of many stars which he said used to guide him over the downs, when he was coming home after folding his flock. I was then a silly lad, and had foolishly thought there was no use in the stars, they seemed to give so little light; and as I had never tried to learn any thing about them, I was quite surprised when the old man said he could tell what o'clock it was by noticing when Charles's wain' (as he called that cluster of stars) was over a particular building which lay in his way home. He had gained this knowledge by long habit, while watching his flock for many hours after dark in winter, and I used to spend a part of my evenings with him, listening to his stories, and trying to learn a little of his experience. He was a great reader of the Scriptures, and, in his simple way, he loved to explain them to me, which I have since found very useful. His favourite passages were those which contained some allusion to, or mention of his own employment. He said none but a shepherd could understand how the description in the 10th chapter of St. John showed the tender mercy and goodness of the Saviour, and it was with honest pride that he used to say over and over again, The Saviour was first made known to poor simple shepherds, keeping watch over their flocks by night.'

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Among other things which this good old man told me, was the history of the wise men who were guided by a star to the place where the Lord was born. Now, said he (after telling me the story), you see their knowledge of the stars made them find out when a new and a different one appeared; and this set them upon thinking what it could mean, till it was doubtless revealed to them in a dream, what this strange star was intended to show. They then set out on a long and toilsome journey, never losing sight of the star till it rested over the stable at Bethlehem. My child,' the old man would say, affectionately patting my head, there is now no bright particular star to show us the way to the Saviour; but all teach us His power and glory. We have now no need of being shown the place of His birth, for His death has opened to us the gate of everlasting life, and all our endeavour must be, that we lose not the enjoyment of those blessings which He has purchased for us. We were once heathens,

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sitting in darkness like the poor savages we read of in travellers' tales, but it pleased the Lord to make known His Son to us Gentiles, as well as to His own people the Jews. The wise men were the first heathens to whom the new-born Saviour was revealed, and by them doubtless the knowledge of Him was spread over the country in which they dwelt, though we are not expressly told so.' We," continued Charles, "as the Collect for this day expresses it, know our God and Saviour now by faith in that Word wherein is contained the history of the wonders of redeeming love-that love which moved the Father to send His Son into the world to save sinners. May we so read and meditate upon it, that our faith may not be barren or unfruitful, but may bring forth those fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the praise and glory of God; and may we hereafter be admitted into that kingdom where, in the presence of God, we shall partake the fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore." L. S. R.

EXTRACTS FROM MY FAMILY BIBLE.

St. Matthew vi. 1-5.

MY DEAR FAMILY,-The Jews, though they did not actually sound a trumpet before them when they did their alms, yet made a great parade of their charity.

Some eastern nations, however, used to sound horns in honour of those who gave to the poor, thus sounding a trumpet grew into a proverb in reference to giving publicity to any act. Take heed, my dear family, in compliance with your Saviour's command, that you follow not the hypocrisy of the Jews. Have your reward of God, not of man; "Let not your left hand know what your right hand doeth;" let your alms be as secret as possible, and God shall reward you openly before men and angels for that love to Him which brings forth acts of love to His creatures. Here, however, I would Here, however, I would say, by the way, that there are cases in which persons may make their charity public. A sincere Christian, who is at the same time a man of influence, by putting his name to a subscription for a charitable object, may be the means of benefiting a charity much more than if he withheld his

name, and provided always he acts thus with a desire to please God, and not to gain to himself honour from men, he is not, as I humbly think, breaking our Lord's precept.

From verse 5th to part of 9th.

