happy. That word "HAPPY" went to my heart; for I had not felt so for a long time, though I had never said so; but had tried to seem as careless and jovial as anybody. So I stood, considering, for a few minutes; but my old acquaintance begged so hard, that at length I promised to go with him on the following Sunday. And I praise God that I went; for I soon began to see and feel that there was peace and pardon in Jesus Christ, even FOR A POOR SWEARING LAD LIKE ME; and then I once more began to pray. It seems wonderful to me, when I think about it, that God should have had such mercy on me, when I had been using His name only to scoff at it so sinfully and so long.' 66 The young man's eye moistened as he said this: and Mr. G was also a good deal moved, replied with deep feeling 66 6 who "O, yes, my young brother; and when you and I get to heaven, we shall be more astonished than ever at the mercy that has saved us. The latter part of your story has rejoiced my heart, and I thank you, a hundred times, for your frankness. But now-I see you are stopping here, and I must go further into the country-just tell me, before we part, how you get on now amongst your fellow workmen; and whether you think there is as much profane swearing as there was a few years ago?' "I fear,' rejoined the converted youth, 'that it is growing more common than ever, especially AMONGST YOUNGER BOYS. It makes me feel very sad sometimes. Of course, I do all I can, in a kind way, to help the poor young fellows out of the wicked habit, as I have been helped out myself; and I hope I have done some little good. But still, unless THE MEN THEMSELVES give it up, we can scarcely expect that THE LADS will. One of the most horrid things I ever heard at our place, is a father and son swearing together! It makes one's blood run cold. And then, another grievous thing is, that, where there is swearing, there is sure to be every other kind of foul and filthy talk. The lad that comes out with an oath, won't fear saying anything, no matter how bad and brutish.' "Mr. G- shook his young friend's hand very warmly at parting, exhorted him to stand up for Jesus, and to strive to bring many more of his pitiable companions to that same loving Saviour in whose precious blood he had himself found peace. 66 'For the rest of his half-hour's walk, our worthy friend G- -found his mind so completely taken up by the interesting confessions he had just heard, that he could scarcely help uttering aloud, as he went along, expressions like these: 666 'What a fearful thought—that hundreds of poor reckless youths should be daily calling down curses from heaven upon themselves and those around them! How they are hardening their hearts against Him who waits, with open arms, to welcome every returning prodigal amongst them, just as gladly as he has received this dear lad, and made him HAPPY.' Fragments and Choice Sayings. SACRAMENTAL EFFICACY. It is impossible to express the pestilence and fatal nature of it, and especially as it has prevailed over a great part of the world, to the great detriment of the Church for many ages past. Indeed, it is DIABOLICAL; for, by promising justification without faith, it precipitates souls into destruction; in the next place, by representing the sacrament as the cause of justification, it envelopes the minds of men, naturally too much inclined to the earth, in gross superstition, leading them to rest in the exhibition of a corporeal object rather than in God himself.-John Calvin. 66 NOTICE. Prayer meeting and lecture as usual on Wednesday evening, in the lecture room. Dear brethren, I urge you all to attend these weekly meetings." Some of the "dear brethren reported themselves in this way: Brother A. thought it looked like rain, and concluded that his family, including himself, of course, had better remain at home. On Thursday evening it was raining very hard, and brother A. hired a carriage and took his whole family to the Academy_of Music, to hear a lecture on the "Intelligence of the Lobster." Brother B. thought he was too tired to go, so he stayed at home and worked at the sled he had promised to make for Billy. Sister C. thought the pavements were too slippery. It would be very dangerous for her to venture out. I saw her next morning going down street to get her old bonnet" done up." She had an old pair of stockings drawn over her shoes. Sister D. thought there wouldn't be more than a dozen people at prayer meeting. She doesn't like these little meetings, so she didn't go. If she had gone there would have been thirteen. I met her next evening at a social gathering where there were just ten folks. She said she had spent a delightful" evening. 66 Three-fourths of the members stayed at home. God was at the prayer meeting. The pastor was there. Onefourth of the members were there, and God blessed them. The persons who stayed at home were each represented by a vacant seat. God don't bless empty pews.