Yes, but whither would ye Is it happiness, indeed? lead? Leading down to death and woe. We were made for better things; We were made to love and fear We were made to work awhile, Life is onward-use it With a forward aim; Toil is heavenly-choose it, Look not to another To perform your will: Let not your own brother Keep your warm hand still. Life is onward-never Now is your dominion- Life is onward-try it Standing at the goal, Through life's darkest weather, Beckon on the soul. LESSON IV. "WORTH OF THE SOUL." Channing's Discourse "On the Great Purpose of Christianity," vol. iii., p. 213.-" On Likeness to God," vol. iii., p. 229, and "the Sunday School," vol. iv., p. 357, &c., &c. WALTER sat watching his mother's hands one day while they were busily at work knitting; at last he exclaimed, "Mother! how nicely your fingers hold those knitting-pins! and how cleverly they move, just right, so as to knit the sock properly!" She looked up and smiled, and, laying down her knitting, took one of Walter's hands in hers, and laid it on her knee, and moved the fingers up and down, and bent first one joint, and then another, and then sat stroking it for a little while, and looking at it, as her hand passed gently over it again and again :-"It is a beautiful machine!" she said by and bye; "you will so enjoy to learn about the different parts of it, when you are a little older, Walter; and about all the curious bones and joints of our bodies; and the contrivances for making them move easily; and about the veins and arteries, that carry the blood all through the body-and the heart, and the lungs, and many other wonderful things. "Which part of us is the more valuable, do you think, Walter-our bodies, or our souls ?" Walter." Why, mother, I'm sure our bodies must be very beautiful and curious, though I know so little yet about them,—but then the body can do nothing without the soul; so I think the soul must be of more value;—is not it, mother?" Mother. Yes, my child. Besides, the soul can go on learning and loving, more and more, always; and you know our bodies will not always keep growing stronger or more beautiful." Walter." No, mother: grandfather says he is not nearly so strong as he was when he was young; and he can scarcely walk at all, without a stick to lean upon." Mother.-"No: our bodies cannot last for ever: they are indeed wonderful machines, or instruments, for our spirits to make use of;-beautiful temples for our souls to dwell in;-still they must wear out in time. But the powers of our souls need never grow weaker! Our love-our knowledge of right and wrong-our delight in goodness and in beauty-our devotion to God, may continually become more strong and more earnest. "The more knowledge we get, the more we thirst for further knowledge. The best, the wisest, the most loving of men never become as good, or as wise, or as loving as they long to be, and feel that they may be :-our souls seem to be never fully grown, while here in the body. It is because of our souls that we are called God's children; those souls, endowed with knowledge of right and wrong, and power to work either with Him or against Him, as we choose. Alas! that any should choose to work against Him! "God is the Father of our spirits :-a father gives life to a being like himself—and our spirits, my child, are like even unto God, the Great Spirit. They can hear God, as it were, without ears, for when holy thoughts come over us, we feel they are from Him;—they can speak to God without a tongue,- for He knows our every thought and feeling. Others hold intercourse with us through the body; but He is close to our souls; and every noble aim, every loving impulse, every good wish we have, is but the touch of His Spirit. Thus has He created us, not only to E |