THE STRANGER CHILD'S HOLY CHRIST. (Translated from Rückart.) THERE runs a stranger. child swiftly through the city on Christmas Eve, to see the lights that are kindled. He stops before every house, and sees the bright rooms in which stand clearly out the lamp-full trees. Woe is to him everywhere! The child weeps and says, "To-day every child has its little tree and its light, and has therein its joy; I alone have none. When I sate at home, holding the hands of brothers and sisters, one burned there for me also; but here, in this strange land, I am forgotten. Will no one let me come in, and afford me just one little standing place? In all these rows of houses, is there then for me no corner, were it ever so small? Will no one let me in? I will ask nothing for myself; I will only refresh myself with the gay appearance of the foreign Christmas gifts! He knocks "Oh, at door and gateway, at window and shutter, but no one comes forth to ask in the little child; within, they have no ear. Every father fixes his thoughts on his own children, the mother distributes the gifts amongst them, she thinks of nothing more. nothing less than that-no one thinks of the little child. dear and holy CHRIST," he exclaimed, "I have neither father nor mother, if Thou art not that to me. Oh, be my counsellor, for here I am forgotten of every one." He rubs his hands; they are stiff with the frost; he shrinks shivering in his garments; he lingers in the little bye-lane, his looks directed towards heaven. There comes up the little street, waving a light before him, another child, in smooth white raiment. How sweetly sounds His voice as He speaks. "I am the Holy CHRIST, and formerly was I a child as thou art now. Though all besides forget thee, I will not forget thee. My word is for all alike. I offer My protection as well in the streets here as there in the rooms. Thy light, little stranger, I will cause to shine here in the open space, so fair that scarcely shall those in the rooms be so fair." Then waved the CHRIST-Child His hand towards Heaven, and there forth stood, glittering, overspread with many branches, a tree, glorious with a host of stars. So distant, and yet so near! How sparkled the lights! How felt the child then! Still stood the little stranger, still at heart, as there he saw his Christmas-tree! It was like a dream to him. Little angels bending down from the tree stretched their hands to him, and drew him up into the shining space. The little stranger child has returned home to his Holy CHRIST, where it is easily forgotten how things here are awarded. K. HOW TO SHOW THANKFULNESS FOR MERCIES RECEIVED.* How then shall we thank Him for the wonders He hath done? how praise Him as becometh those whom He hath delivered? How but : I. By cutting off our sins, and hastening to obey His commands? If our confession of sins during our humiliation was real, and earnest, we shall now the more strenuously devote ourselves to the service of GOD; we shall praise Him with our hearts, our lips, and our lives. Our gratitude will be shown by our deeds. Remembering that individual sins make up the sum of national sins, and provoke national judgments, and that we have had our share in producing the late visitation, we shall now examine the hidden recesses of our heart, and resolve to put away from us whatever we have done amiss. Feeling, for instance, how great and grievous a sin it is to foster strife and dissension among the brotherhood, we shall cherish a spirit of deep humility and meekness, of holy love and Christian forbearance, and all those kindly sympathies which knit heart to heart, and enable us to keep the spirit of unity in the bond of peace. We are brethren, members of the same body, and so members one of another why then should we wrong each other, by harsh judgments, and cruel censures ? CHRIST's last prayer was that we might be one and surely nothing more than this can be needed. There is," says the Apostle, one Faith, one LORD, one Baptism, one GOD and FATHER of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Let us, therefore," putting away lying, speak every man the truth with his neighbour: let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking be put away from us with all malice. Let us be kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as GOD for CHRIST's sake hath forgiven us.' "" And whenever we are called upon, as called upon we shall be, to give a reason for the hope that is within us, or to defend our most holy faith, whilst we do it with all firmness, yet, according to the Apostle's injunction, "Let all our deeds be done with charity." Labouring where GOD has cast our lot, let us leave the rest in His hands, Who ordereth all things well. In quiet and confidence shall be our strength. 66 Again. Let us ask ourselves whether we have made that use of the means of grace which we might have done. The Church hath done what she could to fulfil her duty towards us, and her From "The Works of the LORD are great;" a Sermon by the Rev. W. B. Flower, B.A. London: Masters. Divine Head. At our Baptism we were incorporated into her; and when "she thanks GOD that He has vouchsafed to receive us for His own children by adoption, and to incorporate us with His Holy Church," she also prays that He would grant "that being dead unto sin, and living unto righteousness, and being buried with CHRIST in His Death, we may crucify the old man, and utterly abolish the whole body of sin." By daily prayers she would sanctify every act of our lives, and teach us that human means can nothing avail against our threefold enemy, the world, the flesh, and the devil. By frequent communion she would have us ever keep near unto CHRIST, and be one with Him, Who vouchsafes to feed us with the spiritual food of His Body and Blood; and teach us to depend solely upon Him, Who by His Blood hath bought us. By ever recurring commemorations of Prophets, Evangelists, Apostles, Saints, and Martyrs, she would teach us how by faith they inherited the promises; how that they were men of like passions with ourselves, men of the same hopes and fears, sorrows and joys, and subject to like temptations; and how that, if we persevere unto the end, we shall be what they