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WE ALL WANT A FRIEND.

what Jesus did when he died for you, and invites younay, beseeches you, to receive the forgiveness of your sins for Jesus' sake. Look up, thou blood-bought child -child of God's everlasting love-look up, and live for ever! See-God smiles upon you, and heaven is wide open to you because Jesus died for you! This is the way to glory!

From your sincere friend,

BERTIE'S MOTHER.

NARRATIVES.

WE ALL WANT A FRIEND. ALMOST every prayer which we hear, is made in the name of Jesus Christ, and every thing we ask of God is asked for Christ's sake. A poor sick traveller might go to the door of some great man's mansion, and ask relief for himself and his family, and not be able to obtain admittance.

But if he brought in his hand a paper, written by the son of the master of the house, whom he had met with in a distant land, and in his name asked for the relief, to which of himself he had no claim, his request would be granted for the sake of the master's son. This would be asking in another's name, just as we ask God in Christ's name, and it would be answering for another's sake, just as God answers us "for Christ's sake."

Nobody can feel happy without a friend; and almost every one, however wicked he may be, tries to get and to keep a few friends. Any one without a friend to feel for him, to share his joys and his sorrows, must be unhappy.

You will see how children will love a little dog, or a lamb, or a dove, or whatever loves them. The little boy will talk to his top, and the little girl will talk to her doll, because they want a friend; and if the top and the doll could talk, and love them, they would be still more glad. Why? Because we all want friends,

WE ALL WANT A FRIEND.

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to whom we can talk, and who will feel for us. Let me show you what I mean.

Some years ago there was an Indian in the state of Maine, who, for his very good conduct, had a large farm given him by the state. He built his little house on his land, and there lived. Around him were a number of white families; they did not treat him badly, but, because he was an Indian, they did not act and feel as if they loved him, and as if they were his friends.

His only child was taken sick, and died, and not one of the white people went near him, to comfort him, or to assist him in burying his little child. A few days after, he came to the white people, and said to them"When white man's child die, Indian man be sorry-he help bury him. When my child die, no one speak to me— I make his grave alone. I can no live here, for I have no friend to love me.”

The poor Indian gave up his farm, dug up the body of his child, and carried it with him two hundred miles through the forest, to join the Canada Indians! What love for his child! What a deep feeling in his heart that he wanted a friend!

So we all want some one to whom we may look every day. But when we are sick, when in distress, when we are about to die, oh! then we want a friend who will stand near us, and who can help us. Now Jesus Christ is just that friend. He was once a man of sorrows, and was acquainted with grief, and knows how to help those who are in sorrow. He was once in the agonies of death, and knows how the dying feel. Is any one poor? So was he, and knows all about being poor.

Are you a poor weak child? So was he; and he knows just how the child feels, and just what a friend he needs. You have little trials and troubles, of which older people would not think, but which sometimes make your heart feel heavy and sad. Well, Jesus Christ knows all about such feelings, and can help you, and will do it every day, if you ask him every day to do so. But though we want a friend all our lives, there is one hour when we very much need such a friend; that is the hour of dying. Let me show you why.

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WE ALL WANT A FRIEND.

There was once a man who had three friends; he knew them, and lived near them for years. It so happened that this man was accused to the king of the country as a bad man, and the king ordered that he should be put to death. The poor man heard of it, and was in great trouble; he expected to lose his life, and to leave his family of children in great distress.

After thinking over it and weeping over it, he determined to go to the king, and fall down before him, and get somebody to go with him, and beg his life. So he called on these three friends, and begged them to go with him. The first whom he asked he loved best, and thought him his best friend; but no-he would not go with him one step towards the king's court-he would not move to help him. He next went to the second friend, and whom he loved next best, and asked him to go; so they set out to go. But when they came to the gates of the king's court, his friend stopped, and would not go in with him, and ask for his life.

This

Then he went to the third friend, and the one whom he loved the least, and asked him to help him. friend was known to the king, and beloved by him. So he took him by the hand, and led him to the king, and interceded, or begged for him, and the king pardoned the condemned man, for the sake of his friend who interceded for him!

Let us consider how this story applies to ourselves. There are various means to which in this life we are, according to the different bent of our minds, inclined to trust for support. First, there is the world-wealth and power-with all the charms and attractions which they possess. Secondly, there are our friends, and those whom we are in the habit of considering as such. Thirdly, there is our blessed Redeemer; and such is the frailty of fallen human nature, that, in too many cases, the world, and our real or supposed friends, are more thought of than Him, the only Rock of our salvation. Now, when we are cast upon the bed of sickness, and can no longer resist the conviction, that we are about to be called to our great account, we must naturally look to some of those means for consolation and support.

THE LAST SUPPER.

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The world, and the things of the world, however, cannot go with us one step; they must all be useless the moment we lie on the bed of death. The next, our friends, can only go along with us through sickness, and as far as to the king's gates, the gates of death, and there they stop and leave us.

But Jesus Christ, that friend of whom we are apt to think so little, and whom we love so little, he can go with us before the great King of kings, and plead for us, intercede for us, and thus save our souls from being condemned to eternal death. This, oh, this is the time when we need him for our friend, and need him for our intercessor. He died for us, and can therefore be our Friend, and plead for us, and save us.-Familiar Lectures to Children.

THE LAST SUPPER.

MY DEAR CHILDREN,-If your father were going to leave you to go into a country a great way off, would you not like to be with him at the last, especially at the last meal he should take with you? Now I am going to tell you of something Jesus did before he left his friends on earth, to return to his Father in heaven. One day, after he had been eating the passover supper with his disciples, as they were sitting round the table, he took a piece of bread and a cup of wine in his hand. Jesus was about to eat with his dear friends and disciples once more before he suffered; he loved them much, and they were very sad because their best Friend was so soon going to leave them. So Jesus took the piece of bread, and gave thanks to his Father, and then he broke it, and gave it to his disciples.

It is as though he had said, "These friends of mine are very likely to forget me when I am gone away from them; they have evil hearts, and they may not always love their Lord." So he told them to eat that piece of bread, and to think of him while they ate it, for very soon he should die.

Then he poured out some wine into a cup, and after

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THE LAST SUPPER.

again thanking his Father in heaven, he said, "Drink ye all of it; for this is (or is an emblem of) my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." So they all drank some of the wine.

Then our Lord Jesus told his disciples that he should not eat and drink with them again before his death; but that, when he was gone from them, they were often to meet together in this way, and eat and drink in "remembrance" of him. Then they sang a hymn together. It was, perhaps, one of the Psalms they sang, the 113th or 115th. The disciples sang as an expression of their thankfulness to God, and our blessed Saviour, though he knew how much pain he was going to suffer, and was very sorrowful, yet he sang with his disciples. Little children should love to sing God's praises, whether they be happy or sorrowful.

As the disciples met with Jesus, and ate and drank with him; so those who are his friends now, delight to think of his dying love; they still meet, and, in " remembrance" of him surround his table.

While they eat the bread, broken and given them by God's ministers, they think how the body of their Lord was crucified for them; they call to mind all his sad sufferings-the crown of thorns-the hands and feet pierced with nails. The cup, which they also drink, reminds them of his precious blood that was poured out for them.

Thus you see how the bread represents the body, and the wine the blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ; and, when Christians meet to remember their Lord in this way, it is called "The Holy Crmmunion of the body and blood of our Saviour Christ."

Should you not like to remember Jesus' dying love in this way? When you are a little older, I hope you will; but you must think of his love now, and love him with all your hearts, and then you not only may join with his friends at the Lord's table here, but shall be for ever with Jesus himself in his own kingdom.-Child's Companion.