of the golden sun, you know something about these things; but if you are not, you are robbing yourselves of health and of happiness. If you will rise betimes, you will enjoy more of God's creation than you do; you will improve your health, temper, and tone of mind; the day will pass more pleasantly with you; and, when night comes, you will, with a more fervent spirit, thank the Father of mercies for his abundant blessings, and sink into a sounder slumber.

WHOSE SERVANT WILL YOU BE?

WHOSE servant will you be? Tell me, Whose servant will you be? Do not be offended at the question, whether you are rich, or whether you are poor, for we must all be servants, give ourselves what airs we may. We must be the servants of Satan, or the servants of God.

A very important affair this. Let us look at it a little closer; let us see what are the terms of our servitude on one side, and on the other; and, first, let us inquire into the servitude of Satan.

The servant of Satan will have fair prospects set before him; he will dance, and sing, and laugh at coming care. be his for a season.

thing like sunshine;

The pleasures of sin will This, you will say, is some

but let us go on.

He who serves Satan, must wear

Satan's

livery, which is black, turned up with black ; black within, and black without. On special occasions he will wear a white suit, lined with black; but whether the servant of Satan dresses

in his proper livery, or appears as an angel of light, he is bound always to carry about with him a black heart, black desires, and black designs. What think ye of this?

The servant of Satan must always be the servile drudge, the cringing slave of his master. He must be a bondsman to the power of sin, the love of sin, the desire of sin, the commission of sin, and the punishment of sin. This is bad enough, and too bad.

The servant of Satan must always be in dread of the law of God, the justice of God, and the judgments of God. This is worse still. Do you not think so?

I said that the servant of Satan will be allowed some short-lived pleasures, but every rose he plucks will have a thousand thorns; every blissful cup he drinks will be dashed with wormwood. Peace will be banished from his pillow; hatred, bitterness, remorse, and fear, will be his companions. The heavens over his head will be brass, and the earth under his feet will be iron. Behind him will be an accusing conscience, and before him death, judgment, and everlasting destruction. This is worst of all. Let us now look on the other side.

The servant of God will have tribulations and

tears.

He will be tried by the world, tried by the

flesh, and tried by the devil.

You will say this

is a bad beginning; so it appears, but let us see a little further.

The servant of God will not be left alone in his troubles; his afflictions will be sanctified; he will be strengthened in weakness, guarded in danger, guided in difficulty, and comforted in despondency. This is somewhat better.

The servant of God will find his service perfect freedom. Neither the power, the love, the desire, nor the punishment of sin, will be permitted to subdue him. Over these he will come off more than conqueror, through Christ, that loveth him, and hath given himself for him. Why this is even better than the other. Life, and death, things present, and things to come, yea, all things, shall work together for his good. The Friend of sinners will be his friend; the God of grace will be his God; he will be guided by his counsel, and after that received into glory. Why this is better than all.

But, in a word, let us sum up the wages of the servant of Satan, and the wages of the servant of God. "The wages of sin is death," (eternal death;) "but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord," Rom. vi. 23. Need I again ask the question, Whose servant will you be?

TO ONE

COMING SUDDENLY INTO

POSSESSION OF PROPERTY.

DEAR GERARD,

It may be that you expect a letter from me, a line or two to tell you how glad I am to hear of your newly acquired property; but really, really, after turning the affair over in my mind in every way, I see but very little reason for congratulation.

The injunction of the apostle is, “Having food and raiment, let us be therewith content," 1 Tim. vi. 8; and though few of us would be satisfied with so moderate a competency, yet, after all, I question much if the temptations and dangers of suddenly acquired riches are not much greater than their supposed advantages. So many are the cautions respecting riches in God's holy word; so many have been ensnared by abundance, and ruined by riches, that I am quite inclined to apply the apostle's exhortation to Timothy, to

P