TRUE AND FALSE PRINCIPLES.

Lo! where amid the arctic regions, rife,
The Iceberg's turrets glittering in the skies.
Like fome cathedral Gothic built, it rides,
Borne by the winds and ever-fhifting tides:
All shapes fantastic foon the phantom wears,
A palace now, and now a fhip appears :
At length it drifts towards fome fouthern fhore,
When lo: 'tis vanish'd, and is feen no more.

Not fo the Rock that rears its ancient head,
Its deep foundations laid in ocean's bed;
All change refifts, unalter'd is its form
Amid the funfhine, and amid the ftorm,
Unmoved it ftands, and ftill 'twill ftand fecure,
Long as the moon, and as the fun endure.

THE Iceberg lifts its towering fummit to the clouds, fparkling and dazzling, like a group of

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temples overlaid with filver. Its crystalline magnificence is bewildering; it forms one of the moft fplendid objects that the mariner meets with in the northern feas, and at the fame time one of the most dangerous. It is a floating mass without foundation; winds, waves, and currents, bear it along in all directions. It affumes the most fantastic shapes imaginable: fometimes it looks like mountains piled on mountains; then temples, palaces, and fhips are seen by turns ; then again, cathedrals of every order of architecture appear to the eye of the wondering beholder. After a while it drifts out of the high latitudes into milder climes. It is carried towards the fouthern fhores, the fun pours its burning rays upon the mammoth temple, turret after turret, fpire after spire disappear, until the whole has diffolved. Its glory has departed.

How very different is the nature and destiny of the Rock that is feen lifting its time-worn head above the furrounding waves! It is probably as old as time itself; it retains its ancient pofition; its foundations take hold of the world; it is marked in the charts, men always know where to find it, and are therefore not endangered by it. Changing the form of the element that furrounds it, itself unchanged, the fummer's fun and winter's storm alike pafs harmleffly by it. It is one of the everlafting hills, it must abide for ever.

The engraving is an emblem of True and Falfe Principles. Falfe principles are represented by the Iceberg. Like the iceberg, they are

without a foundation; however fpecious, brilliant, and fascinating their appearance, they have no folidity. Like it, too, they are ever-changing: their form receives its various impreffion from the ever-fluctuating fpeculations of mankind, and from the power and influence of the times. Like it, they are cold and cheerless to the foul, nipping all its budding prospects, cramping all its mighty powers. Like the iceberg, alfo, false principles will melt away before the burning fun of truth, and pafs into oblivion. It will not do to truft in them. Who would make a dwelling

house of the tranfitory iceberg?

It is not fo with true principles; although they may appear fomewhat homely at firft fight, yet the more they are contemplated the more they will be admired. Like the Rock, their foundations are laid broad and deep. The principles of truth rest on the throne of God, they are as ancient as eternity. Like the Rock, they may always be found. Are they not written in the Holy Bible? Like their Author, they are without variableness or shadow of turning, for,

“Firm as a rock, God's truth must stand,

When rolling years shall cease to move.'

Semper idem-"Always the fame "- is their motto. Like the Rock of Ages, true principles live when time fhall be no more. As are the principles, fo are all who truft in them, for "the righteous fhall be had in everlasting remembrance."

"Lord, who fhall abide in thy tabernacle? He that speaketh truth in his heart."-Ps. lv. 23. "Thy word is truth."-JOHN xvii. 17.

TRUTH.

Truth, glorious truth, of heavenly birth, and fair,
In fimple majefty array'd, is there;

Her right hand holds the faithful mirror clear,
Where all things open as the light appear:
Her left, upon the facred page reclines,
Where unadulterate truth refplendent fhines;
The world's false mask she tramples down with fcorn,
Adorn'd the moft when she would leaft adorn.
As her own temple on the margin feen,
Stands forth reflected in the filvery ftream:
So what by her is thought, or faid, or done,
Appears confpicuous as the noonday fun;
Truth is the image of our God above,
That fhines reflected in his fea of love.

All hail, bleff'd Truth! thou daughter of the skies,
Reign thou on earth, and bid earth's fons arife ;

Bid Virtue lead, and Juftice hold the scale,

For thou art mighty, and wilt foon prevail.