Imatges de pàgina
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If we would act aright as believers, we must begin every day by meditation on the one-offering, and a recurrence to our one washing. Call to mind that Christ died to put away sin. I am washed and accepted, pardoned and consecrated, having believed on His name. Let me act in character, carefully watch against all that Jesus died to redeem me from, and aim to realize all that He redeemed me to.

Continual looking unto Jesus, meditating on what He has done for us, what it cost Him, and tracing it all up to His infinite love, will be a blessed preservative from sin and a strong incentive to godliness. With these let us begin each day. But after all our watchings, we must close the day with "washing the feet" (John xiii. 10). If we have really walked in the light, carefully watched the enemy, and sought ever so much to avoid evil, we must still remember the Lord's words-"Save to wash his feet." We need daily forgiveness from a loving Father; and we may always ask for it in the name of Jesus (Matt. vi. 12; 1 John i. 9). Then may we lie down to sleep, assured that He will watch over us, and that "when we awake we shall still be with Him." Let us then seek grace ever to combine those two words of Jesus-"Abide in Me." "I say unto all, WATCH." J. C.

SATURDAY NIGHT.

LACING the little hats all in a row,

Ready for church on the morrow, you know;
Washing wee faces, and little black fists,

Getting them ready and fit to be kissed;

Putting them into clean garments and white;
That is what mothers are doing to-night.

Spying out holes in the little worn hose,

Laying by shoes that are worn through the toes,
Looking o'er garments so faded and thin-
Who but a mother knows where to begin?
Changing a button to make it look right-
That is what mothers are doing to-night.

Calling the little ones all round her chair,

Hearing them lisp forth their meek evening prayer,
Telling them stories of Jesus of old,

Who so loves to gather the lambs to His fold;
Watching they listen with childish delight-

That is what mothers are doing to-night.

Creeping so softly to take a last peep,
After the little ones all are asleep:
Anxious to know if the children are warm,
Tucking the blanket round each little form;
Kissing each little face rosy and bright-
That is what mothers are doing to-night.

Kneeling down gently by the white bed,
Lowly and meekly she bows down her head,
Praying as only a mother can pray,-

"God guide and keep them from going astray."

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"Who knows but the salvation of ten thousand precious souls may depend on the education of a child?"-Beveridge.

VAST the charge to us committed,

Who a parent's name sustain;

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BELIEVE we never really know the value of anything till we come to want it. It certainly is true that there is many and many a verse in the Bible which we never fancy can concern us individually till something comes that shows its depth of meaning to ourselves.

There's one that I learned the nature of in a time of sore trouble-just the little verse," He knoweth the way that I take" (Job xxiii. 10). I suppose I had read it hundreds of times. Of course it was true, for it was in the Bible; and beside, God knows everything, so He must know the way that I was taking; I couldn't hide it from Him if I should try ever so hard. That's all I ever thought about it till the night I was kneeling beside my poor husband, and he lying dead in his coffin. We had been married thirteen years, and every year the love between us grew greater and greater, till it seemed as if we knew each other's thoughts and wishes before we spoke them. And oh! he was so wise, and kind, and good. He had such a wonderful way with the children, too; such a way of making them love him, and yet be so respectful and obedient. What he was to me. -but I mustn't begin to talk of that, but only thank God that I had him so long.

But, as I said, I was kneeling beside his coffin, my very heart breaking with sorrow, and with the awful loneliness that none know but the widow and the widow's God. What could I do without him? and how could I, a poor weak woman, manage the children? There was Tom, the eldest, with his high spirit and his hot temper; and Willy, that didn't like school; and poor sickly Polly, and the three little ones; and not one to earn a farthing but myself. I knew well that in a great big trouble I might make bold to go to our good minister or his kind lady, and that they would gladly do anything they could for me. But it wasn't great big troubles I was fearing, but just the every-day life, the little small things that would be always happening, and that he

was always so wise and kind about-he who would be laid in his grave to-morrow. Oh! what could I do? what would become of me, without a friend on earth to help me?

