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THE CONSECRATION.

A new church had just been erected in a certain village, and Mary having observed its progress with a young artist's admiration for its picturesque architecture, hastened to witness the ceremony of consecrating its finished beauty to the important purpose of making known the gospel in our vernacular tongue. Her mother accompanied her, and as they reached the spot some time before the appointed hour, they paced the terraced walks of the pretty green enclosure round, watching the gathering groups who rapidly assembled from every approach. Presently two grey haired beadles, with their white wands, marshalled a long train of village school children, who wound in sight between the trees, now bright with their new spring foliage, passing beneath the light and shade which is so apt an emblem of men's chequered course on earth. These were followed by the venerable bishop of the diocese, with several clergymen, who had gathered together to welcome the new pastor, and express their sympathy and good wishes for his occupation of the fresh field thus opened for usefulness, as well as to unite in prayer for the divine blessing on the undertaking. The company paused at the gateway, while the usual legal documents were read by a notary, vesting the estate in trust for the purposes of divine worship. When these officials had passed into the church, Mary and Mrs. Lee followed, and found it well filled with an attentive audience. The opening of every large house of assembly is an interesting event, but the first service in a place where prayer is to be made may well excite peculiar and holy emotion, such doubtless the evangelist had realized, as he recorded of a certain city in olden time: "And there they preached the gospel."

Again the legal documents were read within the building, and this was all the inaugural ceremony. After a short pause, silence was broken by one of the oldest neighbouring ministers, who repeated one of those beautiful texts which introduce the ordinary morning service;-appropriate Scriptures and prayers being selected to suit the circumstances. And those who then heard of the solemn dedication of Solomon's splendid temple, could not but feel thankful that so cumbrous a ritual had passed away, and that the actual offering of the Lamb of God, rendered it

now no longer necessary to resort to any one spot, or pursue any one routine for an acceptable approach to Him who heareth always men from the ends of the earth!

An asylum for the blind was near, and one of the inmates made sweet music on the organ, while the clear voices of his companions joined in a con amore melody which proved how soothing a resource was this pleasing art to these afflicted ones. How precious are these indirect fruits of Christianity! We cannot, like our Master, remove every malady, but even alleviation of such calamity imparts inexpressible happiness to the sufferer. A short but valuable discourse, setting forth the abundant life of body, soul, and spirit secured to the believer by Christ's atoning sacrifice furnished a suitable close to the initiatory engagements: and seemed a sort of pledge of the results which might be anticipated as an answer to the inspired promise" My word shall not return unto me void, but shall accomplish that whereto I sent it.”

Like many young people of the present day, Mary Lee was rather smitten with a passion for imposing ceremonies, and solemn externals; so that she was half ready to fancy that the "consecrated temple" must be nearer the gate of heaven than her own little chamber, or the saloon in which, day by day, her pious father gathered his household for social prayer and praise.

Her brother's subsequent ordination to ministerial office, revived an early wish that she also could in some equally distinct and recognized manner dedicate her time and her industry to religious service. On the evening of the day in which he left them for the duties of his new charge, Mary surprised her mother by expressing a desire to leave home, and prepare for some especial post in the field of philanthropy.

"Why leave your home and your family, my child, to enter upon a path to which no one calls you?" asked Mrs. Lee.

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Because, mamma," replied Mary, "I think it would help me to become more spiritually minded, to consecrate myself somehow as Ernest did at his ordination."

"It is not at all sure that such would be the effect, my love. This you know was not Ernest's first personal dedication to his Master's service, yet you heard him lament the inefficiency of

any such public act to eradicate the hidden evils of the heart; and I can assure you from my own experience that even the impressive rite by which I enrolled myself among those who profess to love and obey the Saviour, has in itself no tendency either to restrain from sin, or to excite to holiness." "But surely, mamma," pursued Mary, 66 some constant memento of our profession-a peculiar dress or ornament might be useful to prolong the influence of so important an event.”

"That has been amply tried as you are aware in the Church of Rome; but, alas! judging not only by their fruits, but by their own confessions, those who have adopted these 'outward and visible signs' have not found their inward and 'spiritual grace' in any degree commensurate."

"Then is it wrong to adopt any external mode of consecrating ourselves to God, mamma?" asked Mary.

