Each day of this new year will have its appointed work for Him, if we will only give ourselves the trouble to find it, and the pains to perform it. Let this new year be one of more prayer. Oh, we need more prayer! This is the great secret of the Christian's success. This it is which has made Christians in all ages of the world great in action, great in holiness, and great in love. Prayer will bring down all strength and grace to the soul. Prayer will remove all anxious worldly care which presse down the heart and unfits it either for earthly or heavenly work. Prayer will bring you near to your Lord, and give you sweet communings with Him. Prayer will help you over all manner of difficulties, and carry you through strong temptations. Prayer will fill your heart with all holy desires and affections. Prayer may bring into the fold of grace some careless friend of ours, in whom we take a deep interest. Yea, the united prayer of the Church may bring Christ's second coming here before the year ends. Therefore let this year be a year of much and increased prayer; that at the close of it we may be able to look back in wonder and to say, "What hath God wrought!" And if any one reads this whose conscience tells him (though he may not own it) that he is not ready for death and the judgment, oh, let us entreat him, by the mercy of Christ and his own soul's happiness, to "seek the Lord while He may be found, and to call upon Him while He is near." Christ calls him now once more; let him at once answer that call. Let him find Christ's words to be true, that He will give him peace and rest to his soul. And so, if the year's end do not see him safe in glory, at least let it see his soul safe in Christ's fold on earth. LIGHT ON THE SEA. vants and children having expressed their desire that all might go together, as it was a fine day and the sea remarkably still, the parents consented that the two infants should accompany their nurses. While Mr. Smith was in London, the remaining parents took a drive in their carriage; not, as it has been currently reported, to the races at Little Hampton, for both families, for religious and other reasons, had strong aversion to those amusements; but as they drove in that direction it was supposed that the racecourse was their destination. "At about half-past two the children and servants entered the boat, with two men to man "The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.' (Job i. 21.) On the 26th August, 1858, between two and three in the afternoon, twenty-one persons, consisting of nine adults and twelve children, entered a sailing vessel opposite Worthing, to enjoy the benefit and pleasure of a sea breeze. For two hours the sea was remarkably calm, but sud-age it. Jacob Tester, the denly a gust of wind came upon the boat, and four adults and nine children were cast into the sea and were drowned. Five of these dear children belonged to one family, three to another, and one to another. The sufferings of the parents, who on the morning of that day had beheld them all joyous and healthy, but after a few hours saw the same children pale with death, and disfigured by the shingle of the beach, can be better imagined than described. "Yet mercy was mingled with the dispensation: one child of the two families was spared, as a pledge of God's kindness, and to awaken gratitude in the midst of anguish.' It appears that before this time the infants had scarcely ever been separated from the mothers even for a short period; the ser We younger of the two boatmen, in "In this perilous situation did this youth of nineteen stand for nearly a quarter of an hour with Emma Sands under his arm, George Torr clinging to his shoulder, with one hand grasping Tester's hair, and with the other holding on to his guernsey, shrieking to a distant boat's crew, 'Sailor, come here! Sailor, here! Sailor, save us! O save us!'-three female servants clinging to him in front, and the coachman's wife, with her infant, hanging on him behind, all uttering piercing cries for help. Finding his consciousness leaving him, and his guernsey tightening round his neck, threatening strangulation, he requested the coachman's wife to relinquish her grasp; but her own life and that of her infant were too precious, and, at the risk of sacrificing Tester's life, she held on, and thereby saved herself and her child. 6 "The crew of the Fairy happily saw the accident, and rowed off to the drowning group. When the Fairy neared the small vessel, sailor-like, the men, to cheer the desponding, cried, Hold on a minute or two, and we will take you off.' But in order to save them, she was obliged to pass the mast to which they were clinging, and to go round to the other side. The agony of those few moments was almost insupportable. Oh, aunt,' said little Emma Smith, when I saw the boat pass from us, I thought then we should be lost; and, though I saw Tester was almost dead, I could not let go. Mercifully, the boat came alongside before Tester fell, and the eight souls were saved. But thirteen sank-nine children and four adults and were drowned. "It was stated on the inquest that the ropes to slacken the sail ought to have been held instead of fastened, and that another man should have been on board to assist. Perhaps nautically this was required, but it is useless to speculate. The same boat which had carried twentyeight adults in charge of the same hands, in a rougher sea, might be considered capable of holding twenty-one adults and children in a smooth sea, if, as Tester describes it, that unexpected and almost unexampled whirlwind had not screwed her down. "Observe, Job does not say, 'The Lord gave, and the Sabeans took away; the Lord gave, and the lightning took away; the Lord gave us children, and the tornado swept them away,' but, 6 The Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!' so that a thank-offering can be presented to God for the removal as well as the donation of children. drawback sometimes springs up in a parent's heart from the supposition that the departed have arrived at the age at which