Bower, "that temptations resemble not find what had lately befallen him to be too much for him. Again he paused, and answered, 'I am not conscious that I do, for now I enjoy all things in God.'" 1324. Restitution.-We read of a school-boy who had gone out to a situation, and one Saturday his master gave him a sovereign among his money by mistake for a shilling. Now the boy had a battle about that sovereign. "The sovereign must go back to your master," says conscience; "it is not yours." "Your master gave it you," says temptation; "keep it, Willie, perhaps it was not a mistake, and if it was it will never be found out." 1322. Necessity for Watchfulness."Don't listen to temptation, Wil—An old divine says,-"A country- lie," says conscience; "you know it man was riding with an unknown was a mistake, and that you have traveller (whom he conceived hon- no right to the sovereign." "You est) over a dangerous plain. This are very poor," says temptation; place,' said he, is infamous for "look at your clothes, Willie, how robbery, but, for my own part, old they are, and this will buy though often riding over it early new ones. "You are wrong, and late, I never saw anything Willie, to listen to what temptation worse than myself.' In good is saying; listen to what the time,' replied the other, and pre- Bible says, Willie, 'Resist the devil, sently demanded his purse and and he will flee from you,' says robbed him. Thus it is that no conscience. "I say, Willie, you place, no company, no age, no will be a blockhead," says temptaperson, is temptation free." tion, "if you don't keep the sovereign." "It will be a curse to you 1323. Patient under Trial. as long as you live," says con"I have in my parish," writes an science, "if you do, and then there eminent minister, "two religious is another world, Willie; take it characters who were intimately back at once." "Nay, wait till toacquainted in early life. Provi- morrow," says temptation, “it will dence favoured one of them with a tide of prosperity. The other, fearing for his friend lest his heart should be overcharged with the cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches, one day asked him whether he did not find prosperity a snare to him. He paused, and answered, 'I am not conscious that I do, for I enjoy God in all things.' Some years after his affairs took another turn. He lost, if not the whole, yet the far greater part of what he had once gained, and was greatly reduced. His old friend, being one day in his company, renewed his question, whether he did be time enough." "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might,' says conscience; "do it at once, and you will have a quiet Sunday." Poor Willie! It was a sad fight, but conscience had something more to say yet. "What did the teacher at the Sundayschool talk about last Sunday, Willie ? What was the text? Thou God seest me."" "Oh," cried Willie, "Thou God seest me!" In a few minutes Willie was at his master's house. The master received the sovereign back; it was a mistake. The master said little at the time, but soon after Willie was placed in a better situation, where confidence was required, and from which, by good conduct, he rose to a position of comfort and respectability. He found that even as respects this world honesty is the best policy. And St. Paul's words, living "in all good conscience before God," were also not forgotten. TIME. Gen. v. 27; 1 Sam. xx. 3; Job vii. 1, 8-10, 21, xvi. 22; Psalm exliv. 4; John ix. 4. to be very penitent, but he recovered, and again fell into his evil courses. A second time he was ill, and the same promises were held out, but never realised. Six times was this the case in the course of his life. At length, while engaged in sin, he was cut off suddenly, and entered into an eternal world. 1327. Behind Time.-A railroad train was running along at unusually quick speed. A curve was just ahead, and the train was late, very late; still the conductor hoped to pass the curve safely. Suddenly a locomotive dashed into sight. In an instant there was a collision, a shriek, a shock, and fifty persons were killed, and all because an engineer had been behind time.— The battle of Waterloo was being fought. Column after column had been precipitated upon the enemy; the sun was sinking in the west; 1325. Accepted Time.-Amongst the persons visited by the Rev. A. Paterson, the missionary of Kilmany, was a female, comfortable in circumstances, but with no time, as she thought, to spare for her soul. When visiting the district in which she lived, he always called, but never got admittance. One day, after he had spoken to her very solemnly at the door, warning her of the danger of dying without Christ, he was going upstairs to visit another family, when she came out and cried after him, “Oh, be sure and not be long in coming back again, for I do wish to see you." In a few days he called. "I'm sorry," she said, the moment she opened the door, "I have no time to receive you today; I've a friend come from London, and I've to go out with him." "Well, you will have time to die, whether you're prepared or not. So you've no time just now?" "No, not to-day.” Well, let me say this to you, in case you and I never meet again, 'Behold, now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation." She thanked him, and he went away. That night she and her brother went to the theatre; she "took ill" while she was in it. She came home, grew worse, and was in eternity by five o'clock the next morning. "The thing," said Mr. Paterson, 66 so impressed me, that I resolved, if God spared me, A condemned man was being led to labour by His grace more diligently than ever.' 46 1326. Backsliding.