54

"The just shall live by faith

thou art one that canst not bear to think of God now, what wilt thou do hereafter? Let thy heart reply: and should God, in infinite mercy, give thee a desire to flee from the wrath to come, thou wilt find a present, a perfect, and an eternal Saviour in Him who has said, "Come unto Me, and I will give you rest."-Rev. W. J. Styles.

Wage

Converted Children.

HEN the history of redemption in this shall be written, one of its most brilliant and satisfactory chapters will be devoted to the conversion of children. Robert Murray M'Cheyne sadly ended his beautiful memoir of little James Laing, entitled "Another Lily Gathered," with these words: 'Let us seek the present conversion

to Christ of our little children. Jesus has reason to complain of us that He can do no mighty works in our Sabbath schools because of our unbelief.' That was thirty-six years ago. But we are living in a new era, when the largest accessions to all of the evangelical Churches are coming from the children and youth in our Sabbath schools and families.

Yet when we glance at the history of conversions in past centuries, it seems strange that there could ever have been the least doubt, or indifference, or hesitation, on the subject. Samuel and Jeremiah and John the Baptist were sanctified unto the Lord from the womb. King Josiah feared the Lord when he was but eight years old. Children sang 'Hosanna to the Son of David," in the Temple, and Christ vindicated them out of the Old Scriptures, saying, 'Yea, have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast

perfected praise.' The world will never
forget His 'Suffer the little children to
such is the kingdom of Heaven.'
come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of

age

the martyr, who died for Jesus at the Polycarp, the disciple of St. John, and of ninety-five, was converted when he was but nine years old, and served his Lord and Master eighty-six years. Richard Baxter could not remember the time when he did not love God and all that was good. Mateleven years old; Mrs. Isabella Graham at thew Henry was converted before he was ten; President Edwards probably at seven; Dr. Watts at nine.

of aiming directly at the conversion of the These facts indicate the great importance children. Parents! "The promise is unto inherit the promised blessings of the family you and to your children," and the

way to

covenant is to use the means for transmit

ting them down to children and children's

children.

"YE

who sometimes were far off,

ARE MADE NIGH
BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST,"
(EPHESIANS ii. 13.)

JUST in proportion as men follow the teachings of God they will become like God in character, and as they follow the teachings of Satan they become like him in character.

"The expectation of the wicked shall perish" (PROVERBS X. 28). 55

The End of the Foolish.

FOUND the Saviour waiting where giddy ones passed by.

"What dost Thou here, my Master ?" I asked with lifted eye.

"I'm waiting," Jesus whispered, "I'm waiting for My love, The soul that I have woo'd Me, the soul I need above.

We walked with joy together through youth's delightful

days,

We saw the prospect stretching beyond these weary ways;
But passing this pavilion, she heard the dulcet strain,
And she has left Me waiting till she returns again.
She knew I would not follow among the giddy throng,
She heard me chide her footsteps; but, charmed by Folly's

perish in your sins. A mother can put her arms about her child's neck and pray for it here; she may affectionately exhort her son to seek peace with God now; she may earnestly and incessantly follow him with her holy entreaties; but she can never come to him from the realms of glory if once he is lost. "They that would come from us to you cannot." Do you hear it, young man? Those glistening eyes of a mother's love shall never weep “And is it long Thou'st waited ?" Ah! sadly He replied again for you. That touching voice which

song,

She stepped aside and entered-she would not stay, she said,

But would return and follow where'er My wisdom led."

"The sun was high above us when first she left My side; But now that sun is setting, the night is coming on,

And I am faint with watching, and sick at heart, and worn." He wrapped His skirts about Him, then cast one glance within:

sometimes awoke the echoes of your heart, shall never plead again.

O! ungodly woman, thou shalt never see

The lights were blazing brightly, 'mid glitter, pride and sin; thy godly child. Father, is it that daughter

A frown rose to His forehead, a forehead rent and torn:

He turned, and in the darkness the Gracious Lord had

gone!

