to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.' Now I have that faith in your authority being from heaven, that I know if you' but speak the word only, my servant shall be healed.' Here we have a strongly marked instance of an excellent disciplinarian being a religious man, and such a holy man was this captain, that his Lord said of him, 'I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.'

"The next great character we meet with is another soldier, Cornelius, a centurion, a devout man, who gave much alms to the people,' and whose example appears to have influenced the men under his command, for he had some ' devout soldiers who waited on him continually.' He was called upon by God to perform a most important service; for while himself learning of a Saviour from St. Peter, his conversion convinced the apostle of his own error, in conceiving that the Messiah was the Redeemer of the Jews only; and clearly intimated to him that He was also the Saviour of the Gentiles, of which people our own forefathers were. Now, as it pleased God to accept a soldier in the person of the first-named centurion as the first Christian from the Gentile world, so were soldiers, viz. those on duty at the crucifixion, the last converts during Christ's life in the flesh; for, when the centurion and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake and those things that were done, they said, Truly this was the Son of God.'

"Does the profession of arms, then, seem unfavourable to religion? On the contrary, true religion never appears to greater advantage than it does in the character of a soldier or sailor."

"The military language too of the Gospel seems particularly adapted to induce soldiers to read it. Christians therein are called 'soldiers of Jesus Christ;' their whole life a continual 'warfare' against their adversary the devil.' 'In the name of our God we set up our banners.' We are even told how to equip ourselves for the 'battle: we are to put on the whole armour of God,'' the breastplate of righteousness,'' the helmet of salvation:' above all, 'to take the shield of faith to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked,' and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.' The peace of God will garrison (as it

is in the Greek) our hearts.' We are to fight a good fight,' and we shall have 'victory,' and be more than conquerors,' through the Captain of our salvation.""

We hope that the above extract may be the means of drawing the attention of those for whom it is particularly intended; and we should have been willing to have given a larger portion of the tract, had our limits admitted of it. We must, however, remember that we have all a warfare" as long as we remain on earth, and that our everlasting condition hereafter depends on the manner in which we have fought the good fight of faith, and obeyed the orders of the "Captain of our salvation."

V.

ON THE MIRACULOUS INCREASE OF THE LOAVES AND

FISHES.

"Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost." SUCH were the words of admonition uttered by our blessed Lord at the conclusion of one of the most astonishing miracles wrought by Divine power, that of feeding a great multitude with "five barley loaves and two small fishes."

We are first called upon to remark, that Jesus "gave thanks" before He distributed the loaves and fishes, and this ought to teach us to be thankful to God who provides all things needful for our sustenance, whether it be the dainty food of those who "fare sumptuously," or the "dry morsel and quietness withal" of the poor man.

The beautiful economy of Nature is a lesson to prove the great sin of waste and profusion, even in trifles. Since the great Creator perfected His mighty work, not a particle of matter has been wasted or misemployed. The rain that falls from heaven fertilizes the earth, and produces the green corn and rich verdure which clothe its surface. Substances offensive in themselves become of inestimable value in enriching and renewing the soil; and it may be truly said, that "nothing is lost." Let us consider this, and in every rank of life take warning, whether we have been entrusted with the good things of this life, or whether we are appointed to labour for our daily bread.

We shall be expected to give account at the day of judgment of all that has been committed to our care, whether it be much or little. The true Christian will be as anxious to do his duty in small as in great matters; the former, indeed, afford frequent trials of obedience and constant exercise of the Christian temper, while the latter, by their unfrequency, allow our armour to rust, and our hands to become feeble in wielding the weapons of Christian warfare.

It may be objected, that these observations apply more to those who enjoy riches and worldly advantages, than to the class to whom they are at present addressed. It is certainly an imperative duty that riches be well and usefully employed, and that their possessors exert their example and authority to prevent waste and extravagance in their servants and dependants; but it is too true, that extreme poverty is not only often increased, but even occasioned by bad management. Much may be done by carefulness and thrift; and it frequently happens, that those who have better means and fewer incumbrances, are not so well off as their poorer but more diligent neighbours.

