Sing them when happy friends are met,
And your young voices raise
Their Sabbath evening melodies,
To their Redeemer's praise.
So shall each unforgotten word,
When distant far you roam,

Call back your heart, which once it stirr'd,
To childhood's blessed home.

Sing them, my children; many a saint
These holy strains has sung!
These hills of ours have echoed them,
From many a martyr's tongue.
Oh sing them in a land like this,
Where martyrs' steps have rov'd;
My children, sing those melodies,
The songs our fathers lov'd.

FEBRUARY 26.

"Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again; but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst."-St. John, iv. 13, 14.

There was a wanderer once who sought in vain
At earthly fountains to assuage her thirst;

For though they sparkled and seemed sweet at first,
Soon, unabated, it returned again.

But He who marks and pities human pain,
Whose eye of love seeks out the lost, the worst,
Met hers, in misery infinite, as erst

Another wanderer on Samaria's plain;

He led her to that living stream which flows
From heavenly founts, the pilgrim to restore ;
And there she quenched her thirst, and found that
those

Who drink that water thirst again no more;
But hasten on, through strength divinely given,
E'en till they reach the fountain-head in heaven.

Hours of Sorrow.

FEBRUARY 27.

"I go to prepare a place for you."—St. John, xiv. 2.

We may form some idea of the joys of heaven by the innocent pleasures which God grants us on earth. Here is a fine situation with wonderful prospectseverything to delight the senses; yet all this we find in a world which is under a curse: what then may we not expect in a heavenly world, where God exercises all his powers for our blessedness! Cecil's Remains.

FEBRUARY 28.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you."-St. John, xiv. 27.

Wake, then, my lyre! give all thy passion scope!
Thy theme is Peace-thine inspiration Hope!
Say to the slaves of woe: "Return and prove
A Father's kindness in a God of love;
Return to Him, whose mild and happy reign
Ye fled, to serve your demon-god of pain,—
Him, who has felt the griefs He came to heal,
And learnt to comfort as He learnt to feel,

For you has sought-for you has burst the grave—
A man to sympathise-a God to save."

HANKINSON.

FEBRUARY 29.

'Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."St. Mark, ix. 24.

Lord, I believe that thou art able,—what possible reason is there why I should not also believe that thou art willing, to save me? Open mine eyes, O thou whose function it is to give light! that I may behold the wondrous things contained in the book of thy testimony.

Chalmers' Sabbath Scripture Readings.

MARCH 1.

“And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter." -St. Luke, xxii. 61.

Oh! it is ever thus! That eye benign,

Beams on the soul with tenderness divine,
E'en ere the wanderer owns that he hath strayed,
E'en ere the penitent has wept or prayed.
And when that look, that pitying look is felt,
The softened heart in contrite grief will melt,
Mourn that against such goodness it has striven,
And "love Him much," who has so "much forgiven."
The Saviour changes not, but now sends down,
E'en from his glorious mediatorial throne,
Whence all our wandering footsteps he can trace,
The same sweet tokens of forgiving grace.
Ah! let the trembling and desponding mind,—
That "broken spirit," which he loves to bind,
Dwell on each proof of tenderness he gave,
Nor doubt his willingness to heal and save!
Not e'en the fondest love a mother knows,—
The warmest in a human breast which glows,—
No loftiest, best conception we can raise,
E'en the faint outline of his love portrays.
Poor, doubting mourner! yield not to thy fears;
Each tear he numbers, and each sigh he hears;
And though, like Peter, thou hast wronged thy Lord,
Like him, thou mayest be pardoned and restored.

For thee, thy Saviour's prayers may yet prevail; True faith in Him, though weak, shall never fail ; But lead thee, in his strength, henceforth to prove, Through life, in death, thy gratitude and love.

MARCH 2.

"Giving thanks always for all things."-Eph. v. 20.

If we are required to give thanks for everything, there must be something in every dispensation, however dark, for a Christian to return thanks for.

LADY POWERSCOURT.

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MARCH 3.

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.”—Ps. v. 3.

When first thy eyes unveil, give thy soul leave
To do the like; our bodies but forerun

The spirit's duty. True hearts spread, and heave
Unto their God, as flowers do to the sun.

Give Him thy first thoughts then, so shalt thou keep
Him company all day, and in Him sleep.