Sunday-school times

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VOLUME V.
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY AT ONE DOLLAR A YEAR-PHILADELPHIA, APRIL 18, 1863.
NUMBER 16.
THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL TIMES,
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S\>r the Sunday-School Times.
THE CARELESS SCHOLAR.
UTTER indifference to everything that is
going on, is the most prominent character
of the young man who stands before us. He
is always satisfied, and offers no special oppo¬
sition to anything, good or bad. " Don't care"
is the rule of his life, so far as his life goes
according to rule. Bathe does not believe in
rules and regulations of any kind, thinking
them rather a hindrance than a help.
Of course he is neither regular nor punctual
in his attendance at Sunday-school. He does
not care whether he is early or late, whether
he is present or absent. He considers it no
disgrace to be habitually late, and no loss to
be absent for several Sundays at a time. As
he does not care whether he knows his lessons
or is ignorant of what they are about, he can¬
not be expected to devote much time to their
Study. He loses his question-book, Bible, and
hymn-book, as he has no regular place to put
them in, and thinks it would be too much
trouble to provide such a place. He does not
care whether the teacher is pleased with him
or not, and so does not put himself ont of the
way to do what teacher requires of him. He
does not value the good esteem of the other
scholars, even of those who are the most stu¬
dious and orderly. The prosperity or failure
of the school is a matter which he does not
concern himself about, and it never occurs
to him that his good or bad conduct may make
the school better or worse. The fact that he
knows no more about the Bible now than he
did five years ago, does not trouble him, for
he considers it to be exclusively the duty of
the teachers and the minister to understand
about that. He does not see why they should
bother him with it. His duties to his parents
are performed in a negligent way, which seems
to indicate that the parents have been some¬
what negligent in the use of the rod to make
him mind what was told him. Perhaps that
is the root of much of the difficulty.
His personal habits are such as to make it
hard to get along with him. If he has a watch,
he frequently neglects to wind it, and, when
he does wind it, sets it by guess. If he wonld
wash his hands, he neglects to scrub the dirt
from them. When he puts on his garments
he doe3 not give that thoughtful attention to
strings, pins and buttons, that a careful and
tidy person does. He parts with his pocket
money in such a slip-shod manner that he
never has anything to put into the missionary
box. When the box goe3 round, he says he
didn't think about it. When he sits down to
study his Sunday-school lesson, which is very
seldom, he groans several times over the task
which is before him, then concludes that he
will postpone it till Saturday evening, and
take some exercise now, which he very much
needs. Of course he finds something else to
do on Saturday evening, or else he cannot
find his books. He goes on Sunday as igno¬
rant as before. In a year he has lost half a
dozen hymn-books, and question-books un¬
counted. The books which he has on hand
are dog-eared, soiled, and broken-backed.
He says that it is not much matter bow the
books look, if one only learns what is inside
of them. N. B. People who are slovenly in
keeping their books, seldom know a great
deal about what is in them.
Thia lad is a very undesirable scholar in
every respect. Instruction seems to be thrown
away on him. The teacher may instruct, ex¬
hort, expound, argue, and lend him good
books. He will not listen to what is said to
him, and when he take3 books, it is only to
soil or lose them, or to return them unread.
In the latter case he often says they are very
interesting. He pretends to listen, and pre¬
tends to read, but his mind is off on a butter¬
fly buzz, while his outer man is in a position
of attention. Ask him to-day, what you told
him yesterday, and he has forgotten. He says
the minister preached an uncommonly fine
sermon last Sunday, but ask him what it was
about, or where the text was, and you soon
discover that he knows nothing about it.
Send him on an errand, and before he is out
of sight he has forgotten the message you
gave him. And the worst of it is that with
all his absent minded thoughtlessness, he is
so pleasant aod eo polite that you do not like
to box his ears, or treat him exactly as you
would treat the violently bad boy. But he is
really harder to deal with than the quarrel¬
some and disorderly.
The sum of his arguments and excuses for
his various shortcomings, is " Didn't think."
He thinks it is enough. Nobody else thinks
so, though.
I once heard an aged negro slave pray, after
sermon, " Oh, Lord, please to mind and make
us remember to try and not forget de word
of de Gospel what we jist done listened to."
If the careless scholar will earnestly pray
such a prayer, and follow it up, there is hope
for him. A. T.
Bristol, Pa.
For the Sunday-School Times.
A Prime Element of Success.
1 * t FEEL persuaded that if I could follow
I
the Lord more fully myself, my ministry
would be used to make a deeper impression
than it has yet done."
