boys decently clothed, the eldest appearing about thirteen, and the youngest-eleven, called at the lodging house for vagrants in this town, for a night's lodging; the keeper of the house very properly took them to the vagrant office to be examined, and if fit objects, to be relieved. The account they gave of themselves was extremely affecting. It appeared, that but a few weeks had elapsed since these poor little wanderers had resided with their parents in London. The typhus fever in one day carried off both father and mother leaving them orphans in a wide world, without a home and without friends. After the death of their parents, having an uncle in Liverpool, they resolved to throw themselves upon his protection. Tired therefore and faint, they arrived in this town on their way. Two bundles contained their little all; in the younger boy's was found a neatly covered and carefully preserved Bible. The keeper of the lodging house, addressing the little boy said, You have neither money nor meat, will you sell me this Bible? I will give you five shillings for it.' No! replied he, the tears rolling down his cheeks, I will starve first. Why do you love the Bible so much?' He answered,' No book has stood my friend so much as my Bible.' Why, what has your Bible done for you?' He answered, When I was a little boy, about seven years of age, I became a Sunday scholar in London through the kind attention of my master, I soon learned to read my Bible; this Bible, young as I was, showed me that I was a sinner; it also pointed me to a Saviour, and I thank God that I found mercy at the hands of Christ, and I am not ashamed to confess him before the world. The Bible has been my support all the way from London; hungry and weary, often have I sat down by the way-side to read my Bible, and have found refreshment from it.' He was

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then asked, What will you do when you get to Liverpool, should your uncle refuse to take you in?' He replied, My Bible tells me, when my father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.'"

Chap. xv, ver. 2.-Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

"I have heard Mr. Cecil mention, with much feeling," says his biographer," many deep and secret conflicts of mind, with which he was exercised, while at college; added to which, he had to meet many insults, which profligate men offer to piety. Under these impressions, he was one day walking in the physic gardens, where he observed a very fine pomegranate tree, cut almost through the stems near the root. On asking the gardener the reason of this," Sir," said he, "this tree used to shoot so strong, that it bore nothing but leaves, I was therefore obliged to cut it in this manner; and, when it was almost cut through, then it began to bear plenty of fruit." The gardener's explanation of this act, conveyed a striking illustration to Mr. Cecil's mind, and he went back to his rooms comforted and instructed by this image.

Chap. xv, ver. 18, 19.-If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

"I happened once," says Dr. Cotton Mather, "to be present in the room where a dying man could not leave the world until he had lamented to a minister (whom he had sent for on this account,) the unjust calumnies and injuries which he had often cast upon him. The minister asked the poor penitent what was the occasion of this abusive conduct; whether he had been imposed upon by any false report. The man made this answer, No, sir, it was merely this, I thought you were a good man, and that you did much good in the world, and therefore I hated you. Is it

possible, is it possible,' he added, 'for such a wretch to find pardon?'

Chap. xvi, ver. 2.-They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

One of the most horrid circumstances attending the dreadful massacre of the protestants under Charles IX, of France, was, that when the news of this event reached Rome, Pope Gregory XIII, instituted the most solemn rejoicing, giving thanks to Almighty God for this glorious victory over the heretics!!

Chap. xvi, ver. 33.-In the world ye shall have tribulation.

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Some time ago, as a gentleman was passing over one of the extensive downs in the west of England, about mid-day, where a large flock of sheep was feeding, and observing the shepherd sitting by the road side, preparing to eat his dinner, he stopped his horse, and entered into conversation with him to this effect, "Well, shepherd, you look cheerful and contented, and I dare say, have very few cares to vex you. I, who am a man of pretty large property, cannot but look at such men as you with a kind of envy." Why, sir," replied the shepherd, " 'tis true I have not troubles like yours; and I could do well enough, was it not for that black ewe that you see yonder amongst my flock. I have often begged my master to kill, or sell her; but he won't, though she is the plague of my life; for no sooner do I sit down to look at my book, or take up my wallet to get my dinner, but away she sets off over the down, and the rest follow her; so that I have many a weary step after them: There, you see she's off, and they are all after her!"-" Ah, friend," said the gentleman to the shepherd before he started, "I see every man has a black ewe in his. flock to plague him, as well as me!"-The reader can make the application.

Chap. xvii, ver. 24.-Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me.

An excellent young minister, lately deceased, in the afternoon of the day on which he died, inquired what the hour was, and on being informed, said, "What would you think if I were in heaven tonight?" It was answered, "Then you will be with your Saviour, and see him face to face." His pale emaciated countenance seemed to beam with delight, and his faultering lips uttered, " Glory, glory, glory." Chap. xviii, ver, 38.-Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?

Father Fulgentio, the friend and biographer of the celebrated Paul Sarpi, both of them secret friends to the progress of religious reformation, was once preaching upon Pilate's question, "What is truth?" He told the audience, that he had at last, after many searches, found it out; and holding forth a New Testament, said, "here it is, my friends," but added, sorrowfully, as he returned it to his pocket, "It is a sealed book!" It has been since the glory of the reformation to break the seal which priestcraft had imposed upon it, and to lay its blessed treasures open to the universal participation of mankind.

Chap. xviii, ver. 40.-Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.

Tremellius was a Jew, from whose heart the veil had been taken away, and who had been led by the Holy Spirit to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, and the Son of God.-The Jews, who had condemned our Saviour, had said, "Not this man, but Barabbas;" Tremellius, when near his end, glorying in Christ alone, and renouncing whatever came in competition with him, used very different words,-" Not Barabbas, but Jesus."

Chap. xix, ver. 6.-When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out saying, Crucify him, crucify him.

It is said of Dr. Robertson, the celebrated historian, that, preaching once in the forenoon, he affirmed in the words of the ancient heathen,-"That if perfect virtue were to descend to the earth, clothed in a human form, all the world would fall prostrate and worship her." In the afternoon, Dr. Erskine, his colleague, remarked, on the contrary, "That perfect virtue, in the human nature of the Saviour of mankind, had indeed appeared on the earth; but, instead of being universally worshipped, the general cry of his countrymen was, Crucify him, crucify him!"

Chap. xix, ver. 26, 27.-When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

A pious young man, who was desirous of devoting himself to the work of the ministry among the heathen, and had been recommended with that view to the committee of the London Missionary Society, on undergoing the usual examination, stated that he had one difficulty: he had an aged mother entirely dependent upon an elder brother and himself for maintenance; and in case of that brother's death he should wish to be at liberty to return to this country, if his mother were still living, to contribute to her support. Scarcely had he made this ingenuous statement, when a harsh voice exclaimed: " If you love your mother more than the Lord Jesus Christ, you will not do for Abashed and confounded, the young man was silent. Some murmurs escaped the committee; and he was directed to retire while his proposal was taken into consideration. On his being again sent for, the

us."