Sidor som bilder
PDF

ter.” She said, “Oh! no; I am going to be with Jesus Christ in heaven. They are singing in heaven for me to go there. I do not wish to stay any longer here. Once I was fond of fine things, and used to like them much; but now I am going to be clothed with a robe of righteousness in beaven, which is far better than any thing here.” In the evening, a neighbour went in to see her; and asked her, if she would like to die. 'She said, “ Yes.” He asked her, if she was happy. She said, “O! yes.” He asked her who Jesus was, that he could save her more than any other. She said, “he is God's own Son." He asked her, if he could save sinners. “O! yes, (she said,) the worst.” He asked her, if she loved Jesus. “Yes, and I shall soon be with him." Her mind was much filled with concern for her parents' salvation. She said, “ tell my father to repent, and turn to God; else he will never come to me." She said to her mother, “pray to God; and repent; and believe too; and then I shall welcome you into heaven; for I am only going a little before you, to welcome you."

She begged that eight of her school-fellows might carry her to church. She mentioned them by name: and hoped, that Miss H. the visitor of her class, and Miss P. the vi. sitor of the second class, would attend her funeral; and she wished Mr. R. to bury her. “ While they are singing me to church, (she said) angels will be singing in heaven." And then she sung in the most delightful manner, “ Praise God from whom all blessings flow,” &c. Her eyes sparkled with joy; and the sweetness of her countenance told the foretaste she had of eternal rest. In this state she continued till the last; and at se. ven o'clock in the morning she died. On the day of her funeral, the solemn procession through the village, the serious conduct of the children, who followed two and two, to the church, and the sorrow expressed at the grave, were truly affecting.

A. Z.

MISSIONARY ZEAL. A little girl in Gloucestershire used to subscribe a halfpenny a-week to the Missionary society: but by the failure of the work in which she had been employed, she could not go on with it. She thought how. ever of a plan to raise a litle money for this purpose. The farmers allowed the poor to glean in their potatoe fields. So she went one morning, and with no small labour got a baskot of potatoes. These she carried to the Missionary collector, and begged him to take them instead of money.

The collector paused, and said he could not take them, as they belonged to her mother. The child went home, much grieved, and told her mother the whole. On which the mother went with her daughter to the collector, and begged him to accept the pota. toes; saying, “Sir, I was once a poor blind papist : but now, blessed be God, I know the value of the Gospel, and I wish every body to know it too. And I thank God I have a child who feels this concern for the poor heathen.”

About this time a neighbour came, and wishing to gratify the good woman and her child, bought the potatoes, and gave the full value of them to the collector.

CRUEL BOYS. One afternoon, sometime ago, a little boy ahout six years of age, was standing at the gate of his father's house in Hoxton, when three bigger boys came past and spoke to him. They asked him to go with them and catch birds; and when he refused, they seized him by the hand; and threatened, if he made the least noise, to cut his head off. They hurried the poor child away to a great distance, at a very quick pace, through lanes and fields which he knew nothing off, antil about dark. They then took him into a gravel pit in a lonely place: when one of the boys stripped him qnite naked; while the other two threatened to kill him with their knives, if he cried, or ventured to stir from that place till they returned. They left his pinafore, which the poor little fellow put on: and sitting down on the wet gravel, (for there was water in the pit,) the thoughts of home, and the fear of never seeing his parents again, made him weep bitterly, But, as he said, he thought he had better not sit there and cry, but try to get up the side of the pit : which, as he was naked and cold, and the sides of the pit were loose gravel, he found a very hard task. After trying many times in vain, he at last reached the top. It was now nearly dark, and he did not know his way; but happily a little dog came barking towards him; which drew the notice of a man who was near, and wbo, as if sent by a kind providence, went up to the little boy. He wrapped him in his coat, and took him home, . distance of three miles, after he had been absent nearly three hours. His parents had been almost distracted with grief: and sad to say, these wicked lads have not yet been found out,

[graphic][subsumed][ocr errors][merged small]

O! thou, whose hallow'd bosom, urg'd

By pity so divine,
Endured the bitterness of death

For sins that were not thine !

O! thou, who now in heav'n above,

By tender pity mov'd,
Still deign'st to listen to the prayers

Of them whom thou hast loved :

With brow abas'd and tearful eye,

Thy helping grace we crave; Thus early to devote to thee

All that we are and have.

Though all we are is stain'd with siz

And forfeit to the grave;
And all we have is e'en no more

Than what thy bounty gave :

Unworthy e'en to pick the crumbs

That fall from off thy board ; We offer up our hearts to thee,

Our Saviour and our Lord.

Pledg'd to thy service, we renounce

The vain world's sinful joys;
As they who grow to man's estate,

Forsake their childhood's toys.

Oh ! deign in mercy to accept

The most unworthy boon-
And help us that we henceforth live,

As thine, and not our own.

EPITAPH ON A CHILD. Yes, thou art fled; and saints a welcome

sing: Thine infant spirit soars on angel wing. Our dark affection might have hoped thy

stayThe voice of God has call’d his child away.

Like Samuel early in the temple found, Sweet rose of Sharon, plant of holy ground: Oh! more than Samuel blest! to thee 'tis

given, The God he seri'd on earth, to serve in

heaven.

[ocr errors]
« FöregåendeFortsätt »