It was a beautiful picture. Poor Jamie! | skater in the company, and soon was far in With what different feelings would he | advance of the rest. have looked upon it had he then known Alas! none of the boys knew of the what was to happen within the next two murderous “ breathing hole” which had hours ! opened that day in the ice in the channel, He crossed the field before the house, and now lay right in James's path, waiting and was soon on the canal, and gliding to receive him ; and the first notice they swiftly toward the river, from which the had of its existence was a cry of terror sound of merry voices already reached his from him as he plunged in. All was conear. And as he wheeled splendidly just at fusion among the boys. But George, more the entrance of the canal, the boys saw self-possessed than the others, hurried to him, and came bearing down upon him the shore, and shouting cheerily, “Hold like a fleet of swift ships before the wind. on, Jamie, I'll help you out,” broke off the “Hurrah, Jamie !" cried a dozen of them limb of a tree as large and long as he could as they joined company on the canal. There handle, brought it on, and tried, by carethey amused themselves awhile, racing, fully creeping towards James, to put it leaping, skating backward, and cutting all within his reach. But the current was sorts of fauciful figures on the ice, until strong; the water was bitterly cold; and George gave the word, “ Now for the James, who had been urging his friend to island ;" and with loud shouts they shot make haste, now began to lose his strength out together upon the river. All but and become benumbed; and before the James. “I must leave you now," he said. | limb came within his grasp he said, faintly, “Oh, James, don't !" cried several at “O, George, I can't hold on any longer once. ask father-to forgive" and went down "Now see here, James,” said George. with the tide. “ What's the use of being so set ? Go An hour later, the men at the mill below, down with us this time." who had broken the ice above the barred " Father said, “Don't go on the river.'”. outlet of the dam, and were watching and “Well, as to that, you've been on the waiting in expectation of their mournful river two or three times. Look at your work, lifted James's body out of the water, marks.” And James now saw that, in the and tenderly carried it to his home. excitement of their sport, he had re Boys, I have told you a very sad peatedly rushed out of the canal quite story; but I am hoping now to impress across the channel of the river. He wanted upon your young hearts the lesson of to go with the boys. He didn't really obedience to parents so deeply that it shall think there was much danger; and the never be forgotten. If you are ever tempted discovery that he had already unwittingly to disregard a kind father's command, or broken his father's command did not help his advice-even though it be “ only once" him in his hour of weakness and tempta --while you pray for strength to resist the tion. The boys all clamoured for him to temptation, remember Jamie. It is true join them. James slowly glided out of the that disobedience to parents is not always, canal — stood still a moment — and the nor indeed often, followed so speedily by tempter prevailed. such sad consequences; but we know that “Well, I'll go down this once; mind the smile of God will rest only upon those you, only once," and he darted like an children who obey their parents “in the arrow to the front, for he was the best Lord.” Gems from Golden Mines. WHERE ARE THE STARS ? I don't see any." I said to her, “ Wait I was walking out one evening, just after till it is a little darker, and you will see sunset, with a child a few years old by my | them." side, who asked me, “ Where are the stars ? | We continued our walk, she clinging fast to my hand. The shades of evening deep “Because a few individuals were dis. ened: one by one the stars appeared, and satisfied,” was the answer. soon, in the darkness of night, the whole “ Were the people, as a whole, united in sky was covered with their light and him ?” beauty. “Yes, very much so; and these same As we walked on, I fell a musing, and men drove away our former pastor, whom when we returned home, the musing still we all liked.” went on, as I repeated to my heart—“Wait “But how came you to permit so unjust till it is a little darker, and the light will a thing ?” come.” Often have we heard that “man's “O, some of these men paid a pretty extremity is God's opportunity ;” that heavy subscription, and such men, you as when he has humbled us, he will exalt know, can unsettle a minister, if they set us ; " that "he will cause light to rise out out for it." of obscurity ;” and that “the darkest time Now, for the mischievous, ruinous work, is just before day.” And many a poor, which this class of persons is doing in our weary, troubled soul has found, in his own churches, there is a remedy. It is in the experience, that from the verge of despair church, and let it be applied. Let the the blessedness of hope has sprung. When church conclude that they can get along all other help has failed him, God has been without their aid, which they