Harry was not a litle surprised to see a young man with dark hair, and bright, laughing eyes, instead of a grave, elderly personage with spectacles, as he hastened to produce his box and make known his errand.

"This is certainly my wife's bracelet," said the doctor, as he examined the glittering ornament,

inquired the way to Dr. Driver's, at the preposterous hour of seven and found that he had about a mile o'clock in the morning? Nothing to walk. This was nothing, how-less than a fit, or a broken leg or ever, to a strong active boy; and arm, will satisfy me.” Harry enjoyed every moment as he passed along between blossoming apple-trees, or flower-decked fields, in their first morning sweetness, and heard the birds singing, and breathed the fresh, delicious air. How he wished 'that he lived in the country again; and he then and there resolved to work hard until he got enough money to buy back the little village home. His mother, he" and she lost it in just about the thought, was happier and stronger there; and she should not stay long in the city if he could possibly help it. There was Dr. Driver's, the third house, as he had been directed, from the pretty stone church-at which Harry gazed with fresh thoughts of Aston; for some day, if he became a rich man, he meant to build just such a church there. Meanwhile our young builder and planner was engaged in the highly lucrative employment of selling newspapers. The doctor's house was a very pleasant one; a square edifice with a great deal of piazza, and flowerbeds, and urns in a setting of closelymown lawn. There was a professional sign-" Dr. Driver"-on one of the pillars of the verandah; and Harry went up the nicely gravelled path and rang the bell.

The neat-looking girl who came to the door was very anxious to take up Harry's message; the doctor, she said, had been out most of the night, and did not wish to be disturbed yet, unless it was absolutely necessary. But Harry insisted upon seeing Dr. Driver himself, on very important business; and having taken him into the office, the girl went upstairs.

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a

'Well, young man," said pleasant voice, as Harry sat lost in thought, "have you any good excuse to offer for dragging a hard-working doctor from his well-earned slumbers

place where you say you found it as she was hurrying to catch the six o'clock train. But, my boy, you should not have given it up, or even have shown it to me, without asking some questions to prove my ownership." Harry looked so genuinely astonished at this, that the doctor added, laughingly-"Ah! I see you have yet to learn that there are rogues in the world-I wish that I had! Mrs. Driver will be very glad to see her bracelet again, and I shall be very glad to reward the boy who has so honestly brought it back. Now tell me just what you would think a suitable reward."

The doctor was opening his pocket-book; but Harry stammered, with a blushing face: "Nothing at all, sir-unless you will be so kind as to pay my fare here and back. I would not take this, nor would my mother wish it, but we are very poor; and I am trying to help her a little by selling newspapers.'

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Take the

Now, my boy," said the doctor kindly, as he laid down a five-pound note, "this is all nonsense, and I cannot consent to it. money which you have fairly earned and which I gladly pay; and if you are not satisfied, I will willingly give you more, for the bracelet has a value to us quite beyond that of its weight in fine gold."

But Harry was firm in his re

fusal, and would take nothing but his fare.

"You certainly are a remarkable boy," said the doctor, as he stood looking at him thoughtfully; "and I cannot feel satisfied to have you go without even paying you for the loss of your time. Cannot you think of something instead of money that you would be willing to take? Is there anything that I can do for you?"

"Yes, sir," replied Harry hesitatingly, "If it would not be too much trouble-if the lady would not mind it. Could I just see her once?" "Certainly you can. I 'will call

her."

in such a hurry yesterday; and it must have been unfastened without my knowing it. It is one of a pair which my husband gave me on my wedding day, and I would not have lost it for a great deal more than its outward value. But I want you to tell me something about yourselfwhere you live, and what your mother does."

