and as the union of the Bride with the heavenly Bridegroom as a metaphor meaning the union of the Church with Christ is often used in Scripture, so it is in this parable. Those who are "bidden to the wedding,” the guests first invited, are the Jews; and in this way the parable is something similar to those of the "two sons" and "the husbandmen," which we last considered. These guests, however, despised the message of their kind entertainer; they made light of it, and went after their own business. In the fourteenth chapter of St. Luke there is one of our Lord's parables recorded, which in meaning is the same as this one. There the ungrateful guests are represented as giving their reasons for not attending to the invitation: one had bought a piece of ground, and "must needs go and see it;" another had bought some oxen, and went "to prove them ;" and a third had married a wife. By the Jewish law every newly-married man was prohibited from going out to war, or leaving his home, for the space of a year. These examples, however, all show the folly and wickedness of the Jews in rejecting Him who was the Saviour of the world for such trivial reasons, and confirm the proofs of their wilful unbelief. Let us also beware that we fall not into the same condemnation; and let us see that we "refuse not him that speaketh; for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven." Those guests added yet more to their refusal, for they slew the king's servants; just as the Jews insulted their heavenly King by murdering His servants the prophets. He then punished these wicked men, by destroying them, and burning their city; while He sent out His ministers to gather in "the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind" from the highways and hedges, to compel the Gentiles to come in, and taste of those blessings which the unbelieving Jews refused. The missionaries of the Gospel are dispersed into all lands, and are fulfilling the Divine command," Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." What a blessed time will that be when all the nations shall be converted, and turned to God! Surely we may hope that the time is now not very far distant when "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." The conclusion of the parable describes the king coming in to see his guests, and finding a man who had no wedding garment: this was always considered an omission, which was an insult to the host. So it is with God; He offers means of grace and salvation through the blood of His Son to the perishing sinner, and what excuse can be made for the neglect of such an offer? Those who are not clothed in the spotless robe of Christ's righteousness will, we may be assured, instead of sitting down at the marriage-supper of the Lamb, be cast into outer darkness, with the devil and his angels, "where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Think what an addition to their torments the recollection will be that they once-nay, all their lives,—had the means of salvation offered them, and slighted the gift. How will they remember every broken Sabbath, every despised counsel or reproof, every despite done to the Spirit of grace, and every rejection of eternal life? These will be the aggravations of their punishment, and oh, fearful thought! it will be eternal. For "the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever." Let us then now, while there is yet time, turn and repent; ere it is too late, let us pray earnestly for salvation through the only way that is open to us,-the Lord Jesus Christ; that we may be washed in His blood, and cleansed from all our sins; that we may attain unto everlasting life, and a crown of glory that fadeth not away. X. Y. Z. SPEAK GENTLY. "Learn of me, (saith Jesus,) for I am meek and lowly in heart."] SPEAK GENTLY, it is better far To rule by love than fear; Speak gently, let not harsh words mar MATT. xi. 29. 1 John iv. 16. Speak gently, love should whisper low, To friends when faults we find; Speak gently to the young, for they Pass through this life as best they may, Speak gently to the aged one, Grieve not the care-worn heart; Speak gently, kindly to the poor, Let no harsh tones be heard; Speak gently to the erring, know Speak gently, for 'tis like the Lord, The gracious Holy Child. Wash'd in his blood, redeem'd to life, Flee from all anger, wrath, and strife, Isaiah xlii. 2. Eph. vi. 4. 1 Tim. v. 1. Gen. xxxvii. 34, 35. Psalm xli. 14. 16. 2 Tim. ii. 24, 25. 1 Pet. ii. 21-25. 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. CHURCH IN THE MAURITIUS. EXTRACT from a letter of an officer of the 12th regiment, stationed at Mahebourg, Mauritius, dated January 9th, 1848: "A church and resident clergyman are much wanted in a place like this, where we only see a clergyman once a month, and we have only opportunity of attending once a day. On other Sundays the commanding-officer reads prayers to the men in the barrack-room. I dare say they would attend church of their own accord, if there was one; as it is now, they know there is a parade to attend on Sunday, and they just think about it as any other parade. "The Roman Catholic chapel is getting on, but is not yet roofed; they are paving it with slate. The walls seem to be very slight, and so does the tower; and I should say not calculated to stand through a hurricane such as has been experienced in this island. The Protestant Church has been talked of, and that is all. "This island, one of the fortified outports of the British empire, captured during the war, bears a considerable taxation for the sugar cultivation; and, notwithstanding its great spiritual destitution and mercantile depression, it most generously raised and sent home the large sum of 29247. 15s. to relieve the starving Irish." Mahebourg, the second military station, is deserving of the consideration of the public; and a subscription is now raising in aid for the erection of a church, which will be forwarded through the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. Subscriptions received by Messrs. Deane and Co., bankers, Winchester. -Sent by a Correspondent. PLAIN RULES TO BE OBSERVED IN CASE OF ILLNESS OR ACCIDENT (continued). FOR WEAK EYES. Dissolve twenty grains of white vitriol in a pint of water, and wash night and morning. If the eyes itch much, dissolve a pinch of alum in half a pint of water in which a poppy-head has been boiled. DIRT IN THE EYE. When any thing gets into the eye, do not rub it, but hold the eye quite steady, and perhaps the tears will wash it out; but if not, get some friend to take it out. Under the upper eyelid is the place to look. If it cannot got out otherwise, go to the surgeon, or you may lose your eye. be THORN IN THE FLESH. When a thorn or splinter is run into the finger or any other part of the flesh, get it out at once if you can; if not, go directly to the surgeon: many a hand has been crippled by letting it remain. BRUISED AND JAGGED WOUNDS. When a part is bruised, and cut too, as by falling with the hands on gravel, or when the flesh is torn, first wash VOL. XXVIII. Ꮓ for a long time with warm water, to get out all dirt; then do not bind up tight, but put on a plaster of hog's lard, or a poultice. BITE FROM A DOG. Wash it thoroughly, and apply salt. But the best thing is, to have it well rubbed with lunar caustic. TO STOP BLEEDING FROM WOUNDS. When any one is badly cut, and you cannot easily stop the blood, do not let the wounded part hang down, but raise it up, and press with your finger exactly on the spot the blood comes from, and apply cold water. If nothing else will do, tie a handkerchief round the limb, and twist it tight with a stick. If a person has been bled in the arm, and the blood bursts out in the night, take off the bandage, raise the arm up, and put your finger on the hole, and the blood will stop directly. TO STOP BLEEDING FROM LEECH-BITES. Dip a very little bit of cotton-wool, or wool from a hat, into strong alum-water, or Friar's balsam, and poke it firmly into the leech-bite with the end of a knitting-needle. Tincture of steel is the best thing, if it can be got. BURNS AND SCALDS, If not very bad, may be dressed with a soft poultice of scraped turnip or potato. But if a child or old person is badly burned about the body, do not put any thing cold without the surgeon's leave; but dress with hog's lard or a poultice, and wrap up warm with flannel or cotton-wool. When a burn is long healing, dress with chalk ointment or yellow basilicon. BLEEDING AT THE NOSE. Bathe the face with cold water; put a cold key to the back; snuff up cold water; plug the nostrils lightly with a little bit of lint; take ten drops of elixir of vitriol in water every three hours; add a little salts if the bowels. are confined. |