Gems.

18. Religion for Daily Life.-As flowers never put on their best clothes for Sunday, but wear their spotless raiment and exhale their odour every day, so should Christian life, free from stain, ever give forth the fragrance of the love of God.-Rev. H. W. Beecher.

19. Idleness. I have learned that a ship's sails or rigging wear out more in a calm than in a gale. So the mind wears out faster in indolence or inglorious rest than in well-braced nervous activity and productiveness.-Rev. Henry T. Cheever.

20. Little Things reveal the Character.-The proverb has it, “A straw best shows how the wind blows," and the most ordinary and unimportant actions of a man's life will often show more of his natural character and his habits than more important actions, which are done deliberately, and sometimes against his natural inclinations.-Archbishop Whately.

21. Hearers of the Word.—It is a strange folly in multitudes of us to set ourselves no mark, to propound no end, in the hearing of the gospel. The merchant sails not merely that he may sail, but for traffic, and traffics that he may be rich. The husbandman ploughs not merely to keep himself busy, with no further end, but ploughs that he may sow, and sows that he may reap with advantage. And shall we do the more excellent and fruitful work fruitlessly-hear, only to hear and look, no further ?-Archbishop Leighton.

22. The Spiritual Eye.—If in a field of wheat you see nothing but wheat, you may be a good farmer, but you are a bad philosopher and a worse Christian. If in a blade of grass you see only grass, or in a daisy nothing but a daisy; if men, and Providence, and things are to you only what they appear to be, your knowledge of God's works is brutish and superficial; you want the key to the secret of the universe, that glorious faculty which, out of all the lovely objects that it sees, extracts emotions beautiful and new you are destitute of the spiritual eye, without which the world may be a leaden reality, but not a living, beautiful, divine thing.— Rev. Henry Gill.

23. Profession and Possession.-As it is not putting on a gown that makes a scholar, but the inward habits of the mind; so it is not putting on an outward cloak of profession that makes a Christian, but the inward grace of the heart.-John Mason.

24. Joy of the Wicked and the Righteous.-That of the wicked is but for a moment; that of the righteous is everlasting. The wicked rejoice, but their joy is simply like letting off fireworks-they blaze away, and seem to put the modest little stars to shame. But it is all for a little while; they are over in a moment, while the quiet stars are shining still.-Rev. Thomas Jones.

Luke xv. 16.-" AND HE WOULD FAIN HAVE FILLED HIS BELLY WITH THE HUSKS THAT THE SWINE DID EAT."

1884. Carob or Locust Tree.-The Greek word repartov, here rendered husks, no doubt refers to the fruit of the carob or locust tree, or Ceratonia siliqua of Linnæus, of the order of leguminous plants. The Rev. H. B. Tristram, in his "Natural History of the Bible," says, "The tree is very common in Palestine from Hebron northwards, growing in every variety of situation, and is a conspicuous and attractive object, with its deep green and dense foliage. Its leaves are like those of our ash, but the leaflets more rounded, and very dark, glossy, and evergreen. It blossoms at the end of February, and the pods are found in enormous quantities in April and May. They are flat and narrow, from six to ten inches in MAY, 1868.

F

Gems.

18. Religion for Daily Life.-As flowers never put on their for Sunday, but wear their spotless raiment and exhale their o day, so should Christian life, free from stain, ever give forth the of the love of God.-Rev. H. W. Beecher.

19. Idleness. I have learned that a ship's sails or rigging more in a calm than in a gale. So the mind wears out faster i or inglorious rest than in well-braced nervous activity and ] ness.-Rev. Henry T. Cheever.

20. Little Things reveal the Character. The proverb has it, best shows how the wind blows," and the most ordinary and uni actions of a man's life will often show more of his natural char his habits than more important actions, which are done deliber sometimes against his natural inclinations.-Archbishop Whatel

21. Hearers of the Word.-It is a strange folly in multitudes ourselves no mark, to propound no end, in the hearing of the go merchant sails not merely that he may sail, but for traffic, and ti he may be rich. The husbandman ploughs not merely to kee busy, with no further end, but ploughs that he may sow, and sow may reap with advantage. And shall we do the more excellent a ful work fruitlessly-hear, only to hear and look, no further ?—A Leighton.

22. The Spiritual Eye.-If in a field of wheat you see nothing bu you may be a good farmer, but you are a bad philosopher and Christian. If in a blade of grass you see only grass, or in a daisy but a daisy; if men, and Providence, and things are to you on they appear to be, your knowledge of God's works is brutish and ficial; you want the key to the secret of the universe, that glorious which, out of all the lovely objects that it sees, extracts emotions ful and new; you are destitute of the spiritual eye, without whic world may be a leaden reality, but not a living, beautiful, divine th Rev. Henry Gill.

HOU SHALT

TING THE

1 Hill.following

ciety in ing men,

ry door. towards idation,

honour

e, 'Yes, athed it the spot do,' was

ever can

hat serajesty's

uld con

was to

n. We

ut, sir, ngaged at each

egan to s rolled Iropped rod had

as over

ne near

his will

could

r of us

it time,
infinite

We

a hun

befor

Gems.

18. Religion for Daily Life.-As flowers never put on their best clothes for Sunday, but wear their spotless raiment and exhale their odour every day, so should Christian life, free from stain, ever give forth the fragrance of the love of God.-Rev. H. W. Beecher.

19. Idleness. I have learned that a ship's sails or rigging wear out more in a calm than in a gale. So the mind wears out faster in indolence or inglorious rest than in well-braced nervous activity and productive. ness.-Rev. Henry T. Cheever.

20. Little Things reveal the Character. The proverb has it, “A straw best shows how the wind blows," and the most ordinary and unimportant actions of a man's life will often show more of his natural character and his habits than more important actions, which are done deliberately, and sometimes against his natural inclinations.—Archbishop Whately.

21. Hearers of the Word.-It is a strange folly in multitudes of us to set ourselves no mark, to propound no end, in the hearing of the gospel. The merchant sails not merely that he may sail, but for traffic, and traffics that he may be rich. The husbandman ploughs not merely to keep himself busy, with no further end, but ploughs that he may sow, and sows that he may reap with advantage. And shall we do the more excellent and fruitful work fruitlessly-hear, only to hear and look, no further?-Archbishop Leighton.

22. The Spiritual Eye.-If in a field of wheat you see nothing but wheat, you may be a good farmer, but you are a bad philosopher and a worse Christian. If in a blade of grass you see only grass, or in a daisy nothing but a daisy; if men, and Providence, and things are to you only what they appear to be, your knowledge of God's works is brutish and superficial; you want the key to the secret of the universe, that glorious faculty which, out of all the lovely objects that it sees, extracts emotions beautiful and new; you are destitute of the spiritual eye, without which the world may be a leaden reality, but not a living, beautiful, divine thing.— Rev. Henry Gill.

that

23. Profession and Possession.-As it is not putting on a gown makes a scholar, but the inward habits of the mind; so it is not putting on an outward cloak of profession that makes a Christian, but the inward grace of the heart.-John Mason.

24. Joy of the Wicked and the Righteous.—That of the wicked is but for a moment; that of the righteous is everlasting. The wicked rejoice, but their joy is simply like letting off fireworks-they blaze away, and seem to put the modest little stars to shame. But it is all for a little while; they are over in a moment, while the quiet stars are shining still.-Rev. Thomas Jones.