Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

he took him outside the house, picked up a quantity of dry leaves and straws, and made a large ring or circle of them. He then sought for a worm; and, having found one, he placed it in the centre of the ring. Forthwith, he applied a lighted match to the dry material that surrounded it; and, as the heat of the fire began to reach the poor worm, and it began to show symptoms of pain and distress, the convert darted his hand through the smoke, plucked the worm out of its dangerous position, and placed it in the breast of his flowing robe, near his heart. "There," said he, "that is what the blessed Jesus has done for me. I was exposed to the flames of hell; there was no possibility of escape. I was condemned, and ready to perish, and He rescued me by dying for my sins: thus snatching me as a brand from the burning, and He has given me, a poor worm of the earth, a place near His heart." The scoffer looked on and listened to all this with no little astonishment. Surely he would not soon forget so striking a reply.

Dear young reader, remember what Jesus has done for you. Perhaps you have hitherto despised His mercy, and refused to yield yourselves to him. If so, the flame of God's righteous wrath is just ready to consume you; and Oh! how awful to perish amidst the offers of mercy to "pluck you as a brand from the fire!" May the God of all grace touch your heart, rescue you from sin and from its dreadful consequences, and give you cause joyfully to sing, with the happy Indian convert, through all eternity, "what great things the Lord hath done for you!"

THE TWO SOUNDS.

WHAT a beautiful description the Psalmist gives, in the eighty-ninth psalm, of the happy experience of God's true people! He exclaims, at the 15th verse: "Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day, and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted!" The joyful sound in this beautiful passage refers to the sound of the trumpets of old, when the people were called to come up to God in the solemn assembly, or when the year of Jubilee was come. Well did every devout Israelite "know" the joyous notes of these trumpets, easily distinguishing them from all other sounds. Is there any "joyful sound" our young readers love to hear, of which that referred to by the Psalmist was

but a feeble type? We trust the notes of the Gospel trumpet sound sweetly in their ears, and that to many of their hearts its "glad tidings of great joy" have come, dispelling the fears of guilt, removing the love of sin, and setting the blessed Jesus on the throne of their affections. There is no such "blessedness" as this. Oh! what happy hearts we should have, did all of us "know" and welcome this joyful sound: "Salvation for all if they will, through the blood of the Lamb!"

But we read of a very different sound. In the book of Job it is said of the wicked: "A dreadful sound is in his ears." What it proclaims is this, "O wicked man thou shalt surely die;" and this, "Our God is a consuming fire;" and this, "How shall you escape, if you neglect so great salvation?" Dear reader, which of these two sounds do you hear, when all is hushed around you, and you are alone with God? Oh! listen to the kind words of Jesus, love the Gospel's joyful sound, and welcome its message of peace. Then, while the "dreadful sound" of a rejected salvation shall ring through eternity in the ears of the lost, yours shall be the blessedness of those who "know the joyful sound," who shall walk in the light of Jehovah's countenance above, in His name rejoice, and in His righteousness be exalted for ever!

CHRISTMAS DAY.

THINK on the mercy of our God,
Our Great Redeemer's love;

How the dim waste of earth He trod,
And left His throne above!

And all, frail man to save,

And shew him hopes beyond the grave.

He came not in a warrior's path,
With mighty armies strong;
He came not as a God of wrath,
Avenging Judah's wrong:

To preach on earth His Father's Word,
A little child came Christ the Lord.

Glad was the Saviour's natal morn;
Angels rejoiced in heaven

That" unto us a Child is born,

To us a Son is given;

[ocr errors]

And angels left their home on high

To tell of Christ's nativity.

END OF VOLUME IV.

PATON AND RITCHIE, PRINTERS, EDINBURGH.

THE

JUVENILE MISSIONARY RECORD

AND

Sabbath Scholars' Magazine

IN CONNEXION WITH

THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.

"Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise."
MATTHEW Xxi. 16.

VOL. V.-NEW SERIES.

PATON AND RITCHIE, EDINBURGH.

MDCCCLVI.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][merged small][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]
« ForrigeFortsett »