plication. Something similar to this would do a little towards correcting the evil complained of. The idea that the charge of the pastor chiefly respects those who have entered the church must be got rid of, and the children and young persons who sit in the pews with the parents must have a share in pastoral thoughts and attention. We have no infant membership, no infant baptism; but every infant in our congregations should be surrounded, as he grows to youth and maturity, with our fervent, persevering supplications on his behalf. The events, temptations, character, in one word, every thing respecting that infant which may direct our supplications, should be known to us. Fas est ab hoste doceri.

A late Roman Catholic priest of Ireland told me a short time since, that it was his duty, in common with every parish priest of that church, to keep a registry of every family, including each child, in his flock, in order to their having whatever spiritual attention advancing life requires. Our charge is the charge over individuals.

It will be scarcely possible for such an expression of solicitude, habitually made, not to induce efforts more directly with the young themselves. If I pray for A. B. in my study, I shall seek opportunities of endeavouring to arrest A. B.'s attention, and directing his young thoughts to his everlasting welfare. Judgment, affection, simplicity, will be requisite in advancing to this point in pastoral duty, but it will not on that account be shrunk from; and, as in other cases, the determination to do the thing will secure the necessary qualifications for its right performance. Resolution overcomes difficulty, and God graciously supplies the want which earnest action makes us feel.

Our solicitude, moreover, will induce the attempt to awaken a concern for the young, like that which we ourselves feel, in the church. We shall enforce family piety; we shall set on foot domestic exercises likely to benefit the young; social prayer-meetings and class engagements, under conduct of the more judicious and devoted of the respective flocks we preside over, will be established, such as may contribute to the high and holy end we have in view. We shall also ourselves be communicative with the young; we shall encourage them to address us; we shall speak kindly to them on the matters pertaining to their everlasting welfare. "Our pastor, Sir," said a dear young friend to me a few days ago, "when I can get at him, is one of the most warm-hearted, intelligent, and kind men that can be. I am sure he feels for me; but it is difficult to get at him. He comes to our house, but he is not familiar with us young people. We are sometimes almost disposed to think him reserved and distant." This was said of one of the best pastors I know-a young pastor whose position is too retired and quiet to lay heavy contributions on his time and energies. But what my young friend deplored in this case, is for a lamentation with almost all of us. We must shake it off ere we can hope to accomplish among the youthful members of our congregations all the good which from our relation and objects ought to be anticipated from us.

It were well, too, for the young to have a considerable share of attention in our pulpit exercises. Preaching directly to them somewhat often may be desirable. We all do this once or twice in the year. Why not oftener? The iron is heated by frequent strokes. One of the most useful years in my own ministry, was a year during which one Lord's-day evening monthly was given professedly to the young. And besides this, the case of the young should more or less come before us in most of our preparations for the pulpit. We may seek for things apt to instruct and benefit them, and we may present these things in a style to gain their ear, enlighten their understanding, and, under God, affect their hearts, without sacrificing the edification and comfort of the mature saint. "Milk for

babes" need not always be unsavoury to the palate of older christians; and of one thing we may be quite sure, that if the young are captivated and won to the Saviour by the pains we take to set before them the truth, the best and holiest men of our flocks will rejoice in what is done.

Bible classes, also, will be resorted to by the pastor who is anxious for the young, both as a means of bringing them directly within reach of his solicitude, and of explaining and rendering attractive to them the things of religion. If some object to these classes as importations from a land of somewhat questionable "revivals," the pastor I am thinking of will not; and certainly it is within my own knowledge, and that of many of my dear brethren in the ministry, that such classes have been eminently useful in leading the young to Christ. The instruction which such classes comprise must, however, be sound, affectionate, and practical. We must cultivate the intellect, and try to affect the heart. Difficulties should be explained, enquiries satisfied, and valuable lessons inculcated. We must direct attention to the realities of eternity, and the delights of piety; we must shew that God's word will amply repay the closest study, and make the stores of our own knowledge contribute to augment theirs.

Always and by all means we must labour for the youth of our charge, that Christ may be formed in them, and with all our effort we must expect the promised aid of the Holy Spirit. The young around us will be converted by our instrumentality, and the church will be built up, for God has said, They shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the One shall say I am the Lord's, and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob, and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel. May God hasten it in his time.

water courses.

OUR ENEMIES PRAYER FOR THEM.

"Pray for those who despitefully use you."

Alas, for human nature, that such a command should be needed! that it admits of being supposed as a likely case that good persons should have enemies, and that those enemies could be even spiteful in their hostility that there should be not only opposition to their disliked plans, words, and conduct, but ill-will prompting to despiteful usage towards the person! Malignity, spite, envy, ill-will! Words and things surely more fit for their birth-place, hell, than for earth; hateful in their very sound; hateful wherever we see their doings! Yet, how common these satanic qualities! Who of us is free from them? Who has never either been mastered by them, or found it no easy work to master them completely? "Think ye that the Scripture saith in vain, the spirit that is in us lusteth to envy ?" It were time enough for the maintainers of the innocence of human nature to promulgate this part of their theology, when pleasure in injuring another shall have fled from the mass of human bosoms.

But the most melancholy fact touching this subject is the necessity of our Lord's command being urged upon christians, in relation to each other. The command, "Pray for those who despitefully use you," needs to be impressed on those who profess to hearken to our Lord's new command, "that we love one another as he has loved us ;" and who believe "love to one another" to be the mark by which "all men shall know that

This quality is always and justly included as a principal one among the malignant and spiteful passions in the New Testament.

we are Christ's disciples." Is it not the simple fact, that because some brother in Christ has offended us, has opposed us, has thwarted our will, has shewn us some disrespect, has wronged us, has injured our pecuniary interests, or, what is dearer still, our good name, or because we think he has done such things, we can scarcely refrain (even though we make the effort to do it) from indulging personal ill-will or spite against him?

