before God! How deeply should we abase ourselves before the Lord our Maker!"

THE CHRISTIAN FATHER.

THE following particulars are related in the "Life of the Rev. H. Gauntlett," by his daughter :

My mother was for a long period seriously indisposed; the children, of whom there were now six, were successively attacked by the diseases incident to childhood; and the youngest was hastily called from the affectionate embraces of his parents, to find unchanging rest in the arms of that Redeemer who has declared that of such is the kingdom of heaven. The writer cannot forget her father's assembling his little ones in his study, where as they knelt round the coffin which contained the remains of the departed babe, he poured out thanksgivings for his early escape from a world of sin and sorrow, with prayers for those that remained, that all might meet at last-" no wanderer lost, a family in heaven." A few months afterwards, he took some of his children to visit his last quiet resting place, in the retired churchyard at Caversham. The little grassy mound was covered with the flowering beauties of summer, frail emblems of our short-lived existence here. He

spoke of the happiness of heaven, and beguiled the long walk homeward with sweet and holy instruction; remarking, that as every step brought them a little nearer home, so every day should prove a step whereby to make some advance to our heavenly Father's house above.

our most

My parent never forgot that ". important are our earliest years," and strove to impart religious instruction, as well as general information in its most pleasant form; and, agreeably to the scriptural direction, at every season, whether sitting in the house or walking by the way. His great principle with his children was, to make them understand every part of a subject as they proceeded; aware that, though such a course adds to the labour of the teacher, it equally assists the progress of the pupil. He said, "If you would be proficient in arithmetic, you must study it, and not be satisfied merely with being able to repeat the rules, or work the questions, without understanding them." His table talk was of a useful character, and if he observed any disposition to vain or trifling conversation, a book was introduced. Birds, trees, flowers, and stones afforded means of blending instruction with amusement.

The Scriptures were a daily study. It might be imagined that his arduous public labours on Sunday would have furnished a

plea for dispensing with private instruction. But this was not the case. In the evening of that holy day, his children were gathered around him. Unwearied with services, he felt them only as making rest more easy, and rendering the sweet sabbath evening peculiarly grateful. Confiding in the promise, that the word of the Lord shall not return unto him void, he rejoiced and gave thanks. Thought and desire were directed heavenward.

"Thine earthly sabbaths, Lord, we love ; But there's a nobler rest above."

NOAH BEFORE THE FLOOD.

AFTER God took Enoch up to heaven without dying, all the families in the world but one were very wicked. Their hearts were all full of sin, and their thoughts were all sin, and their wickedness was very great. There were a great many people in the world then, and some of them were giants, that means, very tall great men; but none of the giants were good men, and none of them pleased God; so you see it is of no use to grow taller unless we grow better

too.

"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth." And it grieved God very much to see every one so wicked.

66

God is such a perfectly holy being, that he is always grieved to see sin now, just as he was grieved to see it then. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air." See Gen. vi. Remember, it was sin that made God determine to destroy all living creatures; for he is so kind and so merciful, that he delights to bless, not to punish: but he is also so holy and so just that he cannot suffer sin to go without punishment.

But there was one man whom God determined to spare, when he should destroy all the wicked people. This man was Noah. He was born with a sinful heart, as all men are; but God gave him grace to know and love him, and faith to believe God's word; and Noah walked with God as Enoch did. So God told Noah that he was going to destroy the world, and all the living creatures in it, by a flood of waters, which should drown them all. But he desired Noah to build an ark of wood, in which God promised that Noah and his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, together with their wives, should all be safe from that flood of waters, and should not be drowned.

This ark of wood was to be a very great building, with rooms in it, built one above the other; three rooms high. It was to have

a door in it, and a window; and it was to be pitched both inside and outside with pitch. This great ark was a long time in building; one hundred and twenty years: and, all that time, Noah used often to preach to the people around him, to try and persuade them to turn from their sins, and to pray to God for pardon. He often told them of the dreadful flood that was coming, and, no doubt, he showed them the ark he was building, and told them it was by God's command that he built it, and that he was to live safely in it when the flood was upon the earth. But they would not believe any thing he said about it. And God waited patiently all the one hundred and twenty years, but not one repented at the preaching of Noah: they all went on in their own wicked ways, till the time came that their sins should be punished. All sin, if it is not repented of, will one day be punished : if it is not seen by any man, and is not punished in this world, it will surely be so in that great day when God shall bring every work into judgment.

N.

"THANK YOU."

How often does a sentence, or even a word, from the simple lips of childhood, touch the heart, and bring to our remembrance