perfections, in their proper and genuine fruits. It is that sensible medium by which the divine character is diffused and acted out. It is God's internal glory or fullness existing externally in its emanation. In a word, it is the visible portraiture of the invisible God, drawn by his own hand, and corresponding, in all points, with infinite exactness, to its eternal original. If then, the Divine character be infinitely amiable and ex'cellent, such is the divine government; for it is a perfect copy of that original. If God be love, all his conduct is benevolent. If he alone be worthy of our supreme affectionhis government is like himself it affords just ground of joy and happiness to the whole rational creation. fliction, or distress; while crossed in the beloved object of his hope, embittering his afflictions with unavailing murmurs, and looking about him, in vain, for comfort, from creature enjoyments. A mind thus affected would be liable to misconstrue the sentiment of the Psalmist, and consider it as the effusion of selfish joy, arising from some pleasing advancement of his own private interest and worldly prosperity. Judging from the disposition and tendency of his own heart, he would be ready to argue, surely David did not serve God for nought. He surely had obtained the desires of his heart, and without any thorn to infest his pillow, or any bitter ingredient in his cup, full well might he rejoice in the government of God, and bless the kind hand so munificently extended in his favor. In sailing a sea naturally rough and tempestuous, who would not rejoice to find a smooth surface and a favoring gale, and extol the power so pro Such, we find, were the views and feelings of the inspired Psalmist. "The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. Clouds and darkness are round about him; righteous-pitious to his views? But had he ness and judgment are the ha- felt my afflictions-had he sufbitation of his throne." Let us fered the disappointment of his take this sentiment along with fondest hopes, and mourned the us, as a lamp to enlighten us in loss of his dearest enjoyments in the contemplation of this sub-life-what room for joy? what lime and interesting subject. Reason approves the sentiment and joins her voice with that of the Psalmist-yet, to the unthoughtful and inattentive mind to the man wedded to worldly prosperity, supremely attached to the enjoyments of sense, and heated in the pursuit of pleasure, wealth or fame; it but illy accords with his feelings, and speaks a language foreign from his heart. It is especially so, if we view him in the hour of disappointment, af ground for exultation would have been left? Far different had been his feelings from the language he uttered. The voice of joy would but have sickened his heart, and the breath of devotion have frozen upon his tongue. But neither the connection of the passage, nor the history of David's life, gives the least countenance to a sentiment so dishonoring to religion, so opposed to the spirit of Christianity, and every genuine feeling of the good man's heart. With respect to out- f love, which seeketh not her own, but the general good; and which, as well under the heaviest pressure of afflictions, as in the brightest seasons of prosperity, seeks for repose, and comfort only in the bosom of his Father and his God, is expressed by the Psalmist in the most concise and striking point of view. Aware of what objections would at once arise in the worldly mind, from a superficial and disconnected view of the present mingled and varied state of things, and how readily the reply would be made, what wisdom or goodness is evidenced by a world that is full of sin and wickedness, of suffering and sorrow? what ground of rejoicing in that government in which all things come alike to all-the good and evil of life are promiscuously distributed to persons of all charactersin which the little happiness we enjoy, is constantly embittered and spoiled by a thousand evils we daily see, or feel, or fearwhile losses and crosses, disappointments and vexations, pain, sickness and death are the common lot of all?-aware, I say, of all such reasonings of the carnal mind, he proceeds to describe, ward and worldly circumstances, there is scarcely a more complex character on scripture record, than that of David. From the humble situation of an obscure shepherd, it, is true, he was advanced to the power and dignity of a throne-but what trials did he encounter by the way, and indeed through the whole course of his life? At times he appears almost overwhelmed with affliction, and his own account attests that tears had been his meat, day and night. Like his divine Lord, of whom he was an eminent type, he was, notwithstanding his high advancement, in worldly prosperity and honor, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with griefs. But what more natural to the man after God's own heart, than to rejoice in the universal government of God, and build all his happiness and his hopes upon that foundation ? He, who, with humble sincerity of heart, could join with