young aspirant to the onerous duties of seek to rival Demosthenes; the patriot statesmanship. And for the last six may venerate the immortal Washington; months there has been no name oftener the philanthropist may study Lincoln; upon the lips of the instructor of youth but the boy who would grow up to than that of the late lamented President equal or outdo any or all of these, needs Garfield. All the virtues that can ren- to become acquainted with Jesus Christ, der a character lovable, and all the the dutiful son, the faithful carpenter, graces that produce a fragrant memory, the earnest Rabbi, the loving healer, the are thought to cluster around the noble God-man. man whose too early death we can never sufficiently deplore. Press and pulpit have combined in effort to make this man the pattern for American youth; indeed, it has not been too much to assert that a realization of Garfield's life by any American lad is the highest position he can hope to attain.

I would not be thought of as disparaging the noble, humble life of our late chief; I should be the last to undervalue the position which the heroes of the past have attained; but a somewhat cursory review of the lives of some of those to whom hero-worship has so unquestionably been paid, has made me rather skeptical as to the ultimate value of such nan patterns for the youth of our country, and especially the young of the church. After all that can be said in praise of the departed worthies whose deeds we will do well to emulate, it will be found that there were defects of character, possibly downright vices, that blemish our ideal. The follower of any man, whoever he be, must study his model in the twilight which a gracious charity throws around the deficiencies of the dead. It will not do to examine our leader by the broad, all-revealing light of day; we dare not listen to even all the best (let alone the worst) that his enemies can say of him. We should turn away disgusted, and the question, Is there any truth in man? would haunt our lips ever after.

It is the fashion now-a-days, in some quarters, to look for patterns nearer home; it is said that the times demand a more cultured model than the reader in the synagogue who "never learned;" the culture-influence of art is thought to be more potent in moulding a man's life than the antiquated teachings of the Nazarene; and when in the wisdom of Providence a man is raised up head and shoulder above his fellows, he is pointed out as the proper one to pattern after. Ah, how blind is man! All along the pathway of human history stand the greatest and best of human kind as finger posts pointing to the land of promise as the favored country where He lived who is to draw all men unto Him; the brightest star in the galaxy of fame leads but to the cradle of Bethlehem. Why then look, as for your final goal, to the finger-post that but tells the way? Were it not better far to go to the fountain for refreshing than stop by the way and rest content with that which has itself been nourished by the central spring? No; it will not answer for a young man to set up for his ideal even the best and purest men of history; he may by doing so walk in the van of popular opinion, but his corps will hardly respond to the roll-call after the victory beyond.

It is even thought in some quarters that it is a derogation of the dignity that resides in every boy, to think for one moment seriously of the question, Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? A solemn moment must be enjoyed in secret; and the deep longings of the heart after something better and higher and holier must be indulged in as if the rousing of such aspirations and their confes-ion was a thing to be ashamed of. It seems to me, especially in this age of the world, one of the grandest and most inspiring sights to see a young man step forward in the dignity of his manhood, though humbly and lowly, to

But have you ever in sober moments reflected that there is a character whom you can imitate, with whom a closer communion will only reveal more and rarer beauties, and the development of whose life will furnish you the key to a perfect growth? Has it ever really taken hold of your inner life, that history gives us a pattern whose excellence is only heightened by contrast with the greatest and the best? The man of the world may set before his son the advice and practice of a Chesterfield; the orator may

the altar and there profess his faith in and allegiance to Christ. Decry such conduct as you may, repress the sentiments which struggle for utterance, and cast the imputation of insincerity upon them if you please, there is something far manlier, far nobler, far more exalting in it than in all the imbecile twaddle that would magnify a molehill into a mountain, or ask you to refresh yourself in the shadow of a blasted palm in the desert. For the youth of this land, as for any other country, not even the mar-gether, to yield one's self to the direction tyred Garfield can be a saviour. of His Spirit. It involves the paradox of realizing freely two distinct lives,Christ's and one's own. Neither does Christ become the individual Christian, nor is the individual absorbed into Christ. You will remain yourself; the nearest that you will ever get to Christ is to become Christ-like. And to realize in your own life the fulness of your ideal, it is essential that your life is from the beginning modelled after the life of Christ; not only that, but a prime necessity is that the development of your life should also go forward after the manner of Christ's growth. For the young Christian it is not only a most interesting study, but at the same time a most edifying one, to contemplate well the formative period of his Master's life. The mode of our Saviour's unfolding is the pattern of a right development; and it behooves especially every young man at this time, when so many smaller ideals are held up for his adoption,-it behooves every young man who would once for all set before himself a prize worth striving for, to consider the ideal of ideals, Jesus Christ.

the mirth of the marriage-feast, enjoy the society of Mary and Martha, as well as weep over Jerusalem, and pray that the cup might be taken from Him. No one need hesitate to take Christ for his ideal for fear that the proper enjoyments of life must be a sacrifice thereto; rather will be find them sanctified as he participates in them in the spirit of his Master.

