Year: 1866

grace provided or tne LOrO.


9Poor cbiId!" she said to herself pity
linsly, as she tied on her bonnet I'm
sorry to leave her. Shes so weak, and
cannot bear to have me out Of her sight.
But this is only temptation OF the great
adversary TO keep me from a precious
means of grace, which, being provided, |
dare not neglect. Te the dear child it will
be only half an hour Of self denial, while to
me it will be a season Of refreshment from
the Lord--to her natural cross, to me a
Christian duty and privilege, whereby |
am able to advance a step nearer heaven.
All; mer siehing as she continued-the
image of little Amy presenting itself with
great distinctness. "Ah, mel 1t requires
great faith, and almost divine strength to
walk in the footsteps of the Lord. We
must die daily; suffer constant crucifixion
of the f1esh-must deny the tenderest of
mere human appeals if they would become
hindrances in our way"


And SO, sitting the voice of God, which
was speaking in her mothers heart, she
turned away from the true means OF grace
her present home duty-to spend an
hour in formal prayer, vainly resting in
mere act of piety for that acceptance with
God which he has so plainly said comes
only of. well doing. 1t is in the cup of
cod water; in doing it unto the least of
these; in feeding the hungry, and clothing
the naked; in ministering unto the sick; in
a word, in seeking, from love of others, to
do them good, that we find the heaven
appointed means of grace. He who gives
himself up to the work of simply saving
his own soul, will be in great danger Of
losing it. 1t is in seeking to save Others,
always looking to God for publication of
the motives, and the wisdom and strength
to do right; that men secure for themselves
an entrance into heaven.


After an hour spent al the prayer meet
Iing-against which we must not be under
stood as saying, directly or by implication,
a single word we are dealing with an in
Idiyidual case, and the prayer meeting
the mother turned her feet homeward.
Absorbed in a harmonious sphere; exhil-
arated by music; lifted up emotionally,
through the power Of eloquent prayer, she
had felt as if in a court of Heaven, and was
fully persuaded that the light Of Gods
icountenance had been turned upon her, and
that she was really nearer the kingdom"
than she had ever been before.


i As she passed into the street; the mother
felt a jar of feeling. The light faded from
} her soul. Heaven already seemed afar off
Would this have been so if, as our Lord
5 said, the kingdom of heaven had been with


in her? As were the Jews at the time of
his first advent, we of this generation, are
all apt to say, Lo here! and Lo there But,
/ He speaks 10 rs now, and with the same
divine meaning in His words, as when he
spoke to the people two thousand years
-, ago-"For behold, the kingdom Of God is
!; within YOU"


There was a jar of feeling, and dim
ness of vision. Then the mothers thought
reached homeward and she saw, mentally,
the wan and wasted countenance Of her
FIRST born-ssw her white lips move, and
heard the pIaintiye voice say get so
: tired lying here while you are away,
mother"


How the words rebuked her! "Perhaps
it was wrong in me. She is so weak, poor
ctiidr"


This thought did not lift her into more
comfortable state of feeling. AS she hur-
ried on her way With quickening steps, she
came ur0u a crowd of boys ard men, and
pausing to learn what occasioned it, saw
two lads fighting. Breaking through the
crowd, she caught hold of one of the lads,
who turned upon her frightened look,
and then ran off as fast as his feet could
carry him. 1t was her own son-the boy
she had left to watch with her sick child,
while she spent an hour at the daily prayer
meeting. From state Of heavenly peace,
how swiftly had she fallen TO one Of pain
ful agitation. Arrows OF seffaccusation
began to pierce her soul, as glimpses Of
truth and duty dawned upon her. Were
not the souls of her children as precious in
the eyes of God as her own soul? Cotid
she claim divine approval for pious acts,
when the immortal ones given to her were
neglected, or lett to the will of the tempter
Such questions began to crowd upon her
mind, flooding it with bitterness.


Next came a brooding concern, deepen
ing to a strange; awful fear, that made her
heart SILVER. Amy had been left all alone.
What if she had died! She was so very


weak; not able to lift herself in bed and
there had been no one to moisten the lips
that consuming fever made so dry.
: Dear Amy. Feeble, patient, wasting
child. 1t mattered not very much to you,
that mother and brother were away. Much
more it mattered to them. You baa treer
, and tenderer watchers-ministers OF high
!, er comfort-angeIs from the presence OF
Cd uou liLya q +;ral child did vou Law