in the blessed Bible, God's great gas-house, fitted up to light the rooms and chambers of the soul, and to enlighten the streets and alleys of life; and in the Holy Spirit, sent from Heaven in Jesus's name, to rebuke and regulate, to strengthen and solace, to lure and lead us. In these, dear young friends, you have your checks-your balance-spring. Take heed to these, and you will go right. Youthful buoyancy will prompt you onward-these will carry you upward; the one will keep you doing, the other will insure your well doing; if the one will not let you go too slow, the other will save you from going too fast; then, with the watch, you will find that to go well is to go "regularly and systematically."

Time is getting away. It cannot-it will not stop. We cannot stop it. We may stop our watch. Soon, very soon, the ever-lasting clock will strike. Our watches then will cease to measure what is measureless, and time's tiny drops will be lost in eternity's ever-rolling streams.

OUR engraving represents the monument which stands over the spot where it is said that Absalom was buried. Perhaps, however, it stands on the spot where Absalom built a pillar as a memorial for himself. See 2 Samuel xviii. 18. It is situated at the foot of the Mount of Olives, in the valley which separates that mount from the city of Jerusalem. It is a conspicuous monument, and is described by most travellers, being remarkable for this peculiarity, that it is cut out of the solid rock, and seems to consist of a single stone, although it stands as if erected by an architect, and is adorned with a number of columns, which are also cut out of the rock.

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Our young readers will probably remember the character of Absalom. He was the son of David, remarkably handsome in person, but vile in his disposition, being distinguished by cunning, selfishness, and ambition, and guilty of exciting a cruel and unnatural war against his own father. As might

be expected, he came to an untimely end. His rebellion against his father led to his death in a very extraordinary manner. Riding on a mule, and passing under the thick boughs of an oak, his head was caught in the branches, and he could not extricate himself. While thus held the mule on which he rode passed away from under him, so that he was left suspended by the head in the boughs of the tree. In this state he hung for some time, until Joab, the captain of David's army, came near, and thrust three darts through the heart of Absalom, so that he died. Thus ended his life, and all his ambitious and cruel projects.

How hateful is sin of every kind, especially that of rebellion against a pious parent. It is said that the Jews at his day, on passing the tomb of Absalom, cast stones at it, is an expression of their abhorrence of his unnatural and vicked conduct. There is a God who watches the conduct of all, and who will surely punish the disobedient; for he as said, "though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not go unpunished." For the scriptural history of Absalom, we refer our readers to 2 Samuel, from chapter xiv. to xviii.

JESUS WEPT.

Ir was the custom with the little Finleys to repeat the texts of the sermons they heard, and whatever they could recollect of the discourses, to their papa and mamma, on Sabbath evenings. Sometimes it happened that they were not so much prepared as at others. On one occasion, when it was very wet, they staid at home, and that they might not be neglected their mamma staid with them. After they had been looking over the Bible, and committing to memory the morning text, mamma said,

"Well, if ever I am a preacher I must take short texts, and then the children will like me."

all was in order and still. They smiled pleasantly at each other, and James asked if they should sing. Mrs. Finley gave out the following hymn

"Little child, do you love Jesus?" Then they all knelt down, and she offered up a short prayer, which the children repeated after her. After this they all found out the 11th chapter of John, containing the account of the family of Bethany, and the death of Lazarus. Then their mamma asked them a few questions, to draw out their minds and fix their attention, such as these: What place is named in this narrative?-Where was it? Who lived there?-What had happened there?-How was it that Jesus was there?-What

"What would you take?" said Charlotte. "I know what I would choose; the shortest text in all the Bible." "Where is it?" asked Mar-proof did he give of his love to garet.

"Oh, I know," answered James, eagerly; here it is in St. John, only two words, 'Jesus wept.' Mamma, did you ever hear a sermon from that text?"

'No, my love, not from those words merely; but I thing a very good discourse might be made from them."

Lazarus? Who saw him weep, &c. To make his affection for Lazarus more plain, she said, "If you were very ill with a bad fever, and some kind gentleman came into the room and sat down by your bed, and looked very tenderly at you, and you were to see him shedding tears about you, would you think he

"Yes; and we should think right too."

"Well, mamma," said Char-loved you?" lotte, "will you preach from them to us to-night, and we will be your little congregation; should you not like it, mamma?" "Oh yes; do, do," exclaimed one and another. So they all drew near the round table, and the arm-chair, with the cushion and foot stool, were placed for Mrs. Finley, and the hymn books and Testaments were brought out, and fresh coals put on the fire, and by degrees

"Well, then, this was the reason why the Jews said, when they saw Jesus in tears at the grave of Lazarus, 'Behold how he loved him.' We may learn from his behaviour at this time that he is full of pity; and perhaps you can recollect other instances of his compassion? One remembered his feeding the multitude; another his raising

to

"It makes me almost cry now, mamma," said Margaret, think that such a dear Saviour should be treated so cruelly. Oh, how could the Jews be so very wicked!"

