body, being careful in all things to be directed by Him, even JESUS CHRIST, Who is to rule us all, as the head rules the several members of the body.

And as CHRIST's Body, or Church, is one, so it is regulated by one SPIRIT. Since CHRIST ascended into heaven, He acts by His SPIRIT-that HOLY SPIRIT Which He promised as a Comforter to console His disciples in His absence, and by which He is present with His disciples, through His ministers and the ordinances of His Church, which is His Body. Next, we are to remind ourselves that we have one hope of our calling. The same hope of a glorious inheritance, eternal in the heavens, is promised to all those who love the LORD JESUS with sincerity, or what is the same thing, who hold and live up to that faith which was once delivered to the saints. For we have one LORD and one faith; JESUS CHRIST is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. His purpose is one; His person is one, and in that person are two natures, the Godhead and the Manhood, never to be divided. So the faith which He would have us receive is one. The faith, that is, the substantial parts of it, cannot be held in a different way by different persons. Nor can it vary at different times. It cannot be developed. The faith of the Church is one. It is held in the same manner by the saints now as it was by the saints of old. The Creed which we use is called the Apostles' Creed, and so long as we hold that Creed, the several doctrines of which are clearly proved by Scripture, we hold that one faith which was once delivered to the saints.

In the next place, another bond of union between us is one baptism. We are baptized by one SPIRIT into one Body. Thus we see, through GOD's mercy in CHRIST, that infants, before they are capable of holding the faith, are incorporated into CHRIST'S Body by baptism. He Who, when He was on earth, took little children up into His arms, now washes away their sins by His SPIRIT, communicated to them through the element of water applied by the hands of His Ministers. So that in CHRIST JESUS we are all one. There is neither male, nor female, nor bond, nor free, nor young, nor old-all these distinctions are done away, and we are all one, yes, even infants, we are all one in CHRIST JESUS.

We have one GOD and FATHER of all, Who begets us by His SPIRIT into His family, and so are we members of one another. We are brethren, we have a common inheritance, we belong to the same holy family, and by profession are all members of the Communion of Saints, knit together in the bonds of holy love, mystically or mysteriously united through the agency of the SPIRIT.

Would that we set a proper value upon these high privileges. They are gifts which GOD has communicated to us; blessed, indeed, shall we be if we duly use them; but if we abuse them, if we profess the faith of CHRIST crucified, and do not sincerely believe it and live up to it, we are taking GOD's name in vain, and cannot be held guiltless.

How then should we strive, in the words of the Apostle, to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. Let us be mindful of our holy profession, and strive to adorn it with good works in all humility and lowliness of spirit. Let us strive

to be of one heart and one spirit, endeavouring to win others to the truth by adorning the doctrine of GOD our SAVIOUR in all things. Let us show constantly our anxiety to be worthy members of the communion of saints by assembling ourselves together in the house of Him Who is GoD and FATHER of us all. Let us offer up our common prayers and common praises to GOD's holy Name. There will be no divisions in GoD's Church in heaven, and there should be no divisions amongst us on earth. The multitude of believers should worship GoD in common, in the same holy place, in the courts of our LORD's house. There we should all continually, as members of one body, profess our faith in common. There we should join in our common prayers and praises to His holy Name, as being of one heart and one soul.

There we should also show that we are members of the communion of saints, by eating in common, and drinking in common the Body and the Blood of our LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST. Thus shall we go from faith to faith, from grace to grace, from strength to strength, until we appear before Him in heaven.

A BRIGHT PAGE IN THE HISTORY OF A SUNDAY SCHOOL.

Ir is a question much mooted now-a-days, whether Sunday Schools have not been productive of much harm. Into the arguments for and against it is not my intention at present to enter; but I cannot forbear expressing my own conviction that accusations are made against an institution, which should be more properly made against the mode in which the contemplated objects are carried out. Suffice it rather to give a plain and simple detail of an interesting fact, which must tell Sunday School teachers that even here they have their reward, and that their deeds of love and mercy are like bread cast upon the waters seen many days hence.

Some ten years ago I was connected with a Sunday School situated in a densely populated part of a large manufacturing town. This with a small meeting-house, capable of holding some two hundred persons, was all the accommodation provided for the neglected people, who now, however, owing to the unceasing exertions of the present indefatigable Vicar, and the free willing offering by a penitent of a Church for the service of God, are placed in a far better and cheering position. The children who attended the school in question bore sad evidences of the destruction, both moral and physical, which was the consequence of the injurious system to which they were subjected. Physically, they seemed to wear upon their pale and careworn faces the marks of heavy labour, their limbs were feeble, and the vivacity of youth was wanting, they were in fact completely jaded out by their continuous labours in heated and unventilated rooms; and I doubt not many of them thought it a hard thing that they should be shut up all Sunday long, and not be able to catch a breath of fresh air, and rove over the beautiful green fields, and listen to the singing of the blithe and merry birds. Poor things, how my heart bled for them! How I pitied their lamentable condition, and wished that with the bitter cup of poverty there had now and then been mingled the cup of pleasure, and they had not been denied all time for the enjoyment of those things, which God has given as a blessing to all. But their moral state was far worse. They knew literally nothing of those things that make for their eternal welfare. Dark as heathens were they; and if they had any knowledge, it was only of vice and wickedness, the end of which things is death. And when Sundays are the only days on which religious knowledge can be imparted to many perishing children, it is of vital importance, that all institutions open on those days should be rendered as available as possible for the purpose intended.

