on to do their duty; and, even with the Bible-lessons in the schools, I should leave specific religious peculiarities to home and the Church. I would not, however, cut

NOTICES

Annals of the Christian Church: in Familiar Conversations for Young People. By Mrs. PARKER, Author of "Decision and Indecision," "Features of Social Life," etc. Second Edition. London: Wesleyan Conference Office, 1870.This work is specially designed and adapted for young people. It is written in a lively, colloquial style, much upon the plan of Mrs. Markham's "History of England." The author evinces rare qualifications for her work. It is one of the best compendiums of Church-history in the language. We earnestly recommend parents and teachers to read it through with their children; it will refresh, and probably extend and deepen, their knowledge, as well as clear and classify their conceptions on a most important and interesting subject. The volume is embellished with ten excellent portraits on steel.

Lighted Lamps for Little Travellers. My Way to Jesus. By A. O. U. London: Elliot Stock. - We have seldom seen any tracts for children that so thoroughly commend themselves to our taste and judgment, as do the four that make up this little book. They are

off the future men and women of England from early familiarity with the grand old Book, the English Bible,-which is the patrimony of Englishmen as such," etc.

BOOKS.

decidedly superior to Todd's popular "Lectures to Children." They are interesting and impressive, and put the great truths of religion plainly and pointedly before the understanding and heart of a child. Were we disposed to be hypercritical, we might take occasional exception to the punctuation and grammar; but the tracts are so skilfully adapted to their purpose of leading children to Christ, that we do not care to modify the very high praise we feel bound to bestow upon them.

Parts

The Sunday School World. I. — VI. London: Elliot Stock. These parts fully sustain the promise of the editor, and, when complete, will be a valuable contribution to Sunday-school literature. The great variety of extracts from every class of writers on Sundayschools, and the very apt quotations, will bring constantly before the teacher the great object, aim, and principles of this institution; and will be a constant stimulus to earnest, persevering, and prayerful application to the great work of influencing for good the minds of the young, and seeking to lead them to Christ.

The British Constitution. WHENCE did this happy organization first come? Was it a tree transplanted from Paradise, with all its branches in full fruitage? or was it sowed in sunshine? Was it in vernal breezes and gentle rains that it fixed its roots, and grew and strengthened? Let history answer these questions. With blood was it planted: it was rocked in tempests; the goat, the ass, and the stag gnawed it; the wild boar has wetted his tusks on the bark. The deep scars are still extant on its

trunk, and the path of the lightning may be traced among its higher branches. And even after its full growth, in the season of its strength, when its "height reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth," the whirlwind has more than once forced its stately shaft to touch the ground; it has been bent like a bow, and sprung back like a shaft. Mightier powers were at work than expediency ever yet called up; yea, mightier than the mere understanding can comprehend.

or the most tractable and attentive scholars; but I am not going to lecture late comers, but just say that, whoever else might be behind, Ellen B- was. sure to be in time. She was but a little girl, scarcely nine years of age, but she was so regularly waiting at the school door when the Superintendent arrived, that she attracted his special attention, and obtained from him many kind greetings, which pleased her mightily.

"Teacher," she one day said, "Mr. Jones shook hands with me, and said, 'Well, little maid, I will unlock the door, and you shall walk in first, as you have a good right to do.'" And, another day she remarked, "Teacher, Mr. Jones said he and I would have a verse together before any one else came; and he showed me his Bible, and we both learned the verse, 'I love them that love Me; and those that seek Me early shall find Me."

There are some children who never take

any trouble to give satisfaction, or to gain approbation, and yet when they see others obtaining favour through diligence and good conduct, these careless ones indulge foolish and wicked ideas, and say, "Ah! she is teacher's favourite." Thus it was in the case of Ellen; I do not know exactly how, but she was considered a general favourite; all the teachers noticed her kindly. It was not that she was pretty, or that she was nicely dressed, for poor Ellen had very pale cheeks and sunken eyes, and her clothes, though always clean, were very shabby. But she was regularly in her place in the class twice a day; in the morning she had a few nice verses ready to recite to her teacher, besides the text on the Scripture-tickets which she had received the previous Sunday. These tickets were given for early attendance, and it was a custom in the class for the girls in turn to have one of their tickets explained on Sabbath morning, five

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"O yes!" pleaded Ellen, and this time with tears in her eyes, "Ann has got such a nice text."

