What things are forbidden in the epistle? What are recommended? What is meant by heaping coals of fire? What is the practice alluded to? What duty is enjoined? What kind of disease is the leprosy mentioned in the gospel? Was it curable by man? Was it catching? How did the leper express his faith? What is a centurion? How did the centurion express his humility? How his faith? What did our Lord say of him? What to him? How did our Lord foretel the final in-gathering of the Gentiles?

VII. JAN. 25TH. CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL.

What is meant by the light of the gospel mentioned in the collect? Through whose preaching has it shone throughout the world? What circumstances seem to make his conversion "wonderful?" How are we to express our thankfulness for the same? Whence is the passage for the Epistle taken? By whom were the Acts written? What good opportunities had St. Luke of being fully acqainted with St. Paul's history?* What had been St. Paul's previous character? Whither was he going when he was converted? For what purpose? Relate the circumstances of his conversion ? What promise does our Lord make in the Gospel to his first faithful followers? How much must we be ready to give up for Christ if we would be his followers?

VIII. JAN. 30, FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.

Mention some of the "many and great dangers" spoken of in the collect. What is meant by "the frailty of our nature?" What by standing upright? How are we to bear our dangers and temptations successfully? What are the higher powers spoken of in the Epistle? Why should we obey them? Whom do they represent? For what purpose are rulers appointed? How does St. Peter teach us our duty to those in authority? Where are we instructed to pray for them? How many miracles are recorded in the Gospel for the day? Mention in what three ways our Lord displayed His power in these two miracles.+

* He was his companion in travel.

+1. Over inanimate matter. 2. Over living creatures. 3. Over evil spirits

SAMUEL, AN EXAMPLE FOR YOUTH.

THE history of Samuel may be read with profit and pleasure both by young and old; but more especially is the life of this holy prophet designed to convey to the young mind those good and holy principles which will help them to serve their Maker in their youth. The example of this child of God speaks powerfully to the young. He was placed with Eli, the priest of the most High God, to be brought up to his ministry, and to serve him all the days of his life. The early instructions of Eli, and the prayers poured forth by him for his spiritual welfare, would call down from God a blessing upon his young head, for we find God calling to Samuel from heaven, and revealing those mighty acts of His almighty power which He afterwards brought to pass upon the wicked sons of Eli. Samuel was surrounded by temptations, and exposed to the seductions and passions of the sons of Eli, yet in all this he sinned not; he shunned every evil way; pleasures had no allurements to attract him from serving his God faithfully. Young as he was he ministered to the Lord. Being a child his character could scarcely have been formed, and he might have urged the examples of Eli's sons, and so have followed their steps in wickedness; but his daily serving God in the temple, and ministering before Him, called down upon him those blessings which early piety will secure to the young, even those good

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things which the pleasures of the world cannot give. He overcame those evil passions in his youth, for which he had not to repent in manhood; what a shield and protection was this to him in his after life. Therefore let us remember our Creator in the days of our youth, for the days of our youth are the days of our blessings; the mind and memory which the Almighty has betowed upon us are then all fresh and alive, active, and strong there are gifts of the understanding which many of us do not sufficiently appreciate, but let us like Samuel cultivate them, and devote them to the service of our God; young as we are, we are created for an holy purpose, and let us not forget that our only Saviour and Redeemer became a little child, that He had those feelings which we have, He wept,He prayed, He hungered, and suffered a most cruel death for us, and bowed His head upon the cross for us miserable sinners. O let us not forget those great acts of His goodness to us, but like Samuel may we try to serve Him in our youth, and think of Him for He is always thinking of us.

S. S.

ARTICLES, CANONS, AND HOMILIES.

The Thirty-nine Articles of the Church were agreed upon by the Archbishops, Bishops, and the whole Clergy, in the Convocation held in London, A. D. 1562. The Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiastical were agreed upon in Convocation held in London, A. D. 1603, and confirmed by the licence of King James I. The Homilies were first put forth in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, A. D. 1562.

THE HISTORY OF LITTLE PETER.*

At the place where I lived in France, there was a poor boy, who always went by the name of Little Peter. He had no parents, and was obliged to beg his bread from door to door, and as he could sing very prettily, he was seldom turned away empty. He had however a singular habit of continually repeating the words: "It comes from above." His father when on his death bed-(though it is probable he had no bed, for he was very, very poor,) had said to him, "My dear Peter, you will be now left alone in the world, and you will have to meet with much that will seem hard to you, but think always, it comes from above, and then you will find every thing much easier to bear." Little Peter had laid these words to heart, and in order that he might not forget them, was always thinking aloud, so that he could be heard by any one near him: "It comes from above." When he used to knock at the window, and a voice within call out, "Who's there?" His answer was, "An alms for Little Peter;" or he sang a verse, such for instance, as;

A trifle, please, for little Peter,

The poor and friendless orphan boy,
No home has he but one in heaven,

And on earth but little joy!

Then people always knew who it was, and reached him something through the door or window. For every gift he received, he always expressed his gratitude by saying: "Thank you, it comes from above." When little Peter grew a big boy, he began to reflect what was the actual meaning of the words, it comes from above,' and being a sensible lad, he soon perceived that though sin cannot come from God, yet as we are taught to believe that God is the Governor of the world, it is still quite right to say, whatever happens, it comes from above." I don't

*From Poor Henry, or the Little Pilgrim.-Rivington, London; and Harrison, Leeds.

myself know whether he was altogether right, only this I do know, that it was well for him that he had this faith. As he was one day walking through the town, a violent hurricane came on, blowing a slate off a house, which fell upon his shoulder and knocked him down; his first words were, it comes from above,' The people who were standing about laughed at him, and fancied he was not quite right, because as they said it was natural that the slate should fall from above, and not from below upwards; but they understood not what he really meant. And observe what happened; a minute later, the same hurricane blew down in the very same street, a whole roof, killing three men who were passing at the time. Now had little Peter been still walking on, he would at the very moment when the roof fell have arrived at the very spot, and probably have been killed with the others. So that it was indeed 'from above' that the slate fell upon him, not only however from the roof, but from a higher point still, from heaven itself. Another time, he was commissioned by a gentleman of consequence, to carry a letter to the next town, and directed to make all possible haste; on his way he had to jump over a ditch, but the ditch was too wide, and little Peter tumbled in and was nearly drowned. The letter remained buried in the mud, and could not be found again. As soon as little Peter got upon his feet, he said, 'it comes from above; he then returned home and told the great man the misfortune that had befallen him, who falling into a very great rage, drove him with a horsewhip from his house. When little Peter was again in the street he only said, 'it comes from above.' The next day the great man sent for him again, and spoke to him thus: "See, my lad, here are two ducats for you, for having fallen into the water, for if the letter had arrived at its destination, the consequences to me would have been most unfortunate; matters have taken a sudden turn."

I could tell a great many other things of similar kind about little Peter. When he was already grown to be a great Peter'