you, as the writer did, feel your need of a guide? if so Jesus says in accents sweet, "Follow me." We repeat the question, What is implied in following Christ? 2. A desertion of the world. No one can follow Christ whose care is for the world. Like Bunyan's Pilgrim, we must flee from the city of destruction. What are architecture, painting, commerce, literature, compared with Christ? What are earth's pleasures, vanities, pyramids of gold, splendid dreams, noble plans, and great schemes, compared with the Pearl of price? Earth is evanescentFor "the world passeth away, and the lust thereof." 1 John ii. 17. Oh! then, run after Jesus-follow in the ways of His commands-lay aside every weight that would hinder-take off the coat of worldliness-the butterfly clothing of vanity, and the rags of old associations. Come out from the world, and openly, heartily, cheerfully, devotedly, avow your resolution, by connection with the church, and by consistency of deportment, to follow Him who says, "Follow me." Once more What is implied in following Christ? 3. A belief in Christ. How precious is saving faith! Without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith brought me from the pit of horror, placed me on the road to heaven. By faith I live. By faith I follow. Faith hears a voice from yonder temple, which says, "Arise ye and depart, for this is not your rest." A house not made with hands raises its turrets before the vision of my faith. The spirits of departed saints already inhabit it: they wait to receive me; they long for my arrival; they prepare to cry unto me that my warfare is accomplished. A little longer and the fading visions of time shall float in broken images before my closing eyes. The sun dips below the horizon. The shadows of evening are coming. The voice of God calls. Angels beckon. Earth recedes. Time vanishes. Eternal glory is near. Arise, let us go hence." "Follow me.' Thus, dear youths, may we live, following by faith, till following days are over. Faith! 66 "Fixed on a prize of greater worth, It views with scorn the things of earth." Secondly, When are we to follow Christ ?-Why, now' to be sure! 1. In the days of youth. "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth." "I love them that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me." The mind of Solomon was deeply impressed in declining life with the importance of this subject. He then, doubtless, re flected on the follies of his youth, and the degeneracy of his manhood, which occasioned bitter repentance and agony of spirit. There is no wonder that he should address with so much pathos his son Rehoboam, "Let not thine heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long." Of course he felt it was better and easier to seek the Lord in the days of youth than in declining years. God takes delight in the consecration of the young to His service: as for instance Samuel, David, Josiah, Nehemiah, John, Timothy, and thousands who are now living, could testify. "He never said to the seed of Jacob, seek ye my face in vain." Oh! no, thanks be given to His name. 66 Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation." All agencies are employed for your inducement. A thousand voices ring out. "Be ye followers of us, even as we are of Christ Jesus." And, above all, our scholars may bow the listening ear, and catch the Saviour's voice, in tones of clearness and distinctness, "Follow me." When are we to follow Christ? Now. Why? 2. Because we may not live to be old. O! how many have died in infancy; and thousands die in youth and young manhood. Some of our loved brothers and sisters, and school-fellows, are dead. You remember standing_by that couch on which your dying sister was laid. You saw death waging war; a terrible earnestness was in his method. He smote youth, and beauty, and tenderness, and then mocked the ruin he was making. You heard the noise of his passing wheels, as he chilled the dying one by the rushing of his wings, nipping with his pestilential breath, till the flickering flame was extinguished. And as the white sheet was drawn over the dead one, your nature shuddered, your knees smote, your lips quivered, your eyes gushed with tears; and as you turned to leave, this thought went down deep into your heart, I, too, may shortly die." Yes, truly you may! Life is short, death is certain, and in its arrival very uncertain. Oh, then, haste for pardon, and follow Jesus! who says now, even now, "Follow me." "Great God, now condescend To bless our rising race; Soon may their willing spirits bend Lastly, The blessed results of following Jesus. 