It is proved and acknowledged by all, that we are bound to be careful of our worldly possessions, be they great or small; that we are to "gather up the fragments, that nothing be lost." There is a species of property far more valuable than "thousands of gold and silver," for the use of which we shall be called to a strict account, and which it is in our power to employ as a blessing, or to misuse as a curse. This is time! woe to those who employ it in sin, idle amusements, or unworthy pursuits of any kind; fearful will be their punish

ment.

Those who "rise up early and late take rest:" who "go forth to their labour till the evening," and who are industriously employed to provide the necessaries of life, may suppose they are free from the sin of wasting or misusing this precious deposit; but we read, that after the multitude had satisfied their hunger, the disciples were enjoined to "gather up the fragments." So we learn, that even the most busy life affords fragments of time to be gathered up and employed on the things which relate

to eternity. Prayer, public and private, attending the house and altar of God, reading and meditating on the Scriptures; in short, a religious observance of that portion of our time in which we are exempt from toil-the Sabbath, which God has commanded to be kept holy, is required of every Christian; and our merciful Father, who graciously considers the condition of His creatures, and requires no duty which is burdensome, will consider our infirmities, and assist our efforts, while we strive to labour not wholly for "the meat that perisheth."

The Close of Sarum.

E.

ON HEARING THE CLOCK STRIKE TWELVE AT NIGHT

DECEMBER 31st.

KNELL of departed years,

Thy voice is sweet to me;
It wakes no sad foreboding fears,
Calls forth no sympathetic tears,
Time's restless course to see;
From hallowed ground

1 hear the sound

Diffusing through the air a holy calm around.
Thou art the voice of Love,

To chide each doubt away;
And as thy murmur faintly dies,
Visions of past enjoyment rise
In long and bright array.
I hail the sign

That love divine

Will o'er my future path in cloudless mercy shine.

Thou art the voice of Hope,

The music of the spheres,
A song of blessings yet to come,
A herald from my future home,
My soul delighted hears.
By sin deceived

By nature grieved

Still am I nearer rest than when I first believed.

Thou art the voice of Life:

A sound which seems to say,

"O prisoner in this gloomy vale,

Thy flesh shall faint, thy heart shall fail;

Yet fairer scenes thy spirit hail

That cannot pass away:

Here grief and pain

Thy steps detain;

There in the image of the Lord shalt thou with Jesus

reign."

H. K. WHITE.

ON DISSATISFACTION WITH OUR CONDITION.

ALL people are more or less prone to complain of their lot in life; and we frequently hear those who are suffering from losses or privations in their worldly comforts, murmuring at the appointment of Providence, as though some injustice had been done to them. But if every one honestly considered what he deserves from God, he would be obliged to confess that far from claiming even the least of God's mercies, he has reason to be thankful that he is spared from that punishment which he has incurred by his repeated transgressions. The poor woman of Canaan did not complain that Jesus was harsh when He refused to listen to her, and numbered her among those who were not fit to take the children's bread. She meekly submitted to be called "a dog," for she knew she deserved nothing at the Saviour's hands: she only begged that the portion allowed to "dogs" might be given her; and Jesus, who had used for a time such seemingly unkind language, only to try her faith and humility, granted to the full her earnest and persevering prayer.

If we thus approach our Maker, with the humble and contrite hearts of sinners, we shall never feel dissatisfied if He appears for a while to disregard our prayers, and to prolong the suffering He has laid upon us. We shall feel thankful that our lives are still spared, and that time is given us for preparation for the awful day when our final doom will be pronounced. He who is looking forward to a solemn meeting with an offended Judge, will not think much of the hardships he is made to suffer in his person. His mind will be too much taken up with the thoughts of the defence he must make, and of the sin for which he must answer.

It is related of the Duke of Condé', that when he had voluntarily entered into the incommodities of a religious poverty, he was one day espied and pitied by a lord of Italy, who, out of tenderness, wished him to be more careful of his person and comfort. The good duke answered, "Sir, be not troubled, and think not that I am ill provided of conveniences, for I send a harbinger before

Jeremy Taylor, Great Exemplar, p. 310.