ANECDOTES, SELECTIONS, AND GEMS.

END of the race you are running? It leads to darkness, horror, and endless despair. Rev. xiv. 11. What are you taken up with? What are you pursuing? What are you aiming at? Is it pleasure? Pure pleasure is not to be found on earth, it is only found in the presence of God in heaven. Is it riches ? "What shall it

profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Mark viii. 36, 37. Do you answer, "But I intend to repent, reform, and make my peace with God;" be assured that your reformation will not recommend you to him. "By the deeds of the law shall no flesh living be justified." Salvation is of God, it is in Christ, it is by grace alone. Eph. ii. 8. You must be interested in Christ, united to Christ, and possess the spirit of Christ, or you cannot be saved. Rom. viii. 9. 2 Cor. v. 17. All other foundations are false, all other refuges are vain, and all who live and die trusting in them will be everlastingly undone. Jesus is the Saviour-he came to save. Do you feel your need of him? Have you a desire to know him? Are you seeking an interest in him? If so, I rejoice to point you to him as a Saviour, and a GREAT ONE, able to save unto the uttermost all them that come unto God by him.

"PROVE ME NOW!"-God has made provision for human happiness in the gospel. That provision is open to you. Nothing can keep you from it but unbelief. Nothing can make you happy but faith. Oh that you did but realize this! Then you would read the gospel message as sent from heaven directly to you, then you would perceive that it is worthy of all acceptation. Then you would endeavour to understand exactly what it means; then you would embrace it, trust in it, and plead with God to give you the full enjoyment of it in your own soul. The word of the gospel is true. God hath spoken it. He cannot lie. He will not change his mind. No one ever found him false or fickle. Will you prove the sincerity of his kindness? Will you put his word to the test of your own experience? You have the opportunity. He warrants you to do so, for he says, "PROVE ME NOW." Thousands have done so and found him true.

"SHEW PIETY AT HOME."-To be full of religious zeal everywhere but in our own houses, and to profess great anxiety for the spiritual welfare of others, while we are very negligent respecting those who more especially appertain to us, and who are more immediately, by Providence, placed under our care, is a very fearful mark that all is not well.

THE TWO SONS.-Jacob had two sons of vastly different characters. Of one it was said, "unstable as water, thou shalt not excel." Of the other, "Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall." Which character is most worthy of imitation, fickle Reuben or fruitful Joseph. D. Q.

ANECDOTES, SELECTIONS, AND GEMS.

Gems.

A FEW THOUGHTS BY D. Q.-Time is like a creditor who allows you opportunity to make up your accounts, but is inexorable at last-and it is like a grateful friend; use it well and it will repay you again.A Hypocrite is one who politely introduces himself to damnation with the mask of religion on his face. -A Formalist is a creature with a living body and a dead soul.-A Christian is one who sincerely desires to know and do all the will of God.

GOD'S PROMISES are like the beams of the sun, they shine as freely in at the window of the poor man's cottage as of the prince's palace.

IMMORTALITY, to the christian, is an immortality of blessedness; and the scripture doctrine concerning it is briefly and beautifully expressed— "Absent from the body, present with the Lord."

HIM WHOM WE FIERCED.- -Though it grieves a poor soul that Christ was pierced by him, yet it relieves a poor soul that Christ was pierced for him. GODLY SORROW.-Though it be a christian's sorrow that he hath sin to bewail; yet 'tis his joy that he hath an heart to bewail his sin.

ALL FOR CHRIST.-A saint will part with any thing, yea, with all things for Christ; but will not part with Christ for any thing, no, not for all things. TWO CHARACTERS.-Some are professors of profaneness, others are profane professors.

Facts and Hints.

FEMALE TEMPER.-No trait of character is more valuable in a female, than the possession of a sweet temper. Home can never be made, happy without it. It is like the flowers that spring up in our pathway, reviving and cheering us. Let a man go home at night wearied and worn out with the toils of the day, and how soothing is a word of kindness from his wife! It is sunshine falling on his heart. He is happy, and the cares of life are forgotten.

LONGEVITY OF WOMEN.-A medical writer has pleasantly remarked, that one cause of long life in women may be, that they talk more; talking, by exercising the lungs, being exceedingly beneficial to health.

WORKMEN IN LONDON.-According to the Trades' Unions' returns, 1848, of 200,000 working-men in London, one-third are fully employed, one-third partially employed make shift to live by pawning and occasional charitable assistance, the other third rely altogether on charity. Query-How many of the latter are drunkards? We fear nearly all of

them.

