self. The ladies walked on, much neither I nor my family; in my offended with the man for presum-station there is no great hardship ing to speak to them-all but the in trusting to Providence." young Englishwoman, whose compassion was moved, and who, leaving her party, procured some water and took it to the soldier. He begged her to tell him her name and place of abode, and this she did. When she rejoined her companions, some blamed and others ridiculed her attention to a common soldier; but they soon: had reason to lament that they had not been equally compassionate; for the grateful soldier contrived, on the night of the massacre, to save this young lady, while all the other inhabitants of the house she dwelt in were killed. 78. Generous Widow.-During the siege of the Protestant city of Rochelle, some charitable individuals, who had previously formed secret magazines, relieved their starving brethren without blazonThe relict of ing their good deed. a merchant, named Prosni, who was left in charge of four orphan children, had liberally distributed her stores, while anything remained, among her less fortunate neighbours; and whenever she was reproached with profusion and want of foresight, she was in the habit of replying, "The Lord will provide for us." At length, when 76. Failings of Others.-The her stock of food was utterly great Duke of Marlborough and exhausted, and she was spurned the first Lord Bolingbroke were with taunts from the door of a in opposite political interests, and relative, she returned home destiwere consequently, on most occa- tute, broken-hearted, and prepared sions, ranged against each other. to die, together with her children. Some gentlemen, after the Duke's But there was still a barrel and decease, were canvassing his a cruse in reserve for the widow, character with much severity, and who, humbly confident in the particularly charged him with bounty of Heaven, had shared her being excessively avaricious. At last morsel with her fellow-sufferers. length they appealed for the truth Her little ones met her at the thresof their statements to Lord Boling-hold with cries of joy. During her broke, who was one of the company. short absence, a stranger, visiting This nobleman, with a generosity the house, had deposited in it a which did him real honour, answered: "The Duke of Marlborough was so great a man that I quite forget his failings." sack of flour; and the single bushel which it contained was so husbanded as to preserve their lives till the close of the siege. 79. Give Quickly. The benevolent Dr. Wilson once discovered 77. "Freely Give."-During an exceedingly severe winter, the Duchess of Ventadour, who had, a clergyman at Bath who, he was on account of her exemplary character, been appointed governess of the infant King Louis XV., not only gave away all her revenue, but, in addition to this, borrowed 80,000 francs to relieve the poor. Her steward remonstrated with informed, was sick, poor, and had her, saying that she passed all early in the morning.” oblige me, sir, by calling directly. n death; we shall never want, man." 80. Glorious Guest. The celebrated John Falk was well received the following letter, in known for his love to the children consequence of a recent resolution under his care. Several beautiful of the Government, that circulars incidents are connected with his should be sent to all persons who history. Once, when they were were suspected of having plate, on sitting as usual at supper, one of which they had not paid duty:the boys said the usual grace, "Reverend Sir,-As the Commis"Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, sioners cannot doubt that you have and bless what Thou hast pro-plate for which you have hitherto vided." A little fellow looked up neglected to make an entry, they and said, "Do tell me why the have directed me to send you a Lord Jesus never comes. We ask Him every day to sit with us, and He never comes!" "Dear child, only believe, and you may be sure He will come, for He does not despise our invitation." "I shall set Him a seat," said the little fellow; and just then there was a knock at the door. A poor frozen apprentice entered, begging a night's lodging. He was made welcome; the chair stood empty for him; every child wanted him to have his plate, and one was lamenting that his bed was too small for the stranger, who was quite touched by such uncommon attentions. The little one had been thinking hard all this time. "Jesus could not come, and so He sent this poor boy in His place; is that it?" Yes, dear child, that is just it. Every piece of bread and drink of water that we give to the poor or sick, or the prisoners, for Jesus' sake, we give to Him. 'Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me.'" The children sang a hymn of the love of God, to their guest, before they parted for the night, and neither they nor he were likely to forget this simple Bible comment. 