without this our fastidiousness will create a thousand obstructions and offences; and our self-consequence will cause ceaseless controversies with God. It is with the humble and contrite that God dwells, not only as their gracious and reviving comforter, but as their all-satisfying portion, and their chief and chosen end. It will also be apparent that our proficiency in these godly aims will greatly depend upon the degree in which our hearts are imbued with amicable and affectionate sentiments towards God. The end we aim at must be loved, in order to be followed, and in proportion to the ardour with which it is esteemed will be the intensity and assiduity with which it will be sought. We must seek therefore to have our minds in a more friendly, well-affected state. We must " abound in love more and more;" we must grow in affectionate acquaintance with God; our hearts must be pervaded and filled with filial regard towards him; our desires must dwell with delight and eagerness upon the glorious object; and then shall we spring towards it with unfailing aim, and unslackening velocity. If our hearts are thus attempered, they will answer that powerful magnet, the glory of God, with instant neous and unvarying certainty. If our affections are well strung, the chords will infallibly respond to the song of glory and honour to him that sitteth upon the throne. Pervading and habitual spirituality will also be found peculiarly friendly to our object. How eminently, how entirely spiritual is the end we profess to seek! In this respect how far removed from other ends! How high above them!

If we would eminently reach it, we must attain that aptitude which lies in spiritual tastes, tendencies, affections and exercises. If the spiritual fire does not burn, no sacrifice can ascend, no incense can rise. Our minds must be conversant and familiar with spiritual objects. We must be at home in them. Otherwise there will be a strangeness and awkwardness, a formality and coldness, in all our set attempts to glorify God. There must be a constant relish and savour of spiritual things, in order to render that essence and perfection of spirituality-the glory of God-covetable, and palatable to us. Our spiritual taste and appetite must be wrought up to proportionate refinement and exquisiteness, before we can experience, in great degree, this highest species of spiritual luxury. The eye must be cleared of all its films, its motes and beams, and endued with eaglestrength, in order to look upon this ineffable brightness. Our thoughts and affections must roll in a spiritual channel in order to reach that ocean of spirituality the glory of the Lord. Our business is therefore to guard against carnal iufluences, and to seek a spirituality more habitual, entire, governing and absorbing. Greatly to our present purpose are the golden sentences of Howe. "Get up then into the higher region where you may be out of the dan ger of having your spirit engulphed and, as it were, sucked up of the spirit of this world; or of being subject to its debasing, stupifying influence. Bear yourself as the inhabitant of another country. Make this your mark and scope, that the temper of your spirit may be such, that the secret of the divine presence may become to you, as your very element, wherein you can most freely breathe, and live, and be

most at ease; and out of which you may perceive you cannot enjoy yourself; and that whatever tends to withdraw you from him, any extravagant motion, the beginnings of the excursion, or the least departing step, may be sensibly painful and grievous to you."

But we satisfy ourselves with glancing at these qualities which go to make up the temper so favourable and conducive to our endeavours to attain greater constancy and zeal, eminence and success in our aims to do all to God's glory. It is not needful to dwell at length upon them, since they have passed before us in another form. We noticed them as essential prerequisites to our seeking this end. Here therefore we have had to contemplate them simply in their degree. And in this view it is indeed important practically to regard them. Assuredly our attainments in acting to God's glory will be measured by the degrees in which we acquire, and preserve, and improve a spirit congenial with the end we seek. There must be in this glorious and immortal enterprise, not only determined purpose, a settled aim, a repeated effort, a vigorous striving; but a fixed and growing habitude, a strong tendency, a real, though implanted, nature.

We

V. We should obtain the settled persuasion of its being a happy thing thus to live. Without this view of it, there will be a coldness in our desires, and a tardiness in our efforts for its attainment. shall not 66 run in the way of God's commandments," whilst they are thought "to be grievous." And if this great requirement be felt to be irksome, burdensome and disagreeable, we shall be apt to