Harry told his story modestly, and in a very few words; and when Mrs. Driver found that his mother made dresses, she expressed herself very glad to hear it, as she had been looking for a dressmaker for some time past. She said that she would call and see Mrs. Marton about it. And trying hard not to laugh, the Then Harry was told that he doctor took the bracelet in his hand, must stay to breakfast, and his and ran lightly up the stairs. In bread-and-butter and cold water the front room stood the sweet- taken so early did not at all unfit looking lady whom Harry had seen him for the enjoyment of hot coffee the day before, in a blue wrapper, and muffins and beefsteak; but he with all her pretty golden hair said something about getting back floating loose over her shoulders. to his papers, when the doctor She was just dressing for breakfast; and she looked very much astonished when her husband said

"Here is your bracelet, Minnie, and it was brought by a very funny boy-a perfect little knight-errant, who magnanimously refused money for his service, but will take his payment in a look at your ladyship. It seems that he had a glimpse of you yesterday. You had better grant him an audience on the top stair just as you are, for he is a man of business, and is in haste to be gone." "How very funny!" laughed Mrs. Driver; the boy must be a curiosity; and I am quite anxious to see what he is like."

laughingly promised to buy his whole stock. So he stayed, and Mrs. Driver ask him a great many questions in a very pleasant way, until she found out much more about the boy than he would deliberately have told her.

Then the little lady began to lay plans of her own for him; and when Harry had departed, happy and elated with his visit, she told her husband that here was just the boy he had been wanting to drive with him and help him in various ways. The doctor could not seem to remember that he had wanted a boy; but when his wife assured him that he had been quite inconvenienced without one, he tried to believe it, and ended by offering Harry steady employment and good wages.

Mrs. Driver had been so pleased with the son, that she did not wait long to become acquainted with the mother; and Mrs. Marton soon had so much work to do for that lady

and her friends, that it became the country again, to Harry's great

much more convenient to hire a small cottage at Fairview Point than to stay in the city.

So mother and son are living in

delight; and as he expects to study with the doctor when he gets a little older, it is possible that he may be able to build that church yet.

GOD MANIFEST IN THE FLESH.

BY G. B. FOSTER.

"He that hath seen me hath seen the Father."-John xiv. 9.

THE gospel by John abounds with testimony to the divinity of Jesus Christ. Its sublime and unique introduction declares that, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;" and then, further, it adds that this "Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory." In this gospel Jesus Christ declares Himself to be the subject of the written and inspired Word. He says, "Search the scriptures, . for they testify of me." He speaks of Himself as "the Light," illumining his followers' paths; as the Fountain of living waters; as that "bread of life" which came down from heaven, and of which, if men eat, they shall live for ever. He calls Himself the "good Shepherd," who lays down His life for the sheep, bestows on them eternal life, and preserves them from ever perishing; He claims to be "the way, the truth, and the life;" to be one with the Father.

Now our text might be taken as an illustration or a proof of Jesus Christ's divinity; as showing that Jesus Christ and God are ONE,— identical; that he who has looked upon the one has also beheld the other; that he who has seen Jesus Christ the Son, has also seen God manifest in the flesh; that Christ is God the Son; that, bowing in adoration before Him, we may reverently exclaim, "Ecce Homo, Ecce Deus!" But we prefer to look at this verse in altogether another aspect. We want to look at Jesus Christ as an illustration of the character of the heart of God. We want to try and point out that Jesus Christ was in the world to show us what God was like. Philip's request, which brought forth this declaration from Jesus Christ, was no new desire. Far away in remote ages, Moses had prayed to the great God: "I beseech thee, show me thy glory; and the Lord graciously answered his petition by causing His goodness to pass before him; telling him that no man could see His face and live. Philip's request was not an unnatural one. Jesus Christ had said a good deal about His Father; speaking about Him in a preceding verse, He bad said (ver. 7), "From henceforth ye know him, and have seen him."

Philip could not understand these words (the disciples never fully understood Christ Himself); they filled Philip with surprise and

66 'Lord, show us the

wonder, and evoked from him the request, Father." And Jesus Christ's half reproachful, and yet infinitely tender and gracious, reply, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father," intimates that already Philip's petition was granted that Jesus Christ was "God manifest in the flesh;" that He was in the world to show men what God's heart to man was. That God who, at sundry times and in divers manners, had . . . spoken unto the fathers by the prophets," had spoken unto them by his Son, . . the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.' That He was

Immanuel: God with us.

