well as instruction; but they will receive it aright, and therefore be benefited thereby. Those who have been wicked need not always remain so, but they will not be likely to mend if they merely fume and fret when they are reproved. A wise man will gain something from needful reproof even if unsuitably administered. An obstinately foolish man will be all the worse for reproof, however and by whomsoever it is given.

Results of persistent obstinacy.-William, or, as he was generally called, "Billy Black," was not regarded as a really bad boy. But he certainly was somewhat self-willed, and believed that he could often see as far as his parents, his school-mistress, or anybody else. Billy was only a little fellow as yet, and went to a dame's school. The school-house was not in a narrow street, pent up by miles of houses and factories from the fields and woods. It was in a quiet country place. The most exciting circumstance then known in the village and neighbourhood was a large fall of wood which was taking place. The lads were specially cautioned never to go near the wood alone. It was supposed that the little girls would receive the caution which was thus indirectly administered to them. When father, or mother, or teacher could accompany them, the children regarded the spectacle of a falling tree as deeply interesting. To them it was as the launching of a ship to the youth of the distant sea-ports. Billy Black, however, believed that a boy like himself, who had worn jacket and trousers for some time, need not keep close to the apron-strings of mother or school-mistress. So he found an opportunity for going to the woodclearing alone. The workmen were engaged in cutting down a pine of prodigious size; if not the king of the forest, it seemed a right noble scion of the royal house. Billy Black gazed with deep interest on the proceedings. He stood far away from the men, for he did not wish to be observed. At length there was a cry raised suddenly, "There it goes, Hurrah!" The men were right. They had laid on with hearty good will,

41

until at length the tree gave way, and with a quick plunge fell to the ground. Poor Billy Black had no time to escape. He just had time to cry out in alarm, and then the ponderous tree was on him, crushing him to death. So his body had to be taken up and buried, and his seat at school had to be occupied by another, and his little chair at home was vacant.

Results of commendable docility.-We are not to be so weak-minded as to go to any place where anybody sends us, or to follow where the foolish would lead us. What sort of counsel we are to regard is taught in verse 31: "The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise." God's blessed Word furnishes "the reproof of life." Some years ago, two young men were lounging one Sunday not far from Dr. Beattie's church, in Glasgow. They were in their working clothes, unshaven and dirty, and somewhat excited by liquor. As the people going to the church passed them, the foolish young men laughed, assumed a swaggering gait, and commenced to sing a profane song. A pious lady said to her little son, "Follow those two men, and invite them to a seat in our pew.' The boy soon overtook them, and presented the invitation. One laughed scornfully, and began to swear. The other paused and pondered, and then said, "When I was a boy I used to go to a place of worship; but I have not been in one during the last three years." The little fellow took hold of his hand, and drew him towards the church; and the man yielded. His companion, with horrid oaths, went his way. That obstinate young man was afterwards notorious as "Jack Hill," the highwayman, who was eventually hanged. He who entered the church led by the little boy was eventually converted to God, entered the ministry, and became a missionary in South Africa. The little boy, when afterwards a naval surgeon, met him whom he had been the instrument of rescuing from ruin, in a Wesleyan chapel, in St. George's, Table-Bay. Both were then striving by God's grace to remain among the wise, and so to lay hold on eternal life.

reward which Jesus Himself would give them in due time. Let us now see,

3. What their work brought about."The word of God increased." Although many would not heed, yet many others did. They heard the word, and told it to others; and so it grew and spread as seed sown in the earth, increasing in the number who believed it, and in its power over the hearts and lives of men. Besides this, and indeed because of this, "the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly." Very many, believing the word spoken, came seeking the pardon of their sins, not from the Apostles, but from Jesus Himself; and even "a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith." Here, then, was a great harvest which the Apostles were already reaping. Thus was the beginning of the blessed time foretold, when "the knowledge of the Lord" shall cover the earth as "the waters cover the sea.' This "Word of God" has reached you. Do you believe it? Will you try to obey it? It will make you happy in this life, and will make you safe in the life which is to come.

REVISION.-Why do men work? Why does the farmer toil through the winter? Why did the Apostles work? What was their work? What did their work bring to them? What harvest did they reap while on earth? What better harvest are they reaping now? What will the Word of God do for us?

February 15.-Abraham, a Pattern. ACTs vii. 3: "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred."

