this lad, though so young, had been very wicked, and had run a headstrong course of folly and sin. His condition, as far as this life was concerned, was hopeless; and a few weeks, perhaps days, might be all that would be afforded him for repentance and amendment. Oh, it was very sad! The thought of him haunted me for many a day! I reflected how many there are, like him, to whom death comes early, but not early enough to save them from plunging headlong into sinful vanities, who having neglected to fix their young affections, their opening desires upon Him who is so ready, so willing, so anxious to receive them, and Who alone can protect them from the snares which encompass their paths, lose the sense of his presence, stifle the voice of conscience, and falling easy victims to the allurements of sin, find, when east sudddenly upon a sick bed, that its pleasure endure but for a season, and that it has a sting sharper than a thousand scorpions, whose torments are everlasting. In about a fortnight after the visit I have mentioned, this youth died. I know that his minister visited him with great kindness and assiduity, know too that he himself was most diligent in reading his Bible and other good books, and I would therefore fain hope, that God, whose mercy is infinite, granted him peace at the last. But, my young readers, I would urge upon you by this example, to begin now and fear God in your youth. Think not it is difficult because you are young; it is all the more easy because you are young. The same God who called Samuel when a child, now calls you, the same living Saviour who desired children to be brought to Him, is waiting, longing, with open arms, with overflowing tenderness, to receive you. He says, "Why will ye not come to Me ?" But it is not my design to preach a sermon, but to tell you another story, one that shall serve as a contrast to the foregoing; and which with your kind permission I will do, in the next number. October, 1850. H. E. WEEDS. EVERY one knows what weeds are; and though they are not useful like herbs, or beautiful like flowers, how, if they be left to do so, they will overgrow both, till, if they do not kill them, they prevent their being either useful or beautiful. You have all of you, I dare say, some time in your lives, had a garden of your own to take care of; or if not, have been set to pull up the weeds in somebody else's; and know what tiresome work weeding often is. For unless they be rooted up as soon as they come, while they are young and small, they strike deeper and deeper into the earth, which gets dry and hard round them, and it costs us great trouble to get them up at all. Sometimes too the sun is hot, and scorches you, and you get tired with stooping; or the wind is cold, and the ground damp, and your fingers get stiff and numb before you have half done your work; but you must go steadily on, doing it thoroughly; for if you only do it by halves, and pull off the tops, but leave the roots in, you will find the patch you left quite clear, covered with fresh ones when you come to it again. Now I dare say you wonder why I say all this about a few weeds; but I think we shall find we can learn something useful, even from things that seem to be worthless. You must all of you remember the parable of the sower and the seed; and how our Saviour tells us that the seed is His Word, and the different kinds of ground on which the seed fell, are the hearts of the different sorts of people who hear His word. If you think of this, you will see in the same way, the ground represents our hearts, and the weeds our sins and faults, which God tells us we must conquer; and which, if we do not try to do so, will in time grow up, and if they do not quite destroy the few good qualities we may have, will choke them, and prevent our growing better. So we must try and find them out, and when we know what they are, set to work in good earnest to overcome them. It is not easy to do this, it is very hard and difficult, and we cannot hope to do it by ourselves; but we must pray to God to help us, because He has told us to do so, and promises to help those who ask Him in His Son's Name. And we must not only ask, but believe that He can and will do it; for Christ Himself tells us, "Whatsoever ye ask in My Name, believing, ye shall receive." And then when our hearts get hard and dry, like the ground in summer, He will send down His Holy Spirit to soften and refresh them as the rain moistens the earth. And if we do not seem to get on very fast, we must not be discouraged, but go on patiently and perseveringly, trying, and trusting in Him. But if by His grace we do overcome any of them, we must not think it is our own doing, and feel satisfied with ourselves, for Christ says, "Without Me ye can do nothing," and, 66 when ye have done all that is commanded you, say we are unprofitable servants;" but we must give God the glory, for "it is He Who worketh in us, both to will and to do of His good pleasure." H. D. L. WAIT! WAIT! for the day is breaking, Though the dull night be long; Thy heart. Be strong-be strong! Wait! and the clouds of sorrow Shall melt in gentle showers, Wait! 'tis the key to pleasure Wait! for the time is hasting C. H. TOWNSHEND: BIBLE ILLUSTRATIONS.-CHAP. I. We take the following extract from a most valuable and delightful work, called "A Popular Account of Discoveries at Nineveh, by Austin Henry Layard, Esq., D.C.L.," published lately by Mr. Murray, in a most convenient form, and at a most reasonable price. We hope that some, if not many of our readers, will be able to read its pages for themselves. We shall from time to time adorn our pages with extracts from this most useful and interesting work, because we deem them calculated to be of interest, information and edification to all the kind readers of our little magazine. For many years (since 1842, we believe,) Mr. Layard has been examining and opening the ruins of Nimroud, the ancient Nineveh, and most wonderful have been his discoveries. It may be said that even now in 1852, they have but as it were begun to catch a glimpse of the wonders yet to be revealed, from those deep and silent mounds of earth. For the present this short extract must suffice : 66 Adjoining this corner-stone was a figure of singular form. A human body, clothed in robes similar to those of the winged men already described, was surmounted by the head of an eagle or of a vulture. The curved beak, of considerable length, was half open, and displayed a narrow pointed tongue, on which were still the remains of red paint. On the shoulders, fell the usual curled and bushy hair of the Assyrian images, and a comb of feathers rose on the top of the head. Two wings sprang from the back, and in either hand was the square vessel and fir-cone. In a kind of girdle were three daggers, the handle of one being in the form of the head of a bull. They may have been of precious metal, but more probably of copper, inlaid with ivory or enamel, as a few days before a copper dagger-handle, precisely similar in form to one of those carried by this figure, hollowed to receive an ornament of some such material, had been discovered in S.W. ruins, and is now preserved in the British Museum. This effigy, which probably typified by its mythic form the union of certain divine attributes, may perhaps be identified with the god Nisroch, in whose temple Sannacherib |