AN EXCELLENT, USEFUL BOOK. medium of her Bible classes and Sabbath schools. I ask again, then, what rank in the scale of comparative importance is due to these means of instruction and salvation? Without attempting to answer definitely I hazard nothing in affirming that the present common estimate is far too low. Even those engaged in this interesting department of labour may not have their eyes fully open to see how elevated and responsible is their sphere. They may not duly appreciate their high privilege, nor feel always the assurance of success which faithfulness would warrant. But, however that may be, there is proof, derived from another source, that the common sentiment of the church is too low. Look over your congregations and see how many and who they are that profess to have devoted all to Christ, and whose age and health and attainments and circumstances in other respeets are such, that you might reasonably expect to find them-heart and hand with untiring energy and zeal-devoted to the Sabbath school. Then go and see how many of them you find there. The spectacle that will meet your eye will deepen the impression already in your heart, that there is a want of that deep and living sympathy with the Sab bath school cause, and that earnest co. operation to which it is entitled. MAGNIFYING GOD. THE ensuing passage in his own history, is said to have been at times recited by Rev. Dr. Backus, of Bethlem, Conn., and always with solemn interest. Early after his settlement as successor to the renowned Dr. Bellamy, he was returning on horseback from abroad, and overtook, just before reaching the village, a venerable negro, whom, without being recognized, he at once identified as a godly member of Bethlem church. Anxious, as we may suppose, to know how his own ministrations were relished after the distinguished labours of his predecessor, he accosted the humble parishioner beside him, and a dialogue, substantially the following, occurred: 179 there, I think: who have they now to succeed him? N. B. Massa Backus. And what sort of a preacher is he? N. Bery good, massa, bery good. Massa Backus he nice man. B. Well, but which do you like best for a preacher, your new minister, or the old one? N. (With a shrug, and reluctantly,) Ah Massa, Massa Backus he good preacher, he bery good man: but Massa Bellamy HE MAKE GOD SO BIG! SO BIG!! That sublime and just comment on the preaching of his venerable predecessor, dwelt ever on the heart of Backus, "I felt in it," said he, "what must be the grand scope of my ministry." Just so. Man is always big enough in his own conceit. Self chokes the heart, overshadows the whole man, and excludes the glory of the blessed God from irradiating, warming, animating the soul. The grand point to be effected is, to reduce pride-to humiliate manthat God may be all in all. Then alone is the office of a minister dignifiedwhen he exalts and glorifies God. Then alone can faith triumph, and ask great blessings-when it has the most impressive sense of the divine majesty and fulness. I am JEHOVAH, thy God, that brought thee out of the land of Egypt. Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it." Losing that vast thought of JEHOVAH, we sink all. Devotion needs more than a co-operating Deity. The sin-stricken and broken-hearted would despair without an Omnipotent Saviour. It is then that peace fills the lowly trembling spirit, and doubt yields to ineffable assurance,-when in all, over all, GOD is realized-sovereigninfinite-"so BIG!!" AN EXCELLENT, USEFUL BOOK, THOSE Who wish to put a good book into the hands of serious youths, religious inquirers, and persons halting in regard to religious profession, will be delighted with a small volume of 182 pages, entitled "THE GOSPEL GUIDE, or the Truth as it is in Jesus," By Mr Thos. H. Milner, Editor of the Evangelist, a Scottish Baptist penny magazine. It contains seventy-five short essays, on the way of salvation, and the objections B. Ah! Dr. Bellamy used to preach of persons to immediate personal religion. Mr. Backus. What place is this before us, my friend: Negro. Bethlem, massa. As for instance,-I am not so bad. I have a good heart. Waiting for God's time. Waiting for God's drawing I am doing my best. Trusting to the mercy of God. Trying to feel right, &c., &c. Houlston and Co. are the London Publishers. Next to preaching the gospel there is no way of doing so much good as by circulating really good books; and this is one that will not fail to be useful under the Divine blessing. FAMILY CIRCLE. HOW TO REPRESS PASSION. AN excellent man, for many years a useful and honoured member of the church, had inherited a temper of peculiar violence. He became easily excited with anger, and his passion, when aroused, was almost uncontrollable. He struggled manfully against the propensity after he became a christian, but not with the success that he desired and sought. At length he hit upon the following expedient. Procuring