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THE GRASS AND THE FLOWERS. Address at the Children's Service, Milngavie, May 28th, 1876.

Text from 'Children's Church Text Book.'

S for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone.' Psa. ciii. 15, 16.

These verses which you have just repeated, contain a beautiful picture.

There is (first) the grass; you all know it, so fresh and green, so soft and pleasant. (Second) The flowers of the field; you know them and love them too. You like to gather them and deck yourselves with them. But (third) the wind passeth over them, and they are gone. You never felt such a wind as this; but in hot countries there is sometimes a terrible wind called the Simoom, which is like fire. When travellers see signs of it coming, they bury their faces in the sand; and if they survive it, they find their camels lying dead around them.

Such a wind passing over the grass and the flowers, scorches them, and presently they are withered and gone. A gentleman whom I know, who has lived in Syria, says the most striking difference between it and Scotland, is the grass. Here it is always green-there it gets burned up, and the eye gets weary looking at hills and vales of brown earth and barren sand.

Now, this picture is an emblem of us. Our days or years are so short and uncertain, we are like the grass or the flowers, the wind passeth over us, and we are gone. What is that wind? You answer 'death.' Yes! You remember James R- how lately he was among us, strong for work or play. This wind of death passed over him, and in a few days he was gone; but he said he was not afraid to die, because he was trusting in Jesus. 'You remember Helen MN. who used to be among us singing our sweet hymns,she too felt this wind of death pass over her; and while singing to herself, 'Safe in the arms of Jesus,' she passed away, and was gone. Longer ago you remember Agnes W- with her fair ringlets and

blue eyes and rosy cheeks—she was like a lovely flower of the field, but this wind of death passed over her, and she too was gone.

O how solemn we should be when we think that this wind of death may pass over any of us this very night, and may change our countenances and send us away.

There is a reaper whose name is Death,
And with his sickle keen

He reaps the bearded grain at a breath,
And the flowers that grow between.
'Shall I have nought that is fair?' said he,
'Have nought but the bearded grain?
Tho' the breath of these flowers is sweet to me,
I'll give them all back again.'

You know what the bearded grain meansold men who are cut down by the sickle of death, and the flowers that grow betweenthe boys and girls in their youth and beauty, who are cut down by death as well as the old.

But I wish you to think what becomes of the grass when it is cut down. Jesus speaks of the grass which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven. That is an emblem of all who do not believe in Jesus. When they die, they must be cast into that place where they shall be burnt in You the fire which cannot be put out. remember the story of the rich man and Lazarus. When the rich man died, he lifted his up eyes in hell, being in torment, and vainly begged that Lazarus might come with only a drop of water on the tip of his finger to cool his tongue, because he was tormented in the burning flame.

But if you give your hearts to Jesus, you will be like beautiful flowers which, though they be cut down, will yet spring up and flourish again. We have spoken of the reaper whose name is Death, and some of you can repeat the verses.

He gazed at the flowers with tearful eyes,
And he kissed their tremulous leaves;

It was for the Lord of Paradise

He bound them in his sheaves. 'My Lord hath need of these flowers gay,' The reaper said, and smiled; 'Dear tokens of the earth are they, Where He was once a child.'

You like to think of yourselves as flowers;

and one to say, 'I am a rose,' another, 'I am a lily,' and another, 'I am a daisy.' If you give your hearts to Jesus, and trust Him for the pardon of your sins, and for the new heart which He has promised, even death will not harm you. For when he comes to cut you down, Jesus will transplant you to Paradise. He will set you by the river of the water of life, amongst the trees of life which grow on its banks, and there you will bloom in new freshness and beauty. No wind of death shall ever pass over you, but the Lord Himself shall walk among you, and delight in your beauty and fragrance for ever.

Make sure, then, that you give your heart to Jesus, for death will surely come one day. All the riches in the world cannot bribe him. Locks and bolts cannot keep him out. Youth and strength are no security against him.

Forty or fifty years ago, a man named A. T. Stewart, sailed from Ireland to America, and opened a shop in New York. He was very clever at dressing soiled lace as good as new, and ladies went to his shop to buy lace cheaper than they could get it elsewhere, so he began to make money.

