THE FIRESIDE. The MEETING GOD.-We hear men exhorting each other to 'prepare to die.' There is no such requisition as that in the Bible. mandate is, 'Prepare to meet thy God!' This language comes with all the weight of divinity to every son and daughter of Adam. Will you obey it? What preparation must you make, do you ask? Seek for the righteousness of Jesus Christ, lest, appearing at God's bar naked and friendless, you be banished, not into nonentity, but into misery, in which just as long as the Eternal God lives will you live. Jesus Christ is your only hope. Embrace him by faith, and you can then meet your God in peace. Reject him, and you are lost for ever! The Fireside. WIFE AND MOTHER, are you tired and out of patience with your husband's and your children's demands upon your time and attention? Are you tempted to speak out angry feelings to that faithful, but, perhaps, sometimes heedless or exacting husband of yours? or to scold and fret at those dear little ones of yours? Do you grumble, and say, "What a fool I was to marry, and leave my father's house, where I lived at ease and in quiet ?" Are you, by reason of the care and weariness of body which wifehood and motherhood must bring, forgetful of and ungrateful for their comforts and their joys? Oh, wife and mother, what if a stroke should smite your husband and lay him low? What if your children should be snatched from your arms and from your bosom? What if there were no true strong heart for you to lean upon? What if there were no little innocents to nestle in your arms, and to love you or receive your love? How would it be with you then? Be patient and kind, dear wife; be unwearying and longsuffering, dear mother; for you know not how long you may have with you your best and dearest treasures-you know not how long you may tarry with them. Let there be nothing for you to remember which will wring your heart with remorse, if they leave you alone; let there be nothing for them to remember but sweetness and love unutterable, if you are called to leave them by the way. Be patient, be pitiful, be tender of them all; for death will step, sooner or later, between them and you. And oh! what would you do if you should be doomed to sit solitary and forsaken│ through years and years? Be happy as you are, even with all your trials; for, believe it, thou wife of a loving and true husband, there is no lot in life so blessed as thine own.-Georgiana Herbert. THE PENNY POST BOX. The Penny Post Box. THE REFUGE OF REST. THE writer of these lines says, "I cannot think you will slight me because I am poor. May my heavenly Father keep me from murmuring! Often have I been overloaded with family afflictions; and now, through badness of trade, it is hard work to struggle on.' Should these lines meet the eye of any who are willing to give a little help to a case that is worthy of their sympathy, we shall be glad to receive a few postage stamps for his relief. THROUGH this world of confusion, of care, and of strife, Where there's joy without sorrow, and rest without pain, Oh! that glorious world is the home of the blest, Though here tribulation is often our lot, Yet still by the Saviour we are not forgot, For He who while here had the storm at his will, And could say to the winds and the waves, "Peace, be still;" And conduct us safe home to the Refuge of Rest! Though the mighty may strive and all hell may assail. Since strength hath been promised enough for our day S. S. FACTS, HINTS, GEMS, AND POETRY. Facts, Hints, Gems, and Poetry. Facts. THE POPEDOM AT HOME. LET our English readers look at the following facts, and then they will not wonder that the people in the Papal States have risen and thrown off the yoke of tyranny under which they and their fathers have so long groaned. "The judges of the land are appointed by the pope, and removable at his pleasure. The proceedings are open to the public, excepting in the case of trials for political of fences, when the prisoner can only be defended by the official advocate, and is not allowed to see the witnesses against him, or even to know the nature of the evidence upon the refutation of which his liberty or life depends. Such is the infallible priest's idea of justice! Ecclesiastics can only be tried by ecclesias tical courts, which possess the power of imprisoning any person on the ground of immorality-a power in such hands terrible indeed. The Papal States boast of two primary and six secondary universities. Episcopal towns have their schools for educating for the church. Some places have primary schools under the direction of the parish priest. Education, of course, is entirely in the hands of the clergy, and, as a natural consequence, the lower classes of the Papal States are, with the exception of the population of the Two Sicilies, the most ignorant of any in Italy. The