The truly generous is the truly wise;

And he who loves not others, lives unblest.

"I never knew how it was," said Baxter, "but I always seemed to have the most come in when I gave the most away.'

What more praiseworthy in a Christian man than where God hath blessed, where industry hath gathered, and frugality saved, there by charitable deeds of mercy to relieve the distressed case of others, seeing Christ also accounteth this as done unto Himself: "When I was an hungred, ye gave me meat."

To have and not to give, is to make possession a burden and a curse rather than, as was intended, a pleasure and a blessing.

You gave with words of so sweet breath composed,
As made the things more rich.

The manner of the giving shows the character of the giver more than the gift itself.

On one occasion Parmenius, a General of Alexander, thought the king was too lavish in his gifts, whereupon Alexander answered: "I consider not what Parmenio ought to receive, but what Alexander ought to give."

Give freely to him who deserveth well and asketh nothing. Tender not twice to any man the favours you may have it in your power to confer, and be not too loquacious, while you wish to be esteemed for your kindness.

"That which is presented to God," says Hooker, "is neither lost nor unfruitfully bestowed, but sanctifies the whole mass; and He by receiving a little undertakes to bless all. In which consideration the Jews were accustomed to call their tithes the hedges of their riches."

When God has had His dues out of our estates we may expect the comfort of what falls to our share.

Serving God with our little is the way to make it more; and we must never think that wasted with which God is honoured.

God.

ACQUAINT thyself with God, if thou wouldst taste
His works. Admitted once to His embrace,
Thou shalt perceive that thou wast blind before;
Thine eye shall be instructed; and thine heart
Made pure, shall relish, with Divine delight

Till then unfelt, what hands Divine have wrought.

God. This is spelt with four letters in almost every language: -in Latin, Deus; Greek, Theos; Hebrew, Adon; Syrian, Adad; Persian, Syra; Turkish, Addi; Arabian, Alfa; French, Dieu; Spanish, Dios; German, Gott; Irish, Dieh.

There is a beauty in the name appropriated by the Saxon nations to the Deity, unequalled, except by His most venerated Hebrew appellation-Jehovah. They call Him "God," which is literally "The Good," the same word thus signifying the Deity and His most endearing qualities.

The true God is He who was "in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself": there is none other but He: and if this great characteristic be denied, or any other received in its stead, a man is left "without God"; after which he may call himself a deist if he will; but his God is a mere idol of the imagination, and has no corresponding reality in the whole universe of beings.

'Twas much that man was made like God before;
But that God should be made like man much more.

Some fancy a God made up altogether of mercy, a childish mercy as if His mercy had nothing else to do but to wrong all His other perfections, to make Him belie His truth, extinguish His justice, discard His wisdom, and enslave His power.

The righteousness of God was most eminently glorified in the reconciliation wrought by Christ when He made atonement for us in His blood. All after-actings of God towards us are indeed full of love; but they are all streams from this fountain. Let us incessantly bear in mind that the only thing we have really to be afraid of is, fearing anything more than God.

It is a most unhappy state to be at a distance with God; man needs no greater infelicity than to be left to himself.

God has two dwelling-places-in the high and holy heaven, and in the humble and thankful heart.

There is an Eye that never sleeps
Beneath the wing of night;
There is an Ear that never shuts
When sinks the beams of light.
There is an Arm that never tires
When human strength gives way;
There is a Love that never fails
When earthly loves decay.
That Eye is fixed on seraph throngs;
That Ear is fill'd with Angels' songs;
That Arm upholds the worlds on high;
That Love is throned beyond the sky.

It is a deep and difficult thing to conceive properly of God in our thoughts of Him, but especially in our addresses to Him. It is revealed that He is a Spirit. Our heart should adore a spiritual majesty which it cannot comprehend. We must believe Him great without quantity, omnipresent without place, everlasting without time, and containing all things without extent; and when our thoughts are come to the highest, let us stop, wonder, and adore.

