'This blessed season (Christmas) | his doctor (as he was bound to do) fills my heart with love to my Saviour, my friends, and my enemies, for whom I ever pray.' "Persecutions are going on here. Thirty prisoners are now in the Bargello, on religious accusations. Guarducci is still there. Another case, similar to the one of last year, has taken place. A Biblereader was taken dangerously ill; gave notice to the priest, who hastened to the bed-side of the sick man. The latter thanked him for coming, but said he had no need of his assistance; but he had, he hoped, made his peace with God, through the alone mediation of Jesus. The priest was furious, and sent off for the police, who now surround the house." Paetry. THE SINNER AND HIS SAVIOUR. Whom, by Thy precious blood Thou didst redeem, BIBLE QUESTIONS. 17. To whom did God say, "How weak is thine heart?" 18. What happened at Tirzah ? 19. Who was it that told Jesus they wished to sit, one on his right hand, and the other on his left, in heaven? 20. Give two reasons, which are assigned in one verse, why we do not sometimes receive blessings from God? 21. What was the subject of the first letter that we read of in the Bible? 22. Of whom is it said, that " he served his generation by the will of God?" 23. What was the subject of the prayers of Epaphras? 24. Who was to have "the good will of him that dwelt in the bush?" ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS OF LAST MONTH. (9.) Elijah wished to die (1 Kings xix. 4), and never died at all (2 Kings ii. 11.) (10.) Hezekiah from Rabshakeh, 2 Kings xix. 14. (11.) Achan, Joshua vii. (12.) Saul, 1 Sam. xxxi. 5: Ahitophel, 2 Sam. xvii. 23: Judas, Matt. xxvii. 5: the Jailer at Philippi, Acts xvi. 27. (13.) Zoar was saved for Lot's sake, Gen. xix. 21. (14.) Moses, Heb. xi, 26. (15.) "For we know not when the time [of the coming of the Son of Man] is." (16.) A village of the Samaritans. Because He was on His way to Jerusalem, and the Samaritans were at enmity with the Jews. THE FRIENDLY VISITOR. FAITH. You find it difficult to believe because you are a sinner; but did not Christ come purposely to save sinners ? But you are a great sinner. Indeed, if he saves only those who are small sinners, both you and I must cry out, Wo is me! He says, But we "Him Go, take are not to give way to the unbelief and pride of our hearts. It is not humility to contradict the Lord. that cometh unto me I will in nowise cast out." Him at His word, without reasonings; with the simplicity of a child, receive Him as Christ Jesus the Lord, in all His offices, to save you from guilt and sin, to rule over you, to guide and guard you, to dispose of you and manage you, and He will fully answer your desires. But as He gave himself wholly for us, He expects that we should give ourselves wholly to Him; and if we are willing and in earnest, He will enable us to do so. There is more burden than comfort in religion, till we are brought to a point to make it the chief, the one thing. As a worldly man, whose whole conduct is governed by his prevailing desire to be rich, so we must give all diligence in the use of every appointed means, in attention to every precept, in submitting to every dispensation, in mortifying every wrong disposition, if we desire to be happy and comfortable. It is possible, perhaps, that a traveller may make a long journey with a thorn in his foot; but then he must take every step slowly and in pain, E Whereas, if the thorn is extracted, he may walk and run with pleasure. The Lord is merciful to our infirmities and mistakes, which have not the consent of our will; He pities and heals the broken heart, but He will not be pleased with a divided heart. Strive and pray for a single eye, a simple intention to please Him, a simple dependence upon His grace and promises, and you will do well: though your beginning may be small, your latter end will greatly increase. THE GOD OF ELIJAH. WHO else was it but the God of Elijah, who, only a short time ago, in our neighbourhood, so kindly delivered a poor man out of his distress, not indeed by a raven, but by a poor singing bird? You are acquainted with the circumstance. The man was sitting early in the morning at his house-door. His eyes were red with weeping, and his heart cried to heaven, for he was expecting an officer to come and distrain him for a small debt; and whilst sitting thus with his heavy heart, a little bird flew through the street, fluttering up and down as if in distress, until at length, quick as an arrow, it flew over the good man's head into his cottage, and perched itself within an empty cupboard. The good man, who little imagined who had sent him the bird, closed the door, caught the bird, and placed it in a cage, where it immediately began to sing very sweetly, and it seemed to the man as if it were the tune of a favourite