"Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were an offering far too fmall;
Love so amazing! fo divine!

Demands my life, my soul, my all."

And he devotes himself accordingly to the service of his king and Saviour. As a good fubject, he will obey His laws, and feek to promote the peace and profperity of His kingdom; as a good foldier, he will follow his Captain through every danger and every death, and, having gained the victory, he will ground his arms at Jefus' feet, and fo be ever with the Lord.

The following is a noble inftance of genuine philanthropy, where a perfon rifked and actually loft his life for the falvation of others:-A Dutch East Indiaman was wrecked in a terrible tempeft off the Cape of Good Hope; the failors were every inftant perifhing for want of affiftance. An old man named Woltemad, by birth a European, and who was at this time a refident of an ifland off the coaft, heard the lamentations of the diftreffed crew and haftened to their relief. The noble Dutchman borrowed a horse and proceeded to the wreck, with a view of faving at leaft fome of their number; he returned fafe with two of the unfortunate fufferers, and repeated this dangerous trip fix times, each time bringing with him two men, and thus faved in all fourteen perfons. The horfe was by this time so much exhausted, that the man did not think it prudent to venture out again; but the entreaties of the poor fufferers increasing, he ventured one trip more, which proved fo unfortunate that he loft his own life; for on this occafion too many rufhed upon him at once, fome catching hold of the horfe's tail, and others of the bridle, by which means the horfe, wearied out, and too heavily laden, was overwhelmed by the billows, and all drowned together. The Eaft India Company, impreffed with fo noble an inftance of philanthropy,d a monument to be erected to his me

"Therefore let us not fleep, as do others; but let us watch and be fober."- -I THES. V. 6.

THE WINTRY ATMOSPHERE.

The icy mountains here lift up on high
Their barren peaks, toward the arctic sky;
Terrific regions, where grim Winter reigns,
And binds the whirlwind in his frosty chains.

X

All life has fled, save where the shaggy beast
Prowls with intent on human blood to feast;
'T is nature's tomb; no living voice is heard,
Of murmuring brook, nor cheerful warbling bird;
No leafy tree, nor fmiling fields of green,
Nor corn luxuriant waving, here is feen.

In this cold clime fome mariners are found,—
Two, froze to death, lie stretched upon the ground;
Others, more wife, to keep themselves awake,
They leap and shout, and strive their friends to wake.
One plies the rod—yet from all anger free-
To roufe his neighbour from his lethargy;
Death of his prey, while thus engaged, he cheats,
And finds himself revive the more he beats.
Thefe work and live, although the conflict's fore;
The reft, they flumber and awake no more.

HERE we have a picture of the Polar regions; the accumulating maffes of ice raife to the fky their fnowy fummits. The formation, perhaps, of future icebergs. Here Winter fits fecurely upon his throne of defolation. Unmolested by the Solar King, he fways his icy fceptre. The very winds are hufhed to filence by his power; a defolate and terrible region. It is the fheeted fepulchre of Nature deceased. No figns of life are seen, except the Polar beaft, fitted for his dreary abode. No found of rippling brook, nor voice of joyous bird echoes through the icy cliffs. To blefs the eye, no leafy forefts wave to the breeze, no cheerful fields of living green appear. To blefs the heart, no rifing corn, the all-fuftaining food of man, bends with its weight of wealth. In this inhofpitable climate, man, if he poffefs not a ftout heart, foon dies. A drow

finefs fteals over him. He feels a very great inclination to lie down, then cold chills, throughout his life's blood, flowly creep. He finks into a lethargy from which he never more awakes.

In the picture are seen a few mariners who are thrown into this unfriendly climate. Two of them, in confequence of giving way to their drowsy feelings, have fallen afleep. It is the flumber of the grave. The others, aware of the deadly influence of intenfe cold, exert themselves to keep it off. They leap about and cry aloud. They are alarmed for their companions. They ftrive to arouse them from their dangerous fleep. One perceiving his friend to have some signs of life in him, procures a rod; he lays it on unfparingly; he finds himself benefited by the exercife; he continues it; he is fucceffful; he faves the life of his friend; they continue actively employed until deliverance appears. Thus, then, lives are preserved. The rest, caft into the deep fleep of death, are left to the beasts of prey.

The wintry atmosphere represents that spiritual declenfion that too frequently happens. Piety is in danger of freezing to death. The church has gone too far north. The thermometer of holiness has funk almoft to zero. The Sun of Righteousness cafts but a few feeble flickering rays athwart the gloom profound. Fearful ftate indeed! The ftillness of fpiritual death prevails. The fhaggy one alone is alive and active. "He goeth about as a roaring lion feeking whom he may devour." The voice of prayer is hushed.

No joyful hallelujahs break the monotony of the awful folitude. Doctrine and difcipline are neglected. Even the all-fuftaining word of God is forfaken. Melancholy pofition! She will foon become a mere iceberg, dafhing herself and others into oblivion. It has fometimes occurred, that by the faithful prayers and active labours of one faint, the church has been brought out of the wintry atmosphere, and been faved. This one living difciple brings the whole church to Jefus, the Sun of Righteoufnefs, and keeps her there by faith, until the whole tide of His rays fall full upon her. Her frozen heart now begins to thaw; foon it melts into penitence and love; now the voice of prayer breaks forth as the morning; the fong of praise again mounts upwards; God's houfe is filled with worshippers; minifters are clothed with falvation; converts are multiplied, and the fons of God fhout aloud for joy.

The wintry atmosphere may furthermore denote

the condition of individual Chriftians when thrown into the fociety of the wicked, when compelled in the order of Providence to dwell in

the

tents of Kedar." In the absence of the genial influences of religious ordinances, the freezing influences of ungodly principles and practices prevail. Infidelity itself may perhaps lift up its daring front, and defy the God of the armies of Ifrael; deny the infpiration of the. facred page, and laugh the Christian to scorn as a weak enthufiaft. If unwatchful, the profeffor