stored, the tree of life in the midst of the garden. The fairest productions of human art, after a few perusals, like gathered flowers, wither in our hands and lose their fragrancy; but these unfading plants of Paradise become, as we are accustomed to them, still more and more beautiful.

Every Psalm improved infinitely upon my acquaintance with it; and no one gave me uneasiness but the last, for then I grieved that my work was done. Happier hours than those which have been spent in these meditations on the Songs of Zion, I never expect to see in this world. Very pleasantly did they pass, and moved swiftly and smoothly along, for when thus en

gaged I counted no time. They are gone, but have left a relish and a fragrance upon the mind, and the remembrance of them is sweet."

The similes of Scripture are generally so elegant and appropriate, that modern poetry is often glad to borrow some of its finest expressions and sentiments from the page of Holy Writ. Thomson, in his beautiful poem of the Seasons, thus apostrophises "the Almighty Father:"

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In winter awful THOU! with clouds and storms Around thee thrown, tempest o'er tempest roll'd Majestic darkness! on the whirlwind's wing Riding sublime!"

In the writings of Pope, too, we meet with a similar passage:

'Not God alone in the still calm we find, He mounts the storm and rides upon the wind."

And again, Addison :

Rides in the whirlwind and directs the storm."

Montgomery also, in his poem "The Omnipresence of the Deity:"

"To him who wings the storm and walks the wind!"

And to what do these quotations owe their chief beauty, think you, but to their close imitation of those sublime passages in the Psalms and in Isaiah:

"He rode upon a cherub and did fly; yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. He maketh the clouds his chariot, and walketh upon the wings of the wind.He hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet."

And again. One of Pope's most admired productions is confessedly "composed of several passages from the Prophet Isaiah," and not only retains the images, but the diction also of the inspired volume.

"The Saviour comes! by ancient bards foretold,
Hear him ye deaf, and all ye blind behold!
He from thick films shall purge the visual ray,
And on the sightless eye-balls pour the day.
'Tis he th' obstructed paths of sound shall clear,
And bid new music charm the unfolding ear;
The dumb shall sing, the lame his crutch forego,
And leap exulting like the bounding roe.
As the good shepherd tends his fleecy care,
Seeks freshest pastures, and the purest air,
Explores the lost, the wandering sheep directs,
By day o'ersees them, and by night protects;
The tender lamb he raises in his arms,
Feeds from his hand, and in his bosom warms,
Mankind shall thus his guardian care engage,
The promised FATHER of the future age!"

flowers

Are not these convincing instances then, of the many and graces which may be gathered from the Book of Life? My youthful reader, have you thought that every thing which is contained in the sacred volume is tedious and disgusting? And will you think so still? What narrative can interest us more as human beings, than the record of the origin of things? What history can more deeply affect us as Christians, than that of our blessed Saviour's life;of HIM who suffered death upon the cross for our redemption? Does your young mind delight in beautiful descriptions of nature as she passes on from season to season? What can exceed the beauty of the