ething more than the mere effort to be outwardly consistent. It only be the result of a right state of heart; the result of our tions being set upon heavenly things; the result of much self'ust, of much close walking with God and dependence on His nised strength; of a deep realization of our obligation and responity to Him; and all combined with a fervent expectation of that sed hope and patient waiting for of the glorious appearing of our land Saviour Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile bodies, and ion them like unto His own glorious body. This Christian consisy in its true spirit, and to the extent which God's word demands

us, can never be kept up and manifested in any other way. The stations of Satan and of the world are so numerous and so strong, hearts so prone to wander, and our steps so apt to go astray, that and it can be, only as the principles and commands and hopes of gospel of Christ have deep root in our minds, and strong hold of affections, that we shall constantly walk so as to glorify His holy e, and our path shine brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. Who is sufficient for these things ? But our sufficiency is of God?” 1, make Thou Thy strength perfect in our weakness ! * Wherefore, Jeloved brethren, I beseech you, by the mercies of God, that ye ent your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, h is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this d: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” m. xii. 1, 2). “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things ch are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Set l' affections on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col. iii. 1-3). > are the salt of the earth, but if the salt have lost its savour, rewith shall it be salted ? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but e cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the tof the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither den light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick ; it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so e before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify : Father who is in heaven” (Matt. v. 13-16)

THE BEST FAIRY.

FOR THE YOUNG. Now, little ones, come here,” said, hear a story, came crowding round Old grey-headed man, as he sat the old man's knee, with eager faces

happy boyhood, of friends long since / “I could buy a little bird wit dead, of all that he loved best on it,' said Charlie. earth. Then he began :

“And you'd let it starve,' sai “Many years ago-say seventy- | his mother. five-a little boy named Charlie “Oh, no, mother, indeed I would lived with his mother in a large not,' replied Charlie. country town. His father had been “Mrs. Grey said nothing more dead some years, and his mother, in about the matter, but asked her son order to maintain herself and her to run over the road with a parcel son, was obliged to use with eco While she was getting the parcel nomy the little income her husband ready, Charlie hung his stocking in left her, and also to employ her the chimney-corner, and then with leisure hours in doing needlework a very pleasant face went on hi for her neighbours. So, you will mother's errand. Hardly had h see, that Charlie could not expect a left the house when a friend of Me very easy time of it when he grew Grey's came in to see about som up. His mother was very fond of sewing; and, happening to see th her boy, and brought him up with long, woollen stocking hanging y the fear of God in his heart. Every | in so conspicuous a position, sh night they knelt down together, and inquired what it was for. Mr prayed to the Father of the father Grey, without being ashamed of he less that he would preserve them poverty, told her. Then the visita through the darkness; and every went to the fireplace, and droppe morning they besought Him to fit six large penny pieces into th them for the duties of the day. | stocking. Pennies were larger the Now, you would think that Charlie than they are now, and they made was a wonderfully good boy, wouldn't the stocking look well weighted you ? But, unfortunately, he was The lady shortly afterwards wished like a good many others—no better Mrs. Grey good-night. When than he ought to be. Yet, on the Charlie returned from his errand whole, he was what is called a 'good he did not think of looking at the sort of lad;' and had it not been stocking, but, after supper, went up for a very wilful temper, and a very to bed, to dream about the goodgreat wish to sit downand do nothing natured fairies who should bring all day long, he would really have him the much wished-for money been a capital fellow. One evening “The moment Charlie awoke on he ran into the room where his the following morning heremembered mother was ironing, and cried, the chimney-corner, and quite for • Mother, dear, I'm ten years old getting to kiss his mother, and to-morrow, and I have not got one without entirely dressing himself, he single penny to spend, so I mean hurried down-stairs. Presently & to hang an old stocking in the loud shout of joy and surprise rang chimney-corner, and see if the fairies | through the house. 'O mother, will give me anything or not.

mother!' cried Charlie, ‘here's a “You know, Charlie, dear, there whole stocking full of money. Is it are no such things as fairies, and it not a good fairy, now?? would be very silly of you to hang “Then his mother told him al anything up for them,” said his about the way in which the money mother.

got there, assuring him that the “But I want some money, fairy' had no finger in the pie. mother,' interposed Charlie.

