CHRISTIAN CIRCUMSPECTION.

"SEE that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise," is a caution no less needed by the Christians of the present day than by those among the Ephesians to whom St. Paul wrote his beautiful epistle and I do not hesitate to give it as my decided conviction, first, that the want of circumspection among Christians causes more scandal to the church of Christ than almost any thing else, and, secondly, that when its disastrous consequences are seen and deplored, the conviction of this sin causes the contrite, heart-broken backslider more sorrow of spirit than can be conceived by those who have never known, and therefore never felt the plague of their own hearts.

And amongst Christians of the present day, who need this caution so much as young professors? those who are in the enjoyment of bodily health, buoyant spirits and vigorous minds, who have yet to learn the many painful lessons which damp the glowing ardour of early life, and which practically caution them to let their moderation be known unto all men. It has frequently been said, (and oh ! how truly,) that youth is the season of enjoyment. Yes! to the ardent glow of feeling so peculiar to youthful minds there is something of excessive delight, almost amounting to extacy, as they eagerly pursue their enjoyments or recreations on which they have been

enabled first to ask the blessing of that God to whom they have presented themselves a living sacrifice. There is something exhilarating to their spirits in the sweet promise of spring,—in the gentle breeze of the summer evening,-in the varied tints and rich harvest of autumn, and in the sparkling icicles which hang on the otherwise bare stems of the wintry shrubs again, in casting the eye over the beautiful scenes of hill, wood and dale, to be met with even in our own beloved land; or over the boundless sea, with the gallant ship sailing proudly on its heaving surface; or directing it upwards to the innumerable and mysterious orbs glittering in the firmament, till the eye is wearied with gazing and the mind lost in wonder. Yes, there is enjoyment, exquisite enjoyment in all these, and surely in such things the young are not forbidden to rejoice in their youth. Those who have passed the season of youth will not accuse me of overdrawing the picture of its enjoyments, if they call memory to their aid; while among those who have not I shall doubtless find many sympathizers in the sentiments I have just expressed; they will feel it it to be no overwrought or fictitious description, but a faithful representation emanating from a heart which has felt, and is still feeling, all that has been here expressed. And, oh! may thousands of the sons and daughters of the spiritual Israel continue thus to rejoice, and if I might plead one thing in their behalf and my own, in submission to the will of our common Father, I would supplicate that when that rejoicing is interrupted it may be by any thing rather than the bitter consciousness of having those high blessings which were bestowed that we might therewith glorify Him who gave them,

of having, I repeat, perverted them to the crucifying our Lord afresh and putting him to open shame, to the dishonouring our holy profession, and the blaspheming our Master's name!

Many may think this a strange petition, and may consider that I place circumspection in too important a light-there are others who will, I trust, agree with me in believing that the want of it is capable of producing all these sad consequences. We who are not ignorant of Satan's devices know full well that as be does not neglect to avail himself of the despondency of some believers to attempt making shipwreck of their faith, so he will also of the rejoicing of others, in various and most insidious ways; and it will be well for us to turn from the faint picture of this fair world which we have anon been considering, and look a while at that once more fair, but now barren, rugged, and sin-defiled soil, the human heart, with respect at least to the subject now before us.

I said in the beginning of my paper that the want of Christian circumspection causes more scandal to the church of Christ than almost any thing else; and so I believe. Young Christians are apt to consider that when they have been enabled to quit the professedly careless portion of society and seek companionship in what is called the religious world, their need of circumspection is lessened, and they may give themselves up more entirely to the bent of their peculiar dispositions. What a refined delusion, and how worthy of the enemy of souls is this! And yet it is frequently supported in practice, though not in theory, for the admission of such a principle would lead to formidable heresy, and open the flood-gates of false doctrine. It would argue that dangerous,

false and unscriptural proposition that sin is not so displeasing to God among his chosen people as in those who have not known him-but who that feels the electing love of God would wish or dare to assert this? Let us then dread admitting that in practice the principle of which we should be shocked to acknowledge even to ourselves. Besides this, (if any other consideration be needed) is the professing Christian in this world always beyond the observation of them that are without? And is there no weak brother or sister within our influence who may stumble or offend through our own careless walk? O then never let us dare to relax in our war against every inward and cherished sin, natural to our own deceitful and desperately wicked hearts. Let me suppose a case, by way of illustration of my last point. You have a very tender and valuable plant, perhaps the gift of some deceased friend whom you loved while on earth, and whose memory you still cherish-you water your little plant, and watch it daily through the summer months, as it blooms in your garden; and as the winter approaches you say, 'My plant is too tender to remain out of doors, it must be brought into the house.' It is brought in, and placed by a window which admits a strong and blighting wind, but you cease to water it,—to cut off the dead leaves, or to care for it in any other way- because,' you say, 'now it is in the house, it needs no more care— the cold wind may blow over the little plant, but so long as it is not really out of doors, it does not matter.' I am not much of a gardener, but I think common sense would predict that the little tender plant would not live long under such circumstances. So it is with those mistaken persons who think they

need no longer keep their hearts with all diligence, when they are professedly under the influence of godly companionship; and if the little plant of faith there does not wither, it is because some kind friend, after a time, takes the pruning-knife, and may-be he has to cut away much that is useless and corrupt, till after a long season of languor bordering on decay, it at length revives and blossoms: the Friend of sinners, He only who has power to give life to that little tender plant, and to place it in the heart of the believer, "He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit."

I have spoken also of the sorrow felt by the real Christian on conviction of the sin of want of circumspection; and this is on many accounts. He has betrayed his Saviour, and wounded him in the house of his professed friends—he has been guilty of base ingratitude in abusing the blessing entrusted to him he has lost the honour of his Master, which was committed to his keeping-he has lost much of the spirituality of his own soul, and has therefore despised his birthright; in short, he feels himself to be a backslider. It is written in Proverbs, "The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways:" and this is indeed a mercy, for he not only feels his soul filled with the bitter consequences of 'his own ways,' but he also feels so filled with them as to say, "I have had enough of my own ways;' where are the good old paths? for I will walk in them," and He who is the way will lead him therein. I believe there can be few things in Christian experience more painful than the consciousness of having thus carelessly grieved the Holy Spirit by our want of circumspection, when we find that the world has