quirers would allow these to declare their faith rather than persuade them to say they do believe.

I cannot tell of the scores of times I fell on my knees to pray, of the scores of times I rose in doubt or in desperation, of the hours I spent in solitude, of the numberless conversations I had with friends. I felt as if God had placed my salvation on impossible conditions. To say I wearily went over the same ground until it was worn like a sentry's or a felon's pacing ground will be expected, either in the form of question and answer, direct statement, or attempted argument, often committed to writing to preserve consecutive thought, as well as in other generallyrecommended ways, I need scarcely add. Darkness, uncertainty, diminished physical power, general depression, most distressing forebodings of what might be very near, were my chief and constant associates. I well remember, one night lately, being in the company of a friend who was busily engaged in talking on religious subjects. I ought to state my friend was by birth a Jew, by second birth a Christian, and probably the new thought he (by God's aid) imported. into my mind, and the readiness with which he invested all spiritual matters, greatly helped me. Of course I gladly listened to what I then and now regard as a masterly exposition of sacred truth.

After the friend had retired with whom he had been conversing, we two fell into conversation, which ultimately led to Bible-reading, with what result will soon appear. I must here confess that my Hebrew friend certainly thought I was mentally affected, though he had good reason to alter his opinion, as the sequel will show.

The part selected for reading consisted of the opening chapters in the Epistle to the Hebrews. He had been previously speaking of Christ, of his human and Divine natures, and, as he was wont, expounded as he read. In this way we proceeded till we came to the 14th verse of the second chapter. Something in this verse fastened on my mind. Here was what I wanted. If this door

were unlocked I might have blessed access to much besides and beyond. "Forasmuch, then, as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death," &c. Sure I was there was something in those words for me. Why through death? I inquired. My friend, however, read on. I insisted he must return to that verse. I felt it was the key to the whole position whence to command the truths arranged beyond it. Accordingly we turned back. Already some have anticipated what I have to say, and think the truth and its teaching lie so completely on the surface as to wonder what need there could be for another question. But to proceed.

Why through death? With but a few words, and in a fewer seconds, was the text radiant with light. Here is succinctly stated the reason why Christ took our nature-" became flesh and blood." That he might die. That leads to the other questionWhy is death in the world? Why have men and women everywhere to die? Death is in the world because sin is. It came directly after sin as surely as punishment follows crime. Death, then, is penal for sin. But here is Christ Jesus. He has never sinned. Death has no claim on him, none whatever. It follows, then, if he died, his death cannot be regarded as punishment. Death must be either penal or sacrificial. We see what is necessary to penal consequences. From this he was excepted and exempt. It follows, inevitably, that Christ's death was sacrifice. It really

was so.

It was not the mode of his death; the mere crucifixion was not of the most importance as a mode of death. It was all included in the quality of his sufferings and death. We have seen it could be no other than sacrifice, Here, then, is full and sufficient ground for pardon; that which satisfies the conscience; that which gives God the moral right to pardon the vilest. To arrive at these conclusions was the work of seconds. The light had come differently, perhaps, to me than it does to many.

But it was the light. In quietness, in retirement, in great self-possession, was the truth seen in the love of it, and more cordially welcomed than springtide and flowers after the long, cold, chilly night of winter.

I fear many of us too soon forget those days of bitterness, those nights of darkness and fierce combat, or we should have greater sympathy with, and far greater skill in, dealing truth to the distressed and anxious seeker.

Let me close with one suggestion, offered to all who wish to lead others to Christ. Be evermore careful to fasten your counsels on the Word of God. Probably the same truths had been spoken before, but were less cogent, less appreciable, because (at least apparently) less connected with the Book.

Always make it a practice to engraft your counsels and instructions on the Word of God. Seek to open it up. "The entrance of thy Word giveth light." Uplock its truths, make the way apparent by the immediate aid of its teachings, and I will venture to predict that you will have no reason to depart from this

custom.

May God bless the seeker of Christ and the seeker of souls, and to both be given the finder's joy, is the best prayer of one who has both sought and found. J. H. N.

