duct; and with deep contrition informed them, that often in passing their dwelling, he had used bad language for the purpose of wounding their feelings by so doing. He said he had one request to make, which was, that they would send him a form of prayer: they promised to procure one for him. He said, “Pray send me the very book you used when I lived with you; for now those words are always in my remembrance when I wish to pray." He was asked if he wished to live. He answered, “he was in two minds; he had a desire to live to testify his sincere repentance, and to worship God in his temple, and to commemorate the dying love of his Saviour at the table of his Lord. Then, on the other hand, he said he wished to depart, because he feared his own evil heart might again lead him into sin." He held He held up the Bible, and said, "Oh! this blessed, blessed book, how often have I hated to hear you read it! How often have I endeavoured to escape from instruction on the Sunday evening! Now this book is my life; what should I do without it? as soon as I was taken ill, text after text came to my mind. I thought of much I had heard in your family and at the new church. I knew there was a heaven and hell,-one for the righteous, the other for the wicked; my conscience told me to which class I belonged. I tried to pray, and then the words of that family prayer came fresh to memory. Oh! Ann,” he continued, "you too have had the same instruction; turn from your evil ways, and seek the Lord; endeavour to bring up our poor child to serve God. Oh!" he added, "how I hate my sins, for they have been abominable! but I know that Christ is an all-sufficient Saviour, and to Him I look." His patience and thankfulness were great; he rejoiced in the visits of his minister; his Bible was his delight; and the much-used and half-worn-out book of family prayers supplied him with petitions, confessions, and thanksgivings, to his dying day. He received peace, and rested all his hopes of salvation on the Lord Jesus Christ, who is "set forth as a propitiation for the remission of sins that are past;" and they that flee to Him for refuge shall never perish. I would say to all, Stifle not the voice of conscience, lest you be given up like poor W. L-, mentioned in last month's communication: for believe me, conscience does sometimes cease to perform her office. This account is not intended to encourage any in sin that grace may abound; for sick bed repentance is often forgotten, if the seeming penitent be restored to health again. But it is intended to strengthen the faith of those who desire the good of all committed to their care. Surely, parents have need to call their little ones round them, when they consider the temptations and the vicissitudes that await their children in their passage through life. The very term "dependent” should call forth all the sympathies of masters and mistresses; should servants depend upon them for the bread that perishes, and should they not endeavour to feed them with spiritual food, on which they may feast with satisfaction through eternity? Many servants have remembered, with pious gratitude, through a whole life, the benefit received from family instruction and example; and I am well convinced that nothing tends so much to comfort in a family as punctual, consistent, family worship. But if it is negligently performed, or occasionally omitted, we need not expect much good from it; for in that case it soon becomes nothing more than form,-the heart ceases to take part in it. When professing Christians thus conduct the service, no wonder that worldly people consider it a thing quite out of place, and unsuitable at any time. Let us resolve and pray with the poet, "Grant I may ever at the morning ray, As that advances let my zeal improve, And glow with ardour of consummate love; My endless worship shall be still begun."-YOUNG. M. B. LINES TO BE SUNG BY SCHOOL CHILDREN. Thou didst childhood's weakness prove; To thy bosom children pressing, With thy grace, then, us restraining, E'en to manhood's latest year. Thus, through life, in sweet communion, A SOBER YOUTH. R. M. THE following little anecdote was picked up on a piece of printed paper lying on the ground. It seems to be a part of a periodical published either in America or the West Indies, where the people ruin themselves by rum, as they do in England by gin and beer : A little boy in destitute circumstances, was put out as an apprentice, and often had to go upon errands for the other apprentices, and not unfrequently to procure for them ardent spirits, of which all, except himself, partook, because, as they said, it did them good. He however used none; and, in consequence of it was often the object of severe ridicule from the older apprentices, because, as they said, he had not sufficient manhood to drink rum. And as they were revelling over their poison, he, under their insults and cruelty, often retired and vented his grief in tears. But now every one of the older apprentices, we are informed, is a drunkard, or in the drunkard's grave and this youngest apprentice, at whom they used to scoff, is sober and respectable, and worth a hundred thousand dollars. V. SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE PARABLES OF OUR LORD. THE DEBTOR. MATTHEW Xviii. 23-35. THE Occasion of this parable being spoken by our Divine Master, was when his disciple, Peter, came to Him, and asked how often he was to forgive an offence committed against him. Peter seems to think, like many of us now, that to forgive an injury seven times would be the greatest extent of Christian charity; but our Lord most truly exemplifies this virtue in saying, that, should the offence be repeated" until seventy times seven it ought to be forgiven. He then goes on to show, by this parable, how infinitely small the greatest injuries we can commit to one another are in comparison with the incalculable sum, and aggravated character of those by which we have offended our God. The lord in the parable, who represents our Heavenly Father, had one among his servants who owed him ten thousand talents. This was a very large sum, more than a million of our money, and therefore well chosen to shadow forth the immense extent of our sinfulness. The servant had nothing to pay, as we have no merits of our own; and his lord therefore commanded him to be sold, and all that he had, wife and children, and payment to be made. Eternal justice condemns us in like manner; but our Redeemer steps in and pleads for us; and our sins, which before were "scarlet,' become "white as snow;" though they were 66 red like crimson," they become "as wool." The servant being forgiven, has no sooner left the judgment-seat than he seizes one of his fellow-servants who owed him one hundred pence; what a mite in comparison of his own debt to his Lord! But unmindful of the mercy which has spared him, and forgiven his offences, he will have no pity on his fellow-servant, whose obligations towards him are so much smaller. Thus we overrate our neighbour's offences and misdemeanours, entirely forgetting and passing over our own; we see the mote in our brother's eye, without perceiving the beam which obstructs our own sight. The lord of the wicked servant, when he hears of his unjustifiable conduct, has no longer any pity on him, and delivers him to the tormentors; not because of the debt, but because of his cruelty. We ought to learn from this parable, that we can have no hope of being forgiven if we do not forgive others; we must consider how vast is the sum of our iniquities, that nothing short of the sacrifice of God's only and beloved Son could make atone ment for them. And shall we not forgive the comparatively trifling injuries inflicted on us by fellow-mortals, when the Creator of the universe, the Omnipotent and Eternal God, consented to send down such a Saviour, that those, who before were enemies, might become His children and subjects, and "heirs of the kingdom of heaven?" If we would live in charity and brotherly kindness with our fellow-creatures, we must often meditate on the great sacrifice and atonement made for us; and endeavour so to live the remainder of our days, that we may spend a happy eternity with that countless multitude, who, cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, are before the throne for ever, and serve God day and night in His temple. The following verses (from the "Christian Year ") are Yes! ransomed sinner, would'st thou know How dearly to embrace thy foe, Look where thou hop'st to live. When thou hast told those isles of light, Creation's wondrous bond: Then in their solemn pageant learn X. Y. Z. SIR JAMES ROSS'S VOYAGE TOWARDS THE SOUTH POLE. THE South Pole, called also the Antarctic Pole, is, as it were, one extremity of the axle on which the earth goes round; the opposite extremity is called the North or Arctic Pole. The earth not being quite round, but shaped something like an orange, has two points, called Poles, at the top and bottom; these being the axles on which the earth goes round, as if there was a great beam, like the axletree of a wheel, going all through it. |