Thus said McOheyne, and thus have felt
many devoted and successful ministers. The
late venerable Archibald Alexander was ac¬
customed to say to hia students, " You will
be good preachers just in proportion as you
are rich in Christian experience." He cer¬
tainly did not undervalue intellectual train¬
ing, nor the gift of a graceful and forcible
utterance by means of the pen and the voice.
But he knew that men speak with power
only when they speak from the depths of
their own experience. This is true in regard
to secular matters: much more is it true in
regard to spiritual matters.
Those who follow the Lord most closely,
will, in the main, be the most successful in
winning souls to Christ, and in building
them up in faith and holiness. Their suc¬
cess will be of God. It will not be bestowed
on account of their merit. The holiest man
who ever lived did not deserve to be the in¬
strument of the conversion of a single bouI.
God in his sovereign and gracious pleasure
uses as his chosen instruments the men who
follow him most fully. This fact may there¬
fore be used as a legitimate motive for follow¬
ing the Lord more fully.
It cannot be said, by way of objection, if
you urge this element of success upon the
attention of men, you will cause them to
neglect other things. If you tell the student
that he will be a successful minister in pro¬
portion as he is a holy man, he will give him¬
self wholly to the pursuit of holiness, and will
neglect his studies. Not so. If he give him¬
self wholly to the pursuit of holiness, he will be
very diligent in his studies. Holiness is con¬
formity to God's will. In proportion as a man
follows after holiness, will he seek to know
and to do God's will. It is God's will that
his ministers should give attention to read¬
ing, and to all things ueccabary to "their be-
coming thoroughly furnished unto every good
work.
In proportion as men follow the Lord, the
truths of the Bible become living truths in
their souls. Those living truths speak through
them to the souls of their fellow men. More
potent than the highest specimens of elocu¬
tionary art are the tones of sincerity prompt¬
ed by a true and deep Christian experience.
A. B.
HARLAN PAGE.
THE spirit of Harlan Page was a most noble
one. His personal efforts for the salva¬
tion of souls were constant, unremitting,
abounding. Says one with whom he en¬
treated, "Page met me last night and kept
me there, conversing with me kindly about
the interests of my soul, and I could not get
away from him. He entreated me to seek the
Saviour, and / could not repulse him."
Says another who knew him, "Harlan Page
goes into the Sabbath-school, aud approach¬
ing a teacher, says: ' Madam, may I put
you down as having a hope ?' He asks the
next: ' May I enter you on my book as having
a hope in ChriBt ?' 'And you, my friend ?'
'I'm afraid not,' is the reply. 'Oh, then,'
says he tenderly, 'I must put you down as
having no hope!' That remark brought the
teacher to Christ."
This noble man, who has entered into his
rest, rested not in his. labors for souls on the
earth. He made it a rule never to talk five
minutes without in some way speaking about
Jesus, or introducing the subject of religion.
So his friends got no rest till they found rest
in Christ.
GOD'S   PROMISES.
OBSERVE how carefully all the promisei are
gathered about one spot—the cross of
Jesus. There they lie thick and sparkling
as diamonds in the shining sands of Golcon-
da. But elsewhere not one I Over all the
broad universe not a single one! Troubled
inquirer for salvation, thou wilt wear thine
eyes out in a vain search for a solitary hint
of hope for thee anywhere else. Calvary
glitters with them. Every drop of sacred
blood that stains its sod is a promise to your
guilty soul. Erery word of love that breaks
from the dying Lamb of God, floats in pro¬
mise to your ear. The air is loaded with
mercy. The cross itself—in its stupendous
meaning—is one eternal unchangeable pro-
misb, exceeding great and precious. But to
have it you must go for it. And your going
there in penitence and faith is your part
toward the securing and enjoying God's great
conditional promise.—Evangelist.
Thk history of Sabbath-schools is their
own endorsement. No school has existed
fifteen years that has not, on an average,
given one minister to the church of Christ.
Is not such a history an incentive to constant
endeavor?—#. W. Woodruff.
For the Sunday-School Times.
WHY DISCOURAGED?
THE striking incident of a "Discouraged
Teacher," related in a January number of
the Sunday-School Times, reminded me of a
very similar incident in my own Sabbath-
school experience.
I had returned one Sabbath from school,
and throwing myself down in the rocker,
completely discouraged, said to myself: "It
is of no use for me to attempt to teach any
longer. I have long wearied myself in the'
effort to bring my scholars to Christ, and yet
how seemingly useless are all my labors. I
will no longer continue in such a fruitless
work."
