follow him. By great exertions he reaches as near to the sufferers as the breakers will allow-he perceives that he is yet too far off to aid them—what they need is a skillful pilot-he plunges into the raging billows, bravely he buffets the mountain surge, now floating on the topmost wave, now sinking in the depths beneath; soon he gains the boat,―he springs on board like a delivering angel. The men, resouled at sight of the Emperor risking his life to save them, renew their efforts they soon get off the shoal into deep water, and the Emperor guides them skillfully through the rocks and shoals, and brings them safe to land.

Now he is overwhelmed with the grateful demonstrations of those whom he has saved from the jaws of destruction, and of those happy wives and children, who but for him would now have been orphans and widows; he enjoys the luxury of doing goodhe feels most truly that "it is more blessed to give than to receive."

"The quality of mercy is not strained ;

"It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
"Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed;
"It blesseth him who gives, and him who takes,
"'Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
"The throned monarch better than his crown."

We admire, and very justly too, the surprising condescension, the tender compassion, the heroic courage, and the consummate skill of the Emperor of all the Russias, in risking his life for the sake of a few poor men-but what is this compared with the grace of our Lord and Saviour, "Jesus?" The Emperor lost nothing of his dignity in doing what he did; he laid aside none of his titles; he assumed not a lower rank; in the boat, among the waves, and on the shoal, he was still an Emperor. But Jesus laid his glory by; the glory that he had with the Father be

fore the world was; the glory resulting from creative power; the glory of guiding the armies of earth and heaven; the glory of eternity. "He emptied him self," "he made himself of no reputation." The master becomes a slave; the king becomes a subject; the maker of worlds becomes a creature; the God becomes a worm! How surprising this condescension; how wonderful this humility:

"Bound every heart and every bosom burn." And O, with what tender compassion Jesus pitied us, as he saw us exposed to the gulph of eternal death! In the depths of our misery he exclaimed, "Behold! I come," and immediately hastened to our relief. how he weeps, groans, prays, and dies for us, and for our salvation! He pities our ignorance-he groans for our unbelief-he weeps for the hardness of our heart—he dies for our guilt.

What heroic courage He displays in working out our deliverance! How he grapples with the powers of darkness! How he triumphs over temptation, poverty, and shame! How he conquers principalities and thrones, making a show of them openly! He wrests from death his dreadful sting, proves victorious over the grave, and opens the gates of Paradise to all believers. What divine wisdom, also, He - manifests in the work of redemption; in securing to man his liberty, and to God his glory. How skillfully the Saviour confutes all the sophistry of the devil; how wonderfully he answers all the cavils of his adversaries. How, by his questions, does he take the wise in their own craftiness! His laws fill with admi. ration the hearts of his worshippers. How skillfully he guides his followers through the rocks and shoals of temptation and sin, and lands them safely on the banks of deliverance. 66 Verily he hath done all things well." Hallelujah!

But for whom did the Saviour labor and suffer? Peter risked his life for mortals like himself; Jesus gave his for beings infinitely beneath him. Peter for his own soldiers, Jesus for those who were arrayed under the banner of his great foe; Peter for his own subjects, Jesus for the subjects of another kingdom; Peter rescued merely his friends, Jesus died for the salvation of his enemies. Herein is love, "God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners," consequently enemies, "Christ died for us."

In the case before us-one rather of contrast than comparison-we see the men, re-spirited by the presence of their Emperor, come to save them, labor with all their might; had they not done so, they could not have been saved, notwithstanding all the skill, power, and good will of their Prince. But we, alas! stupid and ignorant as we are, when our Deliverer comes to our aid, are found questioning his skill, denying his power, and disbelieving his kind intentions; instead of working "out our own salvation," with fear and trembling, while he works in us, helping us both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Those who were saved from death by the philanthropic Emperor, showered upon him every demonstration of gratitude; they invoked eternal blessings on his head, and devoted their lives to his service; and shall not we be grateful to our Spiritual deliv erer? His name ought to be to us above every name. His name Salvation is; to the man that believes, Christ is precious-he meditates upon his wondrous love, upon his unparalleled condescension, upon his heroic courage, upon his tender compassion, and upon his divine wisdom, until the fire of grateful emotion burns within him, and he presents himself a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable before the Lord, saying

"Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were an offering far too small;
Love so amazing! so divine!

Demands my life, my soul, my all."

And he devotes himself accordingly to the service of his King and Saviour. As a good subject, he will obey His laws, and seek to promote the peace and prosperity of his kingdom; as a good soldier, he will follow his Captain through every danger, and every death, and having gained the victory, he will ground his arms at Jesus' feet, and so be ever with the Lord.

The following is a noble instance of genuine philanthropy, where a person risked and actually lost his life for the salvation of others:-A Dutch East Indiaman was wrecked in a terrible tempest off the Cape of Good Hope; the sailors were every instant perishing for want of assistance. An old man, named Woltemad, by birth an European, and who was at this time a resident of an island off the coast, heard the lamentations of the distressed crew and hastened to their relief. The noble Dutchman borrowed a horse and proceeded to the wreck, with a view of saving at least some of their number; he returned safe with two of the unfortunate sufferers, and repeated this dangerous trip six times, each time bringing with him two men, and thus saved in all fourteen persons. The horse was by this time so much exhausted, that the man did not think it prudent to venture out again; but the entreaties of the poor sufferers increasing, he ventured one trip more, which proved so unfortunate that he lost his own life; for on this occasion too many rushed upon him at once, some catching hold of the horse's tail, and others of the bridle, by which means the horse, wearied out, and too heavily laden, was overwhelmed by the billows, and all drowned together. The East India Company impressed with so noble an instance of philanthropy, ordered a monument to be erected to his memory.

1

Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.1 Thes. v. 6.

THE WINTRY ATMOSPHERE.

The icy mountains here lift up on high
Their barren peaks, toward the arctic sky;
Terrific regions, where grim Winter reigns,
And bends the whirlwind in his frosty chains.
All life has fled, save where the shaggy beast
Prowls with intent on human blood to feast;