Jesus concerning you." "In every thing," yea even in troublous times, and times of sorrow and grief, give thanks, for this is God's especial will, when He gave his Son Jesus Christ for you. "By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually." Heaven is the abode of praise, and this its chief as well as happiest occupation. So it should be in the state which is most like to Heaven of any state that has since the Fall existed on earth; I mean that of Christ's Holy Church, the state of those who know Christ, and are known by Him. It is indeed a most wonderful fact that this passage brings to our knowledge, namely, the value attached in Heaven to the praises of sinful man on earth. "Whoso offereth praise, glorifieth me." The eternal glory which was before all worlds was so complete and incomprehensible, that it might seem that the worship of angels and archangels could scarcely glorify the Creator of all their powers; but it is surprising in a far greater degree, and in a different sense, that the praise of sinners, of man who is a worm, and the son of man who is as dust, should be able to glorify the holy and everlasting Name of Jehovah. It is only through gracious condescension it is so; and when God condescends to accept, man should not be backward to offer that which it is a mercy unspeakable that he exists to speak. If then we say that we have prayed to God for his mercy and grace upon our soul, if we have asked Him for any bounties of his providence, for any deliverance from misery, for any support under affliction; do we also devote as much time and pains to the work of praise and thanksgiving? Let us inquire this sincerely of ourselves, and answer it to our conscience and to God. If we have not yet found the answer to our prayers which we desired, if we still remain destitute of any desired mercy which God has promised, may not the ill success be owing to the neglect of thanksgiving? I once met with an anecdote which may illustrate this remark.

A ship was once wrecked upon the rocky shore of a desert island, and all its crew perished except one man, who was left alone on this desolate coast. He prayed daily and most earnestly that God would be pleased to

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have mercy on him, and send him the means of deliverance from his miserable condition. He set apart days for especial prayer, with fasting; but no deliverance came. At last it occurred to him that the Scripture said, "In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." He felt he had not given thanks to God for his mercy in sparing his life when all his companions perished-that he had been forgetful of all his benefits towards him. He accordingly set apart a day for solemn praise and thanksgiving to God. Before that day had closed, a sail appeared in sight, and he was rescued from his forlorn and desolate condition. We have another instance recorded in the Old Testament to the same effect. In 2 Chronicles xx., we are told that when Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah were attacked by Moab and Ammon, they cried unto the Lord, saying, "O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee." And then we read in the 21st verse, that when Jehoshaphat "had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten." Praise glorifies God; and when we do not obtain our petitions, it may be that we have not glorified Him when we could in some way within our power and opportunity. If so, let this at once be altered. Let us make it our principal object in coming before God to glorify his name worthily and heartily. We shall find the services of his house offer constant and repeated opportunity. Much of our time in God's house at least is devoted strictly to this heavenly exercise. There will be no sense of weariness or vacancy in the public services of the sanctuary, if we enter into the work of praise sincerely and affectionately. The Psalms of David, which are mingled with the prayers, are forms

of praise that only require our hearts to go with them, and we have the assurance of God's own word that they glorify Him, and so are joined to the worship of Heaven itself in one holy offering to the God and Father of all.

GOOD BOOKS AND BAD BOOKS.

DR. JOHNSON'S PRAYER.

THERE, perhaps, never was a time when more pains were taken to teach what is good than in our own days. Numbers of people are giving their money and their time for the purpose of instructing the young and "training them up in the way they should go." There is scarcely a young person, now, who is not able to read, and the art of reading gives the power of gaining knowledge and picking up, from books, lessons of piety and goodness; besides affording much pleasure from useful and interesting books, such as strengthen the mind and afford interesting occupation for leisure hours, making "evenings at home" agreeable and happy, and leaving no desire for those coarse and vulgar and expensive companies which foolish and ignorant people seek for at the alehouse or the beer-shop. But, besides the pains which many good people take to teach young people to read, the same people are desirous of putting good books into their hands, and many different societies are publishing useful books and tracts at a very cheap rate. The Christian Knowledge Society has a large catalogue of useful books; so has the Tract Society; and, besides these, numbers of private persons are constantly writing and sending out books of religious and useful knowledge. Then there are lending libraries, and book-hawking societies, and other means in abundance, of obtaining books; so that there is plenty of good food for the mind for those who are desirous of being fed with that which is good. A person who writes a good book may not only hope himself to see the benefit of his labours,-but he may hope that long after he is gone, his works may be, with God's blessing, promoting the great cause of righteousness and truth, warning the sinner, encouraging the faithful, comforting the afflicted, and instructing the ignorant.

