Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

justify himself, and disposes him to think that he is the injured, instead of the offending party. I know that he deserves your heaviest displeasure, but, alas! Mr. Stanley, if a tenth part of human offences committed against God were to be punished as they deserve, the population of the world would be thin indeed.

Our heavenly Father "hath not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities," otherwise we had been utterly consumed.

"Offended man indignant stands

To smite his fellow man, nor spares, While God, with lightnings in his hands, Looks down on sinners, and forbears." Let me beseech son's sake, nay, you, for your for your own sake, that you try a milder method. Even though he has not returned like the poor prodigal, with an humbled heart, sensible of his unworthiness, go out and meet him. Show the affection of a father even to one who is unworthy to be called his son, and he may fall an humbled penitent at your feet. Children are commanded in the Holy Scriptures to obey their parents in all things; but the same Scriptures command parents also not to provoke their children to anger, lest they be discouraged, Col. iii. 20; Eph. vi. 4. Did Christ die for his enemies, and shall not we bear with our children? Come, Mr. Stanley, you must not be angry with me for being a little urgent in this matter. I want to see your son a contrite penitent; an humble hearted, affectionate, and obedient child; and I think that with God's blessing this is more likely to be brought about by kindness. than severity, by forgiveness than by punishment. It is said, that on one occasion, a pious parent, who could not prevail on a disobedient child to ask God's forgiveness for the transgression, went down on his knees himself, saying that if his son would not ask for pardon of God, he would ask it for him. ; but no sooner did he begin to offer up his prayer, than he found his son a broken-hearted penitent, kneeling at his side. Try the same course, Mr. Stanley; who can tell but the same Divine blessing may accompany your prayers, and that you and your son may have reason to rejoice together?

A Call on an early Riser.

You are up early, my friend, and are putting your potatoes into the ground as nimbly as though you had served an apprenticeship to the employment.

If the sluggard knew what he lost, surely he would never be in bed till all the first beauty of the morning has passed away. Look at that glorious sun, the ambassador of God, clothed in purple and gold, sent to proclaim the goodness and the greatness of his Almighty Maker to an unbelieving world! Hark, at that harmonious music that the rising lark is pouring from his warbling throat! These things make the mind cheerful, and bid the heart dance for joy. How sweet is the balmy breath of the morning breezes! how green are the trees! and how fair are the opening flowers! These things are beyond value, and yet they are bartered by the sluggard for an hour or two of guilty sloth. Abraham rose early to show his willingness to obey the commands of the Almighty, even though his son was to be offered up in sacrifice. Jacob, and Moses, and Joshua, and David, were early risers. King Darius rose early when he went to the lions' den to inquire for Daniel; and the pious women did the same when they visited the sepulchre where the body of the Redeemer had been laid. He who gets his breakfast before he eats it, is sure to enjoy it; and one mouthful of early air, is better than two bottles full of physic. Sober men rise early, but drunkards lie late; the one has money in his pocket, when the other has holes in his elbows. Give me the potatoe that is planted early in the morning, for though it may not grow better on that account, yet the planter will look upon it with more pleasure, therefore, it pleases me to see you stirring in your garden before the shutters of your neighbours are open. The sound of a digging spade, the clinking of a trowel against the bricks, and the ringing of a hammer on an anvil at five in the morning, are music to my ears. I hope you will have a capital crop of potatoes, excellent health to enjoy them, and a glowing heart gratefully to acknowledge the goodness of God

CHINESE TRACTS AND BOOKS.

THE custom of the Chinese who profess to be devout is, on receiving some mercy at the hand of providence which

[ocr errors]

strikes their notice, to print, and leave in a neighbouring temple, 2,200 small tracts, containing a form of prayer, which are distributed gratis. The person doing so subscribes his name.

The Chinese print good books by voluntary subscription. A few persons subscribe, and have the blocks cut; or, in fact, have the work stereotyped. They then cast off a few copies, in which it is stated where the books are deposited; and all good people are invited to have a few struck off, to give away for the instruction of the age. The names of the subscribers to the blocks are inserted. A person who wants fifty or a hundred copies, sends to the warehouse, and has them cast off on purpose. His name is also inserted in the list of subscribers. I received, the other day, five volumes from a person who had just received thirty copies of a collection of Moral Essays from all the religious sects. It is a maxim with them, that all who know letters ought to teach women and young people that which is right.

From Dr. Morrison,

JESUITISM.