There is undoubtedly a class of persons who are insincere in their protestations. Their life shows one principle of action quite at variance with their profession. That may offend; but it must be remembered that the pattern of such lives is not the Master, but rather His unworthy disciple, who was a thief, bare the bag, and carried what was put therein. A crowd of funeral-faced croakers is not an attractive body for any young man ; but that need not worry him. I should rather pity the young man who is always complaining that the God whom he serves is thwarting his every impulse to enjoy the gifts of his Creator, than to take to task the merry-hearted one who can brighten the glow of the sunshine on the fairest day. Seasons of earnestness and seriousness are not incompatible with periods of joy and rejoicing. Has not the sagest of men as with the finger of God written to us, "There is a time for everything?"

Nor is it at all in the path of realizing the life which takes Christ for its ideal, for us to drag our slow length wearily along, and whine that the world is growing so very evil, reproach our Maker for keeping us so long in it, and slyly hint to Him in every sigh that it might suit us better to be taken hence. That has been put forth as a Christian life; but we find nothing like it in the history of our ideal. He was earnest, grave; did not the salvation of an entire world rest upon Him? He was solemn, serious, at times sorrowful; was not the weight of man's guilt on His shoulders? But He was affable, joyous, open to the innocent enjoyments of the young; did not children love to caress Him, as He took them up into His arms and blessed them? He could share in

To make Christ one's pattern and exemplar means, first, foremost, and alto

LET every pious parent regard his family as a little school for the church, and act as a teacher designated by the Saviour, on purpose to train the children for His service, and we shall see a glorious result. Let parents neglect this duty, and their children will prove incompetent to meet the responsibilities awaiting them, and the parents must answer for the ruin that will ensue. The laws of Lycurgus required that all children of Sparta should be trained for the State. Jesus teaches His subjects to believe that children are a heritage of the Lord and to train for the church.

"All has its day, the proverb saith, This is my faith:

Thon, Christ, wilt be beside me, And look in all this pain of mine As it were Thine.

When sharpest woes betide me, Must I then tread this path? I yield. World, as thou wilt, God is my shield, And He will rightly guide me."

The domestic life of the royal pair was blessed by mutual affection, but apart lives were "a chain of sorrows." Nearly from this, it has been said that their lives were "a chain of sorrows." Nearly all of their relatives died early, and some of them under most distressing circumstances. There was a succession of dreadful wars, and sometimes it seemed as though their enemies would succeed in destroying them. Their greatest grief was the death of only son, who died in infancy. For eleven years they had no other child, and it seemed as

II. LOUISA HENRIETTA, OF though the House of Hohenzollern must become extinct. The people appreciated the complications to which such an event must give rise. There would be terrible wars for the succession, and the land must again be given over to ruin and desolation. Hence they, most unjustly, began to regard the princess with aversion, and many wished her out of the way for the good of the country.

The later history of this unhappy queen is somewhat obscure. All her

faith, they labored earnestly for the reconciliation of the two evangelical churches. They refused to promulgate the decrees of the Synod of Dordrecht, which they regarded as an apple of discord.

relatives were fanatical Roman Catholics, and no doubt, after she fell into their hands she had to suffer greatly. It was subsequently announced that she bad become reconciled with the Catholic church, but the Protestants did not believe it. She died October 18th, 1558, at Cicales, in Spain.

BRANDENBURG.

This celebrated poetess was born Nov. 17th, 1627, at the Hague, in Holland. She was the eldest daughter of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, and a grand-daughter of the famous Coligni, Grand Admiral of France, who lost his life for his faith at the massacre of St. Bartholomew. Her pious parents gave her an excellent education, but did not regard it as below the dignity of her station to become familiar with every kind of household labor. At the age of nineteen she was married to Frederick William of Brandenburg, who is called "the Great Elector," and who is properly regarded as the real founder of the kingdom of Prussia. Though he did not assume the royal title he was as really a king as any one of his success-plied: "As far as I am concerned I am ors. Louisa soon proved herself the determined to keep the vow which I worthy consort of a great ruler. Her made at the altar, and if it pleases God marriage occurred just before the close to punish me and the country, we will of the Thirty Years' War, when Ger- have to endure it. Louisa! have you many had been trampled by contending forgotten the words of Scripture: What armies until it was almost ruined. The God hath joined together let not man princess labored with all her might to put asunder.'' Then he gave her his improve the condition of her subjects. hand and said, smiling; "Well! who She introduced the cultivation of pota- knows what may yet happen?" toes, and induced some of the best farmers in Holland to remove to Germany and establish model farms. Her popularity was so great that, it is said, almost every female child born during the first years of her reign was called "Louisa." Though she and her husband were both earnestly attached to the Reformed

