to say, reaped all the advantage which could arise from such a timely discovery.

The use I want to make of this simple narrative you will easily understand; for I am anxious to say, that the New Testament book contains more valuable treasure, but treasure which is entirely unproductive to the most of people-and for no other reason than this-that they allow dust to accumulate upon its leaves, and suffer the volume to lie upon their bookshelves abandoned and forsaken.

PAUL AND A CHURCH SLEEPER.

MEN did sleep even under the thunders of the apostle's eloquence. Let modern sleepers beware, however, about comforting themselves in regard to their own habits by the fact; for that sleeper's slumber well nigh cost him his life. He fell from an upper window and was taken up for dead. About as significant a hint this about the danger of sleeping in church as could well be given in this world.

But if Paul's preaching could not break the young man's slumbers, his own terrible fall did break the thread of Paul's discourse. He had to stop preaching, and look after the waking of one who was well nigh his last sleep. "His life is in him," said the compassionate preacher, after he had examined the case. It was a marvel and a mercy that it was. It cost men something in those days to sleep in church. "And they brought the young man alive." They were comforted." Was not he ?

That church sleeper had an apostle at hand to heal his wounds. That is more than modern church sleepers can count upon. It is a mercy to have some friend, some wakeful friend nigh, to look out for them when they sink down into a deep sleep. The young man Eutychus found that friend in the preacher under whose preaching he fell asleep. Can modern church sleepers count on as warmhearted pity in the preacher, as they compose themselves to sleep in case of any sad casualty? We have our fears. And if they had the pity needful toward the sufferers, they would be poor hands at mending broken bones.

OLIVER CROMWELL.

Cromwell has sometimes been called a hypochondriac. Samuel Johnson, too, had hypochondrias; all great souls are apt to have and to be in thick darkness generally, till the eternal ways and the celestial guilding stars disclose themselves, and the vague abyss of life knit itself up in firmaments for them. Temptations in the wilderness choices of Hercules, and the like in succinct or loose form, are appointed for every man that will assert a soul in himself and be a man.

Let Oliver take comfort in his dark sorrows and melancholies. The quantity of sorrow he has, does it not mean withal the quantity of sympathy he has, the quantity of faculty and victory he shall yet have? "Our sorrow is the inverted image of our nobleness." The depth of our despair measures what capability and height of claim we have to hope. Black smoke as of Tophet filling all your universe, it can yet by true heart energy become flame and brilliancy of heaven. Courage!

AN ANECDOTE (PAUL AND PETER.)

A Romish painter was once reproved by a Cardinal for putting so much red in the faces of St. Paul and St. Peter, when he shrewdly replied, "It is to show how much they blush at the conduct of many who style themselves their successors."

THE OLD TOMBSTONE-continued from page 84.

"Ah, sir," said my grandfather seriously, "may God keep you safe, and grant that your name may be written in the Lamb's book of life!"

They parted, and within a twelvemonth the brave young officer returned to his native land-to die! A rapid consumption brought him quickly to the grave. He sent directly for my grandfather, and with tears in his eyes begged that he would explain to him the way of salvation. Poor fellow his family were gay, worldly people; and he felt the importance then of having something better than a name which was highly esteemed among men. He

"Ah

died in my grandfather's arms; and he died in peace, for he had learnt to know and love his Saviour. Ralph," he said in his last moments, alluding to his former conversations, "a name in heaven is better than a name on earth."

Yes, his name is indeed nearly forgotten on earth. Itis obliterated from his very tombstone! But this is of little importance:

For if with Christ we hope to dwell,

And ever see his face;

If in the Saviour's book of life

We feel we have a place,

It matters not that time's rough waves,
Our names from earth efface."

POETRY.

RESIGNATION.

H. W. LONGFELLOW.

There is no flock, however watched and tended,
But one dead lamb is there!

There is no fireside, howso'er defended,
But has one vacant chair.

The air is full of farewells to the dying,
And mournings for the dead;

The heart of Rachel, for her children crying,
Will not be comforted.

Let us be patient! these severe afflictions

That from the ground arise,

But oftentimes celestial benedictions

Assume this dark disguise.

We see but dimly through the mists and vapours,

Amid these earthly damps,

What seem to us but sad, funeral tapers

May be heaven's distant lamps.

There is no death! what seems so is transition;

This life of mortal breath

Is but a suburb of the life Elysian,

Whose portal, we call death.

She is not dead,—the child of our affection,
But gone into that school

Where she no longer needs our poor protection,
For Christ himself doth rule.

In that great cloister's stillness and seclusion,
By guardian angels led,

Safe from temptation, safe from sin's pollution,
She lives, whom we call dead.

Day after day, we think what she is doing,
In those bright realms of air:

Year after year, her tender steps pursuing,

Behold her grown more fair.

Thus do we walk with her, and keep unbroken,
The bond which nature gives,

Thinking that our remembrance though unspoken,

May reach her where she lives.

Not as a child shall we again behold her;

But when with raptures wild

In our embraces we again enfold her,

She will not be a child.

But a fair maiden in her Father's mansion,
Clothed with celestial grace;

And beautiful with all the soul's expansion,
Shall we behold her face.

And though at times impetuous with emotion,
And anguish long suppressed,

The swelling heart heaves moaning like the ocean
That cannot be at rest.

We will be patient, and assuage the feeling

We may not wholly stay;

By silence sanctifying, not concealing,
The grief that must have way.

Rochdale.

The EARTH,-Appearance of,
if seen under similar cir-
cumstances.

damis IV. THE PLANET MARS.

HAVING disposed of our nearest celestial neighbour, we now proceed to describe a few more distant neighbours, called Planets.

Every intelligent boy, and girl too, ought to know that the little bright specks which are seen in the heavens on a fine clear evening are not all called stars-a few are called planets; and it is necessary to be able to distinguish the difference between a bright "fixed star" and a wandering planet. A bright star shines with a twinkling light, while a planet exhibits a steady light. It is of still greater importance, however, to know what planets really are: and this we must now endeavour to explain.

The Sun is a very large body, and forms the centre round which a number of smaller worlds are constantly moving. One of these worlds is the Earth on which we live; the others are called Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and a number of very small ones, of which we shall speak afterwards. These planets all move round the Sun at different distances. Mercury