THE COMFORTS OF RELIGION.

"OH! blessed, thrice blessed are all who, giving up themselves to the guidance of God's Word and Spirit, become the friends and children of God! storms of life burst upon us, we

For then, when the

shall have a refuge,

a shelter, and a home; we shall have a friend to whom we can go, with the blessed certainty of having every trouble hushed, and every tear dried.

"When earthly friends are scattered to their own, and leave us alone, when death spareth not our own loved ones, yet we shall not be alone, for He is with us. We may speak to Him, as dear children, and say: Doubtless Thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not. (Isa. lxiii. 16.) Though father and mother forsake us, Thou wilt take us up. (Psa. xxvii. 10.) The mother may forget her sucking child, and have no compassion on the fruit of her womb, (Isa. xlix. 15.) but Thou cans't never forget Thine own: Thou cans't never leave them alone, Thou wilt guide them with Thy counsel, and after that, receive them into glory. Thou wilt lead them by the green pastures, and refresh their weary souls, with the waters of comfort.

"In life Thou wilt be their Friend, in death their Hope, in the world to come their Portion for ever."-Hugh James Rose's Sermons.

EARLY religion lays the foundation of happiness both in time and in eternity.

ON ATTENDANCE AT CHURCH.

MY DEAR CHILDREN,-The practice I propose remarking on may not be general, though I regret to have observed it among those I style my own school children. I have an especial love for Christ's young flock; the bad as well as the good engage my care and thoughts, for none I trust, have left the fold they were admitted into by baptism, though some have their faces heavenwards, while others are daily straying from God, who is very merciful, but at the same time, a just and holy Being, and unless they turn quickly and repent of their wickedness, they must perish everlasting.

Many of the children in our schools, have the privilege of attending some, if not all the daily Services of our Church, but I have been grieved to find it is only compulsatory; they are there when the master or mistress conducts them, but when left to themselves scarcely one of them is to be found in the House of God; on the Festivals attendant on Easter and Whit-Sunday, when holidays are granted, the seats appropriated to our children are then vacant. Some may have gone to visit their friends, but all have not; want of time cannot be urged as the plea, for the hours usually devoted to lessons are at liberty to be employed in household duties. It is not the want of ability which is to be lamented, but the want of inclination. It is painfully convincing that most

VOL. VI.-No. 7.

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children attend Church from obligation, not from choice, or from the delight they have in the act of worshipping the Almighty. Such ought not to be the case.

Endeavour, my dear young friends, when in the courts of the Lord to realize His Divine Presence, go to Him as your Father and Guide, ask Him for what you want, feel your utter helplessness, your need of a Protector; only love your Saviour above all things, and then your pleasure will be in lingering in the Temples dedicated to God. The festivals succeeding Trinity-Sunday will find some of you, I hope, at Church, but go with proper feelings, or not at all, with a view of spiritual progress, with supplications for mercy, with penitent and thankful hearts, and an earnest desire to offer up your praises on high. Go, with a firm restriction not to allow anything to distract your attention. Lay your troubles at the feet of Jesus, and raise your thoughts to the regions of bliss. Go, with a striving and longing after" Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord;" go, of your own accord, not to obtain the praise of your fellow-creatures, neither regard the discouraging opinions of others. Remember that the fervent petition, the sincere response, will be answered by that Holy One, whom even miserable sinners may address as their Father. The more frequent our communion with Him here, the more increased will be our desire to depart and be with Christ. YETTA.

ENDURANCE.

If thou faint in the day of adversity thy strength is small. Pov. xxiv. 10.

Faint not beneath thy burthen, tho' it seem
Too heavy for thee, and thy strength is small:
Tho' the fierce raging of the noon-tide beam,
On thy defenceless head untemper'd fall.

Tho' sad and heart-sick with the weight of woe,
That to the earth would crush thee-journey on;
What tho' it be with faltering steps and slow,

Thou wilt forget the toil, when rest is won.

Nay! murmur not because no kindred heart,
May share thy burthen with thee-but alone
Still struggle bravely on, tho' all depart:

Is it not said that each must bear his own?

All have not equally the power to bless;
And of the many, few could cheer our lot:
For "the heart knoweth its own bitterness,
And with its joy, a stranger meddleth not.”

Then be not faithless, though thy soul be dark ;
Is not thy Master's seal upon thy brow?
Oft hath His presence saved thy sinking bark,
And thinkest thou He will forsake thee now?

Hath He not bid thee on Him cast thy care,

Saying, He careth for thee? Then arise;
And in thy path, if trod in faith and prayer,
The thorns shall turn to flowers of Paradise!
H. D. L.

MY LITTLE SISTER.

CHAPTER IV.

Continued from p. 131,-No. 6.

AFTER this I began to look upon my little sister in a new light, at first I was disappointed; when the mystery was cleared up, I could not realize what I had never seen, I thought Heaven was a great way off, and I had some vague idea that people must die before they get there, and death seemed to me a terrible thing. It struck me therefore as very strange that Rose should like to go to Heaven, I had a lurking consciousness that she was much better than I was. She often talked about it, and asked innocently how soon I thought we should go. Doubtless the peculiarity of her situation helped her to this realization of the unseen world; for our very privations have their blessings, and beneficial tendencies. Accustomed to picture all things as unseen, when she dreamt of Heaven there was no shadow of earth to intervene. I do not remember that I quite thought this then, yet the reflection was suggested by some verses that old Joseph taught little Rose to say. I know not where he got them, he had a great store of rhymes and songs, that I never heard from any one else, I think he must have had them from some of the masters with whom he had lived in his youth. Certainly, these were singularly adapted to my little sister's case, she loved to repeat them over and over to us in her own sweet way, half-singing, half-saying, till I too learned them, every word. Still, I seem to hear distinctly the echo of her child-voice, speaking thus: