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Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. We know that what it has cost us little to obtain, is lightly valued, but any thing for which we have given a great price, or gone through great labor to obtain, is highly prized, and not easily relinquished by us. How dear then must that inheritance be to Jesus, which he redeemed with his most precious blood. Dangers and temptations may thicken around us, but He who bought us at such a price, will never let us perish, never close his ears to our cry for help.

"Make them to be numbered with thy saints, in glory everlasting."

This is indeed asking great things, but not too great to seek from Him who overcame the sharpness of death, for this very purpose, that he might open the kingdom of heaven to all believers. This is a prayer in which all would willingly join, for all, however careless, are ready to indulge the hope that they may be numbered with the saints in glory everlasting. It is a more searching question whether they are willing to be numbered with the despised saints on earth, whether they can continue the prayer of the following verses. "O Lord! save thy people, and bless thine heritage: Govern them, and lift them up for ever." Yet none who are not willing to be governed by Christ here, to bring every thought into captivity to his obedience, can be exalted to share his everlasting throne, and lifted up with him for ever.

"Day by day we magnify Thee, and we worship thy name ever world without end."

It would seem as if the very mention of such great mercies, as the church, in the confidence of faith, has been seeking, had awakened again the voice of praise; and these two verses are introduced in the midst of the

prayer, as the overflowing of a thankful and adoring spirit.

"Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without

sin."

"O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us." “O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us, as our trust is in Thee.'

"O Lord, in Thee have I trusted, let me never be confounded."

What a union of confidence, contrition, and reverent awe of offending ! True religious enthusiasm, even though it may raise us to fellowship with cherubim and seraphim, and enable us to join their song, never makes the christian regardless of the lesser duties of his daily path, or forgetful of its dangers; but his prayer is still, Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin. It is not merely a general petition, the immediate conflict is in his view, the snares of the present day lie before him, he knows his weakness, and exclaims, keep us this day without sin. Then, imitating the example of Moses of old, he makes the glory of God's great name his plea, and appeals to his Heavenly Father, whether He will suffer him to have trusted in vain upon his faithfulness. "O Lord, let Thy mercy lighten upon us, as our trust is in Thee. In Thee have I trusted, let me never be confounded."

THE TWO BROTHERS.

PART II.

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HUSH! speak low how shall I tell thee after this of innocence ?

Thou wilt mock me-brother, brother-I can never tell thee-hence !

See the embers all have smoulder'd-see their faint

light dying wanes :

Brother, look, a star is trembling thro' the tearful window-panes.

I can tell thee now,-for blessed are to me the thoughts that rise

With those silent pilgrims yonder wending thro' the silent skies.

Even thus amid the darkness, and the winds, the waves, the storm,

Of my sin-sick soul, I pass'd one evening by an angel

form.

She had seen me sadly smile upon some children sporting by,

And her heart was touched with pity—and a tear came in her eye:

And she look'd upon me-spell-bound, I did stay and look on her,

And a gleam of light fell glancing down the mists of things that were.

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Surely ne'er o'er human bosom came love in such tem

pest-kind;

All my spirit's dark foundations heaved like waves beneath the wind.

Often did I wrench the thought from out my bosom's core and cry,

Never should my cloud-tost being cross that blue transparent sky.

But again she pass'd, and smiled upon me-but one word she said;

Yet down, down into her heart-depths thro' bewildering tears I read

"Thou art weary, way-worn, storm-tost-darker spots are on thy soul:

"Jesus died-fear not, dear wanderer-storms must bend to His control."

Oh, that word! I scarce had heard it since in music erst it fell

From our sainted mother's lips, who breath'd it as her last farewell.

The dark thunder-clouds that long had risen with every rising day,

Heard it, and were troubled-heard it, and began to break away.

Bitter was the shame, and bitter were the first tears that I wept ;

Frequent still wild night-mare visions broke upon the sleep I slept ;

But at length the spring was heal'd, and gentle tears began to flow,

And One whisper'd, "I have suffer'd-I have borne thy load of woe ! "

All the fabled lights of Reason seem'd like torch-flames tost and driven

All its music was as discord to the melody of heaven.

Days and weeks I stood and gazed (counting Reason's light for dross)

On the one lone star that glimmer'd o'er my Saviour's

silent cross.

Brother, brother, canst thou wonder that, when peace began to brood

Over those wild troubled waters of my spirit's solitude, I should turn and bless the angel who had shewn that light divine?

Blessing, see her-seeing, love her-win and bind her heart to mine?

Shall I tell thee of the beauty of her sylph-like form and face,

Such as sculptor's hands, entranced all the while, might love to trace ?

Of her soft dark tresses shading the swift blushes of her cheek?

Of her clear and thoughtful forehead, sunlit like a cloudland peak?

Of her gentle heaving bosom, heaving o'er her passionate heart?

Of her soft blue eye that bound thee without thinking, without art

But within whose cool deep fountains slept a thousand sunny rays?—

Tush the world saw that, and often spoke thereof in heartless praise.

No, I will not tell thee, brother, if I could for grief and tears

Love is silent as the stars that love us in their voiceless spheres.

Thus far only-she was ever, as she wander'd by my side,

Like a rill of spirit-music flowing with ethereal tide

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