Then Abiah suffered them, and reigned wisely; for he thought, "Perhaps my son may be successful." When the hour came that he should die, he said to the people, "Behold, I shall die, and my son will be your king. You have not yet seen his face; but ye shall know his government by the fruits thereof. Follow him he will lead you wisely."

The people promised to do so: and, when Abiah was dead, they obeyed the unknown sovereign, and prospered greatly; for his doings were like those of a father, and the commands that issued from his gates were full of wisdom, justice, and kindness. Like the beams of the sun, the favor of the unknown monarch was spread abroad over all the inhabitants of the land; and, wherever there was want, the king's help was sure to come. Then they all marvelled, and said, "We see him not: how can he see us?" For he lived concealed in his house, and no man had beheld his face.

The people longed, therefore, the more to see and to bless him; and they said, "We have our gods before our eyes, and can see and handle them: why may we not see the face of the king, who is more to us than a father?"

Others made images of him, according to their own imaginings; and each man said of his own, "Behold, this is he he must be like unto this! "

At last, their desire became very great; and the people assembled before the gates of the palace, and implored with one voice, Oh, let our lord, the king, suffer us to behold his face!"

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Thereupon the high gates were opened, and the king came forth, clothed in simple raiment, and said, “ Behold, I am your king!"

Then the people blessed him, and shouted for joy ;

but, when they looked fixedly at him, they were astonished, and cried, "We know thy face!" For he had often walked among them, but they had not known him, thinking him to be a servant or a stranger.

Then the king beckoned with his hand; and, when silence prevailed, he lifted up his voice, and said, "Now you see that I am a man like you. Think ye that these hands and feet, these eyes and lips, which are mortal and perishable, have reigned over you? Not so. That which has guided, blessed, and gladdened you through me, ye cannot see; neither can I see it.

"Can you see wisdom and kindness and justice? They were near to you when I walked, unrecognized, among you. Now you see me; but you do not see them. Then judge ye what is in my earthly form. Can the visible create the invisible? And that which is in me also is not mine, but His who made me your king.”

Thus spoke this excellent prince; and the people returned to their homes, blessing and thanking him. And they broke in pieces the pictures and images which they had made of him. Soon after, they also broke their idols, and believed in Him who is invisible.

IN

A PARABLE OF CONSCIENCE.

N a village on the Rhine, a schoolmaster was one day teaching in his school: and the sons and daughters of the villagers sat around, listening with pleasure; for his teaching was healthful and kindly. He was speaking of the good and bad conscience, and of the still voice of the heart. After he had finished speaking, he asked his pupils, "Who among you is able to tell me a parable on this matter?"

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One of the boys stood forth, and said, " I think I can tell a parable; but I do not know whether it be right.” Speak in your own words," answered the master. And the boy began: "I compare the calmness of a good conscience, and the disquiet of an evil one, to two paths on which I walked once. When the enemy passed through our village, the soldiers carried off by force my dear father and our horse. When my father did not come back, my mother and all of us wept and mourned bitterly, and she sent me to the town to inquire for him. I went but, late at night, I came back sorrowfully; for I had not found my father. It was a dark night in autumn. The wind roared and howled in the oaks and firs, and between the rocks; the night-ravens and owls were shrieking and hooting; and I thought in my soul how we had lost my father, and of the misery of my mother when she should see me return alone.

:

"A strange terror seized me in the dreary night, and each trembling leaf terrified me. Then I thought to myself, 'Such must be the feelings of a man's heart who has a bad conscience." "

"My children,” said the master, "would you like to walk in the darkness of night, seeking in vain for your dear father, and hearing nought but the roar of the storm and the screams of the beasts of prey?"

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Oh, no!" exclaimed all the children, shuddering. Then the boy resumed his tale, and said, " Another time, I went the same way with my sister. We had been fetching many nice things from town for a feast, which father was secretly preparing for mother, to surprise her the next day. It was late when we returned; but it was in spring: the sky was bright and clear; and all was so calm, that we could hear the gentle murmur of the rivulet by the way, and on all sides nightingales were singing. I was walking hand in hand with my sister; but we were so. delighted, that we hardly liked to speak. Then our good father came to meet us. Now I thought again to myself, Such must be the state of a man who has done much good.'

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When the boy had finished his tale, the master looked kindly at the children, and they said earnestly, "Yes: we will become good men."

A CHRISTMAS SERVICE.

I.

CAROL

2.

SCRIPTURE LESSON:

JOHN i. 1-17. LUKE i. 68, &c.; xi. 4–15.

3.

was the calm and silent night:

IT Seven hundred years and fifty-three

Had Rome been growing up to might,
And now was queen of land and sea.
No sound was heard of clashing wars;
Peace brooded o'er the hushed domain;
Apollo, Pallas, Jove, and Mars

Held undisturbed their ancient reign
In the solemn midnight,

Centuries ago.