THE DOG, AS AN EXAMPLE OF FIDELITY. WHATEVER a man's natural abilities may be, whatever his constitution or disposition, whatever his early training, whatever his present advantages or disadvantages, there is one thing which he may do with the greatest benefit to himself; which he must do, if he would have a clear conscience and a happy life. In all his duties and employments, whether few or many, he must be FAITHFUL; that is, he must perform them with earnestness, honesty, and sincerity, "not with eye-service," for the pleasure of man; but "in singleness of heart, fearing God." There is a continual temptation to forget this duty, and a constant need of being urged to the performance of it. Examples of unfaithfulness are too common, not only among servants who slight their duty when the master's eye is not upon them, but among all classes of persons. There is a want of faithfulness to known duty, of which few can plead innocent. How many words and actions daily testify to the insincerity, the want of uprightness and plain dealing, the absolute dishonesty of mankind! How many occasions of doing good, and of acting faithfully towards God, and towards our fellow-creatures, are continually suffered to pass unimproved! Unfaithfulness is, indeed, so common, so almost universal, that every one seems to expect it of his neighbour, and to be upon his watch against it. Every species of lying, cheating, and fraud, is the fruit of this unfaithfulness, and no one can have had dealings with the world, without seeing how common is this evil fruit of an evil tree. Well might Solomon exclaim, "A faithful man who can find?" (Prov. xx. 6.) If such be the sad reality as it respects the greater portion of mankind, and if there be few that can claim for themselves the character of truly faithful men,-faithful to God, and to their fellowcreatures, let us not be ashamed to consider an example of fidelity in a being far less highly gifted than we are, but whose actions are such, as to yield abundant instruction and admonition to mankind. THE DOG, in his fidelity and attachment to the master on whom he depends for his daily subsistence, is a constant and living witness against us in our want of faithfulness to that Heavenly Master, on whom we depend "for life, and breath, and all things." The poet has truly said, that Learn we might, if not too proud to stoop Can move or warp; and gratitude for small And glistening even in the dying eye. Let us then proceed to trace some of the excellent qualities of the dog-qualities which we should scarcely expect in this animal, when we consider his family connexions. The dog is a near relation of the fox, the hyæna, the jackal, and the wolf; and, in common with those animals, is found in all parts of the world. He is able to accommodate himself to hot or cold climates, and is provided with a coat which varies in thickness according to his necessities. In very warm countries, this coat is almost destitute of hair; but in cold regions, the fur becomes exceedingly thick. Some of the dogs. which were taken by our voyagers into the frozen regions of the north, acquired a fur of such remarkable thickness, that when they crouched by the fires, holes were frequently burnt in it half-way down to the skin, without the animal appearing at all sensible of the heat. No one can tell when the dog first became the tame and domestic animal we now find him to be. He seems to have been formed for the service and companionship of man, and there is no record of the time when he was otherwise. There are, indeed, numbers of wild dogs in the East, which roam in the forests, and get their food by hunting down other wild animals; but they never attack man : on the contrary, if taken young, they soon become domesticated with him, and exhibit nearly the same sagacity as our sporting dogs. There are other dogs in the East, which, in common with jackals and |