RELIGIOUS READING.

[The following selections are made from a new volume by Rev. Henry B. Browning, a minister of the Church of Eng land, just published by J. B. Lippincott & Co. It is entitled "The New Theology; or, Advanced Truths on Spiritual Subjects."]

THE

RIGHT VIEWS OF GOD.

HE very first and most important of all things for our spiritual welfare is that we should get and keep just and right views of God. Many, not only in heathen lands, but even in this country of Christian light, live under entire delusion as to what God is, and as to how God feels toward us, His poor sinful creatures-delusion which affects all their views, all their conduct, all their life. Oh! then how precious an attainment, how great a blessing it will be if we are enabled, by the light of God's Word and by the teachings of His Spirit savingly to know God.

"If ye, then, being evil,” said our Lord, “know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father in Heaven give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?" What is the great principle that is involved in these words? It is this: that the way to judge of God, and of God's feelings toward us, and of what God will do for us, is to look at the best, and purest, and kindest feelings of human parents, and to think that God is like all that; only that He is infinitely purer, kinder and better. That is the way to arrive at some faint notion of what God is, and of how God feels.

Such is the picture we should have in our minds of the Christian's God! Not the grim tyrant, not the rigorous and inflexible punisher, that some misguided and gloomy religionists worship and terrify their children with; not a being all severity, and wrath, and cursing, and woe; not a being hard and cold; not a being that damns little children, and then asks us to thank Him for doing it; | not a being that made millions for sin and misery, and looks on in gloomy satisfaction as His poor creatures are consigned to hell, all for His glory. Call that black vision, conjured up by heartless logicians, as though they longed to drive man away from his Maker-call it Moloch or Juggernaut, if you will-but never dream that in that you see the Christian's God-the God revealed to our love and hope in the blessed Gospel of Jesus Christ. No: our God is one who, while hating the sin, pities and loves the sinner; one who wills not that any should perish; one who would that His glory should be vindicated by our bliss and salvation; who "sent His Son into the world that whosoever believeth in Him might not perish, but have everlasting life."

NEARNESS OF THE SPIRITUAL WORLD. Every man has spiritual senses by virtue of being born an immortal spirit. They are the senses which come into operation the moment the physical body is laid aside and man enters the spiritual world. They are the senses by which he then holds intercourse with his fellow-beings, by which he sees, hears, touches and converses with spirits in the world, as he formerly held intercourse and conversed with men in the world. They are the eyes, the ears and the hands of his spiritual body; which spiritual body is within the mortal body while he lives on the earth.

Now these inward senses, which every one possesses, are capable of being opened or brought into conscious exercise whenever it pleases the Lord that they shall be; whenever any heavenly or divine purpose can be accomplished by it. And whenever they are thus brought into exercise in any one, then the spiritual world around us immediately becomes visible to that individual; he sees some of its inhabitants and hears them speak.

In early ages this open intercourse with the spiritual world was common. Such is the state that all the prophets of the Old Testament were in when they had their visions. They were said to be in holy vision. They conversed with angels and had many heavenly things shown to them. A vision, as applied to them, and in its real sense, means something that is distinctly seen. A vision is not a mere dream, as some may be apt to fancy, but a visible reality actually seen; as we are told concerning the women at the sepulchre, that they had seen a vision of angels who had told them that the Lord had risen from the dead. And John, in the Revelation, declares over and over again, in relation to the things there described, that he saw and heard them: “I, John, saw these things and heard them"-a declaration which is repeated many times in this book and in other parts of the Bible.

Hence, in ancient times, the prophets were called "seers," because there was opened in them the capacity of seeing what to other men is invisible the spiritual world and its inhabitants.

In the 24th chapter of Numbers we read of Balaam, the Syrian prophet, who foretold the grandeur of Israel: "The man whose eyes were opened hath said.”

Another striking instance is found in the 6th chapter of the 2d Kings, where the Syrian army had come down against Dothan, where the prophet Elias was, to take him prisoner: “And when the servant of the man of God had risen early and gone forth, behold a host encompassed the city, both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, 'Alas, my master, how shall we do?' And he answered, Fear not, for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.' And Elisha prayed, and said, 'Lord, I pray Thee, open his eyes that he may see.' And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man and he saw and behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots round about Elisha."

That was the angelic host encamped around about the man of God to deliver him. They were invisible at first to the young man; but when his spiritual eyes were opened, he saw what was before invisible to him in his ordinary state of vision. For a time he became a seer as Elisha was.

