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been needed to teach, and let it be as no mere form, that we look up to Him week after week, to preserve the treasures of the field for our use.

The comprehensive petition which closes this series of supplication, embraces all that we most need, forgiveness for the past; forgiveness, not only for actual sins, but for negligence and ignorance; true repentance as we look back upon our guilty course; and the grace of the Holy Spirit to amend our lives in the time to

come.

At the close of each of these petitions, we have, or we ought to have, repeated the words; 'We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.' To beseech, is a strong word, and implies much earnestness of desire; does the state of our hearts correspond with it? have we thus earnestly longed for the blessings we have asked for ourselves and others? The standard of our Liturgy is high, if we seek grace to rise up to it, it will be quickening and strengthening to our souls, but if we are content to use words which we cannot honestly make our own, we insensibly harden our hearts and encourage a habit of self-deception.

LÉA GLAIZETTE.

(Translated from the French.)

PERHAPS, my friends, you may remember, that, three months ago, I took a journey into l'Ardêche, where the history of a young peasant, named Peter, was related to me. But, strange to say, at the same time that I was taking this journey on the right bank of the Rhone, and on the same day perhaps on which the pastor Theophilus related to me the edifying life of this young boy; on the other bank of the river, one of my friends was taking a journey like mine, and heard also from the mouth of another pastor, a similar history of a little girl. Oh ! if we could see thus, on every spot of the earth, all the interesting scenes which are passing-if we could, with one glance, embrace the thousands of Christians who, on the throne or in the cottage, bend their knee at the same time to pray to the same God-if our ear could seize all the christian words which are pronounced simultaneously in a thousand diverse circumstances, great and small, of life, how reviving would the spectacle be to our faith. How happy should we be to see and hear that we are not alone; that, in all parts of the globe, christians are found thinking and acting as we do, praying to, and loving, the same God as ours. Well, to realize, in some measure, this ideal, represent to yourselves this fact, which is only the exact truth : at the same time that I was crossing the mountains

with our dear pastor, and he was relating to me the history of Peter, M related what follows to the friend of whom I was speaking :—

'My sister and I have lately been much rejoiced by a manifestation of the power of the gospel on a young child of four years old. Yes, four years old; pay attention to this, for, from this circumstance, the following true history borrows all its interest. What I am going to tell you, would be nothing uncommon, if I related it of a full-grown man, but remember I speak of Léa Glaizette, four years old.

' Léa came the other day, as usual, to find my sister, to read with her a chapter of the Bible, and then a little story from the "The Friend of Youth." When this reading was finished, she remained in the room, where a few minutes afterwards several persons met and began to talk. Whilst the child was quite busy hemming a handkerchief for her doll, the conversation fell on one of our neighbours, an impious man, who had long been suffering from serious illness, and whom the Lord seemed about to call before his tribunal. Each of us groaned over the probable fate which threatened this poor sinner, so near death, so far from repentance.

6 Would you believe,' said my sister, 'that he refused to receive my brother's visit, saying, that he no more needed a priest to die, than he had done to be born?'

'As for me, when I wished to give him a gospel,' added a neighbour, he replied, 'that he only knew how to read in a game of cards; and, when I wished to read to him myself, he refused me, saying, he had rather drink a bottle of old wine, than listen to the New Testament.'

I have just come from him,' said I, in my turn. Although he shut the door in my face, yesterday, I

returned this morning. This time I entered. I asked how he was; and as, in order not to answer me, he turned his face against the wall, I offered myself to pray at the foot of his bed, that God might restore his health, if he saw fit, and that, in any case, he would forgive him, and save him, before taking him out of the world. But, do you know what answer he made me?' 'What?' said Léa, trembling with fear.

'He told me, that before I should pray to God, he would pray me to go out; and, as I still remained there, fixed to the ground by this impious answer, he began to swear and to blaspheme, in order to drive me out the quicker: I went out, and here I am, after my visit, no farther advanced than I was yesterday, after his refusal.'

'What incredulity!' said one.

"What hardness of heart!' said another.

'And when one thinks,' added I, ‘of the terrible threatenings of the word of God against obstinate unbelievers and hardened sinners; when one remembers it is said, they are going into outer darkness to hear weeping and gnashing of teeth! to feel fixed on their heart this worm that never dies! to rest their feet on the fire that is never extinguished! oh, that is something to tremble at, and one may despair of a being, whom the thought of such a prospect suffices not to lead to reflection.'

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'Here is, nevertheless, the fate which awaits,' said my sister; a man whom we know, who is there two steps off, and who, in two hours perhaps, will be before God.'

'What shall we do?' said the neighbour.

'Pray for him,' replied I.

'Yes; but the best thing would be to make him consent to join our prayers.'

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'Alas!' I said, I fear much that this would be lost labour the manner in which he received me, leaves me little hope, that he would receive any other visitor better.'

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Stop; hear how he cries! Wait: I will go and listen from the door to what he says. He swears. Oh! my God, pardon the poor blasphemer !'

'What does he say then?'

'He is angry with his wife, who is giving him a medicine. Oh! listen; he is throwing the cup at his daughter! Unhappy man! there is his child coming out with her head all bloody, and I hear his wife weeping within. Now, she is coming herself; she can stand it no longer.'

'In truth, the wife of our neighbour arrived at our house, all in tears, to tell us how her husband had illtreated and driven them out, her and her daughter, because they pressed him to take his medicine in broth, and not in wine, the use of which the doctor had entirely forbidden.'

'I must then, abandon his body,' said she to us, 'as our pastor this morning was obliged to renounce the salvation of his soul.'

6

The conversation had reached this point, when I perceived that the doll's handkerchief was over Léa's chair, and that the young girl had gone out. She had been too attentive to the conversation for me to suppose she had left for any frivolous motive. I was curious: I wished to know where she was gone, and I went out. My servant, who was returning at this moment from the market, told me, that she had seen the child enter the sick neighbour's house, and draw the door after her with her little hand, rising to the tip of her toes, without, however, being able to succeed in closing it.

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