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by distraction and wandering. How sadly does the singing of the praises of God fail of its legitimate effect when there is merely, as is too often the case, 66 a solemn sound upon a thoughtless tongue." Oh, it is incalculable the extent to which the public and private services of religion are rendered useless, or, it may be worse than useless, by want of at

tention!

Nor does the evil consequence of a lack of power to concentrate the mind upon a given object stop here. The disciplined mind can turn its attention from one object to another at will; the undisciplined mind cannot. When the one is assailed by evil thoughts, he can concentrate his mind upon some profitable or innocent subject, and so escape the temptation; but when the other is assailed he tries this process in vain, and remains (unless aided by Divine grace in a very unusual manner) a helpless prey to Satan and his own heart's lusts. It is surely an incalculable advantage to have such a control over the mind, as to be able to turn it from evil thoughts! "He that rules his own spirit is greater than he that taketh a city."

Now the point to which we wish to call the attention of young men is this, viz., that the habit of concentrating and controlling the thoughts must be acquired in youth. If that precious season be past in careless, slovenly,inattentive habits, in dreamy castle-building or any kind of loaferism, the evil can never be remedied

afterwards. It is true, it may be alleviated; for at any period of life a diligent use of means in dependence on Divine Grace, will produce a wholesome reform; but this alleviation will be like one who has learned a language late in life, compared with one who speaks his mother tongue. The acquisition, if obtained at all; will be imperfect, clumsy, and awkward, as compared with what it would be if attended to in youth.

The groom most assiduously

breaks his horses, accustoming them to the rein and the whip, so that they shall do with the utmost precision whatever he desires; and every one should pay at least as much attention to his mind. Were a stage driver to start with a team of untrained horses, the whole concern would soon be in the ditch; but his prudence would compare favourably with that of the man who enters the public business of life with an undisciplined mind. Many a time and oft will it land him sorely bruised and bespattered in the ditch, and the probabilities are fearfully great that it will at last precipitate him into the bottomless pit. Young men, be warned ere it be too late, to accustom all your mental faculties to obey your judgment and conscience. You will perhaps find this discipline exceedingly difficult at first, but each subsequent trial will make it easier; and when it has become a habit, you will be prepared for the highest degree of usefulness in the Church and in the world.-Montreal Witness.

Che Fragment Basket.

SET A GOOD EXAMPLE. Nothing is so easy as to write, and preach, and talk of the obligations we are under to "do justly and walk humbly;" but it is altogether a different matter to write and talk simply by example. And yet, though the former be useful, how much more valuable and effective is the latter! What are the most beautiful essays on the cardinal virtues, compared

with the excellency of a life in which these virtues have a living, vital existence? It was not alone the doctrines advanced with such dignified and persuasive eloquence by our Saviour Jesus Christ, nor the wonderful miracles performed by him, which made the hearts of men follow after him; these were rendered doubly effectual by the example which he set at all times, even under the most trying circumstances. And so it is

now, in an humble sense, by mere human hopes. Men may preach, and the world will listen; but profit comes by example. A parent, for instance, inculcates gentleness to his children by many sound precepts; but they see him treat his beast in a rude and angry manner, and, in consequence, his instructions are worse than lost, for they are neither heeded nor respected. His example, as a gentle and humane man, would have been sufficient for his children, without one word or command.

EFFECTS OF THE BIBLE IN

THE FAMILY.

The mother of a family was married to an infidel, who made a jest of religion in the presence of his own children; yet she succeeded in bringing them all up in the fear of the Lord. She was asked how she had

THE BARREN FIG-TREE.

LUKE xiii. 6-9.

By the Rev. Dr. Raffles.
"BARREN still this tree is found,
Lo, it cumbers still the ground:
Culture it has had for years,
But as yet no fruit appears.
Cut it down: why all this toil?
It no more shall curse the soil!"

But the Dresser cries, "Forbear!
Let it stand another year.
Still it shall my care employ;
Then, if fruit appear, with joy
At thy feet it shall be laid,
And my toil be well repaid."

Lord, this parable's for me:
I'm that dead and fruitless tree.
I within the vineyard stand,
Planted by thy gracious hand;
Yet, with all the Dresser's care,
Scanty is the fruit I bear.

I have peaceful Sabbath-days,
I have hours of prayer and praise:
Faithful sermons, they are mine,
Threatenings, promises divine;
All that wisdom could devise,
Sent, in mercy, from the skies.

