he holds in his hand a crown of purest gold. On the steps he meets a poor, ragged boy; he intends to make him an object of his especial favor. He takes him kindly by the hand, and leads him up the steps. The poor boy trembles; he is greatly afraid. The king places the crown upon his brow; he commands that royal robes be brought forthwith, to clothe him withal. Moreover, he orders that proclamation be made, announcing that he is received among the princes of the realm.

Some of the king's sons are seen standing behind. They look on with wonder, but not with jealousy. They appear delighted at what they see; they embrace him as a brother. The news reaches the inside of the palace; the inmates hasten out to congratulate the new-made king. He returns with them and takes his seat at the banquet, amid strains of music and the voice of song.

This is an emblem of Adoption. The king represents the Almighty Father, King of heaven and earth. The king's sons signify the angels, who have never sinned. The boy in rags represents the sinner, man. The sinner, "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked," is driven by the storms of guilt and anguish that beat upon him, to seek a place of refuge. "Whither shall I flee?" he asks, in the agony of his soul. He resolves, "I will arise and go to my Father." Thus, in all his misery, he presents himself before the King, Jehovah.

Whereas the king is seen coming forth from his palace, and taking the poor boy by the hand; this is to show how willingly God receives the poor penitent who comes to him in the name of the Mediator. When he was yet a great way off, he saw him, and had compassion on him. He takes him by the hand, saying, "Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise

cast out." He places a crown on his head, that is, he adopts him as his own son; he makes him an heir of his eternal glory.

Now he has a childlike confidence in God as his Father; God having sent forth the spirit of his Son into his heart, crying, Abba, Father. He takes his place among the children of God, lost in wonder, love, and praise. "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us, that we should be called the sons of God."

The angels, those elder sons of the Almighty, gladly welcome the adopted to their number; they receive him as one that was lost, and is found, that was dead, and is alive again; and henceforth minister to him as an heir of salvation.

Not all the nobles of the earth,

Who boast the honors of their birth,
Such real dignity can claim,

As those that bear the Christian name.

To them the privilege is given
To be the sons and heirs of heaven;
Sons of the God who reigns on high,
And heirs of joy beyond the sky.

On them, a happy, chosen race,
Their Father pours his richest grace;
To them his counsels he imparts,
And stamps his image on their hearts.
Dr. S. Stennett

For they loved the praise of men, more than the praise of God. John xii 43.

SPIRITUAL PRIDE.

See where the Pharisee inflated stands,
And sounds his praise abroad to distant lands
Himself his trumpeter, he blows, not faint,
That all may hear, and own him for a saint;
His lengthen'd notes in sonorous accents say,
"I do-I think-I give-I fast-I pray!"
No bankrupt he, for lo! to feed his pride,
See bale on bale, close pack'd, stand by his side.
The beggar comes, worn down with grief, and old;
He's soon discharged, for Pride has little gold.
He doles his pittance into misery's hat,
And loud applause he asks, in full for that.
The gaudy peacock, strutting in the rear,
Is but a figure of this trumpeter;

It struts, and swells, and spreads its plumes abroad:
So he, absorb'd in self, forgets his God.

THIS engraving represents a man who appears to be on very respectable terms with himself." He is sounding a trumpet before him; he is very anxious

that everybody should know when he performs what he conceives to be a good action. A poor man is asking charity; he never refuses a trifle, provided he has his trumpet with him. Up it goes, and with a long blast, he calls the distant passengers to behold him. At the side of the trumpeter are seen several bales of goods; these are his stock in trade. Behind, is seen the peacock, strutting, swelling, and displaying her brilliant train. A proper emblem of this proud trumpeter.

The above cut is an emblem of Spiritual Pride. The trumpeter, giving a little small-change to the beggar, and apprizing everybody of the fact, denotes one who loves to make a parade of his religious performances. Does he give to benevolent objects? It is that he may receive the praise of men. Does he fast, or pray, or worship? It is that he “ may be seen of men." On the house-top, through the newspapers, and other sources of circulation, he proclaims his good deeds. He conjugates all his verbs in the first person only: "I visited," "I preached," "I prayed," ," "I gave,” etc. Thus the praise of worms becomes necessary to his existence; on this food he grows fat. Deprive him of it, and he will pine away, and die of atrophy. He sacrifices to his own net; he burns incense to his own drag. Self is the god he adores. The "bales of goods" denote that he is well stocked with self-righteousness. In his own opinion, he is "rich and increased in goods, and has need of nothing." The peacock, after all, has just as much religion as he has.

The hypocritical Pharisees of the Saviour's time were men of this stamp. They sounded a trumpet before them under pretence of calling the poor together; but in reality it was to say, 66 Look at me." They had "their reward." In the East, the practice

varies. It is said that the dervishes, a kind of religious beggars, carry with them a horn, which, when receiving alms, they blow in honor of the giver.

All pride is pretty much alike in its nature and effects. It is produced in some persons by noble birth, and great natural abilities. In others, by wealth and learning. In others again, by certain ecclesiastical endowments, such as an office in the church, the gift of praying, or of preaching, etc. things are all alike good in themselves, but the hearts of the possessors being unsanctified, the gifts are abused, and the Giver neglected.

These

He who possesses true religion will be truly humble. Humility is the only proper antidote for pride. When humility enters, pride departs, as flies the darkness from the sun. To slay pride, and teach man humility by example, the blessed Saviour took upon him the form of a servant. He made himself of no reputation; he humbled himself unto death, yea, even unto the death of the cross. O wonderful humility! O boundless grace!

Pride renders its possessor truly miserable in this life. The Father of spirits alone can fill an immortal spirit. The man of pride rejects the blessed God, and depends for happiness on the applause of man. This is uncertain, unsatisfying, and transitory. Witness the case of Haman, who, notwithstanding "the glory of his riches," "the multitude of his children," and his princely preferments, was truly wretched. "All this availed him nothing," so long as his voracious pride went without its accustomed fee-so long as one man refused to bring his tribute of homage. But pride will render its possessor miserable to all eternity. "How can ye be saved who seek honor one of another, and not the honor that cometh from God only?"