truth meet together, righteousness and peace embrace each other. In him, God is just, and yet a Saviour.

I will ask him to give all needful grace to discharge every duty incumbent on me. I will seek grace to repent, and to believe on his dear Son,-to love his charming name, to follow him whithersoever he goeth,-to overcome every sin, to bear up under all the trials of life, and to hold on and out in my christian course, even till time with me shall end.

I will ask him to give me his sacred presence, to cheer me in my dying moments, and though altogether unworthy, I will ask for a place among his people, though it be the lowest, and the meanest, at his right hand in glory.

And, delightful thought! he never said to the seed of Jacob, seek ye my face in vain! He is the prayer-hearing, and the prayer-answering God; "this is his name for ever,-and this is his memorial throughout all generations."

STORY XV.

HOW THE DYING PEOPLE WERE CURED.

I HAVE often told you of the people of Israel. After God had brought them out of their house of bondage, he himself led them through the wilderness. He pointed out the way in which they should go, by day, by a pillar of cloud, and by night by a pillar of fire. He preserved their clothes from growing old. When they were hungry, he showered down manna around their tents, every morning and evening: and when they were thirsty, he made the rock pour out for them the refreshing stream. He also fought their battles, and smote their enemies. They were indeed a people, guarded and saved of the Lord.

Yet they were very ungrateful, and they forgot the great God who had been so good to them; and though the manna was so very sweet and pleasant, they despised it.

The good God bare with their murmurings and bad conduct a great while. But at last since they would not turn

from their wickedness, to punish them for their sins, he permitted some fiery flying serpents to go among them. So they bit very many of the people, and they died. Then they were sorry that they had sinned against the good God. In their distress they came to Moses, and asked him to pray to God, that he would deliver them. He did so, and God heard his prayer.

The great God always hears the prayers of his people, and in his own time and way, he answers them. It is a great blessing to have kind parents and friends who pray for us, though we must not forget to pray for ourselves.

And did he send the serpents away? I will tell you. "The Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent; and set it upon a pole; and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it shall live.

And Mo

ses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole; and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass he lived."

It is a delightful history. How pleasant it is to think, that the poor dying people were healed! But is this anything to us? Yes, very much. This is plain from the words of Jesus Christ, in the third chapter of the Gospel of St.

WERE CURED.

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John-"And as Moses lifted up the ser pent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoso ever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."

So the Lord Jesus was indeed lifted up on the cross. "He died,-the just for the unjust, to bring us unto God."

But we were not bitten by the serpents! This is true. But every one has sinned against God. God knows all our sins, and he detests sin, and will punish it. If he did not, he would not be perfectly holy or just, or faithful to his word; for he has said, "The soul that sinneth it shall die." So we are all exposed to

death and misery.

And we must all have died; but the Lord Jesus Christ, God's own dear Son, said, They shall not die; I will go and die in their place. And he came into our world of sin and sorrow, and died for us.

How wonderful and kind was this! No one would ever have thought of lifting up a serpent of brass to heal the people. And no one on earth, or in heaven, could have thought of such a thing, as God's dear Son coming into the world to die for us. It was God's own wisdom which planned this way. And now God is holy, just, and faithful, and

yet the pardoning God. He forgives sin and yet he is righteous. In the dear Saviour, who was lifted up on the cross, mercy and truth met together, righteous ness and peace embraced each other This was the Lord's own doing.

It was very easy to look to the brazer serpent. No doubt, but that the people turned to gaze at it very thankfully Most likely, those who were so ill, that they could not turn to look at it, were lifted up by their relations and friends.

So we should tell all our friends of the dying love of Jesus. And we must ourselves look to him if we would be saved. He himself says, "Look to me, and be saved, all ye ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is none else."

This is the only way by which we can be saved from sin, and death, and get at last to heaven. The life of a Christian is, to be always looking to Jesus, as our glorious Saviour and our blessed example.

Any one might look to the brazen serpent, they were welcome to look, though they had been bitten ever so badly, and though they were ready to die. And so, any one may look to the Lord Jesus. He himself has said, "Whosoever cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out."

All who looked to the serpent were uite healed; they did not get bad anv