I was musing in this strain when my little
brother, a child of about four summers, came
into the room, and in his sweet way began
singing,
" 0 do not bo discouraged,
For Jesus is your friend."
Many and many a time had I heard these
lines sung before, but never did they seem so
appropriate or so touching. 0, thought I,
what a blessed fact! Am I discouraged?
Well, bless God, Jesus is my Friend; a Friend
mighty to save and able to help. And, in¬
spired with new courage, I resolved afresh to
begin my labors in the Sabbath-school cause.
Since that day I believe I have had more faith
in God, more of a disposition to put my sole
trust in him. And I have not been disap¬
pointed. One of my scholars says he has
found the Lord Jesus precious to his soul,
and I trust he is truly converted to God. I
am still happily striving to serve God in the
same direction, and, he being my helper, I
hope ever to continue in the good old way,
earnestly working and yet patiently waiting
for the coveted blessing.
And now, my fellow teacher, are you some¬
times discouraged, too? Do you sometimes
feel as though any further labor on your part
in the Sabbath-school cause was useless and
ineffective? 0, be encouraged, to-day, to trust
God. For, as sure as the heavens are above
us, so sure will God reward your earnest en¬
deavors. Though sometimes your hands may
hang heavily down by your side, by reason of
despair, and you may feel almost like giving
up, yet trust his grace who is able and will¬
ing to reward your labors abundantly!
Why, the children are the hope of the
church. If they are properly cared for, and
trained up as they should be, a better genera¬
tion will follow this one; and so the world
will improve, until that blessed day when "all
shall know him from the least to the greatest."
Certainly we have no other human hope of
the ultimate salvation of the world except
through the salvation of the children. Few
people after they have become hardened by
contact with the world, and have attained to
manhood or womanhood, ever turn their at¬
tention seriously to religion; and this leaves
us depending solely upon the children. If
we but fulfil our obligations to them faith¬
fully, the human race will be the better of it
by a great deal more than our most enlarged
philanthropy imagines, to take no higher
view.
Cheer up, then, my fellow teacher! Dark
may be the night of your toil now, but,
blessed be God, a bright morn will surely fol¬
low. You may not see the fruits yet, but
God has promised that they shall come, and
they will, even though they come late! It
may be that you will not live to see them ;
but God, who watcheth over us all, will sure¬
ly bring them to light, perhaps when you are
slumbering in the grave. Again, then, fellow
teacher, I urge you, I entreat you, be of good
cheer!
One has beautifully said:
"Do you despair? and has your spirit failed?
Your hopes all vanished and your fears prevailed ?
0, pause once more, ere you give up the fight!
0, raise your eye to heaven, and look for light!
You've loved, you've labored, prayed, and tried to
teach;
Your words seem fruitless—not  one soul they
reach:
And you despair!   What did Christ say to you ?
He said the heart was hard—you've found it true.
He said that nought but grace that heart oould
change.
You've found it so, and yet you think it strange!
Doe3 he require of you to change the heart?
Did he assign that work to human art ?
No; but perhaps you think you've tried so much,
You might expect his grace some soul to touch.
Ah ! think, does Jesus then love less than you
The souls he died to save—lives to renew ?
Go do his will, believe his word and trust
His love, his power,-his wisdom for the rest;
His arm's still mighty, and his love the same,
To save from wrath aud glorify his name.
Look to yon throne, and while your  Saviour's
there,
Let faith still triumph over dark despair."
If you please, cut out these beautiful lines
and preserve them. Commit them to memory,
if you can, and when you feel despondent,
or sad, or discouraged, reflect on them. May
they cheer you up and inspire you to trust in
him "who doeth all things well."
" 0 do not be discouraged,
For Jesus is your friend!"
R. R. S.
New York, April 3, 1863.
For the Sunday-School Times.
This body of our3 is only a chest of* tools
for the soul to work with in serving its ap¬
prenticeship for heaven.
The least error should humble us, but we
should never permit even the greatest to dis¬
courage us.
"Joy Cometh in the Morning."
I heard a sorrowful, a grievous wail
From loving voices 'round the new-made tomb,
When sad, like troubled whispers on the gale,
Came softly echoes, murmuring 'mid the gloom;
" We are not as we have been!" sorrow cried ;—
" Not as wo have been !" echoes low replied.
The mourners turned to seek their home again,
The home so rifled, desolate and drear,
The home where hope, love, gladness used to reign
Where all things murmur now, "Oh, Death was
here!"
