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I have been on the dewy hills,

When night was stealing from the dawn, And mist was on the waking rills,

And tints were delicately drawn In the grey east-where birds were waking, With a low murmur in the trees, And melody by fits was breaking Upon the whisper of the breeze, And this, when I went forth perchance, As a worn reveller from the dance.

And when the sun sprang gloriously
And freely up, where hill and river
Were catching upon wave and wave,
The arrows from his subtle quiver,
I say a voice has thrilled me then,

Heard on the still and rushing light;
Or, creeping from the silent glen,

Like words from the departing night, Hath stricken me, and I have press'd On the wet grass my fever'd brow, And, pouring forth the earliest

First prayer with which I learnt to bow, Have felt my mother's spirit rush Upon me, as in by-past years, And, yielding to the blessed gush Of my ungovernable tears, Have risen up, the gay, the wild, As humble as a very child.

ON GUARDIAN ANGELS.

INFANCY hath life but in effigy; or, like a spark dwelling in a pile of wood, the candle is so newly lighted, that every little shaking of the taper, and every ruder breath of air puts it out, and it dies.

Childhood is so tender, and yet so unwary, so soft to all the impressions of chance, and yet so forward to run into them, that God knew there could be no security without the care and vigilance of an angel-keeper; and the eyes of parents, and the arms of nurses, the provisions of art, and all the effects of human love and providence, are not sufficient to keep one child from horrid mischiefs, from strange and early calamities and deaths, unless a messenger be sent from heaven to stand centinel and watch over the very playthings, and sleepings, the eatings, and drinkings of the children. JEREMY TAYLOR.

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ON PRAYER.

'You give yourself too much trouble about PAfter you have prayed for him, as you have done, and committed him to God, should you not cease to feel anxious respecting him? The command, "Be careful for nothing," is unlimited; and so is the expression, casting all your care upon him.” If we cast our burdens upon another, can they continue to press upon us? If we bring them away with us from the throne of grace, it is evident we do not leave them there. With respect to myself, I have made this one test of my prayers. If after committing any thing to God, I can like Hannah, come away, and have my countenance no more sad, my heart no more pained and anxious, I look upon it as one proof that I prayed in faith but if I bring away my burden, I conclude that faith was not in exercise. Of course I do not urge this as a reason for neglecting to pray for any one; but as a reason why, when we have performed this duty, we should be free from all care and anxiety respecting the event.-PAYSON.

Christian mothers, do you act thus? Do you bring your children to the Lord, in the belief that he has an infinitely greater desire both for their

good and his own glory, than you can have? That their salvation was the cause which prompted him to send his own Son from heaven to earth? That your importunity on their behalf, is the means which he himself has appointed for accomplishing his own ends, even their salvation? That though his grace is omnipotent and sovereign, yet means and ends are so closely linked together, that the one is inseparable from the other? Do you believe that when he presents you a chain of the most gracious, and full, and rich promises, for your offspring, and puts the last link of it into your hands, with these words, "I will yet for this be inquired of, by the house of Israel, to do it for them," do you think that he means what he says? Then trust him for the fulfilment. Do your part, and he will assuredly do his: yea, and abundantly, more abundantly than you can ask or think.

Take your burden to him, but leave it there. Take hold of his strength; claim his promises; lean upon them; rest upon them; repose in them. Do not fancy that you believe his word, if you cannot rest on it. Do not fancy that you give God full credit for it, unless you can say, "I will trust, and not be afraid."

But can I be too anxious for the soul of my child? Impossible, and yet possible too. Impossible, if that anxiety leads you to renounce all your own wisdom, all your own endeavours

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for his good, except as they are made in the strength of the Lord God: and possible, if you go mourning all the day long, saying, How can I bear to think that my child may perish, after all, through my neglect;' and so carrying the burden which belongs to the Burden-bearer, you are crushed under its weight.

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Hope that is seen, is not hope,"if then you wait till you see the realization of your hopes, accomplished in his conversion, you have not honoured God by trusting him in the dark,— "Blessed is she that hath not seen, and yet hath believed." But you ask, What right have I to believe that God purposes to save the soul of my child? Have you any right to disbelieve that he is the hearer and answerer of prayer? Has he not given abundance of promises to this effect? Has he not said, "Before they call I will answer, and whilst they are yet speaking I will hear."

But are there not proofs, both in Scripture and in our own experience, that the children of godly parents often turn out reprobates? It is true, too true, alas! But is there ONE instance, either in Scripture or experience, of a child trained up from the first in the way he should go, watched over, nurtured in the admonition of the Lord, who did finally go astray? Unless this can be proved, nothing is proved. The truth is, that few, how few! of the most devoted parents are aware of their infinite responsibility of all the avenues

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