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at hand;-but they have a voice so solemnly remonstrating with careless, Christ-neglecting souls,-How long halt ye between two opinions?

O that ye were wise, that ye understood this, that ye would consider your latter end! Gone hence soon-we know not how soon-all this indecision will be over. A man may go on to the age of twenty,-forty,—sixty,— seventy,―he may go up to the very gate of death halting all the while-every step of life's journey-between two opinions. But once entered, he has but one opinion then! He thinks over the past, and all its neglected mercies; he has but one opinion,-he can have but one,-hopeless regret! He thinks of the future, and all its realities; he has but one opinion,-he can have but one,-tormenting despair!

Oh then, begin now. Enough has been said-enough done-enough suffered-to bring you to decision. Be on the Lord's side. The way to the Saviour is now open. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Receive Him who has made peace by the blood of his cross; and the great question will be settled. Many around you bless God that they have come to this determination. And so may you. Only begin.

Reader, my message is delivered. With what results remains to be seen. The seed is cast upon the waters, not to perish and be forgotten, but to be found as the word of life and salvation,-found as a message that led you to Christ, and to prayer, and to heaven! God grant it may! God grant that when we may stand together in the last day, it may be said, "I was one who long halted between two opinions; but God sent his message of mercy to me, and now, God has brought me home to himself!"

Tract by Rev. W. B. Mackenzie.

"THE SABBATH-BREAKER AND THE ICE." But few persons merely passing through the ancient village of T would be either struck with its beauty or impressed with its importance. It is small, and for the rest, irregularly built. Many of the houses have thatch roofs, small windows, and low doorways. Some of the houses, however, are of more modern date, and far less quaint in their style. Among the latter, is a large well built, comfortable looking house, with a very considerable general shop attached to it. Nearly opposite, is a large, strongly built, well lighted school, but without any pretensions to either external ornament, or internal comfort. But the place of the greatest interest, especially on the Sabbath, is a large, though some what ill-proportioned Wesleyan Methodist Association Chapel. It is a lovely sight, to see persons from distances varying from a quarter of a mile, to two miles, directing their footsteps to the house of God, with a seriousness which strikes the beholder, that they are not going merely to see and hear, but to join in the worship of God. In the morning, the congregation is generally good, intelligent, and attentive; but in the evening, it is often overflowing. There is also a good Sabbath-school connected with the Chapel. It will be seen, that the children of the village of Twell as those who have reached to riper years, have privileges, if not of the highest, yet of a high order. A good day-school, and a very good Sabbath-school. Of them

it

as

may be said, "The lines have fallen to them in pleasant places, and they have a goodly heritage." But it has too often happened, that the children of T-, as well as those of many other villages and towns, have been unmindful of, therefore have profited but little by their privileges.

There is yet another object of considerable attraction, especially to the youthful portion of the inhabitants. It is a large pool, whose water is not of the purest or cleanest description, therefore to those boys who like to try both,

it is far easier to find the bottom, than see their own image reflected. Most of the children of the village, sooner or later, manage, though unintentionally, to sound the depth of the pool, not with line and lead, but with their own persons, and some do it several times, and not unfrequently with the head downward. But this pool is most attractive when frozen over, and hard enough to slide on. Like most sliding places, while it has been the scene of great amusement and pleasure, it has sometimes been the scene of hard falls, large bruises, and other misfortunes, though seldom of any very serious consequence. In the year the ice had been thick, but it was now thawing extremely fast, so that it was dangerous to venture on it. It was on a Sunday afternoon, when two boys of whom better things might have been expected got upon the frozen pool. For awhile all went on well, which only tended to embolden the youthful adventurers in the further prosecution of their dangerous expedition. But presently a noise was heard, it was the voice of warning. 'The ice was giving way!' And the warning was of too solemn a nature to be disregarded by the now anxious youths. They turned their faces towards the shore, and hastened to reach it with all possible speed. Danger stared them in the face, vibrated on their ears, and made their accusing hearts beat violently within them. The smaller boy succeeded in reaching the shore unscathed. But not so his more daring, and less fortunate companion, who having ventured further on the ice, required longer time to reach the shore. He had almost gained the land also, when the ice gave way, and he was plunged into the water. But the water being shallow in that part of the pool, the terrified boy escaped with no further harm, than as thorough a wetting as any boy need desire on a cold winter's day, and with all his Sunday clothes on. Although the young Sabbath-breaker had now escaped ore trouble, there were others awaiting him at home, because he had not only broken the Sabbath, but he had also greatly offended his parents, by leaving the house, after being strictly charged not to do so. The breaking of the

