trees, working at his vocation, and children to their parents, and, generdressed in the garb of a pilot. Before ally, of the young to the aged. This all was done it turned out that the natural and scriptural duty is much mysterious Master Peter was issuing neglected in these days. Whoever orders to the army of the Ukraine, has had concern with the administrathen fighting against the Turks. tion of the Poor Law must have been Peter, in short, was none other than often grieved with instances where the Czar of Russia! At the time able-bodied and well-to-do children, referred to he accepted of an invita- without compunction leave their aged tion from King William to visit Eng- parents to the tender mercies of the land, and arrived from Holland, off Inspector of the Poor, and to close Greenwich, on the 10th of January, their pilgrimage in the Poor's House. 1698. His strange history and odd The sermon last preached in the series manners produced a powerful sensa- by the Wesleyan Pastor at Perth has, tion in London. The principal inci- at the request of the Directors, been dents of Peter's career are thrown into printed in a cheap form. The talented a very captivating form in this volume, preacher took for his text the reand a useful turn is given to the nar- spect paid by King Solomon to his rative, which is thus fitted to entertain aged mother. From this text he and instruct the youthful reader. It has drawn much original thought, is a rare book for the boys. This is and enforces the duties of children not the first time we have had occa- and the young to parents and the sion to admire the good taste of Mrs. aged in a very practical and imCampbell Overend's translations and pressive manner. The wide circulaadaptations of works of historical tion of so seasonable a pamphlet may interest for young readers. The be blessed to mitigate the extent of volume before us is also a favourable the undoubted grievance now existexample, in scope and tendency, of an extensive series which Messrs. Oliphant & Co. have issued for the benefit of the young.

ALICE HERBERT and EMILY'S CHOICE.
By E. V. N. Edinburgh: Wm.
Oliphant & Co. 1871.

THE books for young people furnished
by Messrs. Oliphant take a wide geo-
graphical range. The two tales in
this little volume describe scenes in
domestic life in British North Amer-
ica. They are fitted to impress moral
and religious principles on the youth-
ful mind, and are tastefully written.

ing.

SILVER SPRAY, and Other Sketches

from Modern Church Life. London: Elliot Stock. 1872. CHAPEL Life amongst the Baptists would have been a more appropriate title for this book, except in so far as it touches upon phases of religious profession which are common to all the Churches. The trials of ministers; the straitened circumstances of many who are pastors to people of wealth; the pernicious effects of the adulation paid to moneyed men in congregations; the arrogant assumption of superiority by vulgar purseproud people; a worldly spirit eating into the Christian life of congregations; the weakness of the tie uniting pastor and people; the disinclination of fashionable congregations to engage personally in mission work amongst the poor; the widening gulf in conFOR many years it has been the prac-gregations between the rich and the tice of this Society to have preached poor; the want of genial Christian kinda sermon, specially, on the duty of ness and brotherly feeling amongst

THE DUTY OF THE YOUNG TO THE
AGED. A Sermon on behalf of
the Perth Indigent Old Men's
Society. By REV. JOSEPH BUT-
TERS, of the Wesleyan Methodist
Church. Perth: Mrs. Charles
Paton.

NOTES ON THE UNION'S LESSON SCHEME FOR 1872.

LESSON I.-JANUARY 7.

MOSES' TRESPASS AND AARON'S DEATH.-Numbers xx. 1-29.

I. The occasion of the trespass, 1-6.-The people had, at the close of their forty years' wandering, again reached Kadesh, on the border of the promised land. Miriam died there, and the mourning for her would detain the people. It was a dry, parched land, wherein there was no water. The people murmur, and gather themselves against Moses and Aaron. The murmuring is of the usual sort; they

contrast their present condition with Egypt, and complain bitterly of their hard fate. See how evil the heart is. God had led them and fed them for forty years; He had nourished them as a nurse cherisheth her children, and yet, at the first opportunity, they forget His goodness, and give way to grumbling. Moses and Aaron fall on their faces, in token of sorrow, and God appears-the visible Shekinah -at the tabernacle door.

