THE RONA LIGHTHOUSE. THE island of Rona is a small and very rocky spot of land, lying between the isle of Skye and the main land of Applecross, and is well known to mariners for the rugged and dangerous nature of the coast. There is a famous place of refuge at the north-western extremity, called the "Muckle Harbour," of very difficult access, however, which, strange to say, is easier to be entered at night than during the day. At the extremity of this dreary place is the residence of a poor widow, whose lonely cottage is called the "lighthouse,” from the fact, that she uniformly keeps a lamp burning in her little window at night. By keeping this light and the entrance to the harbour open, a strange vessel may enter with the greatest safety. During the silent watches of the night the widow may be seen, like "Norna of the Fitful Head," trimming her little lamp with oil, being fearful that some misguided and frail bark may perish through her neglect; and for this she receives no manner of remuneration-it is pure unmingled kindness. The poor woman's kindness does not rest even there, for she is unhappy till the benumbed and shivering mariner comes ashore to share her little board, and recruit himself at her glowing and cheerful fire; and she can seldom be prevailed upon to take any reward. has saved more lives than Davy's belt, and thousands of pounds to the underwriters. This poor creature, in her younger days, witnessed her husband struggling with the waves, and swallowed up by the remorseless billows, “in sight of home, and friends who thronged to save." This circumstance seems to have prompted her present devoted and solitary life, in which her only enjoyment is in doing good.-Inverness Courier. EZEKIEL Vi. 16. "I will be to them as a little sanctuary." My Lord, my life, my hope, my all, In thee I ev'ry glory view- Through time, with all its changing scenes, Let this support my fainting heart, That thou my "Sanctuary” art. She INTENDED VISIT TO A PARISHIONER. Verses written by a Minister upon his return from an intended visit to a Parishioner, whose case was one of much interest, having found that she had departed happily in the preceding night. The conflict's o'er, the victory's won, My breath has ceased, my pulse stands still, 'Tis now I live through him who died, And now I found, in mortal strife, The trial came, my spirit quail'd; He found me in the world's wide waste, Then let my harp for ever sound April, 1846. GLEANINGS. HEAVEN ON EARTH.-I do not wish for any heaven on earth, besides that of preaching the precious Gospel of Jesus Christ to immortal souls.-Martyn. HUMILITY. The bird that soars on highest wing In lark and nightingale we see The saint that wears heaven's brightest crown, In deepest adoration bends- A KEEPING THE SABBATH.. French pastor relates the following anecdote:-"In a district in HauteVienne, where an astonishing revival has lately taken place, and where almost the entire population seem to be desirous of leaving the errors of Romanism, a farmer requested his neighbour, one Saturday, to come over and assist him on the next day in labouring in a field. 'You forget,' replied the neighbour, 'that we are Papists no longer, and that we must not work on the Sabbath.' 'True enough,' said the farmer, 'but really I cannot find time for this piece of work next week.' 'Well, then, leave it be, and I will come on Monday, and do it alone.' This was agreed upon, and on Monday the Sabbath-keeper went and performed alone in his neighbour's field the labour of which he had been requested to do only half. The same man once said, with a simplicity bordering on sublimity, in reply to some who urged that it was impossible to avoid losing money in business without telling falsehoods, 'It is better to lose than to be lost!' Now our friend had not read this in any book, for he does not know how to read!" REFORMATION.-The number of persons professing the reformed faith in France is estimated by some at 1,500,000, by others at 2,000,000 ; in Switzerland, the protestants are 1,200,000; in Germany, including Austria and Prussia, 20,000,000 ; in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway together, 5,100,000; in Holland, 2,000,000; and in Russia, 1,000,000; total, 31,300,000. TIME. Time was-is past; thou canst not it recall; Time is thou hast ; employ the portion small; Time future is not, and may never be; Time present is the only time for thee. PIETY.-Evidence of piety is not so much to be sought in high emotions of any kind, as in real humility, self-distrust, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, sorrow for sin, and a continual effort in everyday life, to regulate our thoughts, feelings, and conduct, by the word of God. It is the nature, and not the degree of our affections, which is to be regarded in the examination of our evidences. The best way to know our feelings, is to see how they influence the conduct. "By their fruits ye shall know them." As is a moment, compared to the life of man, so is the life of man, compared with the continuance of the world; and the world's continuance is but a moment in respect of eternity.Jererny Taylor. THE best way to make men good subjects to the king, is to make them good servants of God.-The same. WHEN Worthy men fall out, only one of them may be faulty at first; but if strife continue long, commonly both become guilty.-Fuller. IF we justly look upon a proneness to find fault as a very ill and a mean thing, we are to remember that a proneness to believe it is next to it. HOPE is like the cork to the net, which keeps the soul from sinking in despair; and Fear is like the lead to the net, which keeps it from floating in presumption.-Watson. "The drinkers of water needed not to care when the wine was laid waste; they could live as well without it as they had done-it was no trouble to the Nazarites. The more delights we make necessary to our satisfaction, the more we expose ourselves to trouble and disappointment."