distinguishable by their mien, figure, and colour. Two of them, one sitting and the other standing, carry a stick in their hands, ready to fall upon two other Egyptians, who are here represented like the Hebrews, one of them carrying on his shoulder a vessel of clay, and the other returning with his empty vessel for a new load of bricks. The tomb is that of an overseer of the public buildings."

An able writer thinks, that the fact of there being Egyptians so degraded as to be employed in this service of bondage with the Hebrews, explains the statement, that a mixed multitude' or (as it is in the margin) ‘a great mixture,' that is, a great rabble of Egyptians went up with the Children of Israel. What is more natural, than that a considerable part of the lowest caste of native Egyptians, bound close to their companions in sorrow by their common misery, should leave with them that land, which was their native country only in name?-From Professor Hengstenberg (in substance).

Lizzy Watts

LIZZY WATTS.

-as good a child
She is as ever play'd and smiled-
One day into a basket placed
Her jug of milk and slice of bread,
And soon the shady forest paced,
Where strawberries were ripe and red.

Hark! from the forest, dark and lone,
There comes a long-continued moan!
And Lizzy, peeping timidly,

To learn what that sad moan might be,
Beneath an oak, saw lying there

A feeble, aged man, with snow-white hair.

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My God," he said, " for two long days "I've wander'd in this pathless maze:

"My strength is gone ;-my days are told: "Ah! never more shall I behold

"The faces that I love.

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O Father, bless

Thy servant in his deep distress."

Lizzy, as softly as she can,

Slips behind the aged man,

And whilst tear-drops dim her eyes,
Prepares for him a glad surprise:
The milk and bread that she had stored,
And all her precious, fragrant hoard
Of gather'd fruit the little maid
By that old man's side hath laid.

Soft and lightly back she stole,
That little maiden, true and good;
With tears she wish'd not to control,
Unseen, amidst the leaves she stood:

To watch, if milk and bread would bring relief To that strong agony of grief.

Looking round with wondering eyes,

"Ah! who has brought me this?" he cries Aloud: "Thou, gracious God, hast sent

"Thy Angel from above,

"And he, on mercy's errand bent,

"Has brought these pledges of Thy love."

Full joyously he ate and drank,

Nor ceased his gracious God to thank
For that blest succour : till at length,
Fill'd again with new-born strength,
He raised his heavy burden, still
Pouring out thanks to God who saves from ill.

In Lizzy's heart kind thoughts are thronging,
And, burning with an eager longing,

She hastens, by another road,

That good old man to meet:
Sure that she to his abode

Can safely guide his wandering feet.

With cheerful, happy voice of greeting,
She address'd him, on their meeting,
With unembarrass'd voice:

"Ah! sure," she said, "you've been astray,
"But I am thankful and rejoice,
"That I can put you in the way:
"For well the forest-paths I know;
"Come on: you have not far to go."
"Dear child," he eagerly began,
"Tell me the honest truth, I pray,
"Have you lately met a man,

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Who, when with hunger faint I lay,
"Snatch'd me from the grave away?"
Lizzy answered: "Ah! how slow
"Under this heavy weight you go:
"Sure, I am, your back must ache:
"Here, let me your bundle take :
"That's right-a man? why no, indeed,
"I have not met a single soul.
"All things are under God's control,
"He helps us ever in our need."
Nothing more the maiden said:
But her cheeks were hot and red.-
Soon at the forest's edge they stand,
The old man's home is full in view:
And Lizzy thrusts into his hand
Her all- -a penny, bright and new;
Then homeward doth the maiden dart,
Light of foot, and light of heart.

From the German of Chr. Schmid.

I make not the least doubt in the world, but that the Church of England before the Reformation, and the Church of England after the Reformation, are as much the same Church, as a garden, before it is weeded and after it is weeded, is the same garden.Archbishop Bramhall.

ABSTINENCE AND FASTING.

MARK ii. 2.

"But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days."

In the collect of to-day', we pray the Lord Jesus Christ, who for our sake fasted forty days and forty nights, to give us grace, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey His godly motions, in righteousness and true holiness, to His honour and glory, who liveth and reigneth with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.

In this collect we first state a fact, that Christ fasted forty days and forty nights-and the reason why he did it so far at least as to say, that it was for our sakes. We then pray to Him for grace, that we may use such abstinence, as may enable us ever to obey His godly motions in righteousness and true holiness; and we imply that we cannot do so, unless, by abstinence, our flesh is subdued to the Spirit.

Now, my brethren, the Almighty God is a being who must not be trifled with:-the Lord Jesus Christ is a being who must not be trifled with. And when we pray to Almighty God, through the Lord. Jesus Christ-or, as here, to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself-we must not use deceitful words: we must not, if the words are put into our mouths by the Church, go on year after year, without trying to pray those words;-to say Amen to them in their full meaning, with full sincerity;—to make the wish uttered, the wish of our hearts - the wish of our inmost hearts, spoken to God (who made those hearts, and knows their every thought) in the solemn hour of prayer!

The prayer put by the Church into our mouths today, makes us express a wish that our flesh may be subdued to the Spirit: it makes us pray for God's grace, that we may, by its assistance, use a particular

1 The first Sunday in Lent.

means of subduing the flesh to the Spirit, and of then obeying Christ's godly motions in our hearts in righteousness and true holiness.

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The Christian who makes this prayer, must desire that his flesh should be subdued to the Spirit.-The flesh is used in the Bible, you know, for that old, corrupt nature of fallen man (that principle of sin within him) that will lead him to hell, if it is not conquered. It is the principle of all evil; the fountain of wicked thoughts and desires, that are so often rising up to the surface in most of us, and sometimes in us all; it is that which makes our progress in religion a struggle-a warfare. It is that whose natural fruits are (according to St. Paul) adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which (adds that Holy Apostle) I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." This flesh, this evil thing within us, must be subdued. We have a better principle, the spirit, within us; and this spirit, at our Baptism, was united mysteriously to Christ, and made capable of being worked upon by Christ's Spirit: and Christ's Spirit (working on and in our spirits) brings forth those holy fruits that are to the honour and glory of God. "The fruit of the Spirit" (of God's Spirit, that is, working in us) "is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such (says the Apostle) there is no law: and they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts."

If therefore, my brethren, we are truly Christians -if we pray this prayer of our Church with the heart-we desire, with the heart, that our flesh may be subdued to the Spirit: and more than this, we acknowledge, that abstinence is at least one way of bringing this flesh of ours under the power of the