will of God under severe trials, is a principle which the heart rejoices to see practically influencing the conduct, even in the most obscure instances, I venture to intrude it upon your notice. The subject of this unpretending paper is a poor and aged widow, who has been living in the village of C-— some time, with her married daughter, at a distance from her own parish. She had been in the habit of receiving her parish allowance of half-a-crown a week through the kind assistance of the clergyman of C for many weeks, but the overseers having at length refused to grant it unless she went to her own parish, she called on the clergyman to thank him for his past kindness, and in a very uncomplaining, quiet manner, said she was then on her way to her parish. I was much struck with her calm and cheerful deportment, and entered into conversation with her, making some little enquiries as to her general circumstances. She told me she was eighty-four years of age, but that through God's mercy she was hale and strong; she had been many, many years a widow. I asked her if she had any other children beside the one she was leaving. She said, "I have one son ma'am, who is married, and whose wife and children are great helps to him, and they all behave well to me, and treat me kindly as far as kindness goes, but they have not in their power to do much for me; thank God the children are well brought up and are willing and able to work, which makes them content and comfortable." I asked, "have you had only these two?" "O yes! ma'am," and she brushed away the tears which started into her aged eyes; "I have had seven more, but the Lord has been pleased to take them to Himself I lost three sons almost all at once. Oh! they were fine young men as the summer sun e'er shone upon; they were fishermen; but it was the Lord's will to take them, and I never dared to murmur: they had been often out at sea, and had gone many voyages, but in the last, just as we were expecting them home, we had rough wild weather set in, and two of them were drowned; the third was saved, but soon after he landed he sickened and pined away and died: another died of a fever, and the others, one after another, wasted and died in a decline; but all this was the Lord's will, you know, ma'am ;" and the good old widow, desolate as she felt she was, said this in a tone and manner which cannot be given in the recital, but which seemed to realize the spirit of a stanza I much admire― "And shouldst thou call me to resign What most I prize-it ne'er was mine; I only yield thee what was thine; Thy will be done." There was a feeling and an expression of unquestioning obedience to the will of the Lord. "And now," she said, "I have been backwards and forwards many years, living here as much as I could with my dear and only daughter, who is very sickly, and I have been most thankful to get, through the good gentleman's kindness, my half-crown a week allowed by my parish, but at last they refuse it, and so I must go, for I must not be burdensome to my daughter's husband; he is very kind, but he has nothing but what he works for, and neither has he good health, and much as he would do for me if he could, he cannot afford to maintain me; so it is plainly my duty to go home to my parish. I desire to be thankful I have had my money so long; but," she continued, "but, ma'am, there's some of the neighbours say to me, how can you be so cruel to go away from your poor sick daughter? "How can I be so cruel!' I say to 'em; ask where I have asked for direction, ah! ask in faith, nothing doubting.' She said this in a tone of deep and solemn feeling of awe. It was the expression of a heart that had evidently known, by sweet experience, the power and the privilege of prayer; and again I was reminded of a favourite stanza, as expressive of the poor widow's state of mind. "Renew my will from day to day; Thinking that this very humble incident might possibly prove useful to others, as an example of submission and resignation under trials, I venture to place it in your hands. The example of a poor widow's charity was honoured by a compassionate Saviour's approval, and may we hope that the example of a poor widow's faith and submission to the will of her God and Saviour may be recorded with benefit to her fellow-travellers in the vale of tears. M. H. ON LIVING PEACEABLY WITH ALL MEN. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." THESE words of our Blessed Redeemer should be remembered and practised by us daily, but particularly by those who profess to be his disciples; and may they be instructive to us all, especially to those who are not living in peace and good-will towards one another! 