-The Christian Era. GEORGE MULLER. George Muller, the renowned founder of the Orphan Establishment, Bristol, has received and expended 2,750,000 dollars, every penny of which was sent voluntarily, "He lives in the simplest style, and does not allow himself a lounge nor a rocking-chair, unless he is sick. He was a poor man when he began and is a poor man to-day, though he has handled millions of money, and could have spent it as he would. Muller is a Prussian, and was born in 1805. He was in the Prussian army. He was very wicked, and was converted by some signal display of grace; and he devoted himself from that hour to the cause of the poor. He is a tall, slim man, with the bearing of a soldier-with dark hair and grey whiskers-wears a black frock coat buttoned to the neck, and a white cravat without a collar. He speaks with a brogue. His preaching is very simple, earnest and full of Christ. He is a man of great executive ability, and is the sole manager of this immense concern. I have been all over his establishment. It would do credit to any government on the face of the earth. I have talked with the people of Bristol about Muller-merchants, tradesmen, draymen, storemen, all classes, religious and irreligious-and they all express the highest confidence in his piety, and integrity, and honour, and assign him a high place among model men of the world. His theory is this: That God is a hearer of prayer; that he is the same faithful God that He ever was; that this he believes and this he trusts, and has never been disappointed." Poetry. LYRICS FOR THE HEART.-" WINTER." WHEN winter comes with mist and cloud, We feel as though the sun was gone, But time moves on, the winter goes, So when the sable cloud of fear, Rests heavy on our hearts, And hope wide spreads her fluttering wings, And threatens to depart We think grief's winter must abide, So slowly do we learn ; 'Till Jesus shows His face again, And bids our joy return. LINES ON THE DEATH OF MR. JOSEPH BRISCOE, OF BANNER STREET, FINSBURY. Who died suddenly while at Richmond, August 11th, 1868, in his 78th year. And yet profoundly gracious, wise and good! And wait till all is better understood. We cannot but most deeply feel the blow, Yet, knowing 'twas our heavenly Father's hand, 'Tis ours to strive submissively to bow, Nor question what we cannot understand. Dare we arraign the only Just and Wise, Where loved and loving friends might sympathise, Nay, let us rather yield in humble faith, And meekly bow before unerring Love, Believing what the Holy Scripture saith "What now ye know not, ye shall know above." Yet even now his mercy we can trace, Although with mournful interest we dwell Upon the solemn mysteries of his grace, Who has done all things," has done all things well." Sudden the summons to resign his breath; Yet, viewed aright, much mercy shines in this: No lengthened painful illness was his lot,— "He walked with God," like Enoch," and was not :" From early life the Saviour's name he loved, In every station he was called to fill, Not brilliantly, but steadily he shone; Patient to suffer, meek to do His will, Who now has called him home, and said "Well done!" A tender husband, and a father dear, Now rest in "certain hope" beneath the sod, A faithful counsellor, a friend sincere, A useful Christian, and a child of God. JOSIAH. Page for the Young. THE TRUE STORY OF WILHELM. "THOU God seest me." "In Him we live, and move, and have our being." Little children learn these words because they are simple, easily learned, easily remembered, and easily understood. Then there is the passage about the sparrows, and even city children know that familiar little bird, and love to learn that "not one of them is forgotten before God." But though children are taught these verses of the Bible chiefly on account of their child-like simplicity, there is a great truth running through them all which may be a lifelong comfort to us; -it is this, that nothing happens in the world by chance, because God himself arranges, upholds, and directs all things. A good many years ago a little German boy, who, if he had learned the holy words I have been speaking about, had certainly not learned to love or trust in God, ran away from home. His parents lived in the beautiful city of Berlin. Little Wilhelm had mischievously destroyed some of his father's work; and as he knew that when this was discovered he would be severely punished, the foolish and cowardly little boy resolved to run away before his father returned home. He had long wished to be a sailor, and so he meant to make his way to Stettin and there persuade some captain to take him as a midshipman. Ah! if Wilhelm had remembered the little verse, Thou God seest me," surely he would have been afraid to run away from the happy home where God had placed him. All day he hastened on, scarcely stopping to rest at all, for he was afraid of being found and taken home again. Having brought food with him, he stopped at no house by the way; but as night began to close in he remembered that he, had no money at all to pay for a lodging and began anxiously to look about for some suitable place of shelter. had come to a village, on the outskirt VOL XXV. NO. CCXCIX. 