instant destruction? Yet it was the command of God, and therefore right, and obedience to it was the only way of safety. (Read Isaiah xliii. 2, 3.) Ver. 19.-" And the angel of God which went before the camp," &c.The pillar of cloud by day, and of fire by night, was the shekinah, the symbol of the Divine presence; nor was there a symbol only, but the actual presence of Jehovah, the Son of God, who is here said to be" the angel of God." He was "the angel" who conversed with Abraham, and who is called "Jehovah" (Genesis xviii. 1, 13, 17, 33). He was the angel who blessed wrestling Jacob, and who redeemed him from all evil (Genesis xxxii. 30; xlviii. 16; Hosea, xii. 3, 4). He of whom the prophet Isaiah speaks as the angel of the Divine presence, "who, in his pity and love, redeemed the people" (Isaiah lxiii. 9). It is worthy of note that an Egyptian chronologer bears testimony to the pillar of fire; for he affirms, "it is said, that fire flashed against them (the pursuing Egyptians) in front." How remarkable are these ancient heathen testimonies! Ver. 21.-" The Lord caused the sea to go back."-Attempts have been made to resolve this miracle into a natural event, by supposing that a strong wind (called the Etesian wind) drove back the waters at a shallow part, and so the people passed over. But no mere wind, however violent, could of itself so divide the waters as to make them stand up like a solid wall on both sides of the passage. The wind alone could no more effect this than the clay which Jesus put on the blind man's eyes caused him to see; it was the miraculous power of God. Bruce, the celebrated traveller, when on the spot, and examining the place, confesses the dividing of the sea to be the effect of God's miraculous power. He justly says, "If we believe in God, that He made the sea, we must believe He could divide it, when He sees proper reason; and of that reason He must be the only judge. It is no greater miracle to divide the Red Sea than to divide the river Jordan." It is worthy of note, that this event is also recorded in the annals of a heathen historian; for Diodorus, in Book III., page 122, says "The Troglodytes, the inhabitants of that very spot, had a tradition from father to son, from their very earliest ages, that once this division of the sea did happen there; and that, leaving its bottom some time dry, the sea again came back, and covered it with great fury. sacred pages she often pored with becoming reverence and pleasure. Her sweet voice was often used in the praise of her dear Redeemer : One of her favourite hymns, was Though often here we're weary, &c. Another, in which she seemed to have taken special delight, and which she often sung during her illness, I want to be an angel, and with the angels stand, &c. Her mother often sung to her that beautiful hymn which begins with the words Jesus is our Shepherd, wiping every tear, &c. On one occasion, when her mother was singing it to her, and after repeating the words "what have we to fear?" she said, "nothing, mother; nothing." That she had an interest in the Saviour's blood, we have no doubt; but one day, her mind becoming unsettled on this subject, she sent for her kind teacher to pray with her. When he came she told him that she was afraid God had not pardoned all her sins. But when he had prayed with her, however, she said, 66 now I feel better." Never, after that time, did she express a fear on the subject; on the contrary, she gave ample and satisfactory proof that she was a true subject of God's renewing grace. More than once, with becoming modesty, though in a manner, and in terms more like one of riper years, she exhorted her parents and others to attend the chapel, and to be faithful to their other religious duties. She did not forget her little companions. On one occasion she caused four of them to be brought to her bedside, that she might sing to them, and distribute amongst them the little prizes she had won at the Sunday. school. From the beginning of her illness, until she closed her eyes in death, she never complained, nor even once expressed a wish to live. She seemed, indeed, not only resigned, but almost wishful to die. To her, death had no terrors; her Saviour had graciously prepared her mind for her solemn change. Her little pale cheeks, with their occasionally hectic flush, and the gradual wasting of her frame, too plainly told that the treacherous disease, consumption, which robs so many families of their most precious treasures, was the one under which she was languishing. In her suffering there was nothing violent. She seemed more like one that was going to be an angel, than about to become a prey to worms. Her death was very peace. ful; like the closing of a bright summer day so