Elisha's young man did not have to be transported to a great distance through space to have those things shown him; the ancient prophets did not have to be transported; nor did John, in the Isle of Patmos, have to be so carried, in order to have Heaven opened to him. They each remained in their place and saw all by the spiritual degree of vision being opened within themselves.

All these things show us that the spiritual world is not locally remote but spiritually near, and hidden from our sight only by the veil which hangs over our spiritual eyes.

GOD IN CHRIST.

terrors to make me afraid. Here is nothing to repel or keep me at a distance. But here is God, saying, “Come,

If we would have clear, correct and comfortable views of God, we must view Him in Jesus. God was mani-weary one, I will give you rest; come, guilty one, I will fested in the manhood of Christ. In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Christ alone fully reveals the Father. What Jesus was, God is: what Jesus spake, God dictated: what Jesus did, God wrought. I am not to look on creation to find God, though to those who can read creation aright He is there revealed: I am not to go to Mount Sinai to learn what God is, though to those who can read the divine law aright, He is there, too, revealed: but I am to go to Jesus. Here are no

pardon your sins; come, wandering one, I will receive you graciously; come, lost one, I will save you with an everlasting salvation." Sweet view of God this; how encouraging to the timid and the guilty! Precious view of Jesus this; how calculated to endear Him to the heart!, If you are ever tempted to indulge harsh or hard thoughts of God, if you are ever prompted slavishly to fear Him, go direct to Jesus, and see God as He is revealed there, and you will behold that God is love.

TH

FLORAL DEPARTMENT.

instead of being torn open. With these, and a pencil in the pocket, such seeds as do not need drying, or too much clearing from husks or dried petals, can be at once put up and labeled. When the seeds are in the envelopes, the cut ends are turned over two or three times, and the seed is secure enough for practical purposes. Some seeds it is necessary to dry before they can be put away.

HE heat of the summer months obliges one to cease | ber of old letter envelopes which have been cut at the end from any great amount of active work in the flowergarden. There may have been a little weeding before breakfast or after tea. Cuttings may have been taken and attended to in the proper season; and other necessary or desirable duties performed. But what the garden has been during the summer-whether it has displayed a rich succession of bloom, or been a wilderness of weeds and plants past their maturity—has depended upon how faithfully and well the spring work has been done.

But now the time for labor begins. Upon September depends the bloom of the succeeding May; and according as the labor is well or slightly done during this and the following month, will the operations of gardening be light or heavy in the spring.

The lawn must be kept clear of weeds, and the grass still occasionally cut. If there are bare places in it, grass-seed may now be sown with advantage in time to receive the benefit from the autumn rains.

Chrysanthemums should now receive some attention, to make sure that they are in condition to give perfect bloom next month. A good variety of Chrysanthemums well

near each other to allow them to mix, will secure beauty and attractiveness to a garden until nearly Christmas, unless one lives much nearer the north pole than the writer of this article.

The beds of autumn bloomers-Asters, Balsams, Zin-cared for, and the different varieties not placed sufficiently nias, Marigolds, Cexcombs, Petunias, etc.-must be eleared of all weeds and flowers which are past blooming, and left to make the best display possible. The rubbish should be cleared from all the beds, and those found empty should be immediately spaded and prepared for the next year's blossoms. Many flowers can be sown to better advantage this month than in the spring. Phlox, Candytuft, Poppies, Larkspurs, Eschscholtzia, and many others, make an earlier and more profuse bloom by being sown in the fall, with the winter and early spring to grow in. Nearly all the Biennials and Perennials, such as Pinks of the different varieties, including all the Dianthuses, Hollyhocks, etc., are better put in the ground now than in the spring.

The spring-blooming bulbs, including Tulips, Hyacinths, Narcissus, Crocus and Snowdrop, should be set sat either this month or early in the next. The summer and autumn flowering bulbs, now in bloom, including Gladioluses and Tuberoses, and others, must be kept tied to stakes, and when their blooming season is over the fower stalk must be cut off.

It is well to decide in September, before the early frosts come, what plants it is desirable to save over for winter flowering. These plants should be potted at once, and their bloom checked. A Petunia cut down now will send out new shoots, and be in condition to bloom beautifully during the whole of the winter.

Callas may now be divided and re-potted, giving them a rich soil.

