case of those who are habituated to wickedness, but we believe it happens even more frequently in the case of those who are delivered from the dominion of sin, and whose thoughts are generally turned towards objects that are spiritual and divine. It may perhaps be said, that the innate wickedness of the heart, and even remaining corruption in the hearts of God's people, is sufficient, as a cause, to produce this effect. But to this we would reply, that we know not what wickedness even the remaining corruption of the heart, if unrestrained by the grace of God, is not sufficient to perpetrate; still, corrupt and blasphemous thoughts, when they proceed immediately from the mind itself, will, in a greater or less degree, be connected with, or arise from, the association of ideas, or the train of thought in the mind at the time when they present themselves to it, but the temptations of Satan are often immediate and very sudden. Since this, then, is the case, we ought to be particularly attentive to the exercise of watchfulness. We should be constantly upon our guard, since it is impossible to tell when or how we may be attacked by this cruel and unrelenting foe. We should study to be always in a state of preparation to resist his attacks: "Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour; whom resist, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." It has oftentimes been truly said, that it is no sin to be tempted by Satan; but it is a heinous sin to give place to the devil, or in the smallest degree to cherish, or consent to his temptations. This is that which we are especially called to guard against; and we ought to be the more vigilant, since our kindred corruptions well know Satan's voice, and are ready to join him in his attacks upon the soul, to ruin our best interests.

We are also to watch against those temptations to sin which may be laid in our way by the wicked of the world The wicked hate the righteous, because their works are good and their own evil; and it is their constant aim to draw them from the path of truth and duty, either by secret fraud or open violence. Sometimes they endeavour to turn them from the righteous ways of the Lord, by the alluring baits of worldly ease, honours, and profits. They represent the righteous ways of the Lord as unpleasant and unprofitable, and the ways of sin, as those that lead to riches, honour, and pleasure. Sometimes they attempt to laugh people out of their religion, by holding it up to ridicule, as savouring of sanctimoniousness, and as being unfashionable, and by representing its professors as fools, bigots, and enthusiasts. They revive the old clamour, "Have any of the rulers and of the Pharisees believed on him? But this people, who know not the law, are cursed." Perhaps Satan and wicked men never attempted a scheme for ruining souls, and drawing men from the path of duty, in which they succeeded better than this. The greater part of mankind have been found more inclined to give way to the tide of

public opinion, than to yield to the force of truth. This is a trap into which the weak and unstable, who have adopted their religious profession, not from judgment and conscience, as enlightened by the Word of God, but for the sake of convenience, or some other selfish motive, have seldom failed to fall. When these schemes have been found unsuccessful, the wicked have had recourse to open violence. They have persecuted the followers of Jesus in their name, their persons, and property. They have denuded them of all that was most dear unto them on earth, while the objects of their oppression have been frequently called to resist even unto blood striving against sin. These are strong temptations-temptations to desert the righteous ways of the Lord, which find abettors in the breast of every child of Adam in this imperfect state. Much care and vigilance must therefore be necessary to counteract their prejudicial influence. The man who would overcome these temptations, must maintain a sedulous guard over his own heart. He must be particularly careful to mortify the natural pride and vanity of the mind, which instinctively revolt at the reproach of Christ, and at suffering shame for his name's sake. He must cultivate self-denial and mortification to these sinful pleasures, customs, and profits of the world, and also study weanedness of affection to its innocent enjoyments and amusements, lest they should prove entanglements to him, when he may find it imperatively necessary for him to part with them in the prosecution of the path of duty. In resisting temptation to sin, the Christian is often called to act a part similar to that which Joseph did, when resisting the temptation to which he was exposed. He left his garment in the hand of his tempter and fled out. The Christian is frequently called to part with those enjoyments, which in other circumstances he might have retained, when they are in danger of entangling him in the path of rectitude, or proving occasions of drawing him into the commission of sin. It is the incumbent duty, therefore, of all who would keep themselves pure, to guard against an immoderate affection, even to those enjoyments of a temporal nature which are lawful, if used lawfully. In an especial manner, Christian watchfulness is to be exercised in guarding against the influence of the evil example of the world. "Evil communications corrupt good manners." Persons are exceedingly prone to contract the habits of those with whom they have much intercourse. It is not, therefore, an easy matter to associate with the wicked of the world, and yet remain unspotted from the world. Without the grace of God it is impossible; and assuredly, none are warranted to expect this grace, who can indulge themselves in keeping company with the wicked, but in cases of absolute necessity. The true Christian hates the assembly of the wicked; to sit with such he shuns.

Christian watchfulness must be exercised in reference to those sins to which we are most exposed, by reason of our external circumstances in the world, our constitutional bias, and the particulnr profession or business that we may pursue. These things, though they may be innocent in themselves, may, in consequence of the corruptions of our hearts, prove the occasion of temptation to sin. For example, hath

