"Yes, papa.

"And you seem to be vastly pleased with them. "Yes, papa.'

"Well, now, throw them behind the fire.'

The tears started into her eyes. She looked earnestly at me, as though she ought to have a reason for such a cruel sacrifice.

"Well, my dear, do as you please; but you know I never told you to do any thing which I did not think would be good for you.'

"She looked at me a few moments longer, and then-summoning up all her fortitude-her breast heaving with the effort, she dashed them into the fire.

"Well,' said I; there let them lie; you shall hear more about them another time; but say no more about them now.'

"Some days after I bought her a box full of larger beads, and toys of the same kind. When I returned home, I opened the treasure, and set it before her; she burst into tears of ecstacy. "Those, my child,' said I, 'are yours; because you believed me, when I told you it would be better for you to throw those two or three paltry beads behind the fire. Now, that has brought you this treasure. But now, my dear, remember, as long as you live, what FAITH is. You threw You threw your beads away when I bid you, because you had faith in me, that I never advised you but for your good. Put the same confidence in God. Believe everything he says in his word. Whether you understand it or not, have faith in him that he means your good."

CECIL TEACHING HIS LITTLE DAUGHTER WHAT IS MEANT BY FAITH. "My dear, you have some pretty beads there, and you seem to be vastly pleased with them."-"Yes, papa."-"Well, now, throw them behind the fire."-The tears started into her eyes. She looked earnestly at me, as though she ought to have a reason for such a cruel sacrifice, then-summoning up all her fortitude-her breast heaving with the effort, she dashed them into the fire.-PAGE 42.

A STORM AT SEA.

43

This, too, was faith in a father; but the little girl might have had it, even if she had been a heathen child. It was not the faith required in the Bible, because it was not faith in God himself.

I will now tell you what is faith in the care of God. A lady and her husband were standing on the deck of a ship during an awful storm. The winds howled, and the ship was tossed like a feather over the great waves. The lady had to hold on with both hands to keep from falling. She was very much frightened, and asked her husband if he was not afraid. He said nothing, but, in a moment after, he held a naked sword with its point close to her breast, and asked her,

"Are you not afraid?"

"No."

"Why not? Do you see this sword within an inch of your heart?"

"Yes, but I am not afraid, for it is my husband who holds it!"

"Yes," said he, "and it is my heavenly Father who holds the storm in his hand, the winds and the waves, and why should I be afraid? No, I am not afraid!"

This was faith in the care of God. God was pleased with it. Now see. Was not the gentleman pleased to see that his wife had so much faith in his love as not to be afraid, though he held a drawn sword to her heart? Yes, he must have been pleased. And so was God pleased to see him put so much faith in his care, when the storm was raging, and the ship seemed about to be destroyed. The Bible tells us to cast our bread upon the

waters, and we shall find it after many days." Let us see what this text means. Rice is the food most used in Eastern countries, especially in Egypt, even to this day. Every year, when the snow melts off the mountains, the river Nile rises up high and overflows its banks, and covers all the country round it with water. The people set down stakes, every man in his own land, before the water comes. And when the Nile has risen, and all the ground is covered with water, they go out in their little boats, and sow, or cast their rice upon the water. The rice sinks down, and sticks in the mud beneath; and when the water is gone, they find it has taken root, and sprouted, and it grows up and gives them a harvest. This is casting their bread upon the waters, and finding it after many days.

Here is one kind of faith. The man who sows the rice, believes that it will sink, that the water will go off in due time, and that he shall come out and find his rice growing. This is a kind of faith in the providence of God. But, you know, this is not the faith required in the Bible, because a very wicked man has faith to plant and sow, expecting to get a harvest, though he forgets that God must make every blade to grow, if it does grow. Thousands have had this kind of faith, but it did not make them good and holy.

Now, let me show you what faith in God is,such a faith as will please God.

There was once a man to whom God spake, and told him to leave his home, his town, and his country, and go off into a strange land, and live under a