ANECDOTES, SELECTIONS, AND GEMS. Anecdotes, Selections, and Gems. Anecdotes. TRYING TO DO GOOD.-Some time ago I was introduced to Mrs. L., of W., who assured me that what I had said to her on a previous occasion concerning baking on the Lord's-day, had so much impressed her that she at once abandoned the practice of employing a man for that purpose. I then said, "the baker has a soul: it is far better for you to work on the Lord's-day yourself, than to employ a man-it seems something like going to hell by proxy." The word had its effect, and the practice ceased.—Another to whom I had spoken seriously on the same subject desisted, and attended public worship; whereas before it was perpetually neglected. A third met me on the road one day, and said, "Did you not visit Mrs. a short time ago?" I replied, "Yes: and what of that?" "Did you say anything to her about selling on the sabbath-day." "I believe I did: and what then if I did ?" "What! why she says she will never sell again. She cares not what others do, she will never again sell on the Lord's-day-she has been resolved from the period of your visit. I, myself, used to do so, but I became uncomfortable; I knew it was wrong, and I am sure I gained nothing by it-I have declined it altogether." This good news greatly encouraged me to speak a word in season.-Another still more interesting I will mention. On passing the house of a poor woman one Lord's-day morning, I observed in the window some articles for sale. I entered, and shewed the evil of such doings, and denounced the practice. She pleaded the getting of an honest penny. I said, "the curse of God rests upon the deed-you cannot prosper-you endanger your soul-you train children to habits which will perhaps end in the prison." She stared, and seemed astonished. I related some circumstances that seemed to impress her. I advised her to think on the subject. She said she would. She was nearly seventy years of age-unable to read-seldom or never attended public worship-and careless about her soul. I left a tract to be read by her daughter, "Heavy charges against Sabbath-breakers." Six weeks after this I was again passing on my way to the chapel where I occasionally preached, and observed her window quite clear. I approached the house-she opened the door and welcomed me in. I said, "I am pleased to find your window clear." She replied, "I have given it up: I sell nothing now." "And how long," I inquired, "has this been the case?" She added, "Ever since you came and talked to me. I am nearly seventy years of age, and wish to be thinking about another world. I now go to the chapel, and I like to go." I said, "I hope you see the practise to be wrong ?" She replied, "I know it is, and I will ANECDOTES, SELECTIONS, AND GEMS. not do it again." This poor woman, living only a short distance from the place of worship, had encouraged the Sunday-school children in connection therewith, to spend their pence at her house on the Lord's-day. She continued to evidence a desire after salvationwelcomed my calls for reading the Word of God-regularly attended the means of grace-never returned to her old custom, but often wondered how she could have done it so long. At length she sickened for death, and when aware that her end was not far distant, she expressed herself as having a good hope through Christ aloneacknowledged her desert as guilty, and said, "I am a poor sinner, and hope for mercy through Christ alone." When reminded of the solemnity of death and the consequences that follow if unpardoned, she was asked whether she was not sometimes distressed? She replied, "No: I believe Jesus Christ died for me. I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. I have no other hope. I trust in Christ alone. Jesus will save me." In this state she died, having frequently expressed the pleasure and profit enjoyed in the public worship of Almighty God. "Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire." R. E. The writer hopes the above will stir up the reader to improve favourable opportunities for doing good. Selections. METAMORPHOSES.