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Harry's "difficulties" did not decrease; lines of care began to furrow the once smooth brow, and each year found him less able or willing to retrace his steps. Often, when forced to retrospection, he cursed the hour in which he incurred his first debt.

His father possessed some property which was to be divided equally among his children. To raise money upon this was easy enough, and so Harry surrendered to money lenders the inheritance his father had saved; and when death placed the others in possession, he alone was penniless. The steps from folly to sin are quick and easy; the one from ruining oneself to ruining others is more than probable where it is possible; and the unhappy fact that, in ignorance of his involvements, his sisters' portions were entrusted to his management, proved too strong a temptation to the spendthrift brother.

Florence had misgivings when Harry required from them signatures to certain papers; but too soon came the thunder-clap announcing the loss of all their property; and the sisters, taught that it was an error of judgment, an unsuccessful speculation for their benefit, forgave the wrong, and uncomplainingly set about exerting for a liveli hood the talents and resources hitherto cultivated for their own and others' pleasure. Harry was hardening now very fast, and the end was coming surely. He thought he could bear anything better than being dunned by creditors, but he had to learn that there was yet something even worse.

Debts stuck like thorns in his pillow at night, and dogged his steps by day, and he began to use means of relief that whispered terrors in every sound. He was trusted by the honourable firm in whose employ he had been engaged for several years. The thought of any breach of confidence was frightful at first, but by degrees became familiar. Dishonour and disgrace might be warded off for awhile; and before there could be risk of detection, he would have replaced what he was now abstracting, or be beyond the pursuit of justice. So he argued, and so he hurried on his downward way. It was "the way of transgressors," and was very "hard."

THE SOLDIER FORGIVEN.

"AH! here he is again!" said the colonel, concerning a disorderly, drunken private. "What can we do to mend

him? His pay has been stopped, he knows every inch of the black hole, and the poor fellow's shoulders will never forget their close acquaintance with the tails of the cat. What can we do to make him turn over a new leaf?" The question met with a speedy reply. A serjeant stepped forward and said, Sir, there is one thing which has not

been done to him."

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"What is that?" said the officer.

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After remaining

Sir, he has never been forgiven." The colonel was taken by surprise. silent for a moment, he addressed the culprit. "What have you to say about this sad affair?" "I am very sorry I have been such a fool.” "I forgive you," said the officer.

The private burst into tears; a soft place in his hard heart had been touched, and from that day he became an altered man.

Similar is God's method of dealing with guilty men. Forgiveness is the motto inscribed on the Divine plan for the restoration of our fallen world. The apostle John tells us of a rainbow, which spans the heavenly throne-the symbol which teaches that it is a throne of grace and not of judgment; and that rainbow is not more clearly seen by the inhabitants of the celestial world, than we can see Forgiveness," written in letters of light upon every page of the gospel. The word of promise fell as sweetest music upon the ear of our sinful, sorrowing, first parents. Throughout the history of our world we may trace it. But the most wondrous of its doings are to be seen at Bethlehem, Gethsemane, and Calvary.

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God infinitely hates sin, and at the same time infinitely pities the sinner. How king David hated the ingratitude, disloyalty, and treason of his son Absalom; and yet he so loved his child as to be constrained to say, Spare the young man Absalom ;" and when the sins of the misguided youth had laid him in a premature and dishonoured grave, the heart of the poor king was well nigh torn asunder, and he burst forth with the bitter cry, "Would God I had died for thee, my son! my son!" The father of the " prodigal" mourned over the badheartedness, extravagance, recklessness, and profligacy of his child; yet he went forth "a long way to meet him, and fell upon his neck and kissed him." Those acts of human forgiveness remind us of the Divine forgiveness;

but only as the stars remind us of the sun, or as the dewdrops remind us of the rivers of the earth, and the boundless depths of the sea. Dr. Doddridge paid many kind visits to a murderer in Northampton gaol.

