mind, her conduct or her conversation would have betrayed her origin. If she had not been as fit in mind as in person, the officers would not have selected her, and certainly the king would not have fixed his choice upon her to become his queen. The mind is of far greater moment than the person. The person, though far from beautiful, will seldom be despised, if the mind is well cultivated, and richly stored. In Esther's case the charms of a lovely person were blended with the still greater charms of a cultivated mind. We should not be unmindful of our person, but we should be still more mindful to improve our minds, and should store them with good and useful knowledge.

Esther possessed a humble spirit.—Although Esther was more beautiful than any in the kingdom; although wherever she went she attracted attention, drew all eyes upon her, and obtained favour in the sight of all who looked upon her; although, she won the heart of the king, received at his hands the royal crown, and was raised to the dignity of queen, she was Esther still. Her head being crowned did not fill her heart with pride; her dignity did not make her vain; her power did not make her tyrannical-a being loved by none, but feared, despised, and hated by many. The fairness of her person and the brightness of her crown were equalled by the greatness, humbleness, and nobleness of spirit. Esther was not ashamed to confess her people, when they were threatened with death, not knowing but the confession might prove her own ruin instead of the saving of her nation. The garment of humility, which we may all have, is far more beautiful in the sight of God than the robe of royalty. Hence the command "be ye clothed with humility."

Esther had a grateful heart.—When queen, and before the elevation of Mordecai to the first office under the crown, Esther did not forget him, nor the tie of kindred between them. Too many, when the sun of prosperity shines upon them, forget their former benefactors; and some, alas! become ashamed of their relatives-their

parents, brothers, and sisters. But such conduct betrays their ignorance, and their ingratitude. But such was not the case with the beautiful Persian queen Esther. On her throne she still remembered with gratitude the kindness which Mordecai showed to her when an orphan; how he loved her, and treated her as his daughter. And now, as a proof of her gratitude, as well as a mark of the high regard she had for him as a good and a wise man, she did his commandment, like as when she was brought up with him. But Esther's gratitude did not stop here; she was not contented with cherishing the same love as before, and still looking up to him as her counsellor; she told the king what Mordecai was to her. This was right and noble on the part of Esther. Mordecai came in before the king, who took off the same royal ring which had been given to Haman, and put it on the hand of Mordecai, as a mark of his dignity and a proof of the king's favour. What a moment was that! What happiness must have been felt by each! It would be impossible to guess which had the fullest cup! Esther would feel happy in proving her love and gratitude to one to whom she owed so much. The king must have been happy to find in his first minister, and preserver of his life, the near relative and foster parent of his royal consort. And Mordecai-noble hearted man-must have been happy indeed, not so much on account of the dignity and honour couferred on him by the king, as on account of the noble part which Esther, whom he had watched with the vigilance of a father's eye, and loved with the fondness of a father's heart, had acted. Gratitude is always proper, and it is as agreeable to those who cultivate it as it is to those to whom it is shown. O then, let us be grateful to God, our greatest and best friend, and manifest it to all who show the least kindness to us.

Esther displayed great fortitude.-During the Babylonish captivity, we see some of the finest examples of fortitude ever displayed by the Jewish or any other people. It was under the powerful and haughty Nebuchadnezzar, who pillaged and destroyed their beautiful temple, laid their

glorious city in ruins, and took into captivity their king and people, that Shadrack, Meshech and Abednego, three young Hebrew princes, welcomed a sevenfold heated furnace, rather than worship a golden idol. It was under the misguided Darius that the heroic Daniel braved the den of lions, with a faith that never wavered, and a fortitude that never has nor can be surpassed. And it was under the mighty Ahasuerus the Persian, that Esther entered unbidden into the presence of the king, when seated on his royal throne, which was contrary to law, and punishable with death. For guards stood near the throne, to put to death any who came without being called, unless the king extended his sceptre, which was a token of permission to approach. This required no little fortitude on the part of Esther. But it was the way of duty, and its reward was proportionate to the danger attending it. Esther approached, the sceptre was extended, and her request granted. In whatever path Providence may call us to move we shall have duties to perform, temptations to resist, and trials to endure, if not as great as those which fell to the lot of Esther, yet they will require fortitude. Let us seek it in God.

