STORIES ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE CHURCH CATECHISM.

(Continued from page 93.)

V. THE SEA VOYAGE. (Second Series.)

I HAVE little doubt all who read this have heard or read the story of a boy who was in a vessel during a dangerous storm, and on being asked if he was afraid, answered, "How can I be afraid? My father's at the helm!" To understand this story, you must be told that ships are moved about by the helm or rudder; and that it is one of the most difficult parts of a sailor's duty so to manage the helm, as that the ship may never go out of its right course, but keep on in the direction of the land to which she is bound. If the man at the helm should be careless, or if he should sleep while it is his duty to watch, the ship may run upon dangerous rocks, or may go quite out of her right track, and so, much time, and perhaps even many lives, may be lost. The little boy who was so calm in the storm understood the danger, but he also knew that his father was such a skilful pilot, that he could steer the ship even in this violent storm, and that he would do all he could to prevent her being driven upon the rocks or losing her way. He also knew that his father understood how to place the ship so as best to save it from being driven along too violently by the force of the gale. The reason of his quietness was the full confidence and trust he felt in his father's skill and knowledge of the means of safety.

And now can you tell me what there is in this story which makes it one very instructive for us?

You may say we are not on a voyage, or perhaps you will say that you see nothing in it that can at all apply to us; but I see a great deal, and we all say every day, though I am afraid we do not all feel it, very nearly the same words that this little boy did when he spoke of his father.

We are all on a voyage; we are none of us at home. We We are all on the waves of this troublesome world, and we all hope one day to reach the land of everlasting life. That land we all shall reach, but whether we shall be

landed on the shore where joy and happiness are to be found, or whether we shall be wrecked on the rocks which lie below it, and between which a great gulf rolls, which none can ever páss, will depend greatly on our conduct during the voyage.

When you were born, your parents brought you to the Church, and begged God's minister to baptize you, and to pray that you might be made a child of God. He took you in his arms, and he received you into the ark of Christ's Church. He prayed that you might be stedfast in faith, joyful through hope, and rooted in charity; and that you might so pass the stormy waves of this world as finally to reign with your Saviour for ever in the kingdom of glory.

The ark, you remember, was a large vessel in which Noah and all his family were saved, when the rest of the world were drowned; and the Church of Christ is called an ark or vessel, because all who remain in it are in safety. He who guides this vessel is our Father; so long as we abide in the vessel, and follow faithfully all that He commands us, so long we are safe. Now what would you think of any one, who when he has been allowed to come into a good ship, steered and guided by a wise and skilful pilot, and which is bound for the country to which he wishes to go, should leave that good ship, and get into a slight unsound boat or frail bark which he may happen to see near, without knowing who is to guide it, or how far it will be able to bear the storms it may meet with on the voyage? Would you not say he was a very foolish man? And yet you will be more, far more foolish, if you leave the faith you have been taught, and instead of trusting your heavenly Father to bring you safe to the land of everlasting life, choose to take the word of any false or blind guide who would tempt you to try some forbidden course, or to venture under some unknown leader. Your Father has placed you in his Church, He has taught you by His word that He is ever watching over you, that His eyes are in every place, that even your hairs are numbered, that He doeth all things well, that He will surely bring you to the haven where you would be, if you would simply believe what

He tells you, and do as He commands you. You have only one safe way, and that is, trusting Him, and looking up to Him as to a Father who cannot and will not lead you wrong. Whatever, therefore, happens to you, you need never be afraid; though you do not know now, hereafter you will know, and be thankful to Him for having guided you so safely over the waves of life. The only thing that should trouble you is the continual temptations you find to do what is wrong. Nothing can hurt you but sin. The ways of God are very wonderful, and He often seems to be hurting us, when He is really doing us good. You would be thankful to any one who snatched you out of a sinking vessel, and placed you in a safe one; and this is just what God has done for He has taken you out of the dangerous state in which you were born, a state of sin, and has called you to a state of salvation. Should you not therefore entirely trust Him to bring you safe to Heaven? Should you not carefully follow all that He teaches you in His word? firmly believing that all He orders is for your everlasting good.

