artist, who, with cleared vision and well-trained hand, glows before his canvas, or trembles over his burning page.

Yes, this is true of us all. The oldest among us know that Experience is far ahead of them; and the wisest feel that Knowledge has somewhere gone deeper than they can dive: and the purest and the best among us know that Virtue, with her clear, calm brow, is far above them still. Nor should any one be sorry that this law of growth is upon him, as though it were a curse; for it is only growth in or up to wrong things that makes it such. Hence the great thing, in our life, is not to shrink from this law, with coward fear, but to see to it that our growth, since we must grow, be towards all graceful, sublime, and beautiful things.

Very helpful, too, is it to remember that the laws that regulate and govern all material things in their growth, are precisely similar to those that govern the life and growth of the soul of man. We put our tiny seeds in the ground, and as soon as they find out where they are, they send out their little feelers and fibres, in all directions, to appropriate whatsoever is fitted for them, in the surrounding soil; and then presently, they lift their little faces above the dark ground to catch the blessed sunshine, that they may send it down, in thin sunbeams, to their roots, and so

grow beautiful and strong. So, too, is it with the soul of man, planted here for awhile: even the little child, with its large, hungry eyes, has already thrown round every picture in the house, and every scrap of toy, some little spiritual fibre, by which the wonderful soul, that lies behind and beneath those eyes, is being fed every day. Chiefly, however, are we influenced by other living souls, up to which, and by which, we inevitably grow. For there is no such thing as abstract growth in manhood without growth in men. We may not, perhaps, have intended it—may not have even known it, but some two or three men and women, perhaps children, in the world, have had nearly all to do with us, and our growth into or up to what

we are.

Children feel it most, and men would feel it more, if they were not so egotistical, that we want a copy, not a precept; an image, not a theory; an example, not a law; a hand of flesh and blood, a flashing eye, a pointing finger, a guiding foot, a speaking tongue, a throbbing heart: and the constant cry of the little child is rather "Show me how," than "Tell me how." And upon this principle all schools and universities, with their theological and other chairs and professorships, are founded; otherwise, they would all be grim, still libraries, and nothing more.

Who, then, shall be our Great-heart, into whom

we shall grow, and in whom our life shall be hid? Who, but He of whom Paul spake when he wrote of the coming to a "perfect manhood, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ"? Yes, He is our true Great-heart, and we are like little children to Him, whose "stature" is so lofty, above all the sons of men. Our true Great-heart, for He stands. not away from us in His greatness, nor above us in His fulness; but He comes near to us, and we feel how truly He is our very brother, as He tells us that He wants us to be as He is that He has come to help us to be so; and that this is everlasting life—to grow up into Him in all things.

"Mighty Lord! so high above us;
Loving Brother! all our own;
Who will help us, who will love us,

Like to Thee, who all hast known?

"Who so gentle to the sinners

As the soul that never fell?
Who so strong to make us winner

Of the height He won so well?”

We will go trustingly, then, to the loftiness of our elder brother Christ; for He is not lofty to make us fear, but He is mighty to lift us up and even His greatness should not make us afraid: nay, rather, His greatness shall make us all the more glad in Him,

as little children reckon upon their elder brother's strength and care.

Well for us, indeed, if we know that our trust in Him can in no wise fail us. Well for us if we have heard Him say to our inmost souls, 'Follow Me;" if He has revealed to us that such following of Him is "everlasting life."

THE VOICES OF THE LORD.

HEN Thou rebukest me for good,

W

My Father! tell me so

That I, in all Thy better way,
With willing heart may go.

And when Thy ways are in the deep—
Thy footsteps dimly known,
Still give me, Lord, e'en then to feel,
I am not left alone.

And when Thy Heavens shine on me,
O teach me what they say,—

How winsomely they ask my heart
To joy in God alway.

And when my tasks are sad and hard,
O teach me what they mean,-
How earnestly they ask my soul,
Alone on God to lean.

Thus every hour, and in all things,
May I my Father see;

And ever move with trustful heart,
And ever move towards Thee.

Then Faith shall teach my faltering heart,
That all Thy ways are right,

And give me courage all the day,
And music in the night.

M

LITTLE THINGS.

EN are, and must ever be, utterly at fault in stimating the greatness of a life, or the worth of any deed. We keep our records of great ones, and tell how much they have done to move and bless the world, but, all the while, in some hidden