The hope that Thou wilt save me yet, though I have so transgressed
That when I have the heavy burden of my sin confessed,

I yet may, through Thy blessed Son, discover perfect rest;
For He has said, "Come unto Me, thou who this rest art needing ;

I long have been, and still continue, for thee interceding;

I love thee, oh thou wanderer, with an everlasting love,

For thee I am preparing an abiding place above;

'Tis Mine to give, thine to accept, oh hesitate no longer,

Thou hast some faith, I grace impart, which soon will make it stronger;

The arms of mercy are outstretched, 'tis thine just to receive,
With all thy heart renounce thy sin, return, repent, believe.”
Thus peals His invitation as we ring out 'seventy-five,
And thus again we hear it as the New Year doth arrive;
Oh may we then have ears to hear, accept the invitation,
And during this and future years have bright anticipation
Of times when we no more shall bury old years out of sight,
When there shall be no more decay, no change from day to night;
When sweeter music shall be heard than of those bells which ring;
Yes, sweeter than the notes of birds which warble in the spring.
Eye cannot see, ear cannot hear, nor heart of man conceive
The everlasting pleasures which God's people shall receive.
Oh brothers, sisters, parents, friends-you who in love are mated-
Accept this offer, that in death you be not separated;
And you who are already Christ's pray for relation-friend-
That ere this year we're entering on shall reach its latter end
Each one you love may to the Lord's inviting voice attendi,

Spring Thoughts.

INTER, with its joys and sorrows, snows and fogs, has again passed away. Spring, young, fresh, and beautiful, has revisited us.

How we all greet this season, dressed in many shades of green! Both old and young welcome her. The evenings begin to lengthen, the cosy tea can be taken ere the lamp is lit, and the dawning of sunshine seems to give fresh hopes to the heart of man. Sweet little innocentlooking flowers peep out of the earth; and the children's friend, "the daisy," again rears its head. The invalid, long kept in by reason of the biting cold, looks out with interest

as he beholds the leaves adorning the trees so lately barren, and a ray of hope comes to him, telling him he may yet recover and gain fresh strength to battle with life's evervarying scene.

All seasons are, or ought to be, beautiful to the young, but spring especially is such a type of themselves, therefore doubly charming.

To the aged it is soothing; they love warmth and cheerful weather, and a fine spring day tells them summer is near, and brings to their remembrance "the light of other days."

God, our Father, is very merciful to us; there can be no doubt but that changing seasons are essential to our happiness, though, as English people, we are remarkable for our ever-grumbling propensities about the weather.

"Who can help it ?" says a cross-grained person.

"Does it improve on account of our fretting?" replies a happy one. "Employ your time well, and try to cultivate a cheerful spirit. Do as I do on dull days—make your home as bright as you can, so that when the boys and girls come home from school or business, and the head of the household returns, they may all forget fogs, rain, snow, and mud, and ever find sunshine in the home. Let spring be in your hearts, and the flowers of content will flourish." The child of God must remember that though life is so often like the seasons, ever changing, an everlasting spring will come to them ere long, and God demands that they should be ready for it, working for Him, praying to Him, and trusting Him; seeing in God a Father full of benevolence, in Jesus a Saviour so willing to help, and in the Divine Spirit a Comforter without whose aid we could not fully believe in either. The closer we draw near to God the more lovely nature, with all her beauties, will appear to us, and the warmer our hearts will glow with charity to our fellowcreatures, for, surely, as the poet says,

"There is no time like spring,
When life's alive in everything."

H. W. P.

I. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God."- -2 Tim. iii. 16. 2. "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."-John vi. 63.

3. "Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

-2 Pet. i. 21.

4. "Thy Word is true from the beginning."-Psa. cxix. 160.

5. "Thy Word is very pure."--Psa. cix. 140.

6. "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet."-Psa. cxix. 105.

7. "Order my steps in Thy Word.”—Psa. cxix. 133.

8. " Thy Word have I hid in mine heart."-Psa. cxix. 11.

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9. 'The entrance of Thy words giveth light."—Psa. cxix. 130. 10. "Search the Scriptures."--John v. 39.

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II. Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord, and read.”—Isa. xxxiv. 16. 12. "For the Word of God is quick and powerful.”—Heb. iv. 12.

13. "The Word of the Lord endureth for ever."-1 Fet. i. 25.

14.

"The Word of His grace, which is able to build you up."

Acis xx. 32.

15. "Thy Word is truth."--John xvii. 17.

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16. 'His delight is in the law of the Lord."-Psa. i. 2.

17.

"And in His law doth he meditate day and night."-Psa. i. 2.

18. “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth."

-Josh. i. 8.

19. "Thou shalt meditate therein day and night.”—Josh. i. 8.

20. "These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart."-Deut. vi. 6.

21. "I hope in Thy word."-Psa. cxix. 81.

22. "Thy Word hath quickened me."—Psa. cxix. 50.

23. "This is my comfort in my affliction."-Psa. cxix. 50.

24. "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises."-2 Pet. i. 4.

25. "I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest me." -John xvii. 8.

26. "They searched the Scriptures daily."—Acts xvii. II.

27. "For His Word was with power."-Luke iv. 32.

28. "Is not My Word like as a fire?"—Jer. xxiii. 29. 29. "Be ye doers of the Word."-James i. 22.

30. Holding forth the Word of Life.”—Phil. ii. 16.

31. "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly."-Col. iii. 16.

It tells us of a home,

A mansion of the blest,

Where Christians shall in glory dwell,

And weary ones find rest.

Oh blessed Book of God,

We'd prize thee more and more;
Make thee our guide, our chart, our hope,
Till life's short day is o'er!

Father! He Beat Me!

AR up the street, I heard the low crying of a child, and presently saw running towards me a little fellow about five years old; he was rubbing his small, half-frozen fists into his eyes as he ran along, and the tears were dropping plenteously. "What is it, my poor little man? What's the matter?" I said as he was passing me.

But he only shook his head, and, seeming afraid of being stopped, pushed by me, sobbing piteously, "Father! father!"

Curious to see the meaning and end of this street episode, I turned, and then saw a man approaching the child as quickly as the child was running towards him. They met; when the little boy sprang into the arms extended towards him, crying aloud, "Father, he beat me, he did!"

Then, as though the mere telling his trouble to his loving parent was in itself a relief, he ceased weeping, and looked up into father's face with an expression that told of expected and awaited sympathy, and, more than sympathy-help; nor was he disappointed.

Father raised him in his arms, saying, "And who's been beating of my boy? Come, tell daddy all about it. Nobody shall beat my poor little Bobby! They shan't!"

The child's head nestled confidingly on the strong man's shoulder, whilst his voice, still quivering from the recent