'no' was all I obtained from him. His head, too, was turned from me. But now, when reading to him the word of life, his eyes were fixed upon me, often full of tears, yet at the same moment beaming with gratitude. Indeed, "old things had passed away, all things had become new;" he had received Christ and peace. One day I called, poor John shed a torrent of tears the moment he saw me; he did not give me time to inquire the cause. 'Oh!' he said, 'I am going to leave this house and village.' I felt much for the poor man, well knowing how fondly we cling to home, however mean that home may be. I endeavoured to console him, and said, 'Cheer up, John, it is but for a short time. It is very natural for you to grieve at leaving the place you have lived in for fifty years.' He quickly answered, Oh! it is not that, it is not going to the Union. I have not long to live any where; but what must I do? I am going into another parish. I shall never see either you or my minister again; that, that is my trouble.' It was now my turn to weep, and for some minutes we both wept in silence. But the Comforter brought to our minds the sweet promises of our Heavenly Father, and Fear not, for I am with thee; I will never leave thee, or forsake thee,' brought us also refreshing from the presence of our God. We then took an affectionate farewell of each other. Oh!' he said, if I had not Christ, whatever should I do now?' This was a favourite expression. In one month from his removal to the Union, John Sdied, full of years, and in perfect peace. In accordance with his last earthly wish, he was buried by my husband in the churchyard of P-. In my ignorance I had often sighed over the case of poor John S-, for to all human appearance his state was most hopeless; his coldness and dislike to myself manifested in our early acquaintance, made me almost despair. I often said within myself, this poor old man has lived without God in the world, and now he will die without an interest in Christ. He lived, however, to feel himself the chief of sinners, and altogether dependent upon the love of God in Christ Jesus for salvation. He had lived far from God and his ordinances, and notwith 6 standing his horror at hearing a lady swear, profane language had been (as he afterwards confessed with shame and godly sorrow) the habit of his life. But when the Lord says, 'Let there be light,' there is light; and the Sun of righteousness arising upon the darkness, illumines the understanding, and brings life and immortality to light by the gospel. Let us never say it is too late, but continually encourage ourselves with the words of the preacher, In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand.' We may assure ourselves, what we know not now, we shall know hereafter." M. B. PRAYER FOR DIVINE LIGHT. Lord, we sit and cry to Thee, Lord, we do not ask to gaze TEMPER. E. M. PEOPLE are born into the world with a difference of temper; but then they are accountable for the management of their tempers. Those who possess a gentle, even temper, should reckon it among their mercies; they should consider it also as laying a strong claim on them to be kind and forbearing to those around them, and, as much as in them lies, to take away the occasions of peevishness and irritability from those who may not in this respect be so highly favoured as themselves. It has been sometimes observed, that good tempered people are apt to be forgetful, and hence they sometimes very unintentionally give provocation to others. A very easy, good-tempered girl has been heard to say, "Master was in such a passion, only because I did not hang his great-coat on the right hook;" or, "Mistress was so angry, only because I did not put the bread in the right basket. They are such bad tempered people, there is no living with them." Now, admitting that their master or mistress might discover more irritation than the case warranted, the good-tempered servant should be reminded, that masters and mistresses have a right, not only to say what work shall be done, but in what manner; and if they choose to give directions in the most minute particulars, those directions should be obeyed. To a thoughtless housemaid it may seem of very little consequence, when she has dusted a book, whether she lays it down shut or open in the place she found it, or whether she replaces a lot of papers on the desk, in the same order she found them, or turns them topsyturvy. But either of these exploits may perhaps give the studious master hours of disappointment and perplexity. Besides, more irritation of temper in families arises from these petty vexations, than from more serious and wilful faults. Before, then, the easy-tempered person reproaches him who is angry, with too great irritability, it may be worth considering whether part of the blame does not lie at the door of him who thoughtlessly gives the provocation. A A certain mistress was considered by her servants as needlessly particular; not a thing in her house, however small, was allowed to be applied to improper uses. servant in the family, who was wont to lay hold on the first thing that came to hand, rather than trouble herself to fetch the right thing, often excused herself by saying, "It cannot matter what is put in earthenware; wash it clean, and it is as good as ever." A nursemaid in the same family had often been forbidden to take the children into the kitchen; and, as she frequently transgressed this injunction, she had more than once received such rebukes as led her to reckon her mistress a proud passionate woman, whom it was impossible to please. It happened that the mistress was from home, when the nursemaid, bringing in the children from a walk, instead of obeying her orders, and going at once to the nursery, first went to indulge in a minute's gossip in the kitchen; and to rest her arms, set down a child of a year and a half old on the dresser; the child, being hot and thirsty, hastily took up a china tea-cup, which stood on the dresser, and began to drink; but in an instant dashed away the cup, and screamed with agony. The thoughtless housemaid had just obtained from the apprentice a little vitriol to clean her coal-scuttle; with her usual carelessness, she had taken an improper vessel in which to put it, and had set it in an improper place. The equally thoughtless nursemaid had also disobeyed orders, and thus a most distressing accident occurred, which would in all probability have proved fatal, had not the father, a medical man, been on the spot, and afforded immediate assistance. Forgetting how often they had accused their mistress of being fidgetty, ill-tempered, and over particular about little things, these two servants fell into a violent passion, mutually reproaching each other as the cause of the mischief. Obedience in trifles would, in this instance, have averted a train of evils;the suffering and danger of the innocent child; the reproaches and recrimination of the servants; and the just displeasure of the master and mistress. But to return to the subject of temper. Every one has something to do in the management of his or her temper; and those who are themselves most highly favoured, should consider it a part of their task to remove occasions of irritation out of the way of others. But some persons are conscious of having a naturally bad temper. They are peevish, or passionate, or sullen, or resentful. The person who is the subject of these dispositions must be aware of it. What then is his duty? I will set down a few hints of advice given to one who was near and dear to me, and who found them very beneficial: "If you are the subject of ill temper, in the first place never justify it by saying, 'It is my natural disposition, and I cannot help it; or, It was enough to provoke any body. Nobody can blame me for being in a passion.' All these are but false excuses for a cherished evil. "In the next place, constantly resist the risings of an evil temper; turn away the occasions of it; and check its first emotions within. It is much easier to refrain from uttering the first angry word, than to stop short at the second or third. "But be careful to resist on Christian principles. To give way to evil tempers and passions is not only foolish and disgraceful and injurious; it is also sinful. Too many people, who would look on theft, or drunkenness, as a sin against God, forget that ill-temper and unkindness are equally so, and hence they neglect to control their tempers. "The Christian has a never-failing rule for the government of his temper, in that prescription, Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so to them.' "Look to the example of Christ, who endured the contradiction of sinners against himself; who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; who forbore to resent injuries; who pitied his persecutors; prayed for his murderers, and has left us an example that we should follow his steps. "Seek the influences of the Holy Spirit. The indulgence of clamour, wrath, envy, evil-speaking, grieves the Spirit of God, and drives Him away. But if the Holy Spirit's aid is humbly and constantly sought, He will dwell in the soul, and subdue those tempers and feelings which are offensive in his sight." The Family Book, sent by F. A. EXTRACT FROM MY FAMILY BIBLE. MATT. xxii. 23-46. In the time of our Saviour the Jews were divided into sects. No wonder, then, that true religion was at such a low ebb with the great mass of the people. In this chapter you have mention made of the Pharisees and the Herodians; now you have another sect, the Sadducees, who said there was no resurrection. These last, you observe, join with the hypocritical pretenders to religion, in trying to vex Christ, as unbelievers like them always do join with hypocritical separatists from the old paths, |