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rates our hearts, and leads us to Jesus Christ for pardon, and peace, and grace, we must perish for ever. I am sure this solemn fact is not thought sufficiently of by any of us. The glorious Gospel is good tidings to those who feel helpless and lost, who want a perfect Saviour and a free salvation. Salvation is a precious gift. It is full and free, and therefore suitable to the lost, who can do nothing to merit it. Dear reader, have you sought it? Have you found it?. I am, yours sincerely,

JOHN PRIOR.

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LESSON OF THE OWL.

A PRIZE will be given for the best article upon the Owl, as mentioned in Scripture.

Will our young friends each select only one passage of Scripture to write upon in which the owl is mentioned, that their articles may not be too long for The Gleaner. Answers must arrive before the 20th.

AN ANSWER TO THE LESSON ON THE OSTRICH,

(JOB Xxxix. 13-18; LAM. iv. 3.)

WHAT wonders hath the Lord display'd
Of varied power and skill;

The ostrich, without wisdom made,
Because it is His will.

Regardless of her infant brood,

She seeks the desert way;

And oft, with neither warmth nor food,
Her little ones must stay.

In meanest things the Lord has shown
Wisdom and prudence rare;
Nor can this lofty desert-bird

With tiny ants compare.

Beauty and strength, with wondrous speed,
Have richly been bestowed;
But understanding still she needs,
Because withheld by God.

And as the ostrich loves to dwell
In deserts lone and waste,
With Egypt we're contented well,
Till love divine we taste.

Not only in creation we

The power of God would trace;
Himself, our Maker, we would see
Revealed in Jesu's face.

R. ALEXANDER.

IF you love to worship God here below, He will take you up to worship Him above: you will change your place, but not your employment.

SOME ACCOUNT OF

NAOMI

MARCHANT,

(OF ROTHERFIELD, SUSSEX),

Who departed this life on her birthday, March 11, 1857, aged 12 years.*

WHEN about six years old, she narrowly escaped falling into a spring, and at that time it appears an arrow of conviction entered her conscience which never left her; and although a lively, playful child, yet she said there was often a feeling of guilt when alone. She was afflicted for about fifteen months previous to her death, during which her convictions were much deepened. She felt the eye of God was upon her, and sometimes, when quite alone, her terror was such as to cause her to faint away. She continued to get weaker till between three and four months previous to her death, when she often sank so low, as to fear, if she went to sleep, she would awake in hell. Speaking of her feeling while under conviction, in a letter to a friend, written after the Lord had appeared for her, and during a temporary relief in her affliction, she states, "I am a little better to-day than usual, but it is the presence of Jesus that strengthens me, and does me good. As I was walking home from chapel one Sunday, two women were walking behind; I heard one say to the other, 'How did you like the sermon ?' She replied, 'She did not like it.' Mr. R had been saying you must have a right ground for your hope; I therefore concluded that she was like me-had no no ground for her hope. I thought I was not quite alone; there were others like me. I thought I was

* Abridged from a little work published a few years since, which we read with much satisfaction.

the ugliest and most miserable creature that ever existed. I was very much afraid when it thundered and lightened, because I was such a sinner; and I used to think I must try and do better. I went to chapel, and would try to pay attention, to see if there were anything said like me; sometimes I did get a little hope, but Satan would say, 'It is not meant for you, it is for the elect;' but I was at that time under the law by which I was bound. I used to go to bed alone, and was afraid to go to sleep, fearing I should awake in hell. I remember once, last summer, being very ill in body as well as bad in mind; I went out into the fields, and there I envied everything. I went back in again, wishing I had never been born." Sometimes I had a little hope, but that would not last long, for I felt such a sinner; I thought I belonged to Satan, and he must have me; it was of no use my trying to be better."

The set time to favour Zion in her soul was now about to be realized. Her mother having left her to get some nourishment, and having to walk some distance for it, was gone about two or three hours. During her absence the Lord graciously appeared, set her soul at happy liberty, and on her return the dear child eagerly said to her mother, "I have found a Father," and related how the Lord had appeared for her; the particulars of which, being embodied in a letter to a friend, shall be told in her own simple language, in which she states: "When I found I could no nothing, I used to wish I had never been born. I used to envy everybody that I thought was right. The first promise I had was

"Not the righteous,

Sinners Jesus came to call.'

The next promise was, 'Blessed are they that hunger

and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.' I wondered more and more, for I knew I did hunger and thirst after righteousness. This made me cry more to Him. I would praise Him, and tell everybody what He had done for me, if He would bless me and take me for His own. The next day, which was Saturday, I was very ill; mother went to Eridge Green, to get me a bottle of wine; she started early, and left me in bed. Not long after she was gone, I was lying still, thinking and wondering, when these words came to me with power, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee,' and 'Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.' I felt sure that the Lord was mine. I saw, from that minute, that He died for me, the chiefest among sirners. He also said to me, 'I am thine, and thou art mine.' * I could then call Him my Father, my God, and my All. He told me He had everything I required, therefore I had everything I wanted. There I lay till mother came back ; but the time was not long with me, for the Lord showed forth His mighty works to me. I could view Him as my God and my Father. He showed me all the first part of the 5th chapter of Matthew; things were explained to me from the Bible in such a manner as I shall never forget. When mother came back, you may fancy what I had to tell her. I told her all about it after a little while, and I believe that she could not have been more pleased. We rejoiced together. How great is the goodness of the Lord to those that fear His name. I think sometimes, if I had not a God to go to, what should I do? for I can

*N. M. does not mean she heard a voice; but the Lord having given her faith in Jesus, He enabled her to claim the promises that belong to believers.

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