Romans xii. 11.-Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.

Acts v. 41.-And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.

"LOVEST THOU ME ?"

I dare not say

"I love Thee," Lord,
Because I know that every day
Some heedless act, or thoughtless word,
Would contradict the thing I say.

And love that is in words expressed,
Too often proves less deep and true
Than that which moves the loving breast
To do what Thou would'st have it do.

Ah, I would gladly be like those

Who dedicate their lives to Thee;
Whose love no dubious token shows
Of its heartfelt sincerity ;—

Sweet peace-makers whose gentle hands
Can disentangle household love

From envy's irritating bands

That gall like cords the trammelled dove ;—

Kind friends who glide about and bear
Their little flasks of oil and wine,
To solace every cross and care

With love, less human than divine.

Such works, O Lord, Thou dost allow
As proofs of love within the heart;
But I, a worn-out vessel now,

Am laid aside, alone, apart.

And yet I dare not say, "I love!"
Oh, show me then some other way
By which Thy lonely child may prove
More than her lips would dare to say.

If calm submission, chastened will,
And cheerfulness the proofs would be
Of love to Him who loves me still,

O Father, grant them all to me!

[See Hymns 473 and 481, Martineau's Hymn Book.]

LESSON XXIII.

OUR HIGHEST SERVICE.

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Mrs. Follen's Selections from Fenelon :-Reflections for Every Day in the Month. - Newman's 'Soul," Part IV. Spiritual Progress: Section I., Latter Part.

As they walked to Peter's cottage, Walter asked his mother why she could not have gone to read to Mary another day, instead of to-day. "If I had done so, my boy," she said, I should have felt that I was not working with God, that is, not as He likes us to work."

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Bertha.-"Why, mother? you would only have been teaching us instead of Mary."

Mother." But Mary expected me; it is Thursday, and you know I agreed to go to her, at eleven o'clock, every Thursday. If I had not gone, she would have been disappointed; it would have been a want of faithfulness in me, and very opposite therefore to the way in which

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God works-very, very different from His faithful dealings with us. Think, dear Bertha, how regularly and surely day and night, summer and winter, seed-time and harvest, follow one another ! so that we expect them, and prepare for them, and they never disappoint us. Even a child can see and understand that, "the Lord our God is the faithful God who keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him." (Deuteronomy, 7-9.) In our dealings with each other, we cannot, of course, work with the certainty and regularity that we find in His workings who has the guidance of all things in His hands: many circumstances may happen to interfere with our plans, but as far as we can, we should imitate His plan of working; we should, in all things, try to see how our Father works, and for what end; and then, as far as our little powers will allow, we should endeavour to work upon a like plan with a like aim.

Bertha.-" -"I see, mother, that God must be displeased when we are unfaithful to our agreements; but how can we possibly know what is His aim, or His intention in His workings?"

Mother." He lets us know something of it in many ways, dear Bertha: we will talk more of them by-and-bye. But think now if we

cannot find out something of what He wishes and intends-something of His plan and design from what we see Him do. Cannot you call to mind, for instance, one morning when we had only to look abroad and think, and we felt sure that it was His wish and His design to make this world beautiful?"

Walter.-"Oh, mother, I know when you mean, but Bertha wasn't with us, it was Caroline you mean that morning, when we went out so early, and saw every thing so beautifully covered with dew-drops."

Mother." Yes; I had forgotten Bertha was not with us; you must tell her about it some other time. I am glad you remember, Walter, how plain it was that God loves beauty, and that He likes this world of His to be full of beauty."

Bertha.-"Oh, then, mother! I know what you are going to say; you are going to say, that if we would work with Him and not against Him, we too should love beauty, and try to keep every thing as beautiful as we can. Then, mother, I shall enjoy working in the garden, and taking care of the flowers more than ever now, for I shall think that I am trying to bring to perfection some of God's beautiful gifts."

Mother."Yes, and some of His useful gifts