Yet my heart is cold and dead,
Like a branch that's withered ;

preserved them from the influence of a father whose sentiments were so openly opposed to her own. This was her answer: "Because to the authority of a father I did not oppose the authority of a mother, but that of God. From their earliest years my children have always seen the Bible upon my table. This holy book has constituted the whole of their religious instruction. Did they propose a question, did they commit a fault, did they perform any good action, I opened the Bible, and the Bible answered, reproved, or encouraged them. The constant reading of the Scriptures has alone wrought the prodigy which surprises you." IDLENESS.

The devil tempts every man, except the idle man, and he tempts the devil.-Spanish Proverb.

Poetry.

Yet my hands inactive prove,
To promote the cause I love.
Blessed Jesus! can there be
Life in such a barren tree?

But, another year is given,
Granted by indulgent Heaven:
Sabbaths, sermons, hours of prayer,
Granted for another year;
Still deserved wrath delays,
Mercy lengthens out my days.

Oh, for grace this year to be
All that God delights to see;
Oh, for wisdom from above,
Every moment to improve;
And when time is pass'd away,
Oh, for mercy in that day!

LINES WRITTEN IN A BIBLE PRE-
SENTED TO MY DAUGHTER.

WHEN in future distant years,
Thou shalt look upon this page,
Through the crystal veil of tears,
That dim our eyes in after age,
Think it was a mother's hand,
Though her smile no more thou❜lt see,
Pointing towards that "better land,"
Gave this sacred gift to thee!

Lightly thou esteem'st it now,

For thy heart is young and wild; And upon thy girlhood's brow

Nought but sunny Hope hath smiled;

But when disappointments come, And the world begins to steal All thy spirit's early bloom,

Then its value thou wilt feel!

To thy chamber, still and lone,
Fly, and search this sacred page;
When earth's blandishments are gone,
Every grief it will assuage!
Close thy door against the din

Of worldly folly, worldly fear;
Only let the radiance in

Of each heavenly promise there!

When the bruised spirit bends

'Neath the weight of sorrow's chain; When, of all life's summer friends, Not one flatterer shall remain ; Lay this unction to the wound

Of thy smitten. bleeding breast;

Here the only balm is found
That can yield the weary rest!

Not alone in hours of woe

WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR?

TAY neighbour? It is he whom thou
Hast power to aid and bless,
Whose aching heart or burning brow
Thy soothing hand may press.

Thy neighbour? 'Tis the fainting poor,
Whose eye with want is dim,
Whom hunger sends from door to door;
Go thou and succour him.

Thy neighbour? 'Tis that weary man,
Whose years are at their brim,
Bent low with sickness, cares, and pain;
Go thou and comfort him.

Thy neighbour? 'Tis the heart bereft Of every earthly get,

Widow and orphan, helpless left;

Go thou and shelter them.

Thy neighbour? Yonder toiling slave,
Fetter'd in thought and limb,

Search the Scriptures," but while joy Whose hopes are all beyond the grave;

Doth life's blissful cup o'erflow,

Be it oft thy sweet employ:

So, remembering in thy youth
Him whose spirit lights each page,
Thou shalt have abundant proof
He will not forget thine age!

Go thou and ransom him.

Where'er thou meet'st a human form Less favour'd than thine own, Remember 'tis thy neighbour worm, Thy brother, or thy son.

The Children's Gallery.

THE BOYS AND THE BEARS.

As Elisha the prophet was going up to Bethel, "there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said to him, Go up, thou bald head! go up, thou bald head!' And he turned back and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them." Now, some say that the word which is here translated "little children," means rather boys or young men ; but, however this may be, it is certain-and this is the point to which I want to bring you that the persons thus heavily punished were not grown up to manhood; they had all the excuse that youth could give them. And the offence, too, was probably one which we should call rather carelessness and idle mischief, than deliberate wickedness. They insulted Elisha, just as I am afraid that persons with any thing in their

appearance at all strange or remarkable, are sometimes insulted now. It was Elisha's baldness which they laughed at, in the very spirit of idle boys at all times and in all countries. The point for you to observe is, that God is as angry with the faults of young persons as with those of grownup men, and he punishes them as heavily.

I take this story, then, as teaching us, what I think we very much need to be taught, namely, that the faults of our youth are not considered by God as trifling, but are punished by him after the same measure as the sins of men. We are too apt to measure the guilt of faults by the harm they do in the world, and not by the harm they do in unfitting us for the kingdom of God, by making us unlike God and Christ. But God judges differently; that is to him important, and that he wills his creatures to regard as important,

which is an offence against his laws, a departure from his likeness.

And of this, even of sin, he has willed the consequences to be infinite; not confined to the misery or happiness of a few years, but of all eternity. So, then, if you displease God, which you know you do by every fault, the evil of your conduct is infinite and its consequences are infinite; not doing injury here only, but doing injury far greater-injury to your immortal souls, ruin to your immortal happiness. "He that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much." Here is the reason given why the faults of your boyhood are so serious, because they show a temper that does not love God, and a heart unrenewed by the Holy Spirit.

A BENEVOLENT GIRL. A gentleman went to visit a woman who was sick. As he was going into the room, he saw a little girl kneeling by the side of the poor woman's bed. The little girl rose from her knees as soon as she saw the gentleman, and went out of the room.

"Who is that child?" the gentleman asked.

"O sir," said the sick woman, "that is a little angel, who often comes to read her Bible to me, to my great comfort; and she has just now given me sixpence."

The gentleman was so pleased with the little girl's conduct, that he wished to know how she had learned to love the word of God, and to be so kind to poor people. Finding that she was one of the scholars of a neighbouring Sunday-school, he went to the school and asked for the child. She felt rather afraid when she was called to the gentleman; but he was very kind to her, and asked her if she was the little girl that had been to read the Bible to

the sick woman.

She said she was.

The gentleman said, "My dear, what made you think of doing so?" She answered, "Because, sir, I find it said in the Bible, that 'pure religion and undefiled before God

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THE UNGRATEFUL SON. "The eye that mocketh at his father, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out."-Prov. xxx. 17. THIS is a terrible denunciation against ingratitude to parents, and even in the present day is sometimes virtually fulfilled.

Some years ago, an Irish gentleman, who was an extensive contractor on our public works, was reduced to poverty by the profligacy and dishonesty of an ungrateful son. The old man lost his wife-and to add to his calamity, his health failed; and to fill the cup of his sorrow, he lost his sight. Thus poor, friendless, blind, and forsaken, he found an asylum in the Franklin county almshouse, Pennsylvania.

While an inmate of this refuge for the afflicted, his wicked and ungrateful son travelled that way; he was informed of his father's situation, and that his parent wished to see him; and although he passed within two hundred yards of the almshouse, he refused to stop and see the kind father he had ruined. Now mark the result. The very day he passed the almshouse on his way to Gettysburg, in an open carriage, he was overtaken by a storm, and took a severe cold, that resulted in the destruction of his eyes. He lay in Gettysburg in a critical situation, until his funds were exhausted, and those who had him in charge took him to the Franklin county almshouse.

The day he was brought in, his father having died the day before, was carried out. He was put into the same room, and occupied the same bed, and in a short time followed his neglected and heart-broken father to the judgment-seat of Christ. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God!

BOYS, MIND YOUR
MOTHER!

A boy, about fourteen years of age, whose mother was a widow, living at Wapping, became so hardened and wicked, by getting with bad companions, that he seemed to care for nothing. He went twice into the Thames to swim, and each time narrowly escaped drowning. On his return home, his mother talked seriously to him on the folly and danger of venturing into the river, but in vain. He abused her, and declared with an oath that he would immediately go again. He did so, but had not been in many minutes when he sunk to rise no more!

What a dreadful thing it was to die breaking God's command! Then let children beware how they take the Lord's name in vain, or break the Sabbath, or do any other wicked thing, lest they should die in the act, and so be hurried into the presence of the great God, who is the Judge of all! Don't forget the story of the swearing boy that was drowned.

"FORGET-ME-NOT." "GRANDMOTHER," said little Gretchen, "why do you call this beautiful flower, blue as the sky, growing by this brook, a Forget-me-not?""

"My child," said the grandmother, "I accompanied once your father, who was going on a long journey, to this brook. He told me, when I saw this little flower, I must think of him; and so we have always called it the 'Forget-me-not.""

Said happy little Gretchen, "I have neither parents, nor sisters, nor friends, from whom I am parted. I don't know whom I can think of when I see the 'Forget-me-not.""

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SPARE THE INSECT.

OH, turn that little foot aside,

Nor crush beneath its tread

The smallest insect of the earth,
Which looks to God for bread.

If He, who made the universe,

Looks down, in kindest love, To shape an humble thing like this, From his high throne above; Thou shouldst not dare, in wantonness, That creature's life destroy, Nor give a pang to anything That He has made for joy. My child, begin in little things To act the gentle part, For God will turn his love away From the cruel, selfish heart.

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