"I believe you are right, father," he said at last, looking up; "there's reason in what you say about looking at home first. I know it would be a deal happier for Sarah if I stayed in a bit at nights and helped to look after the lads; she has done her best to make the home comfortable. I'm sure I ought to take my share. I'll tell you what!" he continued, a cheery smile breaking up the gloomy expression of his face; I will make a present of my politics to any one who wants a New Year's gift, and just try, for this year at least, to go on a different tack-perhaps sometimes give a look in at one of your meetings." And Isaac, with great joy in his heart, wrung Tom's hand, and said fervently, "God help thee, my lad! God help thee !"

The Blood of Sprinkling.

THY

BY REV. J. E. RANKIN, D.D.

HY blood, O Lord, speaks better things
Than Abel's blood of old,

As, rising on accusing wings,
To God its tale it told.

'Tis not of vengeance that it speaks,
Although I own it might;
No guilty culprit, Lord, it seeks,
Hiding in shame from sight.

No threat'ning face looks from the skies,
No searching voice is heard;

No trembling one in awe replies

To the accusing word.

It speaks of pardon and of peace,
Of variance reconciled;

It asks the guilty one's release,
And claims him as a child.

Thy blood, O holy Crucified,

From brow, and hands, and feet,
Pouring so free its crimson tide,

Has but this language sweet.

M. C. F.

FROM ARCHBISHOP USHER.

HAT encouragement there is to come for pardon to a throne of grace! Whatever thy state may be, thou need'st not hold off. Though thy sins be as

scarlet, if thou come to Christ, they shall be made "white as wool." The greatest of sinners are invited. Can any sin be so great as to overtop the value of Christ's blood? Oh there is not so much vileness and wretchedness in the sinful heart of man, as there is grace and goodness and virtue in Christ. There is no disease so bad that He cannot cure. Let me be as bad as I can be, there is no reason out of the Word of God why I should not come to Christ for salvation. He puts none back. His proclamation is "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy wine and milk, without money and without price." "Whosoever will, let him come." What wouldst thou have more? The invitation cannot be plainer. If then thou art not saved, it is plain thou hast no wish for salvation; for if thou hast a will, thou hast a warrant.

Say not, "I would come, if I had so much humiliation and so much faith," for that were to make a bargain with Christ. If God were to say, "You must love Me, and I will pardon you," that were an exchange, not a free gift. Away with such a thought! Whosoever will, let him come. Christ keeps open house. Whosoever comes to Him, He will not shut out. If thou hast a heart to come to Him, He has a willing heart to receive thee. As it was with the prodigal son, his father does not wait till he comes to him, but he runs to meet him. So God is swift to have mercy upon us, though we come slowly on towards Him. However great the bulk and burden of thy sins, thou need'st not be discouraged. All ye that are heavy-laden, and feel the burden of sins, are invited by Christ. Let not Satan, then, cheat you out of the comfort of this word. If Christ would make thy sins as the latch to open the door, and let Himself

in, take care that thou dost not make them a bolt to shut Him out. Let thy wound be ever so great, thou hast a warrant to come to be cured. When blind Bartimeus heard the word, "Lo! Jesus calleth thee," he flung aside his garments, and came to Him. So let nothing keep thee back. Haste then to this city of refuge, and thou shalt be safe.

But God doth not only give thee leave to come; He commands thee to come. "And this is the commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ." ."1 If a man should say, "May I love my neighbour?" would you not think him a fool? He is commanded to do So if a soul say to me, "May I trust in Jesus?" I reply, Thou art commanded to do so. The same commandment that bids thee love thy brother bids thee believe in Him; and more, it is said, "He that believeth not shall be damned."

So.

As the greatest gift doth not enrich a man unless he accepts it and receives it, so God's gift of His Son will be no benefit to us if we will not receive Him. God's goodness will but turn to our greater condemnation. If we refuse Christ, and will not be saved, then wrath must abide on us for ever.

But how are we to receive Him? By faith-by simple trust in Him. Salvation is a free gift to sinners who trust in Jesus. There is no condition for receiving salvation but an empty hand to receive Christ. But, to be saved, Christ must be ours. If a man would give something to a beggar, the beggar must reach out his hand to receive it.

If a

Faith is the empty hand that fills itself with Christ. man were drowning, and a cable were cast to him, and he lay hold of it, he would be drawn safe to shore. But if he lay hold of the cable, he must let go all other holds. man must let go all other holds, and lay fast hold of Jesus Christ otherwise he cannot be saved.

So a

1 I John iii. 23.

Perseverance.

"Be like a star, unhasting, yet unresting."-Keine.

AINT not, weak pilgrim, on thy heavenward road,

FAINT

Though hard the toil may be, and rough the way;

Each step but brings thee nearer to thy God,

Who nerves thy failing strength from day to day.

Sorrows and cares lie thick about thy path;

Temptations cluster, luring thee to sin; And earthly losses, and the fear of death, Fightings without, and deadly foes within;

And worst of all-life's bitterest, heaviest woe-
The secret grief that words can ne'er express;
The anguish of bereavement's cruel blow,

The unchecked tears, the pangs of loneliness;

The writhing of the soul 'neath slander's tongue,
The aching weariness of slow disease,
The kindly heart by treacherous friendship stung,
The cold return for thy fidelities.

O pilgrim, persevere ! thy loving Lord

Pities thy every grief, and feels thy pain; His heart is melted at thy sorrowing word; He longs to fold thee to His heart again.

'Tis but a little while, and griefs and fears

Shall from thy lightened heart for ever flee; Christ, thy Beloved, shall wipe away thy tears, And bless thee with His smile eternally.

Old Fred, the Ferryman.

CHAPTER I.-OLD FRED'S TROUBLE.

HOSE who only know the Thames as it flows, a yellow, troubled river, under the bridges and

past the wharves of the great city, can hardly imagine what it is like forty miles up-stream. There it flows between gently sloping hills, covered with corn-fields and woods, and its banks are fringed with