"I know the wretch," said he; "though black as night,
He oft assumes a garb of dazzling light;
But when he got you safe into his shell

The shining robe from his black body fell.

"Lie down," he adds, "and by chastisement learn
How evil 'tis from the straight way to turn;
Nor think it hard by means severe I prove
How much I hate your sins,-your persons love."
This done, he bids them go, with counsel grave,
And not forget the hints the shepherds gave.(ƒ)
Admonished thus, their journey they pursue,
When lo! with much astonishment they view
A man approach, who seemed as if he came
Back from Mount Zion; Atheist was his name.
He asked the Pilgrims whither they were bound.
"To Zion, where true joys are only found,"
Was their reply. But he, a wit, and proud,
With scorn beheld them both, then laughed aloud.
"There's no such place," said he; " and all the pain
You suffer in your pilgrimage is vain.

A seeker I have been these twenty years,
But now am rid of all my hopes and fears.
Back to the world with eager steps I haste,
The pleasures I renounced again to taste."(g)

(g) Jesus Christ, the Angel of the Covenant, restores the souls of his people, but he will cause their backslidings to reprove them. "He will visit their transgressions with the rod, and their iniquity with

Then Christian nearer to his fellow drew;

"What think you, friend?" said he, "Can this be true?”
"What!" Hopeful answered, "no Mount Zion? then
No future state of rest for pious men.
What! give the lie to all Jehovah saith,
And make a shipwreck of our holy faith?
Did we not see the gate from yonder mount?
And shall we now the whole delusion count?
Oh, brother! hate the words that cause to err;
Depend upon it, he's the Flatterer."

"Hopeful," said Christian, mildly, "be not grieved,
Or think thy brother of his faith bereaved;
Indeed, I asked the question but to prove
The happy firmness of thy faith and love.
This man I know,-I know his carnal mind,
To Satan subject, and to sin inclined."
They quickly part; he laughing goes his way;
Onwards they urge their course to endless day.
(To be continued.)

LUTHER'S TWO MIRACLES.

On the 5th of August, 1530, an awful crisis for the Reformation, when the firmest seemed to swerve and the boldest to tremble, Luther wrote thus to Chancellor Burch :-"I have recently witnessed two miracles. This is the first,-As I was at my window I saw the stars and the sky, and that vast and magnificent firmament in which the Lord has placed them. I could nowhere discover the columns on which the Master has supported this immense vault, and yet the heavens did not fall. And here is the second,-I beheld thick clouds hanging above us like a vast sea. I could neither perceive ground on which they reposed, nor cords by which they were suspended; and yet they did not fall upon us, but saluted us rapidly and fled away."

stripes." Characters of this description abound in our days, even such as have made profession of religion for many years; these persons having loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil, generally become crue. mockers. But, grace preserves the savingly called.

W

Death of Infants.

E are of dust, like a flower which springeth up in the morning, but withereth and fadeth before eventide. How emblematic, this, of the death of the Price One-Halfpenny.-Or 10 copies for 4d.

infant! The sweet babe just born into the world, giving joy and gladness to the sorrowing mother, who forgetteth the past in looking on that peaceful face, so calm, so innocent; but in a few short hours, or it may be days, the loved one is removed; the God who gave has seen fit to take the precious gift to himself. The flower, how lovely and promising! but how early doomed to pass away! I remember a scene such as this; a beautiful morning it was; the sun was bright—all was bright, for a dear babe was born. How fair he looked!-beautiful as a cherub ! He was laid beside his delighted mother; a soft glow rested on the downy, delicate cheek; the blue eyes so heavenly! a smile already played on his infant face; but soon, soon he was taken. Before the shades of night set in he had passed away to join the angelic choir, to unite his feeble but triumphant song with those above, and to be made perfect through the blood of the Lamb. It was an agonising moment for the mother; she heard his last breath; fainter and fainter it became, till all was hushed, and the fair spirit had returned to the bosom of Jesus-of Him who said on earth, “Suffer little children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.'

Did that mother weep? Yes! but she remembered her sympathising Saviour, and she could rejoice, from the belief that one so precious to her was so to him,—near to her God, spared sin and sorrow, and already an inhabitant of the heavenly Canaan. This was her consolation, and this must be yours, ye afflicted parents who are called to a similar bereavement. The loss may seem nothing to

those who have not experienced it, but the loving, weeping mother knows what it is. To such I would speak words of comfort. Let not tears of sorrow fall without the bright hope arising to dispel them,-your sweet babe lives above, lives for ever, lives only to God; do you look up and live also. Think not of what you are deprived, but of what he is now enjoying. Let your hands be comforted. Your God and Saviour has remembered you differently to what you expected, but he has indeed remembered your precious one. He tells you so, in taking him to be where he is. That little angel says to "Follow me.' Obey the infant voice; follow Jesus; follow him in resignation, humility, obedience, faith, love, hope, and you shall have joy. The crown is yours; Jesus is yours; all is yours. Soon all shall pass away-sin be exchanged for holiness, sorrow for blessedness, weakness for perfection. A welcome awaits you, if followers of your Lord, a welcome from himself, from his saints, from your own sweet cherub. Yes, my child, I will follow Jesus, and so I shall follow thee to glory. will look up, for all shall be light with me, as it is with thee. 66 Though a woman forget her child, yet will not I." Remember these cheering words.

you,

THE SECOND ADVENT.

I

Or all subjects calculated to raise, impress, and influence the human mind, there is none equal to the consideration of the second advent of our blessed Lord. Yet how little comparatively does this glorious theme engage the attention of christians in general! they see not, and therefore they