cludes hell-fire;-a tremendous penalty, which we dare not explain away, and whose literal import no man has authority to deny.-Isaac Keeling. Who can the sufferer be, when the sun refuses to behold his dying torment, and the rocks are rent, and the graves give up their dead, and earth is convulsed to its inmost centre? It is the Son of God.Alexander Leslie. The law is spiritual, demanding the internal service of the will and affections, as well as the external obedience of word and deed. It is holy, being infinitely opposed to every, even the least, taint of moral evil. It is just, demanding for the Creator, and assigning to the various orders of creatures what is respectively their due. It is good, being calculated to produce the greatest amount of good collectively and individually in the universe of God. -William Mackenzie. The Gospel is a revelation of pure mercy; it is a declaration, on the part of God, that he will magnify the inexhaustible riches of his goodness in the free pardon of the guilty, and in the full safety of the lost. -Gerard Noel. Are we so disposed to contend for order and stillness and imperceptible progress, that everything that would be likely to disturb our routine and monotony frightens us?William Orme. All places, to the believer, are Bethels and Peniels,-full of God, and too dreadful to sin in.-Edward Polhill. The renovated soul sees heavenly beauty, hears holy harmony, and is sensible of the most delightful fragrance, as of ointment poured forth, while he dwells on the person and character, on the work and salvation of Christ.-David Russell. Truly it is worth while to arrive at heaven's gate with full eyes, that we may know the blessedness which results from God's wiping away our tears.-John Swanson. What room for holy jealousy, lest we mistake the surface rufflings which natural causes produce, and which soon pass away for the deep and abiding emotions of soul, which are inwrought when the Word comes in demonstration of the Spirit and with power!-J. W. Taylor. Most persons are more easily led than driven; and some men are only to be led; there is no possibility of driving them: nor do I see that we have any right to treat these fellowservants with harshness.- William Vipond. Christianity is not worn out, or grown decrepid; neither are its future fortunes dubious or unknown. It is destined for triumph. Sacred oracles announce its universal victories.-Algernon Wells. The badness of the times frequently depends more on those who govern the ship, than on the weather. Zimmerman. IS THE REFLECTOR BRIGHT? A teacher, who was travelling in a railway-carriage by night, attempted to read by the light of the lamp fixed in the roof, as he had often done before; but he could not manage it. The lamp burned as usual, but he could not read; the light appeared dim and obscure. At length he discovered that the lamp had smoked the reflector, and made it useless. Though he could not see to read, he learnt a lesson. He thought of Christ, the light of the world, and of Christians, as reflectors of that light; how sometimes worldly things hinder the light from shining, and make the reflectors so dim and smoky that they cannot shine. Let Sunday school teachers especially keep their reflectors bright, that they may shine as lights in the world. THE SHORT TRACT. It takes but a very small portion of truth to convert the soul, if it only receives application from above; and without this opening of the eyes to behold wondrous things out of God's law, you would in vain concentrate the light of seven days upon one sightless eyeball. A single summons, consisting of only two words, "Follow me," severed the connection between the heart of Matthew and Christ. One declaration uttered in his place at the money-changer's a breath sent away the woman that table. One sentence brings Zaccheus was a sinner, penitent and relieved, joyfully down the tree to the feet of from the house of the Pharisee. TRUE RICHES. I AM not concern'd to know Heir to the best part of me. Poetry. Glitt'ring stones, and golden things, Wealth and honours that have wings, Ever fluttering to be gone, I could never call my own. Riches that the world bestows, She can take, and I can lose ; But the treasures that are mine Lie afar beyond her line. When I view my spacious soul, And survey myself a whole, And enjoy myself alone, I'm a kingdom of my own. I've a mighty part within, There are endless beauties more, Harts or horses, strong and fleet, Yet the silly, wand'ring mind, WATTS. READING NEWSPAPERS ON THE LORD'S DAY. page, Он, throw away that ill-timed On this his sacred day? Why idly rove thy thoughts abroad, Haste, wipe away the sinful dust That on thy Bible lies; And feel thy desp'rate guilt; Read thine own sentence, "Thou shalt die," And wilt thou trifle more? Behold the Judge, thy soul to try, Wilt thou be judged in this thy state, Woe to the man that spurns his grace, His agonizing soul will feel The Children's Gallery. "WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY." THE proverb was forcibly illustrated, a short time since, by an Irish boy, about ten years old, belonging to one of the "Intermediate" schools in New York. The lad had the misfortune to be fatherless, and, as in many similar cases, it has been found close work for the mother to get along