spiritual ignorance occupies the place where wisdom might have held her everlasting empire over the soul. Thus, when goodness is consumed, the understanding of Truth perishes; when the flesh is gone, the eyes consume away in their sockets, and all confession of the Lord, with all relish for the truths of heaven, perish; the tongue consumes away in their mouth! To such, the songs of Zion have no harmony; for the praises of Jehovah can never be sung, nor the spiritual truths of God relished by tongueless mouths. O may it be impressed on our souls as a clear truth, that goodness of heart is the beauty of the mind. When goodness fails, the Scriptures say, "there is no soundness in the flesh." (Psalm xxxviii. 7.) When destroying errors are loved and cherished, the understanding, with its perceptive powers, perish—"the eyes consume away." But how striking the contrast!—"The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes." (Psalm xix. 8.) While the tongues of the wicked are consumed, the good are said to have their mouths filled with laughter, or delight, and their tongues with singing. (Psalm cxxvi. 2.) O may we fight manfully, not against Jerusalem, but against all evil and error; so shall Jerusalem, the church and city of our God, become our chief joy.
April Twentieth.
THE FOOL'S DECLARATION.
"The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God."—Psalm xiv. 1; liii. 1.
TO say "there is no God," is the same as asserting there is no Creator: if no Creator, whence