are, in that they have been what we are. Teaching us that God hath "knit together (His) elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical Body of CHRIST our LORD;" she would have us pray for grace so to follow the blessed Saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those unspeakable joys which He has prepared for them that unfeignedly love Him." Thus plentifully has the Church provided us with the means of grace, that so, depending upon Him, Who is our hope and stay, we may walk in righteousness and holiness, until the shadows of the evening of life gather around us, and we pass away as in a sleep to the land that is afar off, where we shall see the King in His beauty. She hath done what she could; but have we? Let us ask ourselves some such plain searching questions as these. Have we lived as those should live, who are buried with CHRIST and are His soldiers and servants? Have we battled with the world, or have we tampered with sin, and been ensnared in its meshes? Have we been content with a mere speculative theoretical religion? Have we turned away, and heeded not, when bidden to the rich banqueting of the Supper of the LORD? When the bell has summoned us to prayer and praise, have we lent an unattentive ear, and gone, one to his farm, another to his merchandize, and another to his pleasure? If so, what wonder that we are dry, and sapless branches, producing no fruit. If so, let us show our thankfulness by turning unto God in deep sorrow of heart, and seeking CHRIST Who has promised to give us rest. Grievously have we sinned, but we need not despair. He Who wept over Jerusalem, wept for us, prays for us, and will hear us, when we cry unto Him. For, blessed truth, "the LORD willeth not that any of us should perish, even those of little worth and the least are sought after. If ye believe not, see! Behold! in the Gospel, the piece of silver is sought after, and, when found, is shown unto the neighbours. The poor sheep, although to be carried back on His low stooping shoulders, is not burdensome to the Shepherd. Over one sinner that repenteth, the Angels in heaven rejoice, and the celestial choir is glad. Come, then, thou sinner, cease not to ask! Thou seest where there is joy over thy return. Amen." II. We must show forth our gratitude and thankfulness by worshipping GOD with our substance, and giving unto Him of that which is His own. He is the LORD of all, from Whom come honour and riches, and might and power; and it is our duty, as it should be felt our privilege, to acknowledge His Lordship. This, reason itself would teach us; and the conclusion to which we come by the light of reason, is enforced upon us by the Divine Word. For therein we are taught to worship GOD in tithes and offerings; and that those who fail to do so, rob GOD and defraud Him of His own; for which sin they shall not go unpunished. The law of proportion is that we are to give unto the LORD as He has prospered us; "divide our returns with the LORD our GOD; to share our profits with CHRIST, and to make CHRIST a partaker of our earthly possessions, that He also may make us joint-heirs with Him of the heavenly kingdom." For this is the Divine scheme by which the Gospel is to be preached to every creature, and the poor and needy provided for. And if we only persuade ourselves to act as GOD would have us, and devote a tenth unto Him, His blessing will rest upon us. Henceforth then be it our resolve not to appear before Him with empty and barren prayers. And especially on this day let us make a thank-offering proportionate to that great increase with which GOD has blessed us. Remember we, in our joy, the poor, who are CHRIST's representatives; for, when the hungry are fed, and the naked clothed, we feed and clothe CHRIST Himself; and in the day of judgment He will say, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My servants ye have done unto Me." And our work of faith He will not forget. Giving things temporal for things spiritual here; giving of our earthly stores, we shall receive everlasting possessions; parting with our earthly garment, we shall be clothed with a garment from heaven. "Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy, the LORD will deliver him in the time of trouble." "The liberal soul shall be made fat; and he that watereth shall be watered also himself." They that are rich in good works are said to lay hold on eternal life. We shall reap as we have sown. That therefore we may reap an abundant harvest, let us sow plentifully. And now, brethren, it only remains that I remind you of the analogy that exists between the things of nature and those of grace. In the recent dearth and subsequent plenty there is an emblem of the mode by which advance is made in things spiritual. First losing all, and then finding all in CHRIST; first poverty of spirit, then enrichment; first sorrow and mourning, then joy; first the broken and contrite heart, and then the binding up of the wounds; first the bitter herbs of penitence, and then rejoicing in the plenteous forgiveness bestowed upon us. Now, therefore, let us hear the voice of the Shepherd, when He tenderly calls us, that so He may lead us by still waters, and in rich pastures, and feed our hungry souls, and refresh them when they are weary. And to this end pray we now and always, in the words of a holy man of old: "O GOD, Who willest not the death of a sinner, but that he should be converted and live; grant that we, having discharged this and every other precept, may be found worthy to stand at the tribunal of CHRIST, that having enjoyed great boldness, we may attain the kingdom to Thy glory. For to Thee belong glory, honour, and might, together with Thine only begotten SON and the HOLY GHOST, now and ever, and world without end. Amen." THE HUMMING-BIRD. "When morning dawns, and the blest sun again Then, through our wood-bines, wet with glittering dews, THE above animated lines give us not an unapt description of the food, note, and inconceivably splendid, but ever varying, colours of the humming-bird, with every movement that it makes, and by every varying ray of light that falls upon it. The hummingbird is certainly one of the greatest wonders of the winged |