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the widow's son; another his her. He did not despise such healing the blind; and mamma, children as you are. If he were his lamentation over Jerusalem. | to come into this room now, we Mrs. Finley went on to say, should be astonished at his gen"Jesus Christ spent thirty years tleness. He would understand in our world, and we never read all our feelings-all our desires; of his weeping over his own and if there was one child in troubles, though he had many. greater trouble, or more feeble Sometimes he was without food than the rest, that would be the -without money-without a child he would notice the most.' lodging. His friends forsook him. He was stoned, and scourged, and crucified, and all for our sakes; but this did not cause him to weep. He wept only for the sins and sorrows of the people. If he had seen an ungrateful, disobedient youth, refusing instruction, breaking the Sabbath, despising his parents, and running on the broad road which leads to destruction, then he would have wept. If he had stood at the grave of a little girl who had died without a change of heart, then he would have wept. He was sorrowful when he saw what evil and misery sin had brought into this once beautiful world, and especially when he could as a task? Do we pray to him not persuade the people around gladly, or only as a duty? If it to trust in him for their salva- distresses you to think of the tion. Oh yes," she added, "Jesus sorrows and sufferings of the had a very tender spirit. If a blessed Redeemer when he dwelt poor timid little child had fol- amongst us, let us pray to be lowed him, he would have taken delivered from the sins which her hand and led her on, and grieved him and which still spoken words of kindness to grieve the Holy Spirit."

"Their hearts, my child," replied Mrs. Finley, were not worse than ours; and if we had been in their place we might have been amongst those who cried out 'Crucify him, crucify him!' Suppose we ask ourselves to-night, what proof we are giving of our love to Jesus from day to day. Do we think of him very often or very seldom? Do we delight to please him, or to please ourselves? Do we read about him from choice, or

OUR CHILDREN'S PORTION.

WHAT WILL THE END BE? | experience of age, and disre

WHEN I see a boy angry with his parents, disobedient and obstinate, determined to pursue his own course; to be his own master; setting at nought the

garding their admonitions and reproofs, unless his course of conduct is changed, I need not inquire, "What will his end be?

When I notice a little girl quite fond of dress, and thereby

her pride is increased, dissatisfied and unpleasant at times if she cannot obtain her desires, and anxious to appear better clothed than circumstances will permit; her thoughts occupied with what others will think of her dressunless she changes her course of conduct, I need not ask what her end will be.

When I see a boy in the habit of lying, and no confidence to be placed in what he may say, always ready with a falsehood upon his tongue; unless he alter his course, I need not inquire what his end will be. The curse of God is upon him.

When I see a boy desiring the society of the wicked and depraved, associating with those who swear, lie, cheat, and steal; seeking their company, making their friendships-I need not inquire, unless he alter his course, what his end will be. He will soon be as bad as his companions, or worse.

but instead of working it in a proper manner, he contented himself with digging over the surface, and removing a little of the earth, but never went half deep enough to get the gold; so that, although he was the owner of a mine, he lived and died poor, never having got so much from his mine as to keep him from poverty.

Now, the Bible is more valuable than a gold mine; and the truth it contains, that "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life" (John iii. 16), is more precious than the choicest gold. If, then, we go deep enough into our Bibles to discover the Saviour of sinners, and to acknowledge him as our Saviour, happy are we; but if we rest contented in reading the Bible without discovering this truth, we shall get no more profit from the Bible than the Spaniard got from his gold mine."

ONLY ONE BRICK ON
ANOTHER.

But when I see a boy kind, affectionate, respectful, obedient to his parents; keeping holy the Sabbath-day; found in the sanctuary, joining God's people in his worship; loving to pray to Him; who is punctual at Sab- EDWIN was looking at a large bath-school-attentive, quiet-building which they were erecting with his lesson well committed just opposite his father's house. to memory, and repeated accu- He watched the workmen from rately; keeping good company, day to day, as they carried up forming good habits, I can pre- the bricks and mortar, and then dict, with almost a certainty, placed them in their proper what the end of that boy will order. be. He will find a "house not

made with hands, eternal in the heavens."-Bible Class Maga

zine.

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THE GOLD MINE. A CERTAIN Spaniard had a gold mine of very great value;

His father said to him, "My son, you seem to be very much taken with the bricklayers; pray, what might you be thinking about? Have you any notion of learning the trade?"

"No, father," said Edwin, smiling; "but I was just think