sight of a bright fire in the School-room, at which those who were in good time were allowed to warm their cold feet and hands before the business of the day began. Prayers had been said, and some of the lessons done, when as the clock struck ten, the first class put away their slates and books in expectation of some instruction from their clergyman. Mr. Wilson soon arrived, and after hearing the Collect said, thus addressed them :

"We have now come to the last Saints' Day of the year, of the Church's year I mean, which you know begins with Advent. On this day, then, we are to commemorate, we are to think of with joy and gratitude, not one Saint alone, not one of the blessed Apostles and Martyrs, but All Saints, all the glorious company of the Apostles, all the goodly fellowship of the Prophets, all the noble army of Martyrs, and not only these, but all those "holy and humble men of heart," high and low, rich and poor, old and young, who in every age from the beginning of the world until now, have lived and died in the faith and fear of God. Of these we speak in the Creed, when we affirm our belief in the "Communion of Saints;" of these we say in the Collect that God has knit them together in one communion and fellowship in the mystical Body of Jesus Christ." Let us now see what the Bible tells us concerning them. Turn to the 11th chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, part of which is appointed as the second lesson for this morning's service, and read what St. Paul there says. You will see in this beautiful chapter he calls to our remembrance the faithful of every age, he mentions by name Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob Moses and others, and then says that time would fail him to

tell of all those who through faith did and suffered such great things. This much he tells us of them that they "died in faith," and from the lives and deaths of those whose bistories are given in the Old Testament, we may learn many instructive lessons. Having "died in the faith," they form part of that communion of Saints which we this day commemorate. After these, who, happy as they were in the knowledge of the true God, were not however like us blest with the full knowledge of the Gospel of Christ, let us think of all those who since the coming of our Blessed Lord have believed on Him, have loved and obeyed Him, and through His death and passion have been made heirs of everlasting salvation. Do not think, my dear children, that this is too hard for you to understand, or that the doctrine of the Communion of Saints does not concern you. It concerns every one of us to think of those who have gone before us to Heaven, and whom we hope, by God's Grace, one day to follow. On this day especially should we count up all those who in the past year have been taken from amongst us. Think then of all those whom you have known, and whom you believe to have " died in the faith," from the aged Christian whom you have seen worshipping in Church day after day, and week after week, and who has now passed away from the trials and temptations of this life, to the little baby lately washed in the waters of Baptism, whom it has pleased its Heavenly Father to take to Himself before it could know any thing of the sin and sorrow of this evil world."

Mr. Wilson paused; the children had been listening attentively to his words, and it was evident that the thoughts of many were turned to friends they had lost. After a few

moments he continued; "You will perhaps ask me what you are to think about the souls of the good who have departed, what their state now is. Of this we know little, nor should we seek to learn more than God has been pleased to reveal to us. Of this we may be sure, that they are in peace,' for what we do know of their present state is thus beautifully expressed in the first lesson for to day, the 3rd Chapter of the Book of Wisdom,- But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die; and their departure is taken for misery, and their going from us for utter destruction, but they are in peace.' Is it not comforting, when we think of the dear ones who have been taken from us, to rest on this blessed assurance that they are in the hand of God?' Of their future state of more perfect bliss after the general resurrection at the last day, we may form some idea from the 7th Chapter of Revelations, part of which is appointed to be read as the Gospel for the day. But we are elsewhere told (1 Cor. ii. 9.) that Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that loved Him.' In this joyful hope let us think of those we have loved and mourned, and of all the blessed company of Saints, praising God's Holy Name for all His servants departed this life in His faith and fear, and beseeching Him to give us grace so to follow their good examples, that with them we may be partakers of His heavenly kingdom.'"

The clergyman's words had sunk deep into the hearts of many of his young hearers. Never had the holy service of All Saints' Day been so reverently attended to by them, and

when it was over and they left the Church, the Church-yard seemed a more hallowed place from their thoughts having been so recently and so solemnly directed to the dead who lay buried beneath its green turf. One little girl in deep mourning paused weeping by the side of a grave where lay a sister, who a few months before had been her constant companion, as strong and healthy as herself, but whom a fever had snatched away to an early death; and another gazed with reverence and love on the resting-place of a mother whom she could scarce remember, but of whose piety and patient sufferings she had oft been told. Others there were, also, whose hearts turned to a father, a brother, or a friend, who perhaps lay buried near, or perhaps far away in distant lands, and to each and all did the comforting thought of the Communion of Saints arise, and the hope that their dear ones were among those of whom it is said by the Spirit, "Blessed are the dead which die in the LORD." (Rev. xiv. 13.) L. R. P.

LINES WRITTEN IN A CHURCHYARD.

The dead, the dead, the blessed dead!

Within this holy ground,

How many a crush'd and struggling heart,
At length repose hath found.

The dead, the dead, the silent dead

No whispering sound is heard;

Though heart lie close to heart, yet here
Affection breathes no word.

The dead, the dead, the buried dead!
The treasure house of all!

Where each some dear deposit hath,
Safe-though beyond recall.

The trumpet sounds, the graves are rent!
What, what is this I see!

The weak arise, the withered bloom,
"Oh grave where is Thy victory ?"

The graves are rent, the hosts appear,
The silent wake and sing!

Angels are joining in their song,

"Oh death where is thy sting ?"

L. R. P.

THE ATHANASIAN CREED.

OUR beloved Church has her Creeds, a sacred deposit committed to her charge, by which she would hedge in her children from harm; nor can we be too thankful we have not to run here and there, seeking out what we are to believe, but simply to turn to our Prayer Books and read over the summaries of our faith, and as we grow older, we can search in the Bible and find that these things are so. As members of the Catholic and Apostolic Church, we are pledged, from our Baptism, to believe "the Articles of the Christian Faith." Blessed be God, we are saved from doubt and perplexity, for the mysteries of our holy religion are beyond our comprehension; so are all God's works; and that they exceed our understanding is but a proof that they proceed from Him. Much has been done, much remains to do; the way in which