Do any of you live by the seaside, and have you ever seen a poor shipwrecked mariner clinging to the rock that he hoped was to save him? His little all has perished with the ship, he has nothing wherewith to go, but he knows he is perishing, and therefore clings to the rock. The waves splash over him, the lightning glances around him, the thunder peals in his ears, the rain pours down in torrents, but in the sides of that rock he is safe. So safe, and much safer, is the sinner with Jesus. Why do any linger, and hesitate, and delay? The Rock does not frown upon you. Could you know the love in Christ's heart, you would gladly come. Look to the cross, and in the "pouring out of his soul to death," in the thorn-pierced brow, the flowing blood, and the suffering Saviour, reach his love, and hear him say, "All this I did for thee; what doest thou for me?" Dost thou keep aloof and afar off? Art thou distant and cold? Did I suffer to bring thee near, and is it thy will to keep away, or to delay to come? I did not delay to die. I said, "I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!" I did not say, 66 Save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour." But come, half unwilling as thou art, "I will bind thee" with cords of love. I will subdue thy will. Only come, and come at once, for "Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation." If you wait to go to Jesus, you may very probably not go at all. Your case is becoming more and more desperate, while you hesitate to apply to this Physician. You are shipwrecked, and your strength becomes weaker and weaker, as you neglect to go to the Rock. You are drowning, and death will soon overtake you: shall it be the death of the storm and the tempest, or shall it be a death like the sleep which overtook Elijah, and the angel came to him? If you hesitate, read this once again, and read it with prayer. If you refuse to come, hear Jesus saying, "Ye will not come to me that ye may have life; if you are willing, wait not, but kneel down at once, and say, Lord Jesus, save me!" "Rock of ages cleft for me, LIFE ASSURANCE. LIFE Assurance, upon which some thoughts were promised in the last number of this magazine, is a subject that, among many classes, is at present only understood in name; the thing itself is scarcely recognised. It is based upon a law of nature which is found to prevail among all ranks; viz., that out of a given number of persons, having due regard to their age and sex, there will be certain numbers die in one, two, three, five, seven, or more years. Life assurance brings out of this law of nature a method of making provision for death. It has been done, and many families are at this moment realizing the benefit. As it is uncertain who will be called away, all should provide; and a small premium received from a great number, furnishes a sufficient fund to afford a large benefit to the representatives of those upon whom the calamity falls; just as a premium being paid upon a large number of vessels, furnishes the means of paying for the loss of those that are wrecked. This subject is especially deserving of the attention of the young, for the following reasons: 1. The uncertainty of life. Youth gives no security against death. A visit to the cemetery or the library will soon convince us of this: the tomb often has inscribed upon it the name of some youthful inhabitant, and the biography often tells a tale of genius and worth called to an early grave. Nay, our own observation convinces us that there is no guarantee in active limbs or ruddy faces. For, just as beneath the blushing rose there grows unseen a sharp thorn; so beneath many a rosy countenancé some unseen disease has been found to be growing and gathering strength for the future and not far-distant day of struggle. Yet who does not wish, when cailed away, to leave some memorial to a friend, or dear relative, or dependent family? "For who, to dumb forgetfulness a prey, This pleasing, anxious being e'er resign'd, friend or relation, whose future welfare he is concerned to promote. 2. But another consideration adds force to these remarks. Uncertain as life is, health is still more uncertain. The intelligent reader need not be informed that, to commence a life assurance upon a fair and just basis, the individual ought to be in health at the time the assurance is made; or else he ought to pay a larger premium to compensate for the increase of risk. This is a consideration overlooked by far the greatest number of those who intend to assure. They think, "It is time enough yet. If there were any symptoms of disease, anything to intimate that I should be called away early, I would assure; but it is otherwise." And then, when such symptoms appear, the medical examiner informs them that the risk is increased by their delay, and the expense proportionably increased. No; the season for life assurance is the season of youth and health. 3. Youth is the best period to commence life assurance; because the premium being proportioned to the age, he that begins young has a very small premium to pay for the benefit. For instance, a young man at the age of 20 may insure his life for a premium of £1 17s. 6d. per annum, which will secure £100 at Left the warm precincts of the cheerful death; but let such an one leave it day, Nor cast one longing, lingering look behind. On some fond breast the parting soul relies, Some pious drops the closing eye requires." till a later period, and then, even if he continue in good health (of which he has no security), at 30, he will have to pay £2 8s. 3d. per year for the same benefit; and at 40, £3 4s. 2d. While on the other hand, if he Every one has some dearly-loved begin at an earlier age than 20, the premium will be still smaller than the first sum mentioned. Choose a mutual office; that is, an office which gives you all the profits, and places the appointment of the directors in your own hands. All the overplus of your payments, while it increases the security, will then come back to you in the shape of profits at the periodical divisions. Let every reader, then, do quickly that which he must feel convinced ought to be done, and use this summer-tide of life according to the advice of the wise man: "Go to the ant consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest." G. 4. A policy of assurance commenced in youth, though small in its premiums, yet becomes of considerable value as a security or investment as years advance. A policy must be regarded not only as something valuable to leave to surviving friends, but as an instrument of present value to the possessor himself. When a young man has effected a policy, he may make his will, and if he die the same year, the money will be paid according to his directions. But if the assured live the policies are valuable. These policies are in fact turned into money every day; the office which issues will purchase them; they are sold as an