4 While some poor wretches scarce can tell I have a home wherein to dwell, 5 While others early learn to swear, 6 Are these thy favours, day by day, Then let me love thee more than they, DR. WATTS. TAKE HEED HOW YE HEAR. A word to those who gossip and talk nonsense on the road home from the House of God. As market-folk returning from the market will be talking of their markets, as they go by the way, and be casting up their pennyworths when they come home, reckoning what they have taken, and what they have laid out, and how much they have gotten, so should we, after we have heard the word publicly. We should talk privately of it with others, or at least meditate on it by ourselves, and be sure to take an account of ourselves, how we have profited that day by the word that hath been spoken to us, and also by other religious exercises in which we have engaged. And as the market-man counteth that but an ill market-day wherein he has not gained somewhat, more or less, so may we well account it an ill Sabbath-day to us whereon we have not profited somewhat; whereon we have not increased our knowledge, or been bettered in our hearts; whereon we have not been either informed in judgment, or reformed in practice; whereon we have added nothing to our gifts or graces.-Spurgeon's Al manac. TOO POOR AND TOO RICH. A POPISH priest wanted to administer "extreme unction" to an old Irishman who had become a Christian. 66 No," the old man said; "I'm too poor to buy, and my great High Priest is too rich to sell." "COME IN, BROTHER, COME IN." Two good men on one occasion had a warm dispute. Remembering the words of the apostle, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath," just before sunset one of them went to the other, and knocking at the door, his offended friend came and opened it, and seeing who it was, started back in astonishment and surprise. The other at the same time cried out, "The sun is almost down." This unexpected salutation softened the heart of his friend into affection, and he returned for answer, "Come in, brother, come in." What a happy method of conciliating matters, of redressing grievances, and of reconciling brethren! SATURDAY NIGHT. A TEXT FOR OUR TEACHER. May 1863. May 2. Let him that heareth say, Come.-Rev. xxii. 17. 9. Thou shalt hear the word from my mouth, and shalt warn them from me.-Ezek. xxxiii. 7. 16. Let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear.-Song of Sol. vii. 12. 23. 30. We are unprofitable servants.—Luke xvii. For my name's sake thou hast laboured, OLD VARA OF TAHITI. MR. WILLIAMS, the martyr missionary, tells in his most interesting book, "Missionary Enterprises," about the death-bed of Vara, an old chief of Tahiti, one of the South Sea Islands. In the time of his heathen ignorance, Vara was a procurer of human sacrifices to King Pomare. One day the king sent him an order to procure a victim immediately. Vara did not know where to get one, and going out in search, his own little brother followed him at a little distance, and cried after him. As soon as he saw him, Vara turned round, struck him on the head with a stone, and killed him, and having put the body into a large basket made of cocoa-nut leaves, sent it to Pomare. When his mother bewailed the death of her child, and charged him with cruelty for killing his brother, he abused her, and said, "Is not the favour of the gods, the pleasure of our king, and the security of our possessions, worth more than that little fool of a brother?" But how wonderful the power of grace! This cruel savage became a new creature in Christ Jesus, and for many years afterwards he lived a humble and consistent Christian life. He learned to read, but his eyes were bad, and he could read little; but he treasured up much of the word of God in his memory. At last he was laid upon his death-bed. Mr. Orsmond, a missionary, said to him, "Tell me on what you found your hope of future blessedness?" He answered, "I have been very wicked, but a great King from the other side of the skies sent his ambassadors with terms of peace. We could not tell for many years what these ambassadors wanted. At length Pomare obtained a victory, and invited all his subjects to come and take refuge under the wing of Jesus; and I was one of the first to do so. The blood of Jesus is my foundation. I grieve that all my children do not love him. Had they known the misery we endured in the reign of the devil, they would gladly take the gospel in exchange for their follies. Jesus is the best King; he gives a pillow without thorns.” A little time after, when asked if he was afraid to die, he said, No, no; the canoe is ready for the sea; the sails are spread; she is ready for the gale. I have a good Pilot to guide me, and a good haven to receive me.' Surely old Vara is now among that great company who have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Reader, have you a hope? and has it the same foundation as old Vara's-" the blood of Jesus?" AN AWFUL END. ONE Wednesday morning in November last, a woman named Mrs. Watkins, wife of a blacksmith, residing in Denham Yard, Drury Lane, who had been twenty-one days in prison for breaking her furniture and otherwise acting violently, completed the term of her sentence. On coming out she commenced drinking excessively, drink being a thing she had been for three weeks deprived of; and she wrought herself up to a pitch almost amounting to madness. On the Friday morning, while the effects of the drink were still on her, she was talking to her husband and some friends at the corner of White Hart Street, Drury Lane, in the neighbourhood of which she was very well known. In the course of conversation she made use of the expression, "God strike me down dead," when almost before she had got the words out of her mouth she fell on a heap of stones in the street, and on being picked up, she was found to be quite dead. THE HEART AND THE TIMES. DESIRE better hearts more than better times.-Dyer. |