I waited near that entry, until a solemn bell
Proclaimed the hour of midnight: it was Death's dreadful
knell :

The coloured lamps were dimming, the merry songs were
hushed,

As forth into the shadows the frenzied spirits rushed.
And she who left her Saviour, bewildered with affright,
Looked round her for His presence amid the gloom of
night-

"I meant not this; Good Heaven!" she cried in her
despair,

"Where in thy vaults, O darkness! where is My Saviour?
where ?"

The bell had ceased its tolling, its iron tongue was dumb :
I knew that in that moment the call of Death had come.
I heard a soul fly past me :-'twas hers who lingered there,
Who now must seek a Saviour for ever in despair.
O ye who walk with Jesus along the days of youth,
Turn not aside to Folly, leave not the way of truth;

Ye cannot take Him with you, ye dare not bid Him wait,
Lest, when again ye seek Him, ye seek, alas ! too late.
WILLIAM LUFF.

HE that cannot forgive others, breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself.— George Herbert.

you are thinking of, who loved and feared God in childhood, and was taken from you? Did she say to you when she was dying, "Follow me to Heaven, my father!" You have heard her voice for the last time; that child will never see her father more, unless he turns from his evil ways. Methinks if she could be in Heaven what she was on earth, she would fling her arms about your neck, and seek to draw you the glorious throne of the Most High; but, oh! it cannot be. A just God condemns the impenitent sinner, and just men assent to the Divine sentence.-Spurgeon.

to

A TREE will not only lie as it falls, but will fall as it leans. And the great question every one should bring home to himself, is this, "What is the inclination of my soul? Does it, with all its affections, lean toward God, or away from Him?"-J. J. Gurney.

"With the Lord there is mercy" (PSALM CXXX. 7).

THE

GOSPEL TRUMPET.

Published by the Trustees of the late PETER DRUMMOND, at Drummond's Tract Depot, Stirling, N.B.

"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

99

H

AVE you read Hannah castle, situated in the midst of a More's beautiful story of great wilderness, but enclosed in a "Parley, the Porter?" It garden. There was a band of robbers is too long to give here, in the wilderness, who would have but I can tell you something been glad to plunder and destroy about it, and perhaps you will under- the castle, but had never succeeded, stand what it is meant to teach. because the good man's servants, who were many, had always followed

A rich and good man had a large

No. 284.-AUGUST, 1880.]

[MONTHLY, ONE HALFPENNY.

58

"The Lord is my defence" (PSALM Xciv. 22).

his orders, to "watch without ceasing." To make them the more careful, he had told them that their care would soon have an end, and they should enjoy a delightful rest.

One day, as he was about going from home, he called his servants together, and gave them particular directions about their duties in his absence. He specially charged them to watch against the robbers, saying that it would be impossible for any foes from without to enter the castle as long as there were no traitors within. He directed them also often to consult his BOOK OF LAWS.

Parley, who was the porter, and kept the door, promised, like the others, to be very watchful and faithful. For a time all went well, but at length Parley began to peep through the hedge that enclosed the garden, and one day he spied a very well-dressed man passing near to him. It was Mr. Flatterwell, a man "whose words were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart." He spoke so politely to Parley, that he put him entirely off his guard, for Parley had no notion that this soft and civil man could be one of

those terrible robbers.

By degrees Mr. Flatterwell persuaded him to consent to let him come into the garden at night and make a friendly call, only asking to be permitted to stand under the

castle window. As the hour drew near, Parley thought of his master's orders, and, to divert his mind, he opened the Book of Laws. He happened to open it at the words,

"My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not."

For a moment his heart failed him ; but soon he remembered that Mr. Flatterwell had promised to tell him something greatly to his advantage, and he stopped his ears to the voice of conscience.

Mr. Flatterwell came at the appointed hour through the hole in the hedge which Parley had made for him, and stood beneath the castle window. Soon by his pleasing words he prevailed upon Parley to come down to the door and open the upper half of it. Then he induced Parley to drink of a delicious liquor that he carried with him in a bottle, and then the foolish porter was in his power.

"Will you now let me in?" said Flatterwell.

66

Ay, that I will," said the deluded Parley, and eagerly pulled down the bars, and drew back the bolts, thinking he could never let his friend in soon enough. He had just presence of mind to say, "My dear friend, I hope you are alone." Flatterwell declared he was. Parley opened the door, and in rushed, not Flatterwell