Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

were, turned the key upon the refreshing and fructifying bounties of the skies. He has commanded the clouds that they rain no rain upon the inheritance of his disobedient people; the latter rain is withheld, and with it the grass of the field, which being lost to the cattle, the milk is consequently taken away; neither can the flowers, from which the industrious bee extracts honey, blow and yield their sweets. All these are evils, resulting from the want of sufficient rain. The desolation of the hills and mountains is so striking, that it has caused many a visitor to say, 'It is impossible that these bare rocks could ever have been covered with grass' but this is not my opinion. The taking away of the latter rain would have the effect of making them what they are. For instance, if one of the high mountains in Cumberland, which are covered with grass from top to the bottom, were placed under a hot burning sun from April to November, the consequence would be, that all the grass would be killed. The grass being taken away, there would be nothing by which the soil might be bound or kept together, so that when thus pulverised, it would easily be blown away by the high winds. This being repeated year after year, the bare rock would soon become visible, and at last the grass-bearing mountain would be brought into the very state in which the rocky elevations of the Holy Land now are. But as we are taught to believe from the Word of God that these mountains are again to be clothed with grass, it may be a question with some how this is to be brought about, and how they are again to be covered with soil? To this I answer, that it requires no other miracle than the restoration of the rain in its due season; for let these hills and mountains only receive a regular moistening with the rain, and situated as they are, under a fine warm climate, they would soon begin to present signs of vegetation; and that vegetation, taking hold of the rock with its roots, would preserve it from being either blown or washed away,

and the blade or leaf, dying or rotting upon the place, would very soon create a rich and fertile soil."

Mr. Lowthian quotes two passages from Deuteronomy xi. in support of his theory; but whether he is justified in the wide and general application he gives to them, I do not feel myself competent to determine. In reading his speculations on the subject, the following passage in the prophecy of Amos will naturally occur to the mind of the reader: "I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered." As God withheld the rain from a part and parts of the country then, may He not be withholding it now? And may it not be in this way that He has turned a fruitful land into barrenness, for the sins of them that dwelt therein," of which till they repent and are forgiven, and "the Spirit be poured upon them from on high,' "the heaven shall be as brass and the earth iron," and "thorns and briers shall come up on the land," as at this day.

[ocr errors]

That repentance, however, and that forgiveness, though long delayed, will at length come; and as surely as they shall come, so surely shall the land be restored to all, and even more, than its former beauty and fertility. "Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that the ploughman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt." "Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree." "Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate; but thou shalt be called Hephzi-bah, and thy land Beulah." Such are some, and only some, of the "glorious things that are spoken" of "thy land, O Immanuel!"

J. A.

THE MISSIONARY IN AN OMNIBUS.

AN Italian Missionary, a short time ago, having occasion to ride in an omnibus, turned the conversation to religious subjects, spoke at large upon the love of God to sinners, and distributed to each passenger a copy of the tract, La Valesana, written by Dr. Malan, and which has proved a blessing to many.

The day before his departure from Genoa, this Missionary went to a carpenter's shop to have his portmanteau repaired. While the carpenter was at work, his visitor began to declare to him a free salvation in Jesus.

[ocr errors]

Beautiful, indeed!" exclaimed the man, who had listened with great attention; "and Girolamo says the same. He is at the point of death, but will not confess, for he says that God has pardoned him through the merits of his Son Jesus Christ!"

Our friend requested and received permission to visit the dying man; and who can describe his joy, when he recognised in that departing Christian, one of those to whom, some weeks ago, he had made known, in the omnibus, the words of eternal life!

In a few minutes more Girolamo fell asleep in the Lord.

PRAYER FOR THE DEAD.

PRAY for the dead who have a name to live,
The Christian-heathen, orthodox-profane ;
Ask for thy brother life, and God will give
The prayed-for boon; nor shall thy faith be vain.

Pray for all souls, but put not off the prayer
Till to its great account the soul has fled;
This is the only state that must prepare

For heaven or hell.-Pray for the living dead!

AS THE CROW FLIES:

AND HOW MARY FORGOT THE APPLICATION.

