the proper fuel, by "leaving off to do good," by neglecting the means of grace. He may do it by casting earth upon it, by letting the world gain the ascendancy in his heart and affections-the love of the world will put out the fire, "quench the Spirit," and leave the man again exposed to the malice of the evil one.

In the Book of the Prophets we read of some who "kindle a fire" and walk in the light thereof, who yet "lie down in sorrow," they are not safe; these may be the self-righteousthe mere nominal professor, who builds a fire with the wood, hay, and stubble, of his own performances; it lacks the heat of love and holiness-God is not in it. Satan heeds it not-he breaks through it as easily as a lion through a cobweb, and seizes upon the defenceless sinner for a prey.

Of others it is said that they "encompass themselves about with sparks" merely; this may mean those who esteem themselves good enough already, good naturally-hence they have no need of performances of any kind. The man of this class neglects, as useless, the light of truth, and faith, and the fire of love; he can dispense with Bible, Priest and Temple; he lies down in peril-the devil don't mind a few sparks.

It was a custom among the ancient highlanders of Scotland, when they would arouse the people for any great purpose, to send throughout the land a cross dipped in blood; wherever the cross was received, there the people immediately kindled a blazing fire, hence it was called "the Fire Cross." The bloodstained Cross of Christ has been sent and is now going throughout the world; the purpose for which it is sent, the greatest of all achievements; wherever it is received, a fire is kindled amid the surrounding darkness. The fire of a Saviour's love, the fire of Almighty power,

"Jesus' love the nation's fires,

"Sets the kingdoms in a blaze."

Hasten! O hasten! ye who bear the cross, ye ministers of his that do his pleasure! carry round "the Cross," until a fire shall be kindled every where, and the whole earth be filled with the glory of God.

For ye are bought with a price.-1 Cor. vi. 20. Those that seek me early shall find me.-Prov. viii. 17.

THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE.

Behold, the slave with joyful beaming eyes,
Holds up to view his glorious glittering prize;
A pearl, more precious than its weight in gold;
The price of Freedom, and of bliss untold:
The prince who promised the auspicious meed,
From his rich palace hastens down with speed;

With his own hand-unrolled that all may see-
The title-deed presents of Liberty.

The slave may enter now that mansion fair,
A slave no longer, but a rightful heir.

So when the sinner by Apollyon bound,
The priceless pearl of Gospel grace has found;
He breaks his chains, and into Freedom springs,
No more a slave, he ranks with priests and kings;
By the great Lord of All, to him 't is given,

To be his child on earth, and heir on heaven.

A CERTAIN Prince, desirous of adorning his coronet with a pearl of the greatest value, promises Liberty to any one of his slaves who shall find one of a certain number of carats; the Prince owns, upon his manor, a "Fishery," where the slaves, at proper seasons of the year, dive for pearls. The usual mode of operation is as follows: The divers, throwing off their clothes, dress themselves in complete suits of white cotton; this is to protect their bodies from the contact of the medusae, or sea-nettles; then, each diver letting himself over the side of the boat, places his feet upon a stone, which is held by the seibor, or puller up. On his left arm he carries a small basket to hold the oysters he may collect (the pearl is found in the fleshy part, near the joint of the shell)— then closing his nostrils with a piece of elastic horn, he gives the signal with his arm, and is immediately lowered down; the stone enables him to sink without difficulty. Here, in a period varying from thirty to a hundred seconds, he employs himself in filling his basket; as soon as this is done, or if he wants breath, he jerks the rope, and is immediately hauled to the surface.

In the engraving is seen the fortunate slave, who has secured the prize; as soon as he discovers his good fortune, forsaking boat and basket, he leaps overboard and makes toward the shore, exclaiming

"I've found it! I've found it!" Others shout with him; the Prince, his master, hears the tumult, and learning the cause, repairs without delay to the bank of the river, to receive the pearl, and to bestow on the finder the promised reward-where, in the presence of all, he reads his deed of manumission, and proclaims him free. And he is free-his head and heart, and hands, are now his own; he is now free from that power which degraded him to the exact level of a brute, and free from all its concomitant evils of ignorance, cruelty and crime; he is now a man, he bears his brow upward. Happy man; Lib. erty, fair sister of Piety, has stooped upon the wing to bless him; nor is this all-he is free to call his former master Abba, that is, father, and his mistress Imma, that is, mother; he is, according to custom, adopted as a son-his future path is irradiated with knowledge, wisdom, and happiness.

By the slave finding the costly pearl, and obtaining thereby his liberty, is signified the sinner, who finds "the Kingdom of Heaven," or who, in other words, experiences religion; this puts him into possession of a liberty more precious than gold, and more to be desired than fine gold

A liberty unsung,

By Poets, and by Senators unpraised;

Which monarchs cannot grant, nor all the powers
Of earth and hell confederate, take away:

A liberty which persecution, fraud,

Oppression, prisons, have no power to bind ;

Which, who so tastes, will be enslaved no more.

This is the liberty of Gospel Salvation; a sinner is a slave a slave not to one master, but to many, who exercise over him a cruel despotism. Satan takes the lead in tyrannizing over him; it is true he is a willing slave, but not the less a slave for that,

for let him but try to free himself from his power, and he at once feels that he is bound; Satan is his lord and master, he says to him " go, and he goeth, come, and he cometh, do this, and he doeth it." He is a captive, led about just as the devil pleases. Miserable bondage! Sin has dominion over him, forbidden objects control his passions, and his passions control his will; he is enslaved to the law of sin, he is chained to "this body of death." Sin wields over him its scepter with despotic sway, "he is sold under sin ;" even when he would do good, evil is present with him. Again, he is a slave to the terrors of the law; mount Sinai still stands, giving forth its dreadful voice of many thunders, and emitting its flashes of devouring fire; he stands quaking and trembling beneath its fearful brow. He is also "subject to bondage through fear of death;" although he may make a show of courage, when among his guilty companions, over the bottle, or in the battle-field, yet he dreads his approach; his very image embitters his sweetest pleasure, and makes him miserable. These are some of the lords that exercise dominion over the poor sinner; verily he is bound!

The King of Holiness offers liberty to the sinner, on condition that he exercise " repentance toward God, and faith in Jesus Christ ;" thus runs the proclamation. The slave who found the pearl was obe. dient; what did he know at first about pearls? he might have argued, with himself at least, that it was impossible that such uncouth, muddy oysters, could contain such priceless gems, and so have given up the idea, and with it freedom; but he sought in the manner prescribed, and found-thus his obedience secured an ample reward.

Salvation is found only by those who seek aright. That the sinner might not lose his labor, the Al