-Our mythologists tell us of many metamorphoses, of men turned into beasts, birds, trees; wherein, doubtless, they had moral allusions. Let me tell you of metamorphoses as strange as theirs, and as true as theirs is fabulous. They tell us of men turned into swine by vice, I tell you of swine turned into men ; when drunkards and obscene persons turn sober and well governed. They tell us of a Lycaon turned into a wolf; I tell you of a wolf turned into man; when a ravenous oppressor turns merciful. They tell us of men turned into oaks, and rocks; I tell you of the oaky, rocky, flinty hearts of men turned into flesh, as Ezekiel speaks. They tell us of an Acteon turned into the beast which he loved to hunt, and devoured of those beasts wherewith he was wont to hunt; I tell you of a voluptuous beast abandoning those pleasures which had wont to waste him. They tell us of a self-loving man turned into a flower; I tell you of a fading transitory creature changed into the image of the Son of God. They tell us of a Proteus turned into all forms; I tell you of a man of all religions, turned into a constant confessor and martyr for the name of Christ. BISHOP HALL. SMALL SINS.-We should not account any sins small; but look upon them as the spawn of all the vilest abominations. And as you would abhor death and hell, so abhor the least sin; because it hath a plot upon us, in subserviency to greater sins, that, without infinite mercy, will certainly bring to, and terminate in, death and hell. HOPKINS. ANECDOTES, SELECTIONS, AND GEMS. Eems. HOPE is a ray of light darting through the portentous cloud which overhangs the pathway of human existence. It radiates on the soul from the cross of Calvary, and points it upward to the unsullied region of ineffable brightness, where it will mingle and lose itself in the purer emanations of Deity from whom it had its source. S. M. S. THE WISE. He who well studies himself, well sees himself; and he who well sees himself, well knows himself. He who well knows himself, lowly rates himself; and he who lowly rates himself is wise. D. Q. Patience PATIENCE.-Watch against rash anger and impatience. calms the mind, and secures esteem; but a pettish, waspish temper, is a sign of a little impotent spirit. A weak minded man is always full of complaints. How little did Jonah make himself by his passion for his gourd "I do well to be angry even to death"-what could a more pettish phrenzied child have said? D. Q. PROCRASTINATION.-What a thief this is! Nothing so great, nothing so small, nothing so hot, nothing so heavy, but this villain can lay his purloining hands upon it, and stuff it into his monstrous bag- Oblivion. He steals moments, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, bodies, souls, and plunges men into eternity with their eyes shut. D. Q. SELFISHNESS.-There are some characters who possess an inexpressible charm in their manners; without wealth, rank, or talents, still a dignity hovers round them, and ennobles every action. What is it? They have a freedom from selfishness. Let a man have genius, rank, beauty, faine, and let him be selfish-what is he, with all these endowments, superior to a hog with some gold bells tinkling at his neck? NEVER LOSE HOPE.-Should your hopes be even deceived, not seven times, but seventy times seven, never lose hope. The righteous cause always triumphs when we put our faith in it; and he shall be saved who perseveres unto the end. NEEDFUL AFFLICTION. SUBMISSIVE to thy will my God, Bowing beneath thy chastening rod, And point to joys above. How short are all my sufferings here; Nor call my gain a loss. FIRMNESS. RUB hard agaist hard; ON CONVERSATION. IN conversation imitate thy Lord, And few are hurt by being silent long. THE LATTER DAYS. IF, in his days, the apostle Paul, Nay, nay, this will not do, my friend, ANECDOTES, SELECTIONS, AND GEMS. Facts. CURE FOR LAZINESS.-The Dutch have a singular method. They put a lazy fellow who asks for relief, and is known to be idle, into a large cistern, and letting in water upon him, if he does not work hard he may be drowned. PENNY BANKS.-At Greenock, with 40,000 inhabitants, 5,000 subscribers deposited above £1000 in 791 days. The deposits are made daily or weekly, the bank being open every evening. A capital plan for little savings. "ALL THE CRIMES on earth do not destroy so many of the human race, nor alienate so much property, as drunkenness." So says, Lord Bacon--England's great philosopher. WAR is the most barbarous relic of barbarous ages. It is time we gave it up. It has cost us hundreds of millions of money, and rivers of blood and tears. SLAVERY." Slaves cannot breathe in England," says the poet; but they do. For there are many kinds of slavery-slavery to bad habits, bad customs, and bad desires. "He is a freeman whom the truth makes free, "THE MAN IN THE MOON" is an old foolish fable. It is now ascertained that the moon is nothing but a mass of rocks and caverns as light as cork, and cannot be inhabited by breathing creatures, for it has no atmosphere, nor clouds, wind, rain, nor frost. Hints. THE SAFE SIDE.