beautiful clothes no one noticed at all, for they were quite overshadowed by the glittering robes beside her. And the angel said in a solemn tone: "O child, why take thought for raiment? Let your adorning be not that outward adorning of putting on of apparel, but let it be the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is, in the sight of God, of great price. Thus only can you grow like the Master."

Old Jerry, the cobbler, came next-poor, old, clumsy Jerry; but as he hobbled up the steps the angel's face fairly blazed with light, and he smiled on him, and led him to the rod; and behold! Jerry's measure was higher than any of the others. The angel's voice rang out so loud and clear that we all heard it, saying, "He that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Whosoever shall humble himself as a little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

And then, O, my name came next! And I trembled so I could hardly reach the angel, but he put his arm around me and helped me to stand by the rod. As soon as I had touched it, I felt myself growing shorter and shorter, and though I stretched and stretched, and strained every nerve, to be as tall as possible, I could only reach Lillian's mark-Lillian's, the lowest of all, and I a member of the church for two years! I grew crimson for shame, and whispered to the angel : “O give me another chance before you mark me in the book so low as this. Tell me how to grow; I will do it all so gladly, only do not put this mark down!"

The angel shook his head sadly: "The record must go down as it is, my child. May it be higher when I next come. This rule will help thee: 'Whatsoever thou doest, do it heartily, as to the Lord, in singleness of heart as unto Christ.' The same earnestness which thou throwest into other things will, with Christ's help, make thee to grow in grace!"

And with that I burst into tears, and I suddenly woke and found myself crying. But, O, I shall never forget that dream. I was so ashamed of my mark.-Delia Lyman Porter.

WORSHIP AND SERVICE

Adoration at the Throne, activity in the Temple, the worship of the heart, the worship of the voice, the worship of the hands,—the whole being consecrated and devoted to God,-those are the service of the upper Sanctuary. Here the flesh is often wearied with an hour of worship: there they rest not day and night, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was and is, and is to come." Here, a week will often see us weary in well-doing: there they are drawn on by its own deliciousness to larger and larger fulfilments of Jehovah's will. Here we must lure ourselves to work by the prospect of rest hereafter: there the toil is luxury, and the labor recreation; and nothing but jubilees of praise and holidays of higher service are wanted to diversify the long and industrious Sabbath of the skies.

I cannot be content with less than Heaven.-Bailey.

And he sang every night as he went to bed,

Let us be happy down here below,

The living should live though the dead be dead,”
Said the jolly old pedagogue, long ago.

He taught his scholars the rule of three,
Writing and reading and history, too;
He took the little ones up on his knee,
For a kind old heart in his breast had he,

And the wants of the littlest child he knew;
"Learn while you're young," he often said,
"There is much to enjoy down here below;
Life for the living, and rest for the dead!"
Said the jolly old pedagogue, long ago.
With the stupidest boys he was kind and cool,
Speaking only in gentlest tones;

The rod was scarcely known in his school,
Whipping, to him, was a barbarous rule,

And too hard work for his poor old bones;
Besides, it was painful, he sometimes said:

"We should make life pleasant down here below, The living need charity more than the dead," Said the jolly old pedagogue, long ago.

He lived in the house by the hawthorn lane,
With roses and woodbine over the door,
His rooms were quiet, and neat, and plain,
But a spirit of comfort held there reign,

And made him forget he was old and poor; "I need so little," he often said;

"And my friends and relatives here below, Won't litigate over me when I'm dead," Said the jolly old pedagogue, long ago.

He sat at his door, one midsummer night,
After the sun had sunk in the West,

And the lingering beams of golden light
Made his kindly old face look warm and bright;
While the odorous night wind whispered "Rest!"

Gently, gently, he bowed his head

There were angels waiting for him, I know; He was sure of happiness, living or dead, This jolly old pedagogue, long ago.

