tating. I went on for a month or two rejoicing in these better feelings, when one day, as I was reading the Bible, I came to these words of John :-" Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.' You will scarcely believe it possible, but I had the presumption to apply these words to myself. I thought I was born of God, that I might commit errors but should fall into no sin, and that, therefore, no temptation could make me really do wrong."

Jane waited for a reply. The minister looked thoughtful; he was beginning to reproach himself for overlooking or scarcely considering, the spiritual necessities of this precious lamb of his flock, and for having taken for granted, from outward appearances, that she was passing through a happy religious experience. He looked at her and simply said, "Well, my child!"

I cannot now tell you, father, into what serious faults I have fallen-how gradually, during the last six months, my heart has turned from God; how unfaithful I have been during my long visit to my aunt; not so bad in some respects as my former self, yet worse altogether, because I had learned to know better. And now, instead of the text which I thought applied to me, I can only think of three verses which you read on Sunday, from Peter, which say, 'That those who have once known the Lord, and have become entangled by the seductions of the world, and overcome, would have been in less danger if they had never known the way of righteous ness.' So what is to become of me, for I have no religion now?"

'You have fallen into an error of inexperience, my dear, in thinking that you have no religion; an utterly irreligious person does not lament his alienation from God. You have been unfaithful and unwise, perhaps, and like many other young people who have just 'girded on the harness' for the battle of life, you have boasted as he that putteth it off.' But in all that you have said, I cannot see what there is to prevent your taking the communion to-morrow.” 'You do not see it!"

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"No. Have you forgotten the long conversation that I had with you last year, on the subject of unworthily partaking of it?"

"Not at all. I remember your telling me that the feeling of unworthiness should not deter me; that the very disciples who ate the last supper with the Saviour forsook him and fled, but that their repentance for the past, and their good resolutions for the future, sufficed to make them worthy."

"Then what is the obstacle? You do not mean to say that you are not earnest in desiring to recover your lost ground!"

"No-it is not that- not the sense of unworthiness exactly. That

little book you gave me, which you said conveyed your own sentiments so entirely, says, that the ordinance of the Lord's Supper presents the occasion for confessing Christ before men, and for enrolling ourselves in the ranks of his faithful followers-his redeemed.' I think those are the very words. I enrolled myself among them, but I have not proved faithful,- -as I have not done so, I cannot stand in the ranks,—for I do not wish to be thought better than I am."

"To be thought better than you are? By whom? It is not what men would think of you, but what God would think of you, that is the important subject for consideration."

"And what would He think of me, father, if, when I cannot pray to Him as I ought in private, I should join publicly in a service with a heart not right towards Him?”

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The very people who should join in it, dear Jane, are those who in humility feel that their hearts are not right towards Him. Our Saviour enjoined his followers to remember him in this public manner, simply more surely to stereotype himself, as it were, in their hearts. We will suppose that your dear mother, on her death-bed, had enjoined you to perform some simple ceremony in remembrance of her. Suppose, in the interval that occurred between the performances of it, you neglected her advice, or slighted her memory, would you have thought it right, because of this, not to obey her dying injunction? Some compunctions of conscience you might have, but I mistake much if, when the time arrived that it was to be fulfilled, you would not readily embrace it as a means of bringing her more near to you, of realizing her presence, and of strengthening you in resolutions of better conduct for the future. Now, though she was as devoted a mother as ever God's goodness granted to a child, her affection cannot be compared with that of the Saviour. He had not the instinct of a mother,—yet he died for you--he died that you might live; the sacrifices of your mother were absorbed in the intensity of her love-but though she might suffer martyrdom to save her child, she would not have given up her friends and all hopes of worldly prosperity, to toil for the ungrateful, and for the sake of strangers, and generations yet unborn, go deliberately and voluntarily to meet a death of agony. If, then, you would obey her dying request, how much more should you obey his. He would simply wish it for your own sake. He summons the sinful and the penitent. You feel your need of him. The more unfaithful you have been, the more you need help to make you faithful. And perhaps the spirit in which you would now go to his table, would be more acceptable to God than that in which you first approached. You

were then a Pharisee, and probably offered up the prayer of a Pharisee; now you are a publican, acknowledging yourself a sinner, unable to stand alone, and needing Divine aid. Go in this spirit to the communion to-morrow, and, if you feel that you have received no good from it, I will never urge you to do it again."

Jane rose slowly from her seat. Her father drew her to him, The marks of trouble were still on her brow. "But does it not seem sad, dear father," she said, that I should so have deceived myself; what should prevent my doing it again?"

It is sad, Jane, but those whom you look on as superior in virtue and goodness to yourself, have had many fallings in the mire before they have learned to know themselves, and their true position in relation to their Maker. You have taught me a lesson this evening for which I thank you. If you come to me again soon, I will point out to you how much of your mental disquiet has been brought on by my own neglect. We will go to the root of religion together. I have much to learn and something to unlearn, and we will both sit down like little children, and strive to discover, in simplicity of heart, if we can, what God requires from us. God bless you, my darling. The services of to-morrow and Easter Sunday over, we will meet here in the same place, and talk longer on the subject of this " thing needful."

S. L.

one

BEARING THE CROSS.