THE following anecdote is current in Germany, and illustrates the disguises often assumed by Jesuits to forward Popery. When the duke and duchess of Anhalt Cothen embraced the Romish faith a few years back, the court followed their example, with the exception of one maid of honour, who abided by her Protestant principles. Shortly after, a young gentleman arrived from Vienna, who won the affections of the lady, but informed her that being a Roman Catholic, he could not ally himself to a heretic. She consented, after a struggle, to forsake Protestantism, but fainted when her recantation was made. The lover then informed her, that he had paid his addresses to her for the good of her soul, marriage being out of the question, as he was a priest and a Jesuit—a fact of which she was convinced, when taking off a wig which he wore, he showed her the tonsure, or shaven crown, which is a distinguished mark of popish priests.

MY FRUIT TREE.

Written by Dr. Watts to a Lady on the Death of several young Children.

I HAVE a comely fruit-tree in the summer season, with the branches of it promising plenteous fruit; the stock was surrounded with seven or eight little shoots of different sizes, that grew up from the root at a small distance, and seemed to compose a beautiful defence and ornament for the mother tree: but the gardener, who espied their growth, knew the danger; he cut down those tender suckers one after another, and laid them in the dust. I pitied them in my heart, and said, "How pretty were these young standards! How much like the parent! How elegantly clothed with the raiment of summer! And each of them might have grown to a fruitful tree:" but they stood so near as to endanger the stock; they drew away the sap, the heart and strength of it, so far as to injure the fruit, and darken the hopeful prospects of autumn. The pruning-knife appeared unkind indeed, but the gardener was wise; for the tree flourished more sensibly, the fruit quickly grew fair and large, and the ingathering at last was plenteous and joyful.

Will you give me leave, Velina, to persuade you into this parable? Shall I compare you to this tree in the garden of God? You have had many of these young suckers springing up around you; they stood awhile your sweet ornaments and your joy, and each of them might have grown up to a perfection of likeness, and each might have become a parenttree: but say, Did they never draw your heart off from God? Did you never feel them stealing any of those seasons of devotion, or those warm affections that were first and supremely due to Him that made you? Did they not stand a little too near the soul? And when they had been cut off successively, and laid one after another in the dust, have you not found your heart running out more towards God, and living more perpetually upon him? Are you not now devoting yourself more entirely to God every day, since the last was taken away? Are you not aiming at some greater fruitfulness and service than in times past? If so, then repine not at the pruning-knife; but adore the conduct of the heavenly Husbandman, and say, "All his ways are wisdom and mercy." But I have not yet done with my parable.

When the granary was well stored with excellent fruit,

and before winter came upon the tree, the gardener took it up by the roots, and it appeared as dead. But his design was not to destroy it utterly; for he removed it far away from the spot of earth where it had stood, and planted it in a hill of richer mould, which was sufficient to nourish it with all its attendants. The spring appeared, the tree budded into life again, and all those fair little standards that had been cut off, broke out of the ground afresh, and stood up around it (a sweet young grove) flourishing in beauty and immortal vigour.

You know not where you are, Velina, and that I have carried you to the hill of paradise, to the blessed hour of the resurrection. What an unknown joy it will be, when you have fulfilled all the fruits of righteousness in this lower world, to be transplanted to that heavenly mountain! What a Divine rapture and surprise of blessedness, to see all your little offspring around you at that day, springing out of the dust at once, making a fairer and brighter appearance in that upper garden of God, and rejoicing together, (a sweet company,) all partakers with you of the same happy immortality; all fitted to bear heavenly fruit, without the need or danger of a pruning-knife. Look forward, by faith, to that glorious morning, and admire the whole scheme of providence and grace. Give cheerful honours beforehand to your almighty and all-wise Governor, who by his unsearchable counsels has fulfilled your best wishes, and secured your dear infants to you for ever, though not just in your own way; that blessed hand which made the painful separation on earth, shall join you and your babes together in his own heavenly habitation, never to be divided again, though the method may be painful to flesh and blood. Fathers shall not hope in vain, nor "mothers bring forth for trouble: they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them," Isa. lxv. 23. Then shall you say,

66

Lord, here am I, and the children that thou hast given me." For he is your God, and the God of your seed, in an everlasting covenant.

Amen.

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC REPROVER.

WITH SOME REMARKS ON PRAYER.

AFTER a week of very fatiguing labour, in travelling to many a secluded village, and sailing to many a solitary island,

« PoprzedniaDalej »