_When Jeremy Taylor had lost all--when his house had been plundered and his family driven out of doors, and all his worldly estate had been sequestered--he could still write thus: "I am fallen into the hands of publicans and sequesterers, and they have taken all from me. What now? Let me look about me. They have left me the sun and moon, a loving wife and many friends to pity me, and some to relieve me; and I can still discourse, and, unless I list, they have not taken away my merry countenance and my cheerful spirit and a good conscience; they have still left me the providence of God, and all the promises of the Gospel, and my religion, and my hopes of heaven, and my charity to them, too; and still I sleep and digest, I eat and drink, I read and meditate--and he that hath so many causes of joy and so great, is very much in love with sorrow and peevishness, who leaves all these pleasures, and chooses to sit down upon his little handful of thorns."_ SAMUEL SMILES. Father of all mercies, Who Thyself art more to us than the utmost of Thy gifts; we thank Thee for those blessings of our life which come like the manna fresh every morning and pass with the passing day. Still more we thank Thee for the blessings which abide, like a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, witness of Thine own presence ever continuing with us. Give us grace and wisdom so to receive the ministries of this new day, that by means of them we may enter more fully into the Divine friendship and the everlasting habitations. Whatever may fail us, grant us such hold upon Thyself as shall be the having of all things, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. JAMES FAIRBAIRN BRODIE. November 14 _Native goodness is unconscious, asks not to be recognized; But its baser affectation is a thing to be despised. Only when the man is loyal to himself shall he be prized._ * * * * * _If I live the life He gave me, God will turn it to His use._ BAYARD TAYLOR. _Live not without a friend! the Alpine rock must own Its mossy grace or else be nothing but a stone._ _Live not without a God! however low or high, In every house should be a window to the sky._ WILLIAM WETMORE STORY. Eternal God, who hast neither dawn nor evening, yet sendest us alternate mercies of the darkness and the day; there is no light but Thine, without, within. As Thou liftest the curtain of night from our abodes, take also the veil from our hearts. Rise with Thy morning upon our souls: quicken all our labor and our prayer: and though all else declines, let the noontide of Thy grace and peace remain. May we walk, while it is yet day, in the steps of Him who, with fewest hours, finished Thy divinest work. Amen. JAMES MARTINEAU. November 15