POETRY. Poetry. CHRIST HAS POWER TO SAVE! "The Son of man has power upon earth to forgive sins."-Luke v. 24. OUR God has kindly offer'd, Salvation, full and free, Through Jesus Christ who suffer'd, And died upon the tree; And all who will receive it, May now forgiveness have; Let us then now believe it, For Christ has power to save! He came from heaven to save us From sin and satan's power; If we his spirit crave, And make us all "new creatures;" For He has power to save! Our minds he can enlighten; Our wills he can subdue; And make us bold and brave; His Spirit can "work in us To will," and then "to do;" Above life's stormy wave; Our Captain of salvation, Will guide us safely through; Sin, death, hell, and the grave, Though men and devils rave, For He has power to save! Who offers grace so free? ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS. Anecdotes and Selections. THE BUTLER FORGOT JOSEPH.-In the reign of Queen Anne, Butler, Duke of Ormond, was appointed lieutenant; and in sailing with his attendants from Chester to Dublin, was overtaken by a violent storm, which drove them on the rocks of Anglesea, where they were wrecked. His Grace, and part of his companions, with difficulty saved their lives by swimming to the land. The part of the island where they came on shore was cold, barren, and uncultivated; and the first house they arrived at was the humble cottage of a poor curate, who, together with his wife, kindled up a generous fire, dried the garments of their weather-beaten guests, set before them the best fare his house afforded, and lodged them, as they were able, till the storm was over. Ormond was much affected with the kind reception he had met with, and he enquired out the name of his host, which was Joseph RHe asked some questions respecting his circumstances; and on his departure promised to remember him. His secretary at the same time gave the curate directions where he might find his guests, if he should come to Dublin. The curate waited long to hear from the duke, but in vain. At length, roused by his wife, he resolved to push his fortune;_and having equipped himself as decently as he could, set off for the Irish metropolis. Though obscurely stationed, he was known to the dean as a man of no contemptible abilities, and of course was introduced to preach at the cathedral where the duke attended, with many other persons of distinction. He had prepared a sermon to his purpose. This was his text:-"Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.”—Gen xl. 23. He discoursed, as his text naturally led him, upon the sin of ingratitude, which he painted in lively colours, especially the ingratitude of the great and affluent, in forgetting the friendly offices they might one time or other have received from persons in humble life. He observed, however, that this negligence might arise not so much from innate depravity of heart, as from particular causes-from deep engagement in business; from the amusements and dissipations of high life; perhaps from the many solicitations of mercenary sycophants, ever pressing to be heard. He came to his application, and asked his honoured audience whether some among them had not, in the vicissitudes of human affairs, received important offices of friendship from people in far humbler circumstances, but blest with generous hearts; and whether they had, in no instance, forgotten such kindness, instead of rewarding it tenfold. He brought up the case of shipwreck, where the affluent have often become dependant on the poor, and led each hearer to put the question to himself, "Was I ever in my life exposed to the rage of the merciless elements, where all nature seemed to conspire my destruction? Did I ever see my ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS. companions buried in the devouring deep, and myself brought safe to land with a surviving few? And did any poor, but contented man, with his kind-hearted wife, receive me with my shipwrecked associates, and warm and comfort us to the utmost of their power, wishing to have done much more, and never suffering us to depart till serene skies and genial sunshine prepared our way? And have I suffered such benevolence to go unnoticed and unrewarded, and my benefactors to remain, perhaps to languish, under the pressure of friendless poverty ?" Ormond was all attention, and his heart smote him, when, upon a closer examination of the features and countenance of the preacher, he recognized his generous host of Anglesea. Turning to his secretary, "Is not this our honest friend Joseph," said the duke. "I believe it is," said the secretary. Upon this orders were instantly given to invite him to dinner. When he came into the duke's presence, he frankly confessed to him, (though not without a modest blush or two,) that he thought he had one opportunity in his life to put him in mind of his promise, and had embraced it. "You are a deserving, honest man," replied his grace; and ordered an immediate inquiry into the vacancies of the church. A living of £300 a year was found vacant, and to this his lordship at once advanced him. But how short-lived is human power; and how sudden are, many times, the turns of Providence! At the acce ssion of George I., Ormond was divested of all his honours-fled from a capital impeachment, and his whole fortune was seized by the crown. His old friend Joseph now remembered him. This grateful man, hearing of the duke's misfortune, settled upon him, with the free consent of his wife, £200 a year, out of the three which the duke, in his better days, had given him. Surprised at his liberality, his Grace wrote a particular detail of it to a nobleman at court, who, though a zealous partizan of another faction, maintained with him an inviolable friendship. By his interest Joseph was promoted to a living of £500 a year; and would have rejoiced to make a generous addition to the duke's support; but Ormond, in the meantime, had retired to that country from whose bourn no traveller returns; and Joseph could relieve no more the misfortunes of his noble patron. GOD IS LOVE.