investment in the market, and they are assigned as securities for money borrowed. It is desirable, therefore, to be in possession of them at the smallest cost; and those who begin earliest realize the greatest advantage. Besides, there are bonuses given from time to time, which are sums of money added to the amount assured. And these bonuses are, in the mutual offices, where ALL the profits are divided among the as-entalis); and adorning many a lowly sured, often very large; so that perhaps the sum assured is more than doubled before the life drops. As to the most judicious way of carrying into effect the suggestions here offered, it does not become the writer to do more than throw out some general hints. Take some office of known respectability, in the management of faithful, upright directors. Do not be led away by the smallness of premiums required. FLOWERS OF THE HOLY NOVEMBER. VERY few plants now bloom in our gardens or fields. Autumn leaves abound upon our path. Everything bears the appearance of decay. But yet all is not dead; and pushing up amongst the fallen leaves may be seen the early blossoms of the Christmas rose (Helleborus Niger and ori dwelling may be found the evercheerful Laurustinus (Viburnum tinus); both plants whose lively blossoms adorn the Holy Land. The first looks something like a single rose, and used to be held in high repute as a cure for mental diseases. The oriental Christmas rose is purple, the other white, and more common in our gardens. Formerly strange superstitions prevailed about this flower. Our pagan an cestors believed that the flowers scattered on the floor of their houses would keep off demons, and so they carefully gathered it, and spread it abroad in their dwellings. The Laurustinus is a beautiful shrub, and blossoms twice a year, now and in the spring. Our moist climate suits it well in general; but in some parts of England it is often much injured by the frost. However, it is widely cultivated, and everywhere greatly admired. Our papers on the Flowers of the Holy Land now close. We hope they have given a few thoughts that may tend to good in our young readers' minds, and set them at work in a way that may afford them much delightful recreation. C. H. B. Chapters for Junior Teachers & Senior Scholars. THE CRASH IN THE HALL. BY OLD ALAN GRAY. GOOD servants will be crossed by bad masters, and good masters will be plagued by bad servants, until families are influenced by the same principle, and guided by the same rule. Where the word of God is duly acknowledged and truly acted upon, one common standard is regarded in public and private. Whatever may happen to occasion a temporary misunderstanding, it is soon arranged when both parties admit that what God's word sanctions is right, and what it condemns is wrong. In the family of Squire Holt the authority of God's word was not acknowledged. Squire Holt wanted a footman, and two persons applied for the situation. Ralph was recommended to him as a plain, honest, pious servant; and Reynolds as a sharp, shrewd fellow. Ralph was ignorant of many things that Reynolds knew. He did not know how to tell an untruth, to wear a mask of deceit, or to rob his master. But if there were many things known to Reynolds which were unknown to Ralph, there were some things familiar to the latter to which the former was an utter stranger. He had an acquaintance with his Bible and his own heart; and, more than all, he knew Him, whom to know is eternal life. Squire Holt saw the applicants for five minutes only. "No Ralph for me," said he; "I will take Reynolds." "Sign this," said he to Reynolds, putting a paper before him; "I like every one to know what he is doing. agree to take you for a quarter at the rate of thirty pounds a year." Reynolds signed the paper without so much as reading a line of it, believing that no master could make him do anything that he had not a mind to do. The paper was witnessed by the butler. The Squire had chosen Reynolds rather than Ralph, because he was the better looking of the two, and quicker in his movements; but a man may pay too dear for his whistle. Not long had Reynolds been in his place before he began to find out his master, and his master to find out him. The Squire had put down in the paper that Reynolds had signed many things which the latter had never been accustomed to do, and this made him half mad with vexation. He was determined to have his revenge. Things went on as they usually do go on in many ungodly families; the servants were treated as slaves, and those they served were regarded as tyrants. The end of the quarter was near at hand, and Reynolds, who well knew that his services would then be dispensed with, began to cast about in his mind how he should spite his master. Squire Holt had a few hobbies, and one of them was a set of china which had cost him a high price; it was his delight to launch out in praise of his "Pekin porcelain." There is a tradition which says that a certain emperor of China required a set of choice porcelain by a certain day. The mandarin who took charge of the work so heartily bastinadoed one of the poor workmen named Ponsa, that to escape further punishment he leaped into the burning kiln, and was speedily consumed. The mingling of his burnt body with the materials in the kiln occasioned the porcelain to be of the most beautiful colour imaginable; and ever since this singular circumstance, the Chinese have been unrivalled in their porcelain, and Ponsa has been regarded as a martyr. We may smile at this tradition more easily than we can believe it. Squire Holt's set of china, though it afforded him much pleasure, occasioned him no small degree of solicitude, for well he knew that if by any accident a single piece got broken, he should never be able to get its place supplied. On high days and holidays, and then only, it made its appearance. "Adorned profusely with metallic hues, With golden purples and cobaltic blues." As it was quite the intention of the Squire to send off Reynolds when he had completed his quarter, he invited a large party the day before, that he might have his services on that occasion, instead of those of a fresh footman, who might at first be a little awkward. Now, then, was the time for Reynolds to secure his revenge. A word or two of concert with Haycroft the housemaid, who hated her mistress quite as much as Reynolds did his master, was suffi cient. All things went off well at the party, and the Squire, as usual, launched out eloquently in praise of his "Fekin porcelain." At length Reynolds had to carry out the tray containing a great part of the china, and this he seemed to do with particular care. Of course it was quite accidentally, at least he so afterwards represented it to be, that he met Haycroft midway on the stairs carrying up a small table to an upper chamber; and of course it was nothing but an accident when Reynolds, as he hung the tray for a moment over |