ice, and the terrible wetting which followed, were soon forgotten, at least for a time, as he was called to the presence of his angry parent, to answer for the twofold sin of disobeying him, and breaking the Sabbath.

And the punishment which followed, though severe, was less than the desert. How true that "the way of transgressors is hard." So felt the young Sabbathbreaker, when the ice gave way, when splashing in the water, when cold and shivering he reached the shore, when in the presence of his offended father, and subsequently, when smarting from the punishment that was inflicted. And now, my young friends, I hope you will profit by the sin, the danger, and punishment of the Sabbath-breaker and the ice. And as you would not like to share his fate, pray to God to keep you from the sin which led to it. First, disobedience to parents, and secondly, disobedience to God.

R. BRICKWOOD.

WAS IT BY CHANCE?

In the winter of 1854, a fine new iron ship sailed out of Liverpool with a large number of passengers, who were leaving their native country to seek their fortunes in the far distant golden land of Australia. A lad about fifteen years of age had been committed by his parents to the charge of a family of emigrants, and was hastening from his home in one of the midland counties to embark, looking forward with all the eagerness of youth to the excitements and novelties of a life in that land which had no doubt been pictured to his imagination as one of delight and wealth. A slight accident to the train in which he travelled detained him a few hours, and when he reached Liverpool the ship had sailed. Bitterly disappointed, he returned to his home, lamenting the unlucky chance that had so suddenly put an end to his cherished hopes and golden dreams. A few days later came the appalling news that the ship which had sailed amid the

high hopes of so many hearts, had been totally lost on the coast of Ireland, and all on board, save only two or three, had been engulphed in the raging waves. How then was the grief and disappointment of this youth and his parents turned to joy and gratitude to God for his preservation. Did the detention of the railway train happen by chance?

A young man, well known to the writer, who had been visiting Europe during the past winter, was about to return to this his native land, and when on his way to the office to engage his passage by the Pacific met, by chance, a friend, who after much urging persuaded him to delay his departure till the sailing of the next steamer, so that he might join a party of friends who were to sail on board of her. He came safely home, and expected to find that the Pacific had arrived at her appointed time, and that his friends would be anxious on account of his non-arrival. Alas, the fate of that devoted ship may remain a terrible mystery, to be revealed only when the sea shall give up its dead. Does the widowed mother of that young man, when she looks on him with gratitude for his escape from such a dreadful death, ascribe to chance his meeting with his friend in the street of Liverpool?

A gentleman residing on the lovely winding Connecticut, for many years an attendant at a church where Jesus was not preached that he is the Lord, was going as usual on a Sabbath morning last winter to his accustomed place of worship, accompanied by his little daughter. The snow and sleet drove pitilessly, and his dwelling being far from the church, was almost exhausted with facing the keen and cutting storm, ere they had proceeded more than half the distance, so that the father determined to return, when, casting his eyes around, he noticed accidentally a beautiful church, which had never until now attracted his attention. He felt a desire or curiosity to turn in and hear what kind of preaching was in such a church. On entering he was struck by the earnestness of the prayer offered by the pastor, and particularly by a fervent petition that God would bless the preaching of his word to any stranger who might be providentially present. This

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