you;

Should you not pray (as you have been taught) to Him as your Father which is in heaven, bless His Holy Name for all He has done for you, long that the blessed time may come when you shall be received into his kingdom, and strive earnestly to do His will, and suffer patiently that His will should be done, even though it is contrary to your own? If you do this, looking up to Him for His grace and help, you will pass safely through the waters, for He will be with you, and reach at last the heavenly city, where you will reign with Him, world without end, through the merits of Him who died for you, and who has washed you from your sins in His own blood, Jesus, the Lamb of God, to whom be glory for ever.

What is alluded to in this narrative?

The first part of the Lord's Prayer. "Our Father which art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

L. S. R.

CANADIAN INDIANS' PETITION.

THE following extracts from a letter, addressed by the Rev. F. A. O'Meara, to the secretaries of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, dated Mahnetooahneng, Canada West, Oct. 28th, 1845, were read to the Board:

"I beg to inclose the copy of an address from the Indians of this place, which was sent to the Lord Bishop when on his late visitation of this diocese, and which his Lordship desired I would send a copy of to your venerable Society. The subject to which it relates is one closely connected with the well-being of this mission, which has been now seven years established; and though every summer all the British Indians residing within many hundred miles of this place, assemble here to receive their annual presents from the government, yet there has not been a church erected for the use of the Christian Indians, a small school-house being the only place that they have for coming together for Divine Service, either on the Lord's day or week-days. Feeling this want very much, they petitioned the Governor-general for a church to be built for them, in which they might worship God as their white brethren do, in a decent building consecrated for that purpose, and into which they might invite their heathen fellow-countrymen to enter, in order to hear the glorious Gospel of the blessed God set forth for their acceptance.

"In answer to this application, they were told that there were no funds available for the purpose of building a church for them. This answer disappointed the Indians very much; but during last winter they went to the woods every day, till they had cut and squared sufficient timber for the frame of a church large enough to contain about three hundred and fifty persons, with which, with some assistance from the workmen at that time employed by Government, but since discharged, they succeeded in erecting the frame of a church, together with a skeleton of a porch and tower; but further than this the building cannot advance without pecuniary assistance from their white brethren.

"Had the Indians of this place any income arising

from the sale of lands to the Government, as other bodies of Indians residing in this province have, they would not need the assistance for which they pray; but they are chiefly emigrants from the United States' territory, and were in the receipt of land payments from the American government. But since their choice of British soil for their residence, they have been refused payment; so that they are entirely without resource, except from their own industry in cultivating the farms assigned them on this island.

"I feel very anxious as to the result of this their appeal made to their white fellow-Christians, through their bishop, as it would have a very bad effect on the minds of the heathen around us, whom we are desirous of bringing into the fold of Christ, if they were to see the efforts of the Christian Indians to rear a temple to the Lord Jehovah unseconded by their white brethren; and thus the frame, which now stands a monument of the advance of Christianity and civilization in these distant regions, would become a by-word and a ridicule with the heathen, against those who have cast away their delusions and taken the true religion of the Gospel. A sum of from three to four hundred pounds would, I believe, 1 complete the building, and furnish the interior in a manner suitable to the simple congregation.

"P.S. The dimensions of the frame erected by the Indians this summer are :-Main building, fifty feet in length, from east to west; by thirty in breadth, from north to south. Porch, twelve feet square, surmounted by a tower; the highest point of which is fifty feet from the ground."

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The following is a copy of the memorial forwarded by Mr. O'Meara :

Memorial, or Speech, addressed by the Protestant Indians, settled at Mahnetooahneng, to the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Toronto.

"Father, We are in great distress on account of our church.

"Father, We know not to whom we can better impart