"We are not as we have been," grieved  they
cried;—
" Not as we have been !" echo still replied.
But lo! Hope, Faith remove a distant veil!
The mourners gaze and see their loved one
there!"
They gaze and follow! prayer is on the gale!
Faith lends them pinions, and they rise with
prayer!
" We are not as we have been!" yet they cry,
" Not a3 we have been!" echoes still reply.
And now tbe radiant, golden gates unfold,
And one bright seraph waits the loved to greet;
" Parting is o'er!" exults each harp of gold,
"We are not as we bavo been !" all repeat;
And bark again, from every heavenly hill,
" Not as we have been!" echoes answer still!
  H. S.
Jor the Sunday-School Times.
PROSPERITY.
WHAT is prosperity? Most men have
mistaken notions with regard to it.
Men of profound wisdom, as far as some
things are concerned, have had very erro¬
neous opinions on this subject. Many Chris¬
tians have wrong ideas concerning it. Per¬
haps, reader, you have never had correct
views of it. What is real prosperity? Some
time ago I heard a minister of the gospel,
while preaching a sermon, give the following
definition of it: " This," said he, " is pros¬
perity : when all things are tending to a happy
and glorious immortality." It has been in
my memory ever since I heard it; and it has
frequently occurred to me that it would be
well to let the readers of the Sunday-School
Times have it to think of. This definition
the wisdom of the world never furnished. It
is contrary to all the philosophy of the world.
The Bible gives it to us, and the holy man
who uttered it spake as the Scriptures taught
him.
Generally when prosperity is thought of,
merely temporal advantages and comforts are
considered. Eternity, with its momentous
interests, is left entirely out of the account.
A man is said to enjoy prosperity if he is suc¬
cessful in his worldly undertakings, if he is
rich, if he has few troubles and afflictions.
A man in such circumstances is said to be
prosperous. Even though he belongs to that
class of persons spoken of in the epistle to the
Ephesians as "Strangers from the covenants
of promise, having no hope, and without God
in the world." " Men of the world, which
have their portion in this life," speak thus
concerning prosperity; and often the thoughts
of Christians flow in the same channel. And
bo it happens sometimes that the condition of
some men is much envied, when in fact those
who are supposed to be so well off are to be
much pitied. Ungodly men, though rich, and
in high stations in the world, and freed from
the sorrows which are poured into the cups of
others, may well envy the condition of the
pious poor, and covet even the rod with
which the children of the kingdom are chas¬
tened. Though the righteous be in humble
circumstances, and though much of adversity
seems to be their portion here, yet they love
God, and in reality all thing3 are working to¬
gether for their good. The lowly shepherd
of Salisbury Plain, whose happy Christian
life Hannah More writes about so beautifully,
was one of God's noblemen.
God regards the interests of the soul as of
paramount importance. God gives his people
in this world what it is best for them to have.
Afflictions are good, and God in faithfulness
afflicts. The Psalmist says: " It is good for
me that I have been afflicted; that I might
learn thy statutes." Paul says : " Our light
affliction, which is but for a inement, worketh
for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight
of glory." It is not always best for God's
people to have wealth and worldly comfort.
Sometimes they lust for these things exceed¬
ingly, and God hears their request, but sends
leanness into their souls. God gives some of
his people riches, and gives them grace to
use their riches for bis glory. It is not good
for a man to be in want, and generally God's
children are kept above poverty. Agur's
prayer was: " Give me neither poverty nor
riches; feed me with food convenient for me;
lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Wno is
the Lord ? or lest I be poor, and steal, and
take the name of my God in vain."
Riches render the salvation of the soul of
him who possesses them difficult. " How
hardly shall they that have riches enter into
the kingdom of God !" Riches are deceitful.
They ensnare the soul Riches choke the
word of God and make it unfruitful. Better
is the poor man who walks with God, though
he walk in trouble, than he that serves mam
mon, though he have every earthly comfort.
" It is better to go to heaven in rags than to
go to hell in robes." " For what shall it
profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world,
and lose his own soul ?" Are not they justly
counted happy who have tbe tokens of God's
love, even though those tokens be the stripes
of chastisement? Blessed are they who un- j
deratand what  real prosperity is, and con- I
tentedly eDJoy it. Blessed is he whose soul's
affairs are prosperous. Thrice blessed is he
who grows in grace, and in the knowledge of
Christ continually. It i8 said of Richard
Hooker, by his biographer, that he made each
day a step towards a blessed eternity.
J. F. H.
For the Sunday-School Times.
Awake! Thou that Sleepest.