Asaph and say, Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth, whom I desire besides thee," breathes the same self-denying spirit and would readily adopt the same language with that of the proph-in a word, the general excelet Habakkuk "Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vine, the labor of the olive shall fail, and the field shall yield no meat, the flocks shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stall, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." lency of the divine government, as the special and substantial ground of his joy. And nothing more was necessary, in order to remove every objection. It needed only to be seen just as it was, for every caviling mouth to be stopped, and every benevolent heart to be filled with joy. The Lord reigneth, the The same spirit of self-deni- Psalmist had declared, and calal-the same humble devoted- led on creatures to triumph with ness of soul to God-the genu-him in this joyful assurance.— ine breathings of that divine But, how doth he reign? Are dom of that government, whose reason and measures we are unable to comprehend-saying "The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice"-fully confiding in the universality of a Divine Providence-that infinite wisdom which cannot err, orders and disposes all things, in the wisest and best manner; and though "clouds and darkness are round about Him, yet, righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. the measures of his government | implicit confidence in the wisdictated by an imperfect view of things, by prejudice, passion or caprice? Are they such as the frailty of human reason would prescribe, or the short sighted powers of creatures can comprehend? Shall man presume to enter the pavilion of his maker, scrutinize the propriety of his government, and dare to say, what doest thou? Shall he who is but of yesterday, and knows nothing teach infinite wisdom how to rule? Shall he that is nothing, lend assistance to almighty power? And shall he that deserves nothing but destruction, censure the conduct of infinite goodness, and feel himself aggrieved? No. Let us be humble and be wise. Let us be still and know that He is God."Clouds and darkness are round about him, yet righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne." These impressions and views of the divine government are not calculated to lead us astray, bu to conduct us in the path of true wisdom, and enable us to make progress in divine knowledge. Being the language of truth, and the dictates of indispensible duty, they are no less conducive to our highest interest; and whether in prosperity, or adversity, are alike necessary for the enjoyment of any real comfort. "Behold," saith the inspired Prophet, "his soul which is lifted up, is not upright in him, but the just shall live by his From this This may well check a spirit of restless inquietude, from vainly seeking to pry into the depths of the eternal mind, and examining the purposes of God by the standard of human wis-faith." Hab. ii. 4. dom, blinded as it is by the selfish feelings and corrupt affections of a depraved and wicked heart. It is from this quarter only, that our danger arises.In humility, our wisdom and safety consist. Without this, all our researches will be vain and fruitless, and the further we proceed, the further shall we wander from the right path, and the more difficult and uncertain will be our return. As pride is the very essence of folly, it is the fruitful parent of all evil. In the present dark state, we are to walk by faith and not by sight, and to content ourselves with an it is plain, that both the experimental knowledge, and the comforts of religion, are the fruits only of faith; and that to judge aright of the ways of God, we must first realize our own true characters as dependent, sinful, weak, and fallible creatures. This most surely is necessary, when we consider the perfection of God's reason, and the weakness of our own. And even in matters which are, as it were, just within our reach, what would become of the world, if the practice of all moral duties, and the foundations of society, rested upon having their reasong made clear and demonstrative | for it is built upon the wisdom to every individual? We may and rectitude of an infinite, an be satisfied that a mind, which unchangeable God. has no restraint from a sense of This gives us full assurance its own weakness, of its subor- of a Divine Providence, both dinate rank in the creation, and universal and particular; and of the extreme danger of letting though God's ways may to us the imagination loose upon some appear dark, mysterious and unsubjects, which being the most accountable, yet righteousness sublime, are for the same reason and judgment are the habitation the least comprehensible, might of his throne. There is no convery plausibly attack every tingency in the system-nothing thing, even the most excellent takes place by chance; but diand venerable-that it would vine counsel determines and dinot be difficult in this way, to cri- rects all events, and will finally