1. What a pattern is.-This verse tells us something about Abraham. The Bible speaks much about him. He lived long ages before the coming of Jesus into the world; before the times of the prophets and David and Moses. In those early days the Scriptures were not written, for few of the things which they tell us had yet happened. But Abraham feared God and trusted in Him, and so became a pattern to the servants of God in all time since. What is meant by a pattern? Anything given us to guide in the making or doing something like it. It may be a mere shape by which we are to form something else; it may be the conduct and life of a person which we are to imitate. Let us see in what way,

2. Abraham is a pattern to us.--. -He obeyed the Word of God. God said to

"

43

him, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee." This was a great trial to Abraham. Few men like to leave their country with no hope of returning again, except for great need; fewer still like to leave their kindred, to dwell among strangers; and to go from a "father's house is generally a sore trouble, when father and son are both good and loving. But Abraham did all this, only because God told him to do so. He knew nothing of the land to which he was going, except that he would meet with strange tribes of people, perhaps not friendly; and that he would have to journey from place to place, it might be for a long time, before he could settle again in a home of his own. Abraham trusted in the promises of God. God told him He would bless him, and make of him a great nation, and give to his children all the land in which he was about to live. At that time all this appeared very unlikely. He had no child to whom the land could be left, and there did not seem any way in which a stranger like him could ever have that land for his own. But Abraham believed God's word. It was enough for him that God had said it. Abraham served God wherever he went. The first thing he did in every place in which he stopped, was to set up an altar and to worship God. All about him knew that he was a servant of God, and God brought all things to pass which He had promised.

3. How we may imitate him.-We live in very different times to those of Abraham, yet we have God's Word. Do we obey it? What does God command children to do? About His day, and His house, and His Word? about their parents, their neighbours, and all men? Do you obey all this? What promises does God give us for this life, and the life to come? What does He promise children who honour their parents? What does He promise those who love and fear Him? Do you believe all this? Then do you show, as Abraham did, that you are God's servant? Many are ashamed to let others see that they wish to serve God. How foolish this is, as well as sinful. Let us think of Abraham our pattern, and seek God's help to enable us to serve Him as he did.

REVISION. Of whom does our verse tell us? When did Abraham live? Why is Abraham a pattern to us? What is meant by a pattern? In what three ways did Abraham please God? How may we follow Abraham's example? What will this do for us?

February 22.-Moses in Egypt. ACTS vii. 26: "Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?"

1. Moses' choice. Of what great servant of God did our last Lesson teach us? Now we are to learn of another whom God raised to greatness. Every little child loves to hear the story of the child Moses, of the danger he was in, and how he was saved from it. Our Lesson tells us of something done by him when he was grown up, and become a man. In whose house was Moses brought up? Yet though he might have been rich and great there, he loved his own people best, for they were "the people of God." So when he was grown up, "it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel," and he chose to make their lot his.

2. Trying to right the wrong.-Moses found many things wrong. He found wrong done by the Egyptians to the Israelites. When he saw one of his own people thus suffering wrong, he rose up against the Egyptian, and smote him for oppressing the Israelite, and slew him. It was right in Moses thus to do justice, and to try to rouse his own people to free themselves from their oppressors. But he found wrong done by the Israelites to one another, and tried to set this right also. For the next day he saw some of them striving against each other, and "would have set them at one again." This was right in him to attempt, and he said, "Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?" But he did not succeed in what he tried to do. The man who "did his neighbour wrong thrust him away," with rude speech, thus adding to the wrong he had done. He even spoke bitterly to him for having killed the cruel Egyptian. So that

Moses, in fear for his life, fled from Egypt, and lived forty years in the wilderness, till God bade him return, and lead the people of Israel out.

3. Avoiding strife. How much better is our lot than was that of the people of Israel when in Egypt! They suffered cruel treatment from their masters, who oppressed them. And it

may be they learned some of their evil ways from them. We are brought up in liberty, and have the Word of God to guide us in our conduct. Yet we are not always right. Strife and wrong-doing are too often in our midst. Wrong is sometimes done in the family by one to another, and also amongst neighbours and friends. Let us think of Moses' question to the wrong-doers, "Ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?" Wrong is hateful in God's sight, and even hurtful. But wrong done to brethren is especially evil.

REVISION.-Where was Moses born? To what people did he belong? What land had God promised to give them? What wrong did Moses see? How did he deal with it? What second wrong did he observe? What did he say of this? What did the wrong-doer say? What evil are we warned against by this?