1. Pardon and peace. Man is guilty before God, deserving hell and eternal banishment. But by finding Christ, and believing on Him, his guilt is cancelled, his sins are pardoned; a new song is put in his mouth, and peace and pardon are breathed through his soul. Hark! bow he sings My troubled conscience He has eased; Perhaps some are saying, Are all these blessings to be enjoyed by following Jesus? We experimentally answer, Yes, oh, yes! And not only do we obtain pardon and peace by following Jesus, but 2. Joy and victory in death, and everlasting life in the world to come. The sinner having realised salvation, continuing to follow Jesus through honour and dishonour, evil report and good report, till the journey of life closes, enters the valley peaceful and victorious. His parting charge is, Follow Jesus." And then over the gloom of the departing spirit the radiance of faith is thrown, and heaven is uncurtained to his vision. Then the soul 66 "Flies to her seat in that blest car, Which angel troops have brought from far." Arriving under the light of God's throne-it is received amidst loud hallelujahs, and crowned with glory, immortality, and everlasting life. Such are the life and death of the true followers of Jesus. God for Christ's sake make us such. One word more, and then I have done. Dear, dear, young people, whither are you going? whom are you following? I dare not presume to say you are all following Jesus-for you are not a great many of you are living after the course of this world. Oh! can you bear the thought of living without Christ? dying without hope? No, no, you cannot. Presuming then you feel your need of Christ; feel sorry on account of sin, and likewise a desire to be the Lord's in future, I ask you, Will ye also be His disciples? "Yea," says Jesus, "Follow me." Lord help you. Amen. A BEGGAR. ABOUT five or six years ago, says a gentleman, while passing through a meadow, I observed a beggar, who appeared to bend with the weight of years, having a bag on his back, containing, I suppose, his kettle, &c., on the top of which was a bundle of sticks. After walking a short distance he frequently paused, as if tired or afflicted. When I overtook him I mildly accosted him, and said, "Well, my friend, where do you think you shall be in twenty years time?" He stopped immediately, fixed his eyes upon me, and after a short interval, replied, "In heaven, I hope, sir." "In heaven!" I rejoined; "why do you hope you shall be in heaven?" "Because I hope I shall." "But," said I," you know there are two kinds of hope spoken of in the Scriptures-the hope of the hypocrite, which perisheth, and the hope of the righteous, which is an anchor of the soul. Which hope of the two is yours?" "Why, faith is a great thing, sir; is it not ?" "Yes, faith is certainly very important.". "To be born again is a great thing too; is it not?" "Yes, to be born again is a very great thing; but," 1 continued, "where did you get all this knowledge." "I will tell you," said he. 66 About nine or ten years ago I was begging for something at one of the houses in the Royal-crescent, at Brighton. After waiting for some time, as no one gave me anything, I turned and walked away; a servant then came after me, and said that a lady had sent me a penny and a little tract, which she desired I would read. It was that little book, sir, which taught me about faith, and about being born again." "What was the name of the tract?" 666 A Dialogue between a Traveller and Yourself;' and such was the effect, sir, which this little book had on me, that I learned every word of it by heart." "Can you repeat it now? Let me hear you." After repeating a small portion of it, his shortness of breath prevented his proceeding any further. "Sir," said he, "I have got an asthma, and cannot get on." Wishing much to ascertain the truth of his statement, I asked him to call upon me another day, and repeat the contents of the tract, to which he readily consented. Before we parted, he said, "Sir, I wish you would give me some prayers.' 66 Give you some prayers!" I replied; "you do not find any difficulty in supplicating for a supply of your temporal wants at persons' doors; cannot you ask the Lord to give you spiritual blessings in the same way? "Yes, but my prayers are so sinful, I am afraid the Lord will not hear me." I endeavoured to explain to him the nature of prayer, and how the Lord would accept the prayers of sinful creatures like ourselves, through the mediation of a Saviour. However, I promised to give him some prayers when he called. In two or three days after he came to my residence, when having in my possession the tract before specified, my dear wife and myself heard him repeat the whole of it, both questions and answers, without missing, I believe a single word, although he was, as he informed me, and I have no doubt of the fact, eighty-two years of age. I now examined him respecting his general views of religion, which I found to be correct, and which, he informed me, he had gathered entirely from this tract. He told me that he was a mason by trade, and that the tract was given to him not long after he became unable to work. After providing him with some prayers he departed, promising to call on me again when he came into these parts. I have not seen him since. It is probable that he soon afterwards died; and if so, we may hope that he is ascribing salvation to God and the Lamb, among the countless number who surround the throne of glory, acknowledging that little messenger of mercy, a tract, as the instrumental cause of his salvation. Sent by W. J. RICKETTS. ON PRAYER. I OFTEN say my prayers; Or do the wishes of my heart Dictate the words I say? 'Tis useless to implore, Unless I feel my need, Unless 'tis from a sense of want, That all my prayers proceed. I may as well kneel down, |