visible truth, a truth which you will then wonder that every man did not lay to his heart, and preserve there in actual pious and effective consideration? Let the trumpet of God perpetually sound in your ears, surgite mortui, et venite ad judicium: place yourselves, by meditation every day, upon your death-bed, and remember what thoughts shall then possess you; and let such thoughts dwell in your understanding for ever, be the parent of all your resolutions and actions. The doctors of the Jews report, that when Absalom hanged upon the oaks by the hair of the head, he seemed to see under him hell, gaping wide.

Jeremy Taylor.

OUR RAIMENT IS THE LORD'S.

Joshua the high-priest stood before the angel, clothed, not with righteousness, but with filthy rags. Sin upon him, and Satan by him, and this before the angel! What must he do? Go away? No, there he must stand! Can he speak for himself? Not a word; guilt had made him dumb! Had he nothing clean? No! But his lot was to stand before Jesus Christ, that maketh intercession for transgressors; and the Lord said, "the Lord rebuke thee, Satan!" But is Joshua now quit? No; he standeth yet, nor can he clear himself. How then? Why, the Lord clothes him with change of raiment. The iniquity was his own; the raiment was the Lord's. Bunyan.

FINE SPECIMEN OF EULOGY.

How was he honoured in the midst of the people, on his coming out of the sanctuary! He was as the morning star in the midst of a cloud, and as the moon at the full; as the sun shining upon the temple of the Most High, and as the rainbow giving light in the bright clouds, and as the flower of roses in the spring of the year; as lilies by the rivers of waters, and as the frankincense-tree in summer; as fire and incense in the censer. and as a vessel of gold set with precious stones; as a fair olive-tree budding forth fruit, and as a cypress which groweth up to the clouds. When he put on the robe of honour, and was clothed with the perfection of glory, when he went up to the holy altar, he made the garments of holiness honourable. He himself stood by the hearth of the altar, compassed with his brethren round about, as a young cedar in Libanus; and as palm-trees compassed they him about.

On the High Priest Simon, the son of Onias.
-Wisdom of Solomon. Quoted by
Burke in his "Sublime and Beautiful."

TO DAFFODILS.

Fair daffodils, we weep to see
You haste away so soon;
As yet the early-rising sun
Has not attain'd his noon;

Stay, stay,
Until the hast'ning day

Has run

But to the even-song:

And having pray'd together, we
Will go with you along.

We have short time to stay as you;

We have as short a spring;

As quick a growth to meet decay,

As you or any thing:
We die,

As your hour do; and dry

Away,

Like to the summer's rain,

Or as the pearls of morning dew,

Ne'er to be found again.

Herrick.

TO PRIMROSES, FILLED WITH MORNING DEW.

Why do ye weep, sweet babes? Can tears

Speak grief in you,

Who were but born

Just as the modest morn

Teem'd her refreshing dew?

Alas! you have not known that shower

That mars a flower,

Nor felt the unkind

Breath of a blasting wind;

Nor are ye worn with years,

Or warp'd as we,

Who think it strange to see

Such pretty flowers, like to orphans young,
Speaking by tears before ye have a tongue.

Speak, whimp'ring younglings, and make known
The reason why

Ye droop and weep:

Is it for want of sleep,
Or childish lullaby?

Or that ye have not seen as yet

The violet?

Or brought a kiss

From that sweet heart to this?

No, no; this sorrow shown

By your tears shed,

Would have this lecture read

"That things of greatest, so of meanest worth, Conceiv'd with grief are, and with tears brought forth."

Herrick.

SUNSHINE THROUGH CLOUDS.

*

* Hard it is

To imitate a false and forgéd bliss;

Ill may a sad mind forge a merry face,
Nor hath constrainéd laughter any grace.

Chapman.

A MERRY TALE OF TWO FRIARS.

Luther one day caught a sparrow, and holding it in his hand, said to it, very gravely, "Thou barefooted friar, with thy grey coat, thou art the most mischievous bird." Then addressing himself to the friends that were with him, "I could wish," said he, "that one could write a declamation on a subject that occurred at Erfurt when I was in the monastery there. It so happened," said Luther, "that a preaching friar and a barefoot* wandered at the same time into the thren, and to gather alms. into the same place, played sermons with unprofitable words. The barefoot, preaching first, said, 'Loving country people, and my good friends, take heed of that bird the swallow; for it is white within, but upon the back it is black; it is an evil bird, always chirping, yet profitable for nothing; and when it is angered it is altogether mad; it pricketh the kine, and when it fouleth, it maketh the people blind, as in the book of Tobit ye read thereof.' This barefoot friar here intended to paint out the preaching friars, who wear white bandillions under a black coat. Now, as in the afternoon the preaching friar came into the pulpit, he played likewise upon the barefoot, and said, 'Indeed, loving friends, I neither can nor will defend the swallow;

country, to beg for the breThese two coming together upon one another in their

* A Dominican and a Franciscan. The out-door dress of the former was a black cloak and hood, over a white cassock; that of the latter was a grey cloak, and they did not wear shoes.