ticise, even the government of bring good out of evil, light out God; and that, if we were to of darkness, and order out of examine the divine conduct, confusion. An infinitely wise. by our ideas of reason and fit- and powerful being, though ness, and to use the same me- invisible in his essence, and enthod of attack, by which many throned in heaven, is yet conpeople assault the dearest and stantly present with all his most important doctrines of re-works-in him we live and move vealed religion, we might, with and have our beings. He who as good color, and the same suc-first created, hath ever supportcess, make the wisdom and pow-ed and governed the universe. er of God in his providence, He first bade the wheels of naappear to many, no better than ture roll. He conducts the infolly and injustice. How im- finitely various parts of the great portant, then is this practical machine, to an inimitable beauty instruction of his word, to crea- and perfection. tures so exceedingly liable to err, and to forsake the real object of happiness, for a delusive and imaginary good? How necessary is such a divine declaration, ASAPH. (To be continued.) on the one hand, to point out | Manual labor a branch of the duty the proper limits of our enquiries, and, on the other, to direct which God requires of man. S the greater part of the time of a large majority and comfort our hearts! Clouds and darkness are round about of mankind is usually employed him; righteousness and judg-in labor, to obtain the necessament are the habitation of his ries and comforts of life, or to throne. This, while it holds advance their worldly interests; forth a solemn reproof to our and as many consider it a matpride speaks peace to the hum-ter of importance, to labor with ble soul, suggests the noblest diligence, and to employ their motives of consolation, and lays time to the best advantage, for the most permanent foundation these purposes; it is thought it for support to the afflicted; may be proper and useful, to perfections, in their proper and genuine fruits. It is that sensible medium by which the divine character is diffused and acted out. It is God's internal glory or fullness existing externally in its emanation. In a word, it is the visible portraiture of the invisible God, drawn by his own hand, and corresponding, in all points, with infinite exactness, to its eternal original. fliction, or distress; while crossed in the beloved object of his hope, embittering his afflictions with unavailing murmurs, and looking about him, in vain, for comfort, from creature enjoyments. A mind thus affected would be liable to misconstrue the sentiment of the Psalmist, and consider it as the effusion of selfish joy, arising from some pleasing advancement of his own private interest and worldly If then, the Divine character be infinitely amiable and ex-prosperity. Judging from the 'cellent, such is the divine government; for it is a perfect copy of that original. If God be love, all his conduct is benevolent. If he alone be worthy of our supreme affectionhis government is like himself it affords just ground of joy and happiness to the whole rational creation. disposition and tendency of his own heart, he would be ready to argue, surely David did not serve God for nought. He surely had obtained the desires of his heart, and without any thorn to infest his pillow, or any bitter ingredient in his cup, full well might he rejoice in the government of God, and bless the kind hand so munificently extended in his favor. In sailing a sea naturally rough and tempestuous, who would not rejoice to find a smooth surface and a favoring gale, and extol the power so pro Such, we find, were the views and feelings of the inspired Psalmist. "The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. Clouds and darkness are round about him; righteous-pitious to his views? But had he ness and judgment are the habitation of his throne." Let us take this sentiment along with us, as a lamp to enlighten us in the contemplation of this sub-life-what room for joy? what lime and interesting subject. felt my afflictions-had he suffered the disappointment of his fondest hopes, and mourned the loss of his dearest enjoyments in ground for exultation would have been left? Far different had been his feelings from the language he uttered. The voice of joy would but have sickened his heart, and the breath of devotion have frozen upon his tongue. Reason approves the sentiment and joins her voice with that of the Psalmist-yet, to the unthoughtful and inattentive mind to the man wedded to worldly prosperity, supremely attached to the enjoyments of sense, and heated in the pursuit But neither the connection of of pleasure, wealth or fame; the passage, nor the history of Dait but illy accords with his feel- vid's life, gives the least countenings, and speaks a language fo-ance to a sentiment so dishonoring reign from his heart. It is es- to religion, so opposed to the spirpecially so, if we view him in it of Christianity, and every genthe hour of disappointment, af- uine feeling of the good man's |