Or perchance he was a future Statesman, full of noble desires to raise his country in the scale of nations, and add strength to her greatness panting

"To scatter plenty o'er a smiling land,

And read his history in a nation's eyes."

Or, was he a Minister of the everlasting Gospel, with a heart such as Paul's, a tongue like Stephen's, his lips like Isaiah's, touched with a live coal from the Altar before the Throne, and exclaiming with Peter and John, "We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."

What a melancholy shadow crosses the mind whilst we ponder on what might have been the career of such men! and even when reminded that the hand which removed them is his "who doeth all things well," we yet feel constrained to leave such events amongst that class to which we can do no more than apply the Promise, "What thou knowest not now, thou shalt know hereafter."

But I must hasten onwards with the train of thought which this unfinished column awakened in my mind. It carried me forward to the rapidly approaching hour which will seal up the history of eighteen hundred and forty-nine.

Methought I stood on a watch-tower whilst the last chimes of the old year were dying away all around me; and as I gazed upon the shadowy scene the same memento of INCOMPLETENESS met me on every side. The last minutes of another year had flitted by into the irrevocable past, and the work which that year brought with it as the assigned portion of every living and reasoning soul was summed up, either as complete or left undone. Not one touch more could be given to the column which each one had been commissioned to erect -a signal which none could disregard arrested the uplifted hand— and, whether idly loitering away the precious hours, or with late repentance working diligently to improve the last moment, all had been compelled to cease and look upon their monument of the past year. Happy they who stand aloof from the godless dissipation with which the votaries of the world speed the departure of another span of time, (as if a storm-tossed sailor on a rocky coast rejoiced as each cable, that anchored him safely, strained and snapped,) and, gazing on the records of the past, gather wisdom for the time to come!

Reader! go home to the recesses of thine own heart, and there seek "the unfinished column!" The year is past is your year's work complete ?

Day by day the well-known words of our beloved Church mount upwards in the tearful cry "We have left undone those things which we ought to have done," and the more her children grow in ex

perience and inward knowledge of the plague of their own hearts, the more heartily do they swell that sad confession.

Searching, then, amidst the memories of the past, what do we find unfinished? It is, alas! a long catalogue. Works of mercy, labours of love, the exercise of patience, (that should have been "her perfect work"), self-examination, self-improvement, purposes of reformation, plans of usefulness, habits of moral excellence, the quenching of some bosom sin, the controlling of some headstrong passion, the sacrifice of self, the wrestlings of heart-felt prayer, the improvement of the sacred hours of the Sabbath, the use of the ordinances and means of grace and to the teacher I add-the conversion of our little flock to God, the feeding of Christ's lambs in the wilderness with the water of life, and with the bread that cometh down from heaven!

Ah! reader, let conscience speak, and as you cast your eye again over this accusing record of things UNFINISHED, suffer the salutary lesson to be deeply graven on your hearts, and ere you turn away, drink in the spirit of the godly resolution, "If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more."

But this lesson will not be thus deeply graven, unless memory do her part, and pass from the general confession with which too many content and DECEIVE themselves to particular instances of the guilt deplored.

I speak to teachers who do themselves know the way of life, for should I be unconsciously communing with any who are yet ignorant of the saving truths of the Gospel, I must boldly tell them that so far from their work being unfinished, it is not begun! Oh! that they would now lay the foundation whilst yet the precious Cornerstone is ready for the building!

But to the pious and earnest teacher I say, not in the spirit of an accuser or a judge, but with the faithfulness of a friend,-listen to the charges which lie written on the past, that you may seek the cross whereon the handwriting that is against us is nailed, and there find mercy and grace to help in every time of need. Thither would I also fain go; for, reader, we stand together in our short-comings, and as I inflict the wounds of a friend, they are but what have driven me also to seek the balm of Gilead.

Remember then!

You have knelt at the footstool of mercy, and have poured forth fervent desires, but before the flame had well ascended, it smouldered away-the prayer was (as to its real essence) unfinished!

You have set yourself the salutary task of self-examination. The faults of the day have been recalled and mourned over,—but ere long the mind has wandered to some other train of thought-that task too was left unfinished!

You have, in painful consciousness of some besetting sin, summoned all your energies to resist it, and thrown your case on Him who is ever waiting to be gracious; but within awhile the godly fear has vanished, carelessness and false security have brought back the sin—that work, too, is unfinished!

You have, as a teacher, become convinced that your labour is in vain without much prayer, and that too for each individual member of your class; and for a time the pure incense has gone up from your heart before you went to the work; but zeal grew cold, the duty was neglected, the privilege undervalued that work too was unfinished!

You have again determined to prepare your Sunday school lessons, moved by the recollection that our best is all too poor an offering to our God and Saviour; but soon the world has encroached on the allotted time,--that task also is unfinished!

You have been cheered by the promise of early piety in one or more of your little flock, and for a time with redoubled earnestness, you have set forth the winning invitations of the Gospel; but you could not shew the patient long suffering which has been shewn you and now the blighted hope tells a painful tale that work was left (as far as you were concerned) unfinished!

