easy to live a life acceptable to God, than we generally suppose: Pray for the grace of God, which is never denied to the repentant sinner, and resign yourself to its influence: you may thus, even on earth, partake of the joys of heaven, by doing the will of your Creator. O, blessed state of peace and security! how preferable to the empty pleasures of the world!-this was what St. Paul desired for the faithful, when he wished them to be in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

11. You ought to make it one of your chief duties, to keep a restraint on the words of your mouth, and to regulate your tongue, and (as far as the claims of society will permit) to keep silence, as a security. A habit of prudent silence allows our thoughts to rest with God, spares us many sinful and foolish words, and avoids much danger to ourselves, and injury to our neighbour, in slander and defamation: Silence humbles the mind, and detaches it from the vain concerns of life; it also affords a great addition to our time; for you make it a rule, neither to speak use

if

lessly nor wickedly, you will have your thoughts at liberty, many times, even in the midst of company; and though you may be in a situation, where you are obliged to mix much with society, still, if you cannot give whole hours to God, fail not to give him half-hours, or even minutes; and this fidelity to Him, in all you can spare from the calls of life, will (even in its smallest portions) be as acceptable in the sight of God, and procure as much of his favour, as if you devoted whole hours to him, from a life of more leisure, and more free from the claims of the world.

12. You should always distrust any of those apparently good qualities, which you meet with among your acquaintance, when you perceive that they are founded upon selfconfidence, and self-love. The Gospel says "That which is highly-esteemed among men, is often an abomination in the sight of God;" for God knoweth the heart, and to Him the purity of its motives is alone ac-. ceptable. Sins committed through passion, weakness, or ignorance, are less offensive to

God, than the vain-glorious, worldly virtues, on which men pride themselves, without bestowing a thought upon their Creator. Forbear, then, to estimate the characters of your fellow-creatures by your own false judgment, and depraved ideas of grandeur and goodness. You may be assured, that there is nothing really good or great in humanity, that does not humble itself in the dust, and bow before the throne of our heavenly King, acknowledging there its weakness and infirmity.

ON MARRIAGE.

MARRIAGE was instituted by God himself, between our first parents, in the happy state of innocence, and in the blissful dwelling of Paradise: it is, therefore, of high and sacred origin: Jesus has sanctified it, by performing his first miracle at the marriage at Cana; he thereby manifested his approbation of it. The wisdom and goodness of God has provided for the peace and comfort of his creatures, by this institution, as a bar against the anarchy and confusion which would otherwise prevail, even in the most refined society. The sacred bond of marriage is too often ridiculed and deprecated, by the libertinism of youthful passions; but it is the most perfect state of happiness which this life affords, provided it is entered upon wisely, and supported with mutual indulgence and affection.

St. Paul has left us some admirable instructions on this state, and has clearly proved the holiness of a virtuous union, and the favour which it finds in the sight of God.— "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it so ought men to love their wives as their own bodies: He that loveth his wife, loveth himself; for no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth it, and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the Church. Let every one of you, in particular, love his wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she reverence her husband.”

By the sacred tie of marriage, two persons are made one in their interests, affections, and every worldly consideration; and they are also one in the sight of God. To make this sacred tie productive of mutual comfort, it must not be lightly contracted, nor the state entered upon without due reflection on the characters which are to be united; and even between those whose characters appear the most likely to ensure happiness in marriage, there must be a constant regard to