HYMN.*

ALL things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that grows,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colours,
He made their tiny wings.

The rich man in his castle,

The poor man at his gate,
God made them high and lowly,
And ordered their estate.

The purple-headed mountain,
The river running by,
The sun set and the morning
That brightens up the sky.

The cold wind in the winter,

The warmest summer's sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them every one.

The tall trees in the greenwood,
The meadows where we play,

The rushes by the water,

We gather every day.

He gave us eyes to see them,

And lips that we might tell,

How great His power and goodness,

Who hath made all things well!

*This beautiful bit of Juvenile Poetry is selected from a small work published by T. Hatchard, London, entitled "Harry Brightside, or the Young Traveller in Italy,"-and is sent for insertion in "The Friend of Youth" by D. T. D.

Salisbury, May 1, 1852.

WHEN you look at the poor, sullen, and illused ass of this country, you must not imagine that the ass you read of in the Bible was anything like it. In our great country we have learned many good and useful things, but unfortunately too many of our boys and men have not yet learned to be kind and humane to animals; and no animal suffers so much from cruelty as the poor and patient asswhich not only has to endure all kinds of harsh treatment, but is fed, too frequently, in a very poor manner. In consequence of this, it has ceased here to be the fine animal it was at the time the Bible was written, or that it is even now in some countries, where it is much prized and well treated, because it is so

R

sure-footed, and so useful in climbing the steep mountains. There once was a time, as you have perhaps read in your Bibles, that the judges and kings of Israel used to ride upon white asses, and then they were much esteemed. When you read also of the treasures of the patriarchs and men of old, you generally find that asses are mentioned as part. It was then a fine animal, exceedingly spirited, and nearly as tall as a small horse; and because it was a mark of royalty to ride on an ass, you will recollect that the Lord spoke by the prophet Isaiah of His visit to Jerusalem, and said, "Behold, thy king cometh unto thee, meek and lowly, and riding upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass." It was not on account of the Lord's humility that He chose to ride on an ass, but because the Jewish kings and judges always did so, and He went to Jerusalem then, as the king. The people acknowledged this, when they sang, "Hosanna to the Son of David;" meaning by those words that they received Him as their king.

The ass is an exceedingly patient animal, even under the harshest and most unkind treatment; and though he seems so dull, becomes very fond of his master, and by his acute scent can discover him at a great distance, even in a crowd. He is by no means delicate in his food, though he is very parti

cular in the water he drinks, which must be perfectly clean, or he will not touch it ;-he is always careful when he drinks, not to make the water muddy by putting his feet in it.

The ass is principally used for carrying burdens on his back, and for this use he is very well adapted. He is not so quick in his movements as the horse; but he is comparatively much stronger, and will, if left to himself, travel further in a day: but he is chiefly valued in mountain districts, because, being so sure-footed, he can climb safely where a horse cannot stand.

When it is spoken of in the Word, the ass has not so high a signification as the fleet and beautiful horse, which, in olden times, was principally used, not as now for a beast of draught and burden, but as an animal for war, for the cavalry, or horse soldiers, and for the chariot of war. The ass corresponds to the truths that we learn by education which have reference to this life; that is, it corresponds to natural truth.

Natural truths, or all sciences, in fact, every thing you can learn as children, even about your good and kind Heavenly Father and Saviour, are represented in the Bible by the ass; because just as the ass would carry you quietly and patiently on his back, so these will lead you on, till you are able to become wiser, and learn more important truths. They

are, in fact, means to help you to do so. Reading, you know, assists you to become wiser and more useful, and better, too, if you use it properly, and read what is good, and try to profit by it. For by reading you will become intelligent, and capable of understanding things that now you cannot comprehend. And when you think of reading, as a means or help to become wiser and better, it is like an ass to you, and really carries you on your journey. This, then, and all similar knowledges, together with all you learn by your present studies, is what is meant generally in the Bible by the ass.

What you learn now will be, like the ass to his master, faithful to you. It will be stored up in your memory, and when you want it,when you wish to understand something else about God, and His church, and how we are to be saved, and how the Lord came to redeem us, you will always find what you now learn ready to help you, and to enable you to comprehend that which, without such knowledge, would be dark and mysterious; and in this use, you may see that it is just like the patient beast of burden-the ass, which carries his owner on his back, and is always faithful to him, and ready to serve him.

We could tell you much more respecting the ass, which would make you sure that what we have said is really meant by the ass in the