Pondering on ill-success, you have, by the light of God's truth, found much of the cause in yourself; you have discovered impatience, fretfulness, indolence, harshness, and you have resolved, by God's grace, to carry the law of love in your heart and on your lips, and to go on without wavering; but soon you have forgotten whence you drew your strength, and, left alone, have again given way to those accustomed faults, again concluded "there is no hope, no," that work too is left unfinished!

Can I be speaking to any who have actually abandoned teaching altogether in despair, and discharged themselves from the active service of God because, for wise purposes, He withheld for a while his blessing? Is this work too to be left unfinished?

Oh! dear friends, remember what is finished! The precious Sabbaths, the hours of prayer, the ministrations of the sanctuary, the communion of Christian friends-all that cast a heavenly light on the past year are finished! The means of usefulness, the hours of teaching, the opportunities of leading little ones to Christ, which that year put within your reach-these all are finished! The record of your inmost soul, your thoughts, works, deeds, this too is finished! And all stands clear and open in the eyes of Him before whose throne the wheels of time are hurrying us!

Does the sum of your short comings, the recollection of your sins, appal you? Blessed be God, there is comfort for you and me-one work of mercy at least is complete. Listen to the brief sentence

which seals up all the Christian's hopes for time and eternity, the accents which speak peace to the pardoned soul, and shed a glimpse of glory even on the valley of the shadow of death

The Great Redeemer, having passed in spirit through the foreseen agonies of Gethsemane and Calvary, looked forth in unutterable joy on a countless multitude to whom He had opened the gates of everlasting life, and lifting up his eyes to Heaven exclaimed, "I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do."

I. G. J.

SELF-EXAMINATION.

Ir was a wise precept of the heathen philosopher, "Know thyself." Of all knowledge this is the most difficult to attain; for "The heart of man is deceitful above all things, who can know it ?" But difficult as self-knowledge undoubtedly is, it is of pre-eminent importance for every one to possess it.

Self-examination is at the foundation of all excellence; we must know our own deficiencies, our own failings, the sins that most easily beset us, before we can even perceive the necessity of seeking grace to correct them. Yet of all closet duties, this is perhaps the one most generally neglected, and where practised at all, the most frequently slurred over. We are all too apt to think well of ourselves; to think leniently of our own faults, aye, perhaps to imagine that they are few and of little importance. Our neighbour's weaknesses are distinctly seen by us, as though lighted by a sunbeam; but our own, though of ten-fold greater magnitude, are hidden as with the dark veil of night. We are ready enough to confess in the general that we are miserable sinners, but care not minutely to examine the particular offences, the sins of omission and commission, of which we are daily and hourly guilty. We easily acknowledge our imperfections, but the secret thought of our heart is opposed to the confession of our lips. We too often compare our own attainments, talents or virtues, with the ignorance, deficiencies, or vices of others, and are thus elated with agreeable notions of our own superiority, not considering how immeasurably inferior we are to many. Who can say with truth, that he does not think more highly of himself than he ought to think?

It is probably owing to the neglect of self-examination, that so many Sunday school teachers enter upon their duties without rightly considering their importance. They think perhaps, that little more is required than ability to teach the children to read; which, as regards religious instruction, is so far from being of the

importance generally attached to it, that it might almost, if not altogether, be dispensed with in Sunday schools.

It is imperative upon teachers to see that the religious instruction given be of a solid nature, not merely or chiefly that of loading the memory with hymns, collects, or catechisms; all which may be done without conferring any spiritual benefit on the scholar. It is the heart we have to do with; this is, or should be our great business.

We are entrusted with the care of leading the little ones for whom Christ died, to a knowledge of their Saviour; we have to train up children in the way they should go. This training is that of the heart, not the head. We should study the dispositions of the children we teach, and apply our instruction accordingly. We ought to act as though we might never see them again; as though 'ere another Sabbath came, their eyes or our own might be closed in death. Oh see to it, my dear Christian fellow teacher!, see to it, that your conscience be clear in this matter; that you have used your endeavours according to the measure of ability given to you, to effect the salvation of each child in your class. Tell us not that you can do nothing. We know that salvation is God's work, but he works by means, and has honoured you by calling you to labour in his vineyard ; see that you be not idle. Enter into your closet, and carefully and prayerfully examine your own heart, find out wherein you have been deficient. Ascertain clearly what is your duty, and then use all diligence to do it.

You have undertaken to train up children for heaven: are you well assured that you are yourselves treading the right path? What would you think of one who professed to guide another to a place, the way to which he was himself ignorant of? This is the chief thing. Prove yourself first; for if your mind be set upon the vanities of this world; if it be not your earnest desire with full purpose of heart to be a Christian, is it possible you can think yourself competent to be a Christian teacher?

Let then the salvation of your own soul be your chief care. Do not rest satisfied with purposing to be a Christian some time or other; begin at once; for what will it profit you that others are saved if you yourself are lost? Again, remember that though you may be possessed of the first requisite of a Christian teacher, that of being a true disciple yourself, there are other things also necessary. Have you patience? You will probably have occasion for more. Have you love to the children for Christ's sake? He alone can keep it alive in your heart. Are you able to take up your cross daily? You will find it sometimes heavier than you are aware of. Have you humility? You will have constant need to exercise it. Do you pray not only for yourselves, but also for each individual in your