and this is sometimes forgotten; and men, like children with a crooked piece of puzzle-map, think if they do not fit exactly, the Scriptures and science must be at variance. Who would have thought that Revelation would have anticipated the modern discovery in science, that the sun is not a luminous but an opaque body; by informing us that the light was created on the first day, and put into the sun on the fourth day; the word sun, in the original, signifying light-bearer, or light-kindler. So Scripture and science will always tally, when carefully and candidly studied. How remarkable a fact is it, that events transpiring around us, and the results of travel and discovery, are continually bringing out fresh evidence of the truth of revelation. I have often been struck with the fact, that God should have stereotyped eastern fashions. What reason can we give why, whilst in all other parts of the world, customs, habits, and dress, are perpetually changing, so that our forefathers would not be able to recognize their own descendants in our days, eastern fashions are the same now as in the periods of Bible History? God has stereotyped them so, that you may tread these lands and witness the very scenes he has described in his word; and the Bible thus forms the best road book that the modern traveller can carry with him to the East. Even the infidel Volney is made the pioneer of truth—a sort of running commentary upon the prophecies, proving that God has marked that land, and that there we have convincing evidence that all the descriptions of the Bible are true. These subjects brought before Christian young men, are naturally attractive, and they have their influence upon those who are not decided. And this I regard as an important feature in your institution, inasmuch as it draws in those whom it is desirable should be attracted, and who, brought within the suction-power of the gospel, will be acted upon they know not how, and will be drawn into the centre and focus of light, and ultimately be numbered among you. The weakness of this association is the pledge of its success. God has accomplished many great objects by little, and apparently, inefficient means. The position which England is occupying at the present time is not dependent upon outward circumstances; but I believe it to be simply and entirely this, that there is more of God's salt in England than in any other nation under heaven; more of God's

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gospel; more faithful men in the church of which I am a minister, and among other denominations, than at any former period; and that there is an increasing and growing spirit of brotherly love, which though prejudice and early habits, and the Popery of Human Nature-for we are all Popes-would be continually raising a wall around us, says, “By the help of my God I will leap over the wall."-Speech of the Rer. W. W. Champneys at the Fourth Annual Meeting of the Young Men's Christian Association.*

FALSE SHAME.

As the most useful lessons are often conveyed by the simplest narratives of domestic life, we are encouraged to offer two very plain and unadorned pictures, of a very every-day sort of existence, to our young readers; the first of which is a correct, and, we fear, too frequent exhibition of False Shame, whilst the second is a manifestation of the contrast-that Holy Courage, with which the Divine Spirit often supplies the lowliest of the children of God, whilst still in the flesh.

Mr. and Mrs. Selwyn, the pious and most respectable parents of a large family, several of whom were grown up, though none had yet left their homes—were sitting at breakfast one November morning, with all their young people about them, when a letter was brought in and placed in the father's hands. There was a perfect silence in the room whilst he was reading it, for every one saw that a cloud had come over his countenance as soon as he began to do so.

“I hope there is no bad news, my dear?" said Mrs. Selwyn; and the young people's eyes expressed the same anxious curiosity.

"It is from my poor sister, aunt Norman," replied Mr. Selwyn, “she has had a violent cold, and her physician tells her that she must not stir out this winter."

"I am thankful if that is the worst," replied Mrs. Selwyn, "it should not be a great evil for so old a lady to be confined to

The whole of these admirable Addresses to Young Men are published in a cheap form, by Mr. Green, 62, Paternoster-row, and have our hearty commendation.

her house; there are always a thousand occupations for women within doors."

"You forget, my dear," replied Mr. Selwyn, "that my poor sister is a widow, and has no children, and that she has been for many years in the habit of spending much of her time in the little visitings and re-visitings of her own small town. She speaks as if her health is such, that she must not only refrain from going abroad, but avoid large parties at home; a heated room being what she must carefully shun: and hence she anticipates so doleful a winter, that she has sent to borrow a daughter from us, my dear. This letter contains an entreaty for the company of Blanche for the first two dark months before us, and that of Constance for the two second, If I looked grave, I must confess that this is the part of the letter which occasioned me to do so. I have never yet parted with one of my dear girls: and though we are so rich in having many dear children, I yet scarcely know whether I can refuse my widowed sister so reasonable a request. I must, I feel, leave the decision to you, my dear, not without reference, of course, to the feelings of my girls. You know my poor sister, as well as I do; but this is not a matter," he added, “to be discussed in full conclave— such little people as we have now round us, may not understand all we say, and may carry away garbled notions of the real state of the case. You will speak apart to Blanche and Constance.”

