Praying hearts can never cherish

Thoughts of bitterness or strife;
In their presence soon must perish
Prayer's true element and life:
If from faith thy prayer upsprings,
Love must lend it heavenward wings.

Should'st thou, then, in thy devotion,
Feel against thy brother aught,
Instantly, with deep emotion,

Check each unforgiving thought.
While thy heart resentment bears,
God will never hear thy prayers.

Neither think thou of delaying;
Hatred on delay can live ;-
Even while thou kneelest praying,
Freely, heartily forgive;

Or, whate'er thy sins may be,
Hope not God will pardon thee.

Should thy resolution falter,

Hatred has thy heart defil'd, Leave thy gift before the altar, First to man be reconcil'd,Then, forgiveness having shewn, Pray, that it may be thine own.

Blest Saviour, on my soul impress
The image of Thy mind,

To bear my brother's waywardness,
Long-suffer, and be kind.

BARTON.

'Tis hard to bear the look unkind,
The word that causeth pain,

Where nature's closest ties should bind,
And love alone obtain.

More hard, when brethren in the Lord,
On airy fancies borne,

Aid the rude world, by glance or word,
To wreath the crown of thorn.

Yet, when I think what patient care
My Lord extends to me,
Shall I not with my brother bear,
And that right lovingly?

O yes-what wrong to me is done,
By brother, friend, or foe,

I leave it in Thine hand alone,
And 'neath Thine hand lie low.

J. A. LA TROBE.

How hardly man this lesson learns,

To smile, and bless the hand that spurns;
To see the blow, and feel the pain,

But render only love again.

This spirit ne'er was given on earth ;
One had it—He of heavenly birth ;
Reviled, rejected, and betrayed,

No curse He breathed, no plaint He made,
But when in death's deep pang He sighed,
Prayed for His murderers—and died.

ANON.

XXXIX. KINDNESS TO THE POOR AND

STRANGER.

REMEMBER the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.-ACTS xx. 35.

Who went about doing good.-ACTS x. 38.
Use hospitality toward all men.-1 PET. iv. 9.

Gen. xviii. 1-8—xix. 1-3—Levit. xix. 33, 34–xxiv. 22—xxv. 35, 36-Deut. x. 18, 19-xv. 7, 8, 10, 11-xvi. 17-xxiv. 19-22 -xxxi. 12-Judges xix. 15-18, 20, 21-Ruth ii. 14-16-2 Sam. xxii. 26-Job xxx. 25-xxxi. 32-Psalm xli. 1-3-cix. 31Prov. iii. 3, 4, 27, 28-xi. 25-xiv. 21, 31–xvii. 5—xix. 17—xxi. 13, 21, 26-xxii. 2, 9, 22, 23-xxviii. 27-xxix. 7-xxxi. 8-10, 20, 26-Eccles. xi. 1-Isaiah i. 17-xvi. 3-lviii. 6-11-Jer. xxii. 16-Lam. iii. 34-36-Ezek. xvi. 49-xviii. 5, 7-9-xxii. 2, 7Mic. vi. 8-Zech. vii. 9, 10.

Matt. v. 7-vi. 1-4-x. 8, 42-xxv. 32-40-xxvi. 11-Mark ix. 41-x. 21, 22-xii. 41-44-Luke iii. 11-vi. 20, 21, 30, 31, 36, 38 -vii. 22-x. 29-37-xi. 41--xii. 33-xiv. 13, 14-xvi. 19-25Acts ii. 44, 45—ix. 36-39-x. 1, 2, 4, 38-xi. 28-30-xx. 35— xxviii. 2, 7-Rom. xii. 8, 13, 16-1 Cor. xiii. 3-2 Cor. vi. 6viii. 1-4, 7, 8, 12—ix. 2, 6, 7-Gal. vi. 10-Phil. iv. 16-18Col. iii. 14-iv. 10-1 Thes. i. 3-2 Thes. i. 3-1 Tim. i. 5-v. 10-vi. 17-19-2 Tim. i. 16-18-Heb. v. 2-vi. 10–xiii. 2, 3, 5, 16-Jas. i. 27-ii. 1-9, 13—1 Pet. iv. 8, 9-1 John iii. 17— 3 John 5, 6-Rev. ii. 19.

WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR?

Thy neighbour? it is he whom thou
Hast power to aid and bless—
Whose aching heart and burning brow
Thy soothing hand may press.

Thy neighbour?'tis the fainting poor
Whose eye with want is dim,
Whom hunger sends from door to door-
Go thou, and succour him.

Thy neighbour?'tis that weary man
Whose years are at their brim,
But low with sickness, cares, and pain-
Go thou, and succour him.

Thy neighbour?-'Tis the heart bereft
Of every earthly gem;
Widow and orphan, helpless left-
Go thou, and shelter them.

Where'er thou meet'st a human form
Less favour'd than thine own,
Remember 'tis thy neighbour worm,
Thy brother or thy son.

Oh! pass not, pass not heedless by,
Perhaps thou canst redeem

The breaking heart from misery

Go, share thy lot with him.

But raising first to heaven the eye,

And catching its pure sympathy,

ANON.

Back on the earth the glance to send,
And with the will the action blend,
Which grief consoles, and want supplies,
O'er others' faults oblivion throws,
For others' weal unceasing glows,
And glory gives to God above,
Is God's own spirit, Christian Love.

" VILLAGE PASTOR."

Is there an eye that never wept,
A heart that never felt?

A breast where sympathy has slept,
When pity loves to melt?

Is there a hand that ne'er was rais'd,
The sorrowful to cheer,

To soothe and comfort the distress'd,
And wipe the falling tear?

Is there a tongue whose soft constraint
Ne'er eased the aching heart,
A soul where mercy's winning plaint
Has play'd in vain its part?

O bear them to that sacred mount,
Where Jesus bleeds and dies,
There let them all his woes recount,
And view his agonies.

Then, if the tones of feeling sleep

Nor tears bedew the cheek,

No scene will melt-for angels weep,

And adamant must break!

GOUGH.