II. The trespass and its punishment, 7-13.-God provides for the people. He tells Moses what to do-he was to speak to the rock. Moses, angry at their unbelief, spoke to them, and smote the rock. He had allowed his temper to get the better of him. He called them "rebels," and so they were. But when God bore with them, so might Moses have done. God's goodness to us should lead us to forbear with others, (Matt. vi. 15.) This was direct disobedience on the part of Moses. But he sinned yet more. He took the glory to himself "Must we (meaning Aaron and himself) fetch you water?" This was a grievous trespass. God will not give His glory to another. Remember what happened to Herod, (Acts xii. 23.) And so God punishes Moses-a grievous punishment. He had failed to sanctify God-i. e., to give Him the glory in the eyes of the people-and so he shall not lead the people in. Read Deuteronomy iii. 23-27, and see how much Moses felt this exclusion. Learn that God is very jealous of His honour and glory. Even Moses, who spake with God as a man speaketh with his friend, cannot be allowed to pass, if he fails in this. "Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory." It is not enough to say this. We must act it. We must acknowledge God in all our ways, and give unto Him the glory due unto His name. He deserves this, and He expects it. He is our Father; we are His children, and He looks for reverence from us. How far are they who take God's name in vain from reverencing Him! Verily this is a great sin, and God will not hold them guiltless who take His name in vain.

III. The death of Aaron, 14-29.-To reach Canaan, the people had to pass through Edom-a rocky country, where a few enemies could withstand a large army. Read the effort they made to get through, so as to avoid going back and round the Dead Sea, (v. 14-21;) and notice that they were forbidden to attack Edom, because he was descended from Isaac, (Deut. ii. 4-7.) Note here how God's people have enemies on all hands-the weary wilderness behind, the hostile Edomites in front. But God was with them, and was surely leading them to the land of rest. All things were working for their good. It was on their way back to go round, instead of through-i. e., to compass-the land of Edom, that Aaron died. Moses, Aaron, and Eleazar his son, went out of the camp, in the sight of all the people, and went slowly toiling up Mount Hor. When they reached the top, the priestly robes were taken off Aaron, and put on Eleazar, and then and there Aaron died. It was a solemn thing for Aaron to go up the hill, knowing that he would never return. But he never grumbled; his work was done; he had fought a good fight; and he knew that he was going to his everlasting rest. When God's time came, he was ready. So may we, if we have Aaron's faith in Him of whom Aaron was a type, who has gone before to prepare a place for us, and who will receive us to himself, that where He is, there we may be also.

In the Christian's home in glory,
There remains a land of rest,

Where the Saviour's gone before me,

To fulfil my soul's request.

Memory Exercise-Shorter Catechism 1.-Psalm xcix. 6-8.

Subject to be Proved-Man is Frail.

Text for Non-Reading Classes.

"Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote

the rock twice; and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also."-Numbers xx. 10, 11.

LESSON II.-JANUARY 14.

THE BRAZEN SERPENT.-Numbers xxi. 1-12.

I. The sin and its punishment, 1-6.-Note the occasion and the circumstances. The people had been a second time on the borders of Canaan; but Edom refused them a passage, and they were obliged to turn back to compass-i. e., to get round -the land of Edom. The soul of the people was discouraged because of the way. Note this-the way was bad, rough, rocky, hot, and far from pleasant. It was all this; but it was the way in which God was leading them home to rest, so that they ought to have gone on cheerfully, knowing that the end would soon be. But instead, they murmured sore-they complained of the bread, of the water, and of the manna. Everything was wrong. When a man is in a murmuring mood his very mercies are overlooked, and everything is in a cloud. But this is dishonouring to God; and He will visit His people for these things. So here, the way was bad, but it might have been worse, and they were soon made to feel this. God sent fiery serpents among them, which glided in and out among the tents, and bit the people. The poison was deadly. Much people died. In every tent cries of anguish were heard. The wages of sin is death.

II. The cure, 7-11.-God's judgments are meant to bring men to repentance. It is good when they have this effect. It was so here. The people came and confessed their sin. When we confess our sin, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sin. So here, immediately on repentance came the cure. Note now the remarkable nature of the cure. Moses made a serpent of brass, set it on a pole, and raised it in the sight of all the people. Train out where he would have placed it. The whole tents were gathered round the tabernacle, which was in the centre. Now, that all might see it, where would Moses have erected the pole! Outside the camp, or in the centre? Evidently in the centre. Notice further that, such being its position, no one had any excuse for not being cured. All could see it. He who could only crawl to his tent door; he even who had no more strength left than to enable him to lift his glazed eyes; all could see it. So that any who died was without excuse. Note again, that the cure consisted in simply looking to the brazen serpent. Nothing more was required; nothing less would do. The cure was suited for all, for all could look. Now picture the scene-Moses, in the centre of the camp, nailing this serpent to a pole, then raising the pole so high that all might see it; and then the proclamation throughout the camp-look and be cured. What joy would prevail-how every bitten one, who felt the fiery poison in his veins, would look—and what gladness would he experience when he felt the fever in his blood cool, and that he was himself again! Notice the case of one who might have said, how can a brazen serpent cure me?—I shall not look. What then? He died. God's way, or no cure.

