maimed) from a trap, the eagle is often unable to rise. A curious anecdote was told me by a friend. An eagle had been caught in a vermin-trap, and, by his struggles, had drawn the peg by which the trap was fastened to the ground, and had flown away with it. Nothing was seen for some weeks of eagle or trap, till one day my friend seeing some strange object hanging from the branch of a tree, went to examine what it was, and found the poor bird hanging by his leg, which was firmly held by the trap. The chain and peg had got fixed amongst the branches, and the poor eagle had died miserably from starvation in this position, suspended by the foot. Though certainly the eagles in some localities commit great havoc amongst the lambs, and also destroy the grouse when no larger game offers itself, it would be a great pity that this noble bird should become extinct in our Highland districts, who, notwithstanding his carnivorous propensities, should be rather preserved than exterminated. How picturesque he looks, and how perfectly he represents the genius loci, as, perched on some rocky point or withered tree, he sits unconcerned in wind and storm, motionless and statue-like, with his keen, stern eye, however, intently following every movement of the shepherd or of the sportsman, who, deceived by his apparent disregard, attempts to creep within rifleshot. Long before he can reckon on reaching so far with his bullet, the bird he flies when once fairly launched, like many other heavy birds, a very slight wound disables him from rising into the air when on level ground. Even after having gorged himself to excess (and there is no greater glutton than this king of the air) the eagle is unable to rise, and falls a victim occasionally to his want of moderation in feeding. When in Sutherlandshire I twice fell in with instances of eagles being knocked down, when unable to rise from over-eating. On one occasion a curious kind of character, who acted the part of hanger-on to me in my deershooting excursions, brought home an eagle, which he had killed with his stick before it could rise from the ground. This man, who was dumb, and was supposed (very erroneously) to be half-witted also, had a great penchant for assisting in beating the woods for roe or deer; and from long acquaintance with the country, and from a propensity (very common to people similarly afflicted) for wandering about, he had a perfect knowledge of every corner of the extensive woods on the property, and also a most shrewd guess as to where the deer would be lying, and in which direction they would break cover. Though generally of a most morose and even malicious temper, Muckle Thomas, as they called him, entertained a great affection, in his way, for me; and every morning was to be found seated in front of the windows, smoking a solitary pipe, and waiting to see if I wanted him. Though dumb, he was not deaf, and un-launches himself into the air, and graduderstanding what was said to him, could make himself quite intelligible by signs, assisting my comprehension by drawing, in a rude way, figures on the ground with the long staff which he invariably carried. One morning I had sent him to look in a certain part of the woods to see if any deer's tracks were visible. In an hour or two he returned with something large bundled up in his plaid, which he opened, and cast down his load at my feet with a look and grunt of triumph. After some explanatory signs, &c., I found out that he had come on the eagle, who had so completely gorged himself with a rotten sheep in the wood that it could not rise. Another instance occurred in the same country. A shepherd's boy found an eagle gorging itself on some drowned sheep in a water-course, and being, like all herdboys, as skilful as David in the use of sling and stone, he had broken the eagle's pinion with a pebble, and hadtually stoned the poor bird to death. in this case the eagle was taken at peculiar disadvantage, being surprised in a deep rocky burn, out of which he would have had difficulty in rising quickly, even if he had not dined so abundantly. When wounded by shot or even after escaping (but ally sweeping upwards, wheels high out of shot, leaving his enemy disappointed and vexed at having crept in vain through bog and over rock in expectation of carrying home so glorious a trophy of his skill. When intent on his game, the eagle frequently will venture within a short distance of the grouse-shooter or deer-stalker. I have seen him pounce, (no, that is not the proper word, for he rather rushes,) down on a pack of grouse, and, with outspread wings, he so puzzles and confuses the birds, that he seizes and carries off two or three before they know what has happened, and in the very face of the astonished sportsman and his dogs. The mountain hare, too, is carried off by the eagle with as much apparent ease as the mouse is borne away by the kestrel. The marten and the wild cat are favourite morsels. A tame eagle which I kept for some time killed all the cats about the place. Sitting motionless on his perch, he waited quietly and seemingly unheeding till the unfortunate animal came within reach of his chain. Then down he flew, and surrounding the cat with his wings, seized her in his powerful talons, with one foot planted firmly on her loins, and the other on her throat; and nothing more was seen of poor grimalkin except her skin, which the eagle left empty and turned inside out, like a rabbit-skin hung up by the cook, the whole of the carcass, bones and all, being stowed away in the bird's capacious maw. The quantity of meat taken from the stomach of an eagle killed on the mountain is sometimes perfectly incredible. I regret not having taken a note of the weight of mutton I once saw taken out of one I shot.