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very busy in doing it. Drinking will do it very rapidly; so will idleness; so will gambling. Smoking, and dancing, and singing at wakes and fairs, will do it very completely. A good idle holiday, whilst others are working, will help wonderfully; and you may lose a good place by it; and then the business is soon done. Some people will go so far as to finger silver, or even gold, that belongs to somebody else; and that is sure to turn to brass, as stolen apples, in a manner, turn to ashes in the mouth. There are a great many ways of turning gold into lead ; and the more idle a man is, the faster he gets on at that work. I met some young men awhile ago, who, instead of trying to get work, were gambling away what little money they had got, at pitch and toss. I told them that they knew how to turn shillings into farthings. They thought that I took them for fools, as they each of them meant to turn their halfpence into shillings, by emptying the pockets of their companions, which is, in truth, the friendly intention of every gambler. A true gambler lives by the losses and miseries of others, either in high life or low. Those young lads, however, only laughed at me; but they are all of them now such idle fellows as nobody likes to employ, and what silver they had is, sure enough, now reduced to copper. Three of them, I believe, are now in jail, for trying to supply themselves with cash out of the till of a neighbour's shop, so that they will perhaps never more have any English silver, but work hard for the rest of their lives in a distant land; it being expected that the judge, at the next assizes, will transport them to the other end of the world.

ACCOUNT OF THE BAPTISM OF A BRAHMIN,

BY THE LATE BISHOP CORRIE.

V.

THIS interesting circumstance took place at Benares, in Northern India. A Brahmin, it must be recollected, is one of the class of priests, which is esteemed the highest rank in India.

I have to tell you of the baptism of a Brahmin at Benares, on Wednesday last, when I was down there,

which will gratify you much. You must remember that he understands enough of English for common purposes, and most of our conversation was in English. He came to me in September last; he had before been seeking after truth, and a pious merchant at Benares had given him a Book of Common Prayer-this was the chief instrument in his conversion. The two answers respecting our duty towards God and our duty towards our neighbour, struck him forcibly; and he learnt many of the prayers and much of the Catechism by heart. He was, however, greatly averse to baptism in September, and argued that he could serve God in private, and even promote his cause more, whilst he refrained from the open profession of Christianity. I pointed out, from Mark xvi. 16, and John iii., the necessity of attending to "the outward visible sign," as well as the "inward spiritual grace," if we would "make our calling and election sure." He left me with tears, acknowledging that I spoke truth; but absented himself until January last, when he again went to the pious merchant, saying he had been very ill, and now found that none but Jesus Christ could save him; he would therefore give up all for Christ. After much intercourse, on Tuesday last I asked him, "Are you willing to be baptized?" Answer: "Yes, I have no other Lord, no other Saviour, but Jesus Christ; He is God, and my God." "What makes you think him God?" Answer: "Why, sahib (master), I know this, I have been a great sinner, a very great sinner, I believe: I went to Juggernaut, and here to Benares (sacred cities among the Hindoos), and here and there (mentioning other places) to poojah (worship); but I was still very bad, sahib, very great sinner. When I found no good among Hindoos' worship, I went to Mussulmans', to Lucknow (mentioning a great Mahomedan doctor there), to inquire, but found no good in Musşulmans' religion, but all bad, very bad. Then I met with the ten commandments, and these two-my duty towards God and my duty towards my neighbour: this my heart say good, very good; this is Jesus Christ's word; and I pray to Him for his grace, and He gave me understanding. Now I know the true God; my heart