All this preyed on the mind of the Electress Louisa. She prayed over it, and at last regarded it as her duty to make a formal application for a divorce. One day she appeared publicly before the Elector and said: "I beg leave to apply for a divorce. Take another wife who will bless the country with an heir to the throne. You owe this to the wishes of your people." The Elector, however, refused to accept the sacrifice, and re

Greatly comforted by the unswerving affection of her husband, Louisa retired to her palace at Oranienburg, where she spent her time in prayer and deeds of beneficence. Her health gradually improved, and in the following year she had a son. Three years later a second heir was granted her, and the latter prince

was afterwards Frederick I, of Prussia, the direct ancestor of the present emperor. The prayers of Louisa were answered, and as a memorial of her thankfulness she established an Orphan Asylum, which is still flourishing.

Napoleon Bonaparte, it will be remembered, divorced his first wife, Josephine, as he claimed, from motives of public policy. How much better it would have been for both of them if they had followed the example of the great Elector and his pious consort.

The Electress died June 18th, 1667, soon after the birth of her sixth child, Prince Louis, of Cleves. Some of her death-bed sayings have been recorded. Once she exclaimed: "I am drawing near the harbor! I see the pinnacles of the celestial city! If I should get well it would throw me back into the stormy ocean." Just before her death she said: "I have passed with Elijah through the storm, the earthquake and the fire. Now I am waiting for the still, small voice." Her last words were: "I hear the still, small voice."

It is as the authoress of a number of hymns that Louisa of Brandenburg is best remembered. The best known of these are," Jesus meine Zuversicht," and "Ich will von meiner Missethat," which are sung wherever the German language is spoken. The former, it is said, is always sung at the burial of a member of the royal family of Prussia. Some years ago the king presented to the church in which his ancestors used to worship a large bell, which he named "Zuversicht," bearing as an inscription the first two lines of her celebrated hymn, which may be rendered:

"Jesus, my eternal Trust,

And my Savior, lives forever."

"Jesus, my Redeemer lives;

Christ, my trust, is dead no more! In the strength this knowledge gives, Shall not all my fears be o'er, Though the night of death be fraught Still with many an anxious thought?

Jesus, my Redeemer lives,
And His life I once shall see,-
Bright the hope this promise gives;
Where He is, I, too, shall be.

Shall I fear, then? Can the head
Rise and leave the members dead?

Ye who suffer, sigh and moan,

Fresh and glorious there shall reign;
Earthly here the seed is sown,

Heavenly it shall rise again.
Natural here the death we die;
Spiritual our life on high.

HEMIA.

This unfortunate queen was born in 1596 and died in 1662. She was the daughter of James I, of England, and the grandmother of George I. At an early age she was married to Frederick V, Elector of the Palatinate. Though her capital at Heidelberg was, in those days, one of the most brilliant in Europe, she was not satisfied because she was not called a queen, and her ambition proved her ruin. Her husband was regarded as the natural leader of the Protestant party, and when the Bohemians revolted against the emperor and chose the elector of the Palatinate to be their king, his wife induced him to accept the dangerous position. On this occasion she made the foolish speech, which took the rounds of Germany, that "she would rather eat sauer-kraut with a king than roast beef with an elector." She had her wish. Her husband was crowned king of Bohemia, but was only able to sustain himself in his new position a single winter. Hence he is called the

This hymn has been so frequently trans-Winter King' and his wife the Winlated that, in some form, it is probably ter Queen. While they were seeking a familiar to most English readers. We kingdom the emperor seized the Palatigive several stanzas, from a version by nate, and they were thus entirely dean unknown author, which though not prived of sovereign power. After great very literal contains much of the spirit difficulties and privations the royal pair of the original: escaped to Holland, where they subsequently lived in retirement.

The Bohemian rebellion was the beginning of the Thirty Years' War, and the 'Winter King' and his queen were popularly blamed for having inaugurated it. It is, however, generally acknow

Only see ye that your heart

Rise betimes from worldly lust.
Would ye, there, with Him have part?

Here obey your Lord and trust.
Fix your hearts beyond the skies,
Whither ye yourselves would rise."
III. ELIZABETH, QUEEN OF BO-