a suitable book for the purpose, he determined, whenever he had been overtaken by passion, to record the fact, with all its causes and circumstances; what others had said, what he had replied, and what the issue had been. He thought, and properly, that as he undertook to reduce to writing the causes of his anger, they would be resolved before his mind into their true insignificance; that he should thus have the grounds of self abasement, and penitence or prayer, brought more distinctly to view; that his watchfulness would be increased, and that he would be made familiar with the points of peculiar temptation. As he thought, so it was. By his sudden death the record which he had always designed to destroy when he should have ceased to use it, came into the hands of his children; and they were able to trace there the mighty inward struggles through which the change had been wrought, that as visible in the life had stolen upon them imperceptibly. At first the record had sometimes been of anger, excited more than once in the day, and repented of, and resolved against; and then it would be once in two or three days that the record would be opened; and afterwards but once in the week, or in several consecutive weeks; and at length, but once per haps in the whole progress of the year. And so the good man had " fought his fight," had slowly, with difficult but steady and resolute steps, ascended the steep; aad reached its summit at last, and gained his crown! How many are there who might do likewise? THE BLIND GIRL. LFT me give you a short account of a little blind girl. Her name was Julia. She had never in her life seen anything. When she became old enough, and strong enough to walk, she was led around by her brother Charles, who was two years older than Julia. Charles used to take notice of almost everything which could be seen, and try to tell his little blind sister about it. One pleasant summer day he took her by the hand, and they wandered down in the smooth pleasant fields together. He talked to her as they went along about the green leaves and the soft green moss, and the beautiful flowers, and the bright sunshine, and everything he could think of to make her happy. By and by she was weary-for it is hard work to walk when you cannot see and they sat down under a large shady tree to rest a while. For a few minutes they sat quite still, and listened to the song of a little bird. Julia spoke first. "Charles." said she, "how long a time that sweet bird sings He must be full of joy. Can you see him, and is he as beautiful as his song is sweet?" 'Yes, dear Julia, he is a very pretty bird, and looks very happy as he swings about in the air on the very end of that long limb." The little girl sighed, and a large tear rolled down her face as she said, "Charley, I wish that I could see. You tell me about the flowers of all colours, the green leaves, the little birds, the blue sky, and so many beautiful TO PASS AN UNPLEASANT SUNDAY. She wept then, and throwing her arms about his neck, whispered, 16 Charley, if I could only look upon your loving face and our dear mother's, and all my sweet friends, I should not so much mind being shut up in darkness to everything else." Charles comforted her as well as he could; but when he looked upon her pale face he felt very sad, and loved her more and more. Not long after this, little Julia became very sick, and her mother and brother watched over her, and prayed earnestly for her, but her heavenly Father was about to take her to a better home on high. The day before she died, she lay for a short time in her mother's lap. Her brother Charles stood by and held her hand in his, and looked sorrowfully upon her sweet face. She was very weak, but talked a little in a low voice. But her gentle spirit rejoiced in the prospect of seeing her friends in heaven. AN EPISODE IN THE LIFE OF A CRIMINAL. THE following, under the head, "the Colporteur in prison," is an interesting episode in the life of a criminal, related by Her Von Wedderkop, chamberlain to the Grand Duke of Oldenburgh : "I am a judge of the criminal court, and all prisoners come under my notice, being connected with them through my office, and love to their souls. There is a man in one of our gaols condemned to imprisonment for life, for murder, committed when attempting robbery, and whose former life was one of unmitigated crime. He came to us at a time when our prisons were a complete pest -the school for all iniquity. What he there saw and heard excited in him, at length, an horror for his former deeds which he had never felt before. He became thoughtful, showed symptoms of a repentant spirit, and chose the way of salvation. He now worked day and night in order to earn some dollars to purchase Bibles, which he gave his fellow-prisoners. On account of this he 181 Не The was hated, despised, mocked, beaten, and spit upon; but he, nevertheless, continued his labours of love. acted in this way during