66 He of which stood a pretty church; and as he passed it, in one corner he could discern through the darkness a low window, which the wind was shaking as if the fastening were loosed. Ah," he thought, "here is a chance for me! I can easily let myself down into the church, where I shall have very comfortable quarters for the night." 66 All No sooner had the thought come into his head than he scrambled up on the window, pushed it open, but in doing so he lost his balance and fell down into the interior. However, he was not much hurt by the fall, and as it was perfectly dark he thought the best plan was to lie down and sleep upon a wooden bench which he found himself beside. Being very wearied he slept long and soundly; but when at length he awoke great was his horror to discover that he was in a large burial vault, containing a few black coffins and the bench upon which he had slept. He sought in vain for some way of escape from this terrible prison; but the oaken door was firmly locked, and the little window through which he had fallen was far, far beyond his reach. day long he screamed for help, and all in vain, for night came a second time to him among the tombs. Poor Wilhelm, when daylight returned, could not scream any more, for his parched throat refused to utter a sound. It seemed as if there remained nothing for him to do but to die; but God had not forgotton him, and if Wilhelm had remembered His holy presence, the gloomy vault would not have seemed so dark and cheerless. That second morning it seemed to him that he heard steps approaching, then a key turned in the lock, the door opened and a young girl entered. In a rapture of joy he sprang to meet her, but she fled in unutterable terror, closing the massy door, and leaving him again alone with the dead. It was not long, however, before the girl returned with her father, who was the He schoolmaster of the village. brought the boy to the school-house, and there made him tell his story. "Listen boy," he then said, “you, too, had nearly been among the dead; but God has certainly work for you to do on earth. The window through which you entered is placed that no one might ever have heard your cries, for even on sabbath days none pass on that side of the building. It is some years since the vault has been entered, but this morning the thought suddenly came to me that it should be swept out. Therese being very busy to-day I hesitated to send her Mr. Geissler's Column. THE WORD IS TRUE. the THIS is the experience of all the faithful on earth, and of the innumerable host before the throne above. Singularly it was how a certain soldier once made this experience: soldier's life was his greatest disgust, but he was bound to it and nothing Iwould set him free. Once he said to himself, if the Bible is true, then there is a possibility to be saved from the soldier's life, for the same says:"All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive" (Matt. xxi. 22). He then commenced to pray again and again, and thus to try the promise in respect to prayer. But continuing in prayer a certain voice said to him that if the Lord should hear him he would also have to amend his life, to become another man, and give up sinning, else he could not expect an answer to his prayers. He then prayed for a new heart and soon became a real Christian. As such a one he could not but bear testimony of what the Lord had done for him and to speak of Christ to all his comrades, through which soon the whole garrison was alarmed. The officers repeatedly not only scolded, but also punished him for this his "holy zeal," but because all this was without success and he answered them :-" Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye," &c., he was dismissed as a soldier and driven away. Thus he found the above promise true. Moses or the Law would have received the prodigal at his return with the rod, with imprisonment, or with bread and water. But Jesus or the Gospel received him with hearty embraces, with kisses, with a new robe and with shoes, with a golden ring and a fat meal. Behold here the difference between Judaism and Christianity, between the Law and the gospel. If sinners only knew, considered and believed how kind and graciously God would receive them! Of the three sons of Adam was Cain-the oldest, very impious; of Noah's three sons was the youngest impious; and of Terah's three sons the second was impious; so we see that neither of the oldest nor the youngest, neither age nor birth, is of any avail, but the election of God according to his purpose. Once, when a French Count was about to commence a conversation with the King Charles of England during divine service, the king said to him:-" Sir, hinder me not to listen to God whilst he is speaking to me, that he also may listen to me when I speak to him." That was a kingly behaviour which recommends itself to all. It is to be noted that, though we find in the New Testament many in |