among the reprobate not only those who, like the rich man in the parable, have received their good things and their comfort in this world, but those also who have grudged at being deprived of them, for poverty is not blessed unless it be endured meekly and contentedly, and therefore it was the daily prayer of Guy, that he might have grace to love that happy state in which the good providence of God had placed him, and to bear all its hardships with such meekness and joyful resignation as becometh the penitent believer in Him Who died upon the Cross for us. He deprived Himself not only of food, but of rest also, that he might visit and relieve the sick and the afflicted, and, while so diligent in his daily labour, his heart was continually lifted up in prayer and thanksgiving. It was while he was at prayer one day in the Church at Laken, that the curate of the place noticed his devotion and reverence, and on entering into conversation with him, was so pleased with his piety and deportment that he proposed to retain him in the service of the Church as sacristan, an offer which Guy embraced with joy and thank

fulness, and in the discharge of which he acquitted himself with all diligence, counting nothing small that concerned the service of GOD, or the decency of His house. It was discovered that he not unfrequently passed whole nights in prayer, kneeling before the altar, and not being now engaged in hard labour, he humbly and diligently observed all the fasts appointed by the Church, according to his ability, serving the LORD with all humility of mind, and with many tears. The poor man of Anderlecht, as he was called, was through life a lover and a succourer of the poor and needy, giving largely out of his own. small salary, and living himself in the greatest poverty for their sake, nor was he ashamed when his own resources failed, to beg from others for their relief. It was through this desire of helping the poor that he fell at last into the trial I am about to mention. Finding himself unable to relieve them as he desired, and forgetting, it may have been, that it is not with silver and gold only, but much more with our faith and love, and our prayers and tears, poured like the two mites of the poor widow into the treasury of

the LORD, that we may help and bless our poor brethren, he listened to the proposal of a certain merchant of Brussels, who persuaded him to endeavour by trading to get something beyond his salary as a sacristan for the succour of the poor, and as he offered by taking Guy into partnership with himself, to put him quickly in a way of making a more plentiful provision for them, Guy's tender affection and compassion for the necessitous induced him to comply, and to give up his safe and happy employment in the Church at Laken, to entangle himself with the affairs of this world; but the project did not answer, and the poor man of Anderlecht was not to become rich in this world. The vessel which contained Guy's all, of earthly goods, though it was chiefly freighted by his partner, who thought perhaps to secure by his means the blessing of GOD upon the undertaking, perished in going out of the harbour; and as the place of sacristan had been given to another, Guy found himself left destitute; but this also, through God's teaching, turned to his advantage, for it taught him his mistake in

following his own devices, and in forsaking a secure and humble employment in which Providence had fixed him, to engage, with however good an intention, in the affairs of the world; so taking courage, he thanked GOD that the snare was broken, the snare of hasting to be rich, and humbly acknowledged the false step he had taken, believing that God had justly and in mercy punished his rashness in forsaking a place so suitable to the practice of piety, and had graciously turned from him those riches which might have been a source of temptation, rather than a means of enlarging his charity, for how seldom is it that our almsgiving increases with our riches: and do not they who of their penury give all they have, give more in God's account than they who cast in of their abundance? "Silver and gold have 1 none," said one of CHRIST's most faithful stewards, "but such as I have give I thee;" but alas, it was when riches flowed into the Church of CHRIST, that her faith in the name of JESUS of Nazareth waxed feeble.

There were not wanting those who would gladly have supplied the wants of the poor

man of Anderlecht, for the fame of his piety. and almsgiving was spread abroad, greatly to his own distress, for he would rather have withdrawn himself from the praise of men, humbling himself before Him Who seeth not as man seeth, and now that he had fallen into a fault, he wished not to escape from the suffering connected with it, but judged it a good opportunity for leaving, for a time at least, the place where he was had in such esteem and honour by those who judged him more indulgently than he dared to judge himself. Had he remained at Laken he could hardly have evaded the offers of assistance which would have been pressed upon him. Nor could he so well have exercised himself in the way of labour and penitence. At least, such was his judgment, and he doubtless would seek counsel in the matter from those over him in the LORD. result was, that he left Laken on a pilgrimage, first to Rome and then to Jerusalem, the land so dear to every Christian, as hallowed by the footsteps of our suffering LORD. Prayerfully, laboriously, in faith and penitence, he went on his way, availing himself

The