18 "In My Father's house are many mansions" (JOHN xiv. 2). and speaking to her heart. It ran do so. I wondered what kind of a thus: "MY DEAR FRIEND,-I am sorry to hear that you are feeble-perhaps I should say sick-and that there is fear on your part that you are not to be better in this world. I am afraid that I shall make but a poor comforter in these circumstances, and yet I know that there are waters enough in the wells of salvation, if I only knew how to draw them up. You send me word that you would be glad to see me; and, if possible, I shall come, but I am so situated by sicknesses that it may not be in my power. You also tell me that your life looks barren and dreary, and that you tremble at the coming of death. I am not going to try to cheer you by telling you what you have done for the Master during your past life; but I want you to recall one circumstance, for the sake of illustrating what I want to say. house you lived in, and whether you had chickens and hens. "At length the day was set when I was to go to you-ten miles off. What a long journey it seemed to me! And I well remember how disappointed I was that, instead of coming for me yourself, you sent old Cæsar -the great, fat, black man-to bring me to you! bring me to you! How my heart sank within me when he came, and I was told that I was to ride on the horse behind him, sitting on the blanket! But he told me that ‘Old Kate' was very gentle to little boys, and that you said I might bring Echo, my little dog, with me. "So we set out, just before night. Cæsar took my bundle of clothing before him, and me behind him; and Echo ran beside us. But before long, before we got to your house, I began to feel tired. My legs ached, and I was tired of taking hold of Cæsar. By and by the evening and the darkness came on, and I felt afraid. Then we had a long piece of woods to pass through. I had heard of bears, and tigers, and Indians, and did not know many might be in the woods. Cæsar, too, was so dark that I could not see him; and he jogged on without saying a word. He had no idea that I was afraid. how "You remember that it is now thirty-five years since my father died, and left me, a little boy, six years old, without a home, and with nobody to care for me. It was then that you sent word that you would take me, and give me a home, and be as a mother to me. Everybody said, 'It's very kind in her to do that.' But I was too young to realise anything of that nature. It seemed to me a per- Cæsar, aint we most there?' | fectly natural thing that you should said I in my terror. 666 "God Himself shall be with them" (REVELATION XxI. 3). "But I trembled, and the tears ran down my face, and I wondered why I could not have somebody with me besides black Cæsar. "But at last, after winding and turning, and going uphill and downhill, a long, long way, as it seemed to me, we came out of the woods; and then the stars shone, and I was told which light was in your house. And when we got there, you came out, and gently took me in your arms, as Cæsar handed me down; and you called me your 'poor little boy,' and you led me gently in; and there was the blazing warm fire, the bright light, and the table spread, and the supper all waiting for me! And that was my home! My eyes now fill with tears as I think it over. How you soothed me, and warmed me, and put me to bed in the strange room, and heard me say my prayers, and stayed with me till I was fast asleep! "And now, my dear friend, you see why I have recalled all this to your memory. Your Heavenly Father will send for you-a dark messenger, it may be. And He will be your con 19 ductor, and carry you safely through the darkness of the way. He will not drop nor leave you; for He is a faithful servant. You need not feel afraid, for He knows the way, and will take you directly to your home. There the door will be open; and your dearest friend, the Lord Jesus Christ, will meet you, and take you in; and the supper will be waiting, and the fires of love burning, and the light and glory of His presence all seen. What a welcome you will receive! And perhaps the memory of what you did for me will come back upon you, bringing waves of pure joy. At any rate, don't fear the dark passage, nor the dark messenger. Receive it all as the little child did, and you will find the home. My prayers will be for you till then I will look forward to meeting you are out of sight; and you again. "Ever, ever yours, most gratefully. -Rev. Dr. Todd, * * * "1 THE style of the Gospels is admirable in many respects, and, among others, in this that there is not a single invective against the murderers and the enemies of Jesus Christ.-Pascal's "Thoughts." CHRIST took your nature, and came into your place, to justify you; He took possession of your heart, to sanctify you; He advocates your cause before God the Father, to comfort you; He reigns on the throne, to command you; He will come again to judge you. 20 "The Lord shall be thy confidence" (PROVERBS III, 26). Beautiful! H beautiful, so beautiful, these early, bright spring days, With diamond dewdrops sparkling forth their modicum of praise; With tiny snowdrops peeping up into the world again, And thrushes pottering about,—so glad of last night's rain ! Yet beautiful, more beautiful, the warmer summer hours, When earth is covered with her wealth of ferns and fairest flowers: When God is showering down His gifts with such a royal Hand, And telling of His Father-love through all the sunny land. But beautiful, most beautiful, the time when we shall be As