Esther showed great love for her people.-For them she risked her life, in seeking audience of the king at the time she did. For them she confronted the powerful, proud, and cruel Haman. For them she charged him with his deep, dark, foul crime, and disclosed his treachery and guilt. For them she pleaded with the king, fell down upon her knees, and with tears besought him to put away the mischief which Haman had devised against them. The brightness of her richly studded crown faded, the splendor of her magnificent throne grew dim, and the wealth of her great kingdom dwindled into worthlessness, as she thought of the danger which threatened her people." Esther's ardent love for her people, as she lay prostrate at his feet, weeping and praying, touched the king's heart, and gained all she asked on their behalf.

It is our duty to love all people, but especially those of our family and kindred. Their welfare and happiness,

ought to engage our thoughts, and if danger threaten them we should seek by all possible means to deliver them. They may not be exposed to great temporal danger, as the Jews were. But are not some of them exposed to eternal danger, which is infinitely worse? Let us think of Esther's love for her people, her desire, prayers, and tears for their safety, and then bow before the King of Heaven, and pray that parents, brothers, sisters, yea, all, may be saved here and hereafter.

Esther was a servant of the only one and true God.When she was about to approach the king on her people's behalf, she felt her need of God's help. And that that help might be given, and that she might find favour in the eyes of the king, she and her maids, and all the Jews in Shushan, fasted for three days and three nights. Thus she acknowledged God, and sought His merciful interposition. Nor was Esther disappointed. Who ever has

been, who has really trusted in God? Had she trusted to her personal beauty, to the king's love for her, or to her queenly dignity, she might have perished, and her people's doom might have been terribly consummated. The arm in which she trusted was not an arm of flesh, but one to which all things are possible—the arm of God! An arm that did not, could not fail, it shielded Esther and saved her people!

Happy is our choice, my young friends, if the Lord is our portion. It is said of the youthful, amiable, happy Mary of Bethany, who sat at the feet of Jesus, listening to those interesting and touching lessons she so much delighted to hear. "Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." May that good part be ours, and it will make us happy, even in circumstances of trial, affliction, and loss, and enable us to say

"What though created streams are dry,

I have the fountain still." Amen.

R. BRICKWOOD.

VARIETY OF GIFTS.

As with communities, so with individual members, there is boundless and beautiful variety. There are flowers so fair, that whilst you eye them, you kindle up and become for the moment a brighter, sunnier man; and between the leaves of your Bible or memorandum-book, you treasure up one blossom of the heath or the heart's-ease to recall that vision of delight. And there are flowers so fragrant, that though you care not to take their picture,-like the myrrh or the spikenard, they have no peculiar grace nor any brilliancy of bloom,-you love the spot they haunt; and as you pass there comes over your spirit a visitation soft and soothing, which you scarcely notice for the moment, but which makes you bless their memory. And so there are lovely characters-Christians whom it does you good to look upon; whose beauty of holiness beautifies the beholder, so that in their presence he is actually a more generous or unworldly man; and quotable Christians-men whose good deeds or edifying words you can chronicle, so that long after they are gone you can still open the biographic record and recal in unfaded freshness the trait of goodness or the word in season. And there are fragrant characters. You can scarcely define their excellence; you cannot quote their brilliant sayings, and their deeds do not make anecdotes; and yet such a sweet savour of Christ surrounds them, and with such an atmosphere of love and goodness do they fill their daily sphere, that the nooks to which memory loves to fly back and nestle are the bowers which they gladdened, and the homes which they blessed by the perpetual June of their presence. But besides the beautiful and the fragrant,-the characters which shed over the church's face its loveliness, and which fills its precincts with a heavenly charm,-there are the fruitful, "the pomegranates and pleasant fruits," the men to whose substantial services, to whose thoughtful kindnesses, and generous deeds, and systematic labours, the world is so much indebted:-Gaius mine host, Tryphena and Tryphosa who labour in the Lord; the evangelists