Page images
PDF
EPUB

but hath undone himself; so that I may justly write this motto upon bis bag, "This is the price of blood." Shall I then treasure up the price of blood? No; Christ has instructed me, as a steward; therefore, what I have and need not, Christ shall have in his members, that need and have not. So the transitory creatures, when they shall slide away, shall not carry me with them; but when I shall pass away, I shall carry them with me.

A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO HEADS OF FAMILIES;

OR, THE BLESSING OF FAMILY WORSHIP.

"In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand; for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that." ECCLESIASTES Xi. 6.

Extract from a Letter to the Author.

I must tell you of a circumstance of a deeply affecting and interesting nature, which has taken place in our household. The Lord has seen fit to take from us, by a short and sharp illness, of only a fortnight, a young woman who had lived more than six years with

us.

When she first entered our service, she was so thoroughly worldly in heart, that she repented of having engaged herself to us, and has often said since, "I thought my first Sunday at ------ was spent in a prison." But the Lord had purposes of love towards her, which were in due time manifested, and He was pleased to bless the word spoken daily in the family and at church, and the influence of those with whom she was associated; and though the change was slow and gradual, we have every reason to believe that she became a truly humble, simple-minded follower of the Lamb. It was however during the last year of her life, that the change became so apparent, and that we had reason to mark her advance in divine knowledge, attention at church, at prayers, desire for instruction, and growing consistency in temper and deportment. During the first week of her illness, her head was in too much pain to allow us to converse with her: a verse or two of Scripture was all she could bear. Then typhus fever, which affected the brain, succeeded so rapidly, that, had not "all been settled," as she herself expressed it, there would have been little or no opportunity for serious thought or power to think. But in her short seasons of reason, we found

her in a most satisfactory state-humble-peaceful-fearless. And for several hours, especially two days before her death, it really seemed as if the Spirit were feeding her in a most remarkable way with the manna of the word; for though unable to suggest a thought, or to answer a question which required reflection, she uttered text after text, so applicable to her own state, and so evidently filling her soul with joy and peace, that it was indeed a privilege to be with her, as we all were, for hours, till she sunk into complete unconsciousness. "O! what love: (she would say) He hath loved me with everlasting love-me-the sinner beyond others. I had destroyed myself, but in Him is my help. My joy is so great. I shall very soon be with Him." It was said to her, “Dear --you will indeed soon be with Jesus." "Yes-and I shall never want to leave him any more, shall I?" Then, after lying still for a moment, she said, "He's quite a Saviour to me now." "Seek, and yeshall find—that's quite true-I have found it so." A young fellow servant, then lately come into our family, was an object of great interest to She watched her like a mother, and spoke earnestly to her about her soul. In her delirium, this girl seemed always before her mind. "P, it won't do to go half way, you must You must be a Christian altogether. Christ will have all, or nothing." And during the interval of reason I have mentioned, she said nearly the same words to her.

go all the way.

Her death made a sad blank in our little family, though we feel it a great honour to have nurtured one for the heavenly inheritance. And we are deeply anxious that whoever may fill the place of her who is departed, may not come to us in vain, but may in like manner find it a nursery for heaven. While some who have entered our family have, we fear, left it unimpressed-unchanged-and perhaps under the hardening influence of unfelt truth, it has been a cheering encouragement to us to be assured, as in the instance of this dear young woman, that the word of God is the same imperishable seed as ever, and to persevere in giving the instruction of that word, even though no present encouragement may be vouchsafed. None could appear less interested, even for a long time than But the seed, daily and plentifully sown, at last sprang up, and brought forth the blessed fruits which alone can prove that the heart is influenced by divine teaching.

READING THE BIBLE.

Some years ago a good missionary satisfied a poor Roman Ca-. tholic that it was his duty, notwithstanding the menaces of his priest and his Church, to read for himself the word of eternal life. The poor Irishman had been reading the word of the blessed God, and had been tempted to give it up for fear of the consequences which such a proceeding was represented to be likely to entail upon him. The missionary sat down by his side one day, and said "Now, sure your priest must be all wrong in this matter. Here is an Epistle of Paul the apostle. If he were to come in and find you reading it, would you not say, 'Indeed I am glad you are come just at this time when I am reading your letter?' And here is an Epistle of St. Peter. If he were to come to see you while you were reading it, would you not say the same thing. But if Father Maguire called upon you, you would put up the book and hide it in your breast. Does not this prove that to read the word of God is according to the doctrines of the apostles, and that only apostates from the truth, like Father Maguire, would prevent you from reading God's word?"