But there are many books very different from these,—

many trifling, foolish books, that are written only to entertain the people; silly stories without any truth in them, and which can give no real knowledge, but fill the mind with wild fancies, and turn the head with their strange inventions.

But there are many books far worse than these: books positively bad, bad in their principles, teaching every thing of the most dreadfully wicked character. It would have been far better never to have learned to read at all, than to read these dangerous and destructive books. Many of these books are written for the very purpose of upsetting the laws of God and man. And those who read such books will soon learn to follow the way which will bring down upon them condemnation from God and from man. Some of these books are full of profane language, and mockery of Holy Scripture, some encouraging to drunkenness and profligacy, tempting men to their own ruin, by pretending that wickedness will go unpunished. Some of them are written to corrupt young men and young women, leading them to disgrace and misery all their lives, and ruining their hopes after death. What can the writers of such books be thinking of, when they put forth such destructive matter? One can hardly fancy a more dreadful crime than writing a book which shall oppose the religious happiness of man, and help and aid the wicked in their course. But suppose these wicked writers to be brought to see their error, and to repent; -yet the books are out; they are circulated; the work cannot be undone. Many have received the corruption, and it has already polluted them,-the poison is within them; they will infect others. Sin is a disease which is very catching; and the nature of man is ready to receive the infection. But, more than this. The work remains, when the writer is dead;-and it is continuing to do its deadly work: so that it has been truly said that "the writer of a wicked book is sinning after he is dead."

But how happy must be the hope, that some word may drop from the pen of the humblest writer which may make any one man happier by making him better, and which may be the means of drawing the mind of even a little child to the love of God, and the faith of Christ,

and to all the happiness and the hopes which bless the Christian here, and cheer and encourage him in his prospect of the great HEREAFTER!

I was much struck, a few days ago, on reading a prayer written by the great Dr. Johnson, before entering on his celebrated work "The Rambler:" and if the same course were pursued by every writer on beginning his work, he might hope for God's blessing, both for his readers and himself.

PRAYER.

Almighty God, the Giver of all good things, without whose help all labour is ineffectual, and without whose grace all wisdom is folly; grant, I beseech Thee, that, in this undertaking, thy Holy Spirit may not be withheld from me, but that I may promote thy glory, and the salvation of myself and others. Grant this, O Lord, for the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

V.

EXTRACTS FROM MY FAMILY BIBLE.

- ST. MARK xiv. 43–52.

MY DEAR FAMILY,-God has in all ages of his Church magnified, and unto the end of time will magnify, his word above all his name (Psalm cxxxviii. 2); there fore, in all that concerned the greatest event that ever took place, the word of God, that had so plainly described the disgraceful and cruel end of Jesus, must be literally fulfilled (see Psalm xxii.). Our great business in life, my dear family, is to make ourselves deeply acquainted with the word of God. We should constantly examine it, and as much as possible try to see how certainly it is a revelation from God, and that the great object and end of its publication-namely, salvation by Christ, the Son of God made man-is a substantial truth that we are concerned to know experimentally as the thing above all others necessary to be known. The disciples thought they knew Christ as the foretold Saviour very perfectly, yet you see they forsook Him and fled when they should have stood by Him. Be persuaded it is no easy matter to keep the faith; yea, it is utterly impossible so to do