IF we would ever accomplish anything use¬
ful in the world, we must wake our souls
up to its importance. Half way effort never
accomplishes much. Heart-power is the
great force that moves the world.
If grains of powder fall on hot iron a
bright flash is sure to follow; but you may
heap up pounds of it on cold iron and all
will be as dead as ever. So when the soul is
redhot and glowing, everything, however
trifling, can be turned to account. If you
are all in earnest to aid some distressed family,
how trifling all the obstacles in your way
will seem. How easy to go to some miserly
rich steward of God's bounty, and by the
very force of your burning appeal, wring
from him the unwilling donation. You care
little for the reluctance, you are doing the
Lord's work in ministering to his poor, and
with fervent gratitude to him and his agent,
you pass on with new courage. How easy to
make self-denial when you are really in
earnest in the cause. You scarcely think of
the sacrifice of time and ease in the matter,
but rather regard the moments you can save
for it as so much clear gain.
Any good work you take hold of you need
to be wide awake about. The reason so little
is accomplished is because the laborers are
so slothful. The good that is done is by the
earnest, enthusiastic ones. If you wish to
see your Sabbath-school large and flourish¬
ing, if you wish to see its members converted
to God, then cry to your soul, "awake, thou
that sleepest." Arouse your sluggish powers
and quicken your smouldering zeal to labor
for such a result.
There is only one way in which you can
obtain this baptism of fire. It must come to
you in your closet, as you wrestle in prayer
for it. Jesus can and will give you this love
for souls, if you make it the hourly cry of
your heart to him. A cold, formal petition,
which you forget as soon as you open your
door and enter the world again, will never
secure this blessing. Working must go with
your praying, and he will give you more
grace, as your day requires. Self- indulgence
is inconsistent with this higher employment
of our talents. " This kind goeth not out,
but by prayer and fasting." 0 let us awake
our OjuIs to a new activity, "laying aside
every weight," and "looking unto Jesus, the
author and finisher of our faith," to crown
our labors with success, Lois.
For the Sunday-School Times.
"JESUS LOVES ME."
LITTLE four year old Georgie sat playing
with his blocks upon the floor, while his
mother and I sat near by sewing and chatting.
Presently he began to sing "Jesus loves me."
He saDg these words twice, then suddealy
stopping and turning around he said,
"Mamma, does Jesus love me? What makes
him love me?"
His mother told him as well as she could
why and how Jesus loved him, and he, seem¬
ing satisfied, went back to hi3 play; but I
could but feel that this simple truth implant¬
ed in the little boy's mind by bis infant-school
song might be the means of leading Georgie
to love Jesus in return. This is one of the
most precious songs in the whole "Golden
Shower," especially to the infant-school.
They easily learn the tune; but I think it is
the words which take such hold of their
young hearts. A little girl in the same
school with Georgie had learned to love the
same song, and so got the promise from her
father to buy her a book, though she could
not read a word.
Every day she would run ont of the house
to hail the singing teacher as he passed, till
she finally got hira to bring her a book, when
joyfully bearing her treasure to her mother,
she said,
"I've got it, mamma. Now won't yon Eee
if 'Jesus loves me' is in it?" E.
CUSTOM NO EXCUSE.
IT is said that a prisoner standing at the
bar, indicted for felony, was asked by the
judge wbat he could say for himself. "Truly,
my lord," says he, " I meant no hurt when I
stole; it is an evil custom I have gotten; I
have been used to it ever since I knew any
thing." " Well, then," says the judge, " if it
be thy custom to steal, it is my custom to
hang up thieves."
So, if it be any man's custom to swear upon
every slight occasion, or upon every great
occasion, it is God's custom not to hold him
guiltless that takes his name in vain. If it is
any man's custom to lead an unchaste or
drunken life, it is God's cu3tom to judge him.
Whatsoever the sin be, there is no plealing of
custom to excuseit—as, " they meant no harm,"
"it was against their will,'' &c. All the fig-
leaves that, can be gathered, and sewed to¬
gether never so close, will not hide their na¬
kedness from tbe eye of G.)d, who will cer¬
tainly call them to account.
It was a sage remark of an aged Christian,
"I find diligence tbe best preservative from
temptation; for when the Ddvil approaches
me with his temptations, I say to him, I can¬
not attend to thee now—I am so busy."
For theSunday-Schoolmm6(|-
THE LITTLE BROOK.
No. 9.
BY THE REV. JOHN TODD, D. D.
