ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS.

Anecdotes and Selections.

THIS PRESENT MOMENT.-How important and solemn are many of the considerations connected with this present moment of time! This moment, the reader is either a regenerated soul, pardoned and saved by grace, or an unrenewed sinner, exposed to the wrath of God—a son of the Lord Most High, or a willing servant of satan -an heir of heaven and eternal glory, or a traveller in the broad road to hopeless perdition.

This moment, whatever be your character, you are in the presence and under the immediate notice of a holy God, whose all-searching eye reads your inmost thoughts.

This moment, the power of that God, prompted by his mercy, upholds you in conscious existence, protects and preserves you from death; while some one or more of your fellow-beings is compelled to obey the summons of the " King of Terrors," and be numbered with the dead.

This moment, a record is made in that book out of which you are to be judged-a record of your present acts-a record of what you are intending to do the next moment, and at some future hour-a record of the motives which now actuate you, and prompt you to the performance of the contemplated acts.

The passing moment is just now going into eternity, to witness in a case soon to be tried- — a case, upon the decision of which, your eternal happiness or misery may depend.

The present moment shortens the period allotted you for preparation to stand before the great white throne of God and the Lamb, and brings you so much nearer eternity.

This moment you are liable to be summoned before the judgmentseat of the Searcher of hearts, and give a strict account of your past life and present character.

This moment, if you are still an impenitent sinner, you are growing more hardened in sin and rebellion against God; and your future prospects are becoming more deeply and fearfully enshrouded in gloom.

This moment, if an unconverted soul, you are turning your back upon the bleeding dying Saviour of sinners; and deafening your ear to all the touching accents and affectionate invitations of mercy uttered by the spotless Lamb of Calvary!

This moment, doubtless, some soul is, by neglect or sinful act, dropping the last drop into its cup of iniquity, previous to its being cut off; and you know not but that even now the mandate may have gone forth in your own case, if still refusing to hear him down, why cumbereth he the ground?"

"Cut

ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS.

This moment, O careless soul! awake to action in reference to thine eternal interests; for upon the decision of THIS MOMENT, thy future and unalterable destiny may depend! "God hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son," "who loved you and gave himself for you." "How shall you escape, then, if you neglect so great salvation ?" God is not willing that you should perish, but would rather that you would at once come to him by Jesus and live. For your own soul's sake delay not another moment!

CHRISTIANITY, pure, genuine, unadultered christianity, though a self-denying, humbling religion, gives more than it takes away it gives a peace which the world with all its promises and blandishments, cannot give. It gives humility, which, far from prohibiting the exercise of talents, only encourages their consideration of Him who gave them; with that prostration of heart, and self-renouncing spirit, which will lead the possessor to exclaim, "Who hath made me to differ? What have I, that I have not received ?"

EPITAPH OF JOHN BERRIDGE-WRITTEN BY HIMSELF." Here lie the remains of John Berridge, late vicar of Everton, and an itinerant servant of Jesus Christ, who loved his Master and his work; and after running on his errands for many years, was caught up to wait on him above. Reader, art thou born again ? (no salvation without a new birth.) I was born in sin, February, 1716; remained ignorant of my fallen state till 1730; lived proudly on faith and works fr salvation till 1754; was admitted to Everton Vicarage, 1755; fled to Jesus for retuge, 1756; fell asleep in Jesus, (January 22, 1793.)

ADVICE TO THE TAIKATIVE.-Mr. Berridge, being once visited by a very loquacious young lady, who, forgetting the modesty of her sex, and the superior gravity of an aged minister, engrossed all the conversation of the interview with small talk concerning herself. When she rose to re ire, he said: "Madam, before you withdraw, I have one piece of advice to give you; and that is, when you go into company again, after you have talked half an hour without intermission, I recommend you to stop a while, and see if any other of the company has anything to say."

DR. HUGH LATIMER, one of the English reformers, was raised to the bishopric of Worcester in the reign of Henry VIII. It was the custom of those times for each of the bishops to make presents to the King on new-year's day. Bishop Latimer went with the rest of his brethren to make the usual offering; but, instead of a purse of gold, he presented the King with a New Testament, in which was a leaf doubled down to this passage—"Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge."

ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS.

THE LEARNED PREACHER.- Some persons in Mr. Romaine's congregation thinking his style of preaching too plain and common, had requested him to exhibit a little more learning in the pulpit; accordingly he read his text in Hebrew. "Now," said he, "I suppose scarcely one in this congregation understands that." He then read it in Greek, and added, "Perhaps there may be one or two that understands me now: I will next read it in Latin." He did so, and said, "Possibly a few more may comprehend me, but the number is still very limited." He last of all repeated the text in English: "There, he continued, "now you all understand it; which do you think is best? I hope always so to preach as that the meanest person in the congregation may comprehend ine."

FLATTERY AND FAITHFULNESS-His Majesty, King James the first, once asked Bishop Audrews and Bishop Neale the following question: "My Lords, cannot I take my subjects' money when I want it without all this formality in Parliament ?" Bishop Neale readily answered, "God forbid, Sir, but you should; you are the breath of our nostrils." Whereupon the king turned, and said to Bishop Andrews-" Well, my Lord, what say you?' Sir," replied the bishop, "I have no skill to judge of parliamentary cases The king answered, "No put offs, my Lord; answer me presently." Then, Sir," said he, "I think it lawful for you to take my brother Neale's money, for he offers it."

