he may be found. Pray that He may direct your path-lead you in the ways of truth and holiness-so that you may become useful christians, and, when you die, you may be members of the kingdom of God for ever and ever.

Tryphena.

THE CHRISTIAN TREASURY.

THE BARREN FIG TREE.

THE Parables of Jesus are so beautiful, so full of instruction, that I invite the serious attention of the readers of the "Servants' Magazine" to them, especially to the one known by the name of the barren fig-tree.

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In this parable the Redeemer likens the professors of religion to a fig-tree in a vineyard. The owner takes great care of it; he watches over it, prunes it, and does all he can to make it bear fruit; but yet, though he comes year after year, he finds nothing on it but leaves: he is therefore displeased with the barren tree, and says, Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?" And was it so done to this fig-tree? No: the keeper of the vineyard promised that he would take more care of it; and the very individual that had bestowed such care and pains with so little effect already, was the one who pleaded for the fig-tree, that it might be spared another year; and that one was the pleading Saviour. And, dear readers, Jesus Christ pleaded for you, that your might be spared another year. Perhaps your parents, or some pious friends, have been continually asking their Lord and Master that you might be spared another and another year; and God has heard those

life

pleadings, and you have been spared to read and consider, and again to listen to the "words of life."

But if, after all, the fig-tree do not bring forth fruit, it is to be cut down. And need I remind you how many have been cut down-how many graves there are dug in every churchyard-how many "fig-trees" lie buried there that have never perhaps yielded fruit? The time of" cutting down" must come. We cannot always be suffered to cumber the ground." And if we bear not fruit, we have reason to fear, at an hour when we look not for it, the command may go forth, Cut her down," and all may be silenced, and mercy itself can plead no more. Now then is the accepted time. Call upon the Lord Jesus Christ -he will welcome you.

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THE PARDONING GOD.

Annie.

As it is the glory of a man to pass over a transgression (Prov. xix. 11), so God accounts it his glory to pardon sin. Moses besought the Lord to shew him his glory (Exod. xxxiii. 18): accordingly, God descended in a cloud, and passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful, and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, &c. (Exodus xxxiv. 5-7). The goodness, grace, and pardoning mercy of God, are his glory, and are called the riches of his glory (Rom. ix. 23; Eph. iii. 16). It is, therefore, both a sin and a shame for a person to say his iniquity is greater than that it can be forgiven; for what are finite sins to infinite mercy? We read of the reigning of sin unto death, but we also read of grace reigning through righteousness unto eternal

life, by Jesus Christ (Rom. v. 21). We read of the abounding of sin, but of the superabounding of grace also (ver. 20). The simple verb (says Zanchy) signifies, to overflow like a spring that runs forth plentifully, that all may partake of it; but a preposition is added, which augments the sense: it is to abound above measure, or exceedingly to overflow: so (in 1 Tim. i. 14) it is said, the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant. It abounded, it exceedingly abounded; and it must needs do so, being infinite. Wouldest thou therefore exalt the infinity of God's grace, and the value and virtue of Christ's blood? say not, with Cain, my iniquity is greater than can be forgiven; but plead, with David, for thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. (Psal. xxv. 11). Old Writer.

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THE FAITHFUL SERVANT.

[HAVING noticed a tract under this title in "The Kitchen Library," we present our readers with a short extract from it.]

Eighteen hundred years ago, the Son of God came down from heaven, and visited our world; and that visit of his is by far the most important event in our world's surprising story.

Jesus went back to heaven; but he left behind him his Apostles. These good men went everywhere preaching the gospel; and, as the Holy Spirit was with them, it was wonderful with what speed they came. When they told the love of God in sending his dear Son, and the Saviour's love in dying, something fixed the people's ear, and the story moved their minds-fierce spirits melted, and flinty hearts flowed down; and from among the roughest of man

kind the Redeemer drew disciples after him. And whether it was the soldier's barrack, or the noble's country seat-whether it was the city mansion, or the tanner's hut beside the shore-wherever the gospel entered, it brought holiness, and peace, and joy. But there was no class of persons to whom it was more welcome than to the servants of that time. Many of them were actual slaves. They had been torn away from their homes in the German forest or on the hills of Britain, and were now in bondage to the haughty Roman. And those of them who worked for wages were often harshly treated and poorly paid. But God is no respecter of persons, and the gospel was as free to Onesimus as to his rich master, Philemon, and brought the same blessings to Rhoda, the housemaid, as to Mary, her mistress. The kindness of that gospel won the heart of many a servant. They threw away their idols-they gave up their sinful habits, and became the affectionate followers of that exalted Saviour who was once himself "in the form of a servant." And as great

numbers were admitted to the early Church, they became a special charge to the Church's ministers. Timothy and Titus preached so plainly, that the servants understood them; and when Paul and Peter wrote letters to their flocks, they usually put in a message to the servants. Their labour was not lost. Many of these converts became bright Christians. By their modesty, and diligence, and faithfulness, they commended the cause of Christ; and when times of persecution came, rather than deny their Lord they were ready to go to prison and to death, and in the early annals of your class have left their martyr-names.

The Lord Jesus is gone back to heaven; but he

desires that you too would become his disciple. He desires that you would come to him to receive pardon. for your sins, and to get a new and right nature He desires that you would enter his household and become his servant for ever. And he offers to become to you the same gracious Saviour and the same Almighty Friend as he has been to the thousands of happy servants before you.

DOMESTIC COUNSELS AND INSTRUCTIONS.

LETTERS TO NURSEMAIDS:- No I.

I propose, through the "Servants' Magazine," to address a few familiar letters to you who have the charge of young children, hoping that you will read them as from your true friend, who can well sympathise with you in your nursery cares and trials, and whose experience and observation there, will, she earnestly trusts, be of some use to the young and inexperienced nurse.

First, then, I will suppose you are not already gone to service, but just seeking a place; you say, you wish for a nursemaid's place. Will you allow me to ask you, why? The girl, you know, who is desirous of a cook's place, is usually fond of cooking; and she must have a turn, or talent for it, or depend upon it she never will make a good cook. So it is with the housemaid, and the lady's-maid; they must each have a preference for the work they undertake, or they seldom excel. Now, have you a particular preference for the work and duties of a nursemaid? In fact, do you know what they are? If I were about