It is surprising how ingenious this, like every evil principle, is, in finding pretexts to excuse itself, or even to represent its workings as commendable. "He deserves to be made to feel." "He ought to be exposed for others' sake." "If he repented I could forgive him, but while he is what he is he ought to be detested." "It is impossible to love bad qualities." As if our feelings were merely those of justice. Sometimes the excuse is, "I never did him any injury, I only spoke of his conduct as it deserved." Sometimes if, with no ordinary effort, we have watched both our words and our conduct, yet how difficult does it remain to banish that last remnant of spite, namely, pleasure in hearing of the mortifications, losses, or disgraces of those who have "despitefully used us.'

Now, in heavenly contrariety to all these strugglings of malice, we hear this command of our blessed Lord. Not merely bear with, or heed not, or even return good for evil, generally, but "PRAY for those who despitefully use you." We think another has so used us; we may be wrong in even thinking thus, often we assuredly are; but that is not the question, if we think so, here is the command. "He has despitefully used me,' we exclaim, whether justly or not, well then, "PRAY for him!” And He who gave this command gave also as man the most signal instance of unqualified obedience to it.* "Pray for him;" and if he have done you no despiteful acts, if it be only your own imagination, you will very soon begin to see it, confidence in your brother will return, peace and love will be reestablished. "Pray for him," and if he be ever so great an injurer, your feelings will quickly be calmed. You will remember that in His judgment to whom you pray the injurer is the unhappier man. You will remember your own injuries against God; strange if you do not recal many done to your fellow-men also; and consciousness of parallel guilt, will humble you in your own eyes. + Your whole soul will be pervaded by another spirit, that of a pardoned sinner hoping for mercy yourself for ten thousand worse offences. "Pray for him." Yes, for him. Bring your mind to wish him good, while you have every reason to think he is still wishing you ill, and trying to give cruel effect, perhaps, to his wishes. Yet seek good for him, and seek it from Him who can give it, from God. But what a strange plea it seems at first sight, "Heavenly Father, bless this man, do him good, for he is my enemy!” Kind treatment is scripturally a reason for our praying on behalf of our benefactors; but their enmity, their sin against us and God, a reason why we should seek a blessing for them! Yet all this is thoroughly and beautifully consistent. Surely for no reason do men more need to be prayed for than because of their sins, and the unhappy consequences of them. And what sins ought to prompt our intercessory prayers more than those which come most fully under our notice? And of what sins can we see so clearly all the evil, aggravation, and mischief as of those which pierce just our souls? In them we see and feel the malignity of the evil dispositions from which Christ came to deliver. In them we can realize more distinctly their interference with the union, happiness, and holiness of God's creatures; by them then, if by any, we ought to be stirred up to prayer for the unhappy subjects of them.

And there is yet another consideration. Things cannot long remain in this relation. Prayers like those of our Lord for such as despitefully used him, will be answered as his were. To the softening or to the utter ruin of "our enemies." How striking to think of the Being to whom we pray witnessing the workings of each heart, while we are praying for him who despitefully treats us. He sees our efforts to offer from the heart humble, selfabasing, tender, benevolent supplications. He sees in the other heart uneasy, or gnawing, or relentless spite, thinking how it can best gratify itself, perhaps furious to injure us at all hazards, perhaps planning to injure with the appearance to byestanders of fairness or even kindness. He sees these contrasted feelings. Little thinks the man of spite, what is before the eyes of Omniscience in his supposed adversary's heart. Little does he imagine how Omnipotence is about to work. Nothing would more revolt his pride perhaps than the thought of relenting. But his hour is come. He who commanded special prayer for an enemy, means (as the rule) to own obedience to his command. He wills and it is done. Thoughts enter the spiteful man's bosom which he cannot resist, they humble him, they soften him, they tell him that if the other has been wrong he much more so. The praying brother hears perhaps of some change, but can scarcely believe the answer to his own prayer. He is like Ananias, or the christians at Jerusalem in the case of Paul, till some Barnabas certifies to the change and completes the happy work. Yes, this was the answer to praying for him. To the heart which unhappily the malignant passions have possessed, no good can equal that of casting out the unclean spirit. You prayed for him, for his good, and the greatest good was given him-a softened heart.

Reader, is there any one whom you must think, or even know, to be your enemy, one who despitefully uses you? try whether you cannot really, believingly, obediently, hopefully, "pray for him."

London.

C. B.

THE THRONE OF GRACE.

A HYMN FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL ANNIVERSARIES.

BY JAMES MONTGOMERY.

Come to the throne of grace: it stands,
At all times, everywhere;

With humbled hearts and holy hands,
Let us assemble there.

On the whole earth's expanded face,
'Tis best to tarry there,

For nearest heaven must be the place,
Where God meets man in prayer.

In the same moment, at that throne,
Were all who breathe the air,

In multitude, or each alone,

Found offering faithful prayer ;-
No thought, no word, no sigh, in vain,
Conceived or uttered there,

Could miss the mark; like genial rain
Blessings would fall on prayer.

When field and forest, plant and flower
The dews of morning share,

Blade, bud, leaf, blossom, in one hour,
Alike, are water'd there.

To-day, while countless Sabbath-bands

Are gathering everywhere,

Let us with them lift hearts and hands,
And all unite in prayer.

Tales and Sketches.