time our Lord had foretold that they would arise and deceive. In the notes upon St. Matthew on this subject I have gone rather at length into the different signs of these awful times, but I will now say this, that if you neglect the true Christ, as did the Jews, you will never want for false Saviours. The minds of most men sometimes dwell upon a future state. It may be seldom that they think upon the subject; but when persons who are not real Christians do so, they never decide against themselves, but always make sure of being saved by some means or another: either their own works or the general mercy of God, or both together, or Christ and their works united, or else repentance for what has been done amiss. These are the kind of Saviours men of no real religion make for themselves, but, like all things invented by man, these modes of being saved are much more complicated than the works of God. The most wonderful of all God's works proceed upon principles ! which commend themselves to our admiration on account of their fitness in all points for the end of their creation. So the redemption of man by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, the God-man, commends itself to the admiration of man from the same cause. The true Christ is He whose divinity and whose manhood bespeak Him at once the able and feeling_friend of poor sinners. Brethren, we are told by our Lord elsewhere, that the arts of these false Christs were so clever, that, if it were possible, they would have deceived the very elect. Oh, be careful to cling to the faith of the true Saviour, the only Saviour! Dreadful indeed were the persecutions of the early Christians previous to the destruction of Jerusalem, but worth all that can be endured is a true faith in the true Saviour. It is the opinion of many that the persecution of true Christians is not far off. If so, how careful should we be to obtain now, in the days of peace and safety, a sure and confident trust in Jesus, that neither life nor death, nor things present, nor things to come, may move us from our blessed Lord! The simple faith of the Gospel is so soul-satisfying, according to the Scripture declaration, (Matt. xi. 25, 26,) and the expe rience of all true believers, that it is folly as well as sin

not to pray for the Spirit of Christ to teach us to love Him, and to keep us so sincerely in his love, that we may persevere unto the end and be saved. True, we may not expect any extraordinary work of the Holy Ghost to be performed in us, but the usual and promised work of the Holy Spirit we must look for, that we may have faith, love, and endurance, so that, come what will, we may count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. And, mark you, the true faith in Christ will show itself not merely in words, but in deeds, so that the enemies of the Gospel will be struck with our holiness and active goodness. A LAYMAN.

GOD'S PURPOSES AND MAN'S DEVICES.

It is among the sayings of the wisest of men-"There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand." (Prov. xix. 21.) Not only Scripture history, but the history of the world, is full of evidences of this serious and important truth; it is written as with a sunbeam throughout creation, and in the state of man. Yet there is scarcely any truth which we so habitually forget or overlook. Do we not every day speculate with confidence upon the results of this or that undertaking or course of action? Do we not every day calculate, with little misgiving, that this or that course of proceeding towards another, or with refer ence to particular circumstances, can hardly fail to produce the effect we have in view? But does it produce that effect? Seldom. There are few, if any, whose course of action in any particular matter has led to the very results which they had in view, or has yielded all the fruit they expected to gather from it. There are few, if any, whose prosperity, whose comfort, whose safety, has grown out of their own carefully planned and deliberated measures; few, if any, who do not know that their advantages have proceeded from circumstances which they never had in view, which formed no part of their own plans, and over which their own course of action had no conceivable influence. Many of us may have been enabled to do something wiser, greater, better

than ever entered our minds; but this result has been brought about, perhaps, in a way contrary to what our judgment or will originally proposed, and through the overruling providence of Him, "of whom, and through whom, and to whom, are all things."

What shall we say to these things? There is nothing better than that a man should live in the feeling that it is not his purpose, but the purpose of God, that must stand sure. He may have plans and designs, indeed the business of life cannot well go on without them; but he must know that God is not bound by his plans, and is under no obligation to bestow His prospering blessing upon his designs. God has a plan of his own for every one of us. If our plans agree with his,-well; He may bless them. But if not, He will either make them promote the purpose which He intends, and which we did not intend, or will try our faith by blasting our cherished plans altogether; that He may bless us his own way, and lead us to safety, to usefulness, to success, by paths that we knew not of, and by ways that never did enter, nor could enter, our minds. Let us not, therefore, be discouraged, if our plans do not answer our wishes, if every thing turns wrong upon our hands. We know that He is not unkind; we know that He does not forget us; and we have reason to hope that He only brings our own small plans and devices to nought, because He has something of his own-something larger, something better in store for us. How many are there to whom God had not "spoken comfortably" until He "lured them into the wilderness," when the soul, withdrawn from amidst the remains of its broken plans and frustrated hopes, is now alone with Him, sees Him alone, leans on Him only.