“Never mind that,' said Charlie “What for, my boy?' said she. It was through the fairies after alli *Money is very useful to me, but I for if I had not thought about them don't see what you could do with it.' | I should not have hung up the king, and then I should have street with a little can in his hand. nothing.'

But sometimes it rained, and Charlie After breakfast, full of glee, didn't like it; and sometimes it was rlic went out to buy his bird; very dirty, and Charlie had to spend

very proud was he of his pur more time over cleaning his shoes se when he brought it home. next morning; and sometimes it , unfortunately, he had no cage was very cold, and made Charlie's keep it in, and was obliged to finger's ache; so that, with one thing ) it shut up in a dark box. and another, Charlie had learned 1, too, the seed which had to know the value of sixpence long 1 given him with the bird was before he had earned one. And, one; so was his money. What somehow, at the end of the three d he do? Why he did what weeks, when his earnings amounted t other little boys would have to sixpence, he did not feel so very

under the same circumstances: strongly disposed to invest it in a hung his stocking up again. second bird, but he asked his mother the thing did not answer this what he should do with it, and she s so he fed the poor bird on advised him to buy a money-box d-crumbs. Now this diet did with part of it, and put the remainaltogether agree with the bird's der into the box. This Charlie did, 2, so one day, when the window and the twopence per week still kept open, the bird, by some chance, coming in, and the money-box still out of his box and flew away. kept growing fuller, till at last it was r Charlie was in a sad way when so full that he could not get any iscovered his loss. He was so more pennies into it. Now this ved that he almost accused the was a trouble that Charlie had never r of unkindness, and said it was | contemplated in his most visionary ame to give him the money, and moments, and whether to be vexed a let the bird fly away. Then he or pleased he hardly knew. Sudbed he had the money back, that denly it occurred to him that he might give some to old blind might get some silver for the copper ble; but wishing would bring , money, so he took his box over to i neither bird nor money. Then the grocer's where his mother dealt, bethought him of a new scheme and begged him to open the box, gether. He would fetch the and give him in silver the value of the every morning for Mrs. Jones, pennies. Now the grocer, knowing

lived next door, and thereby Mrs. Grey to be a poor widow, was la few pence. So, all intent upon so pleased with Charlie for his careIg this large piece of business, fulness and industry, that he not an to his mother, and asked her only gave him the money-box, and mission. She, ever willing that the value of its late contents back boy should grow up industrious, again, but he also gave him a Christe her consent. Then Charlie mas-box. And, in a few days after, it to Mrs. Jones, and made, in he visited Mrs. Grey, and told her

politest manner, an offer of his that he wanted an honest, induss valuable services. Now Mrs. trious lad in his shop, and would es liked Charlie, and she was take Charlie without a premium, if 1 of the opportunity of getting Mrs. Grey would consent. To this le one she could trust to fetch chance she readily acceded, and milk. So it was arranged that shortly afterwards Master Charlie urlie was to receive the large sum was duly installed behind the grocer's twopence per week. Well, day counter. it on after day, and found Charlie “From that day Charlie began to Ictually at eight going down the rise in the world, and after serving

his master faithfully, he married | story; and there's one thing I woul one of his partner's daughters, and have you learn from it-viz., tha ultimately succeeded to the business. the best fairy' lies concealed in a

“Now, children,” said the old honest heart, backed up by a pair d man, "you have just heard my own / willing hands.”

PICKINGS FROM MY PORTFOLIO.

No. VII. How gracious and condescending | in which there is no night at all, and are many of the aspects in which the l of which the Lord God Almightyi Scriptures exhibit the heaven of the the light, and the Lamb the glory believer! It is held forth to our | As a palace; where dwells the Lor view as a banquet; where our souls | our righteousness, the King in H shall be satisfied for evermore; the beauty displayed –His beauty beauties of Jehovah's face, the mys holiest love; in the eternal sunshin teries of Divine grace, the riches of whose countenance bask and e of redeeming love, communion with ult the host that worship at His fee God and the Lamb, fellowship with As a building ; that has God for it the infinite Father, Son, and Holy | maker, immortality for its walls, an Ghost, being the heavenly fulness on eternity for its day. As a sanctuary which we shall feed. As a paradise ; where the thrice holy Divinity er

