there, whose brightness was greater than the sun's. Have you ever tried to fix your eye on the sun, when it is shining in the middle of a summer day? You cannot, the light dazzles you, and you are almost blind. John's eye was made strong, that he might look upon the brightness, and see the beautiful rainbow of glory round the throne. It made him think of many precious stones, the brilliant diamond, the sparkling sardine stone, and the green bright emerald. At the foot of the throne were four and twenty seats, on which the elders sat clothed in pure white robes with glittering crowns of gold upon their heads. Bright lamps of fire burned before the throne, and a wonderful sea of glass, as clear as crystal was spread out there. Then there were four beasts with many wings and full of eyes, who, night and day, were praising and blessing the holy God; and as they ended one song to begin another, the four and twenty elders fell down before the throne, and cast their golden crowns at the feet of the Lord, saying, "Thou art worthy to receive glory, honour, and power. Was it not a glorious vision for John?

وو

But I have not told you all. Presently he saw a book in the right hand of the holy Lord upon the throne; it was his message of forgiveness and love to wicked man upon the earth. A strong angel asked who would come and open the book; but no voice was heard, and John wept sadly because there was no one worthy to open it. One of the elders told him not to weep; and soon he saw before the throne a meek and lovely being. He appeared like a lamb who had been killed for a sacrifice; and did not John know that beloved one again? It was his Saviour, he saw him take the book, and then the elders knelt before the Lamb of God, the harps were struck, sweet odours filled the air and a new song of praise was sung. John heard the voices of ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands in heaven singing; and every creature on the earth and sea and air joined that glorious song. Oh, would you not have liked to be there. It must have been a solemn, blessed sight; the four beasts said, Amen, and the elders still bowed their faces to the ground and worshipped the Son of God.

Shall I tell you any more that John saw? In that blessed, happy country, there were not only angels with glorious cherubim and seraphim to praise the Lord, but saints were there. A great multitude which no man could number, they came from all the countries of the earth, and they stood before the Lamb clothed in spotless white, and holding palms of victory in their hands. One of the elders asked John if he knew who these people were. I think he did, but he did not like to answer; perhaps his heart was too full of joy to speak, for he knew that he was one who had come with them out of many troubles, and had been washed and made white in the precious blood of Christ. And now all their sorrow was past; no sin was in their hearts; pain and sickness made them suffer. Often they had wished to serve the Lord on earth, now they could serve him day and night in heaven. They lived with Jesus. He wiped away the tear from every eye, and led them by the cool, refreshing fountains of living water. They were hungry no more. Sorrow and sigh

ing had fled away, and everlasting joy was in their hearts.

Oh, dear children, is not heaven a happy place? and do you not wish to be there? When Adam and Eve lived in Paradise, the door was always open, and it was easy to go in; but when they sinned the door was shut, for no unclean thing might enter there. The blessed Saviour grieved to see us shut out from that happy land. He knew that we could not open the door which God had shut. Sin must first be taken away, and he came to do it. It was a difficult work; but so great was his love that he laid down his life for our sakes. Thus he conquered sin. God was satisfied, and Jesus rose from the grave, and opened the door of the kingdom of heaven to all who believe. Do you wish to go in, dear child? But you must be made clean first. Knock at the door, and ask the blessed Saviour to wash you from your sins, and give you a right to enter and sit down under the tree of life.

THE BRITISH MUSEUM.

THERE is, perhaps, no surer criterion of the state of the public mind in the present day, than the increased attention shewn to our free exhibitions. The time is within our memory, when the British Museum was comparatively unknown to the

masses.

A series of articles in the earlier numbers of the Penny Magazine, produced a great change in this respect, and up to this hour, the interest thus excited, has gone on increasing. The visitors to this National Institution, during the year ending Christmas, 1845, were no fewer than six hundred and eighty five thousand, six hundred and fourteen. In May alone, they amounted to one hundred and thirteen thousand, nine hundred and fifty six, although the collection is closed during the first week. On Easter Monday, in the year following, about thirty thousand passed through the rooms.

Contrast this state of things with that which prevailed about seventy or eighty years ago; and notwithstanding all that may be said, regarding the increased wickedness of the times, we think it cannot be denied that the public taste is becoming more intellectual, and the amusements of the middle and lower classes are more refined. For those which now visit the Museum, had certainly, during the last century, their recreations elsewhere.