-Matthew Henry. "What more foul common sin among us than drunkenness? And who can be ignorant, that if the im in our district, unhappily, emphati-portation of wine, and the use of all cally a prevailing vice, and the poor man's curse; the first letter of an alphabet of sin and sorrow, which once learnt, they follow easily and naturally. The large majority of the prisoners, when questioned as to the cause of their offence, give the same reason, which, too, they are often disposed to offer in exculpation drunkenness. HARVEST LABOUR ON TEETOTAL PRINCIPLES. During the last harvest, the principal part of the members of the Hill of Defence Tent, (Rechabites,) Grinshill, Salop, were employed in the various operations of the harvest field, without the assistance of that article which, prior to the temperance movement, was considered' an indispensable requisite whilst gathering in the fruits of the earth. We venture to make known the results of our labour. Four of us in particular have used only cold water mixed with a little oatmeal as our beverage; four others used beer. The teetotalers earned £2 5s. 6d.; the beer-drinkers, in the same space of time, only 1 13s. 6d. When will men get rid of deluding customs? A TRIAD OF OLD AUTHORS."Temperance can be content with sober fare. Thus the prophet, foretelling a scarcity, shews who will first and most feel it: 'Awake, ye drunkards; and weep, and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine, for it is cut off from your mouth.' If that fails, a drunkard is undone; but Elijah, and such as he, can be content, if the brook and the running water fail not."Brownrigg, Bishop of Exeter. strong drink, were forbid, it would both clean rid the possibility of committing that odious vice, and men might afterward live happily and healthfully without the use of those intoxicating liquors."-Milton. NEW ZEALAND.-Captain Cook speaks of the remarkable healthiness of the New Zealanders, at the first discovery of the islands. No symptoms of disease or decrepitude were perceptible amongst them. The old people, who were very numerous, though bald and toothless, were active and cheerful. "Water," says the account of the discovery, "is the only liquor used by the New Zealanders. It is greatly to be wished that their happiness, in this respect, may never be destroyed by such a connexion with the European nations, as shall introduce that fondness for spirituous liquors which has been so fatal to the Indians of North America." OPPRESSION. --No man oppresses thee, O free and independent Franchiser! But does not this stupid porter-pot oppress thee? No son of Adam can bid thee come or go, but this absurd pot of heavy wet, this can, and does! Thou art in the thrall, not of Cedric the Saxon, but of thy own brutal appetites, and this scoured dish of liquor. And thou pratest of thy liberty. Thou entire blockhead! PHILADELPHIA.-Since 1836, the number of tavern licenses, in the city of Philadelphia, has decreased from 446 to 187; and in the county, from 835 to 359. A further reduction is recommended by the grand jury. MEDITATIONS FOR JUNE. "In the Lord have I righteousness and strength."-Is. xiv. 24. Omnipotent Lord, My Saviour and King, Thy righteousness bring. The Christian's strength lies in the Lord, not in himself. The strength of the general in other hosts lies in his troops; he flies, as a great commander once said to his soldiers, upon their wings; if their feathers be clipped, their power broken, he is lost. But in the army of saints, the strength of every saint, yea, of the whole host of saints, lies in the Lord of hosts. God can overcome his enemies without their hands, but they cannot so much as defend themselves without his arm.- Gurnall. "This is not your rest."-Mic. ii.10. Save, till all these tempests end, Rest is desirable; but it is not to be found on this side of the grave. Worldly troubles attend all men in this life. This world is a sea of trouble, where one wave rolls upon another. They who fancy themselves beyond the reach of trouble, are mistaken: no state, no stage of life, is exempted from it. The crowned head is surrounded with thorny cares. Honour many times paves the way to deep disgrace: riches, for the most part, are kept to the hurt of the owners. The fairest rose wants not prickles, and the heaviest cross is sometimes found wrapt up in the greatest earthly comfort. Spiritual troubles attend the saints in this life. They are like travellers travelling in a cloudy night, in which the moon sometimes breaks out from under one cloud, but quickly hides her head again under another.Boston. "And Peter went out, and wept bitterly."-MATT. xxvi. 75. Jesus, let thy pitying eye Call back a wandering sheep; False to thee, like Peter, I Would fain, like Peter, weep. All gracious mourning flows from looking-from believing. Nothing breaks the heart of a sinner like a look of faith. All tears of godly sorrow drop from the eye of faith. Godly sorrow rises and falls as faith rises and falls. Faith and godly sorrow are like the fountain and the flood, which rise and fall together. The more a man is able by faith to look upon a pierced Christ, the more his heart will mourn over all the dishonours that he has done to Christ; the more deep and wide the wounds are that faith shews me in the heart and sides of Christ, the more my heart will be wounded for sinning against Christ. "We shall be ever with the Lord." 1 THESS. iv. 17. Thrice blessed bliss-inspiring hope! It lifts the fainting spirits up It brings to life the dead; Our conflicts here shall soon be past, And you and I ascend at last, Death may separate chief friends; but to separate them from Godthis is impossible! Whether living or dying-in time or in eternity—in this world or in any other-a good man is equally under the kind care of the Father of mercies. It is his eye that watches the sleeping dust. It is his favour that animates the glorified spirit. It is his gracious hand that supplies its wants. In all worlds, and at all times, he is the wisdom that directs, the power that upholds, and the goodness that satisfies his people.—Wilkinson. FOSTER, PRINTER, KIRKBY LONSDALE. |