gold and the Babricnish garment, often prevails on boys and is to take what is at their own. At first it may only be sugar out of mother's sugar basin, jam out of the cupboard, or a bulgency that lies loose on the muncei-sheit: but little beginnings often make great endings, and so like pilferers frequently become great thieves. Another of God's laws is, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy? How many there are who care nothing for the Sabbath day, except to break it! Probably they began by forsaking the Sabbath-school to join some evil companions, who were going for a walk in the fields; then soon came pleasure trips, bathing, boating, with their attendant evils of smoking, drinking, and loose conversation, which things have often led to a sudden death, or to the committal of some sin that has brought a terrible punishment. These few hints as to the misery which is caused by this old giant, I trust will lead my young friends always to throw at him the stone of obza

Giant Passion leads his victims to do many cruel things which, when he is out of the way, we should shudder to contemplate. How little perhaps you think, when in a temper, that some day your passion may so master you that you may become a murderer!

"Cain once perhaps might start
At what he soon would be ;
So they who trust an evil heart
May prove as vile as he.

"Oh, for a holy fear

Of every evil way,

That we may never venture near
The paths that lead astray."

Giant Pride is very busy amongst young and old, rich and poor. Some are proud of their dress, others of their looks, others of their riches, others of their wisdom, &c. ; but God can take all these things from

in a moment, and lay your pride as low in the dust e did that of poor Absalom, when left by his

mule hanging to an oak by that beautiful hair of which he had been so proud. How true it is that "pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall”! The stone of humility is the safest one to throw at this giant, for, as Bunyan says-

"He that is down need fear no fall,

He that is low no pride;

He that is humble ever shall

Have God to be his Guide."

Giant Unbelief does more mischief than all the giants already mentioned put together. How busy he was just before the flood, when Noah was building the ark and telling the wicked people of that terrible calamity which was soon to come upon them. But Giant Unbelief persuaded them to believe the flood would never come; and when year after year rolled by without its coming, they felt perfectly sure the giant was right, and Noah was wrong; but soon they were undeceived, for when the ark was finished, and all the animals that were to be saved with Noah and his family were safely housed, and the Lord had shut them in, then the miser with his gold, the drunkard at his wine, the pleasure-taker at his revels, the thief with his ill-gotten gains, with a host of other sinners, felt their faces pale with terror, and their bodies tremble with fear, for they saw the heavens grow black as night. The awful lightning flashed, and the thunders rolled with crash upon crash; the fountains of the deep burst their bounds, and the rained poured down from the heavens in torrents. Vain was it for them to take refuge in their houses, climb the highest trees, or clamber to the mountain summit, for the waters rose higher and higher till all were covered, and no living creature remained upon the earth, except those that were sheltered in the ark. No doubt many a lamentation went up from these poor drowning creatures because they had listened to Giant Unbelief instead of the word of God, spoken by Noah; but then

it was too late. The only door of refuge had been shut by God Himself.

Readers, take warning, for this giant is still as busy as ever, trying to persuade you that the Bible is not true, and the judgments therein threatened will never come to pass; but heaven and earth must pass away before the smallest portion of God's Word can fail, and none will be safe in the day of God's vengeance but those washed in the blood of Jesus.

"Oh, how blest is he or she

Who to Jesus longs to flee!
He's the Hope of Israel still;
He to save has power and will."

Almost last, but not least, is Giant Satan-in fact, he is the master of all the other giants, or rather, all the other giants are Satan in disguise, who can turn himself into any shape he pleases, as he did when he tempted Eve in the form of a serpent. Oh, boys and girls, Satan is indeed a terrible giant, "going up and down seeking whom he may devour." He devoured Absalom as Giant Pride, Achan as Giant Disobedience, and Cain as Giant Passion. Beware less he devour you also. David fought Giant Goliath with a sling and stone, and there is only one sling and stone that can conquer Satan. Prayer is the sling, and truly there is no other weapon so powerful in the world. Hezekiah slew 185,000 of his enemies through using this sling. Prayer has opened prison doors, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, and raised the dead to life; therefore, prayer is the sling with which to overcome Satan.

But a sling is useless without a stone to place in it, and the Bible tells us of a remarkable one. It is called a corner stone, and a tried stone, which is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He has conquered Satan, and He alone can do it.

May all my readers be taught by the Lord how to use this wonderful sling and stone, and thus obtain a lorious victory over sin and Satan; then will they be

able to meet Giant Death without fear, like David did, who said, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for God is with me." But if, on the other hand, you live and die under the power of Giant Satan, you will be for ever banished from the presence of God to dwell with him whose willing servant you have been.

"Oh, that boys and girls were wise!
Open, Lord, their closed eyes;
Bring with power this Scripture home,
'Flee from wrath, the wrath to come!'

THE FIRST TEN PERSECUTIONS. HE Word of God assures "all who will live godly in Christ Jesus" that they "shall suffer persecution." We have not now to witness death by burning at the stake, nor are we in fear of being apprehended and imprisoned for our attachment to the Gospel; but in other ways we may have to suffer persecution. The revilings of men, the hatred of professors, the scorn of companions, and the loss of situations are some of the many ways in which persecution is suffered in the present day.

It is not the severity of the sufferings endured that constitutes persecution, so much as the righteousness of the cause suffered for. A sore back is a thousand times less painful than a sore conscience. It is always better to feel the lash than to use the whip. Many really gracious men have planted their dying bed with the very thorns wherewith they have wounded others.

The object sought by placing the following historical facts before the reader is to show that prosperity never attends the persecutors of God's people. Sooner or later, either in this world or the next, He will avenge Himself of His adversaries and theirs. God is very jealous of the smallest displeasure done to any of His "little ones;" and though offences must come, yet "woe to the man by whom the offence cometh!" will be seen below that nearly all the persecuting emperors named came to an untimely end; and numbers of well-authenticated cases could be instanced in which God signally manifested His displeasure towards those who "touched the apple of His eye" by laying hands upon His people.

It

The first great persecution under the Roman Emperors was carried on by Nero, who sanctioned the most barbarous atrocities. Multitudes of Christians were sewed up in the skins of wild beasts, and devoured by dogs and other animals; and some were fastened to crosses, ven in Nero's own gardens, clad in combustible gar