Page images
PDF
EPUB

to join our ranks. Last Sunday he asked as a great favour that they might sing a hymn he admires very much; he always calls it

THE COMRADE'S HYMN

Come, brothers, join our band;
Come to the heavenly land:
Ours is a holy strife;
Ours is a glorious life :
Come, join our brotherhood;
Come, we will do thee good.

Come, tear thy fetters off,
Come, though the foe may scoff:
Girded with strength to fight,
Ours is the warrior's might,
Our King shall gain the day:
Ours is the victory.

Count all thy gains but loss ;
Leave all and bear the cross.
Look at the crowns above;
Hark to the songs of love:
There is the pilgrim's rest;
There is the victor blest.

Then, comrades, join our band;

Come to the heavenly land:

Ours is a holy strife,

Ours is a glorious life :

Come, join our brotherhood;

Come, we will do thee good.".

I shall say no more respecting the history of James W—; but I wish my little readers to listen to me while telling them of one or two lessons to be learned from this boy, and his earnest wish to do "something for Jesus." believe few children hear of missionaries' labours, without at least the wish to help in the good work. But we should not be satisfied with only wishing, but remember the old saying, "Wishing often prevents working." This means that we frequently waste time and energy in wishes to be of use, till we almost fancy there is some credit due to us for these idle expressions of kindness and generosity. I have heard children praised for their good intentions; but in many cases these intentions did not result in anything. Little James behaved very differently. He said nothing of what he "intended," but waited a full year before anyone had been told of his generous plan.

Another circumstance in connexion with James may be remarked. He gave willingly; and we are told "God

loveth a cheerful giver." Some children begin a weekly subscription, and for the first month or so their pence are always ready: they feel glad to give. Another month passes, and they feel rather tired of giving; excuse follows excuse, and at last they give up entirely. Why is this? This question is soon answered. They began to pay weekly because it was a fresh thing; they wished to have the pretty tracts and pictures given occasionally to the juvenile subscribers of the Missionary Society; in fact, it was to please themselves, not to do good to the poor ignorant inhabitants of heathen lands; not because they love God, not because they wish to do "something for Jesus."

[ocr errors]

Those children are very happy who have learned early to love their Saviour, and who for his sake give the first spring time of life to the service of their God and Father. They feel their natural sin, and that Jesus died the just for the unjust that he might bring them to God." They feel that all they have comes from their heavenly Father, who has given them all things richly to enjoy; that they are not their own but are "bought with a price," and love to seek every opportunity of teaching others to trust in that dear Saviour whom they so love and value.

66

Another class of children seem quite contented to do nothing; they, perhaps, have but little money, and making this the excuse they say, Charity begins at home." These children are equally careless as to their own salvation, and to that of others; they hope to be good some time, and thus go on in forgetfulness of God till death comes, and it is too late to amend the past. Oh may those careless ones be roused from this selfish negligence before it is indeed too late. Life is very uncertain; strong and healthy as they may appear, there will, perhaps, be no "to-morrow for them. "For what is your life? it is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." Seeing then that "the coming of the Lord draweth nigh," let us pray to be made ready for that awful, but to the Christian that joyful time, and learn to "work while it is called to-day for the night cometh, when no man can work."

"SERVE THE LORD WITH GLADNESS."
PSALM C. 2.

THE service of the Lord is the delightful employment of holy angels, and of the spirits of the just made perfect. Something of it was doubtless seen by St. Paul when he was admitted into the third heaven; and St. John was permitted to describe what the Holy Spirit revealed to him, as taking place before the throne of God and the Lamb. On earth, and in the church, we are called tc imitate them. The life of heaven above differs only from a heavenly life on earth in its duration and completeness: this life is the beginning of that which never will end. Therefore if the service of God in heaven is a delightful employment, may we not say the same of his service on earth?

What is the service that we are called to render to God? Is it not the joy of the heart, a holy cheerfulness, which should be the beginning and end of all true obedience to him. But, says the convinced sinner, how can a soul that is under condemnation by sin serve the Lord with gladness? To such a heart the thought of God, as perfectly holy, is terrible, for he is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity. The gospel, however, points out Jesus as the Saviour of sinners. And did not Jesus come to make known the way of mercy, the way of peace, the ways of pleasantness and joy? O sinner, seek to look upon God as revealed in Jesus, and you will find three causes for rejoicing. 1. As to what is past, when you remember that you are redeemed by him; 2. As to what is present, if you have received the blessing of adoption into the family of God; and 3. As to what is to come, when you reflect on your future happiness, and on the faithfulness of God to his promises. Your gladness then will arise from the view of that Divine love-1. Which existed before the world was; 2. Which supports the believer through the whole of his earthly course; 3. Which reigns in eternal glory.

None can enter into the house of the Lord with thanksgiving, or his gates with praise, but those who are obedient to his voice, and give to Christ Jesus the whole glory of their salvation, which is due unto his gracious name. None can serve him who distrust his mercy, and none can trust him but those who see his grace revealed to them in the gospel.

CHRISTIAN DEVOTEDNESS.

O LORD! thy heavenly grace impart,
And fix my frail inconstant heart;
Henceforth my chief desire shall be
To dedicate myself to thee,

To thee, my God, to thee!

Whate'er pursuits my time employ,
One thought shall fill my soul with joy
That silent, secret thought shall be,
That all my hopes are fixed on thee,
On thee, my God, on thee!

Thy glorious eye pervadeth space;
Thou'rt present, Lord, in every place;
And wheresoe'er my lot may be,
Still shall my spirit cleave to thee,
To thee, my God, to thee!

Renouncing every worldly thing,
Safe 'neath the covert of thy wing,
My sweetest thought henceforth shall be,
That all I want I find in thee,

lu thee, my God, in thee!

Oberlin.

"GOD IS NEAR."

OE'R Time's great ocean, O my God,
My shallop frail I calmly steer,
Safe in the storm as in the calm,
For Thou, my God, art ever near.

When raging winds with angry voice
Sound wildly on the listening ear,
They wake no echo in my breast-
I smile, and murmur, "God is near."
In all my doubts, in all my cares,

I know no grief, I shed no tear,
For welcome joy, or welcome woe,

If Thou but tell me Thou art near.

When sickness comes with pallid face,

And death would strike my soul with fear,

I smile at his uplifted dart,

And tell him thou, his Lord, art near,

In youth, in age, in joy, in grief,
One hope I have, my soul to cheer:
In heaven my joys shall perfect prove,.
For there, for ever Thou art near.

[graphic][merged small][merged small]

"In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand."-ECCLES. xi. 6.

AFTER I became acquainted with the value of my own soul, knew myself as a sinner, and the Lord Jesus Christ as an almighty and compassionate Saviour, it was a question which for some time gave me great and constant anxiety how far I was justified in withholding the truth from others. As a physician I was often brought into contact with those who were ignorant of, or indifferent to,

VEBRUARY, 1862.

« PreviousContinue »