by a due and frequent receiving of this holy sacrament, our souls would be as much strengthened and refreshed by the body and blood of Christ, as our bodies are by bread and wine. And we should receive such constant supplies of grace and virtue from Him, whereby we should be enabled not only to avoid the sins and follies of this lower world, but always to live above it, and to have our conversation in heaven. In short, by our frequent conversing with our blessed Lord at His table here below, we shall be always fit and ready to go to Him, and converse with Him in His kingdom above, where we shall have no more need of sacraments, but shall see Him face to face, and praise and adore Him for evermore."-BISHOP BEVERIDGE.

WHAT AM I GOING TO CHURCH FOR?

I'm going to Church to join in prayer,
To hear God's word expounded there;
To thank Him for His mercies given,
And learn of Him the way to heaven.
To pray for pardon and for grace,
To sing His praise and see His face;
To bless Him for His endless love,
That sent a Saviour from above.

To ask of Him a contrite heart,
To bid all worldly thoughts depart :
To learn His ever gracious will,
That I may His behests fulfil.

MARTHA AND MARY.

LUKE X. 40.

A. M. S.

THE short account given of Martha and Mary, supplies us with a lesson which may be profitable to us, whatever may be our condition in life. It teaches us the great mistake we are in when we so give our minds and thoughts to the business of this world as to lead us to neglect that one thing needful, the preparation of the soul for its everlasting state. The history of these two sisters shows us, that our Lord considers that to be true wisdom which makes its spiritual good its first care. Jesus was a guest in the house of these sisters. Mary saw the blessed opportunity which was afforded her of gaining divine instruction; " she sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.". Happy indeed are they, who thus

humbly seek instruction by sitting at the feet of Jesus, and hearing his word. We cannot do this now, in a strictly literal sense: but we may in spirit;-we may learn the words of Jesus by attending public worship, and hearing his word read or preached. Our Church service is full of Scripture; and, even though there be no sermon preached, we hear the word of God in the Psalms and Hymns, which make a part of the service,-in the Epistles and Gospels appointed for Sunday and certain other days; and in the Lessons, which are always read.We may learn the words of Christ by reading the services at home, reading them with prayer, and meditating upon them, so that we may be thus led to praise the Lord for his goodness and mercy to us, and we may learn to seek the salvation set forth in the Gospel,-and to accept, with grateful hearts, the merciful offer of par don through Christ-and earnestly to pray for the help of God's Spirit to fit and prepare our souls for the blessedness of heaven. But, to receive the word to our profit, we must receive it with humility:-we must sit, like Mary, at Jesus' feet, i. e. we must humbly and earnestly look to him for instruction and for salvation.

But Martha was cumbered about much serving." She was busy in her household affairs, anxious to afford such accommodation, and show such hospitality, as she thought might be grateful to her guest. In this we may, perhaps, see nothing that is wrong. But our Lord saw that she was more eager to gratify her wish of proving her hospitality, than she was to profit by the opportunity afforded her of learning the lessons of heavenly wisdom from Him. Though what she did was not, in itself, wrong; her error was in neglecting what was of much more consequence, her spiritual good,-the" one thing needful," -neglecting this for the sake of what was only a worldly and secondary duty.-This lesson applies to a fearful number of us. We acknowledge, perhaps, that religion is the first thing; but the question is, do we make it so?-do we seek first the kingdom of God and his righte ousness, and trust that He will provide us a sufficiency of needful things, by blessing our fair endeavours and our upright reasonable exertions? We must be in