twelve years. A new governor of the prison was appointed, in order to re-organize it, and he soon found out the worth of this prisoner, and made him his right hand man. governor did not hesitate to say of this criminal, " I stand ashamed of myself in his presence." This man is now fiftysix years old. His chains were at length taken off him, and the Grand Duke made him a present of fifty dollars, which he expended in enlarging his library. As he received the permission to go where he liked in the prison, he collected the juvenile prisoners about him, and continues till now to instruct them, and to show them the way of salvation through word and deed. He received, a few years ago, a letter from a brother in America, intreating him to ask of the government his pardon, and offering to support him in America. After many days of inward combat he asked the Director for his advice. He would immediately have received permission to emigrate, if he had requested it. At last he declared, that notwithstanding the great temptation, he felt it his duty to labour for the poor prisoners, and not to lead a life of idleness in America. He is now happy that he is without the dress of a prisoner, and that he wears clothes like other persons. He gues alone in the city, in order to labour and care for the prisoners under him, and is never happier than when among them, directing them to our Lord and Saviour. The power of the gospel in his conduct works with great effect on others. As an instance of this, it may be mentioned, that another prisoner has fifteen under him, to whom he shows the way of salvation." TO PASS AN UNPLEASANT THE thing is easy-nothing easier. Experience will confirm the plan, even if she has not done it already, to any reader. 1. Rise late in the morning-if possible, so late as to make it impossible to attend to your private devotions before breakfast, and inconvenient to do it afterwards. This step, properly attend ed to, will make every succeeding one plain and easy. It will probably make the labour of preparing for church just hurried and business-like enough to assimilate it to week-day employments; for one grand distinction between the Sabbath and the other days of the week is, that it is a day of rest. be derived-which will make it unneces- MAKING CALLS ON THE Sabbath recreation is the practice of making or receiving idle, unnecessary or 2. Very probably, if the day is begun in this manner, you will be late to church. You will miss the first singing, and perhaps half the prayer. In that case, you cannot join heartily with your pastor and your faithful brethren in asking the blessing of God on the services, known several instances where families and his Spirit to apply the truth to your mind. If, however, you are punc-Zion, with their faces thitherward, have just on the point of asking their way to tually in your place, (and it is not utterly impossible,) sit very erect, and take notice of all that goes on around you. As some worship God in the great temple of nature' on the day of rest, you may be contemplating the lineaments of divers countenances-you know man was made in the image of God. Human nature is a profitable study. 3. When the sermon begins, if you chew tobacco, (and I know of some who defile the house of God with that weed,) be sure to load I up. If you do not, as hope, then you can fumble your hymnbook, recline your head, and content yourself with such fragments of the sermon as can find their way over the back of the next slip. 4. Talk politics at noon with those who loiter about the porch. You will thus get the mind of the people." 5. Spend the afternoon service as you did the morning, only yon may possibly sleep a few minutes during the application of the discourse. 6. While the benediction is pronouncing, be engaged in looking for your hat and gloves, ready to rush out as soon as the pastor says, Amen. had their early resolves thwarted, their Sabbath arrangements broken in upon, the first breathings of the spiritual life extinguished, and the green shoot of hope and promise, whose growth the wife or the child had encouraged with many a prayer, and watered with many a tear, driven back into the earth again by flers, who would not enter into the ill-timed visits from some Sabbath trihouse of God themselves; and those who would have entered they hindered. this day but to those who are connected Your doors should be open to none on with you, either by the ties of kindred or by the ties of grace; and to them only under such limitations as should secure to you the uninterrupted freeness of spiritual communion, whether in the closet, to be alone with God, or in the sanctuary, where your voices are to mingle with those of the great congregation.