Then he went on by degrees, till he became the richest man in America. His warehouse was built of marble, and his house was like a king's palace. Still he laboured to make more money; and the merchants of New York, when going home, used to look up and see the light burning in his private counting-room, after others were shut up. But all his riches which he had gathered with so much pains, could not keep death away. Just a few weeks ago death climbed his marble stair, and entered the beautiful hall, and passed along through rows of pictures and statues, till he came to the bed of down on which the rich man lay. Then pushing aside the silken curtain, he looked in upon him, his withering breath passed over him, and he was gone. Where is all his money now! All left behind. Not one farthing could he carry with him into the unseen world.

Some of you may become rich one day; but although you should become richer

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than A. T. Stewart, you cannot keep away death; and when he comes, you must leave all your riches behind you. But if you trust in Jesus, and give your hearts to Him, He will give you the heavenly riches; and although you should die as poor as Lazarus, who lay at the rich man's gate, with the dogs licking his sores, you will have a mansion of glory and an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved for you in the kingdom of Heaven.

ONE

J. M.

WE WOULD SEE JESUS. NE day four heathen Koles came to the mission-house, making the same request which the Greeks of old had made to Philip: We would see Jesus.' They had heard of Jesus, they said, and now they wanted to see Him. The missionarics invited them to remain to the evening prayer meeting; which they agreed to do, evidently expecting that their request would be complied with. When the meeting was over, and they had not seen Him, they were very angry, and went off, accusing the missionaries of having deceived them A week after, however, the same men came back, reiterating their request, saying, they could not rest until they had seen Jesus. The poor missionary was in despair; but he took them into a private room, shut the door, and fell on his knees, asking God aloud to open the eyes of those men, that they might indeed see Him who is the light of the world,' and that following Him, they might not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.' This time they went away more quietly, and considerably impressed by the sight of the missionary praying to the unseen God.

They returned again and again, and received instruction; and the happy result was, that they did come to see Jesus, and know Him, and follow Him, and became the first-fruits of this first mission to the Koles.

Now, less than twenty-five years after, the converts from among these people number about thirty thousand. Well may we say, 'What hath God wrought!'

From 'Sketches of Indian Life & Travel,' by Mrs Murray Mitchell.

"That is real prayer. God alone is the hearer of prayer, and whenever we pray we should remember that we are speaking to the Great God who made heaven and earth. How wonderful that He should condescend to listen to our feeble prayers!' 'I know a verse about that, mamma,' said Alice.

"""God is in heaven: can He hear

A little prayer like mine?

Yes, thoughtful child, thou need'st not fear,
He listeneth to thine."

'Yes, God listens when we pray in spirit and in truth. But if we merely say prayers morning and evening, will God listen to us?'

'No, mamma; we must really wish the things we ask from God, or we do not pray at all. Papa told us that to say our prayer without thinking about it, was taking God's name in vain.'

'Papa read us a story about an old man who, for seventy years, never once forgot to say the prayer his mother had taught him when he was three years old, and yet he had never prayed at all,' said Charley.

'How could that be?'

'It was because he was not converted till he was seventy-three years old. Before that time he used to boast that he had never ommitted his prayer morning and evening; but after his conversion he would often say, "I am the old man who said prayers for seventy years, but all that time never prayed at all.'

'He would learn when taught by the Holy Spirit, that merely to repeat a form of prayer is not to pray. We must offer up our heart's desires to God.'

'Prayer is the soul's sincere desire,
Uttered or unexpressed,

The motion of a hidden fire That trembles in the breast.' """Prayer is the burthen of a sigh, The falling of a tear,

The upward glancing of an eye,,
When none but God is near.'

"There may be real prayer when not a word is spoken. It is not the words, but the lifting up of the heart to God that is prayer. But what things must we desire when we pray?'

'The answer says, things agreeable to His will.'

'When we pray, we must pray for right things. Read 1 John v. 14'; and Charley read

"And this is the confidence that we have in Him that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us."

'Another passage (Rom. viii. 26, 27) tells us that we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. We need the Holy Spirit to teach us to pray, to put right desires into our hearts. Can you tell me any instance of persons displeasing God by asking wrong things from Him?"

'God was angry when the Israelites sought flesh to eat, and He sent them quails which brought the plague.'