66 We cannot live in peace with God, if we do not live peaceably with our fellow-creatures. Shall we poor mortals dare to stir up strife, when the Blessed Redeemer has commanded us to live in love and charity with all mankind? What blessedness we should enjoy if we were living in peace with all around us! Behold," says the Psalmist," how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity;" and our Saviour commands us to love one another even as He loved us. If we went not beyond a worldly view of the subject, how much should we be benefitted by making peace, instead of creating illwill; but those who profess to believe the Gospel will look to a higher standard for a model of perfection,-to Him who, when He was reviled, reviled not again. How often is the peace of a whole household disturbed and thrown into confusion by a few words lightly spoken, or their meaning misrepresented! Surely we ought to set a watch before the door of our lips, that we offend not with our tongue, and how fervently should we pray for a spirit of forbearance towards each other! St. Paul says, "be kindly affectioned one towards another, with brotherly love;" ""recompense to no man evil for evil," knowing that our heavenly Father spieth out all our ways, and knows the very secret thoughts of our hearts; and woe be to that individual who has taken delight in slandering his neighbour, that his own imaginary goodness may shine the brighter by contrast! "And who art thou that exaltest thyself?" remember that with the lowly is wisdom, and where the peacemaker dwells there is happi ness and peace. Without forgiveness we shall not know peace. Peter said, "Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him, till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times, but until seventy times seven;" as if He had said, Set no prescribed limits to your forgiveness to your fellow-man, but imitate Him who forgiveth all your sin; in like manner shall ye forgive every one his brother their trespasses. But perhaps some are ready to say, How can I forgive those who daily pursue me with rancour, and seek for every opportunity to injure me? To them I would say, Heed it not, the time is not far distant when we must all give an account of the deeds done in the body, each one for himself. If we look to the Lord in prayer, He will enable us to overcome evil with good, and can and will turn the hearts of those who are evil disposed towards us; He can make even our enemies to be at peace with us, and ordereth all things for our good, if we trust faithfully in Him. Our Lord says, "Hereby shall men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another;" for the Lord will not withhold any good thing from them that love Him, and keep his commandments; and this is the commandment, to "do good to them that despitefully use you:"" if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; for in so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head;" or in other words, compel him by kindness and forbearance to feel gratitude towards you, and to say, How lovely is the Christian character! "I will go with you, for I feel that the Lord is with you;" and thus you are a blessing to your brother's soul and body. The Lord grant it may be so! Amen. A. BISHOP PORTEUS AND THE PRINCE OF WALES. Ir seems that his Royal Highness had sent out a summons for a great military review, which was to take place on a Sunday. The Bishop had been confined to the house, and did not hope, nor, I suppose, wish, ever in this world to go out again. He ordered his carriage, however, upon hearing this, proceeded to Carlton House, and waited on the Prince, who received him very graciously. He said, "I am come, sir, urged by my regard to you, to your father, and to this great nation, who are anxiously beholding every public action of yours. I am on the verge of time; new prospects open to me; the favour of human beings, or their displeasure, is as nothing to me now. I am come to warn your Royal Highness of the awful consequences of your breaking down the very little that remains of distinction to the day that the Author of all power has hallowed, and set apart for Himself." He went on in pathetic terms to represent the awful responsibility to which the prince exposed himself, and how much benefit or injury might result to the immortal souls of millions, by his consulting or neglecting the revealed will of the King of kings; and, after much tender and awful exhortation, concluded with saying, " You see how your father has been a blessing to all around him and to the nation at large, because he made it the study and business of his life to exert all his abilities for the good of his people, to study and to do the will of God, and to give an example to the world of a life regulated by the precepts of Christian morality; he has been an object of respect and veneration to the whole world for so doing. If he has done much, you, with your excellent abilities and pleasing and popular manners, may do much more. It is impossible for you to remain stationary in this awful crisis; you must rise to true glory and renown, and lead millions in the same path by the power of your example, or sink to sudden and perpetual ruin, aggravated by the great numbers whom your fall will draw with you to the same destruction. And now, were I able to rise, or were any one here who would assist me, I should, with the awful feeling of a dying man, give my last blessing to your Royal Highness." The prince upon this burst into tears, and fell on his knees before the bishop, who bestowed upon him, with folded hands, his dying benediction: the prince then, in the most gracious and affecting manner, assisted him himself to go down, and put him into his carriage. The bishop went home, never came out again, and died the fifth day after. On hearing of his death, the prince shut himself up, and was heard by his attendants to sob as under deep affliction.-Sent by a Correspondent. |