An old Guide Book, published in 1774, gives the following information regarding this National Collection.

"Every person who has a ticket is shewn this rich repository, which is obtained without much trouble. Fifteen are allowed to view it in one company. The time allotted is two hours. If any number, not exceeding fifteen, are inclined to see it, they must send a list of their christian and surnames, additions, and places of abode, to the porter's lodge, in order to their being entered in the book; in a few days the respective tickets will be made out, specifying the day and hour in which they are to come; which, on being sent for, are delivered. The fewer names there are on a list, the sooner they are likely to be admitted to see it."

The party limited to fifteen-the "few days" consumed in waiting for a ticket-the "two hours"" glance, at what might fairly occupy two weeks; and the pleasant contingencies of the lists being full, or the names and descriptions of the parties applying, not exactly in due form and order, are among the happy bye-gones of another generation, and will not fail to raise a smile amongst our readers.

But even these restrictions were not sufficient to please the

trustees. There was actually, at the time referred to, “a method under consideration to prevent such numbers resorting to the British Museum :" "The mode of obtaining tickets," says our Guide, “is intended to be altered, and the public are to pay for their admission. But as the public have already been the purchasers of the greatest part of this collection, and as it is principally supported at their expence, we hope this alteration will never take place."

We hope so too. Indeed, we should like to see the man who would dare, now-a-days, to suggest such a thing.

Amongst the rarities, so much sought after in these good old times, are mentioned "some sea compasses, and several magnets and apparatuses," -"a painted genealogical tree of a noble Venetian family, and a large piece of painting representing several kinds of dead game;" twelve rooms containing books, the backs only of which were of course, visible,—“a fine transparent painting of the lava issuing from Mount Vesuvius." "Some young apes, a white fox, and a white hare ;" to which a special "Take Notice" is assigned; and "an extraordinary large claw of a lobster!"

LIBERTY AND EQUALITY.

WHEN the revolutionary mania first began to affect the heads of the operatives in our large manufacturing towns, and when it was seriously proposed amongst them to overturn all existing institutions, and establish liberty and equality on the French model, the Rev. Mr Sheriff, of Kirkaldy, was waited upon by some of the members of his congregation, who wished to know his opinion on the subject.

Mr. Sheriff, pretending to be taken unawares, told them he could not answer them off-hand that day, but he would take the matter into serious consideration, and, on the Sabbath following, would give them his sentiments publicly from the pulpit.

It was immediately buzzed about that Mr.S. was to preach on Liberty and Equality, and a great multitude accordingly flocked to his meeting-house. On the congregation assembling, Mr. S. went on with the usual services, without making any allusion to

the matter, until, at the close, he expressed himself somewhat as follows:

"My friends, I had a call from some of you the other day, wanting to know my opinion about liberty and equality, when I told you, if you would come here to-day, I would let you know it. Now, since that time, I have travelled, in the spirit, all over the world, and I shall just tell you what I have seen in my travels. I have travelled over the earth-its frozen and burning zones, mountains and valleys, moist places and dry, fertile lands and deserts-and I have found grown men and children, big and little, strong and weak, wise and ignorant, good and bad, powerful and helpless, rich and poor-no equality there. I have travelled through the sea—its deeps and shoals, rocks and sandbanks, whirlpools and eddies-and I have found monsters and worms, whales and herrings, sharks and shrimps, mackerels and sprats, the strong devouring the weak, and the big swallowing the little-no equality there.

"I have ascended to heaven, with its greater and lesser lights, its planets and comets, suns and satellites, and I have found thrones and dominions, principalities and powers, angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim-no equality there.

"I have decended to hell, and there I have found Beelzebub, the prince of the devils, and his grim counsellors, Moloch and Belial, tyrannising over the other devils, and all of them over wicked men's souls-no equality there.

"This is what I have found in my travels, and I think I have travelled far enough; but if any of you are not satisfied with what I have told you, and wish to go in search of liberty and equality yourselves, you may find them if you travel somewhere that I have not visited. You need not travel the same road that I have done. I can tell you positively you will never find them on the earth, neither in the sea; not in heaven, neither in hell. If you can think of anywhere else, you may try. Meanwhile I have given you all the information I can. It rests with you to make a proper use of it."-Shields Gazette.