religion. His knees totter and tremble beneath the cumbrous load. The crofs is the badge of his profeffion, which he holds, or rather drags along, with his left hand: this shows that religion is only a secondary concern with him.

In his right hand he carries the globe. The right hand being the most dexterous, shows that the practical part of his life is employed in fecuring the world, notwithstanding his profeffion. He has fucceeded fo well that the globe has got uppermoft. It monopolizes his attention, and controls his movements. It has turned his feet from the narrow way; it has hid from his view the glorious light of the heavenly city. In going down hill, the cross flips out of his left hand, he ftumbles over it, and falls; the globe falls upon him, and grinds him to powder.

This emblem needs but little illuftration. It fhows the folly and end of a double-minded man. The fabled Atlas, who carried the world on his fhoulders, attempted nothing, accomplished nothing, compared with the man who labours to fecure both this world and the next; he has two fouls, or minds, which govern him by turns; but in the end, the worldly principle prevails. His folly confifts in trying to do what is in itself absolutely impoffible-what no man ever did or ever can do. God himself has feparated the world from the crofs; what God hath separated, no man may bring together; the nature of the gospel forbids fuch union. Its influences, doctrines, precepts, objects, tendencies, and final iffues are all op

pofed, and contrary to the principles, maxims, practices, and interefts of this world.

In the gospel, provision is made to renew the heart, and to enable man to set his affections on things above, not on things on the earth. The crofs is as much as any man can carry, let him have as much grace as he will. If any doubt remains, Chrift the great Umpire of all difputed claims of this kind, has pronounced the decifion : "No man can ferve two masters "Ye cannot ferve God and mammon."

The double-minded man is unstable in all his ways; fometimes he is feen among the disciples of Chrift, then again he appears following the the course of this world. He takes no comfort in religion, and none in the world. Every thing connected with him is double; a double curfe refts upon him wherever he goes. True Chrif tians are ashamed of him; the ungodly despise him; he is a laughing-stock for devils; his own confcience reproaches him; his own family upbraids him; and a double punishment will be the portion of his cup for ever.

The mad prophet Balaam is a remarkable inftance of double-mindednefs. In profeffion, he would be a prophet of Jehovah; in practice, he followed and "loved the wages of unrighteoufnefs." Despised by the people of God, to whom he was a stumbling-block; despised and reproached by Balak for his indecifion, he died under the weight of a double curse, and left his name a proverb of reproach and shame.

"Choose you this day whom ye will ferve."—Jos. xxiv. 15.

"How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him." -I KINGS xviii. 21.

"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot : I would thou wert cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will fpue thee out of my mouth."-REV. iii. 15, 16.

"And the rain defcended, and the floods came, and beat upon that houfe, and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock."MATT. vii. 25.

THE HOUSE FOUNDED ON A ROCK.

Lo! on a rock, the wife man marks his plan,
Its deep foundations clofely he would fcan;
Though gentle zephyrs breathe through fummer skies,
He knows that ftorms wide wafting may arife;
On folid bafe his building rifes fair,

And points its turrets through the ambient air.
With tranquil joy, his eyes delighted, greet
The beauteous fabric furnished and complete;
In confcious fafety makes it is abode.
His duty done, he leaves the reft with God.
But foon dark clouds o'erfpread the troubled sky,
And foon is heard the voice of tempeft high;
Deep rolls the thunder, rains in torrents pour.
And floods tumultuous beat with deafening roar.
Floods, rain, nor thunder, nor rude tempeft's fhock,
Can harm the houfe-'tis founded on a Rock.

Not fo the fimpleton who built on sand,
And wrought his labour with penurious hand;
'Midft howling tempefts and loud thunder's roar,
His house-it vanish'd, and was feen no more.

A WISE man, defiring to build a house for himself and family, fees many very pleasant and romantic lots: he is tempted to choose a delightful fituation, but he remembers that the country is often vifited with violent storms, that hurricanes are frequent, and that the rivers frequently overflow their banks, and sweep away bridges, houfes, cattle, and inhabitants, altogether. This makes him cautious. He facrifices what is merely ornamental for what is ufeful and effential. He fixes upon a rock for the fite of his manfion. He builds in fuch a manner that his house looks like a part of the rock itself, it is fo imbedded within its shelvings. When all is fnug and complete, he enters his new dwelling, thankful that he has been enabled to finish it. In a little while, one of those storms come on fo common to the country; the rains descend, the winds blow, the floods beat against the house, but it ftands unmoved. All night the tempeft lafts; at length morning comes; the fon of wisdom opens the door and goes forth, like Noah when he left the ark after the waters of the deluge had abated. He looks around: all is defolation except his own house. At a little distance from him he discovers fome of the fragments of hid neighbour's house. The foolish man had studies only ease and prefent convenience; he chofe a