call his reply to Cromwell's angry speech, ' My lord justice, you are not fit to be a judge.' Hale had refused to lend himself to some arbitrary action, and his only answer to the Protector's words was, 'Please your highness, it is very true.' His great, upright soul was crowned with humility; and a source of many of the hard answers which create life's angry altercations is pride.

On merely worldly ground there is great wisdom in soft answers; for the speaker is so apt to win the day, and gain his own object in the end. De Quincey tells of himself, that when travelling once on the roof of a coach, he fell asleep from weariness and weakness, being at the time in bad health, and lurched against another passenger, who awoke him with much surliness, and complained morosely of this invasion of his comfort. De Quincey apologized, said he was unwell, but would do what he could to avoid falling asleep for the future. Nature would not be coerced, however, and he was soon slumbering again; when he felt the arm of his surly neighbor passed around him to prevent his falling, and in all the stages of his journey thereafter he acted with the tenderness of a woman toward the invalid.

Much practical philosophy lies in the saying of one little boy to another, 'Don't speak so cross; there's no use in it.' Truly no use for anything beneficial or pleasant, but much use for the inflaming of discord and establishment of malice. Especially in domestic life is the sharp answer one of Satan's choice engines for the creation of all uncharitableness. And those who can refrain from it under provocation have achieved a great victory over themselves. One of the most tried and most holy women who ever acted thus was described by her celebrated son, Augustine: 'She had learned not to resist an angry husband; not in deed, only, but even in word. Only when he was smooth and tranquil she would give an account of her actions, if haply he had taken offence. In a word, while many matrons, who had milder husbands would, in familiar talk, blame their husbands' lives, she would blame those wives' tongues. And they, knowing what a choleric husband she endured, marvelled that it could never be perceived that Patricus had beaten her, or there had been any domestic difference between them.' And how closely the meek spirit is allied to that of the peace-maker in the next beatitude we may gather from Augustine's further words: This great gift also thou bestowedst, O my God, on that good handmaid of thine, that, between any discordant parties, when hearing on both sides most bitter things, such as swelling and undigested choler causes to break forth, she never would disclose aught but what would tend to their own reconcilement.' Short-lived would be the strifes of the world did everybody act like Monica.

There are a few sweet, placid tempers to whom the 'soft answer' comes comparatively easy; but with most persons, it must be the fruit of resolute self-control and self-conquest of a habit of mind produced by watchfulness and prayer. One can sympathize with the passionate school-boy who, pondering on this subject, asked another, What soft thing is very hard?' and explained his meaning thus, 'If it is not a hard thing for a fellow to give a soft answer when he's right down vexed, then I don't know where you will find anything that's hard.'

But, if the school-boy learns the lesson, the man will have less difficulty in putting it into use. "The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water,' and the soft answer will always enable us to fulfil the following injunction: Leave off contention before it be meddled with.' Yet how easily we justify ourselves in this wrong-doing, prompted by the demon, Pride! How quickly does the sharp retort leap to the lips, how clever we deem ourselves when the thrust (probably as poisoned as we could make it) has been given! We do not remember that this, like other human temptations, was met and conquered by our Great Exemplar; we do not consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners. against Himself, who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not,' although the twelve legions of angels stood ready at His call.”

NOT THE GIFT, BUT THE MOTIVE.

How often do the humble and poor hesitate to bring their offerings to the Lord, because they are so very small! Let such remember, for their encouragement, that the Master regards not so much the gift in itself, as the motive of the gift. This is most happily illustrated by the following anecdote:

A poor Arab travelling in the desert met with a spring of clear, sweet, sparkling water. Accustomed as he was to brackish wells, to his simple mind it appeared that such water as this was worthy of a monarch; and filling his leathern bottle from the spring, he determined to go and present it to the caliph himself!

The poor man travelled a considerable distance before he reached the presence of his sovereign, and laid his humble offering at his feet.

The caliph did not despise the little gift brought to him with so much trouble. He ordered some of the water to be poured into a cup, drank it, and thanking the Arab with a smile, ordered him to be presented with a reward. The courtiers around pressed forward, eager to taste of the wonderful water; but, to the surprise of all, the caliph forbade them to touch a single drop.

After the poor Arab had quitted the royal presence with a light and joyful heart, the caliph turned to his courtiers, and thus explained the motives of his conduct: "During the travels of the Arab," said he, "the water in his leathern bottle had become impure and distasteful. But it was an offering of love, and as such I have received it with pleasure. But I well knew that had I suffered another to partake of it, he would not have concealed his disgust; and therefore I forbade you to touch the draught, lest the heart of the poor man should have been wounded." In such love will our Lord receive our poor gifts.

LONG SERMONS.

The speaker's time should be measured out by wisdom. If he is destitute of discretion, and forget the circumstances of his auditors, he will annoy them more than a little. In one house the

pudding is burning, in another the child is needing its mother, and in the third a servant is due in the family; the extra quarter of an hour's prosiness puts all out of order. A country hearer once said to his pastor, "When you go on beyond half-past four in the afternoon service, do you know what I always think about?" "No," said the orator. "Well, then, I will tell you plainly, it is not what you are preaching, but about my cows. They want milking, and you ought to have consideration for them, and not to keep them waiting. How would you like it if you was a cow?" This last remarkable inquiry suggested a good deal of reflection in the mind of the divine to whom it was proposed, and perhaps it may have a similar beneficial effect upon others who ought to confess their long preachings as among the chief of their short-comings.