certainly can, his help and Saviour. But we are very for such members are assuredly a damage slow to get the comforts of these promises to the church pecuniarily. Let the church and proverbs in advance. After the stars give these members to understand, that have come out bright, and the sky is radiant their unreasonable, querulous disaffection with glory, we admire it, and wonder at shall not drive from them a pastor in our own want of faith before. Like the whom they are generally and happily united; child who did not know where the stars are and if one of the two parties must go, they, when she could not see them, we do not and not the pastor, had better ask a letter know where light and peace and joy are to of dismission come from when we are in trouble. Well, And while the church is thus decided, we must wait till it is a little darker. We let the pastor be faithful and affectionate. have not had trial enough yet. We must Let him not be driven from his post by fret and worry about the future; we must those few troublesome members. If they see the country and our business and our annoy him, let him bear it. He will in property going to ruin ; we must be per his best condition be annoyed from some plexed and distressed on every side, and source, and he may as well be annoyed cast down and nearly destroyed ; perhaps from this source as from any. Let him we must actually suffer by hunger, and go right on, treating these brethren as well nakedness, and the sword; but when it is as God's grace will permit him; preach the a little darker the stars will appear. The Gospel and live it; and God will take good day-star will arise on our hearts. The care of him, and in time, the right care of Lord will provide. Our food and raiment | them. They will be found occupying their will come. Our country will be saved. own place. The days of peace and prosperity will re Pastors, around whom your people as a turn. The voice of the turtle will be heard body are gathering, don't quit your post for in the land. Zion will arise and shine. a few Jannes and Jambres.-American And the days of our mourning will be Paper. ended. Anxious brother, troubled sister, wait till it is a little darker, and you will see the PARENTAL TRAINING. stars !-New York Observer. THE parent should be to the child the cheerful, the radiant, the easily accessible one, that speaks of things mirthfully where mirth is proper. The child should look THE UNEASY SPIRITS. upon father and mother as model philoI RECENTLY visited a church, the pastor sopher, and priest, and friend-as patterns of which had resigned his office. The church of manhood and womanhood; and that has had three pastors within about as many being so, I tell you there is a great deal of years. “But why did your pastor leave pis education necessary before we are fit to be I asked. | fathers and mothers. The most important thing in this world, next to the soul's salva. | nothing to do but to sit thinking of them. tion, is the taking care of children; and yet selves, meditating, sentimentalizing (or there is no subject on which there is 80 mysticizing), are almost sure to become the much ignorance as on this. Men and prey of dark, black misgivings. John women assume the relation of parents struggling in the desert needs no proof that without the least knowledge of the duties Jesus is the Christ. John shut up, bethat belong to that relation. By the time came morbid and doubtful immediately. their children have grown up, and passed Brethren, all this is very marvellous. The beyond their control and influence, they history of a human soul is marvellous. We begin to say, “I believe if I could turn are mysteries ; but here is the history of it round and bring up my children again, I all; for sadness, for suffering, for miscould do it more wisely." ... We giving, there is no remedy but stirring and must learn how to carry ourselves before doing.--Robertson. we can learn how rightly to take care of children. But we may certainly learn to do this to make our leisure hours not hours of tattling, certainly not hours of 1 THE ADVENT OF CHRIST. backbiting or scandal, but hours of edifying. THE Church has waited long Let us do what we do for edification. It | Her absent Lord to see ; will make our lives sweeter and happier. | And still in loneliness she waitsLet us be continually actuated by this A friendless stranger she. thought: How shall I build myself up in a | Age after age has gone, Christian manhood ? How shall I exercise Sun after sun has set, my rights and liberties so that wherever I And still in weeds of widowhood go I shall build men up in such a way as to She weeps, a mourner yet. make them better? May God give us in Come, then, Lord Jesus, come! struction so to build! And when at last we appear in Zion, and before God, may we Saint after saint on earth be able to render an account of our steward Has lived, and loved, and died ; ship, such that we shall not be ashamed to And as they left us, one by one, be called labourers, and such that God We laid them side by side; shall not be ashamed to call us labourers We laid them down to sleep, together with him! (Gen. xviii. 