THE YOUNG SWEARER REBUKed.

A clergyman sailing up the Hudson river in a sloop, some forty years since, was pained by the profaneness of a young man. Seeking a favourable opportunity, he told him he had wounded his feelings by speaking against his best Friend-the Saviour. The young man shewed no relentings, and at one of the landings left the boat. The clergyman was pained, and feared that his labours were in vain. Seven years after, as this clergyman went to the General Assembly at Philadelphia, a young clergyman accosted him, saying he thought he remembered his countenance, and asked him if he was not on board a sloop on the Hudson river seven years before, with a profane young man. At length the circumstances were called to mind. "I," said he, "am that young man. I left the sloop, I thought I had injured both you and your Saviour. I was led to him for mercy, and I felt that I must preach his love to others. I am now in the ministry, and have come as representative to this Assembly."

After

UNCERTAINTY OF LIFE.

BY BISHOP HEBER.

Beneath our feet and o'er our head
Is equal warning given;
Beneath us lie the countless dead,
Above us is the heaven,

Death rides on every passing breeze,
He lurks in every flower;
Each season has its own disease,
Its peril every hour.

Our eyes have seen the rosy light
Of youth's soft cheek decay;
And fate descend in sudden night
On manhood's middle day.

Our eyes have seen the steps of age
Halt feebly towards the tomb,
And yet shall earth our hearts engage,
And dreams of days to come?

Turn, mortal, turn! thy danger know-
Where'er thy foot can tread,
The earth rings hollow from below,
And warns thee of her dead!

Turn, Christian, turn! thy soul apply
To truths divinely given;

The bones that underneath thee lic
Shall live for hell or heaven!

ISAIAH ii. 22.

"Cease ye from man."

I read a word in the Holy Book,
Marked there by a Father's hand;
Which bade me from earth-born hopes to look,
Which bade me "Cease from man."

I read the same word, in the busy crowd;
I read it as I ran:

It spoke to my heart, it spoke aloud,

And its voice was, "Cease from man."

I had brothers, that wound around my heart,
But they went to a distant land;

And the sentence which bade my brothers depart,
Enjoined me to "Cease from man."

I still in a sister's love could rejoice;

I walked with her hand in hand;

But death came by, and with a mournful voice,
He whispered, "Cease from man.”

I turned to a friend, and thought I had found
Rest in this weary land;

But the voice came fraught with affliction's sound,
And it murmured, " Cease from man."

i

sought out the cot of the wretched poor;
To the aid of the helpless I ran;

But ingratitude met me at every door,

And it warned me to "Cease from man."

And now I would come, my Saviour, to thee,
View this life, as a fleeting span;

To the bosom of Jesus, my Lord, I would flee,
And cease altogether from man.

C. B.

TOO LATE.

Too late-too late! How heavily that phrase
Comes, like a knell, upon the shuddering ear,
Telling of slighted duties, wasted days,
Of privileges lost, of hopes once dear
Now quenched in gloom and darkness. Words like these
The worldling's callous heart must penetrate;
All that he might have been in thought he sees,
And sorrows o'er his present wreck-too late.
Too late-too late! The prodigal, who strays
Through the dim groves and winding bowers of sin;
The cold and false deceiver, who betrays

The trusting heart he fondly toiled to win;
The spendthrift, scattering his golden store,
And left in age despised and desolate,
All may their faults confess, forsake, deplore,
Yet struggle to retrieve the past-too late.
Too late too late! O dark and fatal ban,
Is there a spell thy terrors to assuage?
There is, there is! but seek it not from man:
Seek for the healing balm in God's own page;
Read of thy Saviour's love, to him repair;
He looks with pity on thy guilty state;
Kneel at his throne in deep and fervent prayer,
Kneel and repent, ere yet it be-too late.

Too late too late! That direful sound portends
Sorrow on earth, but not immortal pain;
Thou may'st have lost the confidence of friends,
The love of kindred thou mayst ne'er regain;
But there is One above who marks thy tears,
And opes for thee salvation's golden gate;
Come then, poor mourner, cast away thy fears,
Believe, and enter-it is not too late!

END OF VOL. XXVI.

A. FOSTER, PRINTER, KIRKBY LONSDALE.

« PreviousContinue »