Bring books with nice pictures, and clothes, and some shoes,
And many nice presents besides, if you choose.

I will learn all I can, and you surely will see
That I have been good, as a child ought to be!

ST. NICHOLAS.

God bless you, my children, I hold you most dear.
Love father and mother throughout the whole year,
Then you will get presents, when I shall appear.
But if I shall find that in these things you lack,
I'll come with a rod, and a switch for your back?

MEDITATION.

THE FIRST LOVE.

FROM THE GERMAN OF DR. SCHAFF, BY S. T.

"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love."-REV. ii, 4.

How happy wast thou, O my soul, when for the first time the Prince of life said unto thee: "Be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee, rise up and walk." Forlorn and forsaken thou re tiredst into the inmost recesses of thyself, weeping and meditating over the guiltiness of the past, trembling before the gloomy abyss of the future, and shuddering at the endless depths of the second death. Thy life to thee appeared like a cloud, which, driven hither and thither by stormy winds over the barren desert, loses itself in a fruitless shower. Far from the foot of Sinai's smoke-beclouded summit, thou heardest the deep thunders of the wrath of God, and thy conscience burned, as if hell were already in thy breast. Thine own proud strength of former days had fled; no friend stretched forth a helping hand; the whole world was as cheerless as the grave, and even heaven was sealed, as it were, with seven seals. "Who shall deliver me," thou groanedst in the starless night, "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death ?" "Lord save me," thou entreatedst, quickly gathering up the fast failing strength of thy voice, "Lord save me, I perish."

Then the Friend of sinners, as on the morning of the resurrec tion, entered through the closed door of thy heart. O, blessed vision! In vain thou strivest with an earthly pencil to paint a picture of such transcendent love and majesty, such meekness and dignity, such attractive friendliness and reverent earnestness, as was portrayed in his glorified face. Who shall describe the mildness of that eye from which beamed forth upon thee a universe of divine

compassion and mercy? Who the charming music of his words, when softly spoke to thy fevered mind, racked with anguish : "Peace be with thee!" And O, what joy penetrated into the very core of thy being, as, at his command, thou embracedst his pierced. feet, laidest thy fingers into the prints of the nails, and thrustedst thy hand, like unbelieving Thomas, into his side, and sinking down upon the bosom, where St. John had often lain, thou perceivedst the pulsations of eternal love. Then in full consciousness, thou sawest Him, very God and very man, dying for the expiation of thy guilt, and rising again to impart to thee a life, which can

never die.

It is beautiful when, on a calm Summer's morning, the king of day ascends in majesty above the verge of the eastern horizon, dispersing the nocturnal darkness and shedding forth light and heat over hill and valley, mountain and plain;-but infinitely more, beautiful, glorious and refreshing, when the Sun of righteousness penetrates the thick gloom of sin, scattering the dismal clouds of unbelief and despair, and pouring into the panting soul the peace of God-a peace which neither words nor thoughts can describe. There is loveliness in the bright days of Spring, when highland and valley put on the bridal robe, the green garb of hope-when the violet and lily, the roses and hyacinths, more richly arrayed, than even Solomon in all his glory, spring forth from their wintry beds, sending their sweet fragrance as grateful incense to Him who made them; but there is loveliness far transcending all these in beauty and dignity, when the love of Jesus Christ melts the ice of selfishness, and when, illuminated by its radiant brightness, moistened by its gentle dews, the flowers of faith, of gratitude, of humility, of filial love, of prayer, of faithfulness, of hope, of patience, of peace, spring up into imperishable bloom, from the bottom of the regenerate heart, and send their incense of love and praise to the golden altar of the Majesty on high. It is but a feeble conception, only a dim shadow of the happiness of that holy communion with the Redeemer, when the sweet singer of thy youth describes thy pentecostal love :

O, gentle longing, sweetest hoping!

O, golden hours of my first love!
The eye the heavenly gate sees opening

To lure the heart to bliss above.

O, that the springtime of first love may be
Green, fresh, and vigorous forever in me!

Yes there is a heaven already upon the earth, in the enjoyment of that love which loved even to the death of the cross; there is an eternity already in time: "Whosoever believeth on me hath eternal life;" and the God, whom the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain, will, with the entire fullness of his grace, yet stoop to dwell in the heart of a poor sinner as in a temple. What are all the pleasures of sense, compared with a single draught of the wa ter of life flowing from the heart of Jesus Christ! What is the glory of the whole world, laid in the balance against one hour of

confidential intercourse between the soul and the personal and original source of all good! Ten thousand times rather would I be a door. keeper in the house of my God, than, clothed in purple, rule over kingdoms and empires.