-Rev. D. Moore. THE HEAD AND THE HEART. Here is a beautiful thing from the pen of Mrs. 7. At home criticise the sermon, and wonder what makes Mr." so dull. Add a few reflections on the execrable singing, the condition of the meetinghouse, and the unendurable weather. Excuse yourself on the plea of weariness from attending the conference meeting, if one should be appointed, and go to bed an hour earlier than usual. Such are some of the means by which the Sabbath may be made as unpleasant as one can well desire. And by pondering these hints another lesson may "Please, my lady, buy a nosegay, or bestow a trifle," was the address of a pale, emaciated looking woman, holding a few withered flowers in her hand, to a lady who sat on the beach of Brighton, watching the blue waves of the receding tide. "I have no half-pence, my good woman" said the lady, looking up from the novel she was perusing, with a listless gaze; "if I had I would give them to you." "I am a poor widow, with three helpless children depending on me,would you bestow a small trifle to help PRAYER BETTER THAN LAW SUITS. us on our way?" "I have told you I have no half-pence," reiterated the lady, somewhat pettishly. "Really," she added, as the poor applicant turned meekly away, "this is worse than the streets of London; they should have a police on the shores to prevent such annoyances." These were the thoughtless dictates of the HEAD. "Mamma," said the blue-eyed boy, who was playing on the beach, flinging pebbles into the sea, "I wish you had a penny, for the poor woman does look hungry, and you know we are to have a nice dinner, and you have promised me a glass of wine." The HEART of the lady answered the appeal of her child; and with a blush of shame crimsoning her cheek at the tacit reproof his artless words conveyed, she opened her reticule, placed a half crown in his tiny hands, and in another moment he was bounding along the sands on his errand of mercy. In a few seconds he returned, his eyes sparkling with delight, and his countenance glowing with health and beauty. "O, mamma, the poor woman was so thankful, she wanted to turn back, but I would not let her, and she said, "God bless the noble lady, and you too, my pretty lad; my children will now have bread these two days, and we go on our way rejoicing." The eyes of the lady glistened as she heard the report of her child, and her heart told her its dictates had bestowed a pleasure the cold reasoning of the head could never bestow. PRAYER BETTER THAN LAW SUITS. When Samuel Harris, of Virginia, began to preach, his soul was so absorbed in the work, that he neglected to attend to the duties of this life. Finding upon a time, that it was absolutely necessary that he should provide more grain for his family than he had raised upon his own farm, he called upon a man who owed him a sum of money, and told him he would be glad to receive the money. The man replied, "I have no money by me, and cannot oblige you." Harris said, "I want the money to purchase wheat for my family; and as you have raised a good crop of wheat, I will take the article of you instead of money, at a current price." 183 The man answered, "I have other uses for my wheat, and cannot let you have it." "How then," said Harris, "do you intend to pay me?" "I never intend to pay you until you sue me," replied the debtor, " and therefore you may begin your suit as soon as you please." Mr. Harris left him, meditating: said he to himself, "What shall I do? Must I leave preaching and attend to a vexatious law suit? perhaps a thousand souls may perish in the mean time for want of Jesus! No! I will not. Well, what will you do for yourself? Why, this will I do; I will sue him at the court of Heaven." Having resolved what he would do, he turned aside into a wood, and on his kness laid the matter before the Lord. Mr. Harris felt such an evidence of divine favour; he felt, to use his own expressive language, that Jesus would become bondsman for the man, and see that he was paid if he went on preaching. Mr. Harris arose from prayer, resolved to hold the man no longer a debtor, since Jesus had assumed the payment. He therefore wrote a receipt in full of all accounts against the man, and dating it in the woods where he prayed, signed it with his own name. Going the next day by the man's house, on his way to meeting, he gave the receipt to a servant, directing him to give it to his master. On his return from meeting, the man hailed him, and demanded what he meant by the receipt he had sent him in the morning. Mr. Harris replied, "I meant just as I wrote." "But you know, sir," answered the debtor, "I have never paid you." True," said Mr. Harris," and I know you said that you never would unless I sued you. But, sir, I sued you at the Court of Heaven, and Jesus entered bail for you and has agreed to pay me; I have therefore given you a discharge!" 66 But I insist upon it," said the man, "matters shall not be left so." "I am well satisfied," answered Harris, "Jesus will not fail me. I leave you to settle the account with him another day. Farewell." This operated so effectually on the man's conscience, that in a few days he discharged the debt. |