"Not exactly wrong, my love, for human nature is so weak that it needs some outward aids to devotion; but while Christians find it helpful to set apart convenient buildings for the assembling of ourselves together, it must be recollected that this is by no means necessary to acceptable worship, since our Saviour himself taught that, not at Jerusalem only, but wherever two or three were met together in his name, he would be in the midst of them. This he proved by appearing to them in divers places, both in large and small companies, after his resurrection, then reiterating his assurance, ‘Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.' Since the departure of his bodily presence, too, how often he has spiritually met and cheered his lonely disciples-at the stake-in the prison-in the gloomy cavern of starvation-the chamber of death-the missionary's untended fever pallet-many records testify, of later date than those favored cases handed down to us in Holy Writ."

"But those individuals, mamma, had been set apart-consecrated to their especial service, and were therefore prepared to meet every hardship."

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Nay, Mary," answered Mrs. Lee, "they were prepared simply to understand the will of the Lord, and do his bidding, and therefore when he sent them forth to such posts of toil and hazard, they fulfilled the course he had marked out for them.

Faithful, first, in the few talents, more were entrusted to them."

""Tis curious, mother," interposed Harold, who had entered the room during the conservation, "that I should find you talking upon this topic, for our old friend G, who now calls himself Father G- -, overtook me this afternoon, and has been descanting in such glowing terms upon the happiness to be found in that new fraternity he has joined, that I own I began to share Mary's wish of being consecrated to some post of goodness."

"I am sure, my son," replied his mother smiling, "if consecration to a post of goodness could assure your spiritual purity, I would be the last to oppose it, but it is so serious a matter to choose our own path, that the Christian is wiser to confide in that God who will choose his inheritance for him, nay even 'appoint the bounds of his habitation,' beside directing 'all the steps' of those who acknowledge Him. He who said 'I go sir,' and did not his father's bidding, was pronounced more reprehensible than he who refused, yet afterwards repented and went.” “Well, can it be right for G▬▬▬▬ to leave his family and parish to shut himself up to meditation, and repeating a daily routine of service, when his peculiar mental powers might be so usefully employed in a hundred different ways which would benefit society as well as himself? He says he made all the beds in the monastery to-day; that is a queer religious service I think."

"If poverty, or exile, or the need of alleviating plague or pestilence imposed that duty upon him, Harold, of course it would be as right as it is for the surgeon to pass his days in dressing wounds, or the undertaker in performing the last offices of humanity. However, let us leave G to his own master. The Scripture says 'Let every man abide in his calling wherein he is called,' so I cannot perceive that either you or Mary have at present any vocation (I believe that is the orthodox phrase) to follow his example, yet you may, and ought, both to consecrate all your powers to fulfil the duties of that station wherein it hath pleased God to place you, and which you cannot neglect without risk of his displeasure."

"What do you mean, mother?" enquired Harold.

"When your papa desires you to prepare a case of instru

ments for any delicate and important operation, what would he say if he found you had placed a different set quite inappropriate to his requirement ?"

"No doubt he would say the truth, that I was a presumptuous ignoramus, of no use to him," replied Harold, whose eyes flashed indignation, at the bare supposition that he could exhibit such folly.

"Or suppose, Mary, our housemaid should stand still to admire our perfections, instead of making our guests comfortable or preparing for their wants," continued Mrs. Lee, turning to her daughter.

"She would much more appropriately show her zeal and affection for us by doing her duties, and making all about her neat and nice," said Mary.

"Just so, my children," resumed Mrs. Lee, "human beings show their ignorant presumption' when they recede from the claims of the social rank in which God himself has placed them by their birth, or providential circumstances over which they had no control! That it is a mistake to confine religious service within the walls of a cloister, is evident from our Lord's repeated commands to such as naturally wished to show their gratitude for mercy, by sharing his fortunes, Return to thy house, and show thy friends how great things the Lord hath done for thee.' During the greater part of his earthly career he was our example in the diligent discharge of those filial and social duties which won him favour from all men: he returned with his parents, was subject to them, and known by the name of his father's occupation, as the carpenter.'

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"How happy I should have felt to have been his sister!" said Mary.

"Or his brother!" added Harold.

"Inasmuch as ye did it unto unto one of the least of these,' repeated their mother in a serious tone, as she pointed through the open window to a juvenile group in the garden, “ye have done it unto me,' said the Saviour,-marking thus his approbation of the every day duties he had enunciated in his parable which should require no public designation as an incentive to their proper performance. Believe me, my children, you will most acceptably serve your Lord and Master, by 'occupying

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