What a lesson! How many shivering bodies, and sad hearts, and weeping eyes there are in the world, just because people do not stretch their comforts a little beyond themselves.-WellSpring.

PITY AND FORGIVE.

NOT long ago, as two school-boys, about nine years of age, were enjoying themselves in a house which was under repair, one of them very wantonly threw upon the other a quantity of lime and dust, which, falling into his eyes, nearly deprived him of sight for some time. On the poor boy going home, he was met by his father, who, exasperated at what had been done, vowed that the next time he caught the mischievous boy that way, he would throw him into the canal which was hard by. The child listened to the oaths of his father; and then, calmly looking up to him, though still suffering excruciating pain from the effects of the lime, said: Father, don't do that. Let's pity him for not having more sense." The expression was sincere. The father felt it to be so, and the threat was never executed.

66

OVERCOMING EVIL WITH GOOD.

It is said of Mr. Dodd, one of the Puritan divines, that a person, being enraged at his close and awakening doctrine, raised a quarrel with him, smote him in the face, and dashed out two of his teeth. This meek and lowly servant of Christ, without taking the least offence, held the teeth out in his hand, and said, "See here; you have knocked out two of my teeth without any just provocation; it if I could do your soul good, I would give you ye to dash out all the rest!"

A LITTLE boy, well known to me,
Sat reading in a book,
And childlike sweet simplicity
Beamed in his earnest look;

He read of warriors, princes, kings,
And little children too,

And grand and noble were the things
That rose before his view.

с

The sacred page was what he read—
The pleasing tales therein-
When suddenly he raised his head,
And thus he did begin :

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"O mother, call me Samuel,

And then I shall be good."

But mother knew, and knew full well,
That Willie never would.

Yet, wishing to indulge his whim,
She readily complied,

And used those means for teaching him
God's grace must be supplied;
So Willie ceased to be his name,
As it had been before,

And "Samuel" awhile became
The title that he bore.

A few short days, he fondly deemed
His victory complete ;

But surely he had never dreamed
Of snares beneath his feet.

A change of name produced, he thought,
From sin a sure retreat,

And loud and long he boasting taught

His newly-found receipt.

But soon a sudden change was felt-
A trying wind blew o'er ;

Down went the castle he had built,
His goodness was no more!
"How now, my child," his mother said,
66 So soon to come to shame?

Where have thy pleasing visions fled,
And where thy nice new name?”

Then she endeavoured earnestly
This lesson to impart :

That, if he would be holy, he

Must have a change of heart;

That from the heart the actions came,
And that was full of sin;

'Twas useless quite to change his name,
The change must be within.

Some years have passed away since he
Sat reading in his book,

And childlike sweet simplicity

Has vanished from his look;
But he has lived to prove this tale
Is true in every part,

That change of name can nought avail
Without a change of heart.

Dear reader, I can but exclaim,

This witness is quite true;

A change of title, change of name,

Will never alter you.

W. W.

"Ye must," said Jesus, when on earth,
"Ye must be born again;"

Without this new, this heavenly birth,
How useless is a name !

We read of those who once possessed,
While dead, a name to live ;

Oh

may my reader never rest

Till God His Spirit give!

May he be one who hears with power
The solemn voice of truth!

Oh,

may he get the quick'ning hour While yet in early youth!

Use all the means that God has given,

And may you early seek,

And

early

find true peace from heaven, Then may your footsteps speak

Speak louder than your lips can say,
"In Christ I'm saved from shame,
I've sought and found the living way,
I've something more than name."

The thing and not the name will do
When rolls across your path

The stream of death, you must go through,
There thousands sink to wrath.

If you, through mercy, then can claim
The Saviour as your own,

You'll have the thing as well as name,
And, dying, reach your home,

Once more, dear reader, I exclaim,
This witness is quite true;

A change of title, change of name,
Will never alter you.

"Ye must," said Jesus, when on earth,
"Ye must be born again."

Without this new, this heavenly birth,
How useless is a name !

ED.

BIBLE SUBJECTS FOR EACH SUNDAY IN FEBRUARY.

147. February 4. Commit to memory texts on the ant.

148. February 11. Commit to memory texts on the moth.

149. February 18. Commit to memory texts on the worm.

150. February 25. Commit

to memory texts on the serpent.