A heathen philosopher once asked a Christian, "Where is God?" The Christian answered, "Let me first ask you, Where is He not?"

دو

"How many Gods are there?" was said to a little boy. One." How do you know there is only one?" "Because there is no room for more, for the one God fills heaven and earth."

God is not æternitas (eternity), but eturnus (eternal). I must fear God for His power; trust Him for His wisdom; love Him for His goodness; praise Him for His greatness; believe Him for His faithfulness; and adore Him for His holiness.

The gift of His Son to be our Saviour-the gift of His Word to make the Saviour known to us-the gift of His Spirit to guide us to the Saviour-the gift of His Day to remind us of the Saviour:-the right use of these four perfect gifts will make us blessed for ever.-Dr. Marsh.

Good Manners.

IF I blush

It is to see a nobleman want manners.

SHAKSPEARE, Henry VIII.

Noblesse oblige-nobility binds to noble conduct.

Men's evil manners live in brass; their virtues
We write in water.

Good manners is the art of making those people easy with whom we converse. Whoever makes the fewest persons uneasy is the best bred in the company.

A man's own good manners is the best security against other people's ill-manners.

If a man makes me keep my distance, the comfort is he keeps his at the same time.

In conversation use some, but not too much, ceremony; it teaches others to be courteous too.

"The perfection of behaviour," says Livy, "is for a man to retain his own dignity without intruding on the liberty of others."

Manners maketh the man "-the want thereof the fellow. Good manners consist in a constant maintenance of selfrespect, accompanied by attention and deference to others; in correct language, gentle tones of voice, ease and quietness in movements and action.

The happy gift of being agreeable seems to consist not in one but in an assemblage of talents, tending to communicate delight; and how many there are who, by easy manners, sweetness of temper, and a spirit of other undefinable qualities, possess the power of pleasing without any visible effort, without the aids of wit, wisdom, or learning; nay, as it should seem in their defiance; and this without appearing even to know that they possess it.

Grace is to the body what good sense is to the mind.

As the sword of the best-tempered metal is most flexible, so the truly generous are most pliant and courteous in their behaviour to their inferiors.

An able man shows his spirit by gentle words and resolute actions: he is neither hot nor timid.

The modest oft too dark appear:

The silent thoughtfully severe.

Honores mutant mores-honours change manners.

The best manners are stained by the addition of pride. It is easier to polish the manners than to reform the heart, to disguise a fault than to conquer it. He who can venture to appear what he is, must be what he ought to be.

When Clement XIV. ascended the Papal chair the ambassadors of the several States represented at his Court waited on his Holiness with their congratulations. As they were introduced, and severally bowed, he also bowed to return the compliment. On this the master of the ceremonies told his Holiness that he should not have returned the salute. "Oh, I beg your pardon," said he, "I have not been Pope long enough to forget good manners."

Suaviter in modo, fortiter in re-I must be gentle in manner, though firm in principle.

"Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners" -quoted by St. Paul from the Greek poet Menander, who lived about 300 B.C.

He that complies against his will,

Is of his own opinion still.

Seneca writes of his own times-when Nero was emperor: “What once were vices are now the manners of the day."

As the soft plume gives swiftness to the dart,
Good breeding sends the satire to the heart.

Let your behaviour towards your superiors in dignity, age, learning, or any distinguished excellence, be full of respect, deference, and modesty.

I'll not willingly offend,

Nor be easily offended;

What's amiss I'll strive to mend.

The well-bred and refined have their little spites, little envious feelings, little assumptions of consequence to gratifyand they gratify them very freely. There is a finish, a delicacy of touch in the polite impertinence of the well-bred, which the under-bred may envy, but must never hope to attain. The slight that can be conveyed in a glance, in a gracious smile, in a wave of the hand, is often the ne plus ultra of art. What insult is so keen, or so keenly felt, as the polite insult, which it is impossible to resent.

"Be courteous."-1 PET. iii. 8.