they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool;" for "the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin."—The Appeal. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION. And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.-2 TIM. iii. 15. MANY of those divines who have proved most eminent for their piety and usefulness have in a particular manner experieneed the benefit of parental instruction, and especially have received religious principles from the piety and example of their parents. Dr. Doddridge, before he was able to read, was instructed by his mother in the histories of the Old and New Testament by the assistance of some Dutch tiles in the chimney of the room where they usually sat. Mr. Flavel says, "I bless God for a religious, tender father, who poured out his soul to God for me; and this stock of prayers I esteem above the fairest inheritance on earth."-Bishop Hall says, "How often have I blessed the memory of those divine passages of experimental divinity which I heard from my mother's mouth! What day did she pass without being much engaged in private devotion? have any lips read to me such feeling lectures of piety? In a word, her life and death were saint-like." The names also of Augustine, Hooker, Newton, Cecil, Buchannan, and Dwight, are here mentioned as instances of the blessed effects of parental instruction in religion. This should encourage parents to bring up their "children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." For this is a course which has been so often crowned with success, and which is seldom or never, perhaps, in vain. It is evident that the pious endeavours of Lois and Eunice, in making young Timothy acquainted with the Holy Scriptures, laid the foundation of all his great eminence and usefulness, in which he was inferior to none but the apostles. The Scriptures warrant high expectations on this subject. A parent's heart may prove a snare ; The child she loves so well, Her hand may lead, with gentlest care, Down the smooth road to hell; Nourish its frame-destroy its mind; Thus do the blind mislead the blind, E'en with a mother's love. Blest mother! who in wisdom's path, By her own parent trod, Thus taught her son to flee the wrath And know the fear of God. Ah, youth, like him enjoy your prime, Begin Eternity in time, Taught by that mother's love. That mother's love!-how sweet the name! What was that mother's love? The noblest, purest, tenderest flame That kindles from above. Within a heart of earthly mould, A BEAUTIFUL THOUGHT. LIFE is beautifully compared to a fountain fed by a thousand streams, that perish if one be dried. It is a silver cord, twisted with a thousand strings, that part asunder if one be broken. Frail and thoughtless mortals are surrounded by innumerable dangers, which make it more strange that they escape so long than that they almost perish suddenly at last. We are encompassed with accidents every day to crush this mouldering tenement that we inhabit. The seeds of disease are planted in our constitutions by nature. The earth, and the atmosphere whence we draw breath of life, is impregnated with death; health is made to operate its own destruction! The food that nourishes contains the elements of decay; the soul that animates it by a vivifying fire tends to wear it out by its own action; death lurks in ambush along our paths! Notwithstanding this is the truth, so clearly confirmed by the daily examples before our eyes, how little do we lay it to heart! We see our friends, neighbours, perishing among us, but how seldom does it occur to our thoughts that our knell shall, perhaps, give the next fruitless warning to the world! SELECT VARIETIES. A LOST CHILD FOUND BY A DOG. THE youthful but eloquent "When about four years old, Francis Dighton, minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church, who left the shores of earth for the joys of the blessed some years ago, when lost in the forest, was singularly found and borne home by his grandfather's dog. The following narrative, written by Rev. Mr. Lowry, and indited by the grandmother of Francis, with whom he lived at the time, gives the reader an idea of the oc currence : he wandered from the house of his grandmother, with the desire and intention, no doubt, of going to the sugar-camp, where his uncle was employed in making sugar. In this adventure he diverged from the path, and got lost in the woods. Some hours after Francis left the house, his grandmother went to the camp, with the confident expectation of finding him there, as he was in the habit of making that tour frequently. But on arriving at the sugar-camp, and not seeing the child, she inquired, 'Where is Francis!' The uncle, James Kent, replied, 'I do not know; he has not been here.' His grandmother exclaimed, 'He is lost! Go you in one direction, and I will in another, in pursuit of him.' The uncle proposed to through the mediation of his canine friend, and sometimes interested his friends in describing how he threw his little arms around the dog's neck, and rode over hill and though glen, amid logs and brush, in triumph to the sugar-camp."