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comes into use a marvellous system of architecture, unknown among the rest of the American nations. The fine, pure snow has, by that time, acquired, under the action of strong winds, and hard frosts, sufficient coherence to form an admirable light building material, with which the Eskimo master-mason erects most comfortable dome-shaped houses. A circle is first traced on the smooth surface of the snow, and the slabs for raising the walls are cut from within, so as to clear down to the ice, which is to form the floor of the dwelling, and whose evenness was previously ascertained by probing. The slabs requisite to complete the dome, after the interior of the circle is exhausted, are cut from some neighbouring spot. Each slab is neatly fitted to its place by running a flenching-knife along the joint, when it instantly freezes to the wall, the cold atmosphere forming a most excellent cement. Crevices are plugged up, and seams accurately closed, by throwing a few shovelsful of loose snow over the fabric. Two men generally work together in raising a house, and the one who is stationed within cuts a low door, and creeps out when the task is over. The walls, being only three or four inches thick, are sufficiently translucent to admit a very agreeable light, which serves for ordinary domestic purposes; but if more be required, a window is cut, and the aperture fitted with a piece of transparent ice. The proper thickness of the walls is of some importance. A few inches excludes the wind, yet keeps down the temperature, so as to prevent dripping from the interior. The furniture, such as seats, tables, and sleeping places, is also formed of snow, and a covering of folded rein-deer skin, or seal skin, renders them comfortable to the inmates. By means of ante-chambers and perches, in form of long low galleries, with their openings turned to leeward, warmth is insured to the interior; and social intercouse is promoted by building the houses contiguously, and cutting doors of communication between them, or by erecting covered passages. Store-houses, kitchens, and other accessory buildings, may be constructed in the same manner, and a degree of convenience gained which would be attempted in vain with

a less plastic material. These houses are durable; the wind has little effect upon them, and they resist the thaw until the sun acquires very considerable power."

Eclectic Review.

LOVE OF CHRIST TO CHILDREN.

"Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

All

WHOSE beautiful words are these? Who is it that invites little children to come unto Him? It is Jesus, the Saviour of the world, the great Creator of all things in heaven and earth, God over all, blessed for evermore. things were made by him that was made, and without him was not anything made that was made. What wonderful condescension! What unspeakable goodness! Why does he invite little children to come unto him? That they may be made happy in his forgiving love, live happy and useful lives, that when they die they may reign with him for ever and ever. But how are they to come to Jesus? They must come by repentance and prayer, confessing their sins, and asking God to forgive them for Jesus Christ's sake.

I hope you are not one of those self-righteous persons, who say, that they have never done anything wrong. If you are, you are deceiving yourselves. The Scriptures assure us, that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, that there is none righteous, no, not one,— that if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Perhaps you are ready to say, you cannot pray, you do not know how. You can say, as the disciples of Jesus said, "

Lord, teach us how to pray.' You can ask for the Holy Spirit, to assist you. Without it, you cannot pray aright. God has promised to give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him. Then if you ask him, he will give you his Spirit. But are you not mistaken, when you say that you cannot pray? Do not you pray every week, nay, perhaps, every day? When you feel you want some

thing to eat, do not you ask your earthly father or your mother, for something? This is prayer. When you have disobeyed your father, have you not asked him to forgive you, and promised that you would not offend him again? This is prayer offered to your earthly father. Any little boy or girl who can talk at all, can say, "O Lord, forgive me all my sins, for Christ's sake." It is a mere excuse to say, you "cannot pray." But you may be thinking in your mind, that you will say your prayers, will obey your parents, you will be very good, that you will not tell an untruth, will not do anything that is sinful, will not wrong any one, will keep the Sabbath-day holy. And then, because you will be good, Jesus will take you to heaven when you die. This is a great delusion and a snare. If you could get to heaven by your good works, what need would there have been that a Saviour should die for your sins? Your good works would be your Saviour. You cannot be saved by your own righteousness. Salvation is of grace, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave his life a ransom for all.