81. Loving One's Neighbour.Dr. Fothergill, the botanist, remarked, when about purchasing a property which would leave a poor family destitute, that nothing could afford gratification to him which entailed misery upon another, and then gave the property to them. 82. Minister's Charity. In the year 1776, the Rev. John Wesley copy of the Lords' order, and to The nomically; and, in the course of fifty years, it has been supposed he gave away more than thirtyWell done, good and faithful stewthousand pounds. ard!' Thou hast adorned thy 83. Wesley and the School Maid. walls with the money which might "Many years ago," says John have screened this poor creature Wesley, "when I was at Oxford, on from the cold. O justice! 0 a cold winter's day, a young maid mercy! are not these pictures the (one of those we kept in school) blood of this poor maid? See thy called upon me. I said, 'You seem expensive apparel in the same half starved. Have you nothing light-thy gown, hat, head-dress! to cover you but that thin linen Everything about thee that cost gown?' She said, 'Sir, this is all more than Christian duty required I have.' I put my hand into my thee to lay out is the blood of the pocket, but I found I had scarce poor! Oh, be wise for time to any money left, having just paid come! Be merciful; more faithful away what I had. It immediately to God and man; more abundantly struck me, Will thy Master say, adorned with good works." CHRIST THE SAVIOUR. Gen. xlix. 18; Psalm lxxii. 17; Isaiah xlii. 6, liii. 10; Matt. xv. 24; Luke ii. 11; 1 Cor. vi. 11. 84. Bishop Butler's Testimony. | writhed and wriggled about in all The great thinker was lying on directions, seeking in vain some his death-bed; and so lying, he way of escape from the torment. turned round and said to his chap- At last, exhausted with its fruitless lain, "I know that Jesus Christ is efforts, it sank motionless. The a Saviour, but how am I to know | Indian stretched out his hand, that He is a Saviour to me ?" The lifted up the worm, and laid it on chaplain answered simply, "My the cool ground, beyond the reach lord, it is written, Him that of its place of torture. cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out.' The dying Bishop paused and mused, and then he said, "I have often read and thought of that scripture, but never till this moment did I feel its full power, and now I die happy." "This Jesus did for me," said the Indian; "and this is what my heart tells me I owe to Him." 86. Call of Christ.-In the second century, Celsus, a celebrated adversary of Christianity, distorting our Lord's expression, com85. "Brand Plucked out of the plained, "Jesus Christ came into Fire."-An American mission- the world to make the most horary one day overtook one of his rible and dreadful society; for He converts in the woods, and after calls sinners, and not the righteous, some conversation asked him, so that the body He came to "Tell me what your heart says assemble is a body of profligates, of Jesus." The Indian stood separated from good people, among still, paused awhile, and then replied, Stop, and I will show you." Stooping down, he gathered some dry leaves into a circle, in the middle of which he left an open space, and dropped a worm into it: he then set fire to the leaves. The flames quickly ran round them, and the poor inscct, beginning to feel the heat, 66 whom they before were mixed. He has rejected all the good, and collected all the bad." True," says Origen in reply, "our Jesus came to call sinners-but to repentance. He assembled the wicked-but to convert them into new men, or rather to change them into angels. We come to Him covetous, He makes us liberal; lascivious, He makes us chaste; violent, He makes us meek; impious, He makes us religious.' 87. "Faithful Saying, worthy of all acceptation."-A minister in the West Indies gave out for his text these words: "This is a faith and led them to a miserable hovel, whose decayed walls and broken windows bespoke poverty and want. 66 Now," said he, "my dear children, can anyone that lives in such Yet this is not all; a poor young a wretched place as this be happy? man lies on a miserable straw bed ful saying, and worthy of all within, dying of a fever, and acceptation, that Christ Jesus came afflicted with nine painful ulcers." into the world to save sinners." A "Oh, how wretched!" they all expoor Negro in the congregation, claimed at once. Mr. Venn led who had but recently felt the power them into the cottage, and, going of religion, was so affected by the up to the poor, dying young reading of the text, that he requested the minister to read it have brought my children here to "Abraham Midwood, I man, said, again. The minister did so. "Be show them that people can be so good, massa, read the happy in sickness, in poverty, and 66 text again." He read. "Do," says in want; and now tell them if it is the Negro, "massa, read it again; not so." The suffering youth imit makes my soul feel so good!" mediately answered, "Oh, yes, sir; 88. George III. and the Princess I would not change my state with Amelia.