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THE HOARY HEAD IS A CROWN OF GLORY-I have often been amused with the pertinent remarks and sayings of a pious old female. One I remember reading of in Palmer's Nonconformist Memorial, where it mentions Mr. Woods, who was ejected from his living in 1662; and tells of another preacher coming in his place. After preaching one Sunday by the new man, one of the congregation asked this aged woman, one of Mr. Wood's stated hearers, how she liked the new preacher. "Like him," replied the old woman; "had old Mr. Woods only gone up into the pulpit and shook his gray head at us, it would have done us more good."

GEORGE WHITEFIELD was an indefatigable servant of Christ. He preached, in the course of his ministry, which included thirty-four years and a quarter, eighteen thousand sermous; which was somewhat more than five hundred sermons a year. The day preceding his death, he expressed a great desire to enter his eternal rest; at the same time saying, "Lord, thou knowest I am not weary of thy work, though I am weary in it."

THE INFIDEL ANSWERED.-A scoffing infidel once accosted a poor but pious woman by saying, “So I find you are one of those fools who believe the bible." "Yes," said sbe, "and with good reason, while so many infidels prove the truth of its testimony; where it says, fools make a mock of sin."

THE FIRESIDE.

The Fireside.

YOU ARE A MOTHER.

You have a child on your knee. Listen a moment. Do you know what that child is? It is an immortal being, destined to live for ever! It is destined to be happy or miserable! You-the mother. You who gave it birth; the mother of its body, may be also the mother of its soul for good or ill. Its character is yet undecided: its destiny is placed in your hands. What shall it be? That child may be a liar. You can prevent it. It may be a drunkard. You can pre

vent it. It may be a thief. You can prevent it. It may be a

murderer. You can prevent it. It may be an atheist. You can prevent it. It may lead a life of misery to itself and mischief to others. You can prevent it. It may descend into the grave with an evil memory behind and dread before. You can prevent it. Yes, you, the mother, can prevent all these things. Will you, or will you not? Look at the innocent! Tell us again, will you save it? Will you watch over it, discipline it, subdue it, pray for it? Or will you, in the vain search for pleasure, or in gaiety, or fashion, or folly, or in the chase of some other bubble, or even in the household cares, neglect the soul of your child, and leave the little immortal to take wing alone, exposed to evil, to temptation, to ruin? Look again at that infant! Place your hand on its little heart! Shall the heart be deserted by its mother, to beat perchance in sorrow, disappointment, wretchedness, and despair? Place your own ear on its side, and hear the heart beat! How rapid and vigorous its strokes! How the blood is thrown into the little veins! Think of it; that heart in its vigour now, is the emblem of a spirit that will work with ceaseless pulsation, for sorrow or joy, for ever!

FAMILY PIETY.

FATHER of men, thy care we bless,

Which crowns our families with peace:
From thee they spring, and, by thy hand,
Their root and branches are sustain'd.

To God, most worthy to be praised,
Be our domestic altars raised;

Who, Lord of heaven, scorns not to dwell
With saints though in an humble cell;
To thee let each united house,
Morning and night, present its vows,
Our servants there, and rising race,
Be taught thy precepts and thy grace.
O may each future age proclaim
The honours of thy glorious name;
While, pleased and thankful, we remove
To join the family above!

I WISH to say a few words on this subject. I am now getting to be an old man, and I have always had my eyes open to see what was doing in the world as I went through it. One thing I have seen, and I have seen more of it lately than ever in the large manufac turing town in which I live; and it is this young women do not seem so willing to engage in household service as they used to be. There is now great trouble in finding a really good domestic servant. How this has come to be is known to those who have thought about it. And it has been, I believe, through young girls being either employed in our factories, or doing work of that kind at home. The reason for the preference of this sort of employment to domestic service, arises, some will tell us, from a love of liberty to do as they like, and be their own mistresses. It may be so, and we do not wonder at this; for the love of freedom from restraint is natural to impetuous youth. But a question ought to follow upon this. Is it good for them? Is it well for a young woman to be at home or in the factory all the week doing work, and having her victuals cooked and her bed made for her; and then on a Sunday, dressed in her finery, wander about with young lads as thoughtless as herself, contract an early marriage, if something worse does not happen before; and then have her hands tied behind her by a young family, and all the rest of a young wife's troubles, as I have seen hundreds do? Is it not better far, for a young woman to enter some decent and orderly family, and learn well how to cook, and scour, and wash, and keep all things in order; not wasting her wages in finery, but buying good and useful clothes; going to worship in her turn on the sabbath, and then coming home again in due time, making herself a favourite in the house by her tidiness and kindness. Such a young woman will not be without a sweetheart, as well as the girl who spends her money in finery, and flutters in it like a butterfly to catch some young greenhorn of a lad as silly as herself. - no, she will have one too; but he will be a steady industrious fellow, who is on the look-out for a wife-not a thing but a WIFE—who will take care of his money when he has earned it, and will make everything go as far as it can, and keep the house comfortable. But you have not room for me to say more now, than that I am very sorry to see so many young women now-a-days planting their pillows with thorns all the days of their life, through love of finery and an impatient desire of being their own mistresses. All such will find out that what I have said is true, if they live long enough. A FRIEND OF YOUNG WOMEN.