ONCE upon a time all the beautiful lakes of
our country were lying quietly in their
beds. Here and there a white sail was seen
on their smooth waters. The steamboats
were not then built. On the banks were
great forests hanging over and looking down
as into a large mirror, in which each tree
could see its own form and admire the beauty
of its green clothing. The duck swam and
led on her wild, young family. The loon
dived, and screamed, and shook himself as if
he wanted admiration. The deer, with her
fawns, waded into the shallow waters and
nipped the tender gra^s. The trout leaped
out here and there in his joy. The beautiful
cardinal flower stood in the low grounds and
threw her colors far and wide. It seemed as
if the fairies might have their Lome here. But
suddenly there was a terrible commotion
among the lakes and rivers ! The waters
boiled and foamed, the waves rolled and
dashed, and tried to break out and burst over
all their boundaries. The rivers stopped and
refused to run, and their sullen waters mur¬
mured over their banks. The loon hid him¬
self in an island. The young ducks made for
the woods. The deer fled in terror. The
trout dove down to the bottom with one whisk
of his taiJ. It was a terrible time, and every
thing seemed to be going fast to ruin.
Just then the king of the lakes came riding
over the wild, awful waves on his horse made
of spray.
"Heyday!" cried he, "what's the matter
now?"
" 0," said a lake, " I am sick of life and sick
of my home, and I am determined not to stay
here any longer ! So are all, and I am speak¬
ing for all!    We all feel alike!"
"Well, what's tbe matter? What would
you have?"
" Have 1 We would have space, and room,
and greatness. We want to be each an ocean.
We hear the oceans are vast, and salt, and
have great ships on them, and great whales
swimming in them, and that men can sail on
them days and weeks and not see land! How
glorious that must be ! To have huge ships
of war and battles fought on one's breast and
mighty fish diving and spouting in one's
bowels! But instead of that, here we are, with
nothing but little speckled trout—not a whale
nor a porpoise, not even a lobster or a shark
among us 1 Here we are ! cooped up in our
narrow limits—nothing but lakes! We want
to be oceans 1"
" But, my good fellow, the earth is not big
enough to have anymore oceans ! Don't you
see that if I let you out ycu will not be an
ocean, but at once swallowed up in the oceans,
and be lost?"
"But you, river ! what ails you?"
" Me !    Why, your majesty, I am ashamed
of myself.    I am so small!    Just look at that
map!    Why, I'm only a little black streak !"
"And what do you, and the other ten rivers
about you, want ?"
" We want to be Amazons 1 and be two
hundred miles wide and five thousand miles
long, and to roll through mighty forests,
where crocodiles and monkeys live, and
where great serpents and parrots live !"
"Foolish one ! I must make ten or a dozen
new continents before you can be Amazons I"
Just then the king heard a low, silvery
laugh. He looked down, and there was a
little mountain-brook rippling and laughing
along in its pebbly channel. Its face was
bright, its eye twinkled, and it danced, and
leaped, and almost clapped its hands for joy.
The grass was green and the flowers were
thick, and honey-bees sung among them, and
bird3 hopped and sang near it.
" Little brook! little brook!" said the king,
"don't you want to be an Amazon? Why
are you not in an uproar, and pouting, and
wishing you were something great?"
"0," said the little brook, " didn't you
make me? And I suppose you' wanted me
to be a cheerful little brook, and to run here
and keep the grass green, and the flowers
bright, and the bees singing, and the birds
happy ! I suppose if you bad wanted me to
be in Amazon; or a Missouri,you would have
made me so I"
«' Dear little fellow," said the king, " hence¬
forward thou Bhait be a favorite with every
body I"
And the brcok went singing on, and the
lakes and rivers were ashamed, and have
never had such a rebellion since !
PRAYER.
WHEtf thou prayest for spiritual graces,
let thy prayer be absolute ; when for
temporal blessings, add a clause of God's
pleasure; in botb, with faith and humiliation;
so shalt thou undoubtedly receive what thou
desirest, or more, or better. Never prayer
rightly made, waB made unheard; or heard
ungranted.— Quarks.
THE Bight of a great procession, or crowd,
stirs up fealiogs of love, at times, in
every good mind. E*ch of this multitude is
as precious to God as I. Each has a history,
a present expsrience, a destiny; God knows
eacn—his name, abode, calling, character.
Each ha4 a parentage, an infancy, a home ;
there are those to whom he is dear. Ii is
good to look on great companies of our
fellow men. It makes us hucnbie, benevolent;
it makes us feel our need of the particular
love and care of God.—N. Adams, D. D.