-All his perfections and procedures are but so many modifications of his love. What is his omnipotence, but the arm of his love? What his omniscience, but the medium through which he contemplates the objects of his love? What his wisdom, but the scheme of his love? What are the offers of the gospel, but the invitations of his love? What the threatenings of the law, but the warnings of his love? They are the hoarse voice of his love, saying, Man, do thyself no harm! They are a fence thrown round the pit of perdition, to prevent rash men from rushing into ruin! What was the incarnation of the Saviour, but the richest illustration of his love? What were the many miracles of Christ, but the condescensions of his love? What were the sighs of Christ, but THE FIRESIDE. the breath of his love? What were the prayers of Christ, but the pleadings of his love? What were the tears of Christ, but the dew-drops of his love? What is the earth, but the theatre for the display of his love? What is heaven, but the Alps of his mercy, from whose summits his blessings, flowing down in a thousand streams, descend to water and refresh his church situated at its base? Dr. Waugh. FALL FLAT, AND RIGHT UP.-A Negro slave in Virginia, whose name we will call Jack, was remarkable for his good sense, knowledge of the leading truths of the gospel, and especially for his freedom from all gloomy fears in regard to his future eternal happiness. A professing christian, a white man, who was of a very different temperament, once said to him, "Jack, you seem to be always comfortable in the hope of the gospel. I wish you would tell me how you manage it, to keep steadily in this blessed frame of mind." "Why, massa," replied Jack, "I just fall flat on the promise, and I pray right up." We recommend Jack's method to all desponding christians, as containing, in substance, all that can be properly said on the subject. "Fall flat" on the promises of God, and plead them 'right up.' AN ARGUMENT FOR THE BIBLE.-An African prince who was brought to England, and resided here some time, being asked what he thought of the Bible, answered, that he believed it to be from God, for he found all the good people in favour of it, and all the bad people against it. The Fireside. MAKE HOME PLEASANT.-The ordination of Providence, says a distinguished writer, is, that home should form our character. The first object of parents should be to make home interesting. It is a bad sign when children have to wander from the parental roof for amusement. A love of home is one of the strongest safeguards against vice, not to children only, but to men. Men who delight in their own firesides, are never seen lounging about beer-shops, gin-shops, and public-houses. Make home attractive to your children, so that they will leave it with regret, and return to it with joy; for this is a mighty preservative against vice. THE COTTAGER'S WIFES' SONG. THOUGH lowly my cottage, and frugal its fare, THE PENNY POST. He goes to the crib where his little ones lie, And I know the sweet light that there beams in his eye; I love him too well to repine at my fate— Oh, innocent, upright, and pure be their youth! The Penny Post. M. L. G. THE DRUNKARD DROWNED.-Perceiving in your Pioneer for last month that you had no correspondence of an urgent character in your Penny Post Box, I have taken the opportunity of sending these lines; if you think they may be of any service to some of the many readers of your very interesting little work.-On Lord'sday, June 21, 1850, a young man, JP- of M-, Wilts, after drinking himself intoxicated, went in the afternoon to bathe in the river, in about twelve feet depth of water, when he was suddenly called into eternity—perhaps taken with the cramp, and drowned. O, reader, if you have been guilty of such sins, let me entreat you, as a sincere well wisher to your soul, to take warning by his sad and awful fate; and for the sake of your precious soul, and for the sake of others also, abstain from all temptations to sin, especially the awful sins of drunkenness and sabbath-breaking. Example is stronger than precept. The habit of drunkenness is hard to break off, but by fervent prayer to God it may and must be done, or your soul will be lost for ever! And can you bear to think of being hurried before the bar of your offended Maker and Judge in the wilful act of breaking his holy laws! Remember, my fellow sinner, God will not always be so slighted and mocked. "He is angry with the wicked every day." And anger and power with him, make dreadful yet just execution on the soul of the unrepenting sinner. The judgments of God may be expected for the crying sins of our nation-drunkenness, swearing, sabbath breaking, and uncleanness, are the chief sins of our nation. O, reader, if thou art a drunkard, or a sabbath breaker, let me beg of thee to pray to God for grace to forsake these sins, or the Spirit of God may depart and leave thee to thy own ways. Therefore, take warning, repent, and return, "lest he take you also away with his stroke." H. G. H. |