The hypocritical Jews loved to pray standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets. The Jews always prayed standing, except on occasions of penitence or mourning. Their sin was, that they prayed thus, not to be heard of God, but to be seen of men. These hypocrites had the reward of their ostentatious prayers; be yours, my family, that of secret, hearty, and loving prayer. Enter into your chambers, and pour into the bosom of God the fervent, yet humble, expression of your love, and your earnest desires for grace. Lay bare the wounds that sin hath made in your hearts, and ask that balm which flows from the wounds of Jesus. Your Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward you openly. He will witness to your pious souls that He hath "loved you with an everlasting love." He will give you pardon for past sin, and grace to struggle with the indwelling corruptions of your nature. He will give you that peace which passeth all understanding, yea, He will grant you all these in and for the sake of Christ, in whom He freely gives all things in answer to the secret and faithful prayer of every true believer. Verily theirs is a reward indeed! Again; the Jews hoped to be heard for their much speaking, like the priests of Baal', and the worshippers of Diana'. Be ye not like unto them, my family. If you are long in prayer, as our Saviour was, when He continued all night in prayer to God; if you repeat in prayer the same expressions, as did your Lord in His agony, do it in His spirit of love, and in child-like confidence, not trusting in the multitude of your words, but in the promises of God's word respecting prayer; then will no sin attach to you, for it is not against mere repetitions, but against "vain repetitions," that our Lord here speaks; vain, because uttered under a wrong and degrading notion of the

nature of God, who "knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him." But that you may not fall into vain repetitions, pray ye in the manner which your Saviour sets before you in the latter part of this, and in the four following verses; and here I would remark, that when our Lord says, "After this manner pray ye," He means, use the very words I am about to give you'. A LAYMAN.

THE PSALMS OF DAVID.

SOME persons may have been occasionally surprised to find that the Psalms of David, as contained in the PrayerBook, are in places different from the Psalms as contained in the Bible. The difference is generally trifling; but as they are the same book, written with God's inspiration by David and other holy men, we should expect them to be always word for word the same. For those who may wish to know the reason why there appears any difference at all, the following brief remarks are made:

It has been the custom for the Psalms to be said, and often to be sung, as they are now in our Cathedrals, from a very early time. It was a part of the service which very much interested and edified the people; and the duty of singing psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, every Christian knows is more than once inculcated by the Apostles. David also says, "It is a good and pleasant thing to sing praises unto the Lord," and Christian people have always had great delight in singing the holy songs of the sweet Psalmist of Israel, because they are so full of beauty and fervour, and experimental truth. On this account, in England the Psalms were generally known by heart by all the devout people who regularly attended God's house, so that although in those days the number of those who could read was but small, they still, without reading, could join in the praises of the Lord together.

Now we all know that the Bible was not first written in English, but in the language of the Jews, and the New Testament in the Greek language, which in our Lord's

1 See St. Luke xi. 2, 3, 4.

day was the most generally spoken in that part of the world. Learned men, therefore, had engaged themselves to put out of Hebrew and Greek into English, or, as it is called, to translate, God's word, for the instruction of those who would not otherwise be able to read it. This was a most excellent and charitable work, by which learning was used to the glory of God, and the comfort of His people. But as first trials are never quite successful in any thing, it was soon found that an improvement might be made in the work of these good men, by a new or fresh translation of the Bible. This was no wonder, because the best things we can do admit of improvement, and nothing is done best the first time it is attempted. But when they printed this new Bible, the bishops of our Church wisely thought, that as the people all knew the Psalms used in the services by heart, it would be better not to disturb them, but to leave the old reading in the Prayer-Book, while they put the new in the Bible. This is the reason of the difference you perceive. The sense is generally the same, sometimes more clear in the Bible than in the Prayer-Book, as you may see, if you compare several of the Psalms. But the difference is not material, and does not affect matters of faith and doctrine. As devotional offerings, they are of the same use, and, besides, are more suited to be sung than they are in the other reading. These then were the reasons for this circumstance: the bishops wished the people who knew the Psalms by heart, to go on singing them without alteration and disturbance; and, it is to be observed, that at that time the people who knew them were very many, and they found great spiritual delight and edification in knowing them. It is greatly to be wished that there were more in these days who knew them too. Happy would it be for all to have them treasured up in their memories by frequent hearing, so that when attending public worship all could follow the minister aloud in the service, whether they have books and can read, or not. The Psalms would thus be a continual means of comfort and instruction; we should remember them all the week; they would direct and assist us in our prayers, they would enrich our spiritual thoughts, and even cheer our daily labours to think