Theirs was earnest prayer, but for a wrong thing. They should have been satisfied with the manna God had given them. God was displeased with their murmurings, and in anger gave them their desire. Read Ps. cvi. 15, Nelly.'

"And He gave them their request: but sent leanness unto their soul."'

'You can tell me now some of the things which we know are agreeable to God's will, and which we should always pray for.'

'The Lord's Prayer teaches us the things we should pray for.'

'Yes, in a few short sentences that model prayer sets before us the great things for which we should pray. We shall read Luke xi. and it will shew you how Jesus taught His disciples to pray, and encouraged them to ask the Holy Spirit. Read verse 18.' "If ye then, being evil, know how to

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give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him.""

What

In the parallel passage in Matt. vii. 11 the words are not quite the same. is the difference, Charley?'

'Instead of the Holy Spirit it is good things.'

To pray for the Holy Spirit is to pray for good things, because when the Holy Spirit comes into the heart He fills it with good things. Some of these good things are named in Gal. v. 22, 23. Read the passage, Nelly.'

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.'

Now we come to another point, without which prayer is of no avail. What is it?' 'In the name of Christ is the next part of the answer.'

'Yes, no one can come to God but by Jesus. It is because He died for our sins that we are invited to come to the throne of grace and receive forgiveness.'

Is that why we say for Christ's sake, mamma?' asked Alice.

'Yes, the words, For Christ's sake, or In the name of Christ, signify, because He died for us; and when we pray, we must confess our sins.'

'With confession of our sins is the next part of the answer.'

"There can be no real prayer without confession of sin. Jesus taught His disciples this by the prayer of the publican.'

It was

'I know his prayer, mamma. "God be merciful to me a sinner."' 'It is only when we feel our Own sinfulness that we can pray acceptably, for then we feel our need of Jesus.'

The prodigal son prayed, "Father, I have sinned."

True prayer is a cry for mercy. The Pharisee did not pray at all, because he felt no need for mercy.'

'Was it wrong of him to thank God that he was not a wicked man, mamma?'

In prayer we ought thankfully to acknowledge God's mercy. But this was not what the Pharisee did. He trusted in himself that he was righteous, and despised

others. He sought no forgiveness, because he confessed no sin.'

'Can you tell me now the things which make real prayer?

'The first thing is that it must be offered to God,' said Nelly.

'The next is that it must come from our hcart,' added Charley.

'And we must pray for good things,' said Alice.

'We must pray in the name of Jesus, aamma.'

'You have named four things: two more are named in the Catechism.'

Confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of God's mercies.'

'Can you tell me which part of the temple worship represented prayer.'

'Burning incense on the golden altar.' 'The incense was made of four different sweet spices, equally mingled together like the adoration, petitions, confessions, and thanksgivings we offer in prayer. These were brought to the golden altar, and there offered by the priest. What did this represent?'

The priest represented Jesus, and the fire from the golden altar represented His death, and the smoke going up, Our prayers ascending to Him."

David understood this ceremony when he wrote

"As incense let my prayer be

Directed in Thine eyes;

And the uplifting of my hands

As th' evening sacrifice."

Jesus, and it was offered every morning and evening to teach that prayer should never be omitted. Read Rev. viii. 3, 4.'

""And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given to him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints, &c."

O Thou by whom we come to God,
The Life, the Truth, the Way,
The path of prayer Thyself hast trod,
Lord, teach us how to pray.

FR

LOOKING OUT.

ROM the doorway fond eyes gaze
Down the pathway, down the maze,
Which the little feet unravel,
Just beyond the sunny gravel.

O the little feet beginning
This long race so hard of winning!
Yet such good sweet gifts there lie,
Shed on seekers from on high.

Many things so fair to gather,
Gifts of God, the Heavenly Father;
Life is very dear, all find

Who have love and willing mind.

Wonder not that, from the door,
Wistful eyes look out before
For the loved feet thither sped-
Fearing, hoping, comforted;

Knowing neither pleasure, gold,
E'er will keep the heart from cold;-
Love, that can yield self, and be
Glad in other's destiny!

As the flowers from the sun,
Love, that all its light hath won
From God's love, and looking up
Filleth, filleth aye its cup;

Love that every nerve doth make
Stronger for its own sweet sake;
Stronger every cross to bear,
Stronger every good to dare;-