not conscientiously invite clergymen to his table during the aniversaries, alleging as a reason that it had become so habitual for ministers of the gospel to speak unkindly of their brethren who happened to entertain different opinions on some minor points, in theology, that he feared his sagacious children, on perceiving such marked discrepancies between the profession and example of those expounders of the Bible, might be led to doubt the truth of Chrstianity.

MORNING AND EVENING PRIVATE PRAYER.

"THE habit of early rising is of great importance to the due discharge of morning prayer. O how many precious hours do indolent Christians lose, while those who are more self-denying and diligent, are gaining the favor of God and enjoying communion with him."

In this respect Col. Gardiner set an admirable example. "He used constantly to rise at four in the morning, and to spend his time till six in secret exercises of devotion, reading, meditation and prayer; in which last he contracted such a fervency of spirit, as I believe few men living ever obtained. This tended very much to strengthen that firm faith in God, and reverend animating sense of his presence, for which he was so eminently remarkable, and which carried him through the trials and services of life with such steadiness and such activity; for he indeed endured and acted as always' seeing him who is invisible.'

"If at any time he was obliged to go out before six in the morning, he rose proportionably sooner, so that when a journey or a march has required him to be on horseback by four, he would be at his devotions at furthest by two. He likewise secured time for retirement in an evening; and that he might be the better able to rise early the next morning, he generally went to bed about ten.

"He seldom ate any supper except a mouthful of bread. In consequence of this, as well as of his admirably good constitution, and the habits he had formed, he required less sleep than most persons

I have known; and I doubt not but his uncommon progress in piety was in a great measure owing to these resolute habits of self-denial."-Doddrige's Life of Col. Gardiner.

Bickersteth says "Our first waking thoughts should be directed towards God; copying David's example, who says, 'When I awake I am still with thee.' I would advise you to be longest in your morning devotions, when your spirits are lively and vigorous, and undisturbed by the events of the day; in the evening, when you are tired and spent with its labors, be shorter, and endeavor to attend to this duty some time before you retire to rest.

"If your evening devotions are deferred till every thing else is done, there is great danger of their being often imperfectly performed, if not altogether omitted. Prayer has been compared to a key, that in the morning opens the treasury of God's mercies, and in the evening shuts us up under his protection and safeguard. It has ever been found, that as we have sought God in spirit and in truth in the morning, so the rest of the day has prospered."

Dr. Doddridge remarks, "that there are few who, with proper care, might not have half or three quarters of an hour at comcommand for reading the scriptures and prayer, morning and evening."

"Let those," says Bishop Horne, "who retire in the middle of the day to adorn their persons, take the opportunity of putting on the ornaments of grace, and renewing the spirits of their minds."

"I have," says Baxter, "more and greater business to do with God in one day than with all the world in all my life. My business with God is so great, that if I had not a Mediator to encourage and assist me to do my work, and procure my acceptance, the thoughts of it would overwhelm my soul. Therefore let man stand by. I have to do with the great and eternal God, and with him I am in this little time to transact the business of my endless life."

For the Mother's Magazine.

PAPA'S BOOTS.

Not long ago a little child,

Just four years old-or more;
Beloved indeed but never spoiled,
Was sitting on the floor.

A pair of boots he quickly spied
Left on the rug to air;
New ones his father had just tried,
A long and shining pair.

O now, thought he, 'I'll be a man,
Perhaps these boots will fit;
Or if they don't, why then I can
Just try a little bit.'

So off his easy shoes he took,

Nor stayed to loose the strings;
He gave them one disdainful look,
And called them "shabby things."

By dint of will, and striving long,
He settled his desire,

When stood erect in triumph strong,
And strided from the fire.

'Hey day!' his father now exclaimed,
Who's here?-a jack in boots?
But stay, my boy, before you're lamed;
This trial hardly suits!

Yet still unmoved, he bore the pain,
And when mama enquired,

He would not have his shoes again,
Nor own that he was tired.

The boots he praised, persisting still
They did not hurt at all;

And boasting, said he should not care
Though he should have a fall.

Then keep them on,' his father cried, "You need not be distressed,

Wear them till you are satisfied,

Your own will please you best.'

He walked about-and now quite flat
Upon the floor he laid;

Then on the rug alone he sat,
And all the rest surveyed.

Impatient grown, he tried the stool,
But there he could not stay;
He saw his brothers, come from school,
But could not join their play.

Feeling at last quite sad and spent,
He touched his father's knee;
'Papa, he said, 'I'm now content,
The shoes are best for me.'

Let us briefly examine quadrupeds. This class of animals are superior in intelligence to the birds, the fishes, the reptiles and the insects. They are clearly a higher order of beings; their organization is more curious and perfect, and their faculties are of a superior grade.

The elephant is generally regarded as the most intelligent of mere animals, but it appears to me that the dog is not in this respect his inferior. But my design has been hitherto, and now is, rather to direct your attention to the mechanical structure of animals and deduce from the ingenuity displayed in this, evidence of design in the works of Creation.

Perhaps this evidence is furnished as well by the structure of one animal as another. The house fly shows a skill of workmanship surpassing that of man as truly as the structure of an elephant. But there is something in the magnitude of this animal that impresses the imagination and sways even the judgment. It may be well therefore to consider its formation, with reference to this question.

When the elephant is full grown, he has two enormous tusks, proceeding from his upper jaw. These are necessary to the animal for defence, but they are so heavy that he would be unable to carry them, if his neck were as long in proportion to his size VOL. VIII.-NO. 10.

10

as that of other animals. The neck is accordingly made very short. In consequence of the shortness of the neck, the creature is unable to get its head to the ground. To remedy this defect, it is provided with a tube or trunk extending from the nose to the length of three or four feet.

To this I wish particularly to call your attention. It consists of several thousand small muscles, crossing and interlacing each other in the most ingenious manner. These muscles are extremely flexible, and are endowed with the most exquisite sensibility. The trunk is terminated with an appendage, resembling a finger. To the elephant, the trunk answers all the purposes of a hand. He turns it this way and that, with the utmost ease, coils it up, or stretches it out; with this, he strikes a blow, seizes upon whatever he wishes to carry to his mouth, sucks up water, and turns it down his throat.

Now, who can take into consideration all these facts and not be struck with the skilful contrivance and wonderful power of execution, in the creator of the elephant? What work of man can compare in ingenuity with the elephant's trunk? What human construction does not sink into insignificance when compared with the moving elephant?

In many respects, the skeleton or frame of the elephant resembles that of other quadrupeds. This frame consists of a series of bones extending along the back, carefully fitted together, called the vertebra. To this, ribs are attached, and the bones for the legs. Upon this frame-work, the flesh of the animal is formed, and over the whole is a coating of skin. Within are a heart and lungs, and tubes called arteries, and veins for the conveyance of blood. Beside these, there are the various organs for receiving, conducting, and digesting the food, as well as a great variety of muscles, veins, and fibres.

This description applies to most quadrupeds, and I wish you to think of it a moment, as a mere piece of mechanism. Consider the animal when walking, leaping, or running about, and think that all these motions are produced by the contraction of the muscles, just as the sails and yards of a ship are taken up and