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THE STORY OF AN OLD BOOK.

church. But bitter troubles fell upon his subjects. The Dominican Friars came among them. The terrible Inquisition was then in all its power. Many fled to the east, took refuge in Bosnia, near the scene of those late troubles which have stirred all the heart of Europe. Others fled over the Pyrenees, found shelter in the kingdom of Arragon-and carrying with them the chivalrous poetry of their own Languedoc, gave their songs to Spain, and began the music of the beautiful, famed Spanish ballads. More suffered dreadful death among their own woods and vineyards; and from this time the name of the Albigenses disappears from history.

H W. H. W.

THE STORY OF AN OLD BOOK.

SOME years ago a ship sailed from

Belfast with three hundred emigrants on board. While waiting for the sailing of the vessel, one of the emigrants turned to a bookstall and bought an old book, which he thought was a novel, that would amuse him when he got to the backwoods. He opened his trunk and put the book in without even looking at the name of it. In all the company that sailed in that vessel there was not one who feared God and thought upon His ways. When the ship reached America, the emigrants went to a new territory, where they had to cut down the trees, build log huts, and, in short, to do everything for themselves.

The man who bought the old book on Belfast quay told a minister, who after some years visited the settlement, that he had not a serious thought for three or four years, except for a short time when his child died. He had to dig his own child's grave, and felt sad and thoughtful at the time, but even that impression soon passed, and he lived as before, only for this world. Sabbath was the great day for amusement. The people went to each others houses and spent the day in dancing, card playing, &c.

After they had gone on in this way for more than four years, one winter day,

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when no out-door work could be done, the man remembered the old book he had bought in Belfast, and took it out of his trunk to pass a leisure hour. He opened the book, and read on the title page, 'Boston's Fourfold State.' 'What queer title,' thought he; 'I will be sure to get some amusement here.'

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Perhaps some of our young readers don't know what sort of a book Boston's Fourfold State' is. Boston was a godly minister who lived more than a hundred years ago. He wrote this book to show how man had fallen into a state of sin and misery, to explain the way of salvation by Jesus Christ, and to point to the glorious home above.

When the man began to read, he first laughed at the solemn words that met his eye, but very soon his attention was fixed, and he continued reading till his wife called him to come to supper. 'No,' said he, 'I have found a book; come here and read it with me.' His wife, surprised to find him at so unusual an employment, went into the room with him, and they both read on for many hours. God's Spirit brought home to their hearts the solemn truths contained in that old book, and they both resolved that they would at once begin to serve God. But they met with difficulties in their new course. When Sabbath came, visitors began as usual to come to their house, and they felt greatly puzzled what to do. The husband sat in a corner without speaking. The wife, feeling the awkwardness of the position, said, 'John, try them with "Boston's Fourfold State."

John got his book and began to read. One by one their visitors walked away, leaving John and his wife to spend the Sabbath in peace and quietness. Every Sabbath, whenever the house filled with visitors, John read from 'Boston's Fourfold State,' and very soon he and his wife had quiet, pleasant Sabbaths.

A few years ago a minister from Scotland visited that settlement and found them still without a regular minister; but there were seven wooden churches, large enough to hold a hundred people, scattered

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WELCOME, first flow'ret of the year

Meek messenger of joyous truth;
For once again the smiles of youth
On nature's face appear-

Soft smiles through saddening tears.
How and fresh thy robe of snow;
pure
Sweet one, had'st thou no fears

That wintry winds which round thee blow
Might blast thy buds and lay thee low?-
When thou could'st rear amid the storm
That tiny stalk and tender form,
So fragile, yet so trustful, brave,
To face all danger, fear no fate,
But bloom above the old year's grave,
Bidding the faint heart fearless wait.

J. K. M.

SPEECH ON BAD COMPANY. Delivered at the Gourock Children's Service by one of the members.

THE Bible warns us very strongly against keeping bad company. Paul says, 'Be not deceived; evil communications corrupt good manners.' And the Old Testament says, 'He that walketh with wise men shall be wise; but the companion of fools shall be destroyed.' Let us therefore beware of bad company. Many promising boys, and many promising girls, have brought shame on themselves and their kindred, and ruined themselves for life, by keeping company with bad people. Judge Buller had plenty of proof of that when he said, If I had listened to the advice of some who called themselves my friends when I was young, I should have been a prisoner to-day instead of a judge.'