But, O my soul, what is thy condition now? Hast thou made progress in the divine life? Canst thou look back with holy joy to that golden springtime of thy first love, or art thou compelled to do it with bitter sorrow and under the keen lashings of an accusing conscience? Hast thou even at this distant day that deep, absolute horror of sin, as when for the first time in the light of the cross thou sawest it in all its accursed deformity? Are there still swelling up from thy bosom as freely and fully, the emotions of gratitude to thy Redeemer, as at the time, when thou hadst but a dim conception of the heights, the breadths and depths of the love of God to thee, an unworthy child? Canst thou yet feel the death agony of thy merciful High Priest, as he freely assumed thy debt? Art thou even now able to exclaim with the same sincerity and confidence:

"There, on yonder cross is hanging'
Christ, my Saviour, Love, my All!"

Is there still alive in thee that burning enthusiasm for his glory, as at that blessed moment, when beneath his banner thou didst swear everlasting allegiance to his cause? Canst thou now as then be just as patiently ready to count all things but loss for the sake of Christ; fearlessly to confess Him in word and deed, in the day of prosperity and in the day of adversity, in the very face of persecution and trial, yea even of death itself? Lovest thou still the brethren with the same ardent, hearty and self-sacrificing devotion, as in the hour, when the fire of the Saviour's love to sinners touched thee, kindling in thy breast a flame of sacred zeal, and inciting thee with a sweet constraint to seek out in humble self-denial the poor and lowly, the widow and orphan, the prisoner and sufferer, the sick and dying in their huts of sorrow, to comfort and console, to advise and help them, and give all the glory of thy success to Him to whom all glory is due? Or-or has the Lord somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love? Then, O then, ponder without delay the warning which the Spirit sent to the church of Ephesus: "Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."

Ah! my soul, thou feelest the sharpness of these words; thou art struck with terror by their sound, and art ashamed of thyself, and before thy Redeemer to whom thou wast unfaithful? This is an encouraging sign of hope. Be of good cheer! As long as the heart is not hardened and does not willfully quench the voice of the Spirit, so long is amendment possible. Shame and repentance already form the beginning of reformation and return.

Nevertheless, that thou mayest in future be more secure from

falling away from the power and freshness of thy first love, take care of two things. BE HUMBLE. Think rather too little than too much of thyself; place thyself below rather than above the least of the brethren. If thou art wise and learned, never forget how much still remains to be learned, and that all our knowledge is fragmentary,-nay, that even the wisdom of the wisest is a mere drop drawn from the boundless sea of divine truth. Despise not to learn from a child. For divine things are not as readily apprehended by the process of thinking, as by the power of love. The more thou lovest God, the more thou shalt know of Him. If thou hast accomplished never so much good, regard thyself still only as a mere beginner in holiness, and be as zealous in good works, as if thou hadst manifested not a single proof of gratitude for the inexpressible love of thy Redeemer. Pride will smother the flame of first love, harden the affections, drive away the good Spirit of God and open the door to the spirit of darkness.

The second admonition is this: BE STEADFAST IN PRAYER. It is the heart of the spiritual life. If it no longer beats, then thou art sick and the enemy of thy life can do with thee what he pleases. Prayer is an impregnable wall against the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life; a shield against which the fiery darts of the wicked fly in vain; a fire that consumes the many temptations from within; and an aqueduct bringing to us continually renewing streams of grace from God.

Wherefore, my soul, be steadfast in prayer and in the practice of humility; for in these is thy strength. Like guardian angels, they will preserve that blessed flame of thy first love; yea always pour oil upon it that it may rekindle into a blaze, and send in all directions its warming and illuminating rays. Thus shalt thou save thyself, increase the joy of angels and celebrate the praises of Him to whom all praise is due.

"Jesus became an infant for infants."-IRENAEUS.

The History of the Infants of Bethlehem, usually called the Holy Innocents, who were slain by cruel Herod with the hope of slaying the Infant Jesus in their number, has in all ages had a deep hold upon the mind and heart of the Christian Church. It is one of those incidents of Sacred History, the brevity of which is its beauty, and the beauty of which is its power. It is the simple, touching narrative of an event, the aesthetical features of which commend themselves to the deepest feeling of the human heart. It is an incident which from its nature could not fail to be idealized in the pious consciousness of the Church. It has accordingly taken form in sculpture, painting, and poetry; and in all these spheres of art, it has engaged the genius of the most etherial minds, who have endeavored to interpret to the general Christian heart its own ideal of one of the most beautiful and touching events in Sacred History.

The rage of Herod, of which the birth of the "Babe divine" was, not the cause, but the occasion, is a true picture of the world's wicked aversion to Christ the Holy and the True, and a sure prophesy of what awaited Him in later life, and which in His cross and passion was strictly fulfilled. At the cross of Calvary, as in the homes of Bethlehem, the wrath and rage of men spent itself upon the Innocent. Moreover, throughout the whole history of Christianity, those who have been associated with Christ in the new birth of grace, have ever been made to feel the sword of His enemies, even as did the Infants who were associated with Him in His birth into the world. It is this deep typical character of this event,