edified. Dr. Sanderson, a learned tion, submitted to the determiand worthy man, and one of the nation; even the Bishop of Luna, chaplains to Charles I., was an brother to the Cardinal, was not able divine of this sort. The King excused. Petrarch, in his turn, used to say that "he carried his presenting himself to take the ears to hear the preachers, but he oath, the Cardinal closed the book carried his conscience to hear Dr. and said, "As to you, Petrarch, Sanderson." your word is sufficient."

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1394. First Step to Ruin.-It 1397. Philosopher's Virtue.happened one day that a little The philosopher Xenocrates being orphan lad, having loitered on an summoned as a witness on a trial errand, recollected himself and at Athens, and having given his rushed back to his uncle's work- evidence, he was, according to the shop with all speed. "What are established custom, advancing to you running yourself out of breath the altar to swear to the truth of for?" asked one of the men; "tell his deposition, when the judges, your uncle that the people kept rising from their seats, unanimously you waiting." Why, that would declared his bare assertion to be be a lie." "To be sure it would; sufficient without the oath, although but what's the odds?" "I a liar! they themselves were not in any I tell a lie!" cried the boy, in-case allowed to pronounce judgdignantly. "No; not to escape a ment without being previously beating every day. My mother sworn. always told me that lying was the first step to ruin, and my Bible says that a liar shall not enterFulgentio, the friend and biographer of the celebrated Paul Sarpi-both of them secret friends

1398. Pilate's Question Answered.

craft had imposed upon it, and to lay its blessed treasures open to the universal participation of man

heaven." 1395. Futile Swearing.-When to the progress of religious refor Demades the orator addressed him- mation-was once preaching upon self to the Athenians, "I call all Pilate's question, "What is truth ?" the gods and goddesses to witness," He told the audience that he had said he, "the truth of what I shall at last, after many searches, found say." The Athenians, often abused it out, and, holding forth a New by his impudent lies, presently in- Testament, said, "Here it is, my terrupted him by exclaiming, "And friends;" but added sorrowfully, we call all the gods and goddesses as he returned it to his pocket, to witness that we will not believe "It is a sealed book." It has been you." since the glory of the Reformation 1396. Petrarch's Truthfulness.-to break the seal which priestly Petrarch, the great Italian poet, recommended himself to the confidence and affection of Cardinal Colonna, in whose family he resided, by his candour and strict 1399. Receiving Truth.-Bishop regard to truth. A violent quarrel Hoskyne used to encourage earnest occurred in the household of this hearers who were troubled with nobleman, which was carried so bad memories by the anecdote of far that recourse was had to arms. a holy man who bade such a comThe Cardinal wished to know the plainant to fill an earthen pitcher origin of the affair, and that he with water. He did it. The pastor might be able to decide with jus- then bade him empty it again and tice, he assembled all his people, wipe it clean. Now," said he, and obliged them to bind them-" though there be nothing of the selves by a most solemn oath on water remaining in it, yet the the Gospel to declare the whole pitcher is cleaner than it was before; truth. Every one, without excep-so, though thy memory retain

kind.

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nothing of the word thou readest, yet thy heart is cleaner for its very passage through it."

1400. Trait of Dr. Johnson.-It is said of Dr. Johnson, that he was so accustomed to say always the truth that he never condescended to give an equivocal answer to any question. A lady of his acquaintance once asked the Doctor how it happened that he was never invited to dine at the table of the great. "I do not know any cause," said Johnson, "unless it is that lords and ladies do not always like to hear the truth, which, thank God, I am in the habit of speaking."

1402. Washington's Hatchet.George Washington, afterwards the President of America, when about six years of age received from a relative a present of a little hatchet, and, like most children, directly went about chopping everything that came in his way. Going into the garden he unluckily tried the steel on a cherry-tree, which he barked so terribly as to leave very little hope of its recovery. The next morning his father saw the tree, which was a great favourite, and inquired who had done this mischief, declaring he would not have taken five guineas for the tree; but nobody could inform him. Presently after, however, George came with the hatchet in his hand to the place where his father was, who immediately suspected him to be the culprit. George," said the old gentleman, "do you know who killed that beautiful little cherry-tree yonder in the garden?" The child hesitated for a moment, and then nobly replied, "I can't tell a lie, papa; you know I can't tell a lie; I did cut it with my

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boy," exclaimed his father; "run to my arms. Glad am I, George, that you killed my tree, for you have paid me for it a thousand-fold. Such an act of heroism is, my son, of more worth than a thousand cherrytrees, if blossomed with silver or bearing fruits of gold."

