of suffering, he cried out, while his eyes glistened with pleasure; "Bless the Lord, praise the Lord! for I know he will not afflict me more than he will enable me to bear." And then, as if recollecting that he was still within the reach of temptation, and still liable to sin, he prayed that God would preserve him from complaining, and give him strength to suffer patiently all that he might be pleased to lay on him. One of his teachers said to him one day; "well, John, you have been a good boy; but I hope you know that you are a sinner, and stand in need of a Saviour; you know you cannot be saved but by Christ." “O! Sir,” he answered, “I feel that I am a sinner; we are all sinners; but I trust in Jesus, he died on the cross for sinners." 66 Why are you so happy John ?" asked his friend.--" Because my sins are pardoned." His teacher asked him if the sting of death were taken away, or if he was not afraid to die. With a bright prospect beyond the grave, he replied; "I do not fear to die; 1 should wish to die now, if I could die without much pain." He always shewed great delight in religious books; and this sacred relish continued to the last. Some money being given him, he begged that they would purchase a book with it, that he might read himself, and then

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give it to his brother. He was very desirous for the salvation of his friends; and once when his teacher was praying that God would convert his father, and make his brothers and sisters true followers of the Redeemer, with peculiar expression he cried out; "Do, Lord Jesus, do."When confined to his room, he wished that some children who lived near, might

be sent for. When they were assembled at his bed-side, looking earnestly at them, he asked them, if they would like to be in his state. They answered, "no."-He told them, he would not exchange with them; adding, "I am happy, I am happy;-you too must die, perhaps while you are young: be good children, and God will love you. Once, when his mother

was giving him a little balm-tea to drink, he said; "mother, this is not vinegar mingled with gall, such as they gave our blessed Saviour to drink." He took great pleasure in singing the praises of God; and he would often ask the teachers when they visited him, to sing with him. A day or two before he died, he requested one of them to join him; and with a voice remarkably clear and melodious, he began to sing,

66 My God, the spring of all my joys, The life of my delights," &c. &c.

Only a few hours before he died, he made a last effort, and sung with all his might,

"Turn to the Lord, and seek salvation, Sound the praise of his dear name.”

On the last sabbath that dawned upon him on earth, one of his teachers called to see him. He seemed to be gradually drawing away. Death had fixed upon his face. His eyes were closed; but as soon as he heard his teacher's well known voice, he opened them; and fixing them on him, eagerly asked; Mr. P-, will you pray with me?" Once more they approached the throne of divine grace in company, and then the final farewell was given and received.

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Thus did the good Shepherd, who gave his life for the sheep, take to his

heavenly fold one of the tender lambs of his flock; and secure him for ever from the seductions of error and the attacks of his enemies. Let little children, who read this, learn, from the example of John M-, to 66 remember their Creator in the days of their youth." Like him they may be called away in their early years; and how pleasant for them, if such should be the case, to enjoy the comforts which supported his mind in the trying hour.

I close this account with a short extract from a work lately published: "What a religion is ours! How great -and yet how plain! It is so sublime, that it rises beyond the conception of the most enlarged mind! and so simple, that it brings home its lessons to the bosom of a little child! The elements of the Gospel, like the elements of our nourishment, are adapted to the endless varieties of age and character and circumstance, throughout all the human race.'

S. E.

"

SHORT SERMON.

"Heaven and earth shall pass away; but my words shall not pass away."---Luke xxi. 35.

How precious are the words of Christ! His words are the words of God; and therefore cannot fail; for, "in the be

ginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God."

We cannot take a single verse of Scripture, that we might not meditate on with profit for many hours. Two very important subjects present themselves to our minds in the passage before us: 1st. Heaven and earth shall pass away; and

2nd. My words shall not pass away." What is meant by heaven here? Not the heaven of glory where God displays to the gaze of adoring angels, some portions of those excellencies, which even there find no adequate space for them: for, "Behold the heaven, and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee." It is the visible heavens which are here meant. It is that firmament, which, in the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, he filled with bright and countless stars, that, in the silent hour of night, you have perhaps loved to gaze on, and wondered while you gazed. How glorious they are!

A very little girl going home one frosty night, when they twinkle and shine the brightest, said to her aunt; What are they, aunt? are they, little gimlet boles to let the glory through?"

There also hath he appointed the moon for seasons; the sun knoweth his going down. Oh! Lord! how manifold are