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MORNING HYMN ON EASTER-DAY.

need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, but the glory of God will lighten it, Rev. xxi. 23), and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes (Rev. vii. 17), and they shall eat of the tree of life, and live for ever.

This is the happiness promised to the faithful members of Christ's holy Catholic Church. "Christ is risen from the dead;" but never forget, my dear Ellen, that those only who live as Christians will have the comfort of His resurrection. He has opened the gate of everlasting life; but it is not enough that the gate is opened, if we do not walk in the way that leads to it; we must purify ourselves as He is pure, and set our affections on things above (see Epistle for the day), or heaven will be no place of happiness to us. Let us, therefore, pray, in the words of the Collect for this day," Almighty God, who through Thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech Thee, that, as by Thy special grace preventing [going before and assisting] us, Thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by Thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.”

A MORNING HYMN ON EASTER-DAY.

HARK! the shrill herald of the morn

Begins the sons of men to warn,

And bids them all arise,

To celebrate His great renown,
Who sends the light refulgent down,
To bless our longing eyes.

At this the fainting shadows die,
The powers of darkness swiftly fly
Before the morning star;

Pale trembling Murder dares not stay;
And fiends, abash'd at sight of day,
Back to their den repair.

'Tis this the weary sailor cheers, Who now no more the tempest hears, Which morning bids to cease:

O come that day spring from on high, When Discord shall with darkness fly, And all be light and peace!

'Twas this that drew repentant tears
From Peter, led by worldly fears
His Master to disown;

Warn'd by the monitor of day,
He cast the works of night away,
And sought th' abjured sun.

Whene'er the bird of dawning crows,
He tells us all how Peter rose,
And mark'd us out the road :
That each disciple might begin,
Awake, like him, from sleep and sin,
To think betimes on God.

Smote by the Eye that looks on all,
Let us, obedient to the call,

Arise to weep and pray;

Till mournful, as on sin we muse,
Faith, like an angel, tells the news-

"The Lord is risen to-day!"

BISHOP HORNE.

EASTER-DAY.

O DAY of days! shall hearts set free
No" minstrel-rapture" find for thee?
Thou art the sun of other days,
They shine by giving back thy rays:

Enthroned in thy sovereign sphere
Thou shedd'st thy light on all the year;
Sundays by thee more glorious break-
An Easter-day in every week.

And week-days following in their train,
The fulness of thy blessing gain;
Till all, both resting and employ,
Be one Lord's day of holy joy.

CHRISTIAN YEAR.

aus

I WAS very much pleased with the nice little note which you sent me yesterday in your papa's letter; and I write this to thank you for it, and to wish you joy of the

great pleasure which you had for the first time last Sunday. It is indeed a day to be remembered by you with joy and gratitude to the end of your life. I believe that you already understand a great deal of the blessing of being allowed to join in the public worship of God, — of praying to Him and praising Him in His holy house. The last time (and the first) you were taken to that holy house, you were carried there in your nurse's arms, for you were then but a little baby, and taken there to be made a Christian. Since that time God has kept you from all dangers, has given you kind friends to watch over your helpless infancy, and to teach you as much as you can understand of heavenly things; and now He has permitted you to worship Him in His holy church. This blessing will seem greater to you, as you grow older and understand it better, but I am sure that even now you feel how very wrong it is to behave badly at church; as, I am sorry to say, I have seen some poor little children behave, looking about, and not attending to the service, or trying to join in it. I have always felt very sorry for them, thinking that they could not have been taught, what a sacred and solemn place the house of God is. It was consecrated, or made holy, and set apart for His worship by the Bishop. In it are performed all the most solemn services in which a Christian takes part. Soon after he is born into the world, and while he is yet too young to know or understand the great things which are done for him, he is taken to church, baptized with water from the font, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and washed clean by the Holy Spirit of God, of which the