hymn, "Fear thou not when darkness reigns ;" and as he listened to it, he found it soothe and comfort his mind. 66 Suddenly some one knocked at the door. Ah, it is the officer," thought the man, and he was sore afraid. But no, it was the servant of a respectable lady, who said that the neighbours had seen a bird fly into his house, and she wished to know if he had caught it. "Oh, yes," answered the man, "and here it is;" and the bird was carried away. A few minutes after the servant came again. "You have done my mistress a great service," said she; "she sets a high value upon the bird, which had escaped from her. She is much obliged to you, and requests you to accept this trifle, with her thanks." The poor man received it thankfully, and it proved to be neither more nor less than the sum he owed! and when the officer came, he said, "Here is the amount of the debt; now leave me in peace, for God has sent it me." SARAH, THE OLD INDIAN. It was 66 66 He know best-Sarah don't know. So I feel happy; great many days go singing hymn "Now I trust the Lord for ever, He can clothe, and He can feed: He my Rock, and He my Saviour, Jesus is a friend indeed." "Well, Sarah, have you been ridge: sometimes I get out like I had previously heard something about this old woman, and was therefore prepared to receive her with kindness. "And how," I asked, have you got along this cold winter, Sarah?" "Oh," she replied, "God better to Sarah than the fear. When winter came on Sarah was in great doubt. No husband, no child here. What if great snow come? What if fire go out? Nabor great way off-what if sick, all 'lone? What if I die? Nobody know it. While I think so in my heart, then I cry; while I crying something speak in my mind, and say, Trust God, Sarah. He love His people: He never leave them-He never forsake them: He never forsake Sarah-He friend indeed! Go tell Jesus, Sarah: He love hear prayer: He often hear Sarah pray.' So I wipe my eyesdon't cry any more-go out in bushes where nobody see-fall down on my old knees and pray. God give me a great many words pray great while: God make all my mind peace. When I get up go in house, can't stop praying in my mind. All my heart burn with love to God: willing live cold-go hungry-be sick- Saralı," I said, "you seem die all 'lone, if God be there. to have some knowledge of the * This might refer to food stolen by her wicked daughter. "What a lesson," thought I, "for my repining heart!""But do you get no meat or other necessaries, Sarah?" "Not often. Sometimes I get so hungry for it, I begin feel wicked: then think how Jesus hungry in the desert. But when Satan tempt Him to sin to get food He would not. So I say, 'Sarah won't sin to get victuals. I no steal, no eat stole food, though be hungry ever so long." God gives me small look of His self, His Son, and His glory: and I think in my heart, They all be mine soon.' Then I no suffer hunger any more. Father have there many mansions." * Then My Scriptures; can you read?" "I-go suffer all His life-die on can spell out a little; I can't In this strain of simple piety she told me her first interesting story. In one of the many visits which she afterwards made, she gave me in substance the following narrative of her conversion. great cross-bury, rise, and go up into heaven-so always be sinner's friend. He say too, if you get trouble go to Jesus. He best friend in sorrow-He cure all your sorrow-He bring you out of trouble-He support you make you willing suffer. So when I go home think great deal what minister say; think, this the friend I want-this the friend I cry for so long. Poor ignorant Sarah, never hear so much about Jesus before. Then I try hard to tell Jesus how I want such friend: but oh, my heart so hard, can't feel, can't pray, can't love Jesus, though He so good. This make me sorrow more and more. When Sunday come want go church 'gain; husband say, 'you shan't go, I beat you if you go.' So I wait till he go off hunting, then shut up children safe and run to church; sit down in door She lived, according to her own account, until she became a wife and a mother, with--hear minister tell how bad my out hope and without God in the world, having been brought up in extreme ignorance. Her husband treating her with great severity, she became dejected and sorrowful; and, to use her own simple language, "I go sorrow, sorrow all day long. When night come, husband come home angry-beat me so; then I think, 'Oh, if Sarah had friend! Sarah no friend. I no want tell nabor.' I got trouble, that make only worse. So I be quiet, tell nobody -only cry all night and day for one good friend. One Sunday, good nabor come and say, Come, Sarah, go church.' So I call my children, tell 'em stay in house while I go church. When get there minister tell all about Jesus-how He was born in stable heart is no love to God-no So. |