in as many months or years. For the conversation of the wicked has far more power to corrupt the righteous than the conversation of the righteous to ameud the wicked; just as it is much easier for the healthy to become diseased by communication with the sick, than for the sick to be restored by communication with the healthy. Solomon was well acquainted with this when he warned us" Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man thou shalt not go; lest thou learn his ways and get a snare to thy soul."

One reason why the society of those who are not truly religious will be a great hindrance to the Christian is, that, if he will not give up the dictates of his conscience, he must expect to meet with the scoffs of men. His example, if he live as becometh his high profession, will reprove the world even when his lips are silent; and there are few things which men will less forgive than such a reproof. "The world hateth me," said our Lord, "because I testify of it that the works thereof are evil." It is impossible, therefore, for the Christian to live as he ought with his God, and yet retain the friendship and confidence of the wicked. Such contrasts cannot be reconciled. He must either become more like them or be unsuited to them: to the former, there are, alas! a thousand temptations addressed to his pride, his natural feelings, his love of ease and respectability in life, and every other human passion; while the disposition to submit to the latter is opposed by every thing in him and around him.

There would be less danger to the Christian in mixing with sinners, if it were not that they are always ready to entice him to their evil ways. Good men, it is to be lamented, are not usually as anxious to bring their companions to the knowledge and practice of true religion, as bad men often are

to tempt the good to wander from it. Many a person, after feeling his heart impressed with the things belonging to his eternal peace, after seeing his guilt and danger, after being softened for a moment with the love of a Redeemer, and determining to give himself up to God, has been fatally ruined by mixing with those who viewed his religion with suspicion or contempt, and were desirous to make him forget the sacred impression. Besides, if we truly desire to serve God, the company of the wicked will be offensive to us. To mix with them will be like a loyal subject frequenting the society of rebels and traitors. David says, "Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with them that rise up against thee? I hate them with a perfect hatred; yea, I count them my enemies." Not that the Christian hates the persons of those who do not fear God; on the contrary, he would willingly do them all the good in his power; but he hates and avoids their sins, because they are contrary to his own new nature and the will of his Redeemer. St. Paul lays down this distinction very clearly, when he says, "If any man obey not our word by this Epistle, note that man, and have no company with him; yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.' Even the meek and amiable St. John, who leaned on Jesus' bosom, could say, " If there come any unto you that bringeth not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed; for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds."

But the strongest reason for obeying the command in the text, is, that our salvation is endangered by the society of the wicked. The man of wisdom hath taught us; "He that waiketh with wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be destroyed." And in

a similar manner a voice from heaven was heard by St. John, warning and inviting the faithful to come out of the mystical Babylon: "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." If, then, we love the ways of the wicked, there is no alternative but that we be partakers of their punishment. Thus life and death, good and evil, are set before us; and a merciful God, who willeth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he return, and repent, and live, invites us to make a choice. And shall we, with so much grace and mercy on the one hand, and so much wrath and danger on the other, deliberately choose the wrong? Shall we still persist in the path of the wicked and the way of evil men, knowing whither it will inevitably conduct us; and neglect that way of pleasantness and path of peace which leadeth to life everlasting? May we have grace given us to avoid this most awful of all sins! May we be taught by the Holy Spirit to prefer, like Moses, affliction with the people of God, to enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season! May our delight, like David's, be with the excellent of the earth; and our portion be with them for ever in heaven!

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For the Christian Observer. PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS THE CONDUCT OF SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABED-NEGO. THE brief history of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego is one of the most interesting in the word of God, and is replete with useful instruction. The conduct of the king, of the courtiers, of the three Israelitish captives themselves, and the general events of the narrative, are all highly important, and might furnish several useful subjects of meditation; but the part which appears to me particularly strik ing, and to which I intend to in

vite the attention of the reader, is the following:

"Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, ONebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Dan. iii. 16-18.

The events of the narrative need not be detailed: I will suppose the previous scenes completed; that the king has given the command to worship the golden image; that the Chaldeans have informed him that the three young Israelites have refused so to do; and that they are brought before their incensed sovereign to answer to the charge. The king once more gives them their choice, to worship or to be burned in the fiery furnace. Let us hear their alternative: without hesitation or delay, they reply, "We are not careful to answer thee in this matter. Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us out of the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king." Thus, being strong in faith, they gave glory to God; they were raised above the natural fears of so painful a trial; their confidence even increased as it drew near; for they doubted not that either a way should be made for their escape, or that they should be supported under the infliction.