-A thoughtless man was once taken ill, and sent for the minister of his parish to visit him. He then professed reinforcements for the defenders were already in sight; it was necessary to carry the position with one final charge. A powerful corps had been summoned from The great across the country. conqueror, confident of its arrival, formed his reserve into an attacking column, and led them down the hill. The whole world knows the result. Napoleon died a prisoner at St. Helena because one of his Marshals was behind time.— out for execution. He had taken human life, but under circumstances of the greatest provocation. Thousands had signed a petition for a reprieve, still none had arrived. The last moment was up. The prisoner took his place on the "be 1328. Casting Away Life.-If we were to see a woodman felling eight large trees in a forest every week, or four hundred every year, we should some of us say, "What a pity!" yet in one large steam sawing-mill, visited by Mr. Mayhew, that was just the number employed to make lucifer matches; 1,123,200,000 matches were made in one year out of the above four hundred trees. This may remind one of the remark of Howe, "What a folly it is to dread the thought of throwing away one's life at once, and yet to have no regard for throwing it away by parcels and piecemeal!" and oppression, but when religious liberty was partially restored, and the missionaries were enabled to establish a Christian church in that city, it was again brought to light, encouraging them in their work of faith and labour of love. 1330. Consideration for Others. -A woman who always used to attend public worship with great punctuality, and took care to be always in time, was asked how it was she could always come so early. She answered very wisely, "It is a part of my religion not to disturb the religion of others." 1331. Cure for Indolence.Buffon constantly rose with the sun, and thus relates the manner in which he acquired such a habit of early rising. "In my youth," says he, "I was excessively fond of sleep, and that indolence robbed me of much time. My poor Joseph (a domestic who served him for sixty-five years) was of the greatest benefit to me in overcoming it. I promised him a crown for every time he could make me get up at six o'clock. He failed not the next day to rouse and torment me, but I only abused him. He tried the day following, and I threatened him. Friend Joseph,' said I to him at noon, I have lost my time, and you have gained nothing. You do not know how to manage the 6 and do not regard my threatenings.' The day following he accomplished his point. At first I begged, then entreated and abused, and would have discharged him, but he disregarded me, and raised me up by absolute force. He had humour at the moment of waking, his reward every day for my ill by thanks, and a crown an hour after. I owe to poor Joseph at least ten or twelve volumes of my works." 1329. Christ's Kingdom.-On the door of the old mosque in Da-matter. Think only of my promise, mascus, which was once a Christian church, but for twelve centuries has ranked among the holiest of the Mohammedan sanctuaries, are inscribed these remarkable words: "Thy kingdom, O Christ, is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth through all generations." Though the name of Christ has been regularly blasphemed, and the disciples of Christ regularly cursed, for twelve hundred years within it, the inscription has nevertheless remained unimpaired by time and undisturbed by man. It was unknown during the long reign of Mohammedan intolerance 1332. Dangerous Delay. Mr. East, of Birmingham, relates the following: "A woman was in the habit of attending the place of worship in which I preached, who at the minute. The first day after occupied a seat on the stairs, and his settlement his sermon was wellwho was very tenacious of her sit- nigh closed before most of his conting, not allowing any other person gregation arrived. Some actually to occupy it. She was observed by arrived just at the benediction. her friends, who sought occasion to They were confounded. He made converse with her on the important no apology. He only asked the subject of religion, but she was seniors if they would prefer any very shy and evasive. All they other time than eleven o'clock, and could extract from her was this he would be sure and attend. A appalling reply, 'Oh, I shall only few weeks passed and the church want five minutes' time when I am was regularly full and waiting for dying to cry for mercy: and I have the minute. The preacher never no doubt God Almighty will give it failed in twenty years, except in a me.' It was in vain to remonstrate few cases of indisposition, to comwith the woman, this was always mence at the hour appointed. His her reply. Time passed on. One congregation soon became as puncday I was walking down the street tual and circumspect in other matwhen a young woman ran up to meters as in their attendance at in a state of great agitation and ex-church. citement, exclaiming, 'Oh, Mr. East, I have found you; do come to my 1335. Early Risers.