friend, a brother, and beseeching of him to look: Only try it; I was bitten, I was dying, I looked, and I am cured,' and yet beseeching in vain. You were not so bad as I

am; there is no hope for me.' And yet another saying, I am not bad enough to need that cure; I have only a little scratch; that cannot be dangerous. Tell of your serpent to those who want him.' And while he spoke the poison spread, and he too died. However this may have been, one thing is certain, that every one who looked was healed; he might be almost gone, yet if he lifted up his dying eye and looked, he was saved. If he believed, he looked and lived if he believed not, he did not look, and he died. So is it now. Look to Jesus, look to Jesus only, and even as you look you are saved, and that for ever. Oh, that any one should refuse to look, should put it off, when God in His mercy has made such a way of salvation, and not only permits, but commands, yet beseeches us to look."

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"We have another verse," said the mother, "on the look of faith we read, 'They looked unto Him, and were lightened." "1

Is not that just like poor Christian in the "Pilgrim's Progress?" He travelled along heavily bowed down under the great burden on his back; and when he came to the cross, and looked at Him who hung on it, the burden rolled off, and down it fell till it was lost in the Saviour's sepulchre, and was seen no more. He looked, and he was indeed lightened. He looked and saw Him "who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree," on Him who "was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all."2 He that believes that Jesus has borne the burden for him will not carry it on his own shoulders; but he that will not believe, that will not trust, that will persist in bearing the 1 Psalm xxxiv. 5. Isaiah liii. 5, 6.

burden himself, thinking it is not so heavy that he cannot carry it, or that it is so great that he doubts that Jesus can or will take it for him, or puts off looking to Him for help, for deliverance, for salvation, will find that in neglecting that great salvation he has lost his soul, lost heaven, lost happiness, lost hope, lost all !

Oh, let us each one look now, look ever, on Him, the all-sufficient and the only Saviour, and then the day shall come when we shall look on Him, see Him face to face, when " we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." Blessed hope!

The Dying Thief.

E know nothing of him excepting his crimes, his penitence, his prayer, and his salvation, for his previous history is not recorded. He might

have been cradled in sin and nursed in crime. Perhaps no one cared for his soul. Did he bring a father's grey hairs with sorrow to the grave, and break a tender mother's heart? All we know is that he was crucified for his crimes, and that whilst he was enduring the agonies of crucifixion he repented and prayed, was forgiven and saved! "The day of his crucifixion" was the day of his conversion and salvation and glorification. What a striking illustration of the expression, "We know not what a day may bring forth!" For when, attended by the officers of justice, he went forth from prison with a step tremulous with terror, and with a heart stricken with anguish, little did he think, in the morning of that day, that during its hours of suffering and torture his guilt would be cancelled and his soul redeemed by the Saviour who was bleeding and dying at his side; and that in the evening of that day he would be a redeemed and glorified spirit, in the presence of Jesus and in the paradise of God, joining in the anthems of ransomed saints, and listening to the hallelujah songs of rejoicing angels. O glorious Saviour! how marvellous Thy mercy! how amazing Thy redeeming love!

"Look at my Expectations."

WAS riding home one Monday morning, a distance of several miles, from a town at which I had been preaching on the previous Sabbath; but during the night a severe snowstorm had set in, partially blocking up the roads; and the large flakes that still continued to fall made the progress of my horse very slow and unsatisfactory. I pitied him, and myself too; but, buttoning up my thick overcoat, I tried to make the best of it; and the tedium of the way was beguiled by hope and prayer concerning the ministry of the past day, and bright visions of a cheery fire and warm welcome to my home.

Suddenly I was startled by the click of a stonebreaker's hammer in one part of the deserted-looking road, and at a turn in the lane I could dimly discern a stooping figure, which, as I came nearer, proved to be that of an old man, May be had as a Tract, Is. per 100.

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sitting at the lee side of a heap of stones, busily at work, but so whitened by the snow that he might have been hewn out of a block of white marble. I ceased self-pity then, and began to pity this poor labourer, who, in his old age, and in weather to which I was unwilling to expose my horse, had to spend hours in such a position of wearisome and benumbing toil. He raised his head at my approach, and, as I stopped my horse opposite to him, he rose with difficulty and came slowly to my side.

The words of sympathy that were on my lips were almost driven back by the sight of his face, it was so calm and satisfied. A venerable monarch, stepping forth from the splendour and luxury of his palace, could scarcely have worn a more benignant and thankful expression than shone in the face of that storm-beaten old stone-breaker. Living epistles are not always so easily "known and read of all men" as might be wished; but in this case the writing was so distinct and clear that I felt sure he was a Christian before a word

had been exchanged between us; and the result proved i̇ was not mistaken.

I opened the conversation by offering him a tract, and saying, "I dare say you will be glad of something to read." "Thank you kindly, sir," he said, with glistening eyes; we are quite out of the way of such things, for our little place is at the foot of that hill over there, and there is no other house within a mile of us. I'm not much of a scholar myself, but my old woman can read quite well, and she'll read it to me next Sunday."

"Do you often get to a place of worship?"

"Oh yes; at least I go regular when the roads are anything like passable; and my wife goes too whenever she can move about for the rheumatics. It's the matter of a good mile from where we live, but it's full payment for all the trouble to hear such comfortable words about the blessed Saviour that shed His blood to save poor sinners like us." "And you trust in this Saviour ?" I asked, though I felt the question scarcely necessary.