Oh for the blessedness of that man who has been enabled to realize the most entire conviction-and that not as a theory but as a practical truth-that God doeth all things well, and that his work is perfect! The grinding and low cares of this life have no place with him. He knows that all his affairs are guided by One who cannot err; that he is watched over for good by One who is never weary. Human friends may weary of him, and shake him off, if he becomes troublesome by his wants; but he heeds

this little his God invites, solicits, is glorified, by the entireness of his dependence, and the full and undivided burden of his cares. Strange it is, that we are so slow to claim the rights thus given to us, and which we ought to regard as inestimable privileges. How few are they, known to any of us, who do truly realize the many precious promises and gracious invitations to do that which can alone make this life tolerable! How few are they who realize experimentally the declaration of the prophet, "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Or this, "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it; except the Lord keep the city, the watchman watcheth but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He giveth his beloved sleep." May God give to us that sleep, that perfect rest amid all the labours, turmoils, and cares of life, which only his beloved can know, because they only have unreserved confidence in Him, and can trust their bodies no less than their souls to his care!-From "Kitto's Daily Bible Illustrations."

MANAGEMENT OF A FAMILY.

Too many of my cottage friends seem to think that if they send their children to school they have done their duty by them, as if reading and writing, and hemming and sewing, was the whole of education. It is for the instruction of such mothers and fathers that I send the following conversation between two mothers of very different characters and principles. The result of their opposite modes of rearing their children speaks for itself, and will, I hope, prove beneficial to some of your numerous readers. Young mothers should be especially careful how they begin to train their little ones, for all must perceive how difficult it is to alter, as in Mrs. Sims' hopeless case.

MRS. SIMS AND MRS. HALL.

EXAMPLE IS BETTER THAN PRECEPT.

Mrs. S. I declare there is no peace in life with a house full of children. I can't think how you ever get

on as you do; for you have two more than me, and yet your kitchen is always tidied up, and your husband's supper ready to the very minute.

Mrs. H. It is trying, certainly, at times, to have so many to look to; but yet I should be sorry to spare one. I try to do my best to train them as I was trained myself; to be obedient, and orderly, and regular. And their father helps me, for he is punctual and tidy in his habits, and always keeps up my authority in the house— “Mothers must rule at home," he says.

Mrs. S. Ah, that is something like my good man is more of a hindrance than a help. The children all take after him. As sure as I find fault with them, he begins to coax, though he is angry enough by times, and will even lift a hand to them.

Mrs. H. It is a pity to treat children so; they like to be dealt with justly: and if they are blamed at one time, and coaxed at another, for doing one and the same thing, why how are they to know wrong from right?

Mrs. S. Very true; it vexes me: I wish husband would be more reasonable. It's all his fault that the young things are so wild and wilful.

Mrs. H. Don't be out of heart. A mother, you know, has great power when the father is out all day.

Mrs. S. It is true he is out, and I am at home; but I have plenty to do without looking after the children; to wash and mend, and cook and clean, for six in family, is not an idle life, I can tell you!

Mrs. H. No, certainly; but a great deal can be done with children while work is going on. The elder ones begin to help you now, don't they? Mrs. S. Why, bless you, Sally is but just nine! What can she do?-besides, she is at school most of the day.

Mrs. H. Yes, I know, and so is my Mary; but for all that she is a great help to me at odd hours: she is not much of a hand yet at her needle, but she will wash up the tea-things, or sweep up the room, and such sort of things; then Jane looks after Tommy, and that is a great help I know he is safe with her.

Mrs. S. That is where it is. I can't think how you