dustrious, but we need not be cumbered and full of anxious care about worldly things. But some persons think, if they avoid all great crimes, dishonesty, profaneness, drunkenness, and other such daring offences against God's laws, that then they are safe. But God requires us to give him our first regard, to love him, and to serve him, with all our hearts, and minds, and souls, and strength. Much more then is required, as our preparation for heaven, than merely abstaining from great and daring crimes :-there must be a preparation of the soul by the Holy Spirit. Martha had committed no crime in attending to her house affairs, but her sin was in being cumbered about them-in giving more heed to them than to the counsels of Christ. The guests in the parable, who were invited to the marriage supper were not committing crimes, when one attended to his farm, another to his merchandise, another to his wife. None of these things, in themselves, were sins: but they became sins when they so occupied the minds of those who were engaged in them as to prevent them from keeping a more important engagement which they had made-and they were consequently shut out from the marriage feast. And so, though it is right for every one to attend to the duties of his station in this life, yet, if he prefers his worldly gains and occupations to his religious progress, he is in no state of preparation to meet his God, or to partake of the marriage supper of the Lamb. Seek then, my readers, your soul's preparation, as the only thing needful, and all other things "shall be added unto you."-Seek that your sins may be forgiven, -seek this through your Saviour's merits,-and, being pardoned, you will then be able to serve God with a quiet mind,a mind peaceful and tranquil, reposing in the all-sufficient merits of your Saviour,-confident that there is pardon,-complete pardon through Him,—for His" blood cleanseth from all sins." To serve God with a quiet mind is the greatest of all blessings;-to be at peace with Him through Jesus Christ. There is indeed. a quiet, a peace, which is full of danger,—a false security, arising from indifference and careless contempt of religion. But we are taught to pray that we may serve God

1838.]

THE PARTING SIGH.

45

with a quiet mind;-serve him :-here is active exertion ;-we are taught to pray for quietness-but it is godly quietness:-holiness with peace; that we may not be cumbered about worldly things, which will all soon be over; but that our great desire may be for that good part which shall not be taken away from us. V.

THE PARTING SIGH.

"One gentle sigh their fetters break.”
SAY, what caused that parting sigh?
Pain, or guilt, or sympathy;

Why should he whose falt'ring tongue
Thanks to Jesus Christ hath sung:
Thanks to him for life and breath,
For victory o'er the grave and death;
He to whom 'tis gain to die,
Breathe that last, that parting sigh?

Was the body not at rest,
Was it pain that sigh express'd?
Token'd it that severing throe,
None save dying mortals know;
Soft response to death's harsh call;
Soft release from earthly thrall;
Grief's last tear that dimm'd the eye;
Pain's last throb, that parting sigh?

Or was it some secret sin,
Lurking, though subdued, within;
Some neglected sabbath hour,
Felt in all sad mem'ry's power;
Or temptation's fiery dart
Struggling in that faithful heart.
Was it hence the heav'n-turned eye?
Hence arose that parting sigh?

Or did nature claim her power,
E'en in her most trying hour;
Was there shed o'er some past day
Memory's soft, sad, sunset ray;
Did the soul, though on the wing,
To some scene of this earth cling,
To leave so fair a world and die,
Nature mourned in that last sigh?
Or was it affection's knell ;
Grief for those it loved too well;
Hearts so knit to that pure mind,
E'en as oak with ivy twined?
Nought but death's resistless grasp
Shews the strength of friendship's clasp;
And that deep, strong sympathy
Claims from love one parting sigh.

Some have thought, ere breaks life's chain,
Future joy and future pain,

Knows alike the conscious breast

Of all those it cherished best;
Views amid the much-loved flock

Crime's dark stain, and sorrow's shock,

Ask not, if it be so, why

Heaves the soul that parting sigh?

O, then, ask no longer why
Breathes the soul her parting sigh,
Rather strive to gain yon shore
Where that sigh is heard no more:
Sin and her twin-sister pain 1
To that world no entrance gain;

Friend from friend no more shall sever 2,
There they meet, and meet for ever.

Dark seems all that seemed most bright3
On earth; by heaven's more perfect light;
Nor can thought's foreboding cloy 4
Realms of never-waning joy.

God hath dried each weeping eye;
God hath hushed each mourner's sigh.

THE TIME OF ANXIETY.

OH Thou, that cheerest the wounded heart,
That wip'st the weeping eye,-

Thy comforts to my soul impart,
Now to that soul draw nigh.

I dread the trying hour;-but Thou
Canst make each terror less;

And to the sad and care-worn brow,

Speak peace and happiness.

Grant, Lord, this prayer ;-let thy right hand,
(My former strength and stay),

Conduct me through this troubled land,
Guard in each fearful day.

Forgive all sins;-bid me confide
In Christ, my Saviour Lord,

Through Him, the victim crucified,
Let these requests be heard.

F. M. K.

F. M. K

LIFE A JOURNEY.

How worthy is heaven that your life should be wholly spent as a journey towards it! To what better purpose can you spend your life, whether you respect your duty

1 Referring to Stanzas two and three. 2 Stanza five. 3 Stanza four.

4 Stanza six.