perfect as the beauty which shall last eternally; When winter storms, and cold, and heat, shall never more be known, And everything reflects the light from God's resplendent Throne! CHARLOTTE MURRAY. The Beatitudes. MATTHEW v. 1-12. AVE you thought of it, that the Beatitudes are a sort of ladder, up which we may climb to holiness, happiness, and Heaven? Like the ladder which Jacob saw, it rests on the earth, while the top of it reaches to where the angels enter. The Latin word humus means ground, and from this is derived our word humility. And so it is fitting that the first round in this ladder, the round nearest the earth, should be that which speaks of humility-" Blessed are the poor in spirit." It is the natural, logical order: humility is the bottom grace; we begin down, that we may go up: "He that humbleth himself shall be exalted." works; He insisted on a practical religion. The Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was parable of the good Samaritan concludes thus:neighbour unto him that fell among thieves? And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go and do thou likewise." But we become most God-like, have most of the spirit of Christ, and the spirit of Heaven, when, ascending to almost the last round of the ladder, we attain the character of peacemakers, and, as such, are pressed to the Father's bosom and honoured with the name of child:-"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." This is the climax and crown of all. It is much to obtain mercy, to inherit a kingdom, and even to see God; but to be called His child is the most in the way of honour and blessedness that God can give, or that mortals can know. Rev. L. H. Reid. The Rewards of Religion. O man can serve his own interest better than by serving God. Religion conduces both to our present and future happiness; and when the Gospel enjoins piety towards God, justice and charity towards men, and temperance and chastity in reference to ourselves, the true interpretation of these laws is this,-God requires, in order to our eternal happiness, that we should do those things which tend most to our temporal welfare; that is, in plainer words, He promises to make us happy for ever, upon condition that we will but do that which is best for ourselves in this world. To conclude, religion is founded in the interest of men, rightly apprehended. So that, if the god of this world and the lusts of men did not blind their eyes, so as to render them unfit to discern their true interest, it would be impossible, so long as they love themselves and desire their own happiness, to keep them from being religious; for they could not but conclude that to be their interest, and being so convinced, they would resolve to pursue it.-Archbishop Tillotson. 21 "The Lord taketh pleasure in His people" (PSALM CXLIX. 4). AN EPITAPH WORTH REMEMBERING. ORE than twenty years ago, I was strolling through a village churchyard in Kent. I looked around and read many of the inscriptions on the tombstones. Some were appropriate texts of Scripture; some were suitable words of Christian hymns. But there was one I shall never forget. It struck me for its genuine honesty. There was no flattery about it. There was not even a hope expressed as to the peace of the one who slept beneath it. But there was truth at least, and a lesson for the living. The body lying beneath the sod must have been that of one in humble life, for the epitaph was not on stone, but only on a narrow piece of wood fixed just over the grave. The words I noticed were these: "What I was the Judgment Day will declare: Reader, what art thou?" lip, every thought cherished in the heart, will then be brought to light. Bear this in mind-"It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment." But a little while and you who now read these lines will follow those who have gone before you. Whether young or old, but a few months or years and you will be laid in your quiet resting-place. The busy throng of your fellows will, for the most part, soon forget you, and there you will abide till the voice of the Archangel and the trump of God shall summon you to arise. Then will all be made manifest. In a risen body you shall answer for all things done in the flesh. If one of Christ's own believing people, pardoned through His precious blood, sanctified by His Spirit, you shall rise again with joy to hear His voice saying, "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world." In the present life men's true character is very much concealed. Evil is cherished within that is hidden from those around. Whether men love God or not, whether they are influenced by right motives, whether the heart has been renewed by the Holy Ghost, is only fully known to Him who searches them through and through. But the Day will declare it. The Judge will come and will sit on the great white Throne. All nations shall be gathered before Him, and to Him must every man give account. From Him will no secrets be hid; but every action of the life, every word that has fallen from the If you die in your sins, impenitent and unbelieving, you will arise to hear the dread hear the dread message of your Judge"Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." "Reader, what art thou?" Art thou a Christian indeed, a follower of Christ, a child of the living God? Art thou born again of the Spirit, desiring to glorify God day by day, resisting sin, confessing the Saviour's name, and bearing witness for Him in a sinful world? Or does your whole life bear witness that you |