20 THE GREAT PHYSICIAN. HE hath anointed me ... to set at liberty them that are bruised.-Luke iv. 18. ALL is finished: He would be spitted on, that He might wash thee; He would be covered with scornful robes, that thy sins might be covered; He would be whipped, that thy soul might not be scourged eternally; He would thirst, that thy soul might be satisfied; He would bear all His Father's wrath, that thou mightest bear none; He would yield to death, that thou mightest never taste of it!-Bishop Hall. Turn-turn to Him, in every pain, Whom never suppliant sought in vain : A feeling of sadness comes over one's mind as one observes the precautions taken by the idolaters in the hopes of averting this malady (the cholera), more especially from their dwellings; sometimes a square piece of cloth, tinged with yellow, and dotted with red spots, with the sign of Siva, is suspended with a row of leaves from the lintel of the street-door; sometimes Vishnoo's sign, worn by his followers on the forehead, the middle stroke red or yellow, the rest white, is traced on the door; and sometimes the three parallel white strokes which the worshippers of Siva wear on their forehead, appear on the doorposts. One also observes precautions taken to avert the effects of the evil eye; for everything in the shape of gross superstition is here; an earthen pot dotted over with white to protect a newly-built house; or a lump of kneaded rice, or cow-dung with a twig inserted, kindled in the street before a house supposed to be under this spell. * It is scarcely credible how much the heathen are in bondage.-Rev. J. J. H. Clories, from Madras. On my questioning a very afflicted man as to the experience of Christ's love in his sickness, he replied, with great animation. "Yes, Christ is good to me. Christ is a good doctor for my sickness, when th DECEIT 21 THE wicked worketh a deceitful work; but to him ALL false or deceitful acts, speeches, or practices, are an abomination in God's eyes, and so can never bring down, but may stop, a blessing-will move Him not to bless, but to blast our design. If we hope to succeed, that can only be in well-doing. Seek not help from any sin, since that were to renounce Him.-Kettlewell. To walk wisely is, not to walk craftily or deceitfully: for such wisdom of serpents is required, as may stand with the innocence of doves.-Byfield. Deceit, falsehood, and hypocrisy are more directly contrary to the very essence and design of religion, and carry on them more of the express image and superscription of the devil, than any bodily sin whatever.-South. Lie not; but let thy heart be true to God, Dare to be true. Nothing can need a lie: A fault which needs it most, grows two thereby.-G. Herbert. I was discussing the subject (of lying) with a very respectable Brahmin, who defended the doctrine that falsehood was allowable in some positions, and added, "A man was once sent to hell for not telling a lie." On my inquiring the circumstance, he said, "It was related in one of his sacred books, that a certain devotee had retired to the forest as an anchorite, and, among other restrictive Vows, had sworn that he would never tell a lie. It chanced one day that some travellers, who were pursued and hard pressed by robbers, fled to the hermit's hut, and begged permission to conceal themselves in his little garden. They had scarcely done so, when their pursuers came up, and demanded of the hermit if he knew where the travellers were. The hermit considered in himself, "If I tell them I do not know, I shall be speaking falsely and break but if I tell them where their victims are, they will take native was painful, and the hermit decided end was that the travellers were murst into hell by God for not having Rev. H. W. For's Missions in South en 22 PUBLIC MELODY. SINGING and making melody in your heart to the Lord.-Ephes. v. 19. WE must sing, and chant, and praise the Lord more with the heart than by the voice. This is what is here said, “Singing and making melody," &c. Let our young men listen to this; let those observe it whose duty calls them to sing in the Church; we must sing to God not with the voice, but with the heart. Not like actors in a tragedy, need your throat and mouth be prepared with emollient draughts, in order that the strains and notes of the theatre may be heard in the church; but Christ's people should sing with fear, and obedience, and knowledge of His Word. Should any man have (as these men call it) a bad voice, yet, if he come with pious works as his warrant, God will account him a good singer.— S. Jerome. The prophet David was the author of adding unto poetry melody in public prayer, melody both vocal and instrumental, for the raising up of men's hearts, and the sweetening of their affections towards God. In which considerations the Church of Christ doth likewise at this present day retain it, as an ornament to God's praise, and an help to our devotions.-Hooker. Hark! what mean those joyful strains, C. M. Instructor. (Rupert's Land, N. America.)