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ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS.

HELP ONE ANOTHER.-A traveller, who was crossing the Alps, was overtaken by a snow-storm at the top of a high mountain. The cold became intense; the air was thick with sleet; and the piercing wind seemed to penetrate his bones. Still the traveller, for a time, struggled on. But at last his limbs were benumbed, a heavy drowsiness began to creep over him, his feet almost refused to move, and he lay down on the snow to give way to that fatal sleep which is the last stage of extreme cold, and from which he would never have waked again in this world. Just at that moment he saw another poor traveller coming along the road. The unhappy man seemed to be, if possible, even in a worse condition than himself, for he, too, could scarcely move; all his powers were frozen, and he appeared to be just on the point to die. When he saw this poor man, the traveller, who was just going to lie down to sleep, made a great effort. He roused himself up, and he crawled, for he was scarcely able to walk, to his dying fellow-sufferer. He took his hands into his own and tried to warm them. He chafed his temples; he rubbed his feet; he moved about his body. And all the time he spoke cheering words into his ear, and tried to comfort him. As he did thus the dying man began to revive; his powers were restored; and he felt able to go forward. But this was not all; for his kind benefactor, too, was recovered by the efforts which he had made to save his friend. The exertion of rubbing made the blood circulate again in his own body. He grew warm by trying to warm the other. His drowsiness went off; he no longer wished to sleep; his limbs returned again to their proper force; and the two travellers went on their way together, happy, and congratulating one another on their escape. Soon the snow-storm passed away; the mountain was crossed, and they reached their home in safety. If you feel your heart cold towards God, and your soul almost ready to perish, try to do something which may help another soul to life, and make his heart glad; and you will often find it the best way to warm, and restore, and gladden your own.

FERVENT LOVE AND INTENSE THANKFULNESS are due to the God of all grace, who calls us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus! And how much beyond all thought and expression are we indebted to the blessed Immanuel, who undertook, by his bitter sufferings, to obtain for all his followers immortal joys! "You have made me happy for life; I cannot thank you enough," one person might say to another, when acknowledging some great and permanent benefit. "You have saved my life; I can never repay your kindness," might be the language of one saved from the waves of the sea to a deliverer that had rescued him at the hazard of his own life. But, O thou God of all grace, how shall we acknowledge thy kindness! thou hast saved us, by the gift of thy Son, from sinking into the lowest deeps of eternal woe; thou hast saved us, not for a few poor mortal years only, but for everlasting ages. Adorable

THE FIRESIDE.

Redeemer, how shall we extol thee for securing an eternity of happiness for all who come to thee! We are doomed to die; we are hastening to the grave, and are about to go the way whence we shall not return: but at the end of that solemn way we see a better country, and thou hast provided it; we look for mansions of peace, and thou hast prepared them. Death was the wages of our sin, but thou hast changed the curse into a blessing, and now death is the way to thine abode. Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." J. G. Pike.

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USES OF ADVERSITY. One benefit which God designs in our afflictions is the weaning us from the world, to disentangle us from its fetters and charms, to draw us to himself. We read in the story of the deluge, that so long as the earth was covered with waters, the very raven was contented to take shelter in the ark; but when all was fair and dry, even the dove finally forsook it. And it is much so with us; the worst of men will commonly, in distress, have recourse to God-the very heathen mariners, in a storm, could rebuke Jonah for not calling upon his God-when yet the very best of us are apt to forget him amidst the pleasures and delights of prosperity. It is storied of Antigonus, that seeing a soldier in his camp of so daring a courage that he always courted the most hazardous attempts, and observing him also of a very infirm, sickly habit, he took a particular care of him, and by medicines and good attendance recovered him, which no sooner he had done, but the man grew more cautious, and would no longer expose himself as formerly; and gave this reason for it,—that now he was healthy his life was of some value to him, and not to be hazarded at the same rate as when it was only a burden. And should God cure all our complaints, render us perfectly at ease, I fear too many of us would be of the soldier's mind, and think our lives too good to give up or hazard for Him who gave his life for us.

The Fireside.

THE SHEPHERD, THE FOLD, AND THE SHEEP.

THE Germans have a pretty tale, of which the following is the substance:

The parents

"The only child of two thoughtless parents died. became, on this account, not only sorrowful, but disposed to question the goodness of God. They even petulantly inquired of their minister how it could be possible that a God of love could have dealt so

THE PENNY POST BOX.

hardly with them as to take their only child? To this question he promised a reply; and he gave it.

“You would know from me why God has taken your child from you. Well, then, he determined to have from your family at least one member in heaven. You parents would not prepare to enter into heaven; and if that child of yours had been allowed to remain you would also have prevented it from going thither. Hear, further, a parable. There was a good shepherd who had prepared costly fodder in his fold for his sheep, but the sheep would not enter. He gave himself much concern to induce them to enter, but they always retreated further back from the door. Then he took a lamb from the flock and dragged it in; and, behold, the parent sheep ran in after it. The good Shepherd is Christ; the open fold is heaven; the lamb your child. Have ye the hearts of parents? Prepare to follow your child! It has been taken from you on purpose to

allure you to the skies."