-A lady, who was in the richest man on earth who had the habit of close attendance on the not the views which I have. Princess Amelia during her last Blessed be God, I have a good illness, described some of the latter hope through Christ of going to interviews which took place be- heaven, where Lazarus now is. tween the Princess and her royal all his miseries; soon I shall He has a great while ago forgotten father, George III., and which seldom failed to turn on the mo- mine. Sir, this is nothing to bear mentous topic of the future world, while the presence of God cheers Indeed, I am truly as being singularly affecting. "My my soul. dear child," said his Majesty to happy, and I trust to be happy through all eternity; and I every hour thank God, who has given me to enjoy the riches of His goodness and His grace through Jesus Christ." A her on one of these occasions, "you have ever been a good child to your parents; we have nothing wherewith to reproach you; but I need not tell you, that it is not of yourself alone that you can be 90. Knowledge of Christ. saved, and that your acceptance When Bishop Beveridge was on with God must depend on your his death-bed, he did not know any faith and trust in the merits of the Redeemer." "I know it," replied minister with whom he had been of his relatives or friends. the Princess, mildly, but emphati-well acquainted visited him; and cally, "and I could wish for no when conducted into his room, he better trust." said, "Bishop Beveridge, do you know me ?" "Who are you?" asked the Bishop. Being told who the minister was, he said that he did not know him. Another friend came, who had been equally well known, and accosted him in a similar manner, "Do you know me, Bishop Beveridge ?" "Who are you?" said he. Being told it was one of his friends, he replied that he did not 89. Happiness in Christ.-The Rev. Henry Venn once told his children that in the evening he would take them to one of the most interesting sights in the world. They were anxious to know what it was. But Mr. Venn did not gratify their curiosity; he only told them to wait. When evening came, he took them by the hand, know him. His wife then came to his bed-side, and asked him if he knew her. "Who are you?" said he. Told that she was his wife, his answer was that he did not know her. "Well," said one, "Bishop Beveridge, do you know the Lord Jesus Christ ?" "Jesus Christ!" said he, reviving, as if the name had produced upon him the influence of a charm, "oh, yes, I have known Him these forty years: precious Saviour, He is my only hope!" 91. Last Comfort.-"I have taken much pains," says the learned Selden, "to know everything that was esteemed worth knowing amongst men; but, with all my disquisitions and reading, nothing now remains with me to comfort me at the close of life but turbulent water that endangered his life, and looking up saved it. 94. One Mediator.-A gentleman full of deistical principles said to Mr. Greenfield, "Can you give me the reason why Jesus Christ is called the Word? What is meant by the Word? It is a curious term." Mr. Greenfield, unconscious of the motive or the sceptical principles of the inquirer, replied, "I suppose, as words are the medium of communication between us, the term is used in the sacred Scriptures to demonstrate that He is the only medium between God and man; I know no other reason.” 66 95. Peace in Christ.-"A person whom I once knew," says Mr. this passage of St. Paul: 'It is a of indolence and supineness to a was roused from a habit Hervey, faithful saying, and worthy of all serious concern for his eternal welacceptation, That Christ Jesus came fare. Convinced of his depraved into the world to save sinners:' to nature and aggravated guilt, he this I cleave, and herein I find had recourse to the Scriptures and rest." to frequent prayer, he attended 92. Life Ransom.-Xenophon the ordinances of Christianity, and records a very striking answer sought earnestly for an interest in given by the wife of Tigranes Christ, but found no stedfast faith, when all those assembled around her were extolling Cyrus, and expressing the admiration with which his appearance and behaviour struck them. The question being asked what she thought of him, she answered, "I do not know; I did not observe him." "On what, then," said one of the company, "did you fix your attention ?" "On him," replied she, referring to the generous speech which her husband, standing in close proximity to her, had just made, "who said he would give a thousand lives to ransom me. and tasted very little comfort. At length he applied to an eminent divine, and laid open the state of his heart. Short but weighty was the answer:-'I perceive, sir, the cause of all your distress: you will not come to Christ as a sinner. This mistake lies between you and the joy of religion; this detains you in the gall of bitterness, and take heed, oh take heed, lest it consign you to the bond of iniquity.' This admonition never departed from the gentleman's mind, and it became the means of removing the obstacles of his peace." 93. Looking unto Christ. - A 96. Pearl of Great Price. traveller, once fording the Susque- Some years back there died, at one hanna on horseback, became so of the missionary stations in India, dizzy as to be near losing his seat. a native called Brindelbund. He Suddenly he received a blow on his had spent sixty or seventy years in chin from a hunter who was his the service of Satan. He was a companion, with the words, "Look" byraggee," that is, one who He did so, and recovered professed to have subdued his balance. It was looking on the passions, and who was, as they |