NEW ZEALAND. This interesting country contains 95,000 square miles, or 60,000,000 of acres. Spring commences in the middle of August; summer, in December; autumn, in March; and winter, in July.

RAILWAYS.-In the half-year, ending 20th June, 1848, the number of passengers carried on the railways in Great Britain and Ireland, was 26.330,492. In the same time, 90 persons were killed by accidents and other causes, and 99 injured.

IDLENESS is one of the worst of vices, springing from the worst of principles. The spendthrift and the thief are idle.

FLATTERY.-Beware of it: for it steals its winding way like a serpent gently and gradually to the heart, and then stings.

LITTLE JEALOUSIES are always the marks of a low mind and a narrow heart. Always avoid indulging them.

THE FIRESIDE.-THE PENNY POST.

The Fireside.

GOOD AND BAD LUCK.-Many a time have we heard the grumbling complaint, "Ah, we have never been in luck's way." Why, if they had been in luck's way, as they say, luck would have had something to do to get hold of them; they do so many things to drive luck away. Dr. Beecher, in his Lectures to Young Men, says: "I may here, as well as any where, impart the secret of what is called good and bad luck. There are men who, supposing Providence to have an implacable spite against them, bemoan, in the poverty of a wretched old age, the misfortunes of their lives. Luck for ever ran against them, and for others. One, with a good profession, lost his luck in the river, where he idled away his time a-fishing, when he should have been in the office. Another, with a good trade, perpetually burnt up his luck by his hot temper, which provoked all his customers to leave him. Another, with a lucrative business, lost his luck by amazing diligence at everything but his business. Another, who steadily followed his trade, as steadily followed his bottle. Another, who was honest and constant to his work, erred by perpetual misjudg. ments, he lacked discretion. Hundreds lose their luck by indorsing bills, by sanguine speculations, by trusting fraudulent men, and by dishonest gains. A man never has good luck who has a bad wife. I never knew an early-rising, hard-working, prudent man, careful of his earnings, and strictly honest, who complained of bad luck. A good character, good habits, and iron industry, are impregnable to the assaults of all the ill luck that fools ever dreamt about. But when I see a tatterdemalion creeping out of a tavern late in the forenoon, with his hands stuck into his pockets, the rim of his hat turned up, and the crown knocked in, I know he has had bad luck-for the worst of all luck is to be a sluggard, a knave, or a tippler."

The Penny Post.

[One of our correspondents, J. B, says, "From the kind notice you have given to poor illiterate men to write their thoughts and send them to you, I am encouraged to send you what follows."]

THOUGHTS ON MY BIBLE. - The Bible is the WORD OF GOD. Man must not add to its words, or take from them. Unlike all other books it is quite free from error. Nothing but truth is in it. We should read it carefully, and constantly, and treasure up its principles in our hearts. By so doing we should have within us a preservative from sin-a source of comfort in affliction—and a well-spring of hope for life and death. Its promises to him who believeth are wonderful, and will every one be fulfilled. My Bible is to me a Library of many Books-I have History as old as the world—the most interesting Narratives-the most astonishing Events-the most sublime Eloquence-the most exquisite Poetry-and what is above and more than all these, the most perfect Wisdom, for God himself talks with me, and I feel he does, for I never sit down to read it but I feel I have been with God. And then it is so honest-it tells me of my sins right out; and so kind, for it tells of a Saviour from sin, and how I may be saved by putting my trust in Him. In one word it is everything that is good, and just such good as I wanted. Let us every

THE PENNY POST.

one hold fast his own bible, and read it as if it were written for himself alone. That is the way to get good out of it. Let us all pray that the Lord the Spirit enlighten us to feel and enjoy its precious truths!

In life's last hour my thoughts engage,
And be my chosen heritage !"

"May this blest volume ever lie Close to my heart and near my eye, CHRISTIAN PRIVILEGES.-Another of our friends, J. W., laments that he and his wife are removed far away from the enjoyment of christian fellowship and privileges. The situation he occupies is in a rural part of the country, five miles away from any with whom he can hold christian intercourse. All around him, he says, is mere formality and selfrighteousness; the people are perishing for lack of knowledge, and no man careth for their soul. Nevertheless they are taught to believe themselves to be righteous and despise others. He and his wife are despised because they are of a sect everywhere spoken against. Providence, however, he believes, has placed him where he is, and he will try to do the people around him good, and pray for them; but if he could be set free and enter on a new engagement, where he could enjoy his privileges, he should choose it rather; for now the sabbaths seem dull and heavy while uncheered by such means of grace as he once enjoyed. He complains not of temporal things, though even these would be improved if he were not a dissenter. Of this he has been told, but he prays that he may have grace to remain faithful to the truth. Let our readers, who sabbath after sabbath sit under the joyful sound, not be unmindful of their privileges, but be thankful that the lines are fallen to them in pleasant places. Christian privileges, rightly improved, are invaluable blessings. Let no one neglect or despise them.

