instructions pleasant to the young is owned and prospered by the Lord. THE EYE. The deeper we look into the works of nature, the more are we struck by the bound. less resources of their great Creator, and led to exclaim. "in wisdom He has made them all." Birds, for instance. flying in the air, and meeting with many obstacles, as branches and leaves of trees, require to have their eyes sometimes as flat as possible, for protection; but sometimes as round as possible, that they may see the small objects, flies and other insects which they are chasing through the air, and which they pursue with the most unerring certainty. This could only be effected, by giving them a power of suddenly changing the form of their eyes. Hence there is a set of scales placed on the outer coat of their eye, round the place where the light enters; and over these scales are drawn the muscles or fibres by which motion is communicated; so that by acting with these muscles, the bird can press the scales and squeeze the natural magnifier of the eye into a round shape when it wishes to follow an insect through the air; and can relax the scales, in order to flatten the eye again, when it would see a distant object, or move safely through leaves and twigs. This power of altering the shape of the eye is possessed by birds of prey in a very remarkable degree. They can see the smallest objects close to them, and can yet discern the larger bodies at vast distances, as a carcase stretched upon the plain, or a dying fish afloat on the water. CHRISTMAS. Children, your Christmas now is past, Your holy days are o'er; And you must think on mirthful feasts Now that these joyful days are filed, 1 think I hear some little child "At Christmas Jesus Christ was born, And left the world on high." Yes, little girl, and so he did; With humble garments clad! "Ah, ma'am, but at the school I learn And from my Bible, sure It was to save our souls from hell, It was indeed, to save our souls, It was the awful curse of God On sinners here below, Who, having gone astray, were doom'd To everlasting woe. But Jesus by his precious blood Pour'd forth in wondrous love Purchas'd our title to a crown In the blest world above. But only they who go to him To cleanse their wicked heart In his atoning sacrifice Can hope to have a part. He tells us in his holy word, Now if we love not Jesus Christ, Ah then, dear children, go to Christ, But ever tremble to make glad Then, with the hope of heav'n in view; And sing your great Redeemer's praise FOR THE CHILDREN'S FRIEND. Recorded here, our little friends will find Of what they should, and what they should not dos Ab Foster, Printer, K.tkby Lonsdale. IOTA, WISE MEN FROM THE EAST. Here you see Jesus on his mother Mary's knee. He was "born a child, and yet a King:" or, as another hymn says, "His shoulders held up heaven and earth, Whilst Mary held up him." But who are these three people on their knees before Jesus? They are "wise men," who had travelled a very long way to find him. Yes, from the East to Jerusalem. And how came they to desire to see Jesus? Because they had seen a new star in their country, which went before them till it stopped over the house where the young child was. When B a these wise men saw the star stop, they "rejoiced with exceeding great joy.' Now these men were called wise perhaps because they were learned; but I should call them wise, because they were determined to find and know him, "whom to know is life eternal." If any little child took a hundredth part of the pains to find out their Saviour which these men did, I should call that "wise child" too, however ignorant he might be in other matters. But perhaps some little boy or girl is wondering what these wise men are doing with that jar and those beads? Why, the Scripture tells us that when they had found Jesus," they fell down and worshipped him;" and then they "opened their treasures," and gave Jesus the presents they had brought with them; which were gold, frankincense, and myrrh." These three things are supposed to be emblems or pictures of Christ's holy nature. The gold was durable and lasting-so "Christ abideth for ever." Frankincense had a sweet smell-so the Scripture speaking of Jesus says, he perfumes the sincere prayers of his people, and causes them to be accepted. And myrrh was famous for preventing corruption; that is, it would keep things from growing bad. So our Lord "the holy child Jesus," can by his Spirit pre 66 |