enough to keep them from being suffocated, and the gallery strong enough to hold a large Sunday school. And if my blessed Lord Jesus will grant me the favor to get you help. and then to come to the formation of your school, I think I shall rejoice indeed. Well, John, you and I have seen much of His goodness pass before us, may He_help us still to pray in faith, and prove in full realization that He is better to us than all our fears, yea, than even all we can desire. Amen, and amen.

Dear friends, do not forget Kedington in Suffolk. The good old man in Southery must wait till next month, they have no more room for THE VILLAGE PREACHER.

AMELIA

SADGROVE:

OR,

DECISION FOR TRUTH.

BY THE REV. WILLIAM FRITH, BOROUGH GREEN, KENT.

MR.

(Continued from page 81.)

[R. S. overheard Mrs. Sadgrove's invidious reflection, and stepping up to the door, he said, in soft and gentle

language:

"I am sorry, my dear, to hear you speak thus. Instead of being pleased and gratified with the fact that dear little Amelia gives so many evidences of true piety, you appear to manifest every sign of disapproval, and to discourage and annoy those who I am sure feel the deepest interest in her welfare."

To this Mrs. Sadgrove made no reply, but quietly walked away, and nothing more was said that evening.

Some time after this, when the sunny days of summer had departed, and the beautiful landscapes in the neighbourhood of Firfield Hall had changed their verdant excellence for the barren nakedness of the hyemal seasons, instead of going forth along the shady lanes, and through the grassy fields covered with gorgeous flowers, they were confined to the house; and in the hours of vacation talked over the most attractive and interesting

books, and the various sources of amusement that would beguile the "leisure hour." And it was on one of these occasions, in the foggy month of November, when the day had been dark and cloudy, and unpropitious for any recreation in the pleasure grounds, that Amelia had entertained, by the consent of her affectionate parents, after the termination of the hours of study, a young friend whose name was Thirza Williams, of a very gentle and amiable disposition. So after tea, Amelia, her little friend and sisters, together with her governess, retired to the study and began a conversation on the most acceptable books for vacation hours.

Thirza Williams, who had brought some books in a little morocco bag, began to pull out one or two of them, and placed upon the table Jane Hudson, 'Robinson Crusoe," the "Pilgrim's Progress," and a number of books of light literature.

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Miss Brooks, who was observing every action of Thirza Williams, asked her which book she liked best. To which Thirza replied:

"I think Robinson Crusoe' is so very interesting and entertaining. When once you begin it, you do not like to lay it down till you have read it."

"O," said Sarah Sadgrove, "I am very pleased with that book, for I have read it, yet I think I much prefer Jane Hudson,' for the lessons taught by the book are so useful and important, and it also has a regard for piety, being published by the 'Religious Tract Society.'

"I am am very glad to hear you make those remarks," observes Miss Brooks, "and I hope you will always have your choice directed in the selection of your books, more by a regard to their utility and piety than to amusement and gratification, because you know, dear Sarah, that, while it is right that we should have some diversion and amusement, it should always be connected with a becoming sobriety, Do you recollect what the poet says? . "Religion never was designed To make our pleasures less."

And therefore in all our ways we should acknowledge Him,

whose ways are ways of pleasantness, and all His paths are peace."

Amelia, who had been quietly listening to all the remarks of her attached governess, and looking with that marked attention that is a sure index of felt interest, now broke silence, and said:

"Dear Miss Brooks, I think you already know my choice, for I recollect that you have always taken particular notice of the books I have selected for my evening's recreation. But there is one that I like above others, and it is the Pilgrim's Progress.' O I think it is so very interesting, and so full of interest to those who hope to go to heaven when they die. O it has been very useful to me during the last year, it was on my fifteenth birthday that I seemed to enjoy it most. I had often read it before, but it was after going one day with you and dear Miss Glover, my old nurse, who has now leít us, to hear Mr. How at the village chapel, that I began to read it with more interest. You remember when Mr. How was speaking to the young, he referred to it as a very nice book for young enquirers, and said that next to the Bible it was the best book in the world. And from that time I began to read it with great pleasure, for I felt that I was an enquirer for Jesus, and must be something like poor Christian. I must leave the world and its wicked company, and take the Bible as my guide to heaven."

