CONTENTS. PAGE The Good Shepherd (Frontispiece.) "Little Samuel Praying " (Title-Page.) "Suffer Little Children," (vignette.) Introduction of Christianity into England...... Scripture Botany-Rose of Sharon (with cut).... Sermon II.-Children coming to Jesus........... Scripture Natural History-The Dove (with cut) Sacred Biography-Abel, the First Martyr Second Introduction of Christianity into Great Britain.-Gregory's .... Good Sayings............................ ................................................. The Lame Man Healed at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple (with cut)... Christian Missions.-Martyrdom in Madagascar-Rasalama................. PAGE Peter's Confession, and the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven (with cut).. 114 Sermon VIII.-The Young Christian Pilgrim .................................... 115 Sacred Botany.-Grapes (with cut)......... Figurative Illustrations of the Bible, in Alphabetical Order.... Missionary Facts.-Madagascar-New Chapel at Hong Kong-India and Sermon IX.-The Church the City of the Great King............................... Miraculous Draught of Fishes (with cut)....... Missionary Facts.-Satanic Fetters-Pagan Conjuror-The Pagan and the Christian contrasted-Liberality of Samoan Children Elymas struck blind (with cut) ......................................................... 153 Figurative Illustrations of the Bible, in Alphabetical Order.................. 154 Missionary Intelligence.-Alexander Fletcher, Native Teacher in India. 155 Happy Death of Little Mary.-Her Dying Sayings Missionary Facts.-India: Conversion of Gooroo-South Sea Islands: Poetic Gems.-The Parent, on hearing his Child Praying....................... 159 Scripture Natural History.-The Lion (with cut) ............................... 162 Sermon XI.-The Church the Strong City Sacred Zoology.-The Deer (with cut)............. Names and Titles of Jesus alphabetically arranged.. The Bible.-Remarkable effect of the eloquence of the late Rev. J. Missionary Intelligence.-Tornado ................................. · WHAT a solemn thing it is to die! Oh, how affecting to die unprepared! How awful to die in the very act of committing some dreadful sin! We have heard of swearers dying while blaspheming; of robbers, while committing robbery; and of liars, while pouring forth falsehoods from their lips. Such was the death of Ananias and his wife Sapphira. These two were among the earliest professors of Christianity at Jerusalem, after our Lord ascended to heaven. They, like many others, sold their estates. They said to the Apostles that they gave them the whole price. They lied, for they kept back a considerable part of the price. Ananias the husband, in the absence of his wife, first told the lie. The vengeance of Heaven instantly struck him dead, and young men carried him to his grave! Let each of us pray, Lord, preserve us from lying lips!" About three hours after, his wife Sapphira came to the Apostles. She knew not that her husband was dead. Infatuated, wicked woman, she repeated the same lie. Instantly, she was struck dead! She fell down at the Apostles' feet. The young men who buried her husband three hours before were called in. They carried her to her grave, and laid her beside her husband. Sad sight! Two liars struck dead, laid beside each other in the dust, and sent unprepared into the world of spirits! Resolve, my young friends, in the strength of Divine grace, and say,— "Then let me always watch my lips, A. F. SERMON VI. THE STREAMS, BANKS, AND WALKS OF THE RIVER OF SALVATION. "A river that could not be passed over."-Ezek. xlvii. 5. THERE are some rivers in America so wide as they approach the sea, that when you stand upon the banks you cannot see across. But the largest rivers The prophet on earth may and can be crossed over. Ezekiel saw a vision of the river of salvation, 574 years before Christ appeared on earth, to finish salvation on the cross. Oh, he was surprised when he looked upon the river! and he had good reason to be surprised. He wondered, I have no doubt, at the crystal clearness and brightness of the river. He wondered that even little children could safely wade or walk in the river at its lovely brink. He wondered at the depth of the river: it could not be fathomed. He wondered at the width, or breadth of the river: it could not be passed over. My beloved young friends, may such holy wonder fill your youthful hearts! By the assistance of the Holy Spirit I will now speak to you of the streams and banks of this river; and also of the beautiful walks on the side of this river, which holy children frequent, where they converse with Jesus, and where they think of heaven. I. The streams of the river of salvation. In many parts of the earth, rivers divide themselves into various streams. Have you not all heard of the river Nile, which runs through the whole of Egypt, from south to north, where it pours its waters into the Mediterranean Sea? It is there divided into seven streams. In Isaiah xi. 15, it is prophesied that God shall smite this river in its "seven streams, and make men go over dry-shod." As to the river of salvation, we are informed that it has streams, Psalm xlvi. 4: G 2 |