Read now John iii. 14, 15, and learn what this signified. As Moses lifted up the serpent, so has Christ been lifted up. We are in the wilderness. The poison of sin is in us. If left, it will bring death. God has provided a remedy. Christ has died; His blood will drive out the sin, and so prevent the death. He was made in the likeness of sinful flesh; and in His own flesh hath condemned sin. He wants us to believe this. That is all. Believe and live. Look unto me and be ye saved. If God had bidden us do some great thing, would we not have gladly done it, to be cured of this dreadful, deadly leprosy. Shall we not do this simple thing-look unto Jesus that we may be saved? Blessed Jesus, open our eyes that we may see thee.

Memory Exercise-Shorter Catechism 2.-Paraphrase xli. 1-3.

Subject to be Proved-Jesus heals the Soul.

Text for Non-Reading Classes.

“And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live."-Numbers xxi. 8.

LESSON III.-JANUARY 21.

WISDOM AND FOOLISHNESS.-Matthew xxv. 1-13.

1. This parable is evidently intended to follow up what Jesus had said in the previous chapter about His second advent, and to inculcate the necessity of vigilance and prayer. *"Then”—i. e., when Christ comes again-"shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom," (v. 1.) The incidents introduced are exactly those of an Eastern marriage -the virgins have "lamps," being invariably at night-they went forth to meet the bridal procession on its way to the future home of the married pair, the "home-coming" being in Jewish times the chief part of the nuptial entertainment. (compare John iii. 29; Rev. xxi. 9.) "And five of them were wise, and five were foolish," (v. 2.) The folly of the foolish consisted in taking no reserve of oil, the wisdom of the wise in having oil in their vessels, (v. 3, 4,)—this is the point of the parable. "While the bridegroom tarried"-meant probably to convey a hint that our Lord's second coming would be much longer delayed than His immediate followers expected," they all slumbered and slept," (v. 5,)—the wise as well as the foolish-sad picture of the prevailing weakness and unreadiness in the whole Church. (Compare ch. xxvi. 40.)

2. "And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh," (v. 6.) The shout of gladness is heard, the noise of music and the dance is wafted on the midnight air, and the pale light of many a torch falls upon the tinselled ornaments of the advancing throng. Nearer they come, and nearer. Who is ready? "Go ye out to meet him." It is midnight, when deep sleep falls upon men-and so our Lord shall come as a thief in the night, (1 Thess. v. 2.) "Then all those virgins arose," &c., (v. 7-9.) In the attempt to prepare to meet the bridegroom, the foolish virgins discover their lack of oil, -so when Christ does come there will be a general attempt to prepare, and then the true state of all hearts will be revealed. The request of the foolish for oil, and its refusal by the wise, points out that in vain shall we look to man for that which the grace of God alone can supply. If it had been only a light that was wanted to light their lamps, the wise could have given that without being impoverished; but oil that feeds the light cannot be given away without endangering the supply. Go, "buy for yourselves." Poor, foolish virgins! wending their way at midnight to buy oil, the throng of the multitude ceased, no seller to be found! On the right hand and the left the Spirit and the bride had said, "Come, yea come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." But now, alas! from street to street their hurrying footsteps speed-in

vain.

3. Meanwhile, "the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut," (v. 10,) shut as much to prevent interruption to those within as to exclude those without. What door? The door of grace, which is now open to all comers: that door shall then be closed for evermore. Scripture points out that, notwithstanding the freeness of offered mercy, a period will come to each of us, when, if we repent not, our term of grace shall be ended. Whether or not that period come sooner to any of us, it will come to us all at the hour of death. "Afterward came also the other virgins," (v. 11.) Suing for mercy, and claiming to stand in intimate relation to the bridegroom, they now seek for admittance. The " 'Lord, Lord," twice repeated, implies earnest ness mixed with misgiving and despair. The reply, (v. 12,) "I know you not," dreadful sentence to issue from the mouth of Jesus, (compare ch. vii. 21;) not that He does not outwardly recognise the persons, but He does not know them as His

own.