-Wild Sports and Natural History of the Highlands. THE WORM AND THE EAGLE. AN eagle once alighting upon the top of a mountain, perceived a small dark substance lying upon the ground. "What have we here?" said the king of birds. "A worm," was the humble and almost unheard reply. "And how came you here in the eagle's nest?" "I crawled." This eagle's nest may be compared to the various honours which we may attain to if we persevere. All persons who are desirous of obtaining these honours may by crawling, or, in other words, constant application and perseverance, accomplish almost anything. Look and see how many persons, being of low origin, have raised themselves to be statesmen and poets of the first class. What was Daniel Webster? A farmer's boy, who drove the cows, ploughed and harrowed, just like the country boys of the present day. He is now one of the first men in the United States. By perseverance and hard study he improved his mind, which now expands itself for the good of his country. So you see that nothing is impossible. Persevere, and your endeavours wil be crowned with success. R. V. THE WALDENSES AND THE THE Waldenses used to go out in the character of pedlars, that they might give away the word of God secretly, and thus, as men say, spread heresy. Long, long before a Bible Society was formed or thought of, these poor, pious men went up and down the mountains and valleys in the character of pedlars, in order to distribute the word of God! Oh! laay fair, these silks of mine Her clasping pearls between; "Bring forth thy pearl of exceeding worth, Thou traveller gray and old; And name the price of thy precious gem, And my pages shall count thy gold." The cloud went off from the pilgrim's brow As a small and meagre book, The hoary traveller went his way, On the high-born maiden's mind; sin Cabinet of Things New and Old. REVIVAL OF GOD'S WORK. THE prophet's only hope was in God; and hence he put forth all his strength in prayer, "O Lord, revive thy work!" So it is with us. Men might if they would, but no man will come to Christ, except as he is drawn by the Spirit: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord." Reviving influence, therefore, must come from above. When you can silence the tempest, or reverse the current of your rivers, or turn back the tides of the ocean, then, and not till then, may you hope to turn back the tide of worldliness and sin that rolls over the land. There is no arm of man that is long enough and strong enough to pluck sinners as brands from the burning. There is no voice of man that is powerful enough to break the slumbers of spiritual death. We admit this in theory. Let it have its appropriate influence, and it will bring us to the dust at our Maker's feet. Except the Lord revive his work, the church will slumber on, and not a sinner will be converted to the end of time. The sceptic will continue sceptical, until conviction shall be forced upon him by the demonstrations of the judgment-day. Prejudice, like a shield of brass, will turn off the arrows of truth. The self-deceived will hug the fatal deception, and the worldling will pursue the world, till he is wrapped in his windingsheet. The scoffer will scoff till his tongue is parched, and the prayerless will continue so till he prays for one drop of water to cool his burning tongue. Do we realize this; that, unless reviving influence comes from above, every sinner who reads these words will die in his sins, just as certainly as the Bible is true? No reasonings of a Paul, no eloquence of an Apollos, no tender entreaties of personal friendship, no tears of parental or conjugal love, can change the heart of stone. So felt Ezekiel. When in the valley of vision, the question was put to him, "Can these bones live?" he referred it back to God, "O Lord, thou knowest." So feit the psalmist. "Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee?" So the apostles felt, and so must we feel. Until we realize this great truth, we cannot be prepared for the blessing, and may not expect it. Let us next inquire, why we should pray for a revival? I. CHRISTIANS NEED IT IN THEIR OWN HEARTS. Who has not participated in the general declension? Who has not felt the chill of spiritual death? In whose soul are the pulsations of spiritual life strong and healthy? Who has kept his first love? Who is there among us that does not carry, from day to day, the painful consciousness, that he is removed far from his rest, that he needs to return? Is this a state in which you can be content? Who that has ever seen the light of life is willing to grope on in darkness? D Who that has ever tasted the good word of life, and felt the powers of the world to come, and experienced the blessedness of near communion with Heaven, can be willing to forego the advantage? Who can endure the thought of thus grieving his best friend? The selfdeceived may remain in unconcern, and go slumbering to their graves; but there is a point beyond which the Christian's conscience will not sleep. II. THE STATE OF THE CHURCH INDICATES, MOST