caused the eyes of the widow to fail; if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering; if his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate, then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone, for destruction from God was a terror to me.

Oh! my brethren, let this terrible question ever flame before your eyes." Whoso hath this world's goods and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” Oh! let that question dissolve thy frozen-heartedness, let it enlarge thy bowels of pity towards the poor brethren of Jesus Christ; or else thou can never expect to look in his face with joy, nor find mercy from him :-"Inasmuch as ye have done it not to one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it not to me." I am sorry that our State Poor-Law is not an Amen to the Bible Poor-Law. The latter is either too good or the former is not good enough. The Bible-Law says, "These twain shall be one flesh;" but the State-Law separates them, at the Workhouse, while living, and thus transgresses the laws of heaven and opposes the All-wise will of the Law-giver. Oh! my brethren, plead the cause of the poor! Do not let them have two deaths! When they have so many years sailed over life's sea together, allow them to see each other enter the haven! Let them buoy each other up while

conflicting with the last rough waves! Let the parting sentence of hope be heard by the survivor, so that it may cheer them for the reunion in the glory-land. Remember, ever remember, that, "whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, and shall not be heard." "He that giveth up the poor shall not lack but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse."

THE EXCELLENT WOMAN.

"And is not fair woman the sweetness of life?
With man she divides her enjoyments and cares;
The friend or the sister, the daughter or wife,
Alike in his pleasure or sorrow she shares."

I CAN only here present a few outline traits of the excellent woman, and leave them to be admired by her brothers, and filled up in holy life-practice by her sisters. "Man is the image and glory of God: but woman is the glory of

man.

Her relationship. "This is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh."

Her value. "A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: her price is far above rubies! Her industry.

"She seeketh wool and flax

and worketh willingly with her hands, thereby she strengtheneth herself and enricheth her household. She not only well employs the day, but she riseth also while it is yet night." She takes the blooming, blossoming, smiling, musical hours of virgin morning and ladeth them, for time and for eternity, with prizeable toil and hallowed prayer. Having started well, she also endeth well" her candle goeth not out by night." When the frolicsome children have gone to rest and all hinderances are removed, she layeth her hand to the spindle, while every turn of the wheel seems musically to say, "the diligent hand maketh rich."

Her economy. "She considereth a field and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard." Some women work and waste, but she seeks and also saves. "Having purchased the field she diligently labours to make it into a productive garden, a fruitful orchard, and a plentiful vineyard." This increases their comforts and lessens their expenditure, thereby enabling her to lay up a good foundation for the time to come. She thus laughs,at old winter! and is not afraid of the snow, for all her household are doubly clothed!

Her benevolence. "She stretcheth out her hand to the poor." She cannot enjoy her abundance while her poorer brethren wailingly ask for bread. She does good unto all men as she has opportunity. She knows that "they that give to the poor shall not lack."

Her intelligence. "She openeth her mouth

with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness." What a comprehensive, delightful, and deserving eulogy! She has not only strengthened her arm, but she has also cultivated her mind and her heart. Her words possess pleasantness, power, fulness, and thought. They well up from the fountain of a loving heart, and pass through lips of honeyed sweetness." The words of the pure are pleasant words."

Her esteem. "She shall be praised. Her children arise up and call her blessed: her husband also, and he praiseth her." Her portrait is pencilled by the hand of the wisest king, and honoured with a place in the imperishable album of the eternal God-and every generation of her kindred have sung, "Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all!

HOW TO MAKE OUR CHILDREN
USEFUL.

THE PATH OF BLISS ABOUNDS WITH MANY A SNARE! So wrote one of England's sweetest poets. And, although poetry is not always logically correct, yet the tested experience of every good person affirms the truthfulness of the foregoing sentence. This being true, tells us, my brotherworkers, that we must keep the feet of future youth from being entangled and turned out of the path.

While the Sunday Schools are trying to turn the feet of virgin youth into the "path of bliss," the Bands of Hope must clothe each little traveller in the robes of sobriety, and also put dangersignals over each pitfall and drink-snare, saying, "She has cast down many wounded, yea, many strong men have been slain by her; her house is the way to hell, going down to the Chambers of death."

Be encouraged, fellow-labourers, in the good work of making straight paths for their feet. The morning of our redemption draweth nigh, and the day-dawn is approaching when "No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon; it shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there."

The path must be cleared. To clear it, a generation of earnest willing workers must be engaged. The qualifying of such a generation devolves upon us. We must engage them to begin in life's "smiling morn." The task is arduous, and life's day is short; let us, therefore, early enlist their sympathies, win their hearts, and employ their hands in this work of faith and this labour of love. Is the work not great? Is it not of the most weighty importtance? If 637,000 persons are being carried to the grave every month; if more than one half of that number die while under sixteen years of age; if every tenth person who dies dies a drunkard; if every drunkard dies without preparedness for heaven; if every third person who is living be made to suffer, directly or indirectly through drink, surely the work is sufficiently