Cuttings from greenhouse plants, such as Geraniums, Heliotropes, etc., should now be taken in order to supply early bedding plants for next spring. All tender greenhouse bulbs, such as the Oxalis, Cyclemen, etc., must be potted so that they may be removed to the house before the nights get too cool. All plants which are standing out of doors in pots or tubs had better be removed to sheltered situations to avoid injury by unexpected frost.

further care superfluous. But there is no reason why it should not retain its beauty to the last. Some of our shrubbery and trees are never so beautiful as in their

Let Dahlias be carefully staked to keep them from It is too commonly the case that, even after a garden breaking, and as fast as a blossom is past its prime let it has presented an attractive appearance during the spring be removed. This will serve the double purpose of keep- and summer, when fall comes it is allowed to fall inte ing the plant always in a neat condition, and of preserv-neglect, the near approach of winter seeming to render ing all its strength and vigor toward sending out new blossoms, instead of wasting them in the perfection of seeds. Those who wish to preserve their own flower seeds in-autumn dress, and the autumn flowers are among the stead of depending on dealers for them, will have to look well to them now. Seed should be gathered and carefully labeled, in order to save trouble and confusion in the spring. My way has been to provide myself with a num

most brilliant. The prompt removal of dead and dying plants, an occasional raking of fallen leaves, and a little looking after plants in their prime, will insure such pleasing results as will well repay the gardener for her trouble.

A

THE WHITE ROSE..:

WHITE rose that grew far up on a trellis felt very lonely, and sighed to be down in the garden where the children were at play.

"

"I am of no use away up here," she said. "Nobody sees me; and when I breathe out my sweet odors, the wind bears them off among the tree-tops, and they are lost.

saying just then, "As if there was anything you didn't know, you splendid fellow!"

"What do you mean by 'fitting to a T?" she asked. "Whew!" whistled the young man. "What do I mean, sure enough! Well, I mean suited exactly-fitted perfectly, I suppose." ul

"Yes," said the little girl; "I know that; but I thought, perhaps, it came from something. I don't see the sense But even as she sighed her complaint, a soft hand of it, I'm sure. 'Suited to a T.' It meant something

in the first place, I know."

reached down from the window and took her gently from Well, I suppose it did, pet," said Frank. “I'll look

the stem that bore her, and she heard a voice say: "How pure and sweet!-pure as my patient lily."

Then the hand that held her tenderly bore her to an

"This beautiful body white rose," said the

voice that had sounded

so sweetly, "came up from the garden and grew close by the window. It has breathed the purest air and drank the warmest sunshine. Its heart is full of sweetness."

And the hand held her close to the sick child, who was refreshed by her beauty and fragrance.

Then the rose quiv ered with delight, and breathing out her very heart upon the air, filled the chamber with

a rich perfume.

"I am content," said

the rose, a little while

2

it up for you, sometime."

"He'll never think of it again," said Fanny to herself;

"but I do wish I knew.

Why Suited to a T.' It is so funny."

The next day, Frank o came in with a strange sort of ruler in his hand. It had a crosspiece at one end, which gave it the shape of a capital T.

"See here, Fanny," he said, "I've been to the carpenter's shop in your behalf. I hope I'll get you suited to a T' this time. I failed to satisfy you yesterday, you know."

So Frank placed the cross piece against a perpendicular line which he had drawn, and laid the arm along a horizontal line that formed the right an

on the pillow beside the sick child, her soft white leaves | T-square, and is often used to test the accuracy of lines touching the cheek that was almost as soft and white as and angles, ns I have just tested mine. For a wonder, it themselves. fits exactly. I never did hit it so well before. And so you see it is fitted, or suited to a T.' And I suppose that suited to a T' came from the use of this kind of ruler."

"HOW

"SUITED TO A T."

Ow did your wristbands suit you, Frank?" said Fanny Grey to her brother Frank, a young man just home for his vacation. "I stitched them every bit myself, on the machine. Did they fit?"

"They were splendid, Fan. I told the fellows they were done by an old lady of seven years. Fit? I guess they did. Fit to a T. Thank you!"

And Frank Gordon pulled his coat-sleeve up a little and showed the shining linen, fitting his wrist, much to his little sister's admiration.

"Frank," said Fanny, a few moments after, "may I ask you something?"

"Oh, Frank, how much you do know! I'm so glad I asked you! I can see the sense of it now," said little Fan.

Frank looked as wise as an owl, but he didn't "let out" that he couldn't have told till he asked somebody else to explain it to him.

THE money you earn yourself is much brighter and sweeter than any you get out of dead men's coffers. A SCANT breakfast in the morning of life whets the appetite for a feast later in the day.

A HARD-WORKING young man, with his wits about him, will make money while others lose it.