she died. Just before she breathed her last she was seen to make several efforts to raise her arm, which for some hours had appeared to be lifeless; at length she raised it, and, with her last remaining strength, slowly waved it several times round her head. It then fell by her side, never again to move, until it is raised to wave the palm of victory before the Throne. Her teacher had requested her to give this sign when about to depart, if she felt happy. Though she is not now an angel, as she often wished to be, yet she is amongst the angels. In robes of innocence and love, OLDHAM, 20th Nov. 1863. T. Our Children's Portion. "I should like to know," said Howard Colby, why Joe Green never comes out here to eat his dinner with the rest of us, but always sneaks off somewhere till we all get through ?" "I dare say he brings so many good things he is afraid we shall rob him," said another. 66 "Pooh!" said Will Brown, throwing himself back upon the grass, more likely he doesn't bring anything at all. I heard my father say the family must be badly pinched since Mr. Green was killed; and mother said she did not pity them, for folks had no business to be poor and proud." Well," said Sam Merrill, "I know Mary Green asked my mother to let her have her plain sewing to do; but then folks do that sometimes that arn't very poor." a peep into his basket, and then be in season for the roll-call." The boys agreed to this, all but Ned Collins, who had sat quietly eating his dinner, and taking no part in the conversation. Now he simply remarked, as he brushed the crumbs from his lap, "I can't see what fun there will be in that, and it looks real mean and sneaking to me. I'm sure it's none of our business what Joe brings for dinner, or where he goes to eat it." "You're always such a granny, Ned Collins," said Will Brown, con temptuously. "You've got every one of your old Aunt Sally's notions." Ned could not bear to be laughed at, and it made him a little angry to hear his kind old aunt sneered at, but his eyes only flashed for a minute, and then he sprang up, shouting, "Now, boys, for a football!" and in five minutes the whole play-ground was in an uproar of fun and frolic. The next morning, at the first stroke of the bell, a half-dozen roguish faces peeped into the schoolroom, and, sure enough, there was Joe Green, busily plying his pencil over the problems of his algebra lesson. It was but the work of a minute to hurry into the little clothes-room, and soon the whole group were pressing round Will Brown, as he held the mysterious basket in his hand. Among them, in spite of the remonstrance of yesterday, was Ned Collins, with his fine face fairly crimsoned with shame, or something else. We shall see. "It's big enough to hold a day's rations for a regiment," said Howard Colby, as Will pulled out a nice white napkin. Next came a whole newspaper-a large one, too -and then in the bottom of the basket, was one poor little cold potato! This was all. Will held it up with a comical grimace, and the boys laughed and cheered as loudly as they dared in the school-house. "See here, Howard! Let's throw it away, and fill the basket up with coal and things; it will be such fun to see him open it." The boys agreed, and the basket was soon filled, and the napkin placed carefully on the top: and before the bell commenced tolling, they were on their way downstairs. Ned Collins was the last one to leave the room; and no sooner did the last head disappear, than, quick as a flash, he emptied the coal into the box again, replaced the paper, and half filled the basket, large as it was, with the contents of the bright tin pail that Aunt Sally was delighted to store with dainties for her darling's dinner. Ned was in his seat almost as soon as the rest, and through the forenoon he looked and felt as guilty as the others, as he saw the sly looks and winks that were exchanged among them. Noon came, and there was the usual rush to the clothes-room for dinnerbaskets; but instead of going into the yard, the boys lingered about the door and hall. Straight by them marched Ned Collins, with his pail on his arm. "Hallo, Ned!" said Sam Merrill, "where are you going now?" "Home," said Ned, laughing, "I saw Aunt Sally making a chicken pie this morning, and they can't cheat me out of my share." "Ask me to go, too," shouted Howard Colby; but just at that moment they spied Joe Green carrying his basket into the school room. "I should think he will suspect something," whispered Will; "that coal must be awfully heavy." on his Joe disappeared in the school. room, and the curious eyes that peeped through the cracks of the door were soon rewarded by seeing him open his basket. "Hope his dinner won't lie hard stomach," whispered Howard