1401. Untruthfulness in Business.-A Quaker, passing through a market, stopped at a stall and inquired the price of some fruit. "I have none, I fear, sir," said the honest salesman, "that will suit you; my fruit is not first-rate this morning." "Thank thee, friend, for thy honesty; I will go to the next stand." "Hast thou good fruit to-day?" said he to the second dealer. "Yes, sir; here are some of the finest of my garden. They hatchet." "Run to my arms, my are small, but rich of their kind." The man was untruthful; he knew that they were not such as he could honestly recommend. "Then thou can recommend them?" "Certainly, sir," replied the dealer. "Very well, I will take some.' He carried them home, and they proved not only unsound but miserably tasteless. The next morning 1403. Watching against Untruth. the Quaker went again to the same-Dr. Johnson, giving advice to an place. The man who had sold him intimate friend, said, "Above all, the fruit claimed him as his cus- accustom your children constantly tomer, and asked him if he would to tell the truth, without varying buy some more. "Nay, friend, in any circumstance." A lady thou hast deceived me once, and present emphatically exclaimed, now, although thou mayest speak "Nay, this is too much; for a little the truth, still I cannot trust thee. variation in narrative must happen Thy neighbour chose to deal up- a thousand times a day if one is rightly with me, and from hence- not perpetually watching." "Well, forth I shall be his patron. Thou madam," replied the Doctor, "and wouldst do well to remember this, you ought to be perpetually watchand learn by experience that a lie ing. It is more from carelessness is a base thing in the beginning about truth than from intentional and a very unprofitable one in the lying that there is so much falseend." hood in the world."

TYPES AND SYMBOLS.

Gen. ix. 12, 13; Exod. xxiv. 8; Num. xxi. 8; Jerem. xxiv.; Matthew ii. 2; 1 Cor. x. 4.

1404. Association.-A travel-Arabian shepherds. It holds their ler, in passing through a valley water and other liquids, and is in Persia, chanced to take into his frequently used as a pitcher. The hand a piece of clay which lay by Eastern bottle is made of a goat the wayside, and to his surprise he or kid skin, stripped off without found it to exhale the most delight- opening the belly; the apertures ful fragrance. "Thou art but a made by cutting off the tail and poor piece of clay," said he, "an legs are sewed up, and when filled unsightly, unattractive, poor piece it is tied about the neck. The of clay; yet how fragrant art thou! Arabs and Persians never go a how refreshing! I admire thee, I journey without a small leathern love thee; thou shalt be my com- bottle by their side like a scrip. panion, I will carry thee in my These skin-bottles preserve their bosom. But whence hast thou this water, milk, and other liquids in a fragrance?" The clay replied, "I fresher state than any other vessels have been dwelling with the rose.' "they can use. The people of the East, indeed, put into them everything they mean to carry to a distance, whether dry or liquid, and very rarely make use of boxes and pots, unless to preserve such things as are liable to be broken. They enclose these leathern bottles in woollen sacks, because their beasts of carriage often fall down under their load, or cast it down on the sandy desert. This method of transporting the necessaries of life has another advantage; the skinbottles preserve them fresher, defend them against the ants and other insects, which cannot penetrate the skin, and prevent the dust, of which immense quantities are constantly moving about in the arid regions of Asia, and so fine that no coffer is impenetrable to it, from reaching them. It is for these reasons that provisions of every kind are enclosed in vessels made of the skins of these animals. These bottles are liable to be rent, when old or much used, and at the same time capable of being repaired. In the book of Joshua we are informed the Gibeonites 'took wine bottles, old and rent, and 1406. Bottles Old and New.-bound up.' This is perfectly ac"The bottle," says Mr. Hood, "is cording to the custom of the East; a necessary utensil in the tent of and the manner in which they

1405. Blood of Christ Cleanseth from all Sin.-A woman came to a minister one day, carrying a bundle of wet sand. "Do you see what this is, sir ?" said she. "Yes," was the reply, "it is wet sand." "But do you know what it means?" "I do not know exactly what you mean by it; what is it?" "Ah, sir," she said, "that's me, and the number of my sins they cannot be counted." And then she exclaimed, "O wretched creature that I am! how can such a wretch as I ever be saved ?" "Where did you get the sand?" asked the minister. "At the Beacon." "Go back then to the Beacon; take a spade with you; dig, dig, and raise a great mound; shovel it up as high as ever you can, then leave it there; take stand by the sea-shore, and watch the effect of the waves upon the heap of sand." "Ah, sir,' she exclaimed, "I see what you mean -the blood, the blood, the blood of Christ; it would wash it all away."

your

for our sins on earth are, as it were, still fresh bleeding in heaven; a moving and prevailing argument it is with the Father to give us the mercies He pleads for.