“My dear girl,” exclaims Miss Brooks, "how glad I am to hear you talk so. It is indeed a precious book, and I hope the Holy Spirit will make it a blessing to you. But as Miss Thirza Williams has come to spend the evening with us, we must not engross any more time, though it would delight me much to hear more of your experience of the value of that excellent volume, which indeed I shall do at some convenient season."

How much Miss Amelia talks like my dear mamma," exclaims Miss Thirza Williams. "The Pilgrim's Progress' is her favorite book, and often, after she has come home from hearing Dr. Horn, the vicar, she has sat down and said, 'I can get more comfort and instruction in that little book of the tinker, than I can from hearing that poor, misguided, jesuitical vicar, who says nothing that comes home to the heart. Indeed it always stands

side by side with the Bible on the table, and I believe that is one of dear mamma's choicest books."

"Did I hear, Miss Thirza," exclaimed Miss Amelia, "that you went to a ball with the Georges and the Miss Gregories at Captain Prescot's ?"

Miss Thirza Williams flushed like a crimson rose, with conscious shame, and biting her lips with anger to think that should have reached the ears of her young friend at Firfield hall, in a very confused and agitated manner replied:

"It is true, dear Amelia, that I did go, though much against the wish of mamma. But I did not enjoy myself. I felt out of place, and the lightness of all, and indeed the rudeness of some quite disgusted me, and I spent the evening without any pleasure, and came home truly wretched, and grieved poor dear mamma for some days after. And I have resolved that I would never go to a ball again. For though I am not, you know, so religious as you are, and do not like to go to chapel, because few people of refinement, position, and good education go there, yet I like to go to church, and hope, by so doing, I shall get to the same heaven at last."

(To be continued.)

WHAT IS LOVE?

BY REV. SAMUEL MARTIN.

HAVE been reading a sermon by that refined, gentlemanly scholar and truly gifted minister, SAMUEL MARTIN, of Westminster. I do not think he is much known by CHEERING WORDS readers; but he is a great favourite of mine. I believe the Lord has given him powers of thought, and affections toward heavenly things beyond many. They are building him a new Westminster Tabernacle, and in it I hope thousands will be truly gathered to Christ. In this my first notice of Mr. Martin I will only give a few words of his on love. It is the commencement of a sermon on Jer. xxxi. 3. He says,

"PROFESSOR BLAYNEY renders the

Hebrew text, From afar off

These

Jehovah appeared unto me: Also with a love of long standing have I loved thee: therefore have I lengthened out my merey to thee.'-Dr. Henderson renders the passage, 'Of old Jehovah appeared to me. Yea, I loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore have I prolonged my loving-kindness to thee.' And in the margin of some Bibles you will read, 'The Lord hath appeared from afar. With a love of long standing have I loved thee, and I have extended loving-kindness unto thee.' different renderings, however, do not much modify the meaning of the text; and we may take it in substance as it is rendered here. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee,' or, therefore have I extended my loving-kindness unto thee." We shall speak of this love as everlasting love, as everlasting love of God, following its objects to the uttermost.

"Now, What is love? Is it not delight in an object, and is it not desire to promote the well-being of an object? The love of God answers to these definitions. For example, it is said, after an account has been given to us of the creation of our earth and her firmament, that God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good." The feeling within the Creator that what He had made was very good, was delight in that which He had made, and that delight is one form of love. In the 104th Psalm, after the inspired poet has been describing the manifold works of God, he says, The Lord shall rejoice in His works' or delight in His works. That delight is one form of love. But this is not the kind of love to which our Saviour refers, when, in his conversation with Nicodemus, he spake the oft-repeated words, 'God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' This is a form of love different from that represented by the words, The Lord shall rejoice in his works.' 'God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good.' This is love taking an extraordinary form in order to reach beings who have sunk below their normal state. So that you see that so far as the Divine nature is concerned, the desire to do good may exist

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