THE CITY BEAUTIFUL

Now I saw in my dream, that by this time the pilgrims were got over the Enchanted Ground; and entering into the country of Beulah, whose air was very sweet and pleasant, the way lying directly through it, they solaced themselves there for a season. Yea, here they heard continually the singing of birds, and saw every day the flowers appear in the earth, and heard the voice of the turtle in the land. In this country the sun shineth night and day: wherefore this was beyond the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and also out of the reach of Giant Despair; neither could they from this place so much as see Doubting Castle. Here they were within sight of the City they were going to: also here met them some of the inhabitants thereof; for in this land the shining ones commonly walked, because it was upon the borders of heaven.

The talk that they had with the shining ones was about the glory of the place; who told them, that the beauty and glory of it was inexpressible. There, said they, is "Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the innumerable company of angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect." You are going now, said they, to the paradise of God, wherein you shall see the tree of life, and eat of the never-fading fruits thereof: and when you come there, you shall have white robes given you, and your walk and talk shall be every day with the King, even all the days of eternity. There you shall not see again such things as you saw when you were in the lower region upon the earth; to wit, sorrow, sickness, affliction, and death; "for the former things are passed away." The men then asked, What must we do in the holy place? To whom it was answered, You must there receive the comfort of all your toil, and have joy for all your sorrow; you must reap what you have sown, even the fruit of all your prayers, and tears, and sufferings for the King by the way. In that place you must wear crowns of gold, and enjoy the perpetual sight and vision of the Holy One; for there you shall see him as he is." There also you shall serve him continually with praise. There you shall enjoy your friends again that are gone thither before you; and there you shall with joy receive even every one that follows into the holy place after you.

*

Now, when they were come up to the gate, there was written over, in letters of gold, Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.'

Then I saw in my dream that the shining men bid them call at the gate; the which when they did, some from above looked over the gate, to wit, Enoch, Moses, Elijah, etc.; to whom it was said, 'These pilgrims are come from the City of Destruction, for the love that they bear to the King of this place;' and then the pilgrims gave in unto them each man

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his certificate, which they had received in the beginning: those, therefore, were carried in to the King, who, when he had read them, said, 'Where are the men?' To whom it was answered, They are standing without the gate.' The King then commanded to open the gate, That the righteous nation,' said He, that keepeth truth, may enter in.'

Now, I saw in my dream that these two men went in at the gate; and lo, as they entered, they were transfigured, and they had raiment put on that shone like gold. There were also that met them with harps and crowns, and gave to them the harps to praise withal, and the crowns in token. of honor. Then I heard in my dream that all the bells in the city rang again for joy, and that it was said unto them, Enter ye into the joy of your Lord.' I also heard the men themselves, that they sang with a loud voice, saying, Blessing, honor, and glory, and power, be to Him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever.'

Now, just as the gates were opened to let in the men, I looked in after them, and behold the city shone like the sun; the streets, also, were paved with gold, and in them walked many men with crowns on their heads, palms in their hands, and golden harps, to sing praises withal.

There were also of them that had wings, and they answered one another without intermission, saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord." And after that they shut up the gates; which when I had seen, I wished myself among them.-Bunyan.

"

"GLASS MINGLED WITH FIRE"

What will heaven be? I find manifold fitness in the answer that tells us it shall be a sea of glass mingled with fire." Heaven will not be pure stagnation, not idleness, not any mere luxurious dreaming over the spiritual repose that has been safely and forever won; but active, tireless, earnest work; fresh, live enthusiasm for the high labors which eternity will offer. These vivid inspirations will play through our deep repose and make it more mighty in the service of God than any feverish and unsatisfied toil of earth has ever been. The sea of glass will be mingled with fire.

Here, too, we have the type and standard of that heavenliness of character which ought to be ripening in all of us now, as we are getting ready for that spiritual life. Surely, there is a very high and happy life conceivable, which very few of us attain, yet which our religion evidently intends for all of us. Calm and active; peaceful and yet thoroughly alive; resting always upon truth, but never sleeping on it for a moment; working always intensely, but serene and certain of results, never driven crazy by our work; grounded and settled, yet always moving forward in still but sure progress; always secure, yet always alert,-glass mingled with fire.-Phillips Brooks.