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GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS.

HIS is but a little sketch of the life of a great king; a few faint lines to mark what he was and what he did; to stand for the life full of valour and wisdom, and of goodness which is better than either. But if this sketch should tempt you to make better acquaintance with the famous Protestant hero, to learn more of a brave life, it shall have done, perhaps, the best that is to be desired. For the life of Gustavus Adolphus is itself a study; so large a chapter does it fill in the history of the liberty of its time, such fine lessons does it teach of trust and devotion and bravery.

Gustavus Adolphus was the hero of Germany, yet he was a Swede, and no German; a Swedish prince, born at Stockholm on the 9th of December, 1594. His grandfather was Gustavus First, called Gustavus Vasa, and sometimes Gustavus Ericsson: a king who reigned for forty years in Sweden, who found it a wilderness of confusion and left it in order and beauty, who protected the Protestants, Christian Missionaries among the Lapps, and supplied the first Bibles and hymnbooks in their own language to the Finns; a just and upright, if a stern king. The traditions of the family were good and wise; such traditions are no mean dower for either peasant or king.

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Gustavus Adolphus was but seventeen when he succeeded his father, Charles Ninth, as king of Sweden. In all warlike and manly graces he even then excelled. He understood eight languages, was devoted to music, loved poetry, and was himself a poet. When he came to the throne his kingdom was full of trouble. But Gustavus, gifted with a fine wisdom, made friends of the nobles and of the people too. He carried the wars across his borders, and left his home in peace.

This is not the place to tell of the famous thirty years' war; Schiller's history of it has been translated into English, and is a fine book for those who desire to read of that

long struggle, so full of heroism and tragedy and romance. It was the meeting of the two religions-the Protestant and the Catholic on the battle plain of Europe.

In the extremity of their distress, with all the power of the Pope and the Emperor of Germany against them, the Protestants turned to Gustavus, their one earthly hope. And the snow king and his body-guard,' as their enemies derisively called them, came down from the northern seas and turned the tide of victory.

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Soon the renown of Gustavus was ringing over all Europe. The brave little Northern army seemed invincible to all the imperial hordes. They were but a handful of men, but it seemed that an inspiration swelled the ranks of the soldiers who so devoutly loved their king. They thought him the champion of heaven. They believed he could not fail. Was not his reverence and love to God known among them all? Had they not seen him in a fervour of gratitude kneel to thank God for victory, when out of keen struggle and peril he had gathered his faithful men round him? Had they not sang his hymns, and heard his brave, tender words? Gustavus was invincible by the very love they bore him.

And to Gustavus himself, fear seemed an impossibility. Once in a position of great danger, with a hostile army on the other side and a river swollen by the mountain snows between, his older, more experienced generals counselled prudence and delay.

'We have crossed the Baltic,' said the king, and a brook like the Leck shall not check us.'

And on a bridge flung hastily across, the army passed in safety.

And he

On the one side of the war was the united force of Spain, Austria, and the whole of Roman Catholic Germany, led by renowned generals Wallenstein, Pappenheim, Tilly. It had been the last hope of the Protestants to call Gustavus to their aid. defended them well, and established their cause before Europe and made himself beloved and revered among them as no native prince had ever been. As he passed through Saxony the people crowded round

MY PRAYER.

him with shouts of joy and blessing. They looked upon him almost as a being of super-human goodness and power. They knelt to touch his sword as he rode through their streets, or to kiss the hem of his garment. Gustavus in vain sought to moderate their tributes of gratitude. With the noble modesty of his great nature, he disliked them and shrank from them.

'Heaven will reveal to this deluded multitude my human weakness,' he said; 'I fear the vengeance of Heaven will punish us for such presumption.'

On the 6th of November, 1632, his last battle was fought. A vast imperial army had gathered to make one more effort of resistance. Wallenstein, the emperor's greatest general, was called from the gloomy retreat in which for some time he had secluded himself.

'In four days,' exclaimed he, when he found his powerful army round him, 'It will be seen whether I or the king of Sweden is master of the world.'

And for four days the two armies had lain in front of Nuremberg, and then each retreated without a blow struck.

September passed and October and the armies met again, this time in front of Lutzen, in the November day. Before advancing to the attack, there burst from the Swedish army the battle hymn composed by their king:

'Be not dismayed, thou little flock,
Although the foe's fierce battle shock
Loud on all sides assail thee;
Though o'er thy fall they laugh secure,
Their triumph cannot long endure;
Let not thy courage fail thee.
Thy cause is God's-go at His call
And to His hand commit thy all,
Fear thou no ill impending;
His Gideon shall arise for thee,
God's word and people manfully

In God's own time defending.
Our hope is sure in Jesu's might;
Against themselves the godless fight

Themselves, not us, distressing;
Shame and contempt their lot shall be,
God is with us; with Him are we;

To us belongs His blessing!'