This narrative, divested of the miraculous parts of the history, seems very closely to apply to the case of the Christian in the present age, and may furnish us with a useful guide to the line of conduct which we ought to pursue when exposed to any risk or difficulty for the cause of our Redeemer. Let us examine a few of the leading circumstances.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed. nego were three very young men, worshippers of the true God in a heathen land. They were exposed tomuch persecution and distress on account of their religion, yet they were enabled to act with faithfulness and prudence" in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation." Now our Lord hath expressly told us also, that offences will come; and it is further said, that all who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution; so that although in a Christian country like ours open persecution is unknown, yet still there is, and must be, a cross to bear, and a warfare to maintain, by all who are in earnest respecting the salvation of their souls, and really desire to tread in the steps of their Redeemer. Religion, where it is genuine and active, will inevitably excite the hatred or contempt of the world. The true Christian will be obliged to stem the surrounding stream: there will, there must, be opposition: if he were of the world, the world would love its own; but because he is not of the world, but is chosen out of the world, therefore the world will hate him.

Now let us imagine a person, and especially a young person, such as were the three individuals mention. ed in the text, in such circumstances. How difficult oftentimes and painful the line of duty! How much need is there of some animating example, or affectionate and faithful advice, to keep such a person from offending against conscience, and forgetting his obligations to his Redeemer! To be faithful where others are unfaithful-to worship God truly in a family, a parish, a neighbourhood, in which almost all around us conspire to forget him to be in earnest in religion where our friends, and associates, and connexions are indifferent-to forsake sin, and the world, and temptation, where every thing invites us to love them and follow them, is no easy task. It can be CHRIST. OBSERV, No. 195.

performed only by the aid of Him who is at once a Comforter and a Sanctifier; and may He bless the consideration of the example before us, to strengthen and confirm in us that holy resolution which ap. peared in the language and conduct of these three illustrious individuals.

It appears from the narrative, that Nebuchadnezzar the king set up a golden image, and commanded all his subjects to fall down and worship it. In like manner, in the present day, is sin in its various shapes an idol which the world delight to serve. By nature we are its slaves and votaries; and it is not till we have learned, like these three young men, to come out from the world and to worship the true God, that we begin to feel the burden of this service. New idols are constantly presented, to confirm the sinner in his slavery, and to tempt the true Christian from his allegiance to God. Babylon surely abounded with idols enough; yet a new one must be set up for the occasion; and thus the world is always varying its temptations. Whatever be the last evil custom, the last new mode of sinning, men are expected to follow it. In general, they comply with the wish of their spiritual enemy: they crowd to the broad road of destruction, and rejoice to walk in it. Thus no sooner was the command given, than "princes, judges, governors, captains, treasurers, sheriffs, counsellors, and rulers," with the people at large, all with one accord eagerly flocked to the idolatrous rite. These three persons only are mentioned as not complying with the order-a proof that even the most youthful Christian ought not to be ashamed of religion, or to reject it; namely, because there may be but few around him who think as seriously as himself. Indeed it is expressly to strengthen such a one to patience in well-doing, and to bear with meekness and faith the opposition he may meet with from the world, that the narrative before us X

seems to have been recorded. Should all the rich, the wise of this world, the gay, the splendid, be against serious religion; should a thousand new baits and allurements be added to seduce us from it; should unsuspected dangers and persecutions, spring up every moment around our path; yet we may learn from the example before us a lesson of faith, and constancy, and reliance upon God, and be in cited from the the merciful support given to his servants of old, to commit ourselves unto him as faithful Creator, knowing that with the temptation he will also make a way for our escape.

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Let us view yet more particularly the case before us. These three young men, we find, did not court martyrdom or persecution: they did not break out into violent in vectives against other persons: they gave no willing offence;-thus teaching another most useful and important lesson. The Christian is not to affect any thing that may justly draw down the opposition of the world; if he live holily, justly, and unblameably as he ought to do, and if he evidence in his life and conduct the faith, the hope, the prayerfulness of a true disciple of Christ, opposition will almost inevitably arise without his seeking it.

He ought, as much as in him lies, to live peaceably with all men; -but where this is impossible, and the offence arises entirely from the side of the world who dislike his earnest piety, without being able to impeach his character or conduct, he may learn from the example before us how to act so as at once to glorify God and to preserve his own peace of mind.

