And though his loss oft makes us sigh,
We hope that he above the sky

A songster is become.

Then why, my friends, should we complain,
Or wish our father back again,

We know his time was come.

But for ourselves, O Lord, we'd pray,
As father's gone from earth away,
Do Thou our Father be!

Be with us, Lord, and condescend
To help, support, protect, defend
Such worthless worms as we.

Impress, dear Lord, upon our mind
The exhortation that we find
To watch as well as pray:

Prepare us for that heavenly home,
For Lord we know that Thou wilt come,
But cannot tell the day.

And should long illness end in death,
Or we at once resign our breath,
Abroad or when at home,

Do Thou, dear Lord, our souls remove
Triumphantly to heaven above

Whene'er the time shall come."

ONE WHO SORROWS, YET NOT AS
WITHOUT HOPE.

"ASK FOR THE OLD PATHS."

JER. vi. 16.

IF any man can prove the following articles by any one plain sentence, out of the Scriptures,—or out of the works of the old Fathers,-or by a canon of any old General Council,-or by any practice of the Primitive Church, then I promise to go over to his party.

"That there was any private mass in the world for the space of 600 years after Christ.-Or, that there was any communion ministered to the people under one kind.-Or, that the people had their Common Prayers then in a strange tongue, that they understood not.-Or, that the Bishop of Rome was then called an Universal Bishop, or the Head of the Universal Church.-Or, that the people were then taught to believe that Christ's body is really, substantially, carnally, or naturally in the Sacrament.-Or, that His body is or may be, in a thousand places or more, at one time.-Or, that the priest did then hold up the sacrament over his head.-Or, that the people did then fall down and worship it with godly honour. Or, that images were then set up in the churches, to the intent that the people might worship them.-Or, that the lay people were then forbidden to read the Word of God in their own tongue."-From Bishop Jewel's Challenge to the Papists.

The Church of Rome should never be called Catholic nor apostolical. She is not Catholic, for she is only a sect in Christendom. She is not apostolic, for the dogmas that distinguish her from churches of truth are all modern.

The following are the periods when the principal Romish errors were made Articles of Faith by the sanction of what was called a General Council:

A PRIZE OFFERED.

DEAR MR. EDITOR,-For some years I have read your LITTLE GLEANER with a large amount of interest. During the past year I have introduced it into the Sunday-school with which I stand connected, where, I am happy to say, it has met with a good reception. I believe God is doing a great work by your little publication. May He still give you health and strength to continue your labours. I have sent you an enigma, for which, if you think it worth insertion, I propose to give a prize for the best answer in the form of a poetic acrostic. I will send the prize by post on the publication of address. Trusting you will excuse my thus trespassing on your valuable time, I have the honour to remain,

Dear Sir,

Yours in the bonds of the Gospel,
J. MEOPHAM.

SCRIPTURE ENIGMA.

A KING who did not know the Lord,
And would not listen to His word;
One who once to a friend did say,
"From thee I will not go away.'
A Jewess who was chosen queen,
When by the King she had been seen;
A mountain where a great man died;
A son, for whom his father cried;
One who concealed the Jewish spies;
One who His birthright did not prize;
One who the Holy Scriptures knew ;
And one who fed the prophets too;
The oldest man that ever lived;
Who died before his father did;
A man who walked with God below;
A place where many palm-trees grew ;

One who did not at first believe;
A place where Barak did succeed;
The husband of a woman who
The general of an army slew;
That which Elisha's oxen wore;
A city burnt and built no more;
A place where almug trees were found;
A woman who a strong man bound.
The initials of these names will spell
A solemn sentence; heaven or hell
Awaits you, Gleaners, when you die,
Oh, keep this sentence in your eye!

J. MEOPHAM.

THE BEST WAY OF BURNING
TOBACCO.

DEAR BROTHER IN THE LORD,-Some time since, being asked to contribute three numbers monthly of the Band of Hope periodical for the use of a Lord's-day School, and having preference for your LITTLE GLEANER, I have given them instead ; and though my time for reading is rather limited, I generally glance at their contents, and am much gratified with their general contents, and their adaptation for the benefit of the juvenile reader. And, seeing in your last number the wholesome advice given on the subject of the worse than useless and the sadly pernicious practice of smoking, I forward you a few lines on the subject with their history; When my firstborn was about eleven or twelve years of age, which is now over thirty years ago, I was presented with a piece of paper with a cigar screwed up in it, which the sweepingbrush had in its evolutions brought from under the sofa, where it had been hidden; and feeling very little doubt by whom it had been introduced, and,

as a God-fearing father, wishing to nip every evil practice in the bud, I consigned the intruder immediately to the flames, head and tail together, and having prepared the accompanying verses, put them in the papers instead of the cigar, and put the packet in the place of the concealed cigar, and I never knew either pipe or cigar used by my son during his minority. Should you think them not unfit for your LITTLE GLEANER you are welcome to their use. Wishing you God speed in your every effort, both in preaching the glorious Gospel of the grace of God, and in your earnest endeavours for the good of the rising generation, ! I remain,

Yours affectionately in the Lord,
C. C. D.

"Thou filthy, foul and vile cigar,
Why dost thou lie concealed afar ?
If not on mischief bent, then say,
Why not appear to open day?
And why invade a place so free
From stinking fumes produced by thee?
And say what inmate dared to bring
Within this house so base a thing?
No welcome here thy breath shall know,
Nor lips of folly make thee glow;
But I will treat thee as a foe:
Not undeserving, for the train
That follow thee are want and pain.
Thou'lt send the creditor away
With, "Call again another day;"

Wilt steal the children's beef and broth,
And make more holes in clothes than moth.
In smoke thou'rt destined to decay,
'Lit at one end," thou fain wouldst say;
But now I have thee, I'll try whether
Thou❜lt burn both head and tail together.