The teacher signified assent, and Ann repeated, "Hatred stirreth up strifes but love covereth all sins." Ellen listened eagerly to the remarks made on it: the first part was illustrated by the history of Joseph's brethren; and, on the second part, the children were told that "covereth " meant hideth, and it was the very opposite to talking about and exposing another person's sins; love puts them out of sight. Just so does God deal with poor guilty sinners who believe in Jesus; to all such He graciously and kindly says, "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins." How was sin blotted out? Why

"There is a fountain fill'd with blood,

Drawn from Immanuel's veins ;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains."

Nothing more was said with reference to Ellen's ticket, but in the course of the following week the teacher called on Ellen's mother, and curiosity led her to ask Ellen about her last Sunday's text.

"Mother will tell you, I can't."

"O yes!" said the woman," her father came home the worse on Saturday evening, and Nell talked about her text for the

Sunday-school, and father, he wouldn't stand it, and threw all her tickets on the fire; he is sorry enough now, though, for the child took on about it."

And did not like to tell me, you this, Ellen?" asked the teacher.

"No; I did not like the other girls to know about my father, and so I persuaded Ann to let me ask you to explain her ticket; and O, teacher! I did like to hear you talk about covering sin, did not I do it with my love?"

Dear little Ellen, her filial affection was great, and often after that time the child's love covered the father's sin.

A few months after the episode of the ticket, Ellen B. was missing from the class. Not only her own teacher, but the others were asking, "what has become of poor little Ellen ?" and it was soon known that she was very ill, and all thought the Master had gone "into His garden to gather lilies," and that our lily would be plucked. Many kind friends ministered to her wants and comforts, but one day, when her teacher was sitting by her bedside, scarcely daring to speak, lest she should disturb the child,

and not even knowing whether she were recognized or not, Ellen suddenly exclaimed, "Teacher, tell me about 'blotting out sin.""

Very plainly and quietly the teacher told of the precious blood of Jesus, shed on Calvary, and finished by reading, "Blessed is the man whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sin is covered."

"O thank you," said Ellen, "I shall always believe Christ's love has covered my sin! I do so like to think about it."

Ellen B. did not die; on the contrary, she got much better, and seemed likely to become a strong, active young woman. But she went early to service, so that her connection with the school was severed, and her teacher knew but little of her, till she one day called to say that the family with whom she lived were going abroad, and she was going with them as nursemaid. Many grateful words she uttered to her teacher, but none that are remembered with greater pleasure than these, "I am very happy! my soul is resting on Jesus! indeed, I can say,—

'Cover'd is my unrighteousness!'"

LILLIE.

NARRATIVES

THE CHURCH'S SECOND MISSION:

PHILIPPI.

BY THE REV. JABEZ MARRAT.

PAUL and Silas set out from Antioch, visiting such churches in Syria and Cilicia as were accessible in their route to Lycaonia. Tarsus was in the line of their travels, and the Apostle once more visited the scenes of his childhood, and spake the Word of Life to his kinsmen.

Paul, as we think of him, excluded from the synagogue of his native city, and preaching the Gospel in the street,

or in the upper room of a private house, and John Wesley making known the great salvation to the sinners of Epworth from his father's tombstone, are pictures in which we find strong points of resemblance, and a broad similarity of interest.

Leaving Tarsus, the two Missionaries took the road leading through the Cilician gates, an extensive rent or fissure in the mountain-chain of Taurus. Derbe is their first recorded halting-place in this journey, and thence they came to Lystra, where Paul found the youthful disciple whose