with the support of her family. Yet she had been enabled to allow her son to avail himself of the privileges of our school system, and to furnish him, for the most part, with the requisite books. A little while ago, however, the boy wanted a geography, and had not the wherewith to buy it, and the deprivation troubled him sorely. He went to bed at night with a heavy heart, and lay awake a long time, cogitating as to what should be done. On awakening in the morning, he found a deep snow had fallen, and the cold wind was blowing furiously. Catching at the idea that "it is an ill wind that blows nobody good," he got up, ran to a neighbour's house, and offered his service to clear a path about the premises, which offer was accepted. When the work was completed, the employer asked the boy's price for the labour. "I don't know what it is worth," replied the lad, "but I want a geography to study in at school." The cost of the book was ascertained, the money paid, and, at the moment of commencing the exercises, the boy was in his seat, industriously engaged in poring over his new geography, for the lesson of the day. This same boy appeared the first in his class, at the recent examination, and will, without doubt, be promoted to the grammar-school, for which he showed himself well fitted. In the vocabulary of this scholar, no such word as 66 fail" is known, and he will be sure to succeed over all hinderances. He has "the will," and he will find "the way" to learning. "Boys, do you hear that?" Take it then, all of you, as an example. THE GOSPEL AND THE GUN, REMARKS ON A PICTURE. Charles. Oh, Mother, what are all those men about with spears and guns? Mother. They are tribes of New Zealanders, Charles, who, in 1851, stood, on the opposite banks of a brook, prepared for battle. Charles. And who are those gentlemen in black standing in front of the New Zealanders? Mother. Those are the Rev. Archdeacon Brown, and the Rev. T. Lanfean, two devoted missionaries, who sought to make peace between the tribes. Charles. Oh, I hope they succeeded! But, mother, the missionaries have no spears and guns, and yet they do not seem afraid of being killed. Mother. No, my child, they went in dependence upon God's providential care, and preached the Gospel of Peace, which says, "Love your enemies." Charles. Whatever is the tall man in the centre, with the long spear in his hand, saying? Mother. He is one of the Tauranga chiefs, who, after making a speech, took the advice of the missionaries, and threw down his spear in token of a desire for peace. One of the chiefs from the other tribe then threw down his weapon, and the hitherto hostile tribes shook hands with each other, and became good friends. Charles. How happy the missionaries must have felt, mother! Mother. The most pleasing circumstance has yet to be told. The missionaries gathered the natives together, and they had an evening service of praise and prayer to God in the open air. Then, when the Tauranga men were about to return to their homes, the people of the other tribe brought them 1500 baskets of fruit as presents for themselves and their families. Charles. How much happier they would feel when they got home, than they could have done had they gone The Cabinet. ONLY HALF AWAKE. By James Smith, Cheltenham. WHEN the holy, active, and useful Legh Richmond was near his death, realizing the solemnities of eternity and the condition of the world, and looking over his own efforts, he said to a Christian friend," Brother, we are only half awake; we are none of us more than half awake." How solemn and affecting such a statement, from such lips, under such circumstances! No doubt but things appear very different when viewed from a dying pillow, when seen in the light of eternity, to what they do when viewed under other circumstances. Was Richmond only half awake? Was it his opinion, when dying, that his most active friends were only half awake? Then how is it with us? Let us, for a few moments, reflect on his dying words, and try to rouse ourselves up; for surely, as the Apostle said, "It is now high time to awake out of sleep." Where are we? In a world populated by sinners; by sinners who are immortal; by immortal beings under sentence of eternal death; by souls who are perishing for lack of knowledge, who are doomed to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire, who can never escape their deserved doom but by the Lord Jesus Christ, who cannot be saved by Jesus without a personal application to him, who are not likely to apply to him except they are warned of their danger, exhorted to flee from the wrath to come, and lovingly invited to repair to him for deliverance. We know their state; we are fully aware of their danger; we see them dropping into hell daily! We profess to be Christians; but we are scarcely half awake! Where are we? On the borders of eternity! A few more steps, and we step off the stage of time, into another and eternal state. We are not sure of one hour! Time is but a brief introduction to eternity. Life is intended to be a period of preparation for death and judgment. We are here to-day; we are gone to-morrow! The place that now knows us will soon know us no more. Ought we not, then, to realize our solemn situation? Ought we not to be wide awake to our duties, responsibilities, |