he and Count Adelbert always the kindest and most indulgent of masters? I should indeed have been a worthless child could I have deserted in her need, the grand-daughter, daughter, and wife of my benefactors ?"

"Oh Jacob!" replied Matilda, "how many in your case would have acted very differently! True friends are much rarer than false or forgetful ones!"

The fugitives were speedily settled in their new home. Matilda soon arranged the little household and ordered it daily, and Jacob, as long as the weather permitted, did not fail to go every day to the town, to fetch the necessaries which might still be wanting.

It was his first care to provide a good store of provisions for winter use, and it was not long before his untiring diligence bad filled their larder with a good supply of meal, potatoes, winter fruits, biscuits and dried flesh. In his zeal to provide the necessary and the useful, he did not forget the agreeable. He wished to neglect nothing that might tend to make the sojourn in the wilderness less dreary and distasteful, and one day surpised his mistress by a beautiful lute, on which he knew her to excel. Another time he brought little Agnes a beautiful doll, and two tastefully decorated flower pots. As the days continued to shorten, he lost no time in collecting fodder for the goats, and fetching a store of fuel from the forest. Comforted by the care and foresight of their faithful servant, the lady and child looked forward contentedly to a peaceful winter in the Valley of Gloom. M. A. J.

WARNING.-He that is graceless in a day of grace, will be speechless in a day of judgment.-Mead.

LITURGICAL LESSONS.-No. XII.

THE PSALTER.

THE Psalms are oftener used in the Services of the Church than any other portion of Holy Scripture, as was the rule in apostolic and primitive times. (See 1 Cor. xiv. 26; Col. iii. 17; St. James, v. 13; and Acts, xvi. 25.)

"Ye holy strains, like angel friends when all

Seem'd to forsake, have sooth'd the martyr's thrall!" The Psalter, although called after David, was the composition of various inspired writers. Many of the Psalms allude to events which transpired after his death, as the captivity and the return of the Jews. (Psa. lxxix., lxxx., lxxxv., cxxvi., and cxxviii.) The Prayer-book Psalms are taken from the "Great Bible" translated by Tyndale and Coverdale, and set forth and used in the reign of Henry VIII.; the now authorized translation was not made till after the compilation of the Liturgy.

I. The manner of singing the Psalms. The method of singing by course, or alternately, is very ancient, and was very probably received by the early Christians from the Jews, as many of the Psalms were written for the service of the temple. Isaiah, also, says of the holy angels seen by him, that they cried unto one another and said, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts," &c. (Isa. vi. 3.) Ancient ecclesiastical writers testify that the practice of the primitive Church was similar. St. Basil says that the people in his time, "rising from their prayers, proceeded to sing Psalms, dividing themselves into two parts, and singing in turns." This method is most profitable; by it we are relieved from weariness, and

I

emulated to serve God more earnestly. Each verse of the Psalms is pointed for chanting. While singing we stand, "by the erection of our bodies expressing the lifting up of our souls to God." Instruments of music were constantly used by the Israelites in their services; (Exodus, xv. 20; 2 Sam. vi. 5; 2 Chron. v. 12; xxix. 25; and Psa. cl.) and instrumental music is still used in Christian Churches.

"There rose the choral hymn of praise,

And trump and timbrel answered keen,
And Zion's daughters pour'd their loys,

With priest's and warrior's voice between."

II. The order in which the Psalms are used. By the Jews the Psalter was divided into five parts, for which division no reason has been assigned. The English Church divides it into thirty portions, a part for each day, by which means the whole is sung once a month; the first Psalm being used on the first day of the month. In February those for 29th and 30th days are omitted; and in January, March, May, July, August, October, and December, those for the 30th are repeated on the 31st. (Vide "The Order how the Psalter is to be used.") The Psalms are Jewish hymns of praise, by the addition of the Gloria Patri we turn them into Christian songs, and thus fit them for the use of the Church now as they were before for the synagogue.

III. Table of Proper Psalms. Proper Psalms are appointed for the great festivals of Christmas, Easter, Ascension Day, and Whit-Sunday; also for Ash Wednesday, and Good Friday. Those used on Ash Wednesday, with the fifty-first used in the Commination Service, are called the "Seven Penitential Psalms.'

IV. Lesson. To make use of these holy hymns in our admirably adapted to all

private devotions, as they are

circumstances of life, and serve alike for the indulgence of

joy, or the soothing of sorrow."

"Ye holy strains! on David's harp that hung;

Your beauteous touch hath lit death's shadowy door, And strengthened by your staff and cheering tongue, The fading spirit walks unfading groves among."

W. J. L.

CASTLE BUILDING.

WHAT is meant by Castle building? simply day dreaming, or imagining pictures of happiness! Some may be startled by hearing a thing seeming so innocent, condemned as having a bad tendency: we will therefore consider, first, why Castlebuilding is hurtful-and secondly, how it may be turned to good account.

First, castle-building is generally dangerous because unreal, and full of vanity and selfishness, this world's enjoyment is the main object sought and self is the most prominent person. According to our different dispositions we fancy ourselves possessed of riches, beauty, fine clothes, and handsome dwellings, we picture ourselves the centre of attraction, admired, praised, and exclusively loved, envied by some, and talked of by others; freed from sorrow and care, and invested with a large share of power. The more we give way to dreams like these, the more we shall become discontented with the realities of life. We may be heard to say, " happiness is not to be found in this world," but our thoughts contradict our words. We are apt to imagine ourselves good, generous,

and amiable, till we forget we are not actually so, and we overlook the fact, that our journey through this life must be one of toil and warfare.

Having remarked on some of the evils arising from castlebuilding, we will in the second place search for the way of turning day-dreams to good account. Our picture must represent self in the back ground, unobtrusively ministering to the comfort of others, and feeling contented to remain uncared for, unloved, and unnoticed, while we work daily for Christ, not seeking man's approval. We may picture ourselves meanly clothed, poorly fed, labouring hard for the benefit of others, preferring our neighbour's interest to our own, enduring hardships, bearing patiently the neglect, the scorn, the ridicule, the misinterpretations of the world, and giving up worldly pleasures and earthly ties, so that we may live closer to God. We must ever mingle with our daydreams a readiness to suffer, so that we may be martyrs in will, if not required to be so in deed; we must look forward to heavenly happiness, and bear in mind the less we think of ourselves, the more Christ will think of us and bless us.

We shall never reach the summit of our airy castle, but the road which leads that way is safe, and the rude blasts we may encounter will tend to purify our souls. There are times when the busiest persons indulge in castle building, nor can we forbid it, only let our plans and our projects be for others, putting self out of the question. Our time here is to be spent in giving up this world, because we are God's children, and have promised to renounce the world, the flesh, and the devil; we are members of Christ, therefore our work is to do the will of our Heavenly Father, and to