eternal world while in so wintry a condition, would undoubtedly be to enter upon the eternal state of spiritual coldness or death.
What then, remains, but that we attend to the Divine advice, and pray that our spirits may not depart in the winter!
By the performance of deeds of charity, piety, and holiness, looking to the Lord for help, acknowledging that all our power and ability to do good is from Him alone, and rendering to Him all the honour and all the praise—though the season of the year may be winter, we may make it a joyous season of summer to the soul.
If the Lord crowns the year with His goodness, as we have seen He does, and if our duty be to learn of Him, to imitate Him, to do good, hoping for nothing again—then, by obedience to His Divine injunctions, and by doing good whenever we have the power, we may render the winter a season equal to that of the summer, by letting our charity be known.
December Twenty-third.
FALSE WITNESS.
"Thou givest thy mouth ta evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit; thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son."—Psalm l. 19, 20.
THERE are slanderous ears, as well as slanderous tongues; the tongue propagates, the ear listens, and frequently adds to the tale of slander in its next recital; and thus is evil multiplied, and false witness borne.