March 1.-A Child's Service.

1 SAMUEL iii. 1: "The child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli."

1. The child Samuel. Samuel's mother wished to give her little son to the Lord from his birth. The only way in which she could do this was to set him apart for the Lord's service. So she took him when a child to the old prophet Eli, who was also the priest, and left her son with him, to abide in the temple, and to do such work there as he was able. It was but little that so young a child could do, yet the Lord was pleased to receive even his service. None are too young to serve Him. He will accept the worship and the love of the youngest and the poorest who serve with a willing heart. 2. Samuel's service. "The child Samuel ministered unto the Lord." It was the Lord's work specially which he did, helping in the temple and in the sacrifices of the altar. "Before Eli." Eli was the priest, and Samuel waited on him day by day. Willing, cheerful, ever ready. How pleasant it is to see such service in childhood! Yet Samuel had some about him who might have led him astray; Eli's sons did evil in God's sight, but Samuel kept right. How was this? Because he looked ever to the Lord for help and guidance. He remembered his mother's teaching, and was helped by her prayers. attended, too, with care to what Eli taught him. So "Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord,

He

and also with men." Here is a pattern for children. For all may do as Samuel did; not the same work, but in the same way. Those children who look to the Lord in prayer, and abide by their parents' teaching, and attend well to those who are set over them, will, like Samuel, grow in favour both with God and man.

3. God's call to Samuel.-Samuel was chosen for higher service than either he or his mother looked for. Do you know the story of his being called by God? As he lay on his bed at night, he heard his name called, as he thought, by Eli. But Eli had not called him. Three times he left his bed and ran to Eli, thinking he wanted him. And then "Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child," and he bade him go and lie down again, and when the voice

SCHOOL

MISS MARY DONKING,

OF LIVERPOOL.

45

called him once more, he was to say, "Speak, Lord; for Thy servant heareth." And Samuel did so. And the Lord came again, and called as before, "Samuel, Samuel." And Samuel answered, and the Lord made known to His young servant what He was about to do. And when Samuel became a man, all Israel knew that he was chosen to be a servant of God. So the Lord honours them that honour Him. Listen for that voice. You will not hear your name, but God speaks to you by His Word, and by His ministers, and by teachers and parents.

REVISION.-How came Samuel to be a servant of the Lord? How did he serve God? What did he do for Eli? How did Samuel grow up? Why was he in favour with God? why with men? In what way did God call Samuel? What did Samuel answer? does God call us?

THE subject of the following sketch was born on the 9th of June, 1850. She was blessed with a pious and devoted mother, a memorial sketch of whom appeared in the "Methodist New-Connexion Magazine," for May, 1853. Her maternal grandfather, Mr. Charles Shone, of Hawarden, North Wales, was a man of fervent piety and extensive usefulness, having laboured for fifty years as Local preacher, besides holding other important offices in the religious society with which he was connected. During this period he is stated to have travelled thousands of miles in the prosecution of his loved and Divinely-honoured toils. His services were also gratefully recorded in the above-mentioned Magazine. A relative, the Rev. Joseph Shone, is still living, and labouring in the ministerial ranks of the Methodist New-Connexion.

Having thus the advantage of holy example, MARY DONKING was reared "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." She manifested religious proclivities from her earliest childhood. Indeed, it is not known at what distinct period the faith took root in her heart. She was consecrated to God from birth.

How

The earliest indications of piety took place when she was a child at school. The school she was accustomed to attend being situated at a considerable distance from home, the child dined in the house attached to the school, and during the interval between dinner and afternoon teaching, she used to invite a little school-mate to hold a prayermeeting with her. Her early religious convictions were fostered in the Brunswick Wesleyan Sabbath - school, Liverpool, her connection with which she maintained till her death. Her punctuality, diligence, quickness of apprehension, and general good deportment, suggested to her teacher and Superintendent the advisability of promoting her to the rank of a teacher. This took place in April, 1867, on which occasion she was presented with a Bible. For about five years she continued to pursue her pleasing task as teacher, winning the highest encomiums for the fidelity and constancy with which she discharged her duties. She was beloved by all her scholars; her class was like a magic circle of affection. Her efforts in visiting the absentees attracted the attention of the officers of the school, and she was appointed one of the official visitors. Here again was congenial