UPRIGHTNESS IS TRUE PROSPERITY. 123 dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly," Psalm lxxxiv. 10, 11. THE MAN IN THE MASK. IF you have never heard of the Man in the Mask, you will think the following narrative somewhat extraordinary. About two hundred years since, the astonishment of the world was excited by the remarkable circumstance of a man in a mask being sent privately to the castle in the Isle of St. Margaret, in the Mediterranean. This personage wore a mask so contrived, that it gave him liberty to eat without taking it off. It was not known who he was even by his keepers; and orders were given to kill him if he should attempt to discover himself. After remaining at St. Margaret for nearly thirty years, he was removed to the Bastile at Paris, where he occupied the best apartments; and was treated with such respect, that the governor himself placed the dishes on his table, and stood in his presence. He was refused nothing that he asked for; but the mask was never removed. No one, not even the physician of the Bastile, had ever seen his face. This unknown person died in the year 1704, and was buried at night, in the parish of St. Paul. Mon THE MAN IN THE MASK. 125 sieur de Chamillard is said to have been the last minister intrusted with this extraordinary secret. When on his death-bed, he was urged to disclose the mystery of the Man in the Mask; he replied that he could not; that it was a secret of state, and that he had sworn never to reveal it. Now, extraordinary as the circumstance of a man wearing a mask for more than forty years undoubtedly is, yet, when we consider the policy, the reservation, the deceitfulness, the guile, and the double dealing of the human heart, we must admit, that to find a man that did not wear a mask would be still more extraordinary. Could we but see the weakness of the strong, the ignorance of the learned, the cowardice of the brave, and the folly of the wise; could we only discern the passions and motives that influence the worst, ay, and the best of men, from hour to hour, from day to day, and from year to year; we should be compelled to regard every man as wearing a mask, and concealing thereby the real features of his mind. It is a truth, that we hide more than we reveal; but God seeth through all our disguises; "for his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings," Job xxxiv. 21. "The Lord seeth not as man seeth ; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart," 1 Sam. xvi. 7. THE PICTURE FRAME. "And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day," Isa. ii. 11. I REMEMBER in the days of my youth showing to a friend a drawing of mine, of which I was not a little proud, thinking it to be very well done. It was enclosed in a very pretty frame, which I had chosen to set off my performance to the best advantage. My friend had scarcely glanced at my drawing, when he exclaimed, "Oh, what a beautiful frame! where did you get it?" Blushing with mortification, I snatched away my drawing, and could have thrown the frame into the fire at that moment, though it had before given me so much pleasure. This was a fit of youthful jealousy. I had no objection to have the frame admired; but I could not bear it to be admired instead of my drawing. Since then, I have often been reminded of this fit of youthful jealousy and pride by what I have observed in the conduct of God's people. THE PICTURE FRAME. 127 When any talk of prayer and praise, of holy feeling and godly meditation, the hearts of true believers respond to these things; but if they see that these are trusted in, as having in the slightest degree part or lot in the matter of justification before God, they cry, "Away with them! away with them!" The gilt frame of a picture is very well as a frame, but it has nothing to do with the merit of the picture itself; nor should Christian gifts and graces ever be put in the place of the one full and free sacrifice offered up by the Redeemer on the cross for the justification and redemption of his people. The Lord our God has declared himself a jealous God. He hath created all things in heaven and earth for his well-beloved Son, and he will have him exalted alone in the matter of our salvation. If prayers, tears, and pious feelings would in any way atone for sin, what need had God to give up his dear Son to die a shameful death? But does not God delight in prayer and praises? Yes, he does delight in them; but he is offended with those who look at them, instead of looking to Christ. It is the Lord Jesus Christ that bore our |