-Sir Thos. mother, sir; come this minute, sir; More remarks, in his preface to the she is dying, she is dying!' I has-"Utopia," that he completed the tened with her to the house, and work by stealing time from his was astonished to find in the dying sleep and meals. He made it his sufferer the poor unhappy woman invariable practice to rise at four. who had attended my place of wor- The celebrated Dr. Doddridge menship. She was evidently expiring, tions, in his "Family Expositor," but, turning her dying eyes to- that to his habit of early rising the wards me, she cried out, Oh, Mr. world is indebted for nearly the East, I am lost, I am lost!' and whole of his valuable works. The expired." well-known Bishop Burnet was an habitual early riser. When at college, his father aroused him to his studies every morning at four o'clock, and he continued the practice during the remainder of his when giving an account of the life. "I spent," says Dr. Paley, early part of his life at college, "the first two years of my undergraduateship happily, but unprofitably. I was constantly in society, where we were not immoral, but idle and expensive. At the commencement of the third year, after having left the usual party at a late hour, I was awakened at five in the morning by one of my companions, who stood at my bedside and said, 'Paley, I have been thinking what a fool you are. I could do nothing, probably, if I were to try, and I could afford the indolent life you lead. You could do everything, and cannot afford it. I have 1333. Deceptive Notion.-Said a minister once, when a friend gently hinted to him that he had not preached the Gospel that morning," No, my dear sir, I did not mean to preach to sinners in the morning, but I will preach to them in the evening." "Ah," said the other, “but what if some of your congregation of the morning should be in eternity before evening?" 1834. Dilatory Congregation.An earnest minister once had the misfortune to succeed a tardy man who had had the congregation in charge for some years. He despaired of reforming them in great matters if he could not reform them in small. He found them in the habit of meeting at twelve o'clock, though the hour appointed and agreed upon was eleven. The preacher knew his duty, and began had no sleep during the whole night on account of these reflections, and am now come solemnly to inform you that if you persist in your indolence I must renounce your society.' I was so struck," says Paley," with the visit and the visitor, that I lay in bed great part of the day and formed my plan. I ordered my bedmaker to lay my fire every evening, in order that it might be lighted by myself. I arose at five, read during the whole day, took supper at nine, went to bed, and continued the practice up to this hour." Bishop Jewell rose regularly at four; the learned lawyer and pious Christian, Sir Matthew Hale, studied sixteen hours every day, and was an early riser; Dr. Parkhurst, the philologist, rose regularly at five in summer and six in the winter, and, in the latter season, he made his own fire. 1336. Improving the Time.It was a memorable practice of Vespasian, the Roman emperor, throughout the whole course of his life, to call himself to account every night for the actions of the past day, and as often as he found he had passed any one day without doing some good, he entered in his diary this memorandum, Diem perdidi: "I have lost a day." enter, and upon the door of the 1338. Lost by an Inch.living writer, "between two Danish "I was once travelling," says a islands. took me across the narrow sea also carried letters from one island to the other. A letter-box was hung up on the deck, where every one could see it, and I amused myself by watching the people as they came, one by one, down to the ship. Crossing the little plank, they in the box, and went on shore stepped on board, put their letters their letters would go all right, and again, as though they felt sure that the answers come back at the proper time. Presently the whistle sounded. Steam was up, the captain stood on the bridge, and the vessel began to move away. Just at that moment a little girl was seen scampering along as fast as she could, holding a letter in her hand. But the captain could not stop the vessel for her. She stretched out her hand as far as she could, and some one on board did the The little steamer that same. Their fingers nearly touched. There was only a gap of an inch between-only an inch-but it was an inch, and therefore an inch too much! Another minute, and the ship was far out of reach, and I saw the Danish miss turning her feet homewards, and looking very sad. She had lost the post by an inch." 1337. Keeping an Appointment. -A student at Edinburgh, who had passed his examinations at the Divinity Hall, called upon Dr. Andrew Thomson for the purpose of submitting his certificate for preaching, and of obtaining the Doctor's signature to the instrument. The young candidate was directed to call for it on the morrow. "At what time ?" "Any 1339. Procrastination.-" You hour after six o'clock in the morn- will please not to forget to ask the ing." The student resolved to take place for me, sir," said a pale bluethe Doctor at his word. The morn-eyed boy, as he brushed the coat of ing had scarcely dawned ere he the man of leisure at his lodgings. directed his steps towards Melville" "Certainly not," said Mr. J., I Street, the place of his residence, shall be going that way in a day or and as soon as the clock had struck two." "Did you ask for the place six he rang the bell, and inquired if Dr. Thomson was to be spoken with. The servant directed him to for me yesterday?" said the pale boy on the following day, with a quivering lip, as he performed the |