was a custom that none trampled on a piece of paper for fear of the name of God being written upon it. Would it not be well to show a somewhat similar reverence to God the Creator, by fearing to speak slightingly, or judge harshly, or look down exclusively upon any of His created upon whom may be stamped God's seal and signature of likeness more clearly than on ourselves? What a wide range of kindly and gracious feeling and influence might thus be opened up which is now closed or limited! There is a German national song, of which three lines run thus ::

"Where'er is heard the German tongue,

Where German hymn to heaven is sung,
There is the German's Fatherland."

Something of this feeling might be spread amongst all bearing the human name, speaking the human tongue, feeling with the human heart. But far deeper would be the work and the obligation thus laid upon the Christian. It ought to be his, not only to recognise the general, though fallen, likeness of God's image, but to help on the new creation into the likeness of Jesus, who is the "express image of the Father;" it ought to be his to teach the symphony of the new song of heaven-the rudiments of the new language of Canaan-instead of that which is merely human. In these days "good words" are taking their right place. Christians feel and acknowledge that dumbness does not become them,-out of the abundance of the heart, far more than formerly, the mouth is speaking, and the lips of the righteous are feeding many; but too often "good words are spoken neither to equals nor to the poor; but there is a needs-be that this communicative and missionary principle be carried into all classes. Are you a Christian mistress, tempted to declaim piteously against the insolence and negligence of your servants? Stop that wasted speech, and speak instead 'good words" of reverence and kindliness, and soon reverence will be repaid to you! speak to them of Him who took upon Him their rank-" the form of a servant," and not yours-and you will find the effect in their daily service, in their expanding hearts, and, with God's blessing, in their saved souls. Are you sitting next a quiet, depressed governess, and are you inclined to do as others do, and let her-a lady occupying as honourable and far more useful position than your own-remain untended and unnoticed? Her heart is "stooping" with heaviness; try the effect of a "good word" to make it glad. Have you dealings with shops and shopkeepers? Do not be contented with buying and selling the world's gear. The "pearl of great price" is offered by God to them exactly as it is to you; can you not help them to accept of it? They have wives and children, brothers and sisters; are you to be ignorant of their welfare-their condition, spiritual and temporal-only because they are "shopkeepers" and shopkeepers' families? Is your foot to be withheld from their threshold, and the "good words" of inquiry and sympathy left unspoken, which might be

blessed pioneers of a gospel message of gladness? Are you in frequent contact with dressmakers and seamstresses? Do you give your orders and retire superciliously and indifferently, without a thought of the trials and temptations which are paling the cheek and dimming the eye? Yet in the sight of God there is "no difference" between the maker and the wearer of that costly dress. Will you not take a message to her of mercy and comfort, so that you two may yet meet in "white robes" in the presence of the Lamb?

These things are not easy-nay, they are "impossible" in our own strength; for shyness, nervousness, barriers of class and education, fear of ridicule, and dislike to being peculiar, all come between; but all things are possible through Christ strengthening

us.

Let Christians combine, then, to do their part to cast down the idols of silver and gold-to dethrone the false worship of earthly rank—to remove the barriers out of the way of social reform and gospel progress and extended mission work which are erected by caste in Christendom.-Good Words.

JEWELLERY VERSUS MISSIONS.

HERE is jewellery enough in Christendom to sustain all our missionary operations, on their present scale, for a whole generation. Could not some of it be spared to send the gospel to the perishing? With what alacrity did God's ancient people pour their golden ornaments, their precious stones, their fine linens and peltries, into His treasury, when it was signified to them that these articles were needed to furnish the tabernacle in the wilderness! "They came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord's offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all His service, and for the holy garments. And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing-hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold," etc. (Exod. xxxv. 21, 22). So great was their liberality, that the officers came to Moses, saying, "The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make." And Moses was obliged to issue a proclamation commanding them to desist. "So the people were restrained from bringing. For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much" (Exod. xxxvi. 5-7). Would that we might see another such collection in our day!

