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"IF FATHER HOLDS THE ROPE."

IN Ross-shire, there is an immense mountain-gorge. The rocks have been rent in twain, and set apart twenty feet, 'forming two walls two hundred feet in height. On either side of these natural walls, in crevices where earth has collected, grow wild flowers of rare quality and beauty.

A company of tourists visiting that part of the country, were desirous to possess themselves of specimens of these beautiful mountain flowers; but how to obtain them they knew not. At length they thought they might be gathered by suspending a person over the cliff by a

rope.

They offered a highland boy, who was near by, a handsome sum of money to undertake the difficult and dangerous task. The boy looked into the awful abyss that yawned below, and shrank from the undertaking; but the money was tempting. Could he confide in the strangers? Could he venture his life in their hands? He felt that he could not; but he thought of his father, and looking once more at the cliff, and then at the proffered reward, his eye brightened, and he exclaimed, 'I'll go if my father holds the rope!"

If the

Beautiful illustration of the nature of faith! highland boy could only place the strong hand and loving heart of his father to the other end of the rope, he would descend the precipice with a fearless mind. Love and power would keep him from falling, and bring him up again with his prize of flowers, a trophy of his father's affection and of his own faith.

WATCH YOUR LIPS.

SPEAK not well of yourself, nor ill of others.-John Mason.

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DEATH OF PRINCIPAL CUNNINGHAM,

DR. CUNNINGHAM IS DEAD.

December 14, 1861.

Four words could

scarce carry more mournful tidings, not only to the whole Free Church of Scotland, but to every lover of truth and righteousness throughout the land.

Ten days ago he had a slight illness. On Monday last he had so far recovered as to be able to be at his class in the New College. On Wednesday he again became worse. Inflammation, and other ailments of older standing, brought him rapidly low. This morning, Saturday, half-an-hour after midnight, he entered into his rest.

Dr. Cunningham was born at Hamilton, in 1805, being thus at his death only in his fifty-seventh year. He was ordained in 1830, at Greenock, whence he was removed to Trinity College Church, Edinburgh. After the Disruption, on the death of Dr. Chalmers in 1847, he was appointed Principal of the New Free Church College in Edinburgh.

In the "Ten Years' Conflict" with oppression and wrong, which ended in the Disruption, there were two noble brethren ever spoken of together. Perhaps more than any other men, those two bore the brunt of the anxiety, and scorn, and toil, of those memorable days. The one was the beloved Dr. Candlish, still spared among us; the other was he who so suddenly has been taken to his rest.

Like a lamb for himself, like a lion for his Master, truly a prince in Israel, and a great man, has fallen this day.

What shall we say, and to whom shall we look for help to the Church of our fathers, in days when the spirit of counsel and of might may soon be more needed than ever? To whom ?—but to Him who took Moses away from Israel, just when it seemed as if everything depended upon his life. But God-who had Joshua ready-when he has work to do, will not let it fail for want of workmen to do it.

"The voice saith, Cry!" 66 Trust ye in the Lord;" ""Cease ye from man.'

"All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away; but the word of the Lord endureth for ever."

A SCRIPTURAL SUM.

THE text for the following scriptural sum may be found in 2 Peter i. 5-7. If our young readers would get the answer, they must work out the question. It is as follows:

Add to your faith, virtue;

And to your virtue, knowledge;

And to your knowledge, temperance;
And to your temperance, patience;
And to patience, godliness;

And to godliness, brotherly kindness;
And to brotherly kindness, charity.

The Answer.-For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.Rural Repository.

A CURE FOR SELF-CONCEIT.

TAKE the candle of God's word, and search the corners of your heart.-John Mason.

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BY THE REV. JAMES MITCHELL, LATE OF PUNA, INDIA. SOME years ago an English family, in rather poor circumstances, came to reside at Puna. The head of the house had been unfortunate, perhaps imprudent, and so

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