Supposing that you could from this moment perfectly obey the commands of God, and never sin more; you have aforetime, oftentimes, sinned against God. What is to become of the old debt? How is this to be cancelled? Nothing which is impure, unholy, and sinful, can enter into heaven. But you are impure, unholy, and sinful, therefore you cannot enter heaven. Hence, you see the necessity. of coming to Jesus, that your sins may be pardoned, that you may be made holy and meet for heaven. You must forsake all your sins by true repentance. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. It may be that you are convinced you have frequently sinned against God, but at the present you do not feel a desire to come now to Jesus for salvation. Delay has ruined its thousands upon thousands. With infinite kindness and condescension, Jesus says "Come unto me." 66 Behold! now is the accepted time; and behold! now is the day of salvation." "Acquaint now thyself with God peace, that thereby good may come unto thee."

and be at

He com

mandeth all men everywhere to repent. Jesus loves you; he suffered the punishment due to your sins. He shed his blood for you. He died for you. He is become your Saviour. He kindly says, "Come unto me." Will you grieve him, by continuing in sin?

After you have sinned against him a few more years, (should you live), will you be more welcome to Jesus? Will you not almost be ashamed to come to him? Will not your sins become fearful in number and magnitude? Will you not add to the catalogue of crime, day by day? Will not your hearts become harder and harder, and your desire to come to Jesus more and more feeble? O how dangerous is delay! Delay not, but come to Jesus, just now. The state of your feelings is no excuse for your disobeying the commands of God; it is your duty to obey his commands, whatever your feelings may be.

There may be some Sunday-school scholar who may read this, who may say, "I do feel desirous to come to Jesus. I am convinced if I continue in sin it will be my ruin. I am sorry I have broken his holy laws, and am willing to forsake all my sins and obey his commands, but the way of believing appears so hard, dark, and difficult, that the more I think about it, the greater mystery it appears. Be not discouraged. Thousands have felt this difficulty before you did, who are now rejoicing in the forgiving love of God. Christ has made an atonement for your sins. Perhaps you are ready to say, "What do you mean by an atonement?" I will try to make you understand. An atonement is a satisfaction for an offence: for instance, an individual violates the laws of his country; he is condemned to a certain term of imprisonment he pays the penalty the law demands; justice is satisfied, and he is freed from further punishment for that offence. But suppose the laws of his country allowed him to pay the penalty in his stead. Such an individual, by so doing, makes an atonement for him, and thus becomes his saviour. The offending person is thus freed from punishment: he is saved. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. He is your substitute. You have broken God's holy and

:

righteous laws. Christ paid the penalty the law demanded, and made an atonement for your sins. This is the gospel, the good news which you have to believe. Believe, then, this soul-cheering truth, that Christ has made an atonement for your sins. Embrace Christ as your Saviour; repose your soul on the merit of his death. If a friend should pay for you a debt which you owed to a shopkeeper, it would be proper that you should see him, that it might be blotted out of his book. You would present as your reason why this should be done, that your friend had paid the debt. Go, then, with all confidence, to your heavenly Father; confess your sins, and pray that they may be all blotted out of the book of his remembrance for Christ's sake, because he died for your sins. You have the promise of God that he will do it. It is written, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Fear not, doubt not. 66 Only believe, and yours is heaven." Jesus kindly invites you to come unto him. Thankfully accept the invitation, and accept it to-day. To-morrow it may be too late. A young girl, a Sunday-school scholar, in this neighbourhood, was at a place two miles from home one evening; she went home, was taken suddenly very poorly immediately after she had retired to rest; at five in the morning, she was dead.

The bright sun arose in the East,

It shone on her no more.

You may also read in the Scriptures an account of a little boy who one morning went into the field to the reapers. Whilst there, he begun to be ill, was taken home to his mother, lingered till noon, then died on her knee. Death may arrive as a thief in the night. Remember, O remember, if you are lost, it is for ever.

Mankinholes,

W. I.

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