Among the scholars, however, there was one who differed from her fellows. The others, generally speaking, were sad and melancholy; she was healthy and gay: the rest were tractable; she bore discipline but ill, and seemed reckless of the consequences of her conduct. More than once she was on the point of being expelled from the school, but still there was a winning truthfulness about her that pleaded with her teachers, and she was allowed to remain under certain restrictions. About this time notice of confirmation was given, and Lucy, with those of her own age, was to be prepared for presentation to the Bishop. Just before this a favourite sister had died; and as she was a girl of no little sensibility, this pressed home to her heart. Confirmations are indeed seed times, when the seed sown by GoD's blessing takes deep root downwards, and brings forth much fruit upwards. Many who never thought before, begin to think then many are brought back again to their FATHER'S house, from which in evil hour they strayed. So was it

with Lucy. Deep and holy truths of baptismal privileges and baptismal responsibilities, and duties, were brought home to her heart, and never was there a more humble penitent presented at the altar for confirmation. The following Sunday she received the Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of CHRIST. For two years she continued a consistent and faithful member of the Church, a devout communicant, and an indefatigable teacher in the school, where she had been brought to a knowledge of the truth; and then it pleased GOD to afflict her with an affliction unto death. She was, however, ripe as a shock for the garner. During her illness, which was long and severe, she gave way to no vain murmurings nor regrets, and in her last hour she was calm and tranquil, and as her spirit left her frail body of clay, she exclaimed, "Come, LORD JESUS! come quickly."

A fact like this is worth a thousand arguments; and without any remark I leave it, hoping it will cheer many on in their work of faith and labour of love, with the well-grounded conviction that their labour is not in vain in the LORD.

W. B. F.

THE DOVE MAN'S TEACHER.*

LET the dove then, whose blessed wing we trust hath not ceased to overshadow and protect our souls even from infant years, from the days, when father and mother, and little ones like ourselves, but lately "signed with the sign of the cross," and sunny skies, it may be, and nature's music, and young birds, and bright insects, and field flowers, and wild fruits, and He Who spake of the grass, and the lilies, and the sparrows, and the hairs of our heads, were our only delights upon earth, be our teacher; and in learning of the dove, we shall learn of Him from Whom we cannot separate her, that SPIRIT "by Whom we have all been baptized into one body;” not forgetting the reality in the symbol, (for be they many or few, they are but weak-minded Christians who could do this,) but taking hold of both in one. Man alone separateth the thing signified from the sign, God hath in instances numberless joined them together, and shall we put them asunder? The creation itself is but a vast sign, signifying unto us its Creator and Preserver; yet who but the atheist would separate from it its signification and say, "it created, it preserves itself?" Shall man look upon the rainbow, and not praise Him that made it? The dove, then, leads us to the HOLY GHOST, and the HOLY GHOST sends us for His lessons to the dove. Ask now of the dove, and she shall teach thee, and the HOLY GHOST, Whose

* From a Farewell Sermon by A. B. Evans, noticed elsewhere.

symbol she is, shall bless to thee her teachings; and as she abode with JESUS, she will abide with thee, and the FATHER will say, "Thou art My beloved Son," if thou dost learn of her; and her beauteous colours shall deck thy soul in virtues divinely glorious; and He Who is Beauty itself shall delight in thee because of her. Very simple is the dove; be ye also simple, Christian souls: let the "simplicity that is in CHRIST be your wisdom;" for the "simple the LORD preserveth," as saith the Psalm which the Church useth at her thanksgiving, for whom the dove was wont to be offered: very innocent is the dove; "keep ye innocency, and take heed unto the thing that is right, for that shall bring ye peace at the last:" very meek is the dove; "walk ye in meekness;”“ in meekness instruct them that oppose themselves, if GOD peradventure may give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;"" in meekness restore brethren overtaken in a fault:" very peaceable is the dove; "follow ye peace with all men ;" "let the peace of GOD rule in your hearts, to the which ye are called in one body, and be ye thankful :" very loving is the dove; "walk ye in love, as CHRIST also hath loved us;" "little children, love one another:" very fearful is the dove; "be ye in the fear of the LORD all the day long;" fear the world, when it smiles upon you, fear your neighbour when he speaks well of you, fear yourselves, when ye are satisfied with yourselves: little gall hath the dove; "let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour be put away from you with all malice:" very kind is the dove; "be ye kind one to another :" very tender is she; "be ye tenderhearted:" very forgetful of injuries is she; "forgive ye one another as GOD for CHRIST's sake hath forgiven you:" very harmless is the dove; "be ye blameless and harmless, the sons of GOD without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world :" very chaste is the dove; be ye also chaste, for "ye have been espoused to one husband, that ye may be presented as a chaste virgin to CHRIST :" very pure in her food is the dove; desire ye only the "bread of GOD which cometh down from heaven," the "water of life," and "the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:" very true to her home is the dove; be ye also true; "dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of your life," 99.66 forget not Jerusalem, lest your right hands forget their cunning :" very faithful to her mate is the dove, faithful as human fidelity, or wedded love, as CHRIST to His Church, of which He saith, "My dove, my undefiled is One ;" be ye "faithful unto death," and CHRIST will be faithful to you beyond death: molested by her foes is the dove, though she molest not; do ye no wrong, what wrong soever ye may suffer; "for CHRIST also hath suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow His steps:" very quick of sight is the dove; "be your eyes ever up unto the LORD," espying His