responsibility commences. This is a point which no one can decide. The Judge of all the earth in that respect will do right. He will take into consideration the opportunities, instructions, and privileges each one has had, and decide to the satisfaction of all. If such a lingering anxiety could have existed in the minds of the parents of these children, it would, of course, have been about the eldest child, Martha Smith, who was nine years of age. But that cloud is dispelled by the fact, that from earliest dawn she has exhibited signal marks of decided piety far above her years. An incident or two will illustrate her spirit. "Not long ago, when visiting her aunt, she found in a cabinet a card of a Bible class, with the subjects printed for each month, some of which were justification, sanctification, and adoption. Taking it up, she exclaimed, 'O aunt, I have long wanted to know what is the meaning of justification, sanctification, and adoption.' After a few words of explanation of the two former, the child said, But what does adoption mean?" God putting you into His family.' Whom does He adopt?? All who love Him. Do you think He will put me into His family?' Observing the special anxiety with which the question was put, her aunt replied, 'Yes, my dear, if you love Him. Do you think you love Jesus?' Oyes, aunt, I love Him best of all, because He died for me." 'Then if you love Him, that is a proof that He has already adopted you, and that you are now His child, and He will bless you. When His children go to heaven, He will give each a crown of glory.' Throwing her little arms around her aunt's neck, she wept tears of joy, and exclaimed, O aunt, do you think He will give me a crown of glory, and be my Saviour?' If through any hindrance her mother could not read the Scriptures with her when she retired to rest, she would read them alone, and for the last twelve months preferred to be alone when praying. When questioned on the subject, she replied, 'I like to pray by myself; I can say what I like to Jesus without any one hearing me.' "If one of the children had offended, she would retire and pray that he might be forgiven, and urge him to do the same, and the little pleader with God had the joy, more than once, to witness how much more powerful prayer was than reproof. Anxiety for the spiritual good of those associated with her appeared a ruling principle. Blessed child! Early prepared by His grace, God has now answered all the prayers He indited by His good Spirit in her heart. The eldest child also in Mr. Torr's family, who sank with Martha, gave satisfactory evidence that the good seed had not there been sowed in vain. Though little more than seven years old, her delight in reading the Scriptures and religious books adapted to her capacity was apparent. When the family were at Hastings, nearly twelve months back, even little Ada, not then three years old, seemed to have the thought wrought into her mind, that everything should be begun with prayer: so when she saw her parents enter a boat, the dear little lamb knelt down on the beach and offered her brief petition, 'God bless dear papa and mamma.' Interesting incidents of each child might, no doubt, be given, which remembrance pleasantly reveals: but there is abundant cause for thanksgiving in the death of those children. "Servants who have the charge of children may learn their responsibility and honour. Next to a parent there is no higher position in a family of children than that of a nurse. The mother being often necessarily absent from her children, the servant who has the special charge of them becomes a second mother. On her spirit, temper, piety, and prayerfulness, depends often the formation of habits for their temporal and everlasting well-being. No words can sufficiently commend, and scarcely any reward is too great to encourage, a conscientiously pious and painstaking nurse. I am determined,' said Ann Hthe nurse that trained and sank with Mr. Torr's children, 'that, as far as lies in my power, these children shall love and fear God.' "Imitate her, ye servants, who occupy her position. Your reward is in your work. Your labour, anxiety, and prayers may, in a few, very few situations, not be appreciated, but you are sowing good seed for eternity on the minds of your infant charge; and it will be a glorious recognition of your feeble services when the Judge, pointing to those children brought to heaven by your instrumentality, shall address you, 'Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these my little ones, ye did it unto me.' Children, love God betimes. It is easier to begin now than when you are older. You are not now engaged with the business, cares, and temptations of the world. Your prayers, desires, efforts to love and serve Him, though weak and feeble, God accepts through your dear Redeemer. 'A flower when offered in the bud, "Jesus, who became an infant to save you from everlasting woe, bids you come to Him and ask Him for blessings which He delights to bestow. His Spirit, His grace, and a new heart, He declares He will give! These blessings will make you happy, keep you from sin, and cause you to love your brothers and sisters and playfellows, and, like Martha Smith, to pray for them, to strive to do them good. Little children, the Saviour tells you His kingdom is composed of such as you. Be determined to be the lambs of His flock. Every one of you repeat this prayer daily : 'Make me thy child, a child of God, "Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.' God may send His servant Death to meet you in a thousand forms. Should you not be prepared for such an event? You cannot prepare yourself, you say. True: but you can ask Him to perform a work which He has promised and delights to execute. Why not cry to Him as the child did to the sailor,- Saviour, come here! Saviour, come here!' and He will give you the two great blessings you require-pardon and sanctification. Go, stand beneath the cross, and see flowing from the Saviour a double stream of blood and waterblood to wash away the guilt |