—The congregations at both the churches continued to increase, and it was sometimes with difficulty Mr. Jones could make his way through the crowd to the readingdesk. Often, when setting forth a Saviour's love, he saw the deep feelings of his hearers, especially among the half-breeds, manifesting itself in tears; and, on one occasion, he speaks of his own mind being much affected at the manner in which the whole congregation, English, Scotch, Swiss, Germans, Canadians, Norwegians, half-breeds, and Indians, joined in singing, “Crown Him Lord of all;" little thinking, he says, when he first read that hymn in Welsh, that it would be brought home to his heart with so much power and interest in the American wilderness.-1824.- Miss Tucker's "Rainbow in the North." MINISTERIAL WAGES. 23 GOD is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love.-Heb. vi. 10. ¶ O Jesus!.... Thou hast thrust me into this conflict. Therefore do I call upon Thee, with a sure trust, to finish what Thou hast begun. If I have built up anything in error, do Thou cast it down with Thy mighty hand! If I have laid any other foundation but Thee, let the arm of Thy might destroy it! O Vine, full of sweetness, whose husbandman is the Father, and whose branches are we, do not abandon Thy grafts! For Thou, Lord, hast promised to be with us even unto the end of the world.—Zwingli. Stand but your ground, your ghostly foe will flee! True courage keeps the SAVIOUR in its sight; Bp. Ken. In reviewing a period of four and thirty years spent in the work of the ministry, while shame and confusion cover me in the remembrance of my own unfaithfulness and unprofitableness, I am bound, by every tie of truth and gratitude, to bear witness that I have served a good Master, "whose service is perfect freedom,” and whose wages, even here, are rich and sure. Trust Him implicitly, for He is worthy. Serve Him zealously, for He claims your utmost exertions. Count nothing dear, so that you may finish your course with joy, and the ministry which you have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel of the grace of God.— Rev. T. T. Biddulph's Address to Missionaries, Nov. 19, 1819. Well may we now ask, What is the fruit of your seven years' labour at this place? Alas! I see but little. I had almost said, "I have laboured in vain, and spent my strength for nought:" for, after seven years' labour, there is not one from among the Popos whom I can consider converted to God. But, although we see no fruit among the Popos, I do believe that our labour has not been in vain in the Lord. Some of the strangers, Youstas, and others residing here, have heard God's Word. Some are convinced of the truth; some waver; some strive with the devil, the world, and the flesh to come out; others have gained the victory, and live by faith.-Rev. C. A. Gollmer, Lagos. 24 NEED OF THE SPIRIT. E shall teach you all things.-S. John xiv. 26. HE CHRIST is gone, once for all. We have no hold but in His promise, "I will send Him." And Christ will "send Him;" but mistake Him not; not unless we call for Him, and be ready to entertain Him, the Paraclete.-Bishop Andrews. (Prayer for Christ's Ministering Servants.)- O Lord, my God, who, by Thy Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ, hast promised Thy Holy Spirit to all them that ask Him of Thee, I beseech Thee to give Him to Thy ministering servants, especially to those who are preaching Thy saving truth to such as know not Thee, in all the graces and assistances of which they stand in need. And this I ask, in all humility and godly earnestness, as the most precious gift Thou canst bestow upon them; for, without His sanctifying grace, how shall they be made strong against their weakness and infirmities; or how can any one of us desire or do anything that Thou wilt be pleased to accept and bless? . . . . O Thou, the Almighty Paraclete, be Thou unto them that bring good tidings of great joy to them that sit in darkness, a Spirit of sanctification and consolation-a Spirit of counsel in all difficulties—a Spirit of understanding in all doubtings-of courage in all dangers-of constancy in all persecutions-of comfort in all troubles-and of submission to Thy teaching, Thy holy will, and Thy saving goverGrant this for His sake, who sent Thee unto us, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. nance. I daily see the impossibility of converting a soul, without the effectual working of the Spirit of God. I often think, were Christians throughout the world, to consider this point enough, how would they pity us, and the souls committed to our charge! How would they become helpers together with us and God! How would they, as well in secret as in public, and in the family, wrestle with God for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, till He made Jerusalem a praise upon earth! A Christian must be himself, in some respects, a missionary, to enable him to enter into the feelings of missionaries.-Letter from a Missionary. |