God placed any in affluent circumstances in life? Such persons have the greatest need to watch. Riches, with the heart to employ them in a proper manner, are indeed great temporal blessings, but they have their temptations. Those who enjoy them, are in danger of setting their hearts too much upon them, or when this is not the case, they often prove snares to their possessors, as they afford them the means of gratifying their carnal inclinations and appetites. Poverty, again, has also its temptations, which must be guarded against. Persons in extreme poverty are in danger of repining at God's dispensations towards them, and of being discontented with their lot in the world, while, at the same time, they are under strong temptations to violate their neighbour's property. These things induced the judicious Agur to make choice of the golden mean between poverty and riches, as the least dangerous situation in the world to his spiritual interests. Hence his prayer, "Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me, lest I be full and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain." A cautious fear of, and watchfulness against, those particular sins to which we are exposed, by reason of our age, comes also under this category. There are certain sins to which young persons are most exposed. Hence the exhortation of Paul to his beloved son Timothy, "Flee also youthful lusts, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." And the Apostle Peter to the Christians to whom he wrote, "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul." There are other sins to which persons in the middle stage of life are most exposed, such as avarice, and an inordinate attachment to the things of the world. These they are called upon to guard against, mortify and subdue: "For the love of money is the root of all evil; which, while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." Old age hath vices to which it also is most exposed, and fretfulness and discontentment are not the least prevalent. Persons should therefore sedulously watch against those sins to which they are most liable from their age, and the external circumstances of their lot in the world. In like manner, it might be shown that they ought to guard against the temptations incident to their particular profession in life. Here it is necessary, in the first instance, to be well assured that the business we pursue is lawful, for there are many employments authorised by the laws of men, that are directly contrary to the law of God, and inconsistent with a Christian profession; and in the next place, such a lawful business ought to be prosecuted lawfully. Care, at the same time, should be taken to guard against allowing the business in which. we engage, to encroach upon that part of our time which should be employed in the immediate acts of God's worship, and also against using every means, directly or indirectly, to increase our own gain, at the expense of that of our neighbour, or to the prejudice of his wealth and outward estate. But while we are to watch against every sin, and the temptations and incitements to it, we are to be particularly.

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on our guard against that sin which doth most easily beset us. As it is generally granted that every Christian has some grace in which he more especially excels, so it cannot be doubted that every man has some sin which more easily overcomes him than others, and which, on this account, may be denominated his predominant sin. Against this sin he is to be particularly on his guard. It may be said to be Satan's stronghold or high-tower in his soul; and his principal efforts in mortifying sin should be directed against it. Hence the admonition of the apostle to the Hebrews: "Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith."

There are particular seasons when this duty of watchfulness is especially necessary. When we undergo any change in our external circumstances in the world, then we are called in a particular manner to exercise vigilance. Every station and situation in life has its own temptations, and the congenial corruptions of the heart are as numerous and diversified as these outward temptations. Accordingly, it often happens that persons discover certain corruptions, when they change their stations in life, which were not before discernible in their conduct. They existed in the heart; but, in their former situation, they had no temptations to draw them forth to exercise; but no sooner is a different scene opened, and new temptations presented to the mind, congenial to them, than they are brought into vigorous exercise in the service of sin. A striking illustration of this truth we have in the case of wicked Hazael. His cruelty appears to have been a secret to himself, until he ascended the throne of Syria. He could not believe himself capable of so much barbarity as the prophet suggested, when he told him that he should slay the Israelites with the sword, dash their children in pieces, and rip up their women with child. "What, is thy servant," said he, dog, that he should do this thing." His predominant lust, and a suitable opportunity in life had not yet met; but no sooner was he exalted to the throne of Syria, than he became the unrelenting perpetrator of all the horrid cruelties which the prophet had mentioned to him. What a solemn lesson does his conduct teach!

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When persons are engaged in the immediate acts of God's worship, there is another special season for watchfulness. Then their spiritual enemies are commonly most active, and they themselves are most prone to be caught in their snare. Vigilance is therefore imperatively necessary to ward off their attacks, to the glory of God and our own spiritual advantage. "When I would do good," says Paul, "evil is present with me." If we would honour God in his service, we must give ourselves to watching.

Farther, when persons have obtained any partial victories over their enemies, and when they are favoured with special manifestations of the Divine presence, they are called to this exercise. If they have gained some advantage over their spiritual enemies, they should remember, that although grace weakens, it does not eradicate in

dwelling corruption in this life, and that while here they are never out of the reach of Satan's fiery darts. If they would preserve the advantage gained, and keep their ground, they must ever suspect danger so long as they are in the enemy's country. Though they may have just repelled their enemies, the same enemies may again gather strength, and attack them anew, or they may be assailed by another party from an unexpected quarter. It is Peter's admonition, whose experience in the matter had cost him much,: "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." The season of sensible manifestations is also a season when watchfulness is especially requisite; because persons are then most ready to be elated with pride and vain glory, the native tendency of which is to draw men into the snare of the devil.

In short, this duty is inseparably connected with a due regard to every means of divine appointment for resisting and subduing our spiritual enemies, and promoting growth in grace in the soul. In particular, attention must be given to prayer: "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication." The person who is so engaging himself is not only in the best attitude for guarding against the attacks of his enemies, but he is also in the best frame of mind for waiting or watching for the enjoyment of the spiritual blessings which God has promised to bestow, and which he has encouraged all his believing people to expect from him. The illustration, however, of this department of the subject must be reserved for the present.

A LEAF FROM A HOME MISSIONARY'S NOTE-BOOK. OUR great cities are the abodes of wealth, the centres of enlightenment and power: wherein all the luxuries and refinements of a farreaching commerce are lavishly gathered together and enjoyed, and wherein modern knowledge and intelligence display all their greatest triumphs. In walking about such a city as Edinburgh-in passing along its busy, well-built streets, where, on every side, we meet with evidences of its wealth and refinement or in entering its spacious squares and crescents, surrounded with splendid mansions, each one fit for a noble's palace-we can hardly believe that squalid poverty and wretchedness have taken up their abode within its borders: we can hardly realize the thought that side by side, with all the wealth and luxury that meet the eye on every hand, there exists to a fearful extent poverty and misery, physical wretchedness, and moral degradation.

Yet so it is; not in Edinburgh alone, but in each one of our great cities. There is a vast mass of being, the substratum of our social fabric, that is often scarcely known or suspected by the superficial observer. Our handsome squares and places are sure to attract the visitor; and as the eye takes in their noble proportions, and rests on