They little thought as their loud music rang through the wintry air that Gustavus

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had heard for the last time his own battle hymn. For they would not believe that anything could harm their beloved king.

'God with us,' was the cry of the Swedes as they rushed on the army of Wallenstein; and the king, whom they thought no harm could touch, fell in the midst of the fight. But the battle was won by his army, and the cause he had loved triumphed. His body was found after many hours, plundered and covered with wounds. A stone was raised on the field of Lutzen to mark the spot where he fell, by his faithful servant Jacob Erichsson, on the night after the battle. Since then a noble monument has been erected on its site, to testify the love of the German people for the defender of their faith.

MY PRAYER.

H. W. H. W.

MORE holiness give me,

More sweetness within,
More patience in suff'ring,

More sorrow for sin;
More faith in my Saviour,
More sense of His care,
More joy in His service,

More purpose in prayer.
Come, my Saviour, and help me,
Comfort, strengthen, and keep me,
Thou each moment wilt save me,
Thou art saving me now.

More gratitude give me,

More trust in the Lord;
More pride in His glory,
More hope in His word.
More tears for His sorrows,
More pain at His grief,
More meekness in trial,
More praise for relief.

More victory give me,

More strength to o'ercome,

More freedom from earth-stains,
More longings for home,
More fit for the kingdom,

More use would I be,
More blessed and holy,
More, Saviour, like Thee.

Y. H.

46

ALICE.

STOLEN PROPERTY.

ALICE was a scholar in a Sunday

school in the suburbs of London. Like most of her fellow scholars she attended her school regularly, but, owing to her inattention and unruly ways, she gave her kind teacher a great deal of trouble and anxiety.

At times she seemed worse rather than better; but still the teacher persevered, and would often speak to Alice of her conduct; and when she could quietly get her by herself would talk seriously to her, and point her to Jesus.

Time passed on, Sunday after Sunday came and went; the faithful teacher, anxious for the souls committed to her care, told them over and over again the old, old story, and earnestly pointed them each and all to the Saviour.

The work of the Sunday school teacher is a work of faith and patience; and this Alice's teacher well knew. It was not sufficient for her to go on a Sunday and then think no more about it. O, no! her class to her was an anxious care; and she longed and prayed that each and all might be brought to know JESUS, and give themselves to Him.

Alice for the last two or three Sundays had been absent from school-what was the matter?-Something must be wrong, for she was one of the most regular scholars in the class. Yes! Alice was unwell; she was anxious; a burden was upon her mind: the loving words of her teacher had at last gone home to her heart, and aroused her to a sense of her sinfulness, so that she felt uneasy as the truth came home to her mind what a sinner she was, and what a need she had for that SAVIOUR she had so long persistently refused to receive as the only one who could give her peace. This being the state of Alice's mind, we need not wonder to hear that she would often sit down and cry, and often sob aloud whilst engaged in her little household duties, until her father, who, alas! was an ungodly man, would say that she had gone wrong, and should not go any more to the Sunday school.

Alice's teacher at last got to know of the trials and difficulties of her dear scholar, and lost no time in going to see her, that she might speak to her words of comfort, and point her to the precious Jesus. But here she met with a disappointment: Alice's Father coldly received her, and would not allow her to talk and pray with his daughter. So she arranged that Alice should call at her house, which she did several times. During these visits to her teacher she was pointed to the Lamb of God who taketh away all sins; and at the Throne of Grace, with her teacher, Alice found pardon, and that peace which none could take away from her. Oh! how happy she was now. The following Sabbath she was found in her place at school. Oh! how she loved her teacher. It was not sufficient for her now only to meet her in the class; she must also walk home with her, and in this the first Sabbath after her return to school she felt that she must be near her, and so they walked along together; and, as they were thus walking homeward, Alice looked up in her teacher's face and said, 'Teacher, The Lord is my Shepherd!'-'Yes, my dear,' she answered that is in the Bible: David said, The Lord is my Shepherd. '—' Yes, teacher, I know; but the LORD is MY Shepherd,' and as she said this the second time she looked up into her teacher's face again, so calm and happy that there could be no mistake. Alice had found the pearl of great price, so that she could indeed and in truth say, 'The Lord is my Shepherd!'

May all my dear readers be able also to say the same, and then they, too, will be able to rejoice in JESUS, their Saviour and Redeemer!

'I

STOLEN PROPERTY.

W. OUIN.

KNOW all about Susie's birthday party, for all she tried to keep it such a secret,' said Lucy Mills, with a look of triumph.

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