-Western Christian Advocate. STONE. IN June, 1837, as two miners of the names of John Thompson and George Douglas were occupied in blasting a drift in a stratum of solid stone called the scar limestone, at Alston Moor, thirty-six feet below the surface, they shot into the small cavity of a rock, out of which, to their surprise, sprang a full-grown rat. The miners endeavoured to take the animal alive; but in their at go in search of him, and requested A LIVE RAT IMBEDDED IN his mother to stay at the camp and take care of things in his absence. His mother insisted she must go in pursuit of Francis, but James Kent persuaded her to tarry. But soon after he had left, she grew weary, and, almost frantic, exclaimed, 'I will go !' During the whole of this distressing scene, the dog belonging to the family, and that had, no doubt, contracted an attachment by familiarity for the child, was present, and followed the grand-tempts to do so it was killed. How mother a short distance, but long the rat had been imbedded in hesitated, by his motions showing that he wished his mistress to go in another direction. Mrs. Kent resolving not to take the dog as her guide, exclaimed, 'I will go!' whereupon the dog left her and took another route. And it is a remarkable fact, that while the uncle and grandmother were unsuccessful in their anxious search, the friendly and vigorous dog REMARKABLE INSTANCE found Francis and bore him to the camp on his back. "Rev. Francis Dighton recollected this providential rescue, its living grave, and in what manner it had contrived in such a situation to exist (considering the organic formation of the animal), are questions that must be left to conjecture. On examination, the rock around the cavity was found to be perfectly solid and close in every part. OF ATTACHMENT IN A IN the Botanic Garden at Paris there is a bird called by naturalists the Large Bengal Crane, but which is known on the coast of Africa by the name of Marabou. Its bill is very strong, of great length, and sharp pointed; and its head, when held upright, is as high as a man's. This bird was brought from Senegal by M. Valantin, a merchant, who during the voyage bestowed on it all the attentions necessary for its preservation; and it was given by another person to the Museum of Natural History. Two years after parting with his marabou, M. Valantin, on his arrival at Paris, determined to pay it a visit. repaired to the menagerie. On entering, he found the bird surrounded by spectators, who, how ever, kept at some distance, as it was dangerous to approach too near. Judge, then, of the surprise of all the bystanders, when they He accordingly saw M. Valantin go into the ma-. rabou's cage. They all censured. his rashness, fearing lest he should be assailed by the bird's terrible beak. The marabou, on the contrary, suffered itself to be approached, caressed, and embraced, and knew again the voice which soothed it with kind and friendly language. It was a curious, nay almost an affecting sight, to behold this huge bird sometimes in the arms of its former master heaving deep sighs, sometimes gently disengaging itself and twining around him, at the same time uttering a plaintive clucking, followed by repeated chattering of its bill. These various actions produced a deep impression on the spectators, who looked upon them as signs of gratitude as manifest as any that could have been given by man. OUR CHILDREN'S PORTION. IF MEN DO NOT SEE MR. FERGUSON was walking in the country one fine warm day in harvest-time with his youngest son, Frank. "Papa," said Frank, looking wistfully towards a garden by the side of which they were walking, "I am very dry." "And I too, my dear," answered Mr. Ferguson; "but we must have patience until we get home." Frank. There is a pear-tree loaded with very fine fruit; they YOU GOD SEES YOU. are Windsor pears. Ah, with what pleasure I could eat one! Mr. Ferguson. I do not doubt it; but that tree is in a private garden. F. The hedge is not very thick, and here is a hole where I can easily get through. Mr. F. And what would the owner of the garden say if he should be there F. Oh, he is not there, I dare say; and nobody can see us! Mr. F. You mistake, child! There is one who sees us, and who would punish us, and justly too, because it would be wicked to do what you propose. F. Who is that, papa ? Mr. .F. He who is everywhere present, who never loses sight of us a moment, and who sees to the very bottom of our hearts. F. Ah, papa! you mean the great God. I had forgotten that is always upon us. I shall his eye 1 which I should lose were I to be paid for the fruit." Mr. Ferguson shook hands with him over the hedge, and Frank again thanked him for the fruit, and wished him good bye. He quickly began eating the pears, which were very nice, and full of juice. "That is a very good man," said Frank to his papa, after he had finished the last, and they had got a good distance from the orchard. Mr. F. Yes, my dear; and he is Just then a man stood up be-so, no doubt, because his heart is hind the hedge who had been sitting down on a grassy slope. It was an old man, the owner of the garden, who spoke thus to Frank: "Return thanks to God, my child, that your father hindered you from stealing into my garden, and coming to take what does not belong to you. Know that, at the foot of each tree, there is a trap laid to catch thieves, where you would certainly have been caught, and perhaps have lamed yourself for life. But since, at the first word of the prudent lesson given you by your father, you have showed a fear of God, I will give you with pleasure some of the pears you wish to taste." At these words he went up to the finest tree, shook it, and brought back his hat full of pears to Frank,, convinced of the great truth, that God never fails to reward good actions and chastise evil. F. Would God have punished me, then, if I had taken the pears? Mr. F. The good old man told you what would have happened to you. God, my dear child, orders everything that passes upon earth, and directs events so as to reward good people for their virtuous actions, and to punish the wicked for their crimes. I will tell you an adventure which made so strong impression on me, when a child, that I shall never forget it as long as I live. F. Ah, papa, how happy I am to-day: a pleasant walk, good advice, fine pears, and a story besides! Mr. F. When I was as little Mr. Ferguson could not prevail as you, and lived at my father's, on the kind old man to accept any Iwe had two neighbours, the one money. "I have had a satisfac- on the right, the other on the tion, sir, in obliging your son left hand of our house: their |