Let us therefore beware in time. If we keep company with those who are coarse and rude, and who do or say bad things, we first of all get accustomed to what is bad, and then we sink into the practise of it ourselves. As the poet says too truly:

'Vice is a monster of such frightful mien, As to be hated, needs but to be seen; Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face, We first endure, then laugh at, then embrace.' So, through bad companions, we become infected with the leprosy of wickedness. Let us, then, not only remember, but in our life attend to, the warning, 'Evil communications corrupt good manners.' 'The companion of fools shall be destroyed.'

The Rev. John Elliot, known as the apostle of the Indians, once gave good advice to a Christian woman whose husband brought bad company into the house.

When they come,' he said, 'take the Bible and begin to read it to them; it will either drive them from the house, or it will make them fit by and by to remain.'

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PRIZE BIBLE QUESTIONS.

God. Others, who have no great power of argument, take another way of it. They abstain from strong drink and permit their example to argue for them; and I am not sure that that is the worst way after all. One way, however, of looking at it is from the point of view presented in the question at the head of this column. 'Does it pay?' Surely it pays. Does not the state derive an immense revenue from it? How rich any of you would think himself if he had only a ten thousandth part of what the state draws every year from the manufacture and sale of ardent spirits and beer! Yes: but there are two sides to most questions, and this forms no exception to the general rule. Think of the money which the state has to lay out in keeping down the crime which strong drink causes. Think of the workhouses, jails, police, and I know not all what, that require to be kept up in order to lessen the evil effects of strong drink; and then the taxes which your parents have to submit to in order to keep up these jails and workhouses and police,—think of this and then tell me-Does it pay?'

But surely it must pay to sell drink or people would not be so foolish as sell it. Perhaps so; if by payment you mean so much money gathered together, money stained with the tears of wives and of miserable children; money, on which rests the curse of a righteous God. I was journeying recently by the railway and caught a glimpse of a beautiful castle, which in the bright summer sun was shining in all the beauty of its rich architecture. When I had last passed that way there was no such building. I enquired at a gentleman sitting next me in the carriage, whose the beautiful building was. He replied that it belonged to a publican in a large way, who had establishments for genteel people in the west end, and establishments of a different kind for beggars and thieves in the east end, and who had cleared a colossal fortune. Surely it pays,' he said. No! children, the white sandstone of the publican's castle became to my eyes stained with the blood of victims whose way to destruction he had made easy: the very

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stones in the wall began to cry out, and upon all the outward glory was written by the finger of the holy God, 'weighed in the balances and found wanting.' It did not pay: nothing will pay that has the heavy curse of God upon it.

Does it pay the drunkard? Let the drowsiness that covers a man with rags bear witness; let the misery of the sorrowstricken wife, of the hungry and starving children bear witness; let the homes with the blight of poverty and the leper-spots of impurity and violence and murder give the answer. It does not pay. Be done with it then; hurl this terrible foe of the human race from his throne built upon the ghastly skulls of the thousands on thousands whom he has slain.

PRIZE BIBLE QUESTIONS.

THREE Prizes, in each of the two divisions,

are offerd for the largest number of correct answers. The Prizes to be announced in January, 1878.

In the Senior division, competitors not to be above eighteen years of age.

In the Junior division, Competitors not to be above thirteen years of age; and in both divisions the answers must be honestly the work of the individuals competing.

All answers to be sent, with the name and address of the competitor, not later than the 18th of each month, to the Rev. JOHN KAY, Coatbridge.

SENIOR DIVISION.

4 Give the only purely contemptuous expression that Jesus is ever recorded to have uttered.

5 In what book, written after Christ's ascension, is reference made to the locality in which the gospel was first preached by Him?

6 Give the total number of miracles performed by Jesus, as narrated by the four Evangelists; and state how many of these are recorded by Mark and by John respectively.

JUNIOR DIVISION.

4 What is the only occasion on which our Lord called Himself Jesus Christ?

5 What New Testament believer called Jesus the Son of Man?

6 In which two passages of the Old Testament is He called the Son of Man?

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crowns laid up on high, on high For you, for you, and me, and me. There are palms of victor - y.

O brother, though thy path may be

A lowly, hidden way,

Faint not! the Master calleth thee,
He bids thee work to-day.

One deed of thine, one faithful word,
Perchance a lifted prayer,

May draw some wanderer to the Lord, His sheltering love to share.

Paisley; J. AND R. PARLANE.]

And when, with soul-transporting bliss, We come before His throne, "Twill be an added happiness

To come not then alone:

And higher shall heaven's echoes rise, And harps shall sweeter ring,

And blend with children's symphonies, The praises of our King.

[London: HOULSTON AND SONS.

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