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scious also that we have no power to deliver ourselves from this thraldom, or to avert the punishment due to every wilful offence, to every actual deviation from known duty. To creatures thus circumstanced the Gospel is expressly addressed. To those who are weary and heavy laden with the burden of sin, it offers pardon and restoration to the Divine favour; to the penitent it opens the door of reconciliation; to the faithful it addresses itself in the language of hope, of joy, of peace. It shows how, in the wonderful counsels of the Almighty, "mercy and truth, righteousness and peace, have met together." It points out the way of life, and shows the only means for the attainment of it. However humbled the believer may be from a sense of unworthiness or infirmity, it leaves him not comfortless;' it gives him strength for the conflict: it heightens his enjoyments, it soothes his sorrows, it alleviates his troubles. At the same time, it recalls to us the source whence these blessings are derived, and on what firm foundations our assurance of them is grounded, Our faith is built on the foundation of the Prophets and the Apostles, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. By the mystery of His holy Incarnation, by his holy Nativity and Circumcision, by his Baptism, Fasting, and Temptation, by his agony and bloody sweat, by his cross and passion, by his precious death and burial, by his glorious Resurrection and Ascension, and by the coming of the Holy Ghost,' our deliverance from sin and misery has been effected. And by whom has this been effected? Even by Him, who, though to mortal eye compassed with human infirmity like ourselves, verified to the fullest extent the prediction of the Evangelical Prophet, that 'His name should be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.'

"Who can hesitate in acknowledging such a religion as this to be worthy of all acceptation? Does it not recommend itself throughout to our most anxious hopes and desires? Is it not adapted precisely to those wants and exigencies which we find most urgent, and for which no other system has ever made provision ?"

Bp. Van Mildert.

THIS is only another kind of camel, having two hunches on the back instead of one, and is found in a different part of the world. It is useful for the same purposes as the camel, whose nature and value have been described at p. 205 in the vol. for 1841, and is as well adapted as that useful animal for riding or conveying loads. It lives in the temperate parts of Asia, and particularly between China and India. Being extremely strong and hardy, it is used as a beast of burden by the Tartars and Mongols, and bears even the severe climate of Siberia. In` most other respects it resembles the camel.

THE PACA.

The paca is usually called the spotted cavy. Most persons are familiar with one of the species of cavy, usually called the "restless cavy," or more commonly known as the "guinea-pig." Now, the paca is another variety of this kind of animal. It is about two feet long, with scarcely any tail. It lives in the warmer parts of America, burrowing in the ground, and keeping its hole exceedingly clean. Its instinctive love of cleanliness is very remarkable, and distinguishes it above almost all other animals. It cannot endure to be otherwise than clean either in its body or its habitation. When it is kept tame in a cage or box, it will throw out the straw and litter as soon as it is in the least become foul, and will go to hunt out something else instead, bringing together pieces of paper or rags to make itself a clean bed. This

animal, when kept tame, once had a rabbit put into its cage to bear it company, and for a short time they were great friends. It licked the body of the rabbit, and gave it almost all its food. But directly the rabbit showed the uncleanliness of its nature the paca took a great dislike to it and never went near it any more, keeping to a clean corner itself, and showing no more fondness for the rabbit. Thus has the Creator endowed some animals with habits and instincts which look like reason; and thus may man himself frequently draw lessons from what he observes even in the lowest of the creation of God.

QUESTIONS FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS.

FOR what grace do we pray in the Collect for this day? For the renewing of our hearts by the Holy Spirit. What are we called in this Collect?

The children of God by adoption and grace.

What proof have we in the Scriptures read to-day that we are such ?

See Gal. iv. 4, 5, 6. God sent forth his Son ... that we might receive the adoption of sons-and because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts.

What is taught us in the Church Catechism respecting this?

In our baptism we were made the children of God. Being by nature born in sin, we are hereby made the children of grace.

But though we are made the children of God—and are, as the Collect expresses it, regenerate-we are taught to pray for the Holy Spirit to renew us daily.

What does that teach us?

That we are by nature so weak and sinful, that though we have been called to a state of salvation, we must pray for God's grace to enable us to continue in that state unto our life's end.

How is this taught us in the Lord's Prayer?

Our Lord taught us to say, "Give us this day, or day by day, our daily bread, meaning thereby all things need

ful for our souls and bodies. As the body could not be kept in health without daily food, no more can the soul be kept in holiness without the daily and constant supply of God's grace.

What encouragement is given us in the Lessons for this day, to trust in God as our Father?

The wonderful deliverances granted by Him to Hezekiah on his praying to Him in faith, which are signs of that deliverance from our spiritual enemies which He will give to all who trust in Him.

Relate the particulars of those deliverances with the lessons to be drawn from them?

In the morning lesson, Isa. xxxvii., we have the account of the destruction of the army of Sennacherib, though so vast, before they had been able to hurt one of the people of Israel. This teaches us that we should not fear them which can kill the body, for they can have not power against us, if, like Hezekiah, we be faithful servants of God; but fear Him, who as He then destroyed those ungodly, can also destroy us, both soul and body, in hell.

In the evening lesson, we have the history of Hezekiah's recovery from sickness, when apparently at the point of death. This teaches us, that however grievous our sins may be, the Lord can and will pardon and cleanse us from them, by the grace of his Holy Spirit, if we fervently pray for it.

Both these Lessons should encourage us to draw nigh to God in all our troubles, to cast all our cares on Him for He careth for us, and in every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, to let our requests be made known unto God.

What is the greatest evil we have to fear?

Sin. When therefore we pray, "Deliver us from evil,” we are taught that these words signify our desire that it would please God to save and defend us in all dangers, ghostly and bodily, and that He would keep us from all sin and wickedness, and from our ghostly enemy, and from everlasting death. L. S. R.

EXTRACTS FROM THE NEWSPAPERS.

KEEPING FOWLS IN WINTER.-A correspondent of a New York paper 'says "I have had a large number of eggs the last winter, from following in part the advice I have seen in your and other papers. I have kept my fowls in a warm place, have given them as much grain as they wanted, always keeping it where they could get it when they wished; having also a box containing gravel, lime, and ashes, which they could pick at or roll in, and furnishing them with graves or scraps, which is a substance obtained in large quantities from the melting association of this city. Of this substance they are extremely fond, and it made them lay prodigiously. Animal food appears to be so essential to fowls while laying, that I shall never pretend hereafter to keep fowls in the winter without it."

INDUSTRY OF BEES.-The postmaster at Evanton had three hives in his garden this season. Each hive cast twice, and produced 275lbs. of virgin honey. One of the casts weighed 68lbs. of honey, and sold for 10d. per lb., realizing 27. 16s. 8d., giving daily income to the owner of 9d. per day for seventy-five days, being the exact number of days from the time it cast until taken down.-Ross-shire Advertiser.

CAUTION TO PARENTS.-On Monday an infant, whose parents live in Ratcliffe-highway, that had been left alone in bed, with a chair to prevent its falling out of bed, was found quite dead, hanging with its neck tightly fixed between the back rails of the chair; having evidently forced its head through, and then slipped out of bed before extricating itself. RANDOM EXPRESSIONS." I am tired to death." very often, and are alive still, and in good health too. of sleep all night." And yet your bed-fellow heard times. "I would not do it for the world." And yet you have done as many things equally bad for a penny. "We were up to our knees in mud." You know very well the dirt was not over your shoes.

So you have said "I had not a wink you snore several

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

We have received the communications of P.; L. S. R.; J. J. B.; M.D.; E. A.; A Layman; and some anonymous Correspondents.