Many people have very strange, wrong, and imperfect notions of God's character. They think only of His terrible majesty; of His awful power; of His inflexible justice. They know Him only as the High and Holy One who inhabiteth eternity; as the great God who sitteth upon the circle of the earth, in whose sight the inhabitants thereof are but as grasshoppers; as the Almighty One, before whom even angels veil their faces; as the Omniscient One, before whom every evil thought and desire is made known; as the Omnipotent One, full of majesty, all powerful, the great and dreadful God.

Jesus Christ came into the world to show us by His life what God really was. Look at Christ's life and character. He was very tender, very gentle; full of pity, mercy, and compassion. Think of Him staying the funeral procession at the gate of Nain; how, without being sought for, with words of gentleness and yet of infinite power, He called the young man back to life, and with tenderest sympathy restored him to his widowed mother, thus drying her tears and binding up her broken heart. Think of Him, again, surrounded, when near Jericho, by a crowd of admiring, wondering followers, staying to hear a beggar's petition, to help him in his need, and restore to him his sight, caring more to alleviate a beggar's misery than to listen to an applauding multitude. Jesus Christ always cared for the poor, the weak, the helpless, and the infirm. Think of Him, again, out in the wilderness, surrounded by thousands of hungry hearers. Think of the famishing congregation; of the thoughtful Saviour: "I have compassion on the multitude: if we send them away fasting they will faint by the way." Think of the wonderful provision made by the Lord Jesus Christ: a few loaves and fishes plentifully feeding thousands of hungry people. And as Jesus Christ was, so is God; for He says, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.'

Of God it is written, "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." "He bindeth up the broken in heart; " "He healeth all thy diseases; "Thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing;" and Jesus Christ shows us by His acts what all this really means. 'Tis very important that God's character should be rightly understood. Parents, ye that call God your Father who is in heaven, take care that you teach your children what God really is. Very many wrong impressions of God's

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character are given; impressions that make the little ones, the young men and maidens, wish there were no God. "Mamma," said a little girl, "I wish Jesus Christ was God: I should try to love Him then; but God Himself is so big and so cross, I am afraid of Him." There was some reason in the child's speech. God is often represented as though He delighted in detecting sin. Such a text as "Thou, God, seest me," words that ought to cheer and encourage, are reiterated until the young ones feel that God is a great watcher, not to protect and bless, but to note down, with a view to future vengeance, everything that is said or done amiss. Such verses as "God is angry with the wicked every day," are repeated in the youthful ear, until it is felt that all God's thoughts must be full of indignation, and that He will have but little time to think of others than the wicked. Now this kind of teaching seems likely to turn away the hearts of the young from God; to make them dread Him; to cause them to look upon Him as one to be shunned and feared rather than loved. And sinners, too, men out of the way," often have very wrong notions of God's character and heart given to them. They hear Him spoken of as a ""consuming fire," as "turning the wicked into hell; they often hear Him preached about as though He rejoiced in detecting and punishing with the utmost rigour His children's sins. This is a mistake; a gross misrepresentation of God's purpose and will. God does punish sin; but He has no pleasure in it. He would rather that men should live for ever in heaven than perish. Now, Jesus Christ came into the world to reveal God to us. And what a revelation did He give! To show us God's heart towards children he said, "Suffer the children to come to me." He took them in His arms and blessed them; He told the disciples to treat them very carefully and gently, adding that in heaven their angels did always behold His Father's face. To show men God's willingness to forgive, restore, and bless those who had wandered from Him, He drew the wondrous picture of the Prodigal Son; to teach God's treatment of backsliders, men who had fallen into sin, and yet truly loved righteousness, He sent a loving message to poor Peter on the resurrection morning, and received him back to his old position in the apostolic band. To make known God's kindness to sinners, to the outcast and despised, He received and forgave the woman that was a sinner; He called such men as Zaccheus and Matthew the publican to follow Him; He pardoned the penitent thief, and bade him welcome into paradise. Jesus Christ said, "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life;" and then, to show us what that meant," he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death." And Christ says, "He that hath scen me hath seen the Father." Then the Father's heart must be full of mercy, compassion, sympathy, and love.

But there are some people who fully understand that God is merciful