19; But not in hope forlorn ; We laid them but to ripen there, Come, then, Lord Jesus, come! The serpent's brood increase ; The powers of hell grow bold; It is the strange truth that some of the The conflict thickens, faith is low, highest of God's servants are tried with And love is waxing cold. darkness on the dying bed. Theory would How long, O Lord our God ? say, when a religious man is laid up for his Holy, and true, and good! last struggle, “Now he is alone for deep com Wilt thou not judge tby suffering Church, munion with God.” Fact very often says, Her sighs, and tears, and blood ? “No; now he is alone, as his Master was Come, then, Lord Jesus, come! before him, in the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil.” Look at John the Baptist | We long to hear Thy voice, in imagination, and you would say, “ Now To see Thee face to face, his rough pilgrimage is done. He is quiet, To share Thy crown and glory there, he is out of the world, with the rapt fore As now we share Thy grace. taste of heaven in his soul.” Look at John Should not the loving Bride in fact. He is agitated, sending to Christ, The absent Bridegroom mourn ? not able to rest, grim doubt wrestling with Should she not wear the weeds of grief his soul, misgiving for one last black hour Until her Lord return? whether all his hope had not been delusion. Come, then, Lord Jesus, come! There is one thing we remark bere by the The whole creation groans, way:-Doubt often comes from inactivity. And waits to hear that voice We cannot give the philosophy of it, but That shall restore her comeliness, this is the fact - Christians who have And make her wastes rejoice! Come, Lord, and wipe away -a being, already invested with a deathless The curse, the sin, the stain, life, already adopted into the immediate And make this blighted world of ours family of God, already enrolled in the Thine own fair world again. brotherhood of angels, yea, of the Lord of Come, then, Lord Jesus, come! angels; a being who, amid the revolutions of earth and skies, feels and knows himself indestructible, capacitated to outlast the universe, a sharer in the immortality of THE CHRISTIAN A PILGRIM. God. What is there that can be said of We are pilgrims to a dwelling-place of such an one which falls not below the blessedness; and the light that streams awful glory of his position ? Oh! misery, through its open portals ought to suffice that with such a calling, man should be the us as we approach them. An anticipated grovelling thing he is ; that, summoned but beatitude, a sanctity that even now breathes | to pause for a while in the vestibule of the of Paradise, a grace which is already tinged | eternal Temple, ere he be introduced into with the richer lines of glory,-these should its sanctities, he should forget in the dreams mark the Christian disciple, and these, as of his lethargy the eternity that awaits him! he advances in years, should deepen and Oh! wretchedness beyond words, that, surbrighten upon and around him, until the rounded by love, and invited to glory, he distinction of earth and heaven is almost should have no heart for happiness; but lost, and the spirit in its placid and un- should still cower in the dark, while light earthly repose is gone, as it were, before ineffable solicits him to behold and to the body, and at rest already with its God I enjoy it!-W. Archer Butler. Our Missions. CHRISTIANITY IN CEYLON. 1 of the saints were destroyed. The statue THERE are slight traces of the existence of the Apostle Thomas had its nose cut off, of a small body of Christians in Ceylon in its body stuck all over with nails, and in the sixth century; but they appear to have this state it was shot out of a mortar into been foreign settlers. The natives of the l a ditch. It was made death to entertain a island adhered to the faith of Buddha. Romish priest, and many laws were passed When the Portuguese conquered the pro- to extirpate Romanism from the land, vinces on the sea-coast, in the sixteenth Measures were then taken to compel the century, they found the Tamil population natives to receive the doctrines of the Reof the north followers of Brahma; Budd formed Church. Civil rights could only be hism was the religion of the pure Singha enjoyed on condition of baptism. Property lese, who inhabited the centre and southern could not be inherited, or even a marriage districts of the country. solemnized among the natives, unless they Romanism came in with the Portuguese, were first baptized. To enjoy civil honours and in Jaffna they speedily succeeded in and rights, multitudes of natives submitted making the people Christians ; how sincere to the rite, and there sprang up a vast prothey were was seen when, on their exclusion fession of Christianity, while yet thc proby the Dutch, the converts immediately fessors practised the rites of Buddha. turned again to idolatry. Galle fell into | Education in schools and attendance at the hands of Holland in the year 1640, and church were made compulsory, and, dependby 1658 the Dutch had overpowered the ing on these measures, the Dutch pastors Portuguese, and succeeded by right of con hoped that they had succeeded in establishquest to all their possessions