"Is there a twig of mercy for such a wretch ?” said the condemned criminal.

"Yes!" said the good divine. "Not only a twig but a

tree."

Do not despair, conscience-stricken, guilty sinner! Do not despair! Look to Him to whom David looked, as he said, "There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared." (Psalm cxxx. 4.)

Forgiveness! 'tis a joyful sound
To rebel sinners doomed to die;
Publish the bliss the world around;
Ye seraphs, shout it from the sky.
O'er sins unnumbered as the sand,
And like the mountains for their size,
The seas of sovereign grace expand,
The seas of sovereign grace arise.
For this stupendous love of Heaven,
What grateful honour shall we show?
Where much transgression is forgiven,
Let love with equal ardour glow.

ALWAYS BEGINNING.

SOME are all their days laying the foundation, and are never able to build upon it to any comfort to themselves, or usefulness to others. And the reason is, because they will be mixing with the foundation stones that are fit only for the superstructure. They will be bringing their obedience, duties, mortifications of sin, and the like, into the foundation. These are precious stones to build with, but unmeet to be first laid to bear upon them the whole weight of the building. The foundation is to be laid in mere grace, mercy, pardon in the blood of Christ; this the soul is to accept of and to rest in, merely as it is, grace, without the consideration of anything in itself but that it is sinful and obnoxious to ruin. This it finds a difficulty in, and would gladly have something of its own to mix with it; it cannot tell how to fix these foundation stones without some cement of its own endeavours and duty; and because these things will not mix, they spend a fruitless labour about it all their days. But if the foundation be of grace, it is not

at all of works; otherwise grace is no more grace. If anything of our own be mixed with grace in this matter, it utterly destroys the nature of grace, which if it be not alone, it is not at all.-Owen.

A MESSAGE FOR ALL.

1 JOHN ii. 12-14.

CHILDHOOD, I write for thee,

While health and beauty paint thy glowing cheek;
Oh let life's morning consecrated be

To Him of love Divine, of spirit meek,

Who once did die for thee.

Young man, I write for thee,

Just stepping forth on life's uncertain way:
Think what will be thy coming destiny;
Shall it be weal or woe? 'tis thine to say:
Young man, I ask of thee.

Maiden, a fear for thee;

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Thy fond heart dances, while the syren sings."
Let not the giddy whirl of pleasure be

The charm that lures thee where the serpent stings.
Maiden, this fear for thee.

Mother, a cheer to thee,

Whose anxious heart scarce dares to taste of joy :
Oh "watch the thousand pitfalls" carefully,

And pitying Heaven will guard thy darling boy.
Mother, this cheer for thee.

Father, with brow of care,

And stern resolve, in time, " to do or die;"
Thine own, thy country's welfare hangeth there,
Around the rising group before thine eye:

Grudge not thine anxious care.

Teacher, one word for thee,

From out a heart of sympathy and love:
Oh guide thy precious charge in wisdom's way,
Till all shall meet in the blest world above.
Teacher, this word for thee.

Indulge one anxious thought,

Thou of the feeble frame and silver hair;
Say, is life's close with hopes of glory fraught?
Or is life's sun declining in despair,

Thou of the silver hair?

Christian, one parting word:

Be faithful to the trust thy God hath given;

Walk in the footsteps of thy blessed Lord;

Then look with joy to that blessed home in heaven.

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"ONE TO-DAY IS WORTH TWO TO-MORROWS." "WHY do you not start at once, Frederick? There's time enough. There's a train leaves in about three hours; and you would reach Liverpool in time to see Mr. L- the first thing to-morrow morning, and settle the matter out of hand. Take my advice: go home directly, put up the few things you want for your journey; come back again; take an omnibus to the station, and your ticket for Liverpool; and there you are." The young man spoke with amazing energy, in giving this advice: he was quite warm and animated-unnecessarily so, his friend evidently thought.

FEBRUARY 1864.

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