-We all like to be on the safe side-and there is no harm in it that I know of; it is natural. Take two things-if a man never fights he will never get killed by fighting; if he always drinks water he will never be a foolish sot. HOW TO PUT OUT A FIRE.-One mild word quenches more strife than a whole bucket of water. D. Q. SELF-LOVE. He who falls in love with himself will have no rivals. A POOR PLOUGHMAN on his knees is higher than a proud gentleman on his feet. ONE VICE will often cost more than would maintain two children. READER!-You may die any moment, and you are just as near to heaven or hell as you are to death. Two HARD THINGS.-To talk of yourself without being vain, and of others without slander. A CONTRADICTION.-A mean, tight-fisted, unkind, uncharitable, selfish, and bigoted christian, is a contradiction of terms. "PEACE," says Matthew Henry, "is such a precious Jewel that I would give anything for it but TRUTH." JESTING NOT CONVENIENT.-Let not jesting be indulged, lest thou become a make-sport. It may be found easy to make others laugh, but who respects a jester? WITHHOLD NOT THE WAGES of him to whom they are due, lest God withhold thy blessings. If he complain, hear him, or heaven will. The poor man's penny is a curse in the rich man's purse. A FULL TONGUE may often be found on the same head with an empty brain. THE FIRESIDE. The Fireside. A DISTURBER.-There is one Disturber of a poor man's fireside who has often made him and his wife and children miserable: and I should like to expose him to public view, that all men might cry shame of him, and drive him away. Can you guess who this Disturber is? I dare say you are thinking of anger, or mischief, or drunkenness, or some such well known disturbers. No: I do not mean any of these this time. The Disturber I mean does all he does by law and order, and yet he has made many poor families so miserable that their hearts have been almost broken by his cruel and inhuman conduct. This Disturber got into power many years ago, and he wont give up except we make him, and we can if we all try. And we ought to try, for although he has no power over people that are well to do, and can only exercise his tyranny over those who are very poor, we ought all of us to lend a helping hand to rid our land of this common disturber of the poor man's fireside. Who is this Disturber--and what is his name? I will tell you. He is called, "THE LAW OF SETTLEMENT AND REMOVAL." That is his name. Have you never heard of him? Has he never paid you a visit? The way he does is this: If any one is by any means unable to maintain himself and his family, and asks for relief, he comes directly and asks many questions, and gets to know what parish the applicant belongs to; and if it should be at the other end of England, he takes him and packs him off whether he be willing or not. I have not room to tell you of some of the sad scenes which have been witnessed in many a poor man's family, when this Disturber has made his appearance among them. God only knows how many hearts have been almost broken, how many tears have been shed by mothers and children, and how many fathers have run into sin by cursing this "Law of Settlement and Removal." But I hope the reign of this old tyrant is nearly at an end. His power has been weakened lately, and I hope he will soon have all his teeth drawn so that he may bite and devour the poor no longer. And I write this now that if any of my poor readers hear anything said in their parts about a Petition to Parliament to do away with the "Law of Settlement and Removal," let them be sure to sign it. And if they do not hear of any gentlemen or tradesmen getting one ready, let them get one ready themselves, and send it. If they do not know how, let them ask some good-natured gentleman to tell them, and if they should be set fast, let them write to the man who prints this, and he will tell them how to manage the matter, for he believes that this old last remuant of feudal tyranny is one of the greatest enemies to the peace and comfort of the poor that is to be found in the land. Many a cottage has it caused to be pulled down, and many a poor man has it compelled to walk miles to and from his work every night and morning! It is such an unjust and cruel system that our great men are beginning to be ashamed of it, and if we all join to make a stir about it, peaceably and properly, we shall soon get rid of it, and it will no longer be permitted to play its wicked pranks as a common disturber of the poor man's fireside. |