THE TALENTS.

HAVE you read of the servant who hid in the earth
The talent his master had given,

When, by diligent use, to redouble its worth
He ought to have faithfully striven?

My child, you have talents: God gave them to you,
And will surely require them again.

Take care not to waste them: if ever so few,
Let them not have been given in vain.

You have speech; then remember to watch your words well,

And let them be constant and kind:

'It may seem a small matter, but no one can tell The comfort a word leaves behind.

You have time. Every minute and hour of the day Is lent by your Father in heaven.

Make haste to improve, ere it passes away,

The talent so graciously given.

You have influence too, though it seems very small;
Yet, in greater or lesser degree,

You affect the improvement and comfort of all
With whom you may happen to be.

And the child who in earnest endeavours to live
As an heir of eternity ought,

By his silent example a lesson may give,

Which by words be could never have taught.

Then consider the talents intrusted to you,
And may they be duly improved:

Let your service be hearty and free, as is due
From children so greatly beloved.

Children's Friend.

EDINBURGH: T. NELSON AND SONS.

"FIT ONLY TO BURN."

MAN, whom we shall call John B-, lived in the country, by the side of a wood. He was a bitter hater of the truth, and of the people of God. He had long despised and opposed his wife, who was a godly woman. One Sabbath morning he took his axe and went out into the wood to cut down trees.

Looking around, he saw a tree standing dead

and dry, with its branches leafless and bare. He said to himself, "I'll cut down that one; it is dead and dry, and fit only to burn."

Just at that moment the thought flashed across his mind, "Am not I a dead tree, fit only to burn."

He tried to get it out of his mind, but that thought

He went to the tree, and

was an arrow from God. struck it with his axe. But the thought would not leave him. "Am not I a dead tree, fit only to burn? Will not God say concerning me, 'Cut him down, for he cumbereth the ground?"" Again and again he tried to forget it, but it was an arrow in his heart, and he could not tear it out.

At last he could bear it no longer. He took up his are, returned to his house, went to his room, fell upon his knees, and cried to God for mercy. A self-condemned and repenting sinner, he sought forgiveness through the long-despised blood of Jesus. And the word came true, "He that seeketh, findeth." John found redemption through that blood, the forgiveness of sins. He became a new and a happy man. He began family worship in his house, joined the Lord's people at the Lord's table, and is now, to all appearance, a traveller to the better country.

Dear young reader, here is a lesson for us all. Did you ever think that by nature we are all dead branches, all alike fit only to burn? When we become believers in Jesus, the dead branch is joined to the living Vine (John xv. 4); the dead soul, united to Jesus, becomes a living soul; and then, only then, we begin to bring forth fruit unto God.

In summer, when there has been long drought, the fruit trees are parched, and there will be little fruit in autumn. But when there are gentle showers, and warm sunshine, the tree thrives, and grows, and the fruit ripens for the harvest. So it is with the soul. When the word is neglected, and the Spirit is grieved, all goes wrong. But when, like the rain and the dew, the word and Spirit nourish the soul, and it walks in the sweet sunshine of the presence of Jesus, the believer thrives and grows, and Jesus is glorified, by his bringing forth much of the fruit of the Spirit (John xv. 8). "And the fruit of the

Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" (Gal. v. 22, 23). There are two young trees in a garden. One is living, growing, bearing much fruit. Another, close beside it in the same garden, is dead. The same rain and dew which nourish the living tree, rot the dead one, and make it ready for the fire. The same sunshine which ripens the living tree, dries up the dead one more and more, and makes it fit only to burn. Do you ever think that it may be the same with two souls? There is a boy or girl beside you,—in the same pew in church, in the same class, in the same family,—that soul is living, a soul united by faith to the living, loving Jesus; the sermons, the lessons, the precious Bible, are fast ripening that soul, and making it fit for glory. The other soul-is it yours? -is dead, and the same means of grace which ripen the living branch, only, through its unbelief and ungodliness, rot and dry up the dead branch more and more, and make it fit only to burn.

Hell, as truly as heaven, is " a prepared place for a prepared people." How terrible, when a brother, a sister, a companion, is growing in meetness for heaven, if your soul, dear reader, is only getting worse and worse, more dead and dry, more ready for the everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels!

Why should it be so, dear young reader? How often would Jesus have gathered you! and he is willing still. "O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea" (Isa. xlviii. 18).

A MERCY AND A MISERY.

Ir is a great mercy to have a portion in the world; but to have the world for a portion is a great misery.-Dyer..

THE LAUNCH OF A SHIP.

WE see many sights in the world which set us a thinking,-about life and death, time and eternity, heaven and hell, sin and salvation. Here is one,-the launch of a ship. The day is bright, the fastenings which held the noble ship are loosed, and thousands are ready to cry "huzza!" as she rushes into the water that is now to be her home. Who can tell what days of sunshine or nights of storm are before her! One thing is certain, that if she sail without a compass, her first voyage will be her last,-she will certainly be lost.

How like a young man going forth from his father's house! If he does not take the compass on board ere