Behold, then, this illustrious example! Firm and decided for Jehovah, these three martyrs approached the eventful spot. Life or death was the alternative: they knew that in a few moments they must be cast into the fiery furnace, heated seven times hotter than before, if they disobeyed the king's command. No human way of es

cape was open before them. Destruction, instant destruction, and that in its most awful form, frowned upon them. Thus tempted to waver, on the one hand, by dread of torments and death, they might also be allured, on the other, by hopes of reward. They might even be ready to plead that the sacrifice was but small, and that they were not required expressly to forsake their own God, while they accommodated themselves to the wishes of those around them. These and various other reasonings might naturally enter their minds; and, had not Faith been powerfully in exercise, would, doubtless, have overcome their resolution. But this Divine grace was able, amidst all, to preserve them. By it they overcame all the terrors and allurements which were presented to their view, and thus added their names to that glorious catalogue enumerated by St. Paul, in the eleventh chapter of the Hebrews

that catalogue of worthies whose deeds are conspicuously held up for our imitation, and who all obtained so good a report through faith. Were this Divine grace existing in full vigour in our minds, even the youngest and most timid Christian would be able to with stand all the artifices of the world, the flesh, and the devil; and to say with Joshua of old, "Choose ye this day whom ye will serve; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Instead of being ashamed or afraid of confessing the name of a crucified Redeemer, and of living as becomes his faithful disciples, we should use the decided language before us; and, placing our whole trust and confidence in the supporting arm of an all-gracious Father, should learn to do every thing, and bear every thing, rather than forsake the cause of our Redeemer. Indeed, where faith exists but in the smallest degree, it will produce something at least of this holy disposition of mind; the frowns or smiles of men will appear of comparatively little con

sequence; death and judgment, and heaven and hell, will become considerations of far too much im portance to allow of our sacrificing our hopes of salvation to the example or the customs of an evil or unthinking world.

There are four things which are often powerful obstacles in the path of the youthful Christian; namely, the allurements of pleasure, the commands of authority, the dread of persecution, and the specious solicitations of friendship and kindness. All these occurred in the case before us; and to a far greater degree than usually, or indeed ever, takes place in the present age. Yet these three servants of God overcame them all; and why may not even the youngest Christian, in our own day, imitate their bright and holy example?

They overcame, in the first place, the allurements of pleasure.-What a festive scene was before them! The "cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music," united their persuasive notes to tempt them to sin. Plea sure assumed all its most winning and seductive shapes, to court their compliance. Yet, though in the midst of health and youth, they steadily refused to join the multitude to do evil: they accounted the reproach of Christ better than all the poisoned baits of the world. They were, doubtless, considered by those around them as gloomy and precise persons, who railed at what others thought innocent pleasures; but they knew the side they had taken; they knew also the power and love of their heavenly Parent, and they feared not the result.

Neither, again, could the commands of authority tempt them to commit this sin.-They were strangers and captives in a foreign land; the hand of power was over them; they were represented as factious persons, as enemies at once to the government and the religion of the country; Nebuchad

nezzar, a despotic monarch, was infuriated against them;-yet they stood firm. They knew that the first authority to be obeyed, is God; and that, though all other authorities should come in competition with this, yet that one was their Master, even that Messiah who, doubtless, they knew was to be revealed for the pardon of their sins, and who himself appeared for their support and comfort, walking in the midst of the devouring flames. They were not, as we are, privileged with a government and church built upon and supported by true religion;-how doubly inexcusable, then, is our conduct, if we suffer any thing to dissuade us from living openly as becomes our sacred profession!

The dread of persecution, we have already seen, they also manfully overcame; nor did they less resist the specious solicitations of kindness and friendship.-Many a young Christian, who could have braved all the terrors of open persecution, has given way to this temptation, and has for ever ruined his soul, for the sake of that friendship with the world which is enmity against God. Not so these illustrious sufferers. Though they had received innumerable kindnesses from Nebuchadnezzar, and were in the way of receiving many more; though nourished by his bounty, and loaded with his favours; yet when religion was to be the sacrifice, they would not, they durst not make it. He offered to afford them another trial. If they would even now bow down and worship, the past should be forgotten. But no: they would doubtless have willingly shed their blood in his cause, if lawfully called to do so, as a proof of their gratitude for his benefits; but conscience and the favour of God were things too sacred, and of far too high a value, to admit of their being also sacrificed. The result is well known: God wrought a miracle in their favour; his presence was with them in the fire; while their persecutors were