ABIDE WITH ME. "Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day, O Thou who changest not, abide with me. Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies; Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee; In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.” HENRY FRANCIS LYTE, NO. IV. Contentment. "A CONTENTED MIND IS A CONTINUAL FEAST." Ir is truly a pearl of great price; and those who possess it are relieved from much care and anxiety, as well as from a murmuring spirit, so displeasing to God, and destructive of their own peace. St. Paul could say, "I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." This was a hard lesson to learn. When poverty comes upon us, it is hard to be content; but though hard, it is right and possible. It is contentment, to live upon God, in the deficiency of outward comforts; it is a divine thing, planted by the Spirit of God in the soul, and it is the source of much happiness and real pleasure. A good man, having struggled hard through life, without repining, was asked the secret of his being so uniformly happy and contented. He replied, "By making right use of my eyes." Being requested to explain, he replied, "In whatever state I am, I first look to heaven, and remember that my principal business is to get there. I then look down upon the earth, and call to mind how small a space I shall occupy in it after death. Lastly, I look abroad upon the world, and observe how many there are more unhappy than myself; thus I learn where true happiness is placed, where all my cares must end, and that I have no reason to repine. "Learn then, to be contented with your condition. Is that animal better that hath two or three mountains to graze on, than a little bee that feeds on dew or manna, and lives on what falls every morning from the clouds-the storehouses of heaven? Can a man quench his thirst better out of a river than a full cup? or drink better from the fountain which is finely paved with marble, than when it swells on the green turf?" Why not say with Bunyan, "I am content with what I have, And, Lord, contentment still I crave, This state of mind always brings its reward. Once upon a time, Frederick, King of Prussia, surnamed "Old Firtz," took a ride, and espied an aged farmer ploughing his acre by the wayside, cheeringly singing his melody. "You must be well off," said the king. "Does this acre belong to you, in which you so industriously labour?" "No, sir,” replied the farmer, who knew not that it was the king, "I am not so rich as that; I plough for wages.' "How much do you get a day?" asked the king. "Sixpence," said the farmer. "That is not much," said the king, "can you get along with this?" "Get along, and have something left." "How is that?" The farmer smiled, and said, "Well, if I must tell you,-two groschens are for myself and wife; two go to pay my old debts; two I lend away; and two I give away, for the Lord's sake." "This is a mystery I cannot solve," said the king. "Then I will solve it for you," said the farmer,-"I have two old parents at home, who kept me when I was weak and needed help, and now that they are weak and need help, I keep them. This is my debt, towards which I pay two groschens a-day. The third pair of groschen, which I lend away, I spend for my children, that they may receive Christian instruction,this will come handy to me and my wife when we get old. With the last two groschen, I maintain two sick sisters, whom I could not be compelled to keep,-this I give for the |