MRS. HUMPHRIES stood at her dresser, ironing a lady's collar, while her little daughter, Mary, looked on. The door of her clean kitchen was open, and you might see through it a well kept garden, full of young spring vegetables, potatoes, onions and cabbages. Near the house grew some cherry trees; they were covered with blossom, and under each tree was a beehive. The bees were very lively, bouncing in and out, buzzing, and fluttering about the flowers; but the little girl was so quiet, that at last her mother said to her, "Why, Polly, has anything gone wrong with you; what makes you so grave this halfholiday ?"

"I didn't know I was grave in particular, mother,” said Polly, with a deep sigh; "but Miss Annie was so cross this morning.' "Miss Annie! nay then, I'm sure it must have been your own fault-so kind as she is. To think of her coming here on purpose to show you how to do your sums. I know you would never have got the prize if she hadn't explained the Rule of Three to you on half-holidays. How did it happen? she's not often cross." Polly hung her head; and then answered, in a doleful voice, "She's only a year older than I am.'

"But she's many years wiser," said her mother; "she knows a deal more than you do. Tell me how this was."

"Why, mother," said Polly, with another deep sigh, "after school, yesterday, I was playing at shuttlecock, in the meadow at the back of their garden, when she came out and said, 'Now I'll show you about the new rule;' and I just said, "I could'nt leave off playing so soon. 'Oh, very well,' she says; 'then I shall not come out any more; for I want to finish my doll's cloak.'

"Well," inquired the mother, "What next ?"

“And so I said,” continued Polly, looking a good deal ashamed, "I said, just as you please, Miss; I dare say I can manage very well by myself. And then she coloured up, and said I was very impertinent."

"And so you were," replied her mother; "and very ungrateful too. Here's a little Miss that has no occasion at all to show you kindness; but just takes a fancy to you because your sister Nancy is her nursemaid; and explains your tasks for you, till you go and tell her you can easily do without her. That was rude; and it was more-it was false."

P

But, mother, I did do my sum right, last night, by myself; and proved it."

"But you could not have done it if she had not helped you beforehand, and explained so many that were set you last month. Besides, if you could do without her, that does not at all excuse you. I hope you told her you had not meant to be impertinent." “No, mother, I didn't," said Polly, in a low voice.

"What did you say then ?" asked her mother. "Tell me at once."

"I said, 'You're very high, Miss, to-day.' I'm sure I'm very sorry now."

"Im ashamed of you," answered her Mother. I thought you had known better."

"I really am.

"I didn't think, just then, about anything but the shuttlecock," said Polly. "And if I was rude to Miss, I'm sure she was cross to me to-day; for when I met her walking with Nancy, she turned her head away, and pretended to look in at a shop-window; and when I said, 'I've done my sum, Miss, and it came right,' she just turned, and said, 'Indeed; I'm glad to hear it,' and walked on."

"You should have said you were sorry for what had happened." "I was going, mother; but I didn't like, because Nancy laughed. I really am very sorry, for I do like Miss; and she is often very kind. Besides that, I've got such an extremely hard sum to do for Monday; and if I lose my place in the class, I shall have no chance of being made monitor next month."

"See what comes of being rude to them that help you. Now, if I were you, I should not rest till I had made it up with Miss." "But I don't know how, mother."

"Can't you say, 'I beg your pardon, Miss Annie; I spoke as I did, and I hope you'll excuse it' ?" Polly hesitated.

I am sorry

"If she was a grown-up lady I shouldn't mind," she began. "But, mother, the ironing is finished; is it ready for me to take ?"

"Yes. Go and fetch the round basket; and be quick, child; for I promised the things early. Mind you go straight to the hall; and don't loiter."

out.

"How often I go to the hall, mother," said Polly, as she helped her mother to lay the clear-starched articles in the basket. “Every Saturday, the year round, except when the family are It must cost you a good deal in the wear of my shoes." Her mother smiled. "I reckon it makes very little difference as to their wear, whether you go or not," she observed; they seldom have any rest when your feet are in them, that I can

see."

[ocr errors]

But, mother; how far do you think it is ?”

"for

« VorigeDoorgaan »