in Ceylon. ing Christianity firmly in the island. The Reformed Church of Holland was But appearances were deceptive. If the then formally established as the religion of Singhalese called themselves Christians, the colony. The Romish clergy were they added Buddhist to the name ; and to transported to continental India, their this day it is no unusual thing for the churches were dismantled, and the images missionary to be told that his hearers com bine the incompatible characters of being, are usually called Burghers; but he also both Christians and Buddhists. preached to the Singhalese through an inCeylon was definitely attached to the terpreter. In a short time he mastered British empire in 1802. For a time the this language also, and the grammar which Dutch pastors were retained; but the re- he wrote continued to be the best manual moval of all compulsion led to an open for its acquirement, until displaced by the revival of idolatry, the casting off of the recent productions of one of our present garb of Christianity which the Buddhists I missionaries. Mr. Carter. had worn, and an apparent decay of faith In 1816 the Rev. T. Griffith joined in the Gospel. By the British Govern the mission, who possessed a remarkable ment all religions were placed on an facility in the acquisition of Singhalese ; equality; and though at the present time | but repeated attacks of cholera soon conthere is a bishop of the Church of England, constrained him to leave the little flock be with a clerical staff, he and his clergy are had gathered at Galle. About this time mere stipendiaries of the State, and pos | the Wesleyan and Church Missionary Sociesess no rights other than those which are ties also entered on the field. common to all denominations of Chris Mr. Chater died in 1829, and was suctians. ceeded by the apostolic Daniel. Although Romanism, however, still continues to a few remarkable conversions had occurred, retain a large number of people under its .the number of converts was small, while influence, and finds especially its main | the schools contained about 400 children. support among the fishermen and Moormen Mr. Daniel made it his especial object who live on the coast. to carry the Gospel to the hamlets that Of Protestant missions, the London lie embedded in the jungles which on Missionary Society was the first to attempt every side surround Colombo. He thus deto introduce the Gospel anew. Three Ger scribes his daily life while visiting these mans were sent out in 1804, but in a few secluded spots:-"I enter a village, and years the mission was reduced by the expul proceeding from house to house, I sit down sion of one of the missionaries, and the on a seat, if I can procure one, or if not I removal of the others, and was finally aban spread a mat upon the ground, and endeavour doned. in the plainest language, and with the most It was in 1812 that the eminent men at familiar illustrations, to explain the way of Serampore turned their attention to Cey. salvation. Sometimes, in answer to my lon, when Mr. Chater, on leaving Burmah, invitations to attend, the Singhalese ask, was directed in the providence of God to “What will you pay us to do so? Will you undertake the task of aiding to evangelise give us arrack if we listen to you?' If not this beautiful land. Some years before this, thus coarsely insolent, they will invent the press at Serampore had printed a ver some excuse to get away; and if sent to sion of the New Testament in Singhalese, ask their friends to attend, they go, but do and two thousand copies were sent by the not return. We proceed to another house ; Calcutta Bible Society for distribution. and having thus spoken the word in one And when in the island itself a new edition village, we pass on to the next. We often was prepared by a Mr. Tolfrey, aided by meet with little but contempt, opprobrium, Mr. Chater and others, the types and ink and laughter; and each day in the week were provided from Serampore. (except Saturday, which is devoted to study) At first Mr. Chater tried to support is employed in these exertions, and in the himself by a boarding school; but it failed, journeys connected with them." and he gave himself wholly to missionary In this self-denying labour, Mr. Daniel labour. He purchased premises in the na was blessed of God, and the work he began tive town, called the Pettah, which lies out has been carried on by his successors, until side the fort, and fitted them up for public | at the present time there is a body of conworship. The attendance of all classes of verts, under the general charge of the Rev. the inhabitants greatly encouraged him. J. Allen, of more than three hundred and His first convert was a Mr. Siers, who be- fifty persons. These individuals, rescued longed to the Dutch Church. He soon be- from the world and from Buddhism, are came a valuable helper among the natives. | formed into eleven churches, having pastors Mr. Chater first acquired the Portuguese of their own race, men like themselves language, which was spoken by a large num. || called out of the darkness of idolatry into ber of the descendants of that people; they the Gospel's marvellous light. One of |