TAKE up thy cross, the Saviour said,
If thou would'st my disciple be;
Take up thy cross with willing heart,
And humbly follow after me.

Take up thy cross; let not its weight
Fill thy weak spirit with alarm;
His strength shall bear thy spirit up,

And brace thy heart, and nerve thy arm.

Take up thy cross, nor heed the shame,
And let thy foolish pride be still;
Thy Lord refused not e'en to die
Upon a cross on Calvary's hill.

Take up thy cross then, in his strength,
And calmly sin's wild deluge brave;
'Twill guide thee to a better home;
It points to glory o'er the grave.

Take up thy cross, and follow me;

Nor think till death to lay it down;

For only he who bears the cross,
May hope to wear the glorious crown.

ΑΝΟΝ.

THE "PLACES OF MEETING."

On the return of Saul and Barnabas to Antioch, after their visit of charity to Jerusalem, they were appointed to a still more important mission that of going forth among the Pagan people to preach the gospel; the brethren at Antioch being instructed by the Spirit of God to select them for the office. It was about this time that Saut began to be called by the Roman name Paul, by which he was ever after known, and which was perhaps but the Roman way of spelling or pronouncing his original Jewish name. Now, in planning this journey together, nothing was more natural than that Barnabas should desire to visit, first of all, his own native country, the beautiful island of Cyprus, which lay about sixty miles from the coast of Syria; and as the Orontes was navigable for small vessels as far as Antioch, they probably sailed down the river to the port of Seleucia at its mouth, and thence took shipping in a larger vessel across to Cyprus.

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And in thus going forth among Pagan nations it must be remem→ bered that Paul and Barnabas could count upon finding in each of the principal cities that they might visit, a place in which they could publicly announce the object of their coming. In the island of Cyprus for instance—which had long been celebrated for its worship of the goddess Venus, who had a temple erected to her honour at Paphos, where worship was paid to her statue, and sacrifices offered up in her name, while at Salamis, the chief city of the island, was a temple to the god Jupiter,-even among this idolatrous people were to be found synagogues, or Places of Meeting," as the word meant, for the Jewish inhabitants. And still more remarkable was it that at this time, many of the gentiles or native inhabitants of these cities, were in the habit of frequenting these Jewish "Placesof Meeting," where one God, the Great Jehovah, was alone worshipped. These people, it is true, could not become Jews, neither adopt Jewish habits, nor conform to all the Jewish rites and ceremonies; but it would seem that, as if wearied of the worship of senseless idols, and yearning for a higher object of reverence, many found satisfaction and pleasure in attending at the synagogues on the Jewish Sabbaths, and listening to the reading of the Jewish scriptures, and discourses afterwards pronounced by the elders and rulers. According to the Jewish laws any place in which ten Jews could be found, might have a synagogue, but of course their size and importance would be in proportion to the number and wealth of the congregation. They were constructed to a certain degree, in imitation of the temple at Jerusalem, and were generally halls

surrounded by a kind of court. A sort of canopy with four columns was raised at the end of the hall, under which were placed on a table, the rolls of the sacred writings-not at that time in the form of books-but written by the hand on scrolls of parchment. Here on the Jewish Sabbath, or Saturday of each week, the Jews met to pray and to hear their laws read and explained; each family attached to the synagogue having a particular bench to themselves. The places nearest to the table on which stood the sacred writings, were the chief seats of the synagogue, on which sat the rulers and elders, or officers, who arranged the affairs of the community, and directed the services; but any serious and competent person who happened to be present, might not only read, but offer up words of exhortation to the congregation. Thus, in visiting those "Places of Meeting" as strangers, Paul and Barnabas would have no difficulty in obtaining a hearing, as, after the prayers and reading were over, they had only to make known to the rulers or elders that they came from Jerusalem and Antioch, to render their assistance acceptable. At Salamis, therefore, the chief city of Cyprus, they preached in the synagogue of the Jews, and then passing through the island, came to Paphos; and a report of their preaching having spread abroad among the Pagan inhabitants, and reached even the ears of the Roman proconsul or governor, he sent for them, and desired to hear the word of God." On this occasion it was, that Paul first exercised the miraculous powers with which he had been endowed, in order that he might give proof of his being one especially appointed by God, to teach the knowledge of his Son. The governor, Sergius Paulus, was ready to be convinced, but was deterred from the faith by the arguments and misrepresentations of a man called Elymas, who had the reputation of being a sorcerer, and was perhaps held in high consideration among the people, for his wisdom and pretended magical powers. This man, after being reproved by Paul for deluding the people, and trying to pervert the right ways of the Lord,' was struck with sudden blindness at the bidding of Paul; and the governor seeing what was done-believed; being" astonished at the doctrine of the Lord."

After this the two apostles passed over from Cyprus to the opposite shore of Asia Minor, and landed at Perga, in Pamphylia; which latter was one of the many provinces into which that part of Asia was then divided-all of which were at that time under the dominion of Rome. Nothing could be more beautiful by nature, or more adorned by art, than this country. Two chains of lofty mountains crossed it from east to west, and beneath them and among them lay fertile valleys and plains, in which every kind of tree and shrub,