"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God."-I COR. iii. 19. "If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?"-МАТТ. Х. 25.

Though steep and rugged he will persevere;
The way he knows is right, then wherefore fear ?
His friends and foes alike pronounce him mad;
His friends are forry, but his foes are glad;
One pulls him by the skirt to keep him back,
Another runs before to cross his track;
One with a club resolves to stop his course,
And, right or wrong, to bring him back by force;
But they are wrong, and wrong the title given,
Self-will on earth-Obedience is in heaven.

Next Folly-nicknamed-here is seen to rife
And climb the path that leads to yonder skies;
Honours and shining gold his pathway cross,
Yet he esteems them but as dung and dross;
Old fashioned things prefers, o'ergrown with rust,
And stars and garters tramples in the dust.
Judging the man by earth's acknowledged
The lookers on denounce him for a fool;
The world is wrong again, the man is right;
His name is Wisdom in the realms of light.

rule,

In this picture, on the one hand, is seen a man urging his way up a steep and rugged path; his name is recorded. He is opposed, still he doggedly perseveres; friends and foes alike are aftonished at his proceedings. The former are grieved, the latter rejoice at the prospect of his certain ruin. Some of his friends are determined to arrest his progress; one seizes hold of him by the skirt, another, more intent, tries to get a-head of him in order to stop him; a third, yet more violent, pursues him with the bludgeon, and is determined, if fair means fail, to employ force. Nevertheless, he obstinately persists in he believes it to be They employ threats

the path he has chofen; right; he will not give in.

and promises, but all to no purpose; out of all patience with him, they use up a whole vocabulary of opprobrious epithets. He is self-willed, obstinate, stubborn, &c.; one by one, however, at length they leave him, and go about their business, and the man, no longer molested, goes along the way which to him appears to be right, and which he is determined to follow.

On the other hand, one is seen pressing forward up a rough and difficult pass; his name, also, is apparent. On his path lie scattered profusely, Riches and Honours, of various kinds; there is the trumpet of Fame, with Stars and Garters, and many other things of equal value; these appear to be at his command-he may ride in a coach drawn by fix beautiful horses, and yet he prefers to toil and tug along that rough road on foot. This strange conduct excites the scorn, ridicule, and laughter of those who behold him; they denounce him as a fool-they know that they would act very differently, and they are wife men. The man, however, regardless alike of their scorn and jests, goes his own way; and after a while, they go theirs.

The traveller, here called Self-will, represents the Chriftian, or man of Piety, in every age; the steep and rugged way, Christian conduct; the traveller's opponents, the Christian's adversaries, or men of the world. The Christian is one who is anointed with the Spirit of Christ; he receives a heavenly call; he is not disobedient thereto; he knows in whom and in what he believes. The path he is commanded to follow may be a difficult one, very difficult to flesh and blood; it is a new and strange way; it is so to himself in many respects, but God has called him to walk in it-he will obey. He walks by faith, not by fight, merely. His friends become alarmed at his conduct, and at first approach him with tenderness, beseeching him to give up his newfangled notions; though he loves them fincerely, he cannot, he dare not yield to their folicitations. They remonftrate, they threaten, but all in vain ; he is determined, nothing will move him; he even invites them to go with him; nothing would give him greater satisfaction than to have them for companions; they will not be perfuaded, and, mourning over what they confider his selfwill and stubbornness, permit him, at length, to have his own way.

Others of a more hoftile character, but equally blind, who know nothing of the Christian's motives and aims, who put darkness for light, and light for darkness, call sweet bitter and bitter sweet, beset the man with foul and abusive language. They revile and slander him, they maltreat and persecute him; they believe him to be an obstinate, stupid fellow-one who will have his own way at all hazards,

The man of God endures all things, and hopes all things; he prays for those who oppose him; he gives them good advice, and tells them, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." But God fees not as man sees; Heaven approves

of his conduct; hallelujahs refounded above when first he started on the way; new shouts of angelic applause might have been heard, when he persisted to walk in it. God has enrolled his name among his obedient ones, and when earth's records, doings, and opinions, shall be no more, he will receive, amid ten thousand thousand witnesses, the welcome plaudit of "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."

Yet

A wonderful example of what the world calls self-will, lived many years fince. An old man, who knew nothing about the business, took it into his head to turn shipwright and build a ship. Such a thing had never been heard of: of fuch enormous dimensions, too, that it was very clear there could not be water enough to float it; and a thousand idle things were faid about the old man and his wild and wilful undertaking. he was self-willed; day after day found him at his work-he knew what he was about-he knew who had commanded him; he doubted not but that there would be water enough to float his ship by and by, nor was he mistaken. His obedience had its full reward, and the lone Ark, floating majestically on the world of waters, teftified that it is better to obey God than man.

The man Folly, his path, and the treatment he meets with, serve also to illustrate Christian character. The Christian is called to forsake home and friends, houses and lands, riches and honours, whenever they in any measure stand in