ON THE COLLECT FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT.

(Continued from p. 7.)

THE end of the week following the Sunday on which I had conversed with my friend the Sunday-school teacher, he called on me again, and asked me to accompany him. to the cottage of an old woman who was very dangerously ill, and to whom he was in the habit of reading occasionally. As we entered the cottage, we heard the voice of the old woman repeating part of the 23d Psalm, "The Lord is my Shepherd, therefore can I lack nothing; yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff comfort me." "She is blind," said my friend; "but having in early life learned many portions

VOL. XX.

D

of Scripture by heart, she now cheers her lonely hours of pain and watching, by repeating them to herself. The case of this poor sufferer, and many others I have seen afflicted in the same manner, has always made me very anxious to teach our school-children those passages of Scripture which may give them most comfort on a sick or dying bed." Thus saying, he went up to the bed-side, and taking the poor widow's hand, said: "I am come, neighbour, as I promised, to read to you; but I heard you, as I stepped in, saying over the very psalm I was going to read, and I don't doubt you find it a comfort to you to think that the Lord will give you strength sufficient for your day of trial."

"O yes, Charles," said the poor sufferer, "it is all my comfort to remember and repeat to myself the gracious promises of Scripture. Surely, as one of the epistles teaches us, we may, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, have hope. Is not that collect little Jane was learning ready for to-morrow, taken from those words? I heard her say, 'Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them; that by patience and comfort of Thy Holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life.' I remembered it well; for I used, when I was myself a child in the Sunday-school, to say it year after year; but then I did not think I should ever feel how true those words are, as I now do. When I lie awake in these long winter nights, in great pain, I strive to keep myself from murmuring, by saying over and over those words of St. Paul, Our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.' And again,' I reckon that the sufferings of this present time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.'

"Ah! neighbour," said Charles, " you have indeed made a good use of what you were taught at the Sundayschool. But you would not now find so much comfort from the Bible, at the approach of death, if you had not made it the rule and guide of your life. In the beginning of the collect we are taught to say, that God has caused the Scriptures to be written for our learning; for those

6

are St. Paul's words in the passage you mentioned; and he says to Timothy, All Scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.' What hope could a sinner, who has all his life long neglected to learn God's will from his Bible, have of everlasting life in Heaven? But one who, as David teaches us in the 119th Psalm, has cleansed his way, by ruling himself after God's Word, may by faith in that blood of Christ, which was shed upon the cross, to take away our sins, embrace, and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which God has given us in our Saviour."

"Yes, Charles," replied the old woman; " and when I think what a blessing it has been to me,

"I was taught, and learnt so young,

To read God's holy Word."

"I strive to copy the example of Timothy's grandmother Lois, and bring up my little Jane (the child, you know, of my poor daughter, who died two days after she was born) in the fear of the Lord, so that from a child she may know the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make her wise unto salvation."

We had talked so long, that it was now time to go; but before we left her, the old woman asked Charles to read her some verses in the 19th Psalm, and to repeat a hymn which her little granddaughter was to say next day at school. The verses were the following: vers. 7-11:

"The law of the Lord is an undefiled law, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, and giveth wisdom unto the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, and rejoice the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, and giveth light unto the eyes. Moreover, by them is Thy servant taught, and in keeping of them there is great reward."

The hymn was "On the Excellency of the Bible," one of those written for the young by Dr. Watts.

Great God, with wonder and with praise

On all Thy works I look,

But still Thy wisdom, pow'r, and grace
Shine brightest in Thy book.

The fields provide me food, and show

The goodness of the Lord

But fruits of life and glory grow,

In Thy most holy word.

The stars which in their courses roll,
Have much instruction giv'n,
But Thy good word informs my soul
How I may climb to Heav'n.

Here are my choicest treasures hid,
Here my best comfort lies-
Here my desires are satisfied;
And hence my hopes arise.

Lord, make me understand Thy law,
Show what my faults have been,
And from Thy Gospel let me draw
Pardon for all my sin.

Here would I learn how Christ has died
To save my soul from hell;

Not all the books on earth beside
Such heavenly wonders tell.

Then let me love my Bible more,

And take a fresh delight

By day to read these wonders o'er,
And meditate by night.

L. S. R.

EXTRACT FROM A SERMON ON THE PARABLE OF THE

SOWER.

ST. MATTHEW Xiii. 3-9.

THE fourth and last kind of ground into which the seed fell is the good ground (verses 8 and 23). And let us take serious warning from the circumstance, that while there are three kinds of bad ground spoken of, there is only one of good ground. Of all the multitudes that hear the Gospel, there is but a very small proportion that bring forth the fruit of faith and of a holy life. "Enter ye in," says our blessed Lord, "at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction: and many there be which go in thereat : because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." It is indeed a most appalling fact, that by far the greater number of professed Christians perish everlastingly : a fact so dreadful to contemplate, that we are slowly and hardly brought to believe it possible. But dreadful as it is, it is nevertheless true: we have here the positive

that

declaration of Christ Himself, that there are few that find the gate of eternal life. For "not every one," He added, "that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;" not every one that calls himself a Christian; not every one that is regular at church, and comes to the Lord's holy table among His true servants; not every one that makes a great profession of godliness, and much less those who make no profession at all. But who then shall enter the kingdom of heaven? who is he that shall be saved? "He that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven." Oh my friends, this is a much greater matter than the most are willing or able to understand. To do the will of God is the greatest and most difficult thing in the world. And why? is it because God is a hard master? Oh no, but because men are very dull and slothful and perverse servants. "Thy commandment," says David," is exceeding broad," yes, it is so broad, that it covers the whole space of a man's whole life, and takes in the length and breadth of all his goings. We meet the commandment of God at every turn; not an hour but has its commanded duties, not a duty but has its commanded self denial; not an act, but has its commanded sacrifice of love; not a step of our feet, or a thought of our hearts, but is in the way either of obedience, or disobedience to the commandment of God. And what is the good ground of the heart that brings forth fruit, some a hundred fold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold? It is the ground of a heart prepared by the grace of God's Holy Spirit. It is the ground of a heart softened by the tears of penitence, harrowed and broken up by the sense of sin. It is a humble heart, a sincere heart, a believing heart. It is such a heart as God only can give as David prays, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Pray, my brethren, for such a heart, God has promised to give it to all that seek Him in sincerity and truth. And what is the good fruit of this good heart? It is the fruit of the Spirit: "love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." The end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned."

H. S.