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out which of these is the most scriptural way. But as the royal family of England must be of the religion of the State, the young princes and princesses are always brought forward to be confirmed as soon as they are of proper age. And you may tell what that is when we remind you that Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, was born Nov. 9th, 1841, and as he was confirmed in the month of March, 1858, he was then more than sixteen years of age.

We have reason for believing that both the Queen and the Prince Consort have brought up their large family in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, teaching them to reverence and obey the Holy Scriptures. And we therefore indulge the hope that the Prince of Wales, the future King of England, if he survives his honoured Mother-whom God long preserve we say, we hope the young Prince knew what he was doing when he attended to this solemn service.

It is not our intention to describe that service. But it was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury; and the Queen, the Prince Consort, and the younger brothers and sisters of the Prince, and many other distinguished persons, were present to witness the ceremony.

But one thing was done which we are pleased to mention. The beautiful and appropriate verses which we give below were sung at the close of the service. And it is a pleasing fact that those verses were written by a dissenting minister-the pious and amiable Dr. Doddridge, of Northampton, more than one hundred years ago. But these were not the first verses that excellent minister had written, which had found their way into a royal palace. His "Prin

ciples of the Christian Religion, in verse," were committed to memory, whilst he was yet a boy, by the Queen's grandfather, King George III.

We would fain hope that the young Prince will never forget the vows he lately made. May these beautiful verses never be forgotten by him! Then may we hope that, when on some yet distant day he ascends the throne of his ancestors, that throne will be established in righteousness.

We trust that all who fear the God of heaven, and love the Saviour of men, will pray for the young Prince, that he may be preserved from all evil, and that, after having served his generation by the will of God, he may receive from the hands of his Saviour a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

O HAPPY day, that fixed my choice

On thee my Saviour and my God!
Well may this glowing heart rejoice,
And tell its raptures all abroad.
O happy bond, that seals my vows
To Him who merits all my love!
Let cheerful anthems fill his house,
While to that sacred shrine I move.
'Tis done! the great transaction's done
I am my Lord's, and he is mine;
He drew me, and I followed on,
Charmed to confess the voice divine.

Now rest, my long divided heart,

Fixed on this blissful centre, rest;
With ashes who would grudge to part,
When called on angels' bread to feast?
High heaven, that heard the solemn vow,
That vow renewed shall often hear;
Till in life's latest hour I bow,

And bless in death a bond so dear.

THE POLYANTHUS.

PERHAPS our young readers will better know this English garden flower if we write its name as it is generally sounded-polyant.

Now you know it-dont you? Like the pansy, the flowers of the Polyanthus are of various colours, and some are single, and others double. They are most like a wild primrose, their leaves being the same shape; only the flowers of the primrose are always pale yellow.

The Polyanthus will grow almost anywhere; in a pot or a little wooden box in your chamber window, if you only set the window open and let it have fresh air, and some water, and the clear sunshine; or it will grow in a bit of garden before or behind the house if it can only get air, and rain, and sunshine; without which plants and flowers cannot grow. Do not forget that.

I tell you so, because I wish to encourage you to have a few flowers of your own. You may easily get a few roots if you try, either as a gift or for a few pence. And they are

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so nice to look at and watch them grow. I remember that I had some when I was a boy, and I used to be so pleased to see the buds come up and open and shew their pretty faces. I loved them, and I love flowers yet; they look so innocent and beautiful that they always remind me of that happy time when, as the Bible says, "the LORD GOD took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it."

And so by this you see that after the great and blessed God had made the world, and man to live in it, the best thing he could think of to make him happy was to give him a lovely garden. "And out of the ground made the LORD GOD to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food." God Almighty made Adam a gardener, and he was quite happy among the flowers and fruits of Eden.

This was before that wicked spirit—the devil-had come to persuade our first parents to do wrong. After that the earth was cursed because of Adam's great sin, and made to bring forth thorns and thistles. And yet God did not take away all the flowers. There might be some in Eden's garden such as we have never seen for grandeur and beauty, but we have thousands left yet. Let us be thankful for them-they are so innocent and lovely.

Another thing we must remind you of. When man had done wrong, by listening to the devil's lies, God pitied him, and said he would send ONE who should come and bruise that deceitful serpent's head, and restore the children of men to his favour. As he promised, so it was. After four thousand years JESUS, the Son of God, came, and dying for our

sins, opened the way for us to return and be reconciled to God. And he did more, he bought for us, in yon heavenly land, a “possession" and "an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away." There, if we love Him, we shall go when we die, and dwell for ever, safe from satan, and sin, and sorrow for ever!

Have, then, my young friends, a few flowers of your own, and as you watch their opening beauties, think of Adam in Eden's garden; but think more of Jesus Christ, who loved you and died for you, and who, if you love him, will take you to himself to see and admire the unfading flowers of the heavenly paradise.

A VISION OF HEAVEN.

A GOOD minister of Jesus Christ, Mr. William Tennent, who lived some years ago—exactly when we are not now able to say, but we think it was some time in the last century-when he was a young man, was very anxious that his soul might be saved. He appears to have been talking to his brother, when he fell into a trance, which lasted three days. The following is his own account of what he thought he saw and heard:

"While I was conversing with my brother on the state of my soul, and the fears I entertained for my future welfare, I found myself in an instant in another state of existence, under the direction of a superior being, who ordered me to follow him. I was accordingly wafted along, I knew not how, till I beheld at a distance an ineffable glory, the im

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