Shall the Church never see that day under the dispensation of the gospel? Were all the diamond rings, and breast-pins, and ear-jewels, and bracelets that now adorn [?] the persons of Christ's professed followers, brought together, and dedicated to His service, what a goodly sight it would be! Why, there are not a few

Christian disciples, from whose persons, individually, there might be jewellery enough taken to send out a missionary, and to sustain him for a long time in his work of recovering lost souls to Christ. O Christian, you who daily pray, "Thy kingdom come," contemplate the condition of a lost world for which the Saviour died, and ask yourself what more you can do than you are now doing to give it the gospel. Is there no sacrifice you can make? Have you no jewels, costly and precious it may be, that you can offer to this work? Can you best honour your Lord, and exhibit your devotion to Him, by wearing what you have? Take them off, and look at them. Open your casket, and bring out those that are laid so carefully away, to be exhibited only on special occasions. Bring them all together, and lay them down before you. Estimate their value-first to yourself, in setting off your person; and then to those who know not the Saviour, in supplying them with the means of salvation. Kneel down and ask the blessing of Him to whom you have consecrated all you have, upon your decision of this question; and may it be such as to bring joy and peace to your own heart, and glory to His name.

These thoughts have been suggested by a plain gold ring that has come into the hands of the writer, as the first offering of a school-girl who has just found her Saviour.

THE TORN LEAF.

YOUNG lady, a Roman Catholic, brought up carefully excluded from all that might endanger her faith, had reached womanhood without ever having seen a Bible, and had only heard it spoken of as a dangerous book, fit only, to be read by the learned and wise! A few years ago a servant brought her a very small parcel from a shop; it was wrapped in a torn page of a book. Mechanically she opened and read it; it spoke of a man who had been driven from his home, to live with the beasts of the field, and that he ate grass like an ox. She had neither the beginning nor the end of the story, which she thought the strangest she had ever read-though she was familiar with many a strange tale in the legends of the saints, which had formed the chief part of her religious reading. She asked several of her acquaintances about it-did they know it? could they tell her where to find it? But she could hear nothing; none of her friends had ever heard of a man who ate grass. Disappointed as she was in her efforts to get the rest of the story, she never forgot it—it had taken a strange hold on her imagination; she knew not why then-she knows it now.

More than a year passed, when, one day, her mother sent her

to a lady to inquire the character of a servant. She was shown into the drawing-room, and asked to wait a few minutes, as the lady was engaged. While waiting, she opened a book that lay on the table, and, turning over the leaves, her eye was caught by the very story she had so long desired to read; she read it eagerly, actually devouring the words, when she heard a footstep on the stairs. Hastily closing the book, she had just time to turn to the title-page, to see what book it was-to her horror it was a Bible! She had been reading that dangerous book she had been so often warned against !

She transacted her business and went home, tried to put all thought of the story and the book out of her mind, but she could not. For weeks she struggled hard with her desire to see that book again-to have one of her own; but it grew too intense, too strong; and at length she bought a second-hand Bible at a bookstand, and hid her treasure in her own room, where every moment she could spare by day, and a great part of the night, were spent in studying it.

As she read and read, she soon found a greater than Nebuchadnezzar-she found the LORD JESUS CHRIST as the only Saviour, His blood able to wash away all sin, eternal life the gift of Godnot to be earned by good works and penances, as she had been taught. She found no mention of the worship of the Virgin Mary or of the saints; she was sorely tried and puzzled. Could it be that all she had been taught hitherto had only led her away from God and heaven? Was the Bible right? She felt she could not doubt it; and yet

In her perplexity she spoke to some one she met, who advised her to go to church, where the sermons were so plain, so earnest, so full of Christ, she would be sure to get help; and she did go. Evening after evening she sat and listened; and as she saw Christ lifted up, His own words were fulfilled in her-she was drawn to Him. Her doubts and difficulties vanished before His presence, till she could say, "He loved me, and gave Himself for " and "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day."

me;

A HAPPY PAIR.-When Dr. Robert Newton, the eminent preacher, married, he and his bride began the married life by retiring twice each day to pray with and for each other. This practice they kept up, when opportunity served, to the end of life. Mark the result! When an old man, Mr. Newton remarked: "In the course of a short time, my wife and I shall celebrate the jubilee of our marriage; and I know, that during the fifty years of our union, an unkind look or an unkind word has never passed between us.'