But as I thought this, and the tears were falling fast, it was brought to my soul, as I humbly hope and believe, by the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, "He knoweth the way that I take." And oh! the comfort that came with the words. "He knoweth the way that I take." He knoweth it; and nothing can take Him by surprise. And I thought of that other verse, "My God shall supply all your need, according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Phil. iv. 19). As if it had said that He has a storehouse already laid up for me of everything I want; so that, as He knows my way, He knows all I will want, and will supply all out of those riches in glory which will never come to an end, however much I get of them. He has everything ready to hand to give me the moment I want it. It reminded me of when an aunt of ours, who was married in Australia, wrote word for us to send my youngest sister over to her, and that she would provide for her. We lived in the heart of the country then, and knew nothing of what she would want for the voyage. But as we were wondering what we should do, another letter came, saying our aunt had sent full directions to a friend in London, who would provide everything, and that Bessie had nothing to do but to go to her on the day fixed, and she would take care she had everything right, and would see her on board ship.

I believe we would much rather have managed it all ourselves, in spite of the mistakes we should surely have made; but we had no choice, we had to do as we were bid. When Bessie went to London, she was very anxious to know what was in the big boxes, all numbered 1, 2, 3, and marked with her name; but the friend only laughed, and said she would know when the time came, and that she need not fear anything had been forgotten, for she had been twice to Australia, so that she knew all about it. And so it turned out; for, as Bessie wrote word, it wasn't only that she had everything she wanted, but that, over and above that, in every box there was sure to be something for a surprise, to show her she had been lovingly thought of, and to encourage her to trust for the future.

And wasn't that better than if we had tried to manage for her ourselves, and not remembered she would want warm clothes for one part of the voyage, and light clothes for another? But the friend had been to Australia, so would know exactly what was wanted, and would get it. And so with the Lord and me-only, in an infinite measure and degree, more wisely and certainly"He knoweth the way that I take." He knows it, though it is not exactly the same as any one's else. He knows it, and day by day He'll give me what I want, as I want it. If everything in heaven and earth belongs to Him, I need not fear that He'll

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grudge me what I need. If He gave His own beloved Son for me, to die a cruel death in my stead, He won't be likely to refuse anything that is good for me. What I wanted at that minute was love and comfort; and isn't He love itself, and "the God of all comfort?" The love and the comfort my John had given me had come from Him; and now that he was gone, wouldn't He give them straight down from Himself? Wisdom, too, I wanted and it says, "He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (Prov. ii. 7). For one minute that last word troubled me; then I remembered, "the Lord my Righteousness," so that, full of sin as I was in myself, I was counted righteous in my Saviour, so that that verse belonged to me too. I couldn't think any more then-I couldn't even pray-unless the feeling of my need was prayer, and I think it was, for I got helped, and comforted, and strengthened for all that lay before me.

And it's past telling, the way the Lord has helped me sincehelped me in my own heart, and helped me with the children. When the loneliness is strong upon me, I hear Him saying, "I will hold thine hand and keep thee;" and He brightens up my poor weary heart with the light of His love and the joy of His presence. And He has made the children to be so easy to manage, and as obedient to me as ever they were to their dear father, just because He knows what I want, and has a bit of the "sound wisdom" ready for me whenever I ask for it. And of course this encourages me when I am fearful about the future; so that I am often ready to say, and no wonder, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. "" Amen and Amen.-Every Week.

OVERDRESS.

OTHING to wear" is often literally the cry of those who have nothing to do but to overdress. Most of our readers will remember the witty American poem

Sappeared a few years ago under the heading just quoted;

but little did the writer imagine the extravagance which New York has since witnessed. The Times recently alluded to the sinful folly of the French in this respect, and quoted, in support of the charge, the exhibition in shop windows of tulle dresses embroidered with floss silk, which were not to be purchased for less than £48 apiece-dresses which, if not torn in a single night (as would be most probable), could not be worn a second time by a lady of fashion !

Alas! we have no need to cross either the ocean or the Channel to get such lessons; the windows of our own London shops display numbers of similar articles, in evidence that purchasers are by

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