Colby. But apparently Joe only wished to get his paper to read, for he took it by the corner and pulled, but it was fast. He looked in, in surprise, and then in a sort of bewildered way, took out a couple of Aunt Sally's great crispy doughnuts, then one of the delicious round pies he had so often seen in Ned's handsbread and butter, and such honey as nobody's bees but hers ever made, and the plump, white breast of a chicken. It was a dinner fit for a king, so poor Joe thought, and so the boys thought, as they peeped, wondering, from their hiding-place. But Joe did not offer to taste it: he only sat there, and looked at it with a pale face, over which the tears began presently to flow fast. Then he laid his head on his desk, and Freddy Wilson, one of the smallest of the boys, whispered, "I suppose he's praying;" so they all stole away to the playground without speaking another word. "That's some of Ned Collins's work," said Will Brown, after a while; "it's just like him." "I am glad of it, any way," said Sam Merrill. "I have felt as mean all the forenoon as if I had been robbing a hen-roost. The Greens are not to blame for having cold potatoes to eat, and I don't wonder Joe didn't want all us fellows to know it." "I like Joe Green best of any boy in the school," said little Freddy Wilson; "and I think it was too bad to try and make fun of him." thought," said Will Brown, fiercely; "wait till your opinion is called for." The little boy looked very meek, and ate his dinner in silence; but the fact was, Will Brown began to feel himself uncomfortable. "Father says, Mr. Green was the bravest man in the company," said Sam Merrill; "and he wouldn't have been killed, only he thought of every one else before himself." "I tell you what, boys," said good-natured Tom Granger, "I move and second that we are all ashamed of ourselves. All in favour of this motion, will signify it by giving three cheers for Ned Collins. There he comes this minute, brimful of chicken pie." The boys sprang to their feet, and swinging their caps in the air, gave three hearty cheers for Ned Collins; and even Will Brown joined in the chorus with as loud an "hurrah" as any of them. Sam Merrill explained the whole matter to Ned, and he only said in reply, "I've often heard Aunt Sally say that it was a poor kind of fun that must be earned by hurting somebody's feelings,' and what Aunt Sally says is almost always so." "A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM." A SOLDIER in a European army, whose life and conduct were anything but Christian, was brought to Jesus in a singular way, which may serve to illustrate the truth, "A little child shall lead them." He was quartered some weeks, in the winter, with a pious farmer and his family. They were kind and hospitable, and truly religious. His first meal in that house made an impression upon his mind. Before eating, the parents, children, and farm servants, each stood behind a chair, and bowed the head while the father asked a blessing. After they had eaten, all did the same, and the father returned thanks. All went to their occupations, the children to school, except Johnny, the youngest. The soldier sat down after dinner, gazing from the window on the surrounding objects, feeling impressed with this thought-these people love God. While thus meditating, the little boy came up lovingly, looked into his eyes, and said, "Tell me something about the dear Jesus." Rather startled at the request, he began talking about dogs, horses, cows, and other things. When he stopped, the little one looked into his face again, and said, "Do tell me something about Jesus." Somewhat ashamed, the soldier replied, "I don't know anything about him." Johnny, much surprised at the answer, replied, "And you so big, and don't know anything about Jesus Christ? If you don't love him and serve him, when you die you won't go to heaven." The soldier could not reply. This was an arrow from God. He felt miserable. He soon left the house, and joined his comrades in the village. In vain he tried to forget the child's words. "And you so big, and don't know anything about Jesus." He lingered till dusk, and returned to the farm-house, hoping that he might avoid the praying. The careful wife had reserved his supper, and as he sat down to the table, his little friend said, "Pray first, then eat." Quite discomfited by this rebuke, he laid down his knife and fork, not knowing what to do. The little fellow, seeing his embarrassment, folded his hands and asked God's blessing on the soldier's supper. Strange thoughts passed through his mind while he was eating. When the table was cleared, all the family were seated for evening worship, and each one was supplied with a Bible. All united in reading |