MY BIRTHDAY-FORTY-FIVE.-[With the lines beneath we received the following note:-"I have been for years a reader of your publications. In the Pioneer last month I saw some verses composed by a man who signed himself "A Poor Stockinger." I am a Poor Day Labourer, a member of a baptist church. I make no pretensions to poetry, but am a great lover of other men's poems. Still I know that the Lord doth not despise the day of small things, and I trust you will not. My design in sending these lines for publication is two-fold-first, because I have a little family of readers who may peruse them; and second, that I may stir up others to praise God on the return of a birth-day. I think it a duty we all owe to our merciful Father in Heaven, that when a birth-day arrives we offer a song of praise for the mercies of another year. This has been my practice, and I hope it will be till I die.

Stretton, Warwickshire.

W. M."]

"And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness."

Now will I raise a grateful song,
To Him that keeps me still alive;
Who bids the seasons roll along,

And brings my years to forty-five.
Though I have most ungrateful been,
Still let thy Spirit with me strive,
To cleanse and save my soul from sin,
And seal me thine at forty-five.

I cannot tell what will befal,

Nor in the future would I dive, But humbly trust in Him for all, Who led me on to forty-five.

How many of my friends are dead

Though they are gone I still survive;
And I am yet preserved and fed,
Up to the age of forty-five.
May Jesus still supply my need,

And all I want for me contrive;
Still with his Father for me plead,
And help me on from forty-five,
And if this year should be my last,

And no more birth-days e'er arrive,
I'll praise his name for all that's past,
And die in hope at forty-five.

THE CHILDREN'S CORNER.

The Children's Corner.

THE DYING GIRL.

BY ALFRED TENNYSON.

I THOUGHT to pass away before, and yet alive I am;
And in the fields all round I hear the bleating of the lamb.
How sadly, I remember, rose the morning of the year!
To die before the snowdrop came; and now the violet's here.
O sweet is the new violet, that comes beneath the skies,
And sweeter is the young lamb's voice to me that cannot rise,
And sweet is all the land about, and all the flowers that blow,
But sweeter far is death than life, to me, that longs to go.
It seem'd so hard at first, mother, to leave he blessed sun,
And now it seems as hard to stay; and yet, His will be done!
But still it can't be long, mother, before I find release;
And that good man, the minister, he preaches words of peace.
O blessings on his kindly voice, and on his silver hair!
And blessings on his whole life long, until he meet me there!
O blessings on his kindly heart, and on his silver head!
A thousand times I blessed him, as he knelt beside my bed.
He shewed me all the mercy, for he taught me all the sin,—
Now, though my lamp was lighted late, there's One will let me in;
Nor would I now be well, mother, again, if that could be,
For my desire is but to pass to Him who died for me.
All in the wild March-morning, I heard the angels call;
It was when the moon was setting, and the dark was over all;
The trees began to whisper, and the wind began to roll,
And in the wild March-morning, I heard them call my soul.
For, lying broad awake, I thought of you and Effie dear;
I saw you sitting in the house, and I no longer here;
With all my strength I prayed for both, and so I felt resign'd,
And up the valley came a swell of music on the wind.

So now I think my time is near. I trust it is. I know
The blessed music went that way my soul will have to go;
And for myself indeed I care not if I go to-day,-
But Effie, you must comfort her when I am past away.

O look! the sun begins to rise, the heavens are in a glow;
He shines upon a hundred fields, and all of them I know.
And there I move no longer now, and there his light may shine,-
Wild flowers are in the valley, for other hands than mine.

O sweet and strange to me it seems that ere this day is done,
The voice that now is speaking may be beyond the sun-
For ever and for ever with those just souls and true-

And what is life, that we should moan? why make we such ado?

For ever and for ever, all in a blessed home

And there to wait a little while, till you and Effie come-
To lie within the light of God, as I lie upon your breast-
Where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest.