move your obstacles-guard your character-and conduct you to a blessed immortality.

Thy word is everlasting truth,
How pure is every page!

This holy book shall guide our youth
And well support our age.

FEB. 5. "Search the Scriptures." JOHN v. 39.

THE Emperor Theodosius wrote out the whole

New Testament with his own hand, and read some part of it every day. George, Prince of Transylvania, read over the Bible twenty-seven times. Alphonsus, King of Aragon, read the Scriptures over, together with a large commentary, fourteen times. Sir Henry Wotton, used to spend several hours every day in private reading of God's Word. Sir John Hartop had his Bible always before him. M. De Renty, a French nobleman, used to read daily three chapters of the Bible, on his knees. Lady Frances Hobart read the Psalma over twelve times a year, the New Testament thrice, and other parts of the Old Testa Susannah, Countess of Suffolk, for the last seven years of her life, read the whole Bible over thrice annually. Dr. Gouge used to read fifteen chapters every day, five in the morning, five after dinner, and five in the evening before going to bed. Mr. Jeremiah Whittaker usually read all the Epistles in the Greek Testament, twice every fortnight. Joshua Barnes is said to have read a small pocket Bible, which he usually carried about with him, a hundred and twenty times over. And Mr. Roger Cotton read the whole Bible through twelve times a year. These all searched the Scriptures-became mighty in

ment once.

them-and found them their songs in the house
of their pilgrimage. May I thus study "the live-
ly oracles ;" and become wise unto salvation!
For these inestimable gains,
That so enrich the mind,

O may we search with eager pains,
Assured that we shall find

FEB. 6. "Ye are even my witnesses." ISA. xliv. 8. S witnesses for God we are to bear testimony to the truth he has revealed-to the manner in which he should be worshipped-to the renewing power of his grace-and to the faithfulness and love of his character. These are subjects misunderstood and misrepresented by the world. To us is given the honour-on us rests the responsibility of fairly presenting them to mankind. It is of importance that our testimony be uniform. We should be prepared to give it at all timeswhatever the cost or sacrifice. And while our tongues should utter it, we ought never to forget that the most eloquent and impressive declaration will be our blameless and earnest lives. Reader! art thou a witness for God? Art thou contending for the faith-maintaining intelligent and spiritual devotion-living in the Divine fear -and reposing on the faithfulness of a covenant God? Dost thou appreciate the dignity and responsibility of thy position? Dost thou always and everywhere truthfully represent thy Father in heaven? Is he glorified in thee, even though it be to the loss of ease, and wealth, and fame? Happy art thou, if thou art such a witness! God, will one day witness for thee. In that hour, when to be owned by him will be of more value

than to possess a thousand worlds, he will say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant-enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."

I'm not ashamed to own my Lord,

Or to defend his cause,

Maintain the honour of his word,
The glory of his cross.

FEB. 7. "The peace of God which passeth all understanding." PHIL. iv. 7.

N the ever-memorable battle of Waterloo, a soldier, mortally wounded, was conveyed to the rear by a comrade, and was laid down under a tree at a distance from the bloody conflict which was raging. The dying man requested to have his knapsack opened, that he might obtain from it his pocket Bible. He then asked his comrade to read to him a small portion of Divine truth before he drew his last breath. On being asked what passage he would have read to him, he fixed upon the twenty-seventh verse of the fourteenth chapter of John: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." "Now," said the dying soldier, "I die happy. I desired to have peace with God, and I possess the peace of God which passeth all understanding." A short time afterwards, one of the officers passed him, and seeing him in such an exhausted state, asked him how he felt. He replied, "I die happy, for I enjoy the peace of God which passeth all understanding!" and then he expired. All without was tumult. The booming of artillery-the clash of swordsthe strains of martial music-the tramp of war

horses-the groans of the wounded-all mingled in fearful sounds. But his heart was unruffled as a sea of glass. The last end of that man was peace.

A holy quiet reigned within,

A calm which life nor death destroyed;
Nothing disturbed that peace serene

Which his triumphant soul enjoyed.

FEB. 8. "Whom no man hath seen, nor can sec. 1 TIM. vi. 16.

* YOU teach," said the Emperor Trajan to
Rabbi Joshua, "that your God is every-
where, and boast that he resides amongst your
nations; I should like to see him."
"God's pre-
sence is indeed everywhere," replied Joshua, "but
he cannot be seen; no mortal eye can behold his
glory." The emperor insisted on wishing to see
him. "Well," said Joshua, "suppose we try to
look first at one of his ambassadors." The Em-
peror consented.
The Rabbi took him into the
open air at noon-day, and bade him look at the
sun in its meridian splendour. "I cannot," said
Trajan; "the light dazzles me." "Thou art un-
able," said Joshua, "to endure the light of one of
his creatures, and canst thou expect to behold
the resplendent glory of the Creator? Would not
such a sight annihilate thee?" Blessed be God
that he has revealed himself to us in his Son, who
is the image of the Invisible!

In him most perfectly expressed
The Father's glories shine;
Of the full deity possessed,
Eternally divine:

Worthy, O Lamb of God, art thou,

That every knee to thee should bow.

FEB. 9. "Hearers only." JAMES i. 22. HE following remarks of Philip Henry, the father of the celebrated commentator, on the above passage are worthy the serious attention of all. "He who hears sermons and doth not do them," says that excellent man, "is a monster in religion. He is all head and ears, having neither hands to work with, nor feet to walk with. There is a disease to which children are subject, called the rickets, wherein their heads swell as large as two heads, and their legs are crooked, which hinders their going. We have many ricketty Christians; they hear much, and their heads swell with but empty notions and undigested opinions; their legs are crooked, their walking is perverse. Every such person is a mocker of God, a deceiver of himself, a discourager of ministers, a barren soil, a bad servant, a beholder of his natural face in a glass, a builder of his house upon the sand." Lord, make me an attentive and obedient hearer of thy word! Grant me thy Holy Spirit that I may adorn the doctrine of God my Saviour in all my temper and conduct!

O may my heart, like fertile soil,
Receive the heavenly word;

So shall my fair and ripened fruits
Their hundred-fold afford.

FEB. 10. "To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts.' HEB. iii. 15.

WHEN Alexander encamped before a city, he

used to set up a light, to give notice to those

within that if they came forth to him while that light lasted, they should have quarter; but if