JUGGLERY OF SPIRITUALISM. WELL-MEANING persons have sometimes been perplexed by the marvels wrought by the professors of spiritualism. It would be good for such folks to consider the revelations made in the case of one Dr. Colchester, who was sued by the collector of internal revenue of Rochester, State of New York, in America, because he had refused to take out a licence as a juggler. The case was tried in the United States district court, and able counsel contested it on both sides for two days, so that the investigation was thorough and exhaustive. No better subject could have been selected than this Colchester. He was published as the chief among the mediums. Such men as John W. Forney, members of Congress, lawyers, and doctors,

men of national reputation for wisdom and shrewdness, certified that he excelled all others in the wonderful feats that he performed, and that there was no possible way of accounting for them, except by ascribing them to the spirits. He would do all the tipping, rapping, writing, speaking, music-playing mediums could do; do all that the Davenports pretended to do, and much more. Many smart, keen men had tried to detect the doctor, but failed, and all seemed dumbfounded by the mysterious performer. He would answer questions handed him in sealed envelopes, without opening them, procure messages from departed friends, and, most wonderful of all, the names of the departed would appear on his arm in blood-red characters.

What now was the result when these extraordinary pretensions came to be sifted in a court of law? It appears that professional jugglers were summoned for the prosecution, and they testified that these were tricks of jugglery with which they were familiar; that they could do all that Colchester could, by sleight-ofhand; and, moreover, two of them testified that Colchester had proposed to enter into partnership with them, and go in for a large business in spiritual manifestation, and make piles of money out of it, not pretending to deny that the whole thing was deception and fraud, but preferring to work under the guise of spiritualism, because that took better among the people than jugglery, and consequently was more profitable. It was proved that Colchester opened the envelopes and read the questions which he answered, by a peculiar sleight-of-hand; that he wrote the blood-red letters on his arm by a process known to jugglers, and did all of his marvellous feats by similar acts, which it was nearly impossible for the uninitiated to detect.

The investigation was very interesting, as it opened up a broad field of deceit and marvellous fraud upon the credulity of the people, of which very few even have a suspicion. These tricks are so neatly performed that the sharpest observer is likely to be deceived. The testi

mony in this lifted the veil, and it took the jury only ten minutes to bring in a verdict that Colchester was a juggler, and every candid man who heard the testimony said that the decision was just. But the dupes of spiritualism denounced it as a persecution of their precious religion.— Christian Intelligencer.

CONVERSION OF CHILDREN.

SOME Worthy Christians are strangely sceptical in regard to the conversion of children. They admit the impressibility of childhood; they admit that early piety is beautiful; they read in their own Bible the promise, "Those that seek me early shall find me;" and they read, too, of such examples of youthful religion as Samuel and King Josiah, and the well-taught Timothy. But of their own children's conversion they have grave doubts and misgivings.

Just as well might they doubt the ability of a child of ten years of age to love its mother, or to obey the commands of its father. A child

trusts its parents implicitly. How does your little girl know that it is not rank poison that you are giving her when she is sick? She cannot analyse the medicine; yet she swallows it down from simple faith in your word that it is "good for her."

If a child can love a parent, and trust a parent, and obey a parent, it can love, and trust, and obey God. These three mental acts are the very essence of religion. Bear in mind, too, that in every thought and act towards God, the child may have the supernatural aid of the Holy Spirit. Also bear in mind that the centre of Christianity is Christ. Now, an ordinary child of ten or twelve years can appreciate Christ's history, his beautiful deeds of power and mercy, the sweetness of his promises, and his death of self-sacrifice, just as well as a man of threescore. The mysteries of Christ's incarnation I cannot understand any better than a child; nor need either of us do it. A child can love Jesus with all the ingenuous ardour of its young heart. Is not

this the touchstone of vital Christianity?

Just as soon as your son and daughter are old enough to understand right from wrong, they are old enough to do right or wrong. Doing right is religion; doing wrong is sin. Sorrow for wrong-doing is contrition. Ceasing to do wrong from right motives is repentance. Asking Christ to forgive wrong is an act of faith. Did you ever know a child to be incapable of these exercises?

