IN ILLUSTRATION OF THE COLLECTS

OR A YEAR WITH THE FIRST-CLASS BOYS OF FORLEY

The First Sunday after Easter

COLLECT.

Almighty Father, who hast given Thine only Son to die for our sins, and to rise again for our justification; Grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may alway serve Thee in pureness of living and truth; through the merits of the same Thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. FRED Elwood was at this time a tall, active boy, about fourteen years old. He was the eldest child of three, and an only son, greatly beloved of his father; and even his mother, who was a cold-hearted selfish person, was fond and proud of her boy. Most truly did he return the affection of both father and mother, for a kinder, better son there could not be.

Among the boys of the school, too, Fred was a great favourite, for he was always good-tempered. cheerful, and obliging. If the little ones were in trouble, it was to Fred that they would go for help or comfort; and if the elder ones wanted assistance in any undertaking, Fred was always willing to help them if he could.

Mr and Miss Walton also loved poor Fred, because, as my readers will have seen, he was so cheerfully and readily attentive to them. If a gate wanted opening in their walks, it was Fred that opened it. If a messenger was wanted, it was Fred that offered himself. If the snuffers were missing during evening school, it was Fred that first started up to find them, and it was generally his especial business to clear

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away the books and forms when school was over. Often had Miss Walton said to her brother, 'Fred ought to be a little page, he seems made for one.' But then Mr Walton would answer, I can't spare him from the choir; what should we do without his sweet voice?' Notwithstanding, however, that Mr Walton said this, he had at one time tried to get Fred into a training school for choristers, hoping that he might have been fitted for one of the cathedral choirs, but being thought at that time too old to begin, he was not admitted, and therefore continued at his daily work, still belonging to the Forley choir, and attending the Sunday school.

This was not, however, to last much longer. Mr and Miss Walton had just finished their breakfast this Sunday morning, when Mr Walton was told that Fred wanted him.

'Send him up here,' replied Mr Walton, and in a moment afterwards Fred stood at the door.

'Oh! please, sir, can you go down to father,' he said, sobbing, 'he's taken very bad, and the doctor says he can't live.'

Fred's father had been long very delicate, though he had not been obliged to give up work. Now, however, having stood for hours in wet things the day before, he was suddenly taken with a violent fever, which threatened to end in death.

Mr Walton did not delay a moment when he heard Fred's message; and while he started to the cottage, his sister tried to comfort the poor boy. She made him tell her all about his father's illness, and the probable cause of it; and the very telling of his grief to a sympathizing listener seemed to soothe him.

'I am very sorry, my poor Fred, to hear such bad news,' she said, kindly, but this can hardly be unexpected; your father has been so much out of health, that he could not hope for a long life. He must have felt that death might come any day.'

'Oh! but he is much worse now,' replied Fred; he is very, very bad; he could not speak to me when I started for Mr Walton.' And then, though he found much difficulty in subduing his emotion, he continued, And, oh! mother says if he should die, what will become of her and the children?'

'My poor boy,' returned Miss Walton, 'you must not fret about this. If it please God to take your father, He will not forsake the widow and the fatherless; He will provide for you, Fred.'

'Yes, I hope He will,' returned Fred; 'but I heard mother say she did not know what would become of us, and she cried, and went on so, that it quite frightened me.'

Miss Walton hardly knew what to answer; for she was well aware that Fred's mother had little trust in an Almighty Father, and she was grieved to think that even in this moment of sorrow she should have thus selfishly fretted over her own prospects, filling the heart of her boy with anxiety, instead of devoting herself to her dying husband. At length she replied, 'Do not you, dear boy, fret about the future, but leave it in the Hand of God, and comfort yourself by remembering that you are now growing a great boy, and will be able to do something towards helping your mother. You must do all you can yourself, and then leave the rest to God.'

'If I thought I could help mother,' he replied, 'I should be so glad. But think, I can only earn three shillings a-week at basket-making, and what is that for mother and the two children ?"

'It is, indeed, very little,' returned Miss Walton, thoughtfully; but still, I say, do not despair: perhaps a better employment may be found for you. Mr Walton and I will see what we can do, Fred, to help you.'

Will you, really?' he replied, a bright gleam of hope lighting up his face; thank you, thank you very

much. You have made me so much happier. If I can really help mother, I shall be so glad.'

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Hope on, Fred,' continued Miss Walton, 'casting all your care upon God, for, indeed, He cares for you. But now I think you had better go to your mother, she may want you. Do not hurry to school if you find you can be of use, or you may stay away altogether if it is needful."

'Thank you, ma'am,' he replied, "but I shall try to come,' and so saying, he went away with a lighter heart than he brought with him.

Miss Walton, in the meantime, pondered over poor Fred's lot, and wondered what could be done for him in case of his father's death. She remembered how handy he was, and she thought again if a place could be found for him as an in-door servant among any of her friends, it would be the best thing for him. Especially she dreaded his being left at home with a mother so selfish and careless. I will talk to Mr Walton, and we will see what can be done,' was her last determination. How she succeeded, my readers shall hear another time, for now we must go to the Sunday lesson.

Fred went home, but finding he was not wanted there, he came for a little while to school, and was ready to say his Collect with the rest of the boys; he left, however, again, and returned to his father before the school broke up.

'What do we say in the Collect that Christ died for?' asked Miss Walton.

Miss W. And for what do we say He rose again? Several. For our justification.'

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Miss W. Can you tell me what 'to justify' means? Francis. To clear from guilt.

Miss W. Justification, then, means the being cleared. Jesus Christ rose again for our justification, or?

'Clearance,' said Edward.

Miss W. Do you remember that Sunday when Mr Walton rode on horseback to see old Mrs Randle?

All. Yes, ma'am.

Miss W. And do you remember what some people said about it?

Several. Yes, ma'am ; they said that he was breaking the Sabbath, that it was sinful to ride his horse on Sunday.

'Oh! but,' said Alfred, 'I told them that it was not sinful, because old Mrs Randle had sent to beg him to go at once, because she was very bad; and he had not time to walk there and back before Church.'

'It was well he did go,' continued Charley, for old Mrs Randle died while we were at Church, I remember.'

Yes,' said Miss Walton; then when you made that excuse for him, Alfred, you did it for his-what?' 'Justification,' he replied.

Miss W. Then although it might have been wrong to use his horse just for his own pleasure, the particular circumstances justified his conduct, or you might say they were a— ?

Justification,' replied several.

Miss W. Now I think you understand what justification means. A clearance or vindication. Are we told in the Bible that Christ rose for our justification?

George. Yes; 'Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.' (Rom. iv. 25.)

Miss W. Had Jesus Christ any sins of His own to bear?

All. No, He was without sin.

Miss W. Whose sins, then, did He take upon Him? Several. Our sins.

Miss W. Yes, they were imputed to Him, or laid