1408. Cleansing Word. It is reported of a clergyman in Wiltshire, that he was walking near a brook

mend their old and rent bottles is that is, bearing in His glorified various. 'Sometimes they set in a body the marks of death and sacripiece; sometimes they gather up fice. Those wounds He received the wounded place in the manner of a purse; sometimes they put in a round flat piece of wood, and by that means stop the hole.' Moreever, the liability of skin-bottles to rend will explain a simile used in one of our Lord's discoursesNeither do men put new wine into old bottles, else the bottles break and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but new wine must be put into new bottles, and both are preserved.' Being made of the raw hide, they are when new capable of distending and accommodating themselves as it were to the swelling of the liquor as it ferments. But when they have been once stretched out by the pressure of fermentation, and have become old and shrivelled through use, they do not admit of any farther enlargement, and will consequently give way if new wine is poured into them."

1407. Christ's Mediation.-A rare illustration of the efficacious intercession of Christ in heaven (says Flavel) we have in that famous story of Amynias, who appeared as an advocate for his brother Eschylus, who was strongly accused, and very likely to be condemned to die. Now Amynias having performed great services and merited highly of the commonwealth, in whose service one of his hands was cut off in the field, he came into the court in his brother's behalf, and said nothing; but only lifted up his arm and showed them an arm without a hand, which so moved them that without a word speaking they freed his brother immediately. And thus if you look into Rev. v. 6, you shall see in what posture Christ is represented visionally there as standing between God and us. "And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain;"

when he observed a woman washdone by putting it in a sieve, and ing wool in a stream. This was then dipping the sieve in the water white and clean. He engaged in repeatedly until the wool became conversation with her, and from asked her if she knew him. "O some expression she dropped, yes, sir," she replied, " and I hope

I shall have reason to bless God to

eternity for having heard you preach at W, some years ago; your sermon was the means of doing me great good." "I rejoice to hear it; pray what was the subject ?" "Ah, sir, I can't recollect that, my memory is so bad." "How then can the sermon have don't remember even what it was done you so much good, if you about?"

this sieve; the sieve does not hold "Sir, my mind is like through it cleanses the wool, so the water, but as the water runs words I hear, but as they pass my memory does not retain the through my heart, by God's grace Now I no longer they cleanse it.

love sin, and every day I entreat my Saviour to wash me in His

own blood and to cleanse me from all sin."

more than a foot long suspended disturbed peace and of untainted

purity; that by sin it was severed from its fountain, and like a heavenstricken spirit has been ever since plunging deeper and deeper into the abyss of darkness, and will continue to sink till gross darkness, literal darkness, has entirely enveloped it; when some benign spirit, invoked by the cry of the wretches that were suffering from this state of degradation, would rise, lay his grasp upon the wandering orb, and lift it up, and unite it again to the source, the original source of light and purity.

The

of

in the air in a perfect sack of spider's web. And the spider was not a large one. It was one of those small spiders. It bore no proportion to its victim, nor could he by any biting hurt him. But there he had him imprisoned. He had drawn him, little by little, into the air, and the snake could not help himself. Probably the serpent was torpid, or the enemy was so small that he did not know that he was upon him. And the spider spun out of his bowel a little film, not a third part as large as the smallest silk thread that a woman uses withal, and he dipped 1411. Hiding-Place. down and touched the snake with Psalmist's acknowledgment it, and it stuck. He took another God's mercy, "Thou art my hiding little film and touched him with place: Thou shalt preserve me that, and it stuck. He went on from trouble," is thus illustrated industriously, and as the snake by an Oriental traveller: "We see lay quiet, he put another and in the case of David, and in that another film upon him; and as of many other good men, that they there was time enough he added had to conceal themselves often in another and another, till there caves, mountains, and desert places, were a hundred, a thousand, ten from the pursuit of their enemies. thousand of them. And by-and-by In countries like these, where the these little weak strands, no one police is imperfect, where populaof which was strong enough to tion is much scattered, and where hold a gnat, when multiplied be- it is very easy to sustain life, it can came strong enough to encase the be no wonder that offenders and victim. A million times stronger injured men often conceal themthe snake was than that miserable selves for months and years from little spider, and yet the spider the vigilance of their pursuers. It caught him; he webbed him round is an every-day occurrence to hear and round, until when he tried to of men thus hiding themselves. move he was held fast. The web Has a person to account for his had grown strong out of its weak-conduct, or to appear in a court of ness. By putting one strand here justice? He packs up his valuables and another there, and drawing on this, that, and the other, the spider at last lifted the burden, and it hung suspended in the air. I have seen men webbed by offences in that same way, and no one of the offences was much larger than the film of a spider's web, and at last they were imprisoned and destroyed."

and makes a start into the jungle, or to some distant country. Perhaps he prowls about the skirts of a forest and occasionally visits his family in the night. See him on his way: he walks so softly that the most delicate-eared animal cannot detect him; he looks in every direction; puts his ear near the ground, and listens for any sound; again he proceeds, some1410. Fountain of Light.-The times crawling, sometimes walking, Hindoos (says a late writer) have till he has reached his hiding-place. a tradition that this world was But the natives themselves are once united to the fountain of famous for assisting each other to light and life-a scene of un-elude the search of their pursuers,