be prepared for his coming. Dear young friends, who read these pages, ask yourselves now, "Do I belong to the wheat or to the chaff?" for Jesus is coming, and "his fan is in his hand." At the day of judgment there shall blow a wind, strong and terrible, that shall carry all the chaff away into the fire that shall never, never be quenched. But not one grain of wheat shall be lost; all shall be stored with joy in the everlasting garner of heaven.

Will you not, then, begin the day of judgment in your own consciences? John's voice in the wilderness will be no longer terrible, if it leads you to look for Jesus as your Saviour, with repentance and with trust. He spoke not only of the trees to be cut down, and of the chaff that should be burned, but of the Spirit that Jesus gives to guide to Him. From my heart I pray that this good Spirit may be given to you, and may lead you to listen to that other word, the sweetest and most joyful which John the Baptist ever spoke, "Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world!"

V.

come.

THE BROTHERS.

JOHN i. 35-51.

The Two Brothers. - The Wise Teacher. - The Greater One to - The Meeting. — Andrew brings his Brother to Jesus. Peter's Usefulness in after Years. The Messenger. No one too Insignificant to work for Christ. - Great Ends from Small Beginnings. Story of John Williams. - The Person to whom Andrew went. - Do we speak of Religion to those at Home? The News he carried. What it is to find Christ. The Dying Grandfather.

A

LONG time ago, and in a country far away, two brothers lived. Their father's name was Dove. Perhaps he was a mild and quiet man, gentle and affectionate, so that this name was rightly given; but this we cannot tell. The two brothers were, I think, more lion-like than dove-like; one of them, at least, was bold, quick, and eager; and his companions and acquaintances would probably often say, as they thought of him, "That lad is made to do great things." Of the other we do not know quite so much; but I fancy him to have been active, ready, help

ful

one of those lads who seem always at hand when wanted, and who are sure to say or do the right thing at the right moment. Such lads often do not make much show in the world, but they are very useful, nevertheless.

So these lads grew up, helping their father (who was most likely a poor man) in his daily work for daily bread. They did not go to school much, if at all, but were willing to learn what they could of what was right and true, and to do it also, as far as they knew how. Thus it happened that when they had grown up to be men, and a wise and holy teacher appeared in the country where they lived, one of these brothers, and probably both, very joyfully followed him, to learn what he had to tell about the will and the word of God. This teacher was the greatest that had ever come into the world. Solemn were the lessons he taught; wonderful was the news he had come to tell; but of that news the most wonderful part was that another teacher was coming, wiser, mightier than himself, and that all men must wait and look for HIM.

To such words as these, the quieter of the two brothers loved to listen. He followed his teacher from place to place with great delight, and often, no doubt, thought and spoke of this

Greater One to come. "When shall we see Him? What will He be like?" At last, one day, as the teacher was walking with this young man and another, he suddenly pointed to a poor man seen going at a little distance from them, and said, "He is there!" At once the two young men left their own teacher, we may be sure, with a quick and affectionate good-by, and went to this poor man, looking on him with love and reverence, yet without speaking. For, what should they say? How could they dare to speak to one whom they did not know, and whom they had heard to be so great and holy? But he knew what they wished, and turned and spoke to them kindly, inviting them home with him. They went and passed the evening there. O, what an evening it must have been! Try to fancy the wonder and joy of those two young men, as they sat and listened to words of such wisdom and tenderness as they had never heard before, and said in their hearts, "We have found our true Teacher, our only Saviour." For you know that the Friend of whom I speak was JESUS.

The morning came

the young men must leave that happy home. One of them, whose name we do not know, went his way, and, we

may be almost sure, became one of the disciples of Christ; indeed, I think it very likely that he was no other than John, the beloved one, who afterwards leaned on the breast of Jesus at the supper, and wrote so much of his truth and love. But I want you to follow the other young man, the second of the brothers of whom I spoke. Whither did he go? What did he do? He remembered his own brother, the noble-hearted, active, and zealous one; went straight to him, and told him the good news. "Come with me," he said, and he brought him to Jesus.

My readers know that I have been telling them the story of Andrew and Simon, the sons of Jona, or "Dove." About Andrew we hear very little indeed; about Simon a great deal. We read of the new name Jesus gave him Peter, or "Rock." We know that he was the first to preach the gospel to the Jews on the day of Pentecost; the first to preach it to the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius; that he was a great, noble, and glorious man; once, indeed, denying Jesus sadly in the judgment hall, but afterwards able to say boldly before the other disciples, "Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee;" and at last a martyr on the cross for Jesus. We should all say, I