The Penny Post Box.

MATERNAL PIETY REWARDED.

THE inclosed I had from a minister of the gospel, so that I can answer for the truth of it; and he used to tell this little story with much feeling, to encourage parents to pray more fervently for their children. With this object in view I have sent it to you.

She

A pious mother, who had endeavoured to bring up her children in the fear of the Lord, had the misfortune of seeing one of her sons, notwithstanding all her prayers and entreaties, grow up gay and dissipated. At length he left the parental roof in order to be able to take his full of sinful pleasure without his mother's interference. But it pleased the Lord to meet with him in his mad career of sin and folly, and he was brought to the feet of Jesus for salvation. This, however, his mother knew nothing of. Some time after his departure his mother was taken ill, and did not expect to recover. thought of her prodigal son. She resolved to send for him, that she might once more entreat of him to seek the Saviour; for you must remember that up to this time she had no knowledge of his conversion. Accordingly she sent for him; and when he came she began affectionately to talk to him about his sinful course, and so on; when, to her utter astonishment, he interrupted her by saying, "Mother, shall I pray for you?" She said, "Yes." When he had concluded she exclaimed, "What! can it be possible that my child, who has given me more trouble than all the rest, is come to pray by my death-bed." It was even so; and who can tell with what joy she quitted this mortal state to see that her once ungodly son had become a praying man.

FACTS, HINTS, AND GEMS.

Facts, Hints, and Gems.

Facts.

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Gems.

LIKE JESUS we shall be when we reverence God, hate sin, love holiness, pity sinners, and go about doing good to all men.

A HAPPY SAINT once said, "I was never so happy as since I gave up my own will." He had resigned all to the will of God.

JESUS CHRIST is the Prince of

Peace. All cruelty, bloodshed, war, and oppression of every kind he disavows; but these are the things in which the god of this world delights; and they who love such things are satan's friends and ser

vants.

THE WILL OF GOD is to do what he pleases; but, unlike man, it never pleases him to do what is wrong, but always what is right.

So let his will ever be done!

THE SALVATION OF MAN required the same power as his creation; therefore our Saviour was God, and God was our Saviour. "He that is our God is the God of salvation."

Poetic Selections.

THE BETTER LAND.

THERE is a land mine eye hath seen,

In visions of enraptured thought, So bright that all which spreads between Is with its radiant glory fraught;—

A land upon whose blissful shore

There rests no shadow, falls no stain; There those who meet shall part no more, And those long parted meet again.

Its skies are not like earthly skies,
With varying hues of shade and light;
It hath no need of suns to rise,

To dissipate the gloom of night.

There sweeps no desolating wind

Across that calm, serene abode ; The wanderer there a home may find, Within the paradise of God.

THE CHILDREN'S CORNER.

The Children's Corner.

COUNSELS FOR THE YOUNG.

1. Never be cast down by trifles. If a spider breaks his thread twenty times, twenty times will he mend it again. Make up your mind to do a thing, and you will do it. Fear not if a trouble comes upon you; keep up your spirits though the day be a dark one.

"Troubles never stop for ever-
The darkest day will pass away."

2. If the sun is going down, look at the stars; if the earth is dark, keep your eyes on heaven. With God's presence and God's promises, a

man or a child may be cheerful.

"Never despair when fogs in the air.

A sunshiny morning will come without warning."

3.-Mind what you run after. Never be content with a bubble that will burst, or a firework that will end in smoke and darkness. Get that which you can keep, and which is worth keeping

"Something sterling that will stay,
When gold and silver fly away."

4.-Fight hard against a hasty temper; anger will come, but resist it stoutly. A spark will set a house on fire. you cause to mourn all the days of your life.

A fit of passion may give
Never revenge an injury—

"He that revenges knows no rest→→
The meek possess a peaceful breast."

5. If you have an enemy, act kindly to him and make him your friend. You may not win him at once, but try again; let one kindness be followed by another till you have compassed your end. By little and little, great things are completed.

"Water falling day by day,

Wears the hardest rocks away.'
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6. Whatever you do, do it willingly. A boy that is whipped at school never learns his lesson well. A man that is compelled to work, cares not how badly it is performed. He that pulls off his coat cheerfully, and strips up his sleeves in earnest, is the man for me.

"A cheerful spirit goes on quick;
A grumbler in the mud will stick."

7.-Evil thoughts are worse enemies than lions and tigers, for we can keep out of the way of wild beasts, but bad thoughts win their way everywhere. The cup that is full will hold no more. Keep your heads and hearts full of good thoughts, that bad ones may not find

room to enter.

"Be on your guard and strive and pray,

To drive all evil thoughts away."

WINKS AND SON, PRINTERS, LEICESTER.

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