garden of fruits and flowers, on shrined in our own nature in th which our spiritual natures and person of Immanuel, is worshippe gracious tastes will be regaled, and adored, without a sigh, withou through one ever-verdant spring and an imperfection, and without inter golden summer; a paradise where mission; where hymns of praise lurks no serpent to destroy, and hallelujahs of salvation, and hosani where fruits and flowers shall never nas of redemption, uttered by blest fade and droop, nor droop and die. voices without number, ever sound As an inheritance; but then an in before the throne. As a temple; heritance that is incorruptible, unde bright with the Divine glory, filled filed, and that fadeth not away, the with the Divine presence, streaming inheritance of the saints in light. As with Divine beauty, and peoplea a kingdom ; whose immunities, feli with shining monuments of Divine cities, and glories, are splendid and goodness, mercy, and grace. — Dr. vast, permanent and real, quite Beaumont. overwhelming indeed to our present imaginings. As a country; over “My chief conception of heaven," whose wide regions we shall traverse | said Robert Hall to Wilberforce, “is in all the might of our untried facul rest.” “Mine," replied Wilberforce, ties, and in all the glow of new and “is love." Perhaps both conceptions heaven-born energies, discovering are true; and union of perfect love and gathering fresh harvests of in with perfect rest conveys our best telligence, satisfaction, and delight. idea of heaven considered simply as As a city ; whose walls are burnished a state. But what is the manner of gold, whose pavement is jasper, sar existence, and what is the true physdonyx, and onyx; through which ical theory of another life? How flows the river of life; the inhabit shall we see without these eyes, hear ants of which hunger no more, thirst without these ears, act without this no more, sicken no more, weep no

material instrument of being? What more, die no more; a city where are the visions, the emotions, there is no need of the sun by day, I specific employments of her

here and what is the region itself ? , pulse, warms the heart, stirs the t a star? Is it a sun? Is it a soul to its depths, makes age feel t and splendid cluster of worlds, young again, rouses apathy into Is it some spacious, magnificent, energy, sustains the sailor on his Tunlimited continent of light and midnight watch, inspires the soldier aty! Where are “ the holy places with courage on the field of battle, made with hands”? Where are and imparts patient endurance to le many mansions of our Father's the worn-down sons of toil. The ise”? Where is the grand me thought of it has proved a seven-fold polis of God's moral rule, whence shield to virtue; the very name of

laws go forth, and “whither the it has been a spell to call back the ies go up, the tribes of the Lord,” | | wanderer from the paths of vice; and nevery realm of earth, and every far away, where myrtles bloom and

of time? Where stands that | palm trees wave, and the ocean one before which, at this solemn sleeps upon coral strands, to the tant, the innumerable companies exile's fond fancy it clothes the naked he glorified bend in an ecstasy of | rock, or stormy shore, or barren moor, ration: The heir of glory dies | or wild highland mountain, with ‘he giveth up the ghost, and | charms he weeps to think of, and :re is he?" These questions are longs once more to see. Grace sancinswered and unanswerable. tifies these lovely affections and e that hath found some fledged bird's

imparts a sacredness to the homes nest may know

of earth by making them types of t first sight if the bird be flown ; [now, heaven. As a home the believer dewhat fair field or grove he sings in lights to think of it. Thus when hat is to him unknown."

lately bending over a dying saint, -Rev. C. Stanford.

and expressing our sorrow to see Home ! oh, how sweet is that word! him laid so low, with the radiant hat beautiful and tender associa countenance rather of one who ns cluster thick around it: com had just left heaven than of one red with it house, mansion, about to enter it, he raised and ace, are cold heartless terms. clasped his hands, and exclaimed, s home! that word quickens the "I am going home.”- Dr. Guthrie.

A PRAYER FOR A CHILD.
JESUS, who with loving-kindness hast crowned me,

Look on a child who looks upward to Thee;
Smile on me, Saviour; Thine arms throw around me:

Safe near Thy heart I for ever would be.
Greatest and First of All! Lord, I adore Thee

Reigning in glory majestic and blest:
Kindest and dearest of Friends! I implore Thee

Bend from Thy throne to take me to Thy breast.

Long ere my birth Thou didst know me and love me;

And for my sake didst come down from the sky,
Leaving Thy home of delight far above me

Here to become a poor child such as I.
And when Thou grewest to manhood and sorrow

Childlike and gentle Thy spirit remained,
Leaving to God all concern for the morrow,

Ever by sin and by folly unstained.