"Sweet is the time of Spring,

When Nature's charms appear;
The birds with ceaseless pleasure sing,
And hail the opening year.

"But sweeter far the Spring

Of wisdom and of grace,

When children bless and praise their King

Who loves the youthful race."

"Lo, the winter is past; . . . . the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come.”

SOLOMON'S SONG ii. 11, 12.

"When youthful Spring around us breathes,
Thy Spirit warms her fragrant sigh;
And every flower the Summer wreathes,
Is born beneath Thy kindling eye;
Where'er we turn, Thy glories shine,
And all things fair and bright are Thine."

"Not self-willed, not soon angry.”—TITUS i. 7.

IT

T was of a grown-up man that these words were written. But a man's character begins to be formed in his childhood. If you wish for a good harvest by and by, you must look to the seed you are sowing now. If you do not wish to be angry and passionate when you are old, you must watch against anger, and refrain from passion, while you are young.

Notice the two things that go together in the text. "Not self-willed," and "not soon angry." There is no wrong anger, but there is something of self at the bottom of it. What makes you cross and angry, when you cannot carry out your own plans? and when you cannot enjoy your favourite games? and when you cannot leave your playthings all untidily scattered over the floor? It is Self, which wishes to have its own will and its own way. What makes you sullen and pettish, when you are laughed at, or joked with? It is Self, which has taken offence. Conquer Self, and this will keep you from being soon angry.

"Soon angry!" what right or what reason have any of us to be so easily put out? When next we feel disposed to be angry, let us think of Him who is "slow to anger. "" Let us think how patient He has been with us. Let us ask Him to make us like Himself. Our rising anger will then quickly vanish away, like a morning cloud before the light of the glorious sun; or if it is a right anger, an anger against sin, it will move steadily on, like the rain-cloud, to do its work and to leave a blessing behind.

"Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us. ."-PSALM lxii. 8.

TRUE prayer is a pouring out of the heart to

God. You can easily understand what this means. If your heart is very full of joy, how you run to pour out your words of gladness into the ear of a father whom you love! If your heart is full of trouble, how you hasten to pour out your tale of sorrow in the hearing of a mother, in whose arms you find a refuge! If your heart is full of some little secret of its own, how glad you are to whisper it to some one whom you know you can trust!

Just in this way we can go to God in prayer, and tell Him all we think, and feel, and wish. We can go to Him with our joys, and tell Him all our gladness, for He is a loving Father, who delights to see us happy. We can go to Him with our sorrows, and tell Him all our fears, for "He is a refuge for us." We can go to Him with every secret thought, and tell Him what we would tell to no one else, for we can safely "trust in Him at all times."

Did you ever think of prayer in this way? Did you ever feel that you were pouring out your soul before Him? Did you ever come to Him with a full heart, and tell Him all that was uppermost in it, and show Him all that you kept hid in its inmost corners? Did you ever delight to think that He was really listening to you? If so, prayer was no task to you then. It is those who pour out their souls in prayer that find a pleasure in it.

"When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid; yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet."-PROVERBS iii. 24.

THEN we read such a text as this, we see

WH

how well God knows our hearts. He knows exactly when we are afraid, and what we are afraid of. Little children often have foolish fears. Some are afraid of being alone; and some, afraid of being in the dark. But there is no need for them to fear anything, if they are God's children. He tells them that they may lie down without being afraid, and sleep sweetly through the night. He is always near to watch them; and to Him "the darkness and the light are both alike." If we use David's eveningprayer, we shall often have good reason to use David's morning-song. His prayer was, "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep; for Thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety." And his thanksgiving was, "I laid me down, and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me."

By and by, you will have outgrown the little fears of childhood. Yet, perhaps, you will have new fears, and greater fears, in coming life. But the same kind voice will still say, "Fear not." It is the voice of Jesus. It is the voice of Him who hushed His disciples' terror, on the lake of Galilee, by the peace-speaking words, “It is I; be not afraid." And amid all the storms of life, in every dark night of affliction, He will come to us when we are tossed on the waves of trouble, and will say to us, "Be not afraid; only believe." Let us listen to His kind voice, and put away every vain and idle fear.

"Enoch walked with God."-GENESIS v. 24.

ENOC

NOCH lived more than five thousand years ago. He was the seventh head of a family, counting on from Adam. He was one who set his family a pattern of true piety. And his was no common degree of piety. It is described as walking with God. The same is said of Noah, his great grandson. But Enoch was the first, of whom these words were used. He was one who went through life, with a happy feeling that God was with him. What he did, he did to please God. He lived with God here; and when he was suddenly missed from earth, it was because God had taken him straight to heaven, without making him pass through the valley of the shadow of death.

It was not easier to walk with God five thousand years ago, than it is now. It ought to be much easier now, than it was then. We have had so many more proofs of God's love; and so many more means of learning His will; and so many more examples of holy men who walked with God. In order that we may walk with God, we must first have Him for our Friend. With an enemy we could not wish to walk. With a stranger we might not care to walk. It is with friends that we delight to walk.

In

order to walk with God, we must have our sins forgiven. God will not allow the unholy to walk with Him. But when He is our Friend, and we are His forgiven ones, then we may walk with Him day by day, and hour by hour, hearing His voice, rejoicing in His smile, and sheltering at His side,