AFFECTINGLY, THE NEED OF A REVIVAL. As the Christian is born from above, so the blood is kept moving in the veins of his soul, only by an influence from on high. Such was Paul's view: "I live," said he, "yet not I, but Christ that dwelleth in me." Such was David's view when he prayed, "Uphold me by thy free Spirit." The Holy Spirit dwelling in him is the life of every Christian; and just in proportion as that influence is withdrawn, the fountain is sapped, and the lifeblood of his soul runs out. There is no independent, self-sustaining energy in any of the works of God, whether in the kingdom of nature or of grace. Your limbs are strong only as the vital current flows through them from the heart. The laws of life are such, that our existence in the body can be continued only as the air we breathe comes in contact with the vital fluid as it passes through our lungs. Let the atmosphere be withdrawn but for a few moments, and you die. So the holy fire burns on the altar of the Christian's heart only as it is fanned by the breath of the eternal Spirit. Should that influence be withdrawn, not a single Christian grace would survive. The forms of religion might remain, but they would be utterly lifeless. A spirit of worldly-mindedness would prevail. Brotherly love would decline, mutual confidence would be lost, and the glory of the church would depart. To this the present state of things is tending. Evil agencies within us and around us are urging on the fearful catastrophe. Our own insensibility only proves the disastrous ascendency which these influences have gained over us. O with what constancy and fervency-yea, with what "clearing of ourselves" from whatsoever would grieve the Spirit; yea, with what "fear" and trembling; yea, with what "vehement desire," with what throes of spirit does it become us to urge the prayer of the text, "O Lord, revive thy work!" It is a question of life or death to vital godliness, and it must be settled above, for all below is against us. III. THE SALVATION OF SOULS DEPENDS UPON IT. In proportion as religion declines in the hearts and in the lives of Christians, its influence upon the minds of others is weakened, ungodliness prevails, and the obstacles in the way of human salvation are multiplied and strengthened. Hence a revival of some sort is always in progress; and if it is not a revival of religion, it is a revival of wickedness. Have we sufficiently considered that we are now in the midst of a powerful revival? A soul-destroying work is in progress, day and night, and there is no power in the means of grace to arrest it. 1 A thousand causes are combining to empty the narrow way that leadeth unto life, and to fill the broad way that leadeth unto death. You will ask me to prove this. You have but to open your eyes, and the evidence blazes upon you as sunbeams. To us the gospel has been preached, but for a long time the word preached has not profited men as it ought, "not being mixed with faith." Who turns from the error of his way? Who inquires after God? "Lord, who hath believed our report," and to whom hath thine arm been revealed? What is to become of those who are now in their sins? Youth is the bright season of promise. Comparatively few are converted after having passed the age of thirty. What, then, is to become of our beloved youth if this season of spiritual dearth continues? In speaking as a minister of Christ, I speak also under the influence of a father's feelings, and I speak to some who know the emotions of a parent's heart, as he sees his children growing up without God in the world. If some bodily distemper were prevailing among our youth which baffled the physician's skill, we should be filled with the deepest concern. A moral distemper is here, which is infinitely more dreadful, the contagion of which not a soul of them escapes: "One.general ruin sweeps them down; years, in IV. WE SHOULD PRAY FOR A REVIVAL, THAT GOD MAY BE GloRIFIED. The prophet clearly had this in mind when he prayed as in the text, "O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the the midst of the years make known, in wrath remember mercy." So prayed Daniel, "O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not for thine own sake, O my God!" So prayed our Saviour, "Now, Father, glorify thy Son, that thy Son may glorify thee." God is glorified by the displays of his character, as pure in holiness, perfect in justice, tender and abundant in mercy, and "mighty to save." In a revival, by every subject of the work this is seen with a clearness and felt with a power unknown, unthought of before. It is one of the mournful effects of the apostasy, that men by nature "know not God." They are blind to his true character. Amid the flood of light poured around them from his works and from his word, they are still in darkness. As the cloud which guided the Israelites in their journey was all luminous to them, but dark to the Egyptians; so the same truths which to the Christian seem clothed in heaven's own sweet light, are all dark to the sinner. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.' "The way of the wicked is as darkness." It is a darkness utterly impervious by mere human means. Now, that is a part of the work which is done in the case of every sinner who is converted, and which, in a revival, is done upon a large scale. The Lord breaks through the wall of darkness that encompasses the sinner, and sheds |