In general, a great sermon is a great evil. Length is the enemy of strength. The delivery of a discourse is like the boiling of an egg; it is remarkably easy to overdo it, and so to spoil it. You may physic a man till you make him ill, and preach to him till you make him wicked. From satisfaction to satiety there is but a single step; a wise preacher never wishes his hearers to pass it. Enough is as good as a feast, and better than too much.-Spurgeon.

As ships meet at sea, a moment together, when words of greeting must be spoken, and then away upon the deep, so men meet in this world; and I think we should cross no man's path without hailing him, and, if he needs, giving him supplies.-Beecher.

The Sunday- School Drawer.

THE difficulty in life is the same as the difficulty in grammar-to know when to make the exceptions to the rule.—Arthur Helps

THERE is an irresistible eloquence in that show of real Christ love that we find in some men and women. They melt us as silently as the sun melts the snow, and as irresistibly.

THE New Testament contains about 365 direct quotations from the Old Testament, besides nearly 375 indirect references and allusions. The quotations are taken from twenty-two books of the Old Testament, and are to be found in seventeen of the books in the New. Psalms and Proverbs are each quoted seventy-two times, and Isaiah fifty-eight. The frequency and the character of these quotations are such as to preclude the possibility of accepting some of these books of the Bible as the revealed will of God, while rejecting the remainder.-Sunday School World.

THE END OF THE WORLD.-To thousands this is no fiction-no illusion of an overheated imagination. To-day, to-morrow, every day to thousands, the end of the world is close at hand. And why should we fear it? We walk here, as it were, in the crypts of life; at times, from the great cathe dral above us, we can hear the organ and the chanting of the choir; we see the light stream through the open door when some friend goes up before us; and shall we fear to mount the narrow staircase of the grave, that leads out of this uncertain twilight into the serene mansions of the life eternal? — Longfellow

"FOLLOW COPY."-A short time since, a lad in the printing office received from his master a list of Scripture questions and answers to be set up and printed. In the progress of the work, the lad turned aside and asked the foreman if he must follow copy;' that is, set it up just as it was "Why not?"

written.

"Certainly," said the foreman

"Because this copy is not like the Bible, and it professes to be the language of that book.'

"How do you know that it is not like the Bible?"

"Why, I learned some of these proofs at a Sunday-school ten years ago, and I know that two of them are not like the Bible."

"Well, then, do not follow copy, but set them up as they are in the Bible." The lad got the Bible, and made it the "copy," his guide and pattern. "Follow copy," children, wherever you find it according to the Bible. Through all your life make the Bible your one copy.-Little Watchman.

A CELEBRATED writer says that if one could read it, every human being carries his life in his face, and is good-looking or the reverse, as that life has been good or evil.

WE should act with as much energy as if we expected everything for ourselves; and we should pray with as much earnestness as if we expected everything from God.

THE time to address men on the subject of personal religion should be well chosen. Never approach them for that purpose when they are fretted or worried by other affairs. Take them alone. Choose an hour when their hearts are most likely to be tender; speak as a friend, not as a superior or as an adviser. There must be an adaptation of means to ends. Some people try to persuade their neighbors to seek Christ in the same business-like way in which they set themselves to promote a church fair, and wonder at their want of success.-Congregationalist.

THE "THY WILL BE DONE" Spirit.--Susie wanted to join a picnic; she wanted to go very much indeed. Her mother knew it. She was sorry not to let her go; but there were good reasons why Susie should stay away. Susie asked her mother, and her mother said:

Mrs. Barnes expected to see a sorrowful disappointment in her daughter's face; instead of which she bounded away, singing merrily as she went.

"I was afraid of seeing you grievously disappointed," said her mother, much relieved by her daughter's behaviour.

"I have got the Thy will be done' spirit in my heart, dear mother,” said the child sweetly. It is a spirit which would wipe away many a tear.

A DETROIT newspaper tells this pretty little story: A boy about ten years of age, leading a lively little dog, called at the central station and asked if that was the place where they shot dogs. Being answered in the affirmative, he said: "Well, please shoot my poor little Dan. He's an awful good dog, and he plays with the baby all day, but father's deaf, and mother's sick, and I can't raise money to get a license." Then turning to the dog the boy lifted him up tenderly and stroked him, saying: "Poor Dan! how Billy will cry when I tell him you are dead!" Great big tears rolled down the boy's face, and in a li tle time those around him made up a purse sufficient to save his dog, and a person went with him after the license. The boy's eyes fairly sparkled at his unexpected luck, and speaking to the dog he cried out: You're saved, Dan! You're saved; let's go right home to Billy!"

"I CAN'T REACH THE BRAKE."--Gordon was one of the most celebrated drivers on the Pacific coast. He could handle a coach-and-six to perfection. But he was not less celebrated for his profanity than his excellent driving. Indeed, swearing seemed to be a passion with him, and we never shall know in this world how many younger drivers he trained to the same awful sin. One day another driver being questioned as to the cause of so much profanity among stage drivers, replied very indifferently, "O, Gordon, does it, and so we all swear professionally." Gordon's end was a sad one. Just before he breathed his last, he suddenly began clutching at the bedclothes, and reaching down with his feet as if in search of something to rest them on. His wife asked the dying man the cause of his trouble. Oh," said he, “I'm going down a terrible grade, and I can't reach the brake." Ah, that "terrible grade" that opens before the dying eyes of the ungodly.