love his word, and I no more love sin or bad way; therefore I know Jesus Christ is God"-with more to the same effect. (You will perceive that, if men set themselves to seek Christ in this way, we should have no Unitarians.) I then asked, "What do you think will be after death?" Answer: "I shall go to God; what else, sahib? Now He has given me grace, I am all light within: will He put light with darkness again? No, I shall go to God after death." "Will you forsake your family and friends?" Answer: "My father, sahib, very old; he wash in Ganges, and make poojah: I cannot help him, but I will love him, I will honour him, as Jesus Christ's word is. Oh, I cannot help him, but I will make prayer for him! I must follow my Lord Christ; there is no Saviour but He; Hindoos, Mussulmans, all worship devils"-with much to that effectadding, "Ever since I was with you, sahib, my heart was full, and now, if you please, I will be baptized." After prayer, we separated. Next day, when he came to me, I asked him, "Have you thought much of the matter, and are you willing to forsake all for Christ "?" He answered, "I have made much prayer to God for his grace; and now I will forsake all for my Lord Christ. You will pray, sahib, that He will wash me and make me clean. You will mention before Him for the old sinner, a very great sinner, an old rogue, very bad, very bad sinner, that He will save me, and give me grace, that I may love Him with all my heart. I cannot keep his commandments without his grace; but I will pray always, and love Him, and cleave to Him (laying hold of his own garment with eagerness); and I will always speak truth, and take care of my words." All this, with the expressive action of the natives, who have more action than even the French in conversation. At the time of administering the sacrament of baptism, he made the responses from the Book of Common Prayer with much feeling. When addressed in the service, he showed the most lively attention, and was very earnest

3 The reader must recollect, that being baptized entails upon a native the loss of all his rank, reputation, and consideration amongst his heathen neighbours and relations.

in the prayers. After the service, he shook hands with all present, expressed with tears his thankfulness to God for his mercy to so great a sinner, and said he would serve Him for ever, and devote all his time to learning his word more perfectly, that he might instruct others.-Life of Bishop Corrie.

EXTRACT FROM MY FAMILY BIBLE.

MATTHEW Xxi. 23-28.

MARK the obstinate determination to disbelieve, so plain in the unhappy Jews. They would not answer Jesus when they found that by doing so they must bring themselves into this difficulty; that, on the one hand, if they said John had authority from heaven, they must acknowledge that Christ was also from heaven, because his preaching and his works bespoke Him at once endowed with more of heavenly power than John; and on the other hand, if they said his authority was only that of man, they would have roused the anger of the people, who believed John to be a true prophet of God. They did not know by what authority John acted. No; they, like all determined unbelievers, will say any thing rather than be convinced. Now these men that behaved thus were chief priests, who knew, or ought to have known, the Scriptures, and who might have compared the say ings and doings of Christ with them. They then would have known at once that He could be no other than the promised Saviour. But they were for disputing, not for humble belief; and so our Lord puts a dignified and becoming end to their impertinent inquiries" Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things." Christ, my dear family, will not make plain his Gospel to any who make inquiries of Him in the spirit of these proud priests. It is only to the humble inquirer that Jesus will condescend to give an answer, and to reveal Himself as the Saviour, full of the power and the love of God, to save a guilty world. A LAYMAN.

ON COTTAGE ECONOMY AND COOKERY.

Compiled by F. Burke, Esq., from Essays submitted to the Royal English Agricultural Society.

THE Society offered a premium "for the best directions to enable labourers to prepare wholesome, nutritive food, in the most economical and easy manner;" not with any intention to lessen its quantity, but to point out some simple means of rendering it occasionally more pleasant to the palate, and withal more digestible and healthful. Numerous essays were accordingly presented to the Council; and after careful examination, that written by a female (who describes herself as having, "during a long life, passed in a village some miles distant from London, brought up a large family, with due attention to economy, and with constant opportunities of witnessing the modes of life of her poorer neighbours") was deemed entitled to the prize. Some of the other essays, however, containing hints which were thought worthy of attention, portions of them have been made use of in the following account, with the permission of the authors. It will be gratifying to find that these and similar instructions have the effect intended; but their success must depend in a great measure on the habits of the poor themselves: contentment will giveļa flavour to the poorest fare, and plenty goes hand in hand with frugality. It should be observed that the prices herein stated are those of the metropolis, and will therefore appear to many readers different to those they are accustomed to give: but any one can calculate what the same thing will cost him, by reckoning the price of any article named at the sum usually paid for it where he resides. Of the various kinds of meat, beef and mutton are decidedly to be preferred; and in regard to cookery, stews of different sorts are not only the most economical, but have the advantage of procuring for the family a warm supper of some variety after the toil of the day is over. Of these, perhaps, the cheapest may be made of shin of beef, which usually weighs from 16 to 20 lbs., and, if the whole be purchased, may commonly be got

VOL, XXVIII.

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