The pious father desired to have no secrets from his children, but his confidences were obliged to be restricted to the capacity of the minds of those with whom he wished to be all openness, as it is with the Divine Father, who only unfolds his councils to his creatures in such degree as he thinks right to enable each creature to receive them.

We pass on now into the very heart of the proposed discussion between Mrs. Selwyn, Blanche, and Constance. The tender mother and kind sister had not thought it fit to deny the favor asked by the poor aunt. She had given her daughters leave to accept the invitation, each in their turn, as they had desired to do, and now she was proceeding to tell them why she had betrayed any reluctance on the subject.

"Your father's dear and only sister," she said, "is a person highly respected in the little society in which she lives, and has

always conducted herself amiably and well with her friends and acquaintance, but she has never been induced, by any influence which your father or other pious friends could use, so far to give up the trifling pursuits of the world, as to allow herself any time for attention to, or enquiry into, religious matters. Of course she wanted the heart so to do: though she never manifested any violent opposition to them; but so persisted in pursuing trifles, in discussing them, and bringing them forward in all conversations, that we were obliged, as much as lay in our power, without unkindness, to keep clear of her, whilst you all were very young, as some of my dear children still are; for we wished you not to hear the language of the world, before we had reason to think you were established in the truth, by the blessing of Almighty God on our endeavors.

"You now understand, my daughters," added the mother, "why it was that I consented, with some reluctance, to these visits, which the poor old lady proposes; for old she is, being many years in advance of your father."

"But may it not be possible," said Constance, "that Blanche, who is to go first, may be able, as our aunt is now shut up from her former worldly parties, to get her to hear the Bible read sometimes, and even for her to repeat some of papa's remarks on some of the passages ?"

"Has she family prayers, mamma?" asked Blanche, rather interrupting her sister, in her impatience to add her own proposition.

“I fear not,” answered Mrs. Selwyn.

"Perhaps, then, I could persuade her to begin them," returned Blanche: " of course she attends a place of worship on Sundays?"

"She has always done so,. I believe," replied Mrs. Selwyn; "but probably may not be able to do so now, being confined to the house."

"We shall have much time, then, on Sundays; at least," added Blanche, "she will, if I can only manage to put such books before her as are profitable, because we could not expect her to spend all the time I am out, with the Bible, as she has never been used to delight in it. What books shall I take with me, mamma? they should be such as will draw her on as well as improve her in a religious way, should they not?"

Certainly," replied Mrs. Selwyn; and several books were spoken of as fit for the purpose. Amongst these were "Hervey's Meditations," "Keith on the Prophecies," and Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress;" all of which were packed in Blanche's trunk, the young lady saying as this was done, "We may be sure that I shall be able to persuade my aunt to peruse one or other of these. If the style of one should not please her, surely another may—they are all so different."

At the appointed time Blanche set out, and as the place of her aunt's residence was distant, the journey occupied more than all the hours of light at that wintry season. Her father accompanied her in the public conveyance, till she was met by a servant of Mrs. Norman, sent expressly for the purpose.

The last few miles of her journey were spent by Blanche in such silence and darkness, as allowed her full time for meditation : and it would be doing the young lady injustice, if we did not allow that her meditations were in themselves good, for she was thinking how best she should manage those reformations in her aunt's habits which were so desirable; and, surely, these were better thoughts than many which have done, and do, from generation to generation, employ the minds of young people; and yet the fairest and the sweetest of her lucubrations and determinations, were no better than lovely flowers, cut from the parent stock, and brought into some brilliant garland—quite sure to flag and fail, and very, very shortly to perish for want of the support of the parent stem. Blanche's hopes and purposes depended far too much upon a mistaken notion of her own strength and her own powers: not that her parents had neglected to instruct her in the scripture doctrine of the incapacity of man to do any thing of himself, but she had not yet been made to receive this truth experimentally; and having always lived under the shadow of the paternal wing, was as utterly unconscious of the nature of the trials from false shame, with which she would necessarily be exercised in the new world into which she was entering, as the infant is, who lays his hand on the hole of some venemous reptile. Thus was she without defensive armour, and all unprepared for the battle; her very last thought being, that she should be overcome by the world in the house of an old lady, who from infirmity could neither go out nor receive any other visitations, but from old, obsolete and faded persons like herself.