priests are the curse of the land: within the limited area over which Pio Nono was called to reign, there are no less than nine archbishoprics and fifty-two bishoprics. Six hundred nunneries and 1800 monastries are spread over the states, which harbour 8000 nuns, 21,415 monks and friars, and 16,905 priests. Rome itself numbers 1800 nuns and 4,500 priests, monks, and friars, among its 178,500 inhabitants." From these facts we see that there is no political freedom, not even common justice. And what is worse, no religious liberty. The very word of God is bound, and half the work of this great swarm of priests is to keep it from the people. And yet the people must maintain them all. No wonder they hate them, and are determined to be rid of them "Black, white, and gray, with all their trumpery." Hints. CHOICE OF A WIFE.-Do thou be wise, prefer a person before money virtue before beauty-the mind before the body: then thon hast a friend, a companion, a second self— one that bears an equal share with thee in thy toils and troubles. "FRIENDSHIP," said an ancient philosopher, "consists in having one soul in two bodies." TIME. The industrious man makes time. The idle man kills it. BE MANLY. -Dont spend your days in bottling moonshine or chasing butterflies. Leave such fancies to children. Be a man. "I CANNOT." How often are these words in the mouths of some people. "I will try to do it," would be much better. NEVER GIVE UP trying to secure a good object. For very likely you will succeed; and if you should not, the attempt will do you good. FACTS, HINTS, GEMS, AND POETRY. SPEECH is only likely to do good when it is better than silence. AMONG OUR MANY WANTS we want one thing which we often forget, and that is more thankfulness for what we have. CONTENTMENT comes of thankfulness. It is its first-born child, and very fair to look upon. IT COSTS SOME MEN more to make themselves and their families miser able, than it would to make them happy and contented. You need not go far to find them. They are yonder, in the "Black Lion." Gems. MORE SAYINGS OF AN OLD WRITER. From a Broad Sheet in the British Museum. We acknowledge this mercy, that God doth not take us out of the world; but we should desire this one mercy more, that he would take the world out of us. It is our duty to know God; our safety to fear him; our glory to resemble him; our stability to trust him; our sincerity to love him; and our felicity to enjoy him. Let us die to sin that lives in us; and live to Christ who died for us. Let us choose to suffer rather than sin; for we may suffer without sin, but we cannot sin. without suffering. Shall Christ shed his blood for those sins which belonged to others, and shall not we shed tears for those sins which are our own? Many men, in relation to outward things, complain of want; and yet in truth want nothing but thankful hearts for what they already have. There are three main parts in our salvation: first, a true knowledge of our misery; secondly, the knowledge of our deliverance; thirdly, a life answerable. Whenever we receive any good to our souls or to our bodies, whoever is the instrument, let us look to the Principal, and regard not so much the bringer as the Sender. A sincere christian blushes for shame when he confesses his sins to God-(Ezra ix. 6). And yet he is not ashamed to confess the greatest sins of which he knows he is guilty-(Psa. li. 14.) God sought us before we sought him; will he, then, refuse us when we seek him? Desire God's presence and you shall not be denied; if you long for it, you shall not be long without it. Those that are at peace in their own consciences will be peaceable towards others: a quarrelsome man has never felt the peace of God. Poetic Selections. "O MEET ME IN THE VALLEY." O MEET me in the valley, When heart and flesh shall fail; Angels shall gather round me, And joyous welcome give, While dearer spirits press And gently shall they bear me, Thro' that bright company, Towards the brighter throne of Him, Who died to welcome me:No further guidance needing, Together shall we bend And bless the grace which, loving us, Hath loved us to the end. O meet me in the valley, When heart and flesh shall fail; Until within the veil ; With these I leave behind, Newport, I. W. THE CHILDREN'S CORNER. The Children's Corner. YOUNG HARRY. HARRY was such a naughty boy, His mother, though she threaten'd him, At length she placed him at a school; Still he in falsehood took delight, One day when he had done great wrong, The master said, "The harden'd boy Severely too, yet after all No good result is seen. Let us now pray," he therefore said, To listen to the prayers of those, So down they knelt, and master pray'd; That prayer was not in vain; The wicked boy became subdued, Children, who know and serve the Lord, That they may choose the better part, J. D. |