Why argue the impossibility of childish piety, when innumerable cases of sincere, intelligent, wellfounded godliness have been exhibited by the very young? One of the most beautiful examples of almost angelic piety I ever witnessed was in a sweet girl of nine years. Her talk with me in my boyhood impressed me more than my minister's sermons. When a little sick lad was asked by his pastor," Would you like to get better?" He replied, "Iwould like the will of God."If you get better, should you live just as you did before?" Yes, if God did not give me grace, I certainly should." Could an adult mind have any better conception of dependence upon God than this?

It may be said that "children's minds are volatile and changeable." Are grown people never changeable? Do men and women of forty years never become backsliders? I had rather risk the volatility of childhood than the temptations of self-seeking sharpness and worldliness that beset middle life. If childhood is credulous, manhood and old age are too slow to believe and to move at all. Oh, be assured, ye parents and teachers, that there is no such soil in the world for religious truth and converting grace as the heart of a frank, susceptible, trustful child. From that soil grows the loftiest and sturdiest piety of after years.

The most important ten years of human life are from five to fifteen years of age. The vast majority of those that pass twenty irreligious are never converted at all. Dr. Spencer tells us that out of 235 hopeful converts in his church, 138 were under twenty years of age, and only four

had passed their fiftieth year! I have been permitted during my ministry to receive nearly 1,000 persons into the church on confession of their faith, and not one dozen of these had outgrown their fiftieth year. I did indeed once baptize a veteran of eighty-five; but the case was so remarkable that it excited the talk and wonder of the town. Such late repentances are too much like what the blunt, dying soldier called "flinging the fag-end of one's life into the face of the Almighty."

In judging the genuineness of children's conversions, we must remember that they are but children. Don't expect a converted boy to be a pious man; he is yet only a boy. Like a boy, he loves to play, and ought to play. But if he is willing to leave his play to attend a prayer meeting, why is not that as good a proof of his heart's devotion as for a man to quit his work for the same purpose? The little girl who denies herself a doll or a dress in order to give the money to a missionary box practises a Christian benevolence as pure as those who bestow their thousands in munificent charity. A child that controls his temper because God forbids anger does as saintly a thing as Stephen did when he forgave his persecutors. Hypocrisy is one of the most heinous and hateful of sins: is there more of it under twenty years of age than over? I trow not. In estimating the evidence of childish religion, we must look for children's graces, and make allowance, too, for childhood's weaknesses. God's grace does not make a boy a man; it simply makes him a better boy.

At what age should a child be admitted to the church? To this question we would answer that every one should be admitted to Christ's church as soon as they give good evidence of a Christian heart and Christian conduct. The church is for all who love the Lord Jesus, and who seek to serve him. The Bible does not make age a condition of salvation. Shall a truly converted child be kept away from Christ's table until it has got over being a child? And what is the use of having a fold "if the lambs

are all to be kept out until they can stand the weather?"

In every age of life, piety is possible, is attractive, is indispensable to salvation. We rejoice to see the man of middle life, or the mother amid her cares, yielding Jesus a heart that has long been enslaved by worldliness or haunted by scepticisms. But still more do we rejoice to see the Divine Redeemer take his place in a young heart.-American Paper.

RULES TO PROMOTE HARMONY IN THE FAMILY.

1. WE may be sure that our will is likely to be crossed during the day, so prepare for it.

2. Everybody in the house has an evil nature as well as ourselves, and therefore we are not to expect too much.

3. To learn the different temper of each individual.

4. To look upon each member of the family as one for whose soul we are bound to watch, as those that must give account.

5. When any good happens to any one, to rejoice at it.

6. When inclined to give an angry answer, to lift up the heart in prayer.

7. If from sickness, pain, or infirmity, we feel irritable, to keep a very strict watch over ourselves.

8. To observe when others are suffering, and drop a word of kindness or sympathy suited to them.

9. To watch for little opportunities of pleasing, and put little annoyances out of the way.

10. To take a cheerful view of everything, and to encourage hope.

11. To speak kindly to the servants, and praise them for little things when you can.

12. In all little pleasures which may occur, to put self last.

13. To try for the "soft answer that turneth away wrath."

14. When we have been pained by an unkind word or deed, to ask ourselves, "Have I not done the same thing, and been forgiven?"

15. In conversation not to exalt yourselves, but to bring others forward.