with awe at the approach of that HOLY SPIRIT, though He came not as once with rushing wind or visible tongues of flame.

And the thought of living as CHRIST's soldiers, fighting in the power of His might, under the banner of His Cross, came home to those young hearts as the noblest aim of Christian life, as again within the sacred walls they listened in the evening to their own Priest's stirring exhortation.

Through painted glass at evensong, and wove
Their threefold tints upon the marble near,
Faith, prayer and love, the spirit of a child."

Each one of freshest hue

That from its purple censer flings

True fragrance to the cold March breeze :
'You are a Priest,' said he, 'take these
For Easter offerings.'

F. W. F.

" EASTER Eve once more!" said Mr. Bernard, musingly, "and the last time the flowers came forth at the holy Easter-tide, our dear little lad left us. I can scarcely believe it is a year since. How time passes! Well, it is a year nearer to our meeting! You, too, Ion, must feel how much reason we have to thank our good GOD, Who makes our strong human affections the instruments of drawing us towards our eternal home."

Ion only bowed his head. He felt that no words were wanted-that they were even powerless to express his sympathy with the Vicar's loving regret, for every pulse of that strong heart, which would scarcely have quickened at the sense of personal danger, was stirred by the slightest memory of that loved child. Deepest and most cherished of all his earthly affections, which neither time, nor the ceaseless activity of daily labour could weaken, was his love for little Willie; not a spot around his quiet

home-not a flower beneath his feet-but was eloquent with memories of that household treasure, the child who was with the angels.

They were standing together, now, outside the church porch, waiting for the arrival of Margaret, Clement, and Jack, who were to join in the task of decorating the church, under the superintendence of their Priest. Ken was kneeling in the interior, in the midst of a heap of choicest flowers, furnished by his brother-his small hands fashioning the vision of those dreamy eyes, as he had lovingly pictured to himself, a cross of spotless white, softly gleaming above that holy altar, before which he and Jack were on that high festival to receive their First Communion. And the Vicar had glanced at him once with deep interest; the tenderness of his high nature, ever more quickly touched by children, but which was touched indeed when Jack, coming up with his two companions, had placed in his hands with timid bashfulness a bunch of violets, which had evidently been selected with the greatest care. Margaret only knew how jealously guarded and how carefully cultivated those spring blossoms had been, as the boy's contemplated offering.

Their work at length began, quietly, as, never suffered to forget it was in GOD's house, they stood, and even Clement's shaded brow became clear and peaceful in the calm atmosphere of love and prayer. Quickly and silently the floral branches were twined round pillar and arch, or drooped in lowly grace over the shields emblazoned with the saving Cross of the REDEEMER, which were clasped within the arms of many a saintly form, of Martyr or Bishop, Apostle or Confessor; becoming yet more careful in arrangement as on the chancel walls they wreathed round the various devices of the mystic dove, and the rose and the lily, chosen emblems of Beauty and Purity, until they were

gathered into a glorious mass of purest hue around the altar, raised high above the rich pavement of its ascending steps.

Fitting decoration for God's house-His own works, unadorned by man! a decoration in whose highest meaning, it has been said, "is linked in the golden chain of memory, the remembrance of the SAVIOUR, riding forth, not in the regal state of earthly monarchs, but in meekness and humility, when the green branches were scattered on the lowly path of the REDEEMER!"

And amidst nature's verdant treasures, how many a holy event has taken place! It was in a garden that our LORD suffered that awfully mysterious agony; in a garden that the sepulchre was placed; in a garden that He appeared to S. Mary Magdalene. Who shall dare censure such remembrances as these? who venture to cast out the simplest means of leading men to think of Him Who has done so much for us? What glorious opportunities of awakening the best feelings of the heart do men give up, when they allow prejudice to blind them to the vast influence which the sense of beauty, either in Nature or Art, exerts over the human mind! How much they lose by undervaluing the force of aesthetic appeals to the feelings; yet what is the attention paid to correct ritualism, and the desire to see the LORD's house more glorious than the dwellings of His creatures, but a pious effort to enlist external beauty in the service of CHRIST?

For is it right that there should be no ministry of the beautiful in the Temple of GOD? Are we to deck our houses with the choicest gems of art that the industry or the wealth of this world can procure, and let the sanctuary alone be destitute of beauty and design? nay, even exclaiming with unchristian bitterness against Nature's tributes to

the Creator of all. Are we doing well, coldly to say all appeals to the feelings or imagination are Popish ? Are we doing well, to let the Church of Rome monopolise all efforts to promote the glory of the Creator in the works of His creatures, exclusively as her own? Or will it be said, these are but snares of the enemy? Is Satan, then, a Creator? Did he make the Beautiful? Is he not, rather, more rightly termed the Destroyer and the Spoiler? Do we not read that GOD hath made everything beautiful in his time? And as to the works of man, since all capacity of producing what is beautiful must proceed from Him, the All-encompassing, we may be sure that they can never be more rightly or more safely employed than as an offering to the Author and Giver of every good gift. In the world, they may be perverted to the service of the Evil One; in the Church, they are made holy to the service of JEHOVAH.

All our ideas of the pure and good-of the heavenly and angelic, are ideas of beauty, for it is the natural bent of the human mind thus to associate them. And let those who in gazing on some richlydecorated sanctuary exclaim, "To what purpose is this waste? it might have been sold, and given to the poor!" remember that they are but echoing the question of Judas the traitor, who, after so plausibly affecting to take the part of charity, sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver. And our LORD has left on record an answer to the world, when He declared of Mary's offering, "Let her alone, for she hath wrought a good work." If they cannot understand the spirit of devotion which actuates